Subject: Tyler Nemkov

• Seven Cups could be your cup of tea

  September 12, 2008

• Whole Foods "Secret Ingredient" is satisfying food porn

  October 9, 2008

• The Westword.com blog shortcut, October 9 edition

  October 9, 2008

• The Westword.com blog shortcut, October 24 edition

  October 24, 2008

• Get your turkey out

  Don't feel like mashing potatoes, thickening gravy and overcooking a turkey this year?   There are a few restaurants in the Denver area that will be doing the hard work for you. We'll be updating this category -- and another with places serving the needy. If you know of others, email us or post them below, and we'll put it on!   Restaurants serving T-day dinner are listed below.

  November 24, 2008

• No stuffing the strippers at La Boheme

  So your extended family is coming in, and on Thursday you'll spend a historically hectic day cooking, eating, mingling, eating, fighting and napping (and then eating again). To prepare for this festive day, I've got the perfect option for Wednesday night.  La Boheme Gentleman's Cabaret, at 1443 Stout Street, is hosting a Vixen Fixin' Wrestling event on its main stage on November 26. The club's "entertainers" will be going at it in a mess of candied yams, gre

  November 25, 2008

• The Gift of Pie

  On Monday morning, the Food Bank of the Rockies was presented with 4,600 pies from Village Inn. To celebrate fifty years of business in Colorado, the company made a big donation of pumpkin cream pie, lemon cream pie, Boston cream pie and carrot cake. "The pies will most likely be distributed before Thanksgiving to our partner agencies. We serve over 1,000 different hunger relief programs," says Food Bank of the Rockies media manager Greg Vogelzang. Village Inn isn't the only company helpi

  November 26, 2008

• C.R.E.A.M. skims the surface in Cherry Creek

  287 Columbine Street is now home to C.R.E.A.M. It replaced Java Creek about two weeks ago, and will be doing similar, but not identical, work.  "We're going to be much more coffee-focused, doing higher-level barista work," explains barista Amanda Sapir. "Our coffee is being roasted by Coda Coffee, a local roaster of much higher quality than what was previously used here." C.R.E.A.M., which is open from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, does its own pastries and will be offering brunch

  December 1, 2008

• The fifth greenest airport in all the land

  Health magazine has proclaimed Denver the fifth healthiest airport, The article on its website highlights Denver's use of solar panels, runway recycling systems and healthy eating options. SinceI couldn't think of any healthy airport eating options (except for the inevitable overripe banana and mushy apples on cafe counters), I gave DIA spokesman Jeff Green a call.  

  December 2, 2008

• Fat Sully's grand opening

  Fat Sully's, a pizzeria that took up residence inside Atomic Cowboy about a month ago, will finally celebrate its grand opening at 9 p.m. on December 6. The concept for Fat Sully's, according to employee Josh Rifkin, "is a neighborhood pizzeria with giant slices of New York-style pizza. We also offer gluten- and fat-free pizza options with delivery going until 1 a.m., sometimes longer."

  December 3, 2008

• The Boulderado through the ages

  The Boulderado has some tread on its tires. The landmark Boulder hotel will celebrate its hundredth year in 2009, beginning with an elaborate New Year's Eve gala and an open house on January 4. But you don't have to wait until then to enjoy the Boulderado's most noteworthy feature: the buffet. The hotel has offered seasonal --Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Mother's Day -- spreads for "about fifteen to twenty years," says marketing assistant Lynn Brewer. "We have people making reserv

  December 2, 2008

• The Cody Inn's new ownership

  The Cody Inn is back in business. The restaurant located at 866 Lookout Mountain Road in Golden closed this summer, and reopened September 30 with Perri and Paul Gummerson as the new owners. The Gummersons renovated the eighty-seat restaurant, replacing lighting and adding a lounge area, a new bar and a patio that's a great place for enjoying the mountain view. Paul, formerly the exec chef, catering and food and beverage director at the Denver Merchandise Mart, is keeping

  December 9, 2008

• Le Central is even more affordable during happy hour

  Le Central, the restaurant at 112 East Eighth Avenue, has billed itself as the Affordable French Restaurant since it opened close to thirty years ago. And now it's getting even more affordable, introducing an incredible happy hour deal today that will run from 3-5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. The lineup includes super-French small plates at tiny prices carpaccio for $2?!?), as well as various drink specials. Le Central bakes its own bread and does in-house charcuterie, so t

  December 11, 2008

• Another Noodle for Noodles & Company

  Colorado -- the state where it all began -- will get its 35th Noodles & Company outpost today. The restaurant opening at 1601 Mayberry Drive in Highlands Ranch is the second in that town and the 203rd in the country. Noodles & Company has come a long way since founder Aaron Kennedy started slinging the slippery things back in 1995, in the first spot in Cherry Creek. And it intends to keep going.

  December 11, 2008

• Reuse your bags!

  Mayor John Hickenlooper yesterday announced a Greenprint Denver initiative to promote reusable bags at various city agencies and businesses. The Denver Public Library, for example, is eliminating the use of plastic bags at all of the branches. And such companies as Safeway, Vitamin Cottage, King Soopers and Wal-Mart have signed onto a five-point plan to help spread the word.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency, over 380

  December 11, 2008

• The chile isn't the only thing that's green at Mi Cocina

  Saul Sierra is no tree-hugger. "I wasn't always green," he says. "My brothers learned about all that stuff in school, but I never went over it." He is now, though, and both of his Mi Cocina restaurants are feeling the effects.  This fall, Sierra installed a solar patio at the Mi Cocina at 1600 West Belleview Avenue in Littleton, which has been open for over a dozen years. And he's also introduced environmentally-friendly procedures all both restaurants: using more

  December 12, 2008

• A saucy toy drive at Steuben's

  Steuben's will host a toy drive to benefit the Denver Rescue Mission tonight, beginning at 9 p.m. and running until about 2 a.m. And if you donate a toy, not only does God give you a pat on the back, but you receive a free cocktail or Great Divide beer! The cocktails are creations by eight of Denver's brightest Denver mixologists, who are teaming up with Sean Kenyon, Steuben's bar manager, to make a variety of signature cocktails. Drinks are coming from Osteria Marco's Adam Hodak, Vesta

  December 15, 2008

• Hung Kee no more?

  Hung Kee, the Chinese restaurant that served unbelievably cheap Cantonese cuisine, has vacated its longtime spot at 1015 South Federal Boulevard. That space is now occupied by an Asian drycleaner's, and when I tried to find out if Hung Kee had moved somewhere, I didn't understand the answer. So if anyone reading this knows whether Hung Kee has reopened elsewhere, please fill us in with a comment below. --Tyler Nemkov

  December 15, 2008

• Tocabe brings Native American food to the Denver dining scene

  Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery opens tomorrow at 3536 West 44th Avenue, and even in a city stuffed with restaurants, it has the potential to set itself apart. The creation of Ben Jacobs, a member of the Osage tribe whose home is in northeast Oklahoma, Tocabe (the word is Osage for "'blue", Jacob's mom's favorite color) will be a fast-casual place, similar to Chipotle, but serving strictly Native American food.  Jacobs has lived in Denver since he was three, though, attending East Hi

  December 17, 2008

• From cars to 'cue, Merle's opens in Littleton

  Downtown Littleton has a new neighborhood joint: Merle's, which occupies the old Merle's Alignment Center at 2609 West Main Street, which started life as a gast station in the 1930s. The building was unoccupied for a number years; and a group of partners all chipped in and bought the place, turning it into a modern, auto-themed restaurant. "We've kept some of the remaining accents from Merle's Alignment Center and are showing a lot of history of the place. We have garage doors

  December 16, 2008

• Colorado wine sure is fine

  The Colorado Wine Industry Development Board has just announced its fourth restaurant recognition program, to single out restaurants that promote Colorado wine. Last year's winners were Juicy Lucy's (the original, not the second spot in Cherry Creek), the Mercury Cafe and Restaurant Six89 in Carbondale. For this year's program, awards will be given to restaurants for "best Colorado wines by the glass," "best Colorado wines by the bottle"  and 'best Colorado food and wine p

  December 17, 2008

• The food trends--or lack thereof-- in 2009

  "Value." "The economy." "No new concepts." "Staying open." I talked to four of the top chefs in the state (and possibly the western United States) and asked each of them about the top Colorado food trends of 2009. I wanted to share their bold predictions, like "the new hottest dish will be anything with an egg on top" or "Peruvian is the new Thai." I wanted to be edgy and shock you with some random herb or vegetable that you don't know about.   I didn't get what I wa

  December 17, 2008

• La Chaumiere bids au revoir after more than thirty years

  After more than thirty years in business, La Chaumiere, the charming, classical country French restaurant in Lyons, has closed its doors. Kyle Wagner loved the place when she reviewed it for Westword in 1998, and in "French Toast" recounted the tale of how Elizabeth and Heinz met in Munich, married other people, then got back together after Heinz moved to this country, bought a former pizza place that he turned into La Chaumiere in the early '70s, then called Elizabeth to c

  December 18, 2008

• Phil's Fresh wins a fresh loan from Whole Foods

  Boulder-based Phil's Fresh Foods has just won a $96,000 loan from Whole Food's Local Producer Loan Program. Phil's is a wholesale, all-natural burrito manufacturer; its product is stocked by local Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage and Sunflower stores, as well as some King Soopers. Selling at about $2.50 each, this is "not the typical frozen burrito," says Phil's Heather francis. "We make everything from scratch and we really focus on the ingredients and the best

  December 18, 2008

• Tocabe tingles my tastebuds

  I just finished eating my oversized fry-bread thingy at Tocabe: An American Eatery and was definitely pleased with my meal. I'd written about Tocabe, the Native American, Chipotle-esque establishment yesterday, and was eager to try the place when it opened officially today. Owner Ben Jacobs told me that despite the bad weather, there had been a steady stream of customers. He also said that during his soft opening last night, he sold all 425 fry-breads he had made. Not a shabby start

  December 18, 2008

• Feed the Food Bank of the Rockies

  Don't write off 2008 yet. You can still do good for others -- and for this year's tax return -- by donating to Food Bank of the Rockies. Just a buck will buy four meals for the hungry -- with 96 cents of every dollar going directly to the purchase of food, and just a paltry 4 cents to administration. The FBR website contains all the info. -- Tyler Nemkov

  December 29, 2008

• Frasca is moving...eventually

  This past year, Frasca made plenty of buzz when the highly acclaimed restaurant that Jason Sheehan reviewed as Fantasy Land revealed that it would be moving from its home at 1738 Pearl Street in Boulder sometime in the future. But not, as it turns out, in the immediate future. Surprisingly, the number of seats in the usually jammed restaurant will remain about the same, but there will be many other changes. I talked with a source at Frasca who said these changes will be on multiple fronts.

  December 30, 2008

• Update: Frasca's move

  n my recent blog on Frasca's eventual move to a new building of its own from its current home at 1738 Pearl Street in Boulder, there was some confusion over where, exactly, that building will be. It will be constructed on the spot once occupied by Marisol Imports (where Jason Sheehan once took a drunken nap) at Ninth and Pearl in Boulder. That building was owned by the late Tom Eldridge, of Tom's Tavern. And although Tom's Tavern has closed, it's not disappearing. Bradford H

  January 6, 2009

• Restaurant Kevin Taylor celebrates its tenth birthday...

  ...for five weeks! The celebrated restaurant located inside the Hotel Teatro is offering a tempting three-course meal for $99 for two. The deal lasts until February 12, so you have a unique chance to get some of the best food in Denver for a reasonable price.  So far, I've heard that the deal has been popular, with such options as golden raisin and cauliflower tortellini with fried capers, caramelized cauliflower and ginger parmesan froth. Not good enough? How about black pe

  January 8, 2009

• A Colorado culinary connection

  Denver's food scene may not be as big as San Francisco's or New York's, but it isn't bad. In fact, it's the perfect match between intimacy and variety. And its size provides plenty of opportunities to get close not just to our restaurants, but to the specialty food shops around town.  Culinary Connections of Colorado is a new company set up to help you do just that. Started by Cristino Griego of Della Radice Gourmand Services (pictured here ©2009 Alan Hill)  and 'foodie' Becky Creighton, Cu

  January 9, 2009

• No bones about it, I need a McRib

  "What the fuck is a McRib?!?!?!?!?!?!?" In a moment of drunken enlightenment, I put those words as my Facebook status. Some of the responses: "Even the bones are meat!," "God's gift to McDonald's" and "It's kinda good, but it's probably better not to ask what it is...You can't handle the truth.'  Once again, the McRib is mysteriously popping up on McDonald's menus, as it has since it first appeared in 1981. But just as mysteriously, the McRib will disappear from these menus. And before it

  January 9, 2009

• Dash to Denny's, now

  As part of a Super Bowl promo, your neighborhood Denny's is offering a free Grand Slam until 2 p.m. today (dine-in only). Run grab your breakfast, then come back to Cafe Society to read Tyler Nemkov's review of his meal.

  February 3, 2009

• It's Denver Cupcake Week for Lovely Confections Bakery

  When the going gets tough, the tough sell cupcakes. Lovely Confections Bakery, located at 1489 Steele Street Unit C, started celebrating Denver Cupcake Week on February 21; it will run through this Friday. The bakery is marking its first anniversary by offering two cupcakes for $5.280 and one cupcake for $2.640. The deal is limited to two cupcakes per customer, with chocolate, chocolate with vanilla buttercream, vanilla, vanilla with chocolate buttercream and red velvet with cream cheese icin

  February 23, 2009

• Making vanilla to pay the bills: a talk with an ice cream alchemist

  We live in a great food city. It's not New York. It's not San Francisco. And it shouldn't be. Denver is more intimate and interconnected, with a culinary web stretching across the metro area. We have quirky shops, gourmet institutions, plenty of hole-in-the-wall joints and an active consumer base always looking for a quality bite. Denver's culinary reputation is growing stronger by the day, held together by fascinating people. So I'm embarking on a gastro-journey to highlight the unique, quir

  February 27, 2009

• Brandon Marshall's top-five mea culpas

  Brandon Marshall poses for a mug shot. In yesterday's blog "Updated: The Jay Cutler-Josh McDaniels Broncos Bromance Hits the Rocks," Tyler Nemkov noted the latest legal difficulties of supremely gifted/equally boneheaded receiver Brandon Marshall, who was arrested for disorderly conduct over the weekend -- and even though the charges against him in the incident have been dropped, he's likely to earn a suspension from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell anyway. In an attempt to lessen his penalty, M

  March 3, 2009

• 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 food can upset more than your stomach. For a sickening trip down memory lane, read Teague Bohlen's run-down of the ten worst fast-food ad campaigns. Anthony Bourdain didn't get published in an altweekly

  March 7, 2009

• Short Sighted

  Run, bounce, jump, sing and dance at KidSpree.

  July 17, 2003

• 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 District in California. I recently spoke with her about what it takes to break the old stereotypes and convince kids to eat healthy.

  April 21, 2009

• Get ready for Park Burger's Friday debut

  Lori MidsonFor the past several weeks, I've been poking around Park Burger, the new burger barn at 1890 South Pearl Street that's the brain kid of Jean-Philippe Failyau, Frank Bonanno's go-to guy at Osteria Marco in Larimer Square. Last month, Tyler Nemkov reported that Park Burger's opening had been delayed, which was the same story I got from Failyau yesterday when I dropped by to survey the progress. Failyah was there with the electrician, who, by his own admission, was responsible for the la

  May 13, 2009