KAWA NI
LoHi
Chef Bill Taibe’s experiences eating in the izakayas of Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo on a trip to Japan inspired him to open one, called Kawa Ni, in Westport, Connecticut, in 2014. Then, as a new Denver resident, he debuted a second location in LoHi in late 2023. Both spots, furnished with potted plants and framed Japanese posters and artwork, have long wooden bars and high-top tables that beckon revelers to knock back a sake bomb or linger over a spirit-forward cocktail. The libations play well with plates of cold sesame noodles, rice cakes with shiso chicken meatballs, and other inventive bites.
Pair: The smooth, shochu-infused Sensei Negroni with the shaved broccoli miso goma, in which shreds of the veggie are tossed in a dressing seasoned with mirin,…