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A long awaited Upper Downtown restaurant has just opened at 14th and Stout Street. It will be owned and operated by native Coloradan Chef Scott Schaden. Bringing 17 years of culinary experience to the table, Schaden is excited to represent his food and concept in one of Denver’s most culturally vibrant areas. “Art, music, theater and culture are the heart of any great city and we are excited to be in the middle of that”. (Schaden)
With a background primarily in Italian restaurants, Chef Scott has worked in Denver, Chicago and Piedmont Italy. He brings this base of experience and knowledge to his new project in Downtown Denver. While the kitchen will be focused on domestic, native and regional products and flavors, the food will have all of the signs of great Italian food. Simple, ingredient focused dishes will dominate the menu including ‘hearth oven roasted meats’ and lots of pasta. Schaden plans to offer Truffles as often as the market and mother nature will allow. Schaden promises that he has “the best source” to offer exceptional quality fresh truffles at the best price.
Local sourcing is important to Schaden and his team, and Terra will be focused on representing the Rocky Mountain and the Pacific Coast regions. Ingredients will be procured from the Western United States, including Colorado, Utah, Washington, Texas and California. Truffles and high-quality Italian wine will be among the few exceptions to Terra’s domestic sourcing policy.
“Coming up in the culinary world I was always bothered – in the back of my mind – that I was cooking someone else’s culture, defining someone else’s place of origin, and paying exorbitant prices to have products shipped across the ocean from someone else’s backyard. I want to create a restaurant where we cook our culture, highlighting products from our backyard. A place where we find ourselves, our community, our Terra.” (Schaden)
Employee well-being and retention are important at Terra. Schaden believes that while fair wages are important, benefits, culture and community are also essential. The benefits include medical coverage, an education budget, EcoPasses, sick leave, and a gym membership. Scott believes that a happy and healthy staff is worth every penny of investment.
Considerable thought has been given to Terra’s decor selections, and the various wood species and decorative tiles are quite pleasing to the eye. The seating capacity is for 153 people including a 14th Street patio and bar seating.
Scott has already demonstrated his commitment to our neighborhood by participating in monthly clean-ups and by joining UpDoNA as a business member. One of Schaden’s primary goals is to engage with the community. Half of success is showing up and that includes community involvement.
To view his menu and to learn about his restaurant, go to https://www.terra-denver.com/ We are fortunate to have Terra in our neighborhood. It is important to support UpDoNA’s business members, so please patronize Terra often. Reservations can be made online, including opentable, https://www.opentable.com/r/terra-denver, or by calling 720.643.2381
