We’ve been keeping close tabs on Bob Blair’s plans for a second, scaled-down restaurant in the Taxi development since last spring. It finally opened on Monday, in the Drive building across from Fuel, but like the name — which changed from Pit Stop to Refuel — and the opening date…
When are they going to have another one? The question jostled about my brain for years, but I never got around to asking it, not because it’s taboo, as it would be when posed to parents of an only child — as if there’s something wrong with only children, which…
While doing research – i.e., eating out a lot – for this week’s review of DJ’s 9th Avenue Café, I encountered Toad-in-a-Hole pancakes. And ever since, I’ve had fun thinking of other foods with humorous names. See also: – Photos: DJ’s 9th Avenue Cafe opens in the Golden Triangle -…
People often ask why Westword’s policy is to wait three months after a restaurant opens before going in for a review, rather than jumping in while the paint’s still fresh. I’m sympathetic to the argument that if a restaurant is charging full price for food, it’s fair game. But if…
I don’t often read writing scrawled outside bathroom walls, but something at Punch Bowl – Social Food & Drink caught my eye. In the back of the restaurant, not far from metal racks stocked with ketchup, mustard and packets of sugar, someone had scribbled in pencil “I wanna love you.”…
I don’t often read writing scrawled outside bathroom walls, but something at Punch Bowl – Social Food & Drink caught my eye. In the back of the restaurant, not far from metal racks stocked with ketchup, mustard and packets of sugar, someone had scribbled in pencil “I wanna love you.”…
The price tag on the burgers at Tom’s Urban 24, which I reviewed last week, resulted in a flurry of comments — a bigger flurry than we’ve seen in the skies today, in fact. Some readers thought the price was too high — “$13 for a friggin cheeseburger?” — while…
Tom’s Urban 24, which I review this week, isn’t a chef-driven restaurant. The bar is where the real personalities reside, with seven mixologists bringing their own craft and spirits (pun intended) to upscale, round-the-clock libations. Last month two of them, Les Baker V and Chris Clewell, shared the spotlight by…
You might not know the name Tom Ryan, but you’ve probably heard of Smashburger, the fast-casual concept he founded in Denver in 2007. Smashburger has been a smashing success, expanding to 200 locations worldwide in just a few years and nabbing the Forbes title of “most promising company” in America…
You might not know the name Tom Ryan, but you’ve probably heard of Smashburger, the fast-casual concept he founded in Denver in 2007. Smashburger has been a smashing success, expanding to 200 locations worldwide in just a few years and nabbing the Forbes’ title of “most promising company” in America…
I drove by a sign yesterday that said, “The weather’s changed 136 times in the past 24 hours, it must be spring.” At least, it said something to that effect; the guy behind me honked before I could read it again. Whatever the wording, the sentiment rings true. Spring is…
Jaedo Ryu has big plans for Bop & Gogi, the fast-casual Korean restaurant that he and his wife opened last fall in Centennial (and I review this week). His goal of opening five locations and ultimately franchising may sound ambitious, but who knows? As Steve Ells likes to say, he…
I slipped in at lunch, because Bop & Gogi, a fast-casual Korean restaurant that opened in Centennial in October, seems like a lunch kind of place. But there was only one other person inside, tapping her keys while waiting for takeout, and I knew there would be no fitting in…
My kitchen hasn’t gotten a lot of use lately — unless you count the refrigerator. That appliance has been running full-tilt, stuffed with leftovers from meals eaten in preparation for our annual Best of Denver issue, which comes out next week. But as soon as I start cooking again, I…
Communal tables like the ones at The Populist, which I review this week, are “in,” and from a restaurant’s perspective it’s not hard to see why. A long table accommodates more people than a string of two-tops, and open space between tables doesn’t generate much rent, either. What’s harder to…
The desserts caught me by surprise. I was expecting something clever yet homey, perhaps deconstructed butterscotch pudding or a chocolate malted liquid-nitrogen shake. But when you’re following a crafty guide, you never know quite where you’re going until you get there — and the end of a meal at The…
The idea that “one size fits all” is just plain wrong. From something as simple as clothing (boxy T-shirts) to something as complex as currency (the Euro), there’s no way to please everyone with a middle-of-the-road solution. Coffee shops realized this long ago, allowing us to add our own sugar…
In this week’s review of Azitra, I write about dishes with names you might not never have heard of, such as kaali mirch ka murg or chicken hariyali lazzatdar. But even if you know your chana from paneer, you still might need help pinpointing the spices that give your favorite…
The group in the car knew me well, but on that particular night, I had a hard time swapping stories and laughing along. I was distracted, pondering what I’d find when we finally got to Azitra, an Indian restaurant that opened near FlatIron Crossing in 2011. According to the website,…
I know better than to shop when hungry. That’s when I end up with stuff I don’t really want, like canned soup or a frozen dinner, or stuff my kids want that I normally say no to, like Cocoa Krispies. On this particular night, I managed to resist their call…
Bob and Rosario Van Diest take pride in serving a little-known but authentic Peruvian dish, pollo a la brasa, at La Polleria, which I review this week. Here’s another dish they are eager to tell people about: papas a la huancaina (potatoes huancaina style). Often served at parties with baby…
Roast-chicken fanatics tout experiencing the bird with bread salad at San Francisco’s Zuni Cafe the way others talk about climbing the Eiffel Tower or bagging a peak. Some buy the restaurant’s cookbook and start on the recipe two days in advance, drying, salting and stuffing herbs under the skin in…
