A Q&A with Creative Director of CCL and Lauren Bailey, CEO and co-founder of Upward Projects, Postino’s parent restaurant group.
A: What made you pick the Hale neighborhood for your new location?
L: Our philosophy is to find great neighborhoods that are looking for a place for people to gather, so right away we started targeting the Hale neighborhood because we heard that a lot of our guests were driving to the Lohi location from that area. We wanted to come up with a space that had an open-air feel and a long patio to highlight the great weather in Colorado, and this location allowed for that.
A: How does the interior design concept fit Denver and Colorado?
L: We took the time to think about the space. I had this huge brass mid-century modern chandelier before we even moved in. I also came up with the sunglasses wall, which was inspired by Colorado topping the charts in days of sunshine and Denverites who are really outdoorsy. The thousands of sunglasses that make up the installation were collected from Postino diners.
A: What inspired the year-round Bruschetta dish?
L: I wanted to see how we could create shareable food that you can enjoy with your friends. The menu is driven by high-quality ingredients put into unique combinations. “You probably didn't think to put brie and apple on a beautiful artisan piece of bread or figs and mascarpone?”
A: What makes your winebar different from other options in Denver and what is your favorite part about Postino’s wine offerings?
L: We like to combine high-quality wine with a great value price, so we sell every glass for $5 during our $5 before 5 p.m. happy hour. We have a crazy talented beverage director Brent Karlicek, who focuses on small production and short-run wines. “Our staff is highly trained and offers tastings in an approachable way.” When someone tells me they’re on a first date, or they take their out of town guests here - that means the most to me. “Coronavirus has made me realize what a privilege it is to create an environment for people to connect, over great food, wine, music and art.”
“We are lucky, we have really large patios, and can open huge windows and garage doors. Additionally, our food travels really well, so we expanded our ‘Board and Bottle’ programming – $25 for a bottle of wine and board of bruschetta, Mondays and Tuesdays after 8 p.m. – to be available all day Mondays and Tuesdays when ordered through curbside pickup. It’s great for a Netflix night in with your friends.” –Lauren Bailey
