Saigon

Vietnam Grill serves up a surprising culinary lesson on Vietnamese cuisine

In A Federal Case, I'll be eating my way up Federal Boulevard -- south to north -- within Denver city limits. I'll be skipping the national chains and per-scoop Chinese joints, but otherwise I'll report from every vinyl booth, walk-up window and bar stool where food is served. Here's the report on t ... More >>

Ba Le Sandwich: Take that, fusion haters

In A Federal Case, I'll be eating my way up Federal Boulevard -- south to north -- within Denver city limits. I'll be skipping the national chains and per-scoop Chinese joints, but otherwise I'll report from every vinyl booth, walk-up window and bar stool where food is served. Here's the report on t ... More >>

The five best new breakfast spots in Denver

If breakfast means more to you than a cup (or three) of coffee, you're probably already acquainted with the pancakes, eggs and crepes at such perennial favorites as Gaia Bistro, Jelly, Snooze, Devil's Food and DJ's Berkeley Cafe. The latter's sibling restaurant, DJ's 9th Avenue Café, which opened i ... More >>

At Pho 95, warmth and familiarity slow down the rush on a cold night

In A Federal Case, I'll be eating my way up Federal Boulevard -- south to north -- within Denver city limits. I'll be skipping the national chains and per-scoop Chinese joints, but otherwise I'll report from every vinyl booth, walk-up window and bar stool where food is served. Here's the report on t ... More >>

A snowy trip into DIA...and back in time

JetBlue brought me to Denver last night only a few hours late. But even though we landed at Denver International Airport, with its all-weather runways, I felt transported back to another airport -- the old Stapleton International Airport -- and thirty years back in time, to the Blizzard of 1982.

Trends without end, round three: Vegetables, spice and Scandinavia

What will be the big culinary trends in 2013? As we prepare for a new year in gastronomy, we posed that question to dozens of people in the local food business, everyone from chefs and pastry magicians to restaurant brokers and PR consultants, from brewers and grape gurus to realtors and pig farmers ... More >>

Brewery Rickoli starts pouring, Del Norte dries up: Our restaurant roll call for November

More than a dozen restaurants opened in Denver this past month, including the long-awaited Punch Bowl -- Social Food & Drink and The Populist. But there were some surprise closings, too, including Il Mondo Vecchio, the pork palace that's gone to hog heaven, and Del Norte Brewing, the first brewery t ... More >>

Joseph Wandell revisits history in Mekong Joe

Eat your words! There are plenty of ethnic restaurants near the Tech Center

The Denver Tech Center is "an area distinctly lacking in interesting ethnic food," I said in last week's review of Street Kitchen Asian Bistro. In fact, I almost expanded that sentiment to cover everything south of Hampden Avenue, an area filled with fast-casual and upscale chains that tend to over ... More >>

The best national music releases of 2011

Vina Pho & Grill expands into Boulder

Vina Pho & Grill​When Allyson Tran opened her first pho joint, Vina Pho & Grill, in Edgewater in 2009, she'd really been looking for a spot in Boulder. "I always wanted to go to Boulder," she says. "My first plan was to open there, but we couldn't find a location." Now she's finally had a c ... More >>

ChoLon presents Southeast Asian market cuisine with an upscale twist

See photos of the menu options at ChoLon.

ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro channels a Southeast Asian market

Mark Manger​Just 24 hours after I returned from Asia, I was craving the cuisine I'd left behind -- and I was particularly hungry for the food stalls of the markets. So I headed straight for ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro, where Lon Symensma channeled Cholon, the Chinatown market in Saigon, when he ... More >>

Restaurant roll call for 2010

Lori MidsonChoLon Modern Asian Bistro was one of the big restaurants to open in 2010.​While many restaurants closed in 2010, many more restaurants opened -- including such hot spots as ChoLon, Euclid Hall, Green Russell, Lou's Food Bar and, on the very last day of the year, Bittersweet. Here' ... More >>

Warming trends: The bare-bones Pho Duy provides warm comfort food just in time for winter

Swollen Members at Marquis Theater, 11/19/10

Britt Chester​ SWOLLEN MEMBERS With Saigon • City Real • Prime Element 11.10.10 | Marquis Theatre Originally scheduled to take place the Summit Music Hall, last night's Swollen Members show was moved to the Marquis Theater. The dichotomy of confused Christian rock fans hoping to see Red ... More >>

ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro set to open in early October

Lon Symensma will open ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro on October 1​Back in March, I christened Lon Symensma one of the sexiest chefs on the culinary planet, a pronouncement by which I still stand, especially since unearthing a Youtube video of the hot shot kitchen magician foraging for food around ... More >>

Restaurant Roll Call for November

Lori MidsonGB Fish & Chips opened a second location on the last day of November.​RESTAURANTS OPENING IN NOVEMBER Aboba, 5810 West Alameda Avenue Archive Room, 5601 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada Beaver Dam, 7545 East Iliff Avenue Buckin' Harleys, 1451 Cortez Street Cafe Colorado, 287 Colu ... More >>

Chef and Tell with Mary Nguyen of Parallel 17

Mary Nguyen, executive chef/owner of Parallel 17​"Food is the one thing that I grew up knowing would bring family and friends together, soothe wounds and mend hearts as well as improve any party or celebration," says Mary Nguyen, chef-owner of the Vietnamese-French bistro Parallel 17. "I enter ... More >>

Sugar High: Sugar Bakeshop doughnuts and Sweet Action hot chocolate float

Liz Kellermeyer​Welcome to the first installment of our new feature, Sugar High. Check back here every Friday to see where we indulged our sweet tooth during the week.   Granted, the chilly weather doesn't make an ice cream shop immediately leap to mind when considering where to warm the b ... More >>

The List: Denver's top ten pho spots

​ Pho is the most recognizable example of the Vietnamese canon, a street food lifted whole from the avenues of Saigon and Bien Hoa and brought to the United States by waves of immigrants who came here following the war and the reconstruction. Many of those immigrants washed up in Denver, wh ... More >>

Vesta Dipping Grill puts the happy back in happy hour

As ambassadors of good will, good drinks and good food, Vesta Dipping Grill, 1822 Blake Street, recently awarded free happy hours to thirty local businesses and non-profits, which, as you can imagine, made for some damn happy employees who'll get a few more hours of happy time at Vesta's bar with fr ... More >>

Best of Denver 2009: Bread alert

The 25th annual Best of Denver issue officially hits the streets (and this site) on March 26, and now that the hundred-plus food awards have been decided, I'm revisiting some of my favorite tales from this year's always-weird awards process.  Kinda like encounter therapy, and cheaper than going ... More >>

Tibet's Restaurant

If this chef is good enough for the Dalai Lama, he’s good enough for you.

Best of Denver Winners from 1995

Ah, 1995: a time when entire Best Of categories were devoted to the O.J. Simpson trial, Bernie Bickerstaff and Dikembe Mutombo were still dominating the sports pages, and Mel's Bar and Grill was still new. Check out the winners from our 1995 Best Of issue after the jump.

Best of Westword Winners: 1989

Tacos the Town

Postscript to Honkin' Tonkin

Honkin' Tonkin

Palace Chinese & Vietnamese Cuisine

Don’t judge a cook by this cover.

Sum kind of Wonderful

Elvis Lives

Vietnam House is a rock star.

Strip Tease

Viaggio and New Orient create a common border between Italy and Vietnam.

Talking Shop

There’s plenty to enjoy along Upper 15th Street.

The Last Refugees

This family's roots are in Vietnam, but the next generation is branching out.

Green Light

Head for the hills -- the hill country of Sapa.

Best Breakfast Soup

Pho 79

So Pho, So Good

Pho 79 is my tome on the range.

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

New Saigon

Quiet Strength

A provocative adaptation of Graham Greene's Vietnam views will have audiences talking.

Secret Worlds

The Vertical Ray of the Sun offers up a rich slice of Vietnamese family life.

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

New Saigon

Missed Saigon

The Nam of the Game

Bowled Over

His Life

Vinh Ngoc Le counts his blessings.

Miss Saigon?

'NAM YANKEES

SOUP'S ON

A FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC MASTERPIECE