CAÑON CITY, Colo. — In a Colorado town of fewer than 20,000 people, award-winning Chef Johnny Church is preparing to open Antithesis, an independent fine-dining restaurant inside an 1884 mansion. Opening to the public August 12, the restaurant will serve lunch and dinner daily, with brunch on weekends.
Cañon City sits roughly two and a half hours south of Denver at the gateway to the Royal Gorge, a dramatic canyon carved by the Arkansas River. Antithesis gives travelers another reason to make the trip while offering Colorado residents a restaurant they can enjoy throughout the year.
The restaurant is the newest project from Mark and Dawn Greksa, owners of the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. After years of welcoming visitors aboard the railroad’s restored dining cars, the Greksas wanted to create a restaurant that could stand as an experience of its own.
“We created Antithesis to be the opposite of ordinary,” said Mark Greksa. “From the moment guests step inside the historic mansion, we want them to feel like they’ve been transported somewhere special, a place where exceptional food, genuine hospitality and a remarkable setting come together to create lasting memories. But we also want people to know they don’t need an anniversary or special occasion to walk through our doors. Someone might join us for lunch after exploring the gorge, stop in for a burger and a drink, or settle in for a leisurely dinner with people they love. However they choose to experience Antithesis, we want every meal to tell a story, every guest to feel truly welcome, and every visit to remind them that extraordinary dining can also feel warm, approachable and effortless.”
Church joins Antithesis as founding executive chef and director of food and beverage after more than three decades in hospitality. His career includes executive roles at leading restaurants in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, including XIV, Root 246, Aureole and Eiffel Tower Restaurant. He is a Food Network Chopped champion, a former Nevada Restaurant Association Culinarian of the Year and one of Vegas Magazine’s Top Five Private Chefs in Las Vegas.
His menu draws from the discipline of classic fine dining and the global perspective he developed throughout his career. Guests will find Colorado lamb and steaks alongside Korean fried chicken, ceviche, sea scallops and oysters.
“My cooking has been shaped by the places I’ve worked, the chefs I’ve learned from and the way people eat today,” Church said. “Every dish should tell a story, one that’s rooted in the ingredients, the people behind them and the place where it’s served. Our guests may want a beautifully prepared steak one day and ceviche or oysters the next. I want the menu to have that range while still feeling thoughtful, cohesive and deeply connected to this place.”
Colorado-raised meats and seasonal produce anchor the menu, complemented by seafood and specialty products selected through small coastal and independent purveyors. Church chooses each ingredient on its own merits, allowing quality and season to guide the decision.
Opening dishes include pistachio and local honey-crusted Colorado lamb, Korean fried chicken with kimchi and black garlic mayonnaise, steaks cooked in rendered beef tallow and seafood selected according to seasonality.
The Antithesis name reflects the experience the Greksas and Church hope to create together. The mansion lends a sense of occasion, but the menu and service are meant to put guests at ease. Church respects the foundations of fine dining without treating them as rigid rules, allowing Colorado ingredients to share the table with Korean, Latin American and coastal influences. Guests can settle in for a carefully paced dinner or make the restaurant part of a day exploring the Royal Gorge aboard the train.
Antithesis is located inside the Robison Mansion. The Second Empire home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its preserved architecture, sweeping staircase and landscaped grounds contribute as much to the character of the restaurant as the dining room itself.
Antithesis is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., with extended brunch hours available on weekends. The restaurant welcomes guests ages 13 and older.
For reservations and additional information, visit antithesisdining.com.
