Colorado Style, Part 3: Bryan Dayton of Acorn Restaurant

In Part 3 of our Colorado Style campaign, we profiled restaurateur Bryan Dayton of the Boulder based Oak at Fourteenth restaurant, and more recently, the Acorn restaurant in Denver. Along with partner Steven Redzikowski, Bryan runs two of Colorado’s most sought-after restaurants. Oak and Acorn both focus on bringing contemporary American cuisine, with local and seasonal ingredients, to the hip Boulder and Denver dining scenes.

It’s the duo’s commitment to service and quality of product that inspired us to call them up and offer them an opportunity to be a part of our Colorado style project.

We sat down with Bryan Dayton to ask him about his business and the shirt fabric he picked out.

1. [Bespoke Edge] You and your business partner Steven have built not one, but two restaurants that have some of the most sought after table reservations in the Denver area – what is it that you think makes Oak and Acorn unique?

[Bryan] I think it’s our attention to the wood fired cookery and the details of the beverage program. I think the passion of our teams sets this apart to how they execute everyday!

2. Denver’s cocktail scene has really grown up in the past several years. Can you explain to us the difference between a mixologist and a bartender?

A bartender is someone who worked behind the stick prior 2005 that battened for the craft and the love of hospitality. I’m a bartender. A mixologist is a modern bartender. It’s a fancy name.

3. Besides your own bars, what is your favorite place for a drink?

Williams and Graham & the Sundowner Saloon

4. Can you tell us a little bit about why you designed your shirt the way you did? What made you go for skulls?!

I’m an old skate rock and roll punk at heart. I love it. It fit well with my roots yet still a bright color!

5. What does the future look like? Any upcoming restaurants or bars you can tease us about?

You might see something coming down the pipeline in the near future! I’ll keep you posted!;)

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Drop in to Acorn sometime in Denver (3350 Brighton Blvd) to say hello to Bryan – and keep an eye out for that shirt!

About the Colorado Style campaign:

Photo credit: Ashley Kidder Portraits