DURANGO, Colo. – As the interiors of what had once been Café Sari (and originally part of the old Woolworth’s) were undergoing a dramatic transformation, folks in Durango’s historic Downtown buzzed with the news that THE Cosmopolitan restaurant was coming to town.

The myths of exclusivity, high price and intimidation began even before chef/proprietor Chad Scothorn opened the doors of his latest culinary adventure on June 1, 2007.

Those who have discovered Cosmopolitan have indeed embraced the establishment, and Scothorn is not complaining about the reception he’s had in Durango or his numbers. He’s opened enough restaurants to understand that they don’t usually turn a profit in year one. But he also understands the hesitation some locals may have to venture into one of the only restaurants in town sporting fresh white tablecloths.

To that end, the Neapolitan lunch menu (combining new world cuisine with old world Naples) is coming, as Cosmopolitan opens for lunch (Monday through Friday) on Sept. 15.

“Because ‘cosmopolitan’ means worldly, we’re trying a Neapolitan twist for lunch,” said Scothorn, noting that the menu will include contemporary pizzas and a variety of entrée salads and sandwiches served on Cosmo’s breads, baked fresh daily, in house. “I’m hoping that those who feel they can’t afford our dinner will come in for lunch. See it. Feel it. Touch it. Like it, and come back.”

Cosmopolitan was birthed in Telluride in 1996 by Scothorn, who had served as executive chef in numerous restaurants from Oklahoma City to Las Lenas, Argentina, before seeking an establishment of his own.

“I’ve been doing this my whole life,” said Scothorn of the restaurant business. “I was 13 when I got in the business. By the time I was 15 or 16 I was running a kitchen that did about 1,200 covers a day.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant administration from Oklahoma State University, he went on to secure his degree at the Culinary Institute of America. He continued his education at the Culinary Institute’s school in Sicily, Italy, and studied bread making and advanced pastries, as well as chocolates, at the internationally recognized Ecole Lenotre near Paris, France.

Over his decades in the business Scothorn has received national attention for his innovative American cuisine, including praise from food critics in the New York Times, Bon Appetite, Connoisseur and Town and Country. In 2002 he appeared at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City, and at the James Beard Foundation in Aspen.

While merging the contemporary “new world” with “old world” traditions is a focus for Scothorn, he wasn’t considering the adult beverage made popular by the HBO television series “Sex in the City,” when he named his Telluride establishment,

“It is the best selling drink at this restaurant,” he admitted. “But quite frankly we chose the name because it had history, it made sense and it was consistent with the food and what I did.”

In the late 1800s, during the mining boom days, one of Telluride’s finest restaurants was the Cosmopolitan. The current staff discovered newspapers from the period, including photos of the original restaurant.

“It actually had a live trout tank and you could come in and chose which trout you wanted to eat,” said Scothorn. “When I saw that I said, ‘That was a cool restaurant. We need to name it after that because they really had a focus on food.’”

And Cosmopolitan is about the food. In keeping with the core definition of the word, “worldly” is a reflection of the menu. Dishes feature influences that span the globe, though Scothorn does work diligently to use as many local products as possible. Plus, everything is prepared fresh daily: soups, sauces, breads – including the chocolate truffles and ice creams, sorbets and gelatos. Even the meat, poultry and fish are not pre-cut.

His formula has resulted in mandatory reservations for dining in Telluride. The patrons, which Scothorn notes are primarily tourists or second homeowners, return regularly each season and multiple times when in town.

“But I wanted a little bit of a change from Telluride after being there for 13 years,” said Scothorn, explaining that he’d built a solid staff and the restaurant was running well on its own. “I realized that a second restaurant in Telluride would just be cannibalizing from my own restaurant because there aren’t enough people there. So it made sense to start looking in surrounding areas.”

In addition to Durango’s demographics being desirable, Scothorn found a supporter in John Wells, a partner in the Wells Group but owner of the building at 919 Main Ave. that now houses Cosmopolitan.

“John’s probably the biggest reason I’m here,” said Scothorn, who also appreciates the “real” town feel of Durango. “He’s been such a great landlord and has been nothing but a gentleman.”

The building was not without its challenges, however. Though it had been a restaurant, Scothorn’s vision would require a general gutting of the interiors. A significant challenge was “baring the bricks,” which necessitated removal of mirror, wood and lathe and plaster. The removal provided the historic ambiance plus some additional square footage - and it facilitated unique lighting between the former ceiling and original brick walls.

“It’s called grazing – the light grazes the brick,” said Scothorn of the technique he’d seen incorporated in a home. The restaurant also features warm woods and copper accents, original art work and a layout that encourages easy conversation.

Baring the original brick wall allowed for the lighting technique called "grazing."

Most dramatic is the kitchen transformation – or more correctly, creation. To accommodate Cosmopolitan’s two separate kitchens – one for preparation and one for plating – the back wall was pushed back and space taken from the storage unit facility on the alley side of the building. The kitchen’s organization plus state-of-the-art equipment allows for creativity, expediency and cleanliness.

“I’ve always had two kitchens,” said Scothorn, explaining that it will make the addition of lunch possible. “You can’t do lunch and be ready for dinner unless it’s the same menu or you’re buying processed foods. We don’t buy anything processed. We cut our own chicken, so we have bones for the stock. We make our own demi-glace. We cut our steaks… I would be hard pressed to say that there were many restaurants doing what we’re doing here.”

And he wants to do more. The building includes a 2,000 sq.ft. basement that, with its original stone walls and ambiance, would provide a unique 40-50 seat tasting cellar. Like so many before him, however, Scothorn has run into the issue of parking with the City.

“When I took over the building, I counted the chairs, There were 120,” said Scothorn, noting that Cosmopolitan is only an 80 seat restaurant. “When we put in the stairway (to the basement) we’ll lose 10. All I want to do is recover those 50 seats and put them downstairs.”

After investing nearly $1 million in building renovations, plus managing a payroll of $100,000 per month, Scothorn’s not eager to pay parking mitigation of $200,000-plus to the town.

“Or I can’t do it and keep my prices low and provide tablecloths and bake my own bread,” he said. “I don’t know that they need to make a rule just for me, but there should be something, especially since there was a 120-seat restaurant here before.”

With the cellar space, Scothorn would hope to hold private parties plus open it free-of-charge to non-profit organizations for fundraising events.

“I have a lot of ideas… but right now restaurants are in a terrible crunch. It’s not just me,” he said, citing the dramatic rise in food costs that restaurants have necessarily absorbed for the most part. While retail grocery costs have doubled or tripled in recent years, restaurant prices have not.

“I don’t think people really look at their grocery bill and divide it by how many meals it produces,” he said. “If they did, they’d go out to eat more often.”

And, perhaps make Cosmopolitan one of their regular haunts.

“Things take time,” said Scothorn. “I think in a town this size or smaller you have to pay your dues. We’re in the dues paying period.”

To learn more and review a sampling of Cosmopolitan’s menu, visit www.cosmodurango.com. Happy Hour (featuring half-priced drinks at the bar) is offered Sunday through Thursday, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Dinner reservations are recommended at 970.259.2898.

indiana@durangodowntown.com