Berkeley

Reader: Scratch Burrito is not your typical burrito, but welcome to the neighborhood!

Scratch Burrito & Happy Tap opened on Tuesday in the former home of Shazz, and quickly inspired discussions of 1) the geographic boundaries of the Berkeley neighborhood, 2) how much a burrito should cost and 3) whether burritos are authentic Mexican fare. But ultimately, no matter the origins of the ... More >>

Photos: The Wall Tavern opens in the Art District on Santa Fe

The Wall Tavern recently opened at 1112 Santa Fe Drive offering a "chill vibe, casually strong drinks, and our relaxing nature," according to its Facebook page. Owners Isiah Pachner and Justin Cooper wanted to incorporate an arty feel to the place since they are located in the Art District on Santa ... More >>

Reader: A $10 burrito? Somewhere in Denver, a hard-working Mexican is laughing

Clay Markwell used to cook at TAG. Now he has a place of his own: Scratch Burrito & Happy Tap, which just opened yesterday in northwest Denver, in the former home of Shazz. The focus here is on burritos, big burritos, which "map back to different cultures and cuisines," says Scratch's exec chef/owne ... More >>

Photos: Scratch Burrito & Happy Tap opens today in Berkeley

Earlier today, just minutes before Scratch Burrito & Happy Tap opened in Berkeley, exec chef-owner Clay Markwell was peering over his kitchen crew, advising them how to wrap, roll and twist the corners on the aluminum foil that hug the bulging burritos emerging from the kitchen. By noon, an hour aft ... More >>

The ten best stores on Tennyson Street

It's ironic that nearly all the businesses mentioned when we named Tennyson Street the best neighborhood shopping district in 2011 have left the block or closed their doors (see the link below), including some that were strangled by prolonged street construction in the heart of the district. But now ... More >>

DJ's 9th Avenue Cafe: Is this new breakfast/lunch spot as good as the original? It's relative.

See also: A Closer Look at DJ's 9th Avenue Cafe

Clay Markwell, former sous at TAG, opening Scratch Burrito & Happy Tap in the former Shazz space

It's no secret that Denver is one of the nation's burrito capitals -- a fervent mecca of seam-busting tortillas jammed with everything but the kitchen sink. And while there's nothing wrong with that distinction, the beans-rice-cheese combination isn't exactly groundbreaking territory. And that's one ... More >>

David Payne, exec chef of Jelly, on losing your authority, Rick Bayless and gross sticky goo

David Payne Jelly Cafe 600 East 13th Avenue, 303-831-6301 1700 East Evans Avenue, 720-596-4108 www.eatmorejelly.com This is part one of my interview with David Payne, executive chef of Jelly Cafe; part two of our chat will run tomorrow. My mom," sighs David Payne, "wasn't a good cook. At all." Pep ... More >>

Photos: DJ's 9th Avenue Cafe opens in the Golden Triangle

DJ's 9th Avenue Cafe opened yesterday in the long-vacant space at 30 East Ninth Avenue, after months of renovation work. It joins a lineup of new places along this stretch that includes Difranco's, Drew's Deli, Drip and Attivo, all in the 900 block of Lincoln Street. The breakfast joint is the seco ... More >>

The interviews behind Beauty Is Embarrassing paint a sane man with insane talent

Reader: We scream for ice cream -- but in Berkeley or Harkness Heights?

Just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, Matt and Rosemary Lopez, who've owned Taza de Cafe for the six years, finally opened Charlie's Ice Cream Social right next door in the hot Berkeley neighborhood. Or is it?

Round two with Serena Romeo, exec chef of Comida Cantina

Serena Romeo Comida Cantina 721 Confidence Drive, Longmont 720-204-6455 www.eatcomida.com This is part two of my interview with Serena Romeo, exec chef of Comida Cantina. Read part one of my interview with Romeo. What's your best piece of advice to culinary-school grads? Be open to learning things ... More >>

Tennyson vs. Lower Highland: The Street 16 final four!

Lower Highland solidly won against Capitol Hill in the round of 8 in our restaurant neighborhood tournament, and Tennyson squeaked by the favorited Upper Larimer, due to some serious campaigning on social media. In this match-up of Tennyson and LoHi, who you got? Vote below!

Upper Larimer vs. Tennyson: Which is the better 'hood?

Coming off a big upset of Larimer Square in the first round, the Tennyson neighborhood and its backers now face hot Upper Larimer (which also beat out establishment-favorite Cherry Creek) in the second round. Below are our endorsements of each neighborhood, let us know which is the best with your ... More >>

Reader: Street 16 is down to eight...but are the Highland Mommies playing fair?

The first round of our Street 16 menu matchup has taken a sharp chef's knife to the original sixteen neighborhood contestants, whittling them down to eight. And the contest between Larimer Square and Tennyson, backed by the powerful Berkeley neighborhood, has some people calling for the ref.

Reader: Broadway's cup is running over...and that's a good thing

Happy Coffee will be pouring in the Baker neighborhood. Happy?​While My Sweet Bakery has closed in Berkeley, the Baker neighborhood is living up to its name, and is now home to a number of bakeries, sweet spots and coffee shops, with more -- including Happy Coffee -- still to come. Is it too ... More >>

Falling Down

Now Playing

Reader: One hopping-mad customer isn't happy about Hops & Pie expansion

​While other joints on Tennyson, such as the Hole, have closed, Hops & Pie is expanding. Drew and Leah Watson's neighborhood hangout is taking over a space next door, and will more than double in size -- as well as offer more food options, including "more appetizers, a few more artisan pies, a ... More >>

University Park turban squash improves observing conditions: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​ The University Park turban squash is a colorful heirloom that inspired the design of University of Denver's Chamberlin Observatory back in 1889. Just as the observatory helps students look deep into the night sky, the buttercup-type squash is better for gazing than grazing...

Skyland mushroom spawn contains the fungi needed for better futures: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​ Much like the residents of the Skyland neighborhood, fungal mats are the most prolific biological entities on the planet and respond with inherent intelligence to stressed environments by recycling plant and animal debris into a nutritious food source...

South Platte light industry yellow onion adds aromatic flavor to Denver: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​ Long before light industry's varnish and diesel fumes flavored the air of the South Platte neighborhood, truck farms utilized the area's fertile river bottom soil to grow the aromatic vegetable used to flavor the dishes of Denver dinner tables...

Camping tips for people who don't like the wilderness: Kenny Be's Hip Tips

Berkeley alley getaway.​ August is a great month for enjoying a Colorado camping trip, but it is also the busiest. Rowdy campground crowds and hiking-trail traffic jams can add extra hassle to the burden of outdoor living. People who don't like the wilderness experience can still enjoy some Au ... More >>

Ten lucky finds at the summer Horseshoe Market: A preview

​We unequivocally love the Berkeley district's Horseshoe Market for a myriad of reasons, but mostly it's a matter of the spirit of the thing, which is old and modern all at the same time: Its mix of vintage wares, unique handmades and trendy food and drink on wheels fits the 21st century like ... More >>

Athmar Park fennel plants help clear eyesight and the air: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and stored it in the hollow stalks of Athmar Park fennel to free mankind from the brutish ignorance of the gods. Today, the plant grows wild in the yards of neighborhood bungalows and is eaten raw as a natural treatment for glaucoma and to c ... More >>

16th Street Mall bright lights Swiss chard mix is a big-city favorite: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​ To know 16th Street Mall Swiss chard is to love its tender and delicious, if somewhat meaty, flavor. Originating in large, mallside Downtown Denver planters, this big-city bright lights strain of chard is a celebration of all that is colorful in the capital city of Colorado...

Bear Valley watercress is the water weed that turns back time: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​ Originally found along the banks of Bear Creek, the vitamin-rich medicinal qualities of Bear Valley watercress attracted seniors in search of better health to settle the neighborhood in the mid-1960s. Now grown in water gardens across the city, Bear Valley watercress is highly prized for it' ... More >>

Valverde tomatillo is the tart Westsider that gets sweet in the heat: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​ Valverde is a historic west side neighborhood that is a complex blend of light industry and single-family housing. It is the perfect place to grow Valverde tomatillo. A member of the tomato family, the Valverde tomatillo plant bears bright green fruits with a taste that is a complex blend of ... More >>

Shark-chicken and the good and bad of alley fence art: Kenny Be's Yard Arteology

Congress Park: Mechanical crow mobile suspended above an ocean mural.​ Privacy fencing provides yard artists a secure area in which to create and display yard art projects that might not otherwise be ready for a full front-yard showing. As the photograph above demonstrates, alley fencing is an ... More >>

Reader: With Brian Laird going to Russo's, things are looking up in the southern suburbs

Lori MidsonThe interior of Russo's Kitchen Tavern..​Yesterday, a reader wondered if the restaurant-packed Berkeley neighborhood in northwest Denver was suffering from too much of a good thing. But the revelation that Brian Laird was heading south to Russo's Kitchen Tavern, one of several r ... More >>

Reader: Does the Berkeley neighborhood have too much of a good thing?

Lori MidsonBerkeley lost Brickyard BBQ, but will gain a Bubba Chinos.​The news that Brickyard BBQ has closed made more than one reader wonder if the Berkeley neighborhood now has more restaurants than it can support. Writes Claudia: Two BBQ restaurants was probably to much for the Berkeley ne ... More >>

North Denver's Brickyard BBQ shutters, while the Littleton location soldiers on

Lori Midson​Just got off the horn with Mark Anthony, the owner of Brickyard BBQ, who shuttered his northwest Denver bastion of Kansas City-style Q on January 1, sending residents in the Berkeley 'hood scurrying to his Littleton outpost at 311 County Line Road to satiate their obsession for bu ... More >>

New Year's party bottles make a beautiful garden border: Kenny Be's Yard Arteology

Holiday 2010: Berkeley booze bottle border.​ If you are planning a New Year's party for sixty or more of your best friends who each drink two or more bottles of wine apiece, you will have enough booze bottles to make a beautiful garden border similar to the one shown in the picture above. Be ... More >>

A Slow Foods dinner feeds the body, mind and soul

Alice Waters to write three new books

​She is the culinary genius behind Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Along with friend and chef Jeremiah Tower, she pioneered California Cuisine and has had a heavy influence in promoting sustainable, locally grown food sources for restaurants. Her Chez Panisse Foundation introduced the Edible School ... More >>

The Northwest Denver Toy Library gets the lead out

Dive in to our dive-bar essay contest

Is this the best dive bar in Denver?​Last week we asked for your favorite dive (among the nominees: El Chapultepec, Lancer Lounge, Squire, PS Lounge, BarBar, Berkeley, Charlie Brown's Lion's Lair). Now it's time to prove your devotion: Write a love letter/tribute to your favorite dive bar, pr ... More >>

Salt of the Earth

Boulder's renegade lunch lady

Now serving: Renegade Lunch Lady Ann Cooper, who's taking on the Boulder Valley School District. Cooper is known nationally as an advocate for healthier school lunches for children, and has already created greatly improved nutritional meal programs in New York and at the Berkeley Unified School ... More >>

Kenny Be's Yard Arteology: Downspout Saguaros

The study of neighbors through their lawn ornaments Click image to enlarge. Figure 7. Berkeley: Downspout Saguaros Arizonans who move to Denver are usually happy to leave all reminders of that hellhole behind. It would never occur to them to announce their Arizona-allegiance by constructing sagua ... More >>

The Stallings brothers handily revive the Berkeley Inn

A picture's worth 1,000 calories

Mark MangerJason Sheehan visited DJ's Berkeley Cafe for this week's restaurant review. This week's Westword, on newsstands and at westword.com later today, is especially friendly to foodies. Along with the usual lineup of reviews and columns, this week's cover story, by Sex, Death and Oysters autho ... More >>

Bottesini Project to set up shop in San Francisco for the night

The Bottesini Project, the completely improv project spearheaded by Creative Music Works' Paul Riola, is taking its unique show on the road. Riola is taking the concept -- spontaneous compositions created by like-minded musicians in a formal jam context -- to San Francisco on Friday, May 15, at the ... More >>

Rosa Mia Inn is just the spot for a nice, quiet drink

Surrealist Stash

Vilem Kriz's photographs return to Camera Obscura Gallery.

A Run for the Border

We spend a day on Denver's dividing line: Sheridan Boulevard.

Weather Changes

There's a wintry mood at the MCA and a summery installation on the lawn of the DAM.

Follow That Story

Yap Dance

Slice of Life

Negativland

Over the Edge Vol. 4: Dick Vaughn's Moribund Music of the '70s (Seeland)