Sergio Iraola wants more than the satisfaction of reopening his restaurant called Cebiche Authentic Peruvian Dining — he wants neighboring cafes to flourish on 38th Avenue.
“We want it to be a destination spot, and by virtue of that, when we have other restaurateurs that are functioning, that helps us … it is going to help my business, I want them to open up,” Iraola said.
He is focused on prepping the Wheat Ridge house at 7000 W. 38th Ave., which was Minilla’s Mexican restaurant before it suffered some fire damage. He closed Cebiche in the Highlands neighborhood at 2257 West 32nd Ave. in November 2009 to seek a new location.
Thomas Yang, president of Applewood Quality Builders, is renovating the property on 38th to rent to Iraola for opening in late May or June.
“After seven or eight o’clock in this area, there is nobody open here. You can’t really go have a drink or go listen to music. I think Sergio is going to be able to provide that, and the patio on the front is going to be a huge patio,” said Yang, who is hoping an Italian restaurant will open across the street adding even more variety to choices along 38th.
Iraola likes the structure because “it is older and it’s a house. We think that is enough character that will really complement our food and the clientele that we attract.”
Having a restaurant in a house mirrors the fact that Iraola learned to cook at home, where food was the focal point for socializing.
“My mom and dad, just growing up, they had a lot of parties, and my mom cooked, so I was just always looking over my mom’s shoulder to see how she was preparing things and I just got a knack for cooking,” he said, adding that his parents owned and operated Mama Elena’s in east Denver for many years.
While the Cebiche menu is known for signature items, such as empanadas, chupe, ceviche and papas a la huancainadi, Iraola’s lomo saltado was highlighted in 5280 magazine. The sirloin dish has a garlic-ginger rub sautéed with oil, some roma tomatoes, jalapenos and onions, all served over a bed of french fries with a side of white rice cooked in garlic.
The new restaurant will feature Saturday and Sunday brunch, which will include some Mediterranean fare, and a new twist here and there, such as Bloody Mary Cebiche — a dish, described as “captivating enough,” of fresh scallops and calamari cooked in lemon juice and olive oil with chopped avocados and tomatoes and a shot of vodka and tomato juice.
A three-piece Creole-Peruvian group will perform often at the restaurant. There will be a front and back patio, the back patio décor mimicking a Peruvian beach.
Iraola said he is proud that the restaurant will employ many people from the old location. Seventeen employees have been hired — about half will be full time.
And once the restaurant is up and running, Iraola plans to take a few months off to procure a culinary degree in Lima, Peru, where his cousin is a director of a culinary school.