Masterpiece Delicatessen looks to land a liquor license

Masterpiece Delicatessen hardly needs another reason to give crowds a reason to stop by: The breakfast and lunch eatery has been packing hordes of patrons into its tiny space and downtown-facing patio since it opened three years ago. But Steve Allee and Justin Brunson are about to make the neighborhood another enticing offer: The pair has applied for a liquor license, which means for the first time, they'll be able to offer something besides juice and soda alongside their winning board of sandwiches.

"We're adding spirits for another dimension," Allee explains. "We're especially thinking of that Saturday and Sunday crowd that might want to drink Bloody Marys and mimosas on the patio."

He notes that Masterpiece will keep its normal hours and that the liquor offerings will be simple: a couple of different wines, probably Infinite Monkey Theorem, a few beers and maybe a few specialty drinks. "We'll keep it limited to start," he says. "We don't want to get into making pints of Crown and Coke for people, either."

The new liquor license will also enable the restaurant to do some nighttime special events. "I see wine dinners on the patio in our future," the owner explains, citing the fact that they currently do many events with Ben Parsons, who owns the Infinite Monkey Theorem, albeit in different locations.

Masterpiece has a date with the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses on May 26.