Chef and Tell with Max Mackissock of Squeaky Bean

“After all that nonsense at Primebar — those guys are the biggest scumbags ever — it was unbelievably refreshing to get a job at a restaurant that’s owned by one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met,” Max Mackissock says during our interview at Cafe Europa. Mackissock, who was the…

Guess where I’m drinking?

My eyes kept wandering back to the Stranahan’s cocktail with carrot juice, an ingredient that, on the surface, sounded absolutely horrible as a cocktail component. And the fact that I’m not a big (or even small) proponent of the carrot, period, only solidified my resolve to stay as far away…

Black Pearl dives into Duo for its new executive chef

Just got off the horn with Jeffrey Musat, general manager of Encore (2550 East Colfax Avenue) and Black Pearl, the New American restaurant at 1529 South Pearl Street whose (now) former chef, Micah Watkins, wrapped up his last day on the line yesterday. Stepping into his shoes, Musat tells me,…

Divine intervention: Providence Tavern is taking shape in Edgewater

Partners Michael Brockhoff and Sam Roots have plans of longevity for the vacant quarters at 5280 West 25th Avenue, the cursed building that most recently held the extremely short-lived Johnie’s Bar-B-Que (and prior to that, Tiki Torch and Okoboji Inn). The two have completely gutted the space, which will soon…

Guess where I’m eating?

It’s not often that I’ll spend $17 on a burger and fries — even if the burger is a double and the fries are the grabby shoestring variety that have been responsible for an undetermined number of my butt pounds. But while both the “classic” burger and judiciously salted skinny…

Cafe Society: Week in review

What you may have missed this week on Cafe Society while you were loudly proclaiming your allegiance to or against eating murdered animals — tasty, tasty murdered animals, particularly pig. Speaking of meat, murder and animals, Kate Kennedy issued the five most shocking food facts from Food, Inc., a controversial…

Guess where I’m eating?

There’s a new menu in town, and while there’s 50 or so dishes on it that I can’t wait to eat, I started the countdown yesterday with the toasted housemade mozzarella sandwich served on a wooden board. To which restaurant do I owe a debt of gratitude for taking me…

Tonight: Holiday party to benefit the Growe Foundation

Tonight, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (1750 13th Street), hunters, gatherers, foodies, bookies and the rest of Boulder’s earth muffins will converge to support the Growe Foundation, a Boulder non-profit that advocates healthy food choices for kids and teens and implements garden-to-table programs…

In the kitchen with Michael Long of Opus

Michael Long, executive chef of Opus (2575 Main Street, Littleton), and the subject of this week’s Chef and Tell interview, knows a thing or two about Caesar salads: He won the 2007 American Institute of Food And Wine’s Caesar salad award in 2007. In this riff on the classic, Long…

Chef and Tell part two: Michael Long of Opus

This is part two of my interview with Micheal Long, executive chef of Opus. To read part one of this interview, click here. Culinary inspirations: Norman Van Aken. I’m a south Florida guy, so when I came out of CIA in 1990 and moved back to Florida, Norman was definitely…

100 Favorite Dishes: Enchiladas from Taco House

As a countdown to the Best of Denver 2010, coming April 1, Cafe Society is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in Denver. Send your own nominations to cafe@westword.com. Number 86: Enchiladas from Taco House…

Chef and Tell with Michael Long of Opus

“I’m always trying to get away with as much creativity as possible, to push the boundaries and reel in my impulses,” explains Michael Long. “I don’t want to lose my audience, but for me, personally, food has to both taste good and entertain you in some way, whether it’s because…

Leobardo’s Taco Shop adds another 24/7 option for night crawlers

And the 24/7 taco shop revolution continues! Right on the heels of Tacos Rapido, which recently opened at 2800 West Evans, comes Leobardo’s Taco Shop, 825 South Federal, a kitschy roundish shack with a triangular roof that has eight inside stools, give or take, and a couple of al fresco…