Rioja team ropes together Martini Ranch deal

Jen Jasinski and Beth Gruitch, the talented duo behind Larimer Square restaurants Rioja and Bistro Vendome, have their eyes on a third spot around the corner, as Penny Parker reports in a good scoop this morning. According to the sign still on the former Martini Ranch at 1317 14th Street, the space that opened up abruptly this past summer is still for lease — but the Gruitch/Jasinski project looks like a done deal.

The restaurant would be an “American tavern” named Euclid Hall, taking note of the building’s historic roots. That’s better than Soapy Smith’s, the name of the restaurant that occupied this space for years, serving up crab enchiladas that are still legendary in town.