Wheeling and Dealing: A Second Helping of Westword Food & Drink, March 9-13

This week saw an explosion of restaurants looking for all manner of new ways to get people in the door in attempts to appeal to guests with different spending habits, tastes and ideas of what constitutes a good time. Happy hours fill seats at times that are customarily slow, so...

By Mark Antonation

March 13, 2015

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This week saw an explosion of restaurants looking for all manner of new ways to get people in the door, emphasizing deals to appeal to customers with different spending habits, tastes and ideas of what constitutes a good time. Happy hours fill seats at times that are customarily slow, so some high-end joints are giving afternoon discounts a go, including Luca, which is already looking lively during its 5 to 6:30 p.m. slot, and Stoic & Genuine, which is going for the early crowd with its 2 to 4:30 p.m. oyster happy hour. Cherry Cricket, however, is courting late-night bargain hunters — and drinkers — with a $12 deal that gets you a beer, burger and shot between 10 p.m. and midnight.

And brunch is big business, too: The Squeaky Bean just added a Saturday Queen Bean drag brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (with drag-queen Bingo starting at 1 p.m.) to complement its popular Sunday Bingo brunch, while Tamayo rolled out a Bike 2 Brunch deal on the first Saturday of every month with deals for people who pedal. And brand-new Whiskey Tango Foxtrot met with such success on its monthly pajama brunch that it's extending the deal to every Sunday beginning in April. In other news:

OPENING THIS WEEK*
Nocturne, 1330 27th Street

*Or earlier, and not reported in a previous Second Helping.

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Mark Antonation is the former Westword Food & Drink Editor. In 2018, he was named Outstanding Media Professional by the Colorado Restaurant Association; he's now with the Colorado Restaurant Foundation.

Contact: Mark Antonation

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Instagram: @mantonation