Rioja

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 and Frasca Food and Wine win James Beard Foundation awards

The cinema industry has its Oscars and its Golden Globes, the Grammy Awards celebrate the best in music, and the James Beard Awards are every chef's dream, and tonight, at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City, Jennifer Jasinski, chef-owner of Rioja, Euclid Hall and Bistro Vendome, wa ... 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 >>

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 >>

Our favorite local culinary gifts for foodniks: EatDenver Dining Deck

All this week, I'm featuring my favorite culinary stocking stuffers and presents for the fervent foodnik, cook and restaurant fiend in your life (yesterday's pick was the indulgent hot chocolate and salted caramel marshmallows from Spuntino). These are all gifts that are available locally -- and loc ... More >>

Club W delivers tasty wines worth waiting for

Delicious bottles of wine. Hand-selected for you by industry pros, based on your personal palate's preferences. Shipped directly to your door, every month, for less than $40. Welcome to the club -- that is, Club W. See also - Four ways to give the gift of wine (and buy local) this holiday season - ... More >>

Tonight: Euclid Hall hosts benefit for Rioja bartender

Nico Eymar -- or Nico the Frenchie, as his regulars know him -- has been a bartender/server at Rioja for over seven years. Last Friday, he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that will require at least three months to recover from. So his colleagues and friends are hosting a benefit tonig ... More >>

Harvest Week launches a Platte River Luau tonight

Harvest Week is under way at the GrowHaus, the incredible cool interactive urban farm/marketplace in north Denver. The series, which is organized by Eat Denver, a group of independent restaurateurs, started with a "Praise the Lard" gospel brunch on Sunday; last night, it was "The Hedonist's Guide t ... More >>

Four luscious white wines to savor now

Last week, we introduced you to four uniquely delicious red wines that seemed as though they were destined for autumnal consumption from the day they were bottled. And while it's true that our seasonal wine cravings generally give the edge to reds over whites, there are a multitude of compelling rea ... More >>

Five sexy Spanish wines to try now

Right or wrong, French wines seem to conjure up images of wood-paneled studies where "serious" oenophiles sip Burgundy and debate Bordeaux futures. Italian wine perceptions run the gamut -- you've got Barolo fanatics who kneel before the throne of King Nebbiolo along with fans of simpler stuff like ... More >>

Restaurants selling drinks to support National Lemonade Day and childhood cancer research

Today is National Lemonade Day, and it's not just for kids. For the past few days, local restaurants have been taking a stand on this holiday, raising funds to combat childhood cancer. In 2000, four-year-old cancer patient Alexandra Scott decided to set up a lemonade stand in front of her house to ... More >>

Big names on the menu for tonight's Hot Rocks Griller Challenge at Elway's

The fourth annual Hot Rocks Griller Challenge heats up this evening at Elway's Cherry Creek, 2500 East First Avenue. The party, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., pits fifteen of Denver's top chefs against each other in a friendly competition benefiting the Denver Health Foundation.

Reader: No touristy craphole for Washington cherries!

Washington State wants to donate forty pounds of cherries to an "iconic" restaurant in every state in the nation, in hopes of inspiring recipes that push their product. A Washington PR company asked Cafe Society's help in coming up with the right restaurant in Colorado for a fruit-filled delivery -- ... More >>

Oak at Fourteenth will host a quarterly pig roast

Since they first opened -- and re-opened -- then reopened Oak at Fourteenth, owners Bryan Dayton and chef Steve Redzikowski have tried to create a true neighborhood restaurant, pulling in crowds of regulars with their creative take on North American cuisine and an equally inventive beverage program. ... 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.

Spain Unfiltered at Rioja tonight

Maybe you can't jet off to Spain, but you can still enjoy Spain Unfiltered at Rioja, 1431 Larimer Street, a dinner featuring Spanish wines paired with five courses. The feast starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $195; call 303-820-2282 or visit www.riojadenver.com. For information on dozens of culinary ev ... More >>

Alex Seidel, Jennifer Jasinski, Frank Bonanno, Mark Fischer, Yasmin Lozada-Hissom, Frasca Food and Wine and Peak Spirits all James Beard semi-finalists

Jennifer Jasinski, chef/owner of Rioja, Bistro Vendome and Euclid Hall, is among the chosen few vying for a James Beard Foundation award.​The James Beard Foundation has just announced its crop of restaurant and chef semi-finalists vying for a coveted 2012 James Beard award, and several Denver ... More >>

Beer dinners, Stout Month, Strings of Hope and Super Bowl festivities on this week's culinary calendar

​It's all about beer this week -- although oenophiles will still find an event or two to their taste -- culminating in everyone's favorite football game, the Super Bowl. And there's plenty more to keep you occupied until Sunday, including a benefit and celebration of Noel Cunningham's life; he ... More >>

National food critics dish out tweets on their Denver meals

​Some of the biggest and boldest national names in food criticism descended on Denver over the weekend to check our city's culinary scene. Why, you ask? Let's just say that they were doing research for the James Beard Foundation Awards. Several of those critics tweeted about their experiences ... More >>

Winter Brew Fest, tequila, wine and bowls on this week's culinary calendar

​Happy Chinese New Year! Food events are picking back up for 2012 -- including a promotion from P.F. Chang's that starts today and runs through Monday, February 6; stop in to pick up a mysterious red envelope, then come back to find out what goodies you won. Visit www.pfchangs.com. And there ... More >>

Sips and Snacks at Rioja

​Every Tuesday, Rioja, the Larimer Square restaurant run by Beth Gruitch and chef Jen Jasinski, hosts Sips and Snacks, which pairs tastes of selected wines with four bite-sized snacks from the kitchen. This week's theme: Bubbles. Admission is $15, and the deal starts at 5 p.m.; call 303-820-22 ... More >>

Gravity Month, Quaker Oat Festival and more on this week's culinary calendar

​Things are gearing up for 2012; this weekend, the Quaker Oat Festival in Lafayette and the Chef's Confluence are both taking place, and there's plenty more on the menu until then. Here's a taste:

Now We're Cooking

Just in time for the holidays, win FIVE 2012 EatDenver Dining Decks

It doesn't matter whether you've been naughty or nice this year: When it comes to EatDenver's annual Dining Deck -- a caboodle of 52 gift cards worth $10 each that you can use at dozens of Denver's top food palaces, all members of the EatDenver Independent Restaurant Network -- Santa isn't remotely ... More >>

Wine Spectator's top cellars award list includes 103 Colorado restaurants

​It's that time of year again. Wine Spectator has just unveiled its annual list of restaurants with admirable cellars, bestowing the eateries with tiered awards of excellence -- and giving anyone who chooses a restaurant for its wine list a handy place to start. Of the 3,700 places worldwide ... More >>

Photos: Hot Rocks Griller Challenge, 6/15/11

Pulled pork with basil pesto, pickled red cipollini onions on brioche by Tyler Wiard at Elway's. ​The original Elway's hosted the annual Hot Rocks Griller Challenge last night, when sixteen of Denver's top chefs competed to make the best slider. The winner? Troy Guard of TAG and TAG | RAW Ba ... More >>

Kitchen Crusaders

Tyler Wiard, Jennifer Jasinski and Elise Wiggins have teamed up to create a new sandwich for a national chain

​Oh. My. God. We just heard that Tyler Wiard (Elway's Cherry Creek), Elise Wiggins (Panzano) and Jennifer Jasinski (Rioja, Bistro Vendome and Euclid Hall) are joining forces with a national "roast beef" sandwich chain to create a new sandwich that'll be called "The Big TyWigSki." "I'm looki ... More >>

Frasca's Bobby Stuckey at the center of Denver Cochon 555 pig fight

You be the judge. ​Cochon 555, the porkeriffic national competition that trots into Denver on Sunday, April 3, recently announced the five Colorado chefs combating for the Prince of Porc title: Jennifer Jasinski (Rioja, Euclid Hall and Bisto Vendome); Kelly Liken (Restaurant Kelly Liken); Alex ... More >>

Culinary calendar for the week ahead: Wine dinners, beer and yoga, and more

​In addition to a number of restaurant openings, this week is packed with wine dinners, anniversary celebrations and much more; here's a taste of what's on the culinary menu.

Reader: Fresh noodles put me pasta point of no return

​ After Laura Shunk received an e-mail from a national food pub working on a list of the best pastas around the country, she posted a piece spilling some of her own favorites, and asked readers for their own. And out poured some saucy suggestions -- Luca D'Italia, Rioja, Mizuna (fair warning: ... More >>

Spring fever: Five sparkling cocktails for a warm Friday afternoon

​With nothing but 60-plus degree weather in our immediate forecast, we're pretty psyched that spring is really starting to unfurl in the Mile High City, beckoning us out of our dark caves and into the warm, sun-kissed streets. In fact, it's enough to make us want to start out this nice weekend ... More >>

Round two with Will Cisa, exec chef of the Corner Office

Lori Midson​Will Cisa The Corner Office 1401 Curtis Street 303-825-6500 www.thecornerofficedenver.com/food/dinner This is part two of my interview with Will Cisa, executive chef of the Corner Office Restaurant Martini Bar. In part one of that interview, Cisa dished on monumental cooking dis ... More >>

Denver Restaurant Week tables available at ChoLon, Fuel Cafe, Rioja and Street Kitchen Asian Bistro

​Denver Restaurant Week kicked off on February 26, and while rezzies are filling up fast, especially now that we're in the final stretch, it's still not too late to snag a seat at one of the 300 food temples offering multi-course feasts between now and tomorrow. Tonight is no exception. As of ... More >>

Get Busy Eating Out

Soup for the Soul bowls over with Denver's best chefs

Lori Midson​Hundreds of foodniks with big hearts made the trek to the downtown Sheraton hotel last night for one of the year's most heartwarming events: Soup for the Soul, a benefit that provides bowlfuls of comfort to patients of Porter Hospice and St. Anthony Hospice, both of which provide ... More >>

Soup Is Good Food

James Beard Foundation announces 2011 semi-finalists: Frank Bonanno, Yasmin Lozada-Hissom, Frasca and ChoLon among them

James Beard Foundation​Last November, the James Beard Foundation summoned the public to nominate its favorite chefs, restaurants and industry professionals for the 2011 awards. And after all the self-pimping and ballot-stuffing, the poll is closed. This morning, the foundation announced its ... More >>

Tonight: Jennifer Jasinski unleashes a seven-course feast from her new cookbook, The Perfect Bite

Lori Midson​ Last month Jennifer Jasinski, chef/owner of Rioja, Bistro Vendome and Euclid Hall, released her first cookbook, A Perfect Bite, a 186-page compendium of recipes from Rioja's' kitchen, accompanied by stunning photography and tips for the home cook. And tonight, at the Larimer Squ ... More >>

Culinary calendar for the week ahead: Beer dinners, Super Bowl parties and more

A Flickr photo.​Looking for somewhere to spend Super Bowl Sunday? We've got a few options -- plus beer dinners, workshops and more to keep you occupied in the meantime. Here's what's on the menu:

New Year's resolutions from Max MacKissock, Matt Selby, Mark DeNittis, Michael Long and twenty-one more Denver/Boulder chefs

Lori MidsonBrad Rowell, chef at Colt & Gray, resolves to eat twenty percent less pork fat per day and replace that with twenty percent more Schlitz​ Haven't made your New Year's resolutions yet? That makes two of us. But instead of focusing on ourselves, we prodded more than two dozen Denver/ ... More >>

The perfect post-holiday gift: Jennifer Jasinski's The Perfect Bite

Lori Midson​"I know! Can you believe it? We finally got the book through the doors!" That was elated response from Jennifer Jasinski, the chef/owner of Rioja, Euclid Hall and Bistro Vendôme, when I spoke with her late yesterday afternoon, two days after 5,000 copies of her Rioja cookbook, T ... More >>

EatDenver rolls out its 2011 deck of damn good dining deals

Lori Midson​If you're searching for ideas to stuff a foodnik's stocking this Christmas, we know of at least one gift that's definitely worth giving: EatDenver, a culinary cavalry of locally owned independent restaurants, has just released its 2011 Dining Decks, a collection of 52 cards, each ... More >>

Deck the shelves with boughs of cookbooks: Local chefs sound off on their favorite culinary reads

Lori Midson​Ah, Christmas: The season of giving, receiving, in-law spats, road range, parking lot clusterfucks, check-out line massacres and cookbooks and food books -- the ones that you hope will end up wrapped under the tree, right alongside the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Over the course of the ... More >>

Tonight: Five-course wine dinner at Rioja

​Rioja, 1431 Larimer Street, will present a five-course wine dinner featuring dishes by chef/owner Jen Jasinski for $95. Keep reading for the full menu.

Culinary calendar for the week ahead: Beer dinners, latke cookoffs and more

​The city is awash in beer dinners this week -- but there are also many classes, food drives and the annual Top Latke Cookoff. Here's a taste of what's on the menu:

More of the same at Rioja

Big love for Euclid Hall

Bistro Vendome has the right ambience for brunch

​After eating my way through the menu at Euclid Hall for this week's review, I stopped by Rioja, the Larimer Square restaurant that Jen Jasinski and Beth Gruitch opened six years ago, and also by Bistro Vendome, the restaurant at 1420 Larimer Street that the pair took over in 2006. Bistro Ven ... More >>

Euclid Hall finds a niche in Denver dining

Mark MangerThe Euclidean cheesesteak​Euclid Hall, 1317 14th Street, the third restaurant within one block for partners Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch, who also own Rioja and Bistro Vendome, was one of the hottest openings of the summer. The crowds packed into the beautifully refurbished s ... More >>