Bite Me

Just a block away, at 846 Broadway, the three-month-old Minturn Saloon has added daily lunch service, with chicken-and-rice soup, big salads, and sandwiches with whimsically stupid Spanish names like the Polla Fiesta. Me, I'm saving myself for the all-you-can-eat quail special on Wednesday nights, because I've always wondered how many small game birds I could eat before bursting. For $18.95, Minturn's kitchen is serving up beans and rice, tortillas, guacamole and an unending supply of marinated, fire-grilled quail. The concept comes from the original Minturn Saloon located up in the town of the same name, and it's a big success there. But will endless quail fly in Denver?

The well-regarded Sage Southwestern Grill has abandoned its original spot in Littleton for one downtown, and it debuted two weeks ago at 323 14th Street. Further along 14th, at the corner of Larimer Square, Tamayo has introduced a Polynesian-Mexican rooftop lounge featuring everything from live music and a raw bar to late-night hours (until midnight on weekends) in an attempt to wring a few more dollars from the LoDo crowds. The lounge, which is separate from Tamayo's award-winning rooftop patio, has its own outdoor grill and menu, including daily ceviches, tacos and a custom cocktail list.

Finally, Larry Herz's restaurant at 250 Josephine Street that was formerly the New-American Indigo is still open and testing out its new theme (seafood) and menu. The eatery has maintained the sense of humor ("Captain Crunch Calamari," for example) that always separated Indigo from the pack, as well as its globe-trotting sense of culinary arrogance; it's even held on to a few Indigo classics. Now, if it could just settle on a new name...