When someone casually mentioned that “The Guest reminded them of the kind of fine dining you can only find in New York,” chef Brian De Souza looked unmoved. While he understood the comparison — De Souza trained in the Big Apple and spent time at Eric Ripert’s world-renowned French restaurant, Le Bernardin — he felt that the compliment was misplaced.

“This is a Denver restaurant, not a New York restaurant,” he said. “I want you to feel like you’re in Denver. If I wanted you to eat in New York, I could buy you a ticket there.”

But ever since De Souza and his wife and business partner Sydney Younggreen began opening — and closing — their restaurant concepts in Denver, it’s been hard not to equate them with the big city. The romance of the dim lights, secluded booths, opulent decor and a b

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