Sugar High: Banana beignets from Lucile’s Creole Cafe

From the excitement over the Saints in the Super Bowl to the anticipation of flinging beads around for Mardi Gras, next week will be all about celebrating the spirit of New Orleans. And when that happens, there’s only one place to turn: Lucile’s Creole Cafe at 275 South Logan. There’s…

Sugar High: Wen Chocolates

Chocolatier Will Poole, the owner of Wen Chocolates, has an affinity for the obscure. Soon after we enter his little shop at 1541 Platte Street, he thrusts an intricately designed white Pandora truffle into our hands and tells us the recipe is based on a 16th-century aphrodisiac formula. It has…

Sugar High: Banana puddin’ from Rooster & Moon

This cup of creamy goodness came delivered right to our door when we called Rooster & Moon, 955 Bannock Street, to inquire about the banana pudding that was making tongues wag around the Westword office. Co-owner Nicholas Bode was sure we’d dig the southern-style dessert that his seven-week-old restaurant was…

Sugar High: Minney Beasley’s almond lace cookies

The delicate, crisp little cookie is technically a tuile, but not to Minney Beasley’s founder Harmon Canon. “I just never use that word,” he confesses. To Canon, they are simply almond lace cookies, made from a recipe handed down from his great aunt Minnie Beasley. What makes them tuiles is…

Spell-check slip-up: Fine grated Ptarmigan

Spell-check screwed Bradley Smoker when the company sent out a press release yesterday with a chicken wings recipe that called for “a little fine grated ptarmigan.” What they meant to write, of course, was Parmesan, but somehow the grouse sneaked in there instead. This is either the result of a…

Sugar High: Olivea

If your New Year’s resolutions have you off the sugar, this post isn’t for you. If, however, you’ve instead vowed to be more mindful of the quality of your indulgences and are keeping your palate readied for only the most mind-blowing of desserts, then by all means: read on…

Sugar High: Jerusalem’s baklava

Jerusalem knows Middle Eastern food. The family establishment at 1890 East Evans Avenue has been in business for over thirty years and the owners pride themselves on their bargain prices and freshly-made food. This goes for their dessert case, too, which is overflowing with buttery phyllo creations, honeyed cakes and…

Sugar High: Eggnog and snickerdoodle cupcakes from Happy Cakes

With the days of enjoying festive holiday flavors coming to an end, it would be a shame if you missed out on cupcake versions of a few classics: Eggnog and snickerdoodle. Happy Cakes Bakeshop in Highland is known for successfully translating offbeat flavors–Jack & Coke, bacon, kettle corn–into delectable frosting-topped…

Toss your cookies (if they’re from Melissa & Doug)

This Melissa & Doug wooden slice and bake cookie set seemed like the perfect gift for that toddler with baker aspirations. Unfortunately, among the painted-on sprinkles and icing, Health Canada discovered an unwanted ingredient: barium. Excessive amounts of the chemical were found in the surface paint, enough for Canada to…

Sugar High: Wystone’s African rooibos carrot cake

Tea and cake together is a no-brainer, but what about tea in cake? At Wystone’s World Tea Cafe, 7323 West Alaska Drive, it’s not just the cakes that are baked with a hit of tea leaves, but almost all their fare. From Lapsang Souchong smoked tea-infused chicken to black tea-roasted…

Sugar High: Tony’s Mile High Magic Bar

We snagged a sample of one of these Mile High Magic Bars from Tony’s Market not too long ago, and it was so good that we vowed to go back for more. Little did we know what was waiting for us. A bite-size sample is a deceptive representation of something…

Sugar High: Novo peppermint mocha

Black Friday is upon us. Whether you’re nuts and arrived at stores pre-dawn to snag the deals, or you’re a stay-away-from-the-malls-at-all-costs type, everyone can benefit from a little caffeine boost after a day of carb-loading. If you’re near downtown, where better to fuel up than at Novo Coffee? The Denver-based…

Sweet talk with Hi Rise Bakery’s Sammy Marquez

Boy, are our cheeks pink. Turns out that our guy in Paramus can only lay claim to the bagel and some pastry recipes baked at Hi Rise, 2162 Larimer Street. Head baker Sammy Marquez is the on-site, flesh-and-blood man behind many of the sweets, including several that we featured on…

Sugar High: Hi Rise Bakery

UPDATE: Check out our interview with head baker Sammy Marquez and catch his recipe for raspberry shortbread bars.Oh, my. This beauty of a sticky bun, studded with pecans and glazed with a crème brûlée-like shell, is certainly one way to start off your morning at Hi Rise (2162 Larimer Street). But there…

Guess where I’m eating?

Sometimes what we like is a little comfort food, even when the sun’s shining. This homey macaroni and cheese dish might seem small, but it packs a satisfying wallop of creamy goodness set off by a crunchy topping. The side salad is just a bonus. Can you guess where I’m…

Serious Eats chimes in on Denver’s “unique food trends”

Denver got a shout-out last week on the food blog www.seriouseats.com, which listed what they believe to be four unique food trends in our fair city. Our fast casual chains, microbreweries, green chile, and Beau Jo’s all get mentions. But while we appreciate that they resisted mentioning Rocky Mountain oysters,…

Guess where I’m eating?

Deep-fried, smothered in spicy buffalo sauce and served with a side of fluffy mashed potatoes and gravy, the above sandwich isn’t one of Jason’s favorite dishes, but it’s certainly one of mine. Can you guess where I’m eating?…

Sugar High: Santa Fe Cookie Co.

Here’s a formula you wouldn’t think would work for a bakery in the middle of downtown Denver: Customers enter at one end of a shop, drop a dollar into a giant plastic jug, retrieve a small paper bag filled with three fresh-from-the-oven cookies and exit out the other end. There’s no…

Sugar High: Cake and shake at D Bar Desserts

Even though Keegan Gerhard and his wife, Lisa Bailey, opened D Bar Desserts, 1475 East 17th Avenue, just under two years ago, it took about two minutes for the sugar house to emerge as one of the city’s premiere dessert spots. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday,…