Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery

The definition of “Tributary” is a “river or steam flowing into a larger river or lake.” That’s a fitting tie-in to Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery which recently opened in Golden. Each of the food and drink purveyors, individually, make something larger, together. Nice idea, huh? Let’s learn more about the experience from guest writer, Lisa Truesdale.

As I was walking down the front steps after my visit to the new Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery in Golden, I overheard a conversation between a mom and her daughter walking by, who paused for a moment to look at all the people sitting on the patio.

“What’s a food hall?” the girl (about 10 or so) asked.

“It’s like the food court at the mall,” the mom answered. “You know, Maddie, that place where you like the pizza.”

I watched them walk away, and I was thinking that I should have run after them and set the record straight. “Wait, Maddie!” I would have said. “Tributary is nothing like the food court at the mall, except for the fact that there are lots of choices. And I guarantee the pizza in there is much tastier than the stuff at the mall.”

I can only hope that Maddie’s mom will read this and decide to take Maddie there one day soon.

Although food halls have a long history in Europe, they’re still a relatively new concept here. Tributary, which officially opened its doors on Friday, August 2, is “an all-day collective of independent food and drink artisans, carefully curated to bring a new and exciting array of dining and drinking options to the heart of downtown Golden.” It’s a joint venture between restaurateur Josh Dinar and chef Daniel Asher, both well-known for their previous culinary successes in the metro area.

When you walk in the door, you first encounter the breakfasty options, then the lunch and dinner choices, and then, as you wind your way around to the other side, the bar. I thought that was a great concept, and I mentioned it to Dinar when he stopped by my table to ask if I was enjoying my meal. The conversation went something like this:

ME: “I love how it’s arranged in a sort of sunup to sundown layout, with breakfast first and the bar last.”

DINAR: “We designed it that way on purpose.”

ME: “Well, I could stay here all day.”

DINAR: “Good. That’s the point.”

Get to know the businesses inside Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery

Tributary has just about every type of food and beverage I could want throughout the day, and there’s lots of space for me to set up a virtual office and get some work done. You just might find me camped out at the community table (or at the bar, or on the covered patio) when you visit. In the meantime, here’s a rundown of every single kiosk in the place (yes, I was lucky enough to try something from each one).

GENEROUS COFFEE CO.

Generous serves “life-changing coffee.” Sure, it’s so tasty that it may change YOUR life, but what they mean is, their coffee makes a difference in world. That’s because the company generously donates their profits to nonprofits in the communities where they get their coffee. I was thrilled with my latte that had lavender in it, but if you’re a purist when it comes to coffee, you’ll be happy, too.

KONA BOWLS SUPERFOODS

Kona serves what I would call smoothies that you eat rather than drink. (Although they have drinkable smoothies, too.) Their signature smoothie bowls feature colorful fruit smoothies topped with goodies like fresh fruit, coconut shreds, cacao nibs, and hemp and chia seeds, or you can pile everything on a bowl of steel-cut oats. Everything is dairy-free and gluten free, and almost everything is vegan, too. Their motto makes me chuckle: “Never eat ingredients you can’t pronounce. Except acai!” (They’ll helpfully point out that it’s “ah-sigh-EE.”)

WOODGRAIN BAGELS

Breakfast all day? Yes please! Once you have a really good bagel, you probably won’t want the mass-produced kind ever again. Woodgrain Bagels are boiled in honey water for a touch of sweetness, then baked in a wood-fired oven. Get one with just shmear, if you wish, but I recommend trying one of their sandwiches. For breakfast, you can’t go wrong with the Woodsman: bagel of your choice, egg, meat, cheese, avocado, tomato, and arugula. Later in the day, try the Mile High Reuben (just like it sounds) or the Caprese Avocado Toast, with tomato, fresh basil, and mozzarella.

FRINGE PIZZA

Although the pizza dough takes days to prepare, the pizzas themselves come out of the 800+-degree brick oven in less than two minutes! The crisp, fluffy Neapolitan-style crust is heavenly on its own, but the creative topping combinations are unlike anything Maddie and her mom could find at that mall food court. I especially liked the D.O.P., with garlic oil, arugula, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and pecorino. They didn’t skimp on the prosciutto, and it had just the right amount of arugula so that I knew I was eating pizza and not a salad. The person next to me raved about the Funghi, with garlic oil, local mixed mushrooms, sausage, basil, and fresh mozzarella.

AMORE GELATO

I love the beautiful colors in a gelato case. At Amore, I also love the creative flavor combos of their fresh, hand-churned gelato, although there are some basic choices, too, for those who aren’t feeling adventurous. They also make sweet crepes. I’m not going to mention the delicious flavor combo I had, because they might not have it when you get there, and I want you to choose your own. I’m pretty sure you’ll be happy with whatever flavor you get, whether it’s chocolately, fruity, or both.

MR. MINER’S MEAT & CHEESE

Here’s where the European flair of Tributary really shines through. Mr. Miner’s is like a mini meat and cheese market. They serve gourmet sandwiches, salads, and shareables like marinated olives and marinated mozzarella balls, but they also have a refrigerated case with grab-and-go cheeses and other goodies for when you want to take some deliciousness home with you. The prosciutto sandwich, served on the crispiest baguette I’ve ever had, was topped with brie, thinly sliced apples, mustard, and arugula. Next time, I’ll be trying the roast turkey sandwich, with salsa verde, manchego, pickled onions, and arugula.

BIJU’S GOLDEN ROLL COMPANY

Biju Thomas—of Biju’s Little Curry Shop fame—also has a kiosk at Tributary, and if you order nothing else, please try the Housemade Chili Lime Chips. I can’t explain how yummy they are; just trust me. You can also get a made-to-order naan roll filled with chopped salad, smashed masala potatoes, chicken, or curried beef. Then choose your spiciness level, from Mild (apricot) or Medium (cilantro mint) all the way up to “DontDoItHot”: a “ghosty” dala mayo.

WORKING TITLE CREATIVE KITCHEN & RAW BAR

Working Title was designed by chef Daniel Asher as “a semi-full-service pop-up restaurant within the hall.” Rather than ordering at the kiosk, guests can order while sitting at the bar or from one of the “roaming ushers,” who bring your food right to you. Working Title offers shareable starters, large salads, oysters on the half, crab claws, peel and eat shrimp, baby back ribs, and much more.

THE BAR @ TRIBUTARY

As promised, the last stop inside the food hall is the bar, which stretches the entire length of the west side of the hall. They’ve got 10 creative cocktails on tap (no waiting!), plus small-batch beers and wines. Happy hour goes until 6.

Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery is at 701 12^th Street in Golden, on the first floor of the Miner’s Point Building. It’s just half a block from Washington Street and only two blocks from Coors. Four places open at 7 a.m. and the rest open at 11.

— Story and photos by Lisa Truesdale

Lisa Truesdale is a freelance writer based in Longmont. She writes regularly about travel and tourism, food and drink, and healthy living topics for dozens of regional, national, and international publications.

What else is In Good Taste? Food Halls are all the rage, and they’re a great idea. Find out what Broadway Market in Denver offers. While you’re in Golden though, check out some of the other things to do there. Hang around a while – see what it’s like to stay at the Dove Inn, right off of Main Street.

You’re gonna want to pin this, we’re just sure of it! Here you go.