A phone call from an eager real estate agent sent me on this month's wild goose chase--to find out if the venerable Mary and Lou's Cafe could be closing. The answer? No--at least, not over owner Lou Pobojeski's very live body. He and his wife, Mary Lou, are looking to sell the building at 82 Broadway that houses the cafe, but they're hoping to sell it with the proviso that the restaurant stays open: Either the new owner will run it, or the Pobojeskis will stay on. Closing the Denver institution--and consigning those fat cinnamon buns to pastry heaven--will be the very last resort.
"I figure, what the hell, if it don't sell for five years, who cares? I'll still make a living," Lou says.
I doubt the real estate agent feels the same way.
Open: Another Buffalo Bar & Restaurant, this time in what used to be the East Evans Grille, at 7095 East Evans. Same owners, Art and Darlene Rosean, as at the original place in Idaho Springs; same menu as well, with a few additions--but buffalo is still the featured attraction. One unique note: The bar came from Al Capone's speakeasy in Chicago...Baker's Street, at 8181 East Arapahoe in Englewood, featuring hearty breads (mostly low-fat or no-fat with no preservatives), desserts, and espresso and gourmet coffees. This joint's claim to uniqueness is the Bongard oven (direct from France), whose special hearth purportedly of-
fers more even cooking and a crustier crust...The Original Mexican Cafe has reopened at the same 3233 Osage location where it's been for decades; the menu is the same, too. Wine dinner alert: On January 24 Sfuzzi will feature Caymus Vineyard at a four-course meal with four complementary wines. (Fortunately, the fettuccine Alfredo I had there recently is not on the wine-dinner menu: We're talking cheap bacon, frozen peas and sauce from a packet.) The cost for this shindig is $45 per person; to make reservations, call 321-4700. Fits the profile: I've received more calls concerning my piece on The Profile than on anything else I've written--and all from people who relate similarly gruesome tales. I think we should let Mary and Lou run the place for a while until it absorbs that human touch.
Tidbits: The Atlantic Pearl has hired Shirley Eberts, a former chef instructor at the New England Culinary Institute, as its new pastry chef...Tabernash Brewing Company, a local microbrewery, has introduced Golden Spike Lager and Denargo Dark Lager, available at restaurants and bars near you.
Shut out again: A quick perusal of the latest issue of Bon Appetit finds no Denver restaurants listed in the "Best New Restaurants" section. Since this city has the largest number of restaurants per capita, I find the omission a bit odd.
But hey, if the bigwigs at Bon Appetit aren't going to eat here, that simply means more for us.
