Jason Sheehan

New Cafe critic Gretchen Kurtz dishes up a few words on her philosophy

A presidential honeymoon lasts about 100 days. Having devoured well wishes and advice from Kyle Wagner, Laura Shunk, John Kessler and Jason Sheehan, I'm bracing myself for a honeymoon about 99 days shorter than that. I'm sure donning a thick skin will be hard -- possibly as hard as not shouting "Don ... More >>

Jason Sheehan offered a $50 bribe for a table at Fruition? Eat those words!

Jason Sheehan is gone -- he wrote his last review for Westword two years ago -- but certainly not forgotten in this town. He's mentioned in our Letters to the Editor column this week, and yesterday, his name popped up in an Eater Denver "The Gatekeeper" interview with Paul Attardi, partner and gene ... More >>

End of a ban on slaughterhouse inspections could have gourmands horsing around

Former Westword critic Jason Sheehan was interested in trying horsemeat, "considered a staple in France, a delicacy in Japan and a treat among Italian, Dutch and Belgians." But he couldn't find a source in this country -- and then in 2006, Congress banned funding of horse-meat inspections, essential ... More >>

Organixx closes in LoDo

Mark Manger​In 2009, when Jason Sheehan, Westword's former restaurant critic, reviewed Organixx, whose menu verbiage touted "the best of organic, natural, local, wild caught and traditional products available to us," he wanted to hate the joint. " I'm not coming to your restaurant to join you ... More >>

Second Helping: Tapas de España

​Hungry for a taste of true Spanish tapas, which I'd enjoyed so much on the Iberian peninsula, I hurried to Tapas de España, which recently opened in El Señor Sol, a Mexican restaurant that occupies the Victorian building that was once the Zang Brewing Company. There's actually no distincti ... More >>

Reader: Jason Sheehan should have fit right into smug Seattle

South Park is no Seattle...or Philadelphia.​The news that Jason Sheehan is leaving the Pacific Northwest to return to the East Coast and a job at Philadelphia Magazine inspired numerous comments that indicated Sheehan may be long-gone as the Westword food critic, but will never be forgotten. A ... More >>

Jason Sheehan is on the move again...

Jason Sheehan.​...But no, he's not returning to Denver. In early 2010, after almost eight years as Westword's Cafe critic (and six months after his memoir, Cooking Dirty, was published), Jason Sheehan moved to our partner paper in Seattle, the Seattle Weekly. But now he sends us this update ... More >>

Reader: It's hard to be Jason Sheehan

Jason, not Julie.​Jason Sheehan has been gone from Westword for a year, but he is far from forgotten, as evidenced by yesterday's missive from Still Reading in response to the Julia & Julia characterization of Laura Shunk's Sachi Sushi review: It's hard to be Jason Sheehan. Probably not as ... More >>

Laura Shunk's story begins with Chipotle Mexican Grill

Will the real Laura Shunk please stand up?​Early this month, Jason Sheehan gave Chipotle Mexican Grill a glowing review in the Seattle Weekly, our partner publication where he now works -- and where the haters haven't stopped rolling their eyes and asking why he'd bother writing about such a u ... More >>

Reader: Jason Sheehan is nothing but a paid shill for Chipotle

​While Denver readers are busy recommending their 100 Favorite Dishes, Seattle is still slamming Jason Sheehan, the Cafe critic who left Westword a year ago, but just returned to one of our hometown heroes for his review of Chipotle in the Seattle Weekly. Seattle apparently doesn't love Chipo ... More >>

Update on Sheehan replacement

The angelic Jason Sheehan​ "You should have filled Jason's spot before letting him go to Seattle," one disgruntled reader wrote in the comments section after "Pot Luck," William Breathes's piece on 8 Rivers. "This review was not worth reading. What a disappointment." First things first: Like ... More >>

From the week of January 14, 2010

Someone's in The Kitchen...but it's not Jason Sheehan

Mark MangerEric Hines in the kitchen of The Kitchen.​There are a few things that I like about Boulder and many that I don't. For example, it bothers me that Boulder exists where it does, snugged up tight against the base of the Flatirons, frantically humping the leg of a mountain range that wo ... More >>

From the week of January 7, 2010

Cafe Society: Week in review

​What you may have missed this week while you were reacting with horror and disbelief over news that restaurant critic Jason Sheehan is leaving Westword and the Mile High City to slosh through puddles do the same job at our sister paper, the Seattle Weekly:Turns out Paul Martinez, co-owner and man ... More >>

Cafe Society: Week in review

​What you missed this week on Cafe Society while you were contemplating how you were going to sneak your way into Hush, the new "underground" supper club in Boulder that'll be all exclusive and private and well, hush-hush: It's not hush-hush that the (almost) iconic Cherry Creek Egg Shell is ... More >>

Jason Sheehan makes Time's top ten list

​Time magazine is out with the Top 10 of Everything in 2009 -- and Jason Sheehan's Cooking Dirty makes the list of the top ten non-fiction books of the year, coming in at #9. Here's what Time says about Sheehan's book in its round-up: "It's a paradox of the post-Bourdain era: chef memoirs ar ... More >>

John Mariani takes a poke at normal person Sheehan

​John Mariani, the food writer for Esquire, publishes a weekly newsletter, Virtual Gourmet, in which he regularly serves up industry news -- and another critic. In the November 22 edition, it was Jason Sheehan's turn. Under the heading "THAT'S VERY GOOD, JUST KEEP ON TRYING TO THINK LIKE A NO ... More >>

Do you have a passion for food and restaurants?

​ Does reading this blog make you hunger to write? Westword is expanding its Cafe Society coverage, and we're looking for a great freelance writer with a passion for food and restaurants, as well as the ability to produce stylish and knowledgeable news and opinion pieces about the Denver din ... More >>

Up Close: Fogo de Chao

Mark Manger​For this week's review, Jason Sheehan has a near-meat-death experience at Fogo de Chao, 1513 Wynkoop Street. See more of Mark Manger's photos on the slideshow page.

Based on his letter, I'm not sure this guy loved my review of Mark & Isabella

​ This letter, which was published in today's issue, could be the best letter Westword has ever received about a review: Having suffered through Jason Sheehan's unconscionably vindictive review of Mark & Isabella, I will make a point to try the place, simply to protest Sheehan's (as always) ... More >>

Cafe Society: Week in review

​What you might have missed this week on Cafe Society while you were carefully crafting your kick-ass crush letter telling us all about your favorite Denver dive-bar: Lobby American Grille general manager Cory Sylvester got more than be bargained for on Tuesday night when a couple of thugs r ... More >>

Hospoda closes the books on the town's friendly beer house

​Hospoda, the restaurant that billed itself as "friendly beer house," has closed after a good effort in a bad location, at 3763 Wynkoop Street (right off Brighton Boulevard), the former home of the Wynkoop Grill. Jason Sheehan loved Hospoda it when I dragged him there -- the ambience was a cra ... More >>

And that makes five...gastropubs

​ Denver's apparently getting a fifth gastropub -- and that could give Jason Sheehan a major case of indigestion, as you know if you've been following his gastropub rants right here on Cafe Society. As we reported last month, Denver's three existing, self-proclaimed gastropubs -- Jonesy's, ... More >>

Up Close: Olivea

Mark Manger​This week, Jason Sheehan checks in at John Broening's Olivea. See more of Mark Manger's photos on the slideshow page.

Up Close: Pho 95

Mark Manger​ In this week's restaurant review, Jason Sheehan is bowled over by Pho 95. See photos by Mark Manger at westword.com/slideshow.

Cafe Society: Week in review

What you might have missed while stealing the letters from Bastien's marquee...Jason Sheehan may hate green restaurants but that doesn't stop him from having a list of his favorites.Think you know your Denver restaurant scene?  Here's your chance to prove it playing Cook Street's foodie photo s ... More >>

Up Close: Organixx

Mark Manger​ This week at westword.com/restaurants, Jason Sheehan discovers Organixx -- despite his aversion to "green" restaurants. See photos of the restaurant, by Mark Manger, at westword.com/slideshow.

Video: Live ramblings from Jason Sheehan at the Denver Press Club

If you somehow don't get enough Jason Sheehan from chewing on the novela's-worth of words he spews each week in the food section of Westword and on this very blog, or from digesting his new memoir Cooking Dirty: A Story of Life, Sex, Love and Death in the Kitchen, then you're in luck. Here's a vid ... More >>

A Rat in the Kitchen

Westword’s Jason Sheehan signs and talks about Cooking Dirty.

Tonight: Meet the very tall, dark and handsome Jason Sheehan

Lori MidsonOhmigod. That's Jason Sheehan in CROCS! So...if you haven't already heard about Jason Sheehan's new memoir, Cooking Dirty: A Story of Life, Sex, Love and Death in the Kitchen, then your reading catalog clearly consists of titles that you should keep between yourself and your therapist. ... More >>

Live from Sheehan's book signing

We're at Katie Mullen's for the official release of Jason Sheehan's book, Cooking Dirty, and get this: There are actual people here! And they have his book! And they want him to sign it! And someone just took a picture of him! Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising, but it's always strange when peopl ... More >>

Bad weekend for barbecue at Big Hoss, Q Worldly Barbecue

Big Hoss is on hold for nowBig Hoss Bar-B-Q , at 3961 Tennyson Street, has been hot since it first opened back in December 2006, and earned raves from Jason Sheehan a year later. But this is ridiculous: After a cook left the smoker open on Saturday, the Big Hoss kitchen caught fire -- and the resta ... More >>

Cafe Society: Week in review

You didn't miss all this good stuff, did you?  No problem, we've rounded up the best of the Cafe Society week for you below.Hot dog eating champs battled it out in a Denver qualifier for the big 4th of July competition in Coney Island.  Jason Sheehan sought your opinion on where to take Da ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, June 17 edition

Jason Sheehan. Really. Masks off, everybody. Today in Cafe Society: • Cooking Dirty: Fourteen days and counting. • Del Maguey mezcal at Tambien tonight. • A fish story at Oceanaire's Celebrate Alaska dinner. • The name game continues at Hickory Prime. • Birthdays, barbecue and Black Pear ... More >>

Eat your words, Bill Husted

In today's Denver Post, Bill Husted writes about Jason Sheehan's upcoming book, Cooking Dirty: A Story of Life, Sex, Love and Death in the Kitchen, and quotes from a negative (and very entertaining) review published last week in the Los Angeles Times by that paper's food writer, Russ Parsons. "You ... More >>

Judging Tony's by its cover

Jason SheehanSo I'm walking around over at Tony's, just trying to get a feel for the place and the lay of the land. And it's nice, sure. There's ten kinds of barbecue sauce, so many different kinds of mustard that the shelving unit looks like my fridge at home on a busy week (thirty kinds of musta ... More >>

The Market Report, May 23

Jason Sheehan's favorite festival is messin' up my market. On Cafe Society's Twitter account, Sheehan expressed his love for the Boulder Creek Festival: "With any luck, I should be posting pics of giant turkey legs and damp hippies from the Boulder Creek Festival this weekend. Stay tuned." Well, t ... More >>

Cafe Society: Week in review

What you might have missed this week on Cafe Society...Jason Sheehan got people talking about the best barbecue in Denver.  Have an opinion?We had a crush on cans for American Craft Beer Week.  Check out our profiles of local breweries perfecting the art of canning craft beer.It was also W ... More >>

Up Close: Cracovia

Mark Manger To further whet your appetite for Cracovia, the subject of Jason Sheehan's review this week, see more of Mark Manger's photos at westword.com/slideshow.

Cafe Society: Week in Review

Things you might have missed this week in Cafe Society:   If you feel passionately about whether Steuben's qualifies as a diner, don't miss your opportunity to let Jason Sheehan know where he should send Guy Fieri when he comes to town for his show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.   Sketc ... More >>

Letters from the week of April 9

IACP Conference Report: Hunting the most dangerous game of all. Man.

For those of you not yet hipped to the big foodie news in Denver this week, the International Association of Culinary Professionals is in town -- a kind of traveling circus show of food writers, food editors, food pimps, chefs, authors, wine gurus and associated tradesmen. And, of course, Jason Shee ... More >>

For ladies only -- a Venue wine-tasting tonight

Venue, the new restaurant at 3609 West 32nd Avenue that earned a recent rave from Jason Sheehan, is teaming with Marczyk Fine Foods to host a ladies-only (don't tell Steve Horner!) wine education tasting from 5:30-7 p.m. today, Tuesday, March 10. The line-up features Venue apps and the "best Ameri ... More >>

Another taste of this week's Cafe Society

Denver Restaurant Week is over, but there are still plenty of good meals and deals out there. Jason Sheehan offers a rundown on the top seven spots to grab a bite to eat on Broadway in The List. A week after his win on Top Chef, Tyler Nemkov finally caught up with Hosea Rosenberg.  Fast fo ... More >>

Up Close: Star Kitchen

Mark Manger In this week's Westword, on newsstands and online a little later today, Jason Sheehan discovers the dim-sum deliciousness of Star Kitchen (2917 West Mississippi; 303-936-0089). See Mark Manger's photos at westword.com/slideshow.

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 >>

A burrito bonanza!

It's been a busy week in the world of burritos. Jason Sheehan reviewed the shaky Beaucoup Burrito, and spoke a little more about it here. In desperate need of an uplifting burrito story to erase the bad taste left by Sheehan's description of the Beaucoup seafood burrito, I went out and took some hot ... More >>

Catch the inauguration at Cora Faye's Cafe

The coffee's already on at Cora Faye's, the soul-food restaurant that Jason Sheehan raved about back in July 2007. The TV's on, too, making this restaurant at 2861 Colorado Boulevard one of the best spots in the city for watching the inauguration of Barack Obama.Channel 31 host Shaul Turner is on ha ... More >>

Denver's best burgers go big time

The Cherry Cricket makes one of the town's great hamburgers (here's Jason Sheehan's List of the town's Best Burgers), which is why the Travel Channel will be stopping by Denver's Best Burger Bar at 2641 East Second Avenue today, to film a segment of Man v. Food with host Adam Richman. You can catch ... More >>