Hot Ticket Café ~ 2006 to Present
At The Denver Center for the Performing Arts

Reinvented the concept of pre-theater fare; our innovative menu of panini, salads, soups, espresso drinks, and fresh-baked cookies is served lightning fast to upscale patrons of the Denver Center Theater. The café is on pace to double the business of any previous vendor in the theater’s history.

Eat Street ~ 2005 to Present
2121 Children's Museum Drive, Denver, CO

Transformed a concession stand into a boutique eatery for grown-ups and children alike. Our innovative menu featuring espresso drinks, bistro sandwiches, grilled cheeses and sweet treats has won accolades from Museum guests and staff alike.

Jay's Patio Cafe ~ 2004 to Present
2563 15th Street, Denver, CO

Opened this quaint neighborhood bistro on a revitalized historic street -- years before “LoHi” was a buzzword. Menu includes original soups, hot panini, chopped salads, breakfast croissants, sweets, and espresso drinks. The café has quickly become the area’s top choice for gourmet box lunches and take-out meals.

Emily's Gourmet-to-Go ~ 1998 to 2003
1543 Champa Street, Denver, CO

Jay and Emily Solomon opened this successful downtown café to great acclaim. Menu featured gourmet soups, panini, inventive sandwiches, and corporate box lunches. Received Westword’s “Best of Denver” for soups, and rave reviews from 5280 Magazine, Denver Post, and Rocky Mountain News.

Jay's Tropical Café ~ 1987 to 1993
Clinton Hall, Ithaca, NY

Opened and operated this popular Caribbean-style restaurant in a historical downtown building. Restaurant inspired the cookbook “A Taste of the Tropics,” in print for 14 years. Sold business and moved to Colorado.

J.J.'s Café ~ 1984 to 1986
903 Hanshaw Road, Ithaca, NY

Opened and operated a luncheon café on a village main street. Menu features gourmet sandwiches, cookies, bagels, and soups. Sold business to friends; J.J.’s Café recently celebrated its 22th anniversary.

Cookbooks & Food Writings ~ 1991 to 1998

Jay Solomon is the author of fourteen cookbooks and over one hundred magazine articles. Book highlights:

• A Taste of the Tropics
• Great Bowls of Fire
• Global Grilling
• Seven Pillars of Health
• 150 Vegan Favorites
• Lean Bean Cuisine
• Vegetarian Soup Cuisine
• Vegetarian Rice Cuisine
• Vegetarian Times’ Entertaining
• VT’ s Low Fat and Fast Pasta
• VT’s Low Fat and Fast Mexican
• Chutneys, Relishes and Sauces
• The Global Vegetarian

Community Leadership ~ 2004 to Present
Founder, Upper 15th Street Association

Organized a neighborhood group whose mission is to improve and rejuvenate a historic business strip located in the Highlands East district. As director, I received a $5,000 grant from Denver Foundation to help create a positive image for the neighborhood.

Education

Jay Solomon is a graduate of Cornell University’s Hotel School.

Family

Married to Emily Solomon, a grant writer for non-profit organizations. They have three children: Maddie (6), Bella (5), and Noah (5).

Praise for Jay's Patio Café

"Denver's Top Gourmet Sandwich."
— Rocky Mountain News, 2006 "Top of the Rockies" Issue

"Denver's 'Best Patio Lunch.'"
— Westword, 2005

"One of Denver's favorite neighborhood eateries."
— 5280 Magazine

“Jay's gourmet lunch raises the bar for cafés . . . I had an eyebrow-lifting "aha!" moment as soon as I started eating . . . I was so blown away that I had to come back again . . . and again to this bright, small eatery with a comfy, shaded patio . . . Jay is 'the Michelangelo of the sandwich.'"
— Rocky Mountain News

"Jay's Patio Cafe is really a gem in the North Denver dining scene."
— North Denver Tribune

“Denver’s Best Virtuoso Sandwiches.”
— Rocky Mountain News

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