A second helping of Cafe Society, December 30-January 3

This week in Cafe Society, Gretchen Kurtz reviewed the downtown outpost of Pizza Republica that opened last May, which had okay pasta but delicious pizza. Lori Midson talked to Lou Ortiz, executive sous chef of Los Chingones, another restaurant that opened last year, about his Spanish roots, his use of...

By Isa Jones

January 3, 2014

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This week in Cafe Society, Gretchen Kurtz reviewed the downtown outpost of Pizza Republica that opened last May, which had okay pasta but delicious pizza. Lori Midson talked to Lou Ortiz, executive sous chef of Los Chingones, another restaurant that opened last year, about his Spanish roots, his use of cactus water and his desire to see python tacos on Los Chingones's menu in this week's Chef and Tell. Mark Antonation, who just started his second year of traveling up Federal Boulevard, stopped by Taqueria Mi Pueblo -- after thinking about it for two decades.

Also this week, we rounded up all the restaurants that came and went in 2013 (over 250 openings alone), counted down our favorite Colorado beers and talked to Jason Rogers of Oskar Blues about the brewery's newest project: Cyclhops Bike CANtina, which opened this week.

And here's another spot that just opened: The former home of Pho 53 in Aurora is now Hacienda Camino Real. The restaurant, which opened last weekend, is run by the former owner of Los Toritos, and is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

ALSO OPENING THIS WEEK:

Dunkin' Donuts Spanky's Urban Roadhouse (reopening after remodel) Station 26 Brewing Thailicious

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