Cherry Creek is in line for a serious dining upgrade, with a nationally known Chicago hospitality group plotting three separate concepts at the new 2nd & Adams development. The lineup would bring handmade pasta, Mediterranean-inspired plates and a rooftop bar-restaurant to one of Denver’s busiest shopping districts.
Boka Restaurant Group has submitted plans for Picchi, Varda and 2nd & Adams Rooftop at the project, according to WhatNow Denver. The company has not announced an opening timeline, so Denver diners will have to remain patient while the concepts move through planning and development.
Italian, Mediterranean And Rooftop Dining
Picchi is proposed as an Italian restaurant with dishes including pappardelle, cavatelli, mussels and scallop crudo. Varda would take a Mediterranean-inspired approach, with reported menu plans ranging from falafel and shawarma-spiced carrot tartare to pita with hummus and labneh and an Arabic salad.
The third concept, 2nd & Adams Rooftop, is planned as a bar and restaurant above the development. The rooftop is expected to offer views toward downtown Denver and the mountains, adding a destination-style hangout to a project already designed to combine offices, retail and food-and-beverage spaces.
A New Denver Chapter For Boka
The concepts are part of the 100,000-square-foot 2nd & Adams mixed-use development, a partnership between Magnetic Capital and Boka Restaurant Group. Mile High CRE previously reported that the project was being built around chef-led restaurants and a rooftop with city and mountain views, while describing the deal as Boka’s Denver debut.
The announcement also fills in a major blank from last year. Westword reported in June 2025 that Boulder native Brian Lockwood would lead two undisclosed restaurants at 2nd & Adams after working at elite kitchens including Eleven Madison Park and consulting on “The Bear.” The newly identified concepts give that long-teased project a much clearer shape.
Founded in 2002 by Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm, Boka operates a growing collection of chef-driven restaurants across major U.S. markets. The group’s official history highlights a portfolio that includes Michelin-starred BOKA, Girl & the Goat, Cabra, Momotaro and other concepts, along with James Beard recognition for its founders and culinary partners, as detailed by Boka Restaurant Group.
