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CitySet, the impressive restaurant project in Glendale at the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Cherry Creek Drive, just got another big culinary boost thanks to Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk. Today they opened The Kitchen Next Door Glendale, the second outpost of the original spot in Boulder that resides adjacent to the Kitchen Upstairs and the Kitchen, the duo’s flagship restaurant. The Kitchen also boasts a location in Denver — and later this summer, will have a third at Union Station and a fourth in Fort Collins.
See also: The Kitchen’s Hugo Matheson on escapism, a contrary vegan and fair wages
The Glendale space, much like its Boulder counterpart, is a testament to Matheson and Musk’s continued commitment to sustainability, ecology, locality and recycling, but while the two restaurants, like all of the Kitchen-named spots, share those same philosophies, along with a steadfast dedication to planting gardens in school playgrounds, there are a few differences between the Boulder and Glendale location — just not many.
While exec chef Kyle Mendenhall is supervising the opening, the exposed line — and menu — is quarterbacked by Anthony “Sal” Salazar, who started as a line cook at the Kitchen, Boulder and moved over to the Kitchen Next Door before asking Matheson “for the opportunity to open this space.” His menu mirrors the Boulder board, save for a few additions, including some damn good chicken wings. The Kitchen’s beverage program, overseen by a crew that includes bartender Josh Volkman, is simple: six beers (and one rotating beer) all from Colorado; six wines; and four kegged cocktails. “Four cocktails, all kegged — that’s about as mixological as we’re getting, at least for now,” says Volkman.
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Eighty seats (there are another thirty on the patio) encompass the high-ceilinged, largely windowed space that’s furbished with tufted booths, the color of English moss; white subway tile; dark-wood floors; and kettle lights. And come summer, the roof will transition into a deck and beer garden — another difference between the Boulder and Glendale locations. “It’ll feel like a real garden with tons of plants, umbrellas for shade and its own bar, and hopefully it’ll be a place where people can relax and escape,” says Matheson, who hopes to open the deck, which will seat fifty, by mid-spring.
In the meantime, Glendale’s Kitchen Next Door is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Happy hour — the staff calls it “Community Hour” — is from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. And from 9 p.m. to close Monday through Saturday and 6 p.m. to close on Sunday, beer pitchers and bottles of wine are half off.
“We’re definitely excited to open,” says Matheson. “This is a really cool and dynamic neighborhood with lots of layers of life, and Kimbal and I both appreciate that Glendale is pro-business and pro-hospitality.”
Turn the pages for a sneak peek of the interior, as well as several of Salazar’s dishes.
