Bite Me

Arada Ethiopian Restaurant has moved from its original home at 3504 East Colfax Avenue, and this week reopened in the former Cracked Pepper spot at 750 Santa Fe Drive. Jack-n-Grill is adding a sibling, which opens July 9 in the old Brooklyn's space at 5445 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard in Arvada. Why pick up a second address now, less than a year after the original expanded at 2524 Federal Boulevard? "Just the outpouring of demand," says Kathy Martinez. "The restaurant's success has been overwhelming, and we just needed more seats."

Obviously, since over the phone I could barely hear her through the roar and clatter of a full house during last Thursday's lunch rush. She assured me that the new location wouldn't be any kind of Jack's Lite, but would feature "the same menu, the same everything." And that includes the same family running the show. Jack Martinez Jr. , son of Jack-n-Grill founder Jack Martinez, will be on the floor in Arvada, with several other family members there to back him up.

And finally, Baca has taken over the old Swan space at the Inverness Hotel. Chef Hamilton Cowie (who wore the big hat at Swan as well) is still on board, and he and his staff are cooking through a soft-opening month before the official grand opening in July.