He was no longer in detention as of Wednesday afternoon, according to police records. Neither Brinkman nor the victims recognized the suspect, a 24-year-old man, she said. The suspect did not face any bias- or hate-related charges as of Wednesday afternoon. Photos they posted to social media showed them bloodied in the hospital.ĭenver police detained a suspect, Dylan Payne, for investigation of a charge of aggravated assault. The attacker then stabbed Roman in the hand and back as Roman tried to defend his boyfriend, according to a police report. Huizar and Roman told Denver police that they were walking home from the nightclub when a man approached them from behind, yelled the slur “faggot,” and stabbed Huizar in the neck with a pocket knife. After four hours of waiting, she got the text from Huizar: “‘We got stabbed, but we’re OK.’ My heart instantly dropped.” “I just assumed the worst: Did they get arrested, did they get in a fight? These are two gay guys walking around in Denver,” she said.Īnd she was right to worry. I was terrified of what was going to happen.”īrinkman had spent the night out with her sister, her uncle and two of her closest friends: Chris Huizar and Gabriel Roman, whom they hadn’t seen since leaving a nightclub just after midnight. We waited another hour,” the 19-year-old recalled later. And she already knew, in a way, what had happened. 124 N.Brenna Brinkman waited for hours on her friends’ doorstep near Capitol Hill. If you go: Postino Broadway is open Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. There are now 14 locations-all situated in reused structures-across Arizona, Texas, and Colorado, and Postino LoHi, known for its literary-focused decor, occupies the former home of Denver Bookbinding Co. Or, for something heartier, try a panini, such as the grilled chicken and mozzarella with spicy sun-dried tomato aioli ($11), which is excellent with a glass of Antioch zinfandel ($5 during happy hour).Īrizona-based Upward Projects established the first Postino in a vacant 1940s Phoenix post office in 2001 “postino” means “postman” in Italian. Order the classic bruschetta board ($15 for four selections) to go with the Holly’s Way chardonnay, which pairs well with the brie, apple, and fig spread toast. Brent Karlicek, Upward Projects’ beverage director, encourages patrons to check out the proprietary wines-selections he works with winemakers around the world to create exclusively for the brand. The LoHi and Broadway Postino outposts have the same menu, meaning fans of the wine bar’s 12 kinds of bruschetta, shareable tapas boards, and beverage program featuring over 30 by-the-glass options will feel right at home. “We want people to know it’s old,” says Bailey, an avid vintage forager who sourced the posters from her own collection. Guests are greeted at the front entrance by a kaleidoscopic Murano glass chandelier hanging above a lounge set with bright orange couches, and a 300-square-foot art installation made from hundreds of 1960s and ’70s concert posters fills an entire wall in the dining room, honoring the bar’s musical history (Compound Basix had a stage for live music). The restaurant is decorated with eclectic touches, a nod to the funky vibes of the nearby Baker neighborhood.
“It’s a really special building and we’re blessed to be able to restore it,” says Lauren Bailey, co-founder and CEO of Upward Projects, a company dedicated to opening restaurants in historically significant structures. Before the Postino team discovered the property about 18 month ago, it was in danger of being torn down and replaced by a high-rise.
from the early 1940s to the late 1960s and then a series of bars Compound Basix ended its 25-year run in the 3,885-square-foot space last year. The newest addition to the Mile High City’s family of revitalized spaces is no exception: The second Denver location of Postino Wine café opened today at 145 North Broadway, the former address of one of the city’s oldest gay bars, Compound Basix.Ĭonstructed in 1895, the building has been home to multiple businesses, including Purity Creamery Co.
Denver restaurateurs have a strong legacy of transforming storied historic buildings into beautiful dining destinations, from Stanley Marketplace and the Source to the Edible Beats group’s Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox and Linger.