The first thing you’ll notice walking into Able Baker’s new Bomb Shelter satellite restaurant and taproom isn’t the colorful, handwritten beer list, or custom orange and navy leather booths. It’s the ceiling. Overhead in the foyer, a ring of riveted, bunker-style paneling frames a painted dome of open sky, flanked by vintage warplanes and ducks flying in a V formation.
“It took almost a year to gut the building and get it open, but it was a wild opening,” co-owner Randy Rohde says of the meticulous transformation of the former Montana Meat Company space. “It’s been busy ever since.”
The Centennial Hills location represents a natural evolution of the original Arts District brewery’s delectable pints and nuclear-era theme, while also filling its own family-friendly niche.
Brioche cinnamon roll
Dotted by artifacts on loan from the National Atomic Testing Museum, Cold War photo prints and even Able Baker’s first DIY brew system, the property hosts multiple patios complete with games like ping pong and cornhole. You can dine with the kids on one side, or sip through 26 taps and select cocktails at the bar on the other. Either way, the most explosive addition is the food.
Managed by Arts District Kitchen, its expanded culinary offerings are helmed by executive chef Zebadiah Nuzzo-Todd, who cut his teeth learning under chef Giovanni Mauro at Monzú Italian Oven & Bar and later as a baker at Mother Wolf. In collaboration with assistant executive chef Carlos Ruiz and Rebellion Pizza, he crafted a sourdough pizza recipe that he calls his baby.”
“We have a strong focus on creating as much as we can within these walls, and we’re extremely proud of the product,” Nuzzo-Todd says.
His personal favorite pizza, the Sweet & Spicy ($22), wields a measured-but-zesty blend of ‘nduja, soppressata, gorgonzola and honey, while the basil cream-and-ricotta Lemon Basil ($24) and truffle-laced Tartufo ($24) add more artisanal flair.
Able Baker Brewer Bomb Shelter
With the pies in the oven, I sampled some Loco Wings ($13-$23) and Cheddar Bombs ($12) alongside entrees like the slow-roasted pork and hoisin sambal-glazed Atomic Street Tacos ($21) and a savory Hot Pastrami ($20) stacked with mozzarella, dijonnaise, dill pickles, pickled red onions and Fresno chilies.
After washing it all down with a flight of limited-edition samplings including a summer citrus variation of El Pato Loco, I chose the perfect closer in an ube gelato and cream cheese frosting-topped brioche cinnamon roll ($14). Thoroughly satisfied, I snatched up my complimentary green horned rubber duck and trekked south with a belly full of critical mass.
ABLE BAKER BOMB SHELTER 6371 Centennial Center Blvd., 702-224-2412, ablebakerbrewing.com. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight.
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