Bite Me

And in his tiny, ten-by-twelve kitchen, Ian spent the longest day of his career. And not two days later -- long before he had recovered from his exertions leading up to the meal -- the Beard House called to ask if he'd do it all again.

Leftovers: The oddly named but undeniably Eastern European California Bakery (909 South Oneida Street), which blew me away with its zabaglione and piroshkis, is onto something new: pizza. Yup, it's now a one-stop shop for Russian loaves, exotic pocket breads, continental pastries and a nice 'za. There's still nothing on the list that makes me think of California, but a persistent rumor has the place soon expanding to include a sit-down restaurant. Maybe it'll be Denver's first Napa-Bulgarian fusion operation....

Meanwhile, a pizza oven does not a bakery make. When Racines (850 Bannock Street) closed last month, it took with it the cinnamon rolls that its bakery had supplied a sibling restaurant, Dixons (1610 16th Street). According to co-owner Lee Goodfriend, Dixons tried to duplicate the rolls in an old pizza oven (pizzas were a big deal when the LoDo institution opened a decade ago), but the dry heat just didn't do it for pastry. Fortunately, the new-and-improved Racines, which should open next March at 660 Sherman Street, will feature a reconstituted bakery. And in the meantime, Goodfriends (3100 East Colfax Avenue), the third member of the Racines-Dixons-Goodfriends triumvirate, is serving breakfast. But you'll have to get your cinnamon-roll fix somewhere else.

Back in the Golden Triangle, that spot at 501 West 12th Avenue that was Pony Express, then Diane's Good-To-Go, then City Kafe (briefly), then Velvet (even more briefly), is making yet another comeback. This time around, it will be "Another Capri Coffee Break!" according to the sign out front. But just blocks away, Walk-Ups Coffee and Deli (920 Speer Boulevard) has given up the ghost. That space is becoming a drive-thru dry cleaner.

Ahh, progress....