Twelve, the acclaimed restaurant in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood, is closing Aug. 23.
Chef-owner Jeff Osaka announced the room’s closing, which opened Nov. 4, 2008. During its nearly six-year run, the restaurant was routinely lauded on best-of lists, and this year Osaka was a semi-finalist for a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest.
“I love this neighborhood,” Osaka said. “It’s been incredibly good to me. But while the restaurant has experienced tremendous growth, our restaurant has just 40 seats in the dining room and 10 seats at the bar, and we’ve gotten to the point where we’re just not large enough to accommodate as many guests as we’d like.”
Osaka said he intends to reopen Twelve elsewhere. But there’s no solid timeline, and Osaka is already occupied with his next venture: Osaka Ramen, a Japanese noodle shop slated to open this winter at 2611 Walnut St.
The space at 2233 Larimer St. won’t stay empty for long.
RELATED: William Porter’s take on the closing of Twelve
Twelve will become Butcher’s Bistro, a “rustic American” restaurant and retail shop being launched in October by Scott Bauer, regional manager of Snooze, and Tyson Holzheimer, that restaurant’s regional chef. Bauer’s wife, Kristin, will act as business manager for the new restaurant. Bauer and Holzheimer will soon leave Snooze to concentrate on the new venture, where Holzheimer will serve as executive chef.
Meanwhile, it’s business as usual at Twelve, known for its rotating monthly menus — hence the name — and focus on seasonal ingredients.
“I’m urging everyone to come in and celebrate,” Osaka said. “When I moved to Denver from Los Angeles, my intention was to be an integral part of a food scene that had amazing potential, and this restaurant has helped me build so many relationships and friendships.”
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp
