TAG introduces its new bar staff and summer cocktails

Mike Henderson may have jumped ship for other projects, but the cocktail show at TAG must go on. TAG tender Brian Melton will take over lead mixology duties, while floor manager Travis Plakke will take care of the behind-the-scenes details. And in TAG’s dark basement lounge on Tuesday night, the…

The Steuben’s Food Truck rolls into Civic Center five days a week

Despite the tiff with Cherry Creek Fresh Market, Civic Center Eats is thriving, bringing crowds of downtown lunchers to the Tuesday food court. And now those lunchers won’t have to wait until next Tuesday for another fix. The Steuben’s Food Truck has secured a permit that will allow the movable…

The Squeaky Bean gets ready to expand its kitchen

Since the Squeaky Bean opened in May 2009, chef Max MacKissock has found the limitations of the closet-sized kitchen an ongoing test of his creativity. Not only does he have to dream up three meals a day that satisfactorily incorporate his obsession with seasonality, he also has to figure out…

Happy days are here again at the Squeaky Bean

How in the hell am I supposed to eat this?” It was a perfect summer night in Denver. Inside the Squeaky Bean, a lively crowd was watching the Celtics and the Lakers battle it out on the bar TV, cheering over the freak folk and remixed indie rock coming from…

Goodbye cupcake, hello doughnut

The cupcake trend appears to be gasping its last breath in a fully saturated market, and national eat blogs and food writers are having a heyday with bidding farewell. Dessert must go on, though, and Jezebel just polled its readers on what sweet they thought would become the post-cupcake trend…

Sushi Sasa’s expanded dining room is open for business

Early this year Sushi Sasa, the wildly popular sushi joint at 2401 15th Street, took over the vacated Wilderness Exchange spot next door, with plans to double the size of the dining room, adding 70 seats to the original 62. Now that space is finally — thankfully — open, a…

Chipotle Mexican Grill opens 1,000th restaurant

Chipotle Mexican Grill, the big-ass burrito-monger that started in a tiny renovated ice cream shop at 1644 East Evans in 1993 has reached a couple of milestones recently. The first European Chipotle started hawking the goods to Londoners in May, and yesterday, the chain opened its 1,000th restaurant in Flower…

Want rum service? Visit Cafe Brazil

Cafe Brazil isn’t a trend-follower. The owners have had a good ride for close to twenty years without jumping on any passing bandwagons, and it’s worked just fine. But last year, as cocktail culture amped up, Marla, Tony and Mauricio opened the Rum Room to give the Front Range a…

When it comes to charm, Cafe Brazil is the Rio thing

Legend has it that the first owner actually was Brazilian,” our waiter muses as he admires the caramel-colored crema on top of our post-dinner espressos. “He left town after a year and a half because he couldn’t find fresh mangoes in the state of Colorado.” This is my aha moment,…

Larimer Square restaurants collaborate for Affair on the Square

With the concentration of eateries in Larimer Square comes endless opportunities for roving culinary events, although the next manifestation of that won’t be roving, exactly. On Wednesday, July 21, the Square will be closed to traffic from 6 to 9 p.m. so diners can converge on the street for a…

Construction begins on Frasca Food & Wine’s expansion

A permit application has been posted in the front window of Frasca Food and Wine, 1738 Pearl Street, for some time now, indicating the Boulder restaurant’s plans to erect restaurant or retail square footage in the empty space next to their existing dining room. The permanent modification and liquor license…

How to dine like a pro (and selfishly reap the benefits)

I’ve been on the front lines of the service industry long enough to have seen some pretty weird requests accommodated. I once came upon a diner who wanted to have his food cut into little pieces by the chef, just the way his mother did when he was five. I…

Project delayed, Mike Henderson joins bar at Colt & Gray

Mike Henderson may have left TAG to focus on his own project, but in the meantime, he’ll be working, at least part time, behind the bar at Colt & Gray. Yesterday marked Henderson’s first day on staff, and he started learning the ropes of the dining room and kitchen. “My…

Here comes the rise of the Scandinavian restaurant

If this was a world in which the dining scene was scrutinized like professional sports, with gamblers placing bets on the what pastry will be the next cupcake, what technique will become the new foam or which chef is most likely to win a James Beard award, we’d head down…