Tyler Nemkov

Seven Cups could be your cup of tea

Whole Foods "Secret Ingredient" is satisfying food porn

The Westword.com blog shortcut, October 9 edition

The Westword.com blog shortcut, October 24 edition

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 pos ... More >>

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 Gentl ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 C ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 sl ... More >>

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. ... More >>

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 l ... More >>

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 Satur ... More >>

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 st ... More >>

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&nb ... More >>

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 a ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 answe ... More >>

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", ... More >>

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 t ... More >>

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 Restauran ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 Muni ... More >>

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 som ... More >>

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 Ja ... More >>

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 cen ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 Co ... More >>

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.' ... More >>

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.

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 cupca ... More >>

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 al ... More >>

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 we ... 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 >>

Short Sighted

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

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 ... More >>

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 bee ... More >>

Manischewitz and Pepin: A recipe for culinary hilarity

Thanks to the Gallery of Regrettable Food for this snap​Quick! First, think of the worst (but funniest!) possible food or beverage around which to stage a cook-off. Now, imagine the worst (but, again, funniest) place to hold said cook-off. Now, imagine the one celebrity chef on earth who s ... More >>

hushDenver gets down with Root Down, and looks to expand

The chefs get ready to rumble at hushDenver.​The organizers of hushDenver hit another grand slam on Saturday night at their third dinner party - this time with kitchen magic by current and former Root Down chefs Erin Boyle, Victor Mena, Brent Buxton, Samm Sherman and Samuel Martinez. I'm not ... More >>

Man, can Chicago cook!

Tyler NemkovA small sample of the great food I've eaten in Chicago​ I'm collecting menus, pictures and diner notes like a klepto right now, hoarding them up in my culinary bank, remembering and instantly rehashing. Chicago restaurants are ridiculously good. I want to say more, but I'm too busy ... More >>

Hush Denver set to expand beyond Denver

Colorado rack of lamb, Chase Wilbanks' fourth course at Hush​Chase Wilbanks, executive chef at La Tour in Vail, came down from the mountains to cook up six courses (and display an awesome crab tattoo that you can see here) at the third Hush Denver dinner on April 24. Up to this point, Hush -- ... More >>

Northern Arapaho tribe's deal with Whole Foods falls apart

arapaho ranch​The idea sounded so good: In "Meat with Meaning at Whole Foods," his May 2009 post, Tyler Nemkov described how Whole Foods had contracted with California-based Panorama Meats to buy organic, grass-fed beef from a ranch owned by the Northern Arapaho tribe on the Wind River reserv ... More >>

The best meal I ate all year: Alinea

Tyler NemkovYes, please.​ Full disclosure: My account of the best meal I ate all year makes me sound like the biggest food snob on earth. No matter how well I defend myself, it's bound to come across as pinkie-out boasting and just plain holier-than-thou. But don't judge me until you hop on a ... More >>

Boulder Draft House has dried up

Tyler NemkovLights not on, no one home. ​ Boulder Draft House, the Boulder restaurant at 2027 13th Street (right off Pearl Street) that was home to the Colorado Brewing Company, has closed. On Friday, the proprietors sent out this tweet: "To all Draft House fans: yes, its official, we have c ... More >>

Bryan Dayton and Randy Layman move on to the national 42Below Cocktail World Cup competition

Tyler Nemkov​At a Sunday night event featuring bizarro go-go girl oompa loompa hybrids, an old-timey popcorn machine and an announcer named DumpTruck, Oak at Fourteenth's Bryan Dayton and Steuben's Randy Layman proved to be the biggest attraction. Tyler NemkovOkay, so what would you call the ... More >>

Food Ink: Why I now have a carrot tattoo on my body

People get tattoos for plenty of reasons: a love of art, wanting to look awesome, insecurity, hoping to pick up super-hot chicks -- but overall, it's because they want to say something about themselves that will remain permanent. Evidently, as owner Lance Talon from Boulder Ink now knows, I really l ... More >>

My tattoo has made its mark with the World Carrot Museum

Tyler NemkovUh, a carrot glamor shot?​Turns out, there is accounting for taste -- at least according to the World Carrot Museum. Earlier this week, I posted a photo and explanation detailing why I now have a giant carrot tattooed on my body. Soon after, I heard from the curator of the World C ... More >>

Ketchup on everything: Are you trying to ruin your food?

​Welcome to In the Weeds. Kyle will be right with you -- most likely to complain about something. Usually he is pleasant, but this is his place to blow off some steam. Don't take it personally; he just needs to vent because he's been doing this for about thirteen years. Enjoy your meal. As fe ... More >>