Gelman's Restaurant and Bar to close and reopen as a seafood spot

Gelman's Restaurant and Bar has been turning out American classics like burgers and wedge salads and veal meatloaf since November 2005. Now it's last call: The restaurant will be closing its doors on June 27 to make way for a new concept the Gelman Group is creating, a seafood restaurant, slated to open in the same space at 2911 West 38th Avenue in July.

"It's bittersweet," says owner Michelle Gelman. "We have a lot of loyal regulars, and we're mourning this phase with them."

Gelman says the shift is a reflection of the abundance of quality seafood now available in Denver. The native New Englander has long wanted to bring the Front Range a taste of her home -- and now she can. The new restaurant will be casual with a full bar, drawing on famous New England seafood spots like Legal Sea Foods.

That's not the only project the Gelman Group has going, though. It's also acquired a building at 40th and Tejon, which is being remodeled into an Italian grill with Mediterranean coastal influences. "It's an Italian neighborhood, so we wanted to provide a unique Italian offering," says Gelman.

That restaurant, which should open in October, will have almost half of its space cordoned off for banquets, in a space that will be able to accommodate eighty-plus people.