James Beard

Jen Jasinski's James Beard win felt like a lifetime achievement -- although her career is cooking

Prince Harry might have stopped by The Market on Monday, but the real royalty was right down the street, at Rioja. Just a week before, Jennifer Jasinski, the chef who opened that Larimer Square restaurant with business partner Beth Gruitch almost a decade ago, was named Best Chef Southwest at the Ja ... More >>

Jennifer Jasinski a James Beard finalist for Best Chef Southwest

The James Beard Foundation just released the finalists for this year's food and restaurant awards, and the list of locals has been whittled considerably since the semifinalists were announced back in February. Then five Denver chefs made the list; now only chef Jennifer Jasinski, co-owner of Rioja, ... More >>

The Squeaky Bean's Max MacKissock up for Food & Wine magazine "People's Best New Chef" award

He didn't win in 2011, but Max MacKissock, chef and co-owner of the Squeaky Bean, has another opportunity to emerge victorious in Food & Wine magazine's People's Best New Chef battle -- an award that MacKissock was also nominated for in 2011. See also: - An exclusive first look of the new Squeaky ... More >>

Jorel Pierce a semi-finalist for James Beard Rising Star; four more Denver chefs make the cut

The James Beard Foundation has just released its list -- its long list -- of semi-finalists, and several Denver area restaurants and chefs have made the cut. Jorel Pierce may have gotten bumped from Top Chef early, but the exec chef at Euclid Hall made the cut for Rising Star Chef of the Year. And ... More >>

Euclid Hall: The bull's balls in their court

Euclid Hall is on a roll. Today the restaurant learned that Jorel Pierce, the executive chef, has been named a James Beard semifinalist in the Rising Star Chef category. And last night, the restaurant's Rocky Mountain oysters got a rave review from Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods. One segment of th ... More >>

Start spreading the news: The Denver FIVE bring their Mile High culinary magic to the James Beard House in New York

"New York City is the culinary mecca of our country, if not the world," declares Hosea Rosenberg. "It's a place like no other, where ingredients and techniques of every conceivable style congregate. It's where the best chefs on the planet come to shine." See also: - The Denver FIVE culinary stars w ... More >>

Round two with Adam Watts, chef de cuisine at Jax Fish House Boulder

Part one of my interview with Adam Watts, chef de cuisine at Jax Boulder, ran on Wednesday; this is part two. Adam Watts Jax Fish House Boulder 928 Pearl Street, Boulder 303-444-1811 www.jaxboulder.com If you only had 24 hours in Denver/Boulder, where would you eat? I'd start out with brunch at B ... More >>

Reader: Celebrity Chef Tour has jumped the shark -- where's Henry Winkler?

Celebrity chefs are winging into Colorado for this weekend's Aspen Food & Wine festival, and one lands in Denver today: Amanda Cohen, chef-owner of Dirt Candy, a renowned vegetarian restaurant in New York, will be at Linger tonight as part of the Celebrity Chef Tour, a moveable feast that crosses A ... More >>

Announcement: We have a winner of our Celebrity Chef Tour contest

Amanda Cohen, the chef-owner of Dirty Candy, a vegetarian restaurant in New York that's generated national accolades, will be in Denver Wednesday night as part of the Celebrity Chef Tour, a moveable feast that traverses to venues all over America to pay homage to the late James Beard, the "father of ... More >>

Frasca Food and Wine, Jennifer Jasinski, Jason Sheehan named James Beard Award finalists

In February, the James Beard Foundation released the names of the chef, restaurateur and restaurant semi-finalists vying for a coveted spot as a James Beard finalist. And today, just minutes ago, the Foundation announced its 2012 finalists...and guess who's in it to win it?

Six kick-ass Denver chefs, a stellar mixologist and one meaty sausage slinger: Foodography from the James Beard House dinner in New York

Lori MidsonTop from left to right: Tyler Wiard, Matt Selby, Bryan Dayton and Paul Reilly. Bottom from left to right: Mark DeNittis, Brandon Biederman, Jamey Fader and Enrique Socarras​When six Denver chefs, one bartender and, for good measure, a muscled and tatted sausage emperor all trotted ... More >>

Round two with Simon Purvis, exec chef of EDGE at the Four Seasons

This is part two of my interview with Simon Purvis, executive chef of the EDGE at the Four Seasons. Part one of that interview ran in this space yesterday. Simon Purvis EDGE at the Four Seasons 1111 14th Street 303-389-3000 www.fourseasons.com/denver/dining Favorite restaurant in America: I had ... More >>

The Daily Meal rounds up the ten best athlete-owned restaurants across the country... and includes Elway's

​Acknowledging the fact that many athlete-owned restaurants have the name to pull in the patrons but very rarely have the menu to support the buzz, The Daily Meal set out to separate the strike-outs from the home runs. The blog rounded up the ten best eateries owned by sports stars, including ... More >>

James Beard Foundation announces 2011 chef and restaurant finalists -- and two are from Colorado

Frasca Good & Wine master sommelier Bobby Stuckey is a James Beard finalist​Earlier today, in Portland, the James Beard Foundation released the listage of superstar chefs, restaurants and restaurateurs who are finalists (semifinalists, of which there were several from Colorado, were announced ... More >>

Duo and Olivéa pastry chef Yasmin Lozada-Hissom tapped to bake at the James Beard Foundation awards gala

​The James Beard Foundation awards gala, a glitzy, high-falutin' soiree that honors the best chefs, pastry kings and queens, restaurateurs, restaurants and wine directors in the country, takes place on May 9, 2011, at the Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York. And the culinary blowout ... More >>

Reader: Skip the Michelle Obama/Rush Limbaugh food fight? Fat chance

Rush Limbaugh, ash​Should Rush Limbaugh have commented at all on Michelle Obama's visit to Vail -- much less suggest that the First Lady, who has made childhood obesity her major cause, had no business eating short ribs? And did Cafe Society have any business getting into this political food f ... More >>

Michelle Obama eats well on Top Chef's Kelly Liken's ribs; you can, too, with this recipe

Kelly Liken​It's been a big week for Kelly Liken of Vail's Restaurant Kelly Liken, who was named a James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef: Southwest (for the third time) -- and then fed Michelle Obama and three friends over the weekend. Liken recently competed on Top Chef, and Michelle Obama ... More >>

FIVE inducts three new chefs and one awesome mixologist: Paul Reilly, Brandon Biederman, Enrique Socarras and Bryan Dayton

Lori MidsonFour of the new FIVE: Brandon Biederman, Bryan Dayton, Enrique Socarras and Paul Reilly. ​Last night at Roth Distributing, where state-of-the-art kitchens played house to some of Denver's top chefs and mixologists, Leigh Sullivan-Guard, the founder of FIVE -- a cartel of chefs who c ... More >>

Culinary calendar for the week ahead: Tequila dinners, beer tastings and more

​Tomorrow's Rollin' Sushi workshop at the Seasoned Chef Cooking School is one of several culinary classes this week; other mouth-watering events include a tequila dinner at El Diablo and a beer-tasting fundraiser at the E Project. Here's a taste of what's to come:

Part two: Ill Mondo Vecchio's Mark DeNittis seeks global salumi domination

Lori Midson ​ Mark DeNittis Il Mondo Vecchio 1174 South Cherokee Street 303-744-6328 mondovecchio.net This is part two of Lori Midson's interview with Mark DeNittis, the salumi emperor of Il mondo Vecchio. To read the first part of that interview, click here. Culinary inspirations: My gran ... More >>

The week in Cafe Society bloggery: pork slogans, lactating camels, sex toys, bratwurst, blood sausage and spoo

​Maybe it's the ridiculous, intolerable heat that made this week so weird and wacky, and the Cafe Society trolls -- specifically "Recession" and "Poutiner" and all your other bogus aliases (we've got your IP address, schmuck) -- so moronic and volatile. Whatever the cause, the last five days o ... More >>

1515 Restaurant offers Denver diners a taste of what chef Chuck James will be cooking at the James Beard House

1515 Restaurant's chef Chuck James​In honor of Chuck James's invitation to cook for a group of eager eaters next month at the James Beard House, 1515 Restaurant, where James is the executive chef, is rolling out a four-course menu between now and Saturday, July 17, that includes several dishe ... More >>

Part two: Ya Ya's Aaron Whitcomb on temper control, the phenomenon that's Alex Seidel and becoming the food critic for Westword

Lori Midson Aaron Whitcomb​ Aaron Whitcomb YaYa's Euro Bistro 8310 East Belleview Avenue, Greenwood Village 303-741-1110 www.yayasbistro.com This is part two of my interview with Aaron Whitcomb. To read part one of that interview, click here. Six words to describe your food: Playful, class ... More >>

New season of Top Chef includes two Colorado mountain cookers, Kelly Liken and Kenny Gilbert, but no Denver or Boulder chefs

​Top Chef, the often unrealistic reality show that made Hosea Rosenberg, exec chef of Jax-Boulder, a hometown hero when he emerged the conquistador two seasons ago, just released its listage of contestants for season 7, which will be filmed in Washington DC and premier on June 16 on Bravo. ... More >>

The List: Top ten way-south-of-the-border restaurants in Denver

Denver has lots of great Mexican restaurants, a few good Latin American restaurants, and not many South American restaurants. But Fogo de Chao, which opened this summer, would be a great restaurant on any continent. Here are Denver's ten top way-south-of-the-border restaurants. ​Aji Latin Ame ... More >>

Fogo de Chao sticks it to the steakhouse concept

Eatin' my meat at Fogo de Chao

Fogo de Chao is not a place that any mortal man could visit with any regularity while remaining mortal, without ending up just flat dead from a meat overdose. Zeus, perhaps, could eat here three times in a week. James Beard or Escoffier could've probably managed four in their portly heydays. Me? I' ... More >>

News from the James Beard Awards

This year's James Beard awards were finalized on Monday, and while most of it is bad for us here in the Flyover States, there are plenty of parties going on elsewhere. Colorado got completely skunked in the journalism awards, with most of the medals going to the usual suspects: Alan Richman, Ruth R ... More >>

Beard House Blues: One Colorado finalist

It was a rough year for Colorado chefs (and writers) in this year's James Beard awards.  The finalists were announced this morning -- and our white jackets just got spanked. A handful of Coloradans had made the semi-finalists list. Frank Bonanno (above) got tapped for Best Restaurateur. Yasmin ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, February 13 issue

Having a nice day, all you triskaidekaphobics? Today in Backbeat Online: • Aviano Coffee debuts anything-goes open mike tomorrow. • Fort Collins set to debut all-local music fest in April. • Spoke-In-Wordz debuts new single on iTunes, Amazon. Today in Cafe Society: • 231 Milwaukee back o ... More >>

The Empire Lounge still has a way to go

Pork lovers will go hog wild for the Berkshire

Jax Fish House is a keeper

Swimming in gluttony at Jax Fish House

Delegating Denver #41 of 56: Oregon

Mouth by Southwest

Mouth by Southwest

Green Acres

WaterCourse is a growing concern.

Sex and the City

New York State of Mind

Bite Me

Beard House Rules

Bite Me

Vietnam Bore

Cheeseburgers in Paradise

From Caro's Corner to Griff's, local joints are pleased to meat you.

Bite Me

Being There

Bite Me

New York State of Mind

What's Cooking?

Denver's Junior League has the recipe for lasting success.

The Bite

The yolk's on us.

Mouthing Off

Sting for Your Supper

CLASS ACTS