Limelight Denver gets first Ajax concept outside of Aspen
DENVER, August 08, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aspen One and Continuum Partners today announced that Ajax Downtown is now open to guests in Denver’s Union Station neighborhood. As a sister restaurant to Aspen’s popular Ajax Tavern, this brand-new concept from Aspen One brings an unprecedented combination of culinary innovation and unforgettable ambiance to the Mile High City. Ajax Downtown serves modern American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week to locals, travelers and guests of Limelight Denver, located adjacent to the restaurant.
“With the art of cooking over an open fire, Ajax Downtown is a true American restaurant that draws influences from across the country,” said Jared Becker, executive chef of Ajax Downtown. “Most dishes – from salads to desserts – are grilled on the open fire grill, and our team takes pride in responsibly sourcing Rocky Mountain-fed meats and fresh seasonal vegetables from local farms, and preparing each dish in-house.”
Chef Jared Becker takes a very personal approach to cooking, whether in the open-fire kitchen with Josper grills or in the adjacent state-of-the-art dry-aging room. For his signature dry-aging program, Becker uses only the finest locally raised beef, pork and lamb and slowly ages it to exacting specifications—controlling time, temperature and humidity—to achieve incredible depth of flavor. Ingredients are carefully and responsibly sourced from local suppliers, including Esoterra Farms, Infinite Harvest and Full Circle Farms.
Ajax Downtown’s menu features uniquely crafted shareable dishes and carefully refined main courses. The cooking process begins with a primal approach where each ingredient is charred over glowing coals, juxtaposed with the elegant and flavorful result on the plate. Signature dinners include coal-fired sourdough bread with a special local dry grain, ember-roasted chicken cooked to perfection on the custom Josper grill over flambéed goat cheese, and a 100-day dry-aged ribeye steak to share. Lunch is geared toward the working professional with offerings like a house-made English Muffin BLT, smoked pork sandwich, steak frites, and farm-fresh crudité. During breakfast and brunch service, guests experience savory and sweet options through a variety of menu items like lemon poppy seed French toast and duck hash. Becker is joined by in-house pastry chef Gaby Navas, who offers a Baked Alaska with prickly pear and calamansi sorbet, Feuilletine with rum and black sesame, and a smoky Chocolate Espresso Entremets.
Matt Gotlin-Sheehan, Ajax Downtown’s head bartender, introduces an extensive, inventive and dynamic cocktail menu that includes Douglas fir eau de vie and lemon liqueur made from charred lemon peels. The bar team is comprised of a group of highly skilled, experienced bartenders and creatives, and that is reflected in the restaurant’s bold offerings. Signature cocktails include the Beast of Bourbon, which features a bourbon wash with dry-aged ribeye fat, and BIG FEELINGS, which melds Jamaican rum, peach, cinnamon and lime for an experience with real fire. Ajax Downtown is a lively local hangout – thriving on Aspen’s high-energy social atmosphere – over smoke-infused cocktails, hand-selected wines and the best local, small-batch craft beers on tap, including Aspen Brewing Company’s Ajax Pilsner. Behind the bar you’ll find local options from Family Jones, Laws Whiskey and Leopold Bros Distillery to New Image Brewing, Ratio Beerworks and Station 26 Brewing.
Nina Gotlieb, founder of Otherworld Creative, served as interior designer on the project. The space’s details pay subtle homage to the original Ajax Tavern design and recognizable elements like the iconic red banquettes. Ajax Downtown’s palette leans heavily toward saturated colors with finer, subtler details echoed in the custom dining chairs, textures and patterns.
“We worked hard to make Ajax Downtown’s interior unique to Denver,” said Gotlieb. “The space is cozy but experience-driven, designed to envelop the guest with hidden details to discover and make them feel like they can escape for an hour or two.”
Ajax Downtown serves guests of Limelight Denver, where the restaurant is located on the ground floor, for all in-room dining and private events. The Ajax Downtown experience is sophisticated yet comfortable, just like Limelight Denver, to appeal to local city dwellers, tourist families and business travelers alike. In 2023, Aspen One entered into a joint venture with Continuum Partners and transferred the property to Limelight Denver and now Ajax Downtown.
Ajax Downtown is open for breakfast weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Dinner is available Sunday through Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Weekend brunch is available Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. To make a reservation at Ajax Downtown, visit www.ajaxrestaurant.com or call 303-323-0017.
ABOUT AJAX DOWNTOWN
Ajax Downtown is Aspen One’s newest dining concept and the only urban restaurant in its portfolio. Located in the heart of Denver’s Union Station neighborhood, Ajax Downtown serves modern American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, prepared by the chef and responsibly sourced from local purveyors. Led by Chef Becker, the team at Ajax Downtown uses charcoal-fired cooking techniques on a Josper grill combined with its unique dry-aging room to delight the senses with its fire-inspired food and beverages. Ajax Downtown is a lively local hangout – steeped in Aspen’s vibrant social atmosphere – featuring smoke-infused cocktails, hand-selected wines and the finest local, small-batch craft beers on tap. Ajax Downtown is located at 1899 16th St. Denver, CO 80202. To make a reservation at Ajax Downtown, visit www.ajaxrestaurant.com or call 303-323-0017.
ABOUT ASPEN ONE
Aspen One is the parent company of Aspen Skiing Company, Aspen Hospitality and ASPENX. The Aspen Skiing Company mountain division owns and operates four mountains – Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk – and creates world-class, sustainable and transformative experiences in recreation, culture and nature. Aspen Hospitality owns and operates a portfolio of hotels and residences, including the five-star, five-diamond The Little Nell and its associated Residences at The Little Nell, both at the base of Aspen Mountain; and Limelight Hotel Aspen and Limelight Hotel Snowmass in Colorado; Limelight Hotel Ketchum, Idaho; and Limelight Denver. Two additional Limelight Hotels are currently under development in Mammoth, California, and Boulder, Colorado. ASPENX is a contemporary retail and experience brand offering the first ski resort-designed performance product line. Aspen One uses its influence across all of its business lines to advance climate action, community engagement and racial justice. For more information about Aspen One, visit www.aspen.com.
ABOUT CONTINUUM PARTNERS
Continuum Partners, LLC is a progressive development firm specializing in the construction of mixed-use urban developments that create a successful pedestrian environment and integrate effectively with the surrounding urban fabric. Continuum Partners was founded in 1997 in Denver, Colorado with a clear mission to create sustainable human habitats with exceptional character and lasting value. The firm has established itself as a national leader in large-scale mixed-use projects, including Belmar and the Union Station Transit Hub, both of which received the ULI Global Award of Excellence, as well as 9+CO, Market Station, Bradburn Village, 16 Market Square and Produce LA in Los Angeles, to name a few. For more information, visit www.continuumpartners.com.
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