Inside: Mario's Double Daughter's Salotto

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According to their Web site, Mario’s Double Daughter’s Salotto is named after the conjoined twins of Dr. Mario Guccio and his wife Dairine. Himself a successful circus strongman and promoter, Guccio’s daughters went on to somewhat distinguished careers as circus performers themselves; though preferring juggling to feats of strength. Since no documentation of this peculiar family can be dredged up with a Google search, whether the story is true or simply an imaginative and macabre marketing gimmick is open to interpretation. Whichever the case, the enigma only adds to the Double Daughter’s mystique. Both fantastic and unearthly, all of the Tim Burton reference this place garners - though obvious - are certainly apropos. Double Daughter’s is part "Big Fish", part "The Nightmare Before Christmas", part "Sleepy Hollow" and if there was a ringmaster to this three-ring circus, it would most likely be the Joker.

Décor: Tucked between more colorful advertising and back from the sidewalk, Double Daughter’s is marked by an understated metal sign bearing the silhouette of conjoined twins, giving it a furtive inner circle veneer. Two massive golden doors with what appears to be occultist symbology bid entrance. The fact that design was six months in the making and construction took close to a year is evident almost immediately across the threshold. Sculpted trees germinate from the floor and wind their way up the walls sprouting branches that extend out into the lounge area. White doves, as if sprung from a magician’s hat, hover from the canopy. The ceiling appears to be bleeding red candle wax and the resultant congealed pools form encompassing droplet shaped booths. The melting wax theme continues to the bar stools and the seats resemble the tops of Makers Mark bottles. The downstairs area gives way to a raised lounge which holds more plush red couches and a DJ platform. At the back, red and blue alternating plexiglass panels make any bathroom trip feel like entering or exiting the big top.   

Drinks: The draft selection is made up of Colorado microbrews, big name breweries and Irish and English imports and the tapered pint glasses make for easy handling on your lift, drink and repeat exercises. The wine list is decent and offers more than the mass-produced house wines. While the beer and wine offerings are not unlike what can be procured at any upscale bar, it is in the cocktail selection that Double Daughter’s shows their true ingenuity and eccentricity thus keeping with the theme of the place. The Teddy Bear’s Orgy features a potpourri of alcohol and juice, garnished with gummy bears, while the Severed Goat’s Head and Rabid Monkey are similarly unique elixirs. But the coup de grace is the Succo Vaffanculo di Mario featuring 17 different libations and a perennial contender for Denver’s strongest drink. While all the drinks are pricey—even during happy hour—the bar does feature nightly drink specials.

Entertainment: Double Daughters has tried to become more than just a bar with a sideshow tilt. Like a true variety show, the space easily transforms into an alternative multi-media showroom featuring Japanese B movies with re-dubbed soundtracks one night and photography exhibits with local and national artists the next. Music is the one constant, and a different DJ spins original beats every evening.

Crowd: In the afternoons, the crowd varies in age, but at nights it’s the younger set that occupies most of the available space.

Food: While there’s no funnel cake or peanuts, if the circus vibe arouses a hunger, slip through the heavy curtain into Two Fisted Mario’s Pizza for a slice or pie. The bar will also take your order and you can eat in either locale.

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