Even in Denver’s jamming restaurant scene, Australian isn’t a genre you see every day. Heck, many of us haven’t given a thought to Aussie cuisine, so yeah, I was curious about Two Hands, the new Tennyson Street spot billed as a community-focused Australian restaurant.
It turns out that what Australian food is is local, sustainable, fresh, and, like the young country itself, welcoming of multicultural influences from all over the globe. At Two Hands this means crispy sesame-crusted chicken schnitzel over herbed yogurt and from-the-garden snap pea salad. It’s a warm roasted mushroom bowl tossed with kimchi, quinoa, puffed rice, and sesame chili crunch. And maybe most delicious of all, it’s a creamy ball of burrata surrounded by Bengali mustard relish and topped with toasted nuts.
The menu changes seasonally, but a common thread is that everything is just a little more daring than you probably expect. It’s a roast chicken prepared West African style and served atop wild rice kicked up a notch with coconut milk. And while they pour the now-ubiquitous espresso martini, theirs is—are you sitting down?—a banana bread espresso martini mixed with oat milk, espresso, and crème de banana.
Two Hands is also an all-day affair with a daily brunch. You can pop in for an AM smashed avocado toast, strawberry, and key lime pavlova or the unique-to-Denver brekky muffuletta on house-made focaccia. There’s a full coffee bar, smoothies, and cold-pressed juices, and daily specials like Wednesday’s half-priced wine bottles make it that much easier to rationalize another stop-in.
You definitely get that characteristically Aussie freewheeling, friendly vibe here, both in the menu and the hospitality. Even though it had just opened in July, on a recent Tuesday night, the place was packed with people draped over the corner bar and banquettes as though they’d been meeting there for years.
It very much fits into the neighborhood, perched on the corner of Tennyson overlooking César Chávez Park out its massive windows, and that’s, well, kind of the point. Two Hands began in New York City but now also operates across Texas and Tennessee, and they specifically look for strong, community-focused neighborhoods where people might dig their healthy, sustainable approach to food.
“Since we opened our first location ten years ago in New York City, Denver has always stood out as a city that could be a good fit for the brand because of its focus on active lifestyle, healthy eating, and strong communities,” says Henry Roberts, founder and CEO of the restaurant. “The first time I walked down Tennyson Street, I knew it was going to be a perfect place for Two Hands. There was such a warm, inviting vibe that really resonated with me.”
And Two Hands is obviously resonating with the neighborhood right back. Turns out a little Aussie style was just what we needed.
Two Hands: 3985 Tennyson St., Denver, 303.376.9990, TwoHandsHospitality.com; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. daily