BY MIGUEL OTÁROLA, @MOTAROLA_EATS

We're laying it all out on the table for the end of the year. Look for our roundup of the biggest openings and saddest closings of 2025 in the coming weeks. Once 2026 kicks in, we'll be dropping some food and dining trends anticipated by our staff and local chefs and restaurant owners, as well as the list of most anticipated openings of the winter.

Are there restaurants you'd include in any of these lists? Send your reviews and foodie thoughts to motarola@denverpost.com.

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TIP POOL

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EAT THIS

BearLeek

The menu at BearLeek, a French-inspired restaurant that opened in July by a pair of former cooks at Denver's Brasserie Brixton, is curated and curious. It's smaller dishes show the range that Harrison Porter and Rema Maaliki have developed through their culinary travels. The French onion tartlet, at $14, was transportative. A fondue of taleggio cheese added a rich layer of flavor to the onions beneath, caramelized perfectly. BearLeek is located in the basement formerly used by Osaka Ramen in RiNo -- though this tartlet might make you think you're in Paris.