Madison Street opens: See for yourself what all the talk is about

There’s already been plenty of noise about Madison Street — and the restaurant at 1222 Madison won’t officially open its doors until 3:30 p.m. today. Madison Street is the brainchild of Larimer Associates — the group that also created Ernie’s Bar and Pizza, LoHi SteakBar and Billy’s Inn — and…

If Coors won big at the Great American Beer Festival, who lost out?

Four of Colorado’s biggest and best-known craft brewers, Avery, Breckenridge, Odell and Oskar Blues, were shut out of last month’s Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony, while several other major brewers in the state barely made the cut. In fact, of the 41 medals awarded to Colorado beer makers, Odell,…

Three chenin blanc wines to amp up your autumn

Cugnette. Steen. Pineau de la Loire. Vouvray. What do these four wine terms have in common? They’re all synonyms for chenin blanc, a stunningly drinkable white wine so worthy of your affection that you may find yourself tempted to consume it in abundant quantities shortly after reading this post (and…

Wild Ivories hit some sour notes, but the show must go on

There have been some discordant notes over at Wild Ivories, the dueling piano bar that opened in June at 1400 Market Street, in the former home of Buca di Beppo. On the day the club opened, Tim Kirkland, one of the partners in the venture, says he got an anonymous…

Big Bill’s New York Pizza does NY-style pies exactly right

My grandma Judy discovered Big Bill’s New York Pizza by sheer dumb luck. She was on an errand in the County Line strip mall that houses the pizza parlor and decided to take my mother a carry-out lunchtime calzone. This single act of generosity forever changed our family’s dining-out habits…

Did Lil’ Ricci’s steal Big Bill’s recipe?

When Big Bill’s New York Pizza opened in 1995, it was a second outpost of Lil’ Ricci’s New York Pizza, then located in a strip mall off Hampden Avenue. Although Bill Ficke pulled out of the partnership and renamed his place within a year, Lil’ Ricci’s has continued to grow,…

Electric French Kiss at Japoix

When I sat down at Japoix and took my first sip of the Electric French Kiss ($11), made with Ty Ku Liquor, lemonade and a Szechuan button, I was shocked — for myriad reasons. The most obvious was the Szechuan button (sometimes referred to as an electric or sansho button)…

Alex Seidel brings his new artisan ricotta cheese to fruition

Early in 2009, Alex Seidel, chef/owner of Fruition, 1313 East Sixth Avenue, bought a ten-acre parcel of earth that sits off a dirt road, just outside Larkspur, and named it Fruition Farms. From the beginning, Seidel, along with Verde Farms founder Josh Halder, cultivated herbs, greens and vegetables, the bounty…

Zona’s Tamales closes a couple of days early

Two weeks ago, we reported that Zona’s Tamales, the blue and orange mainstay at 713 East 26th Avenue that’s inhabited a Five Points corner for forty years, would close on October 15, sending 85-year-old Zona Moore into retirement after she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of theft by receiving…

Broadmoor chef and sommelier win national Copa Jerez title

Bertrand Bouquin, executive chef of the Penrose Room and Summit at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and Broadmoor wine director Timothy Baldwin have a date in Jerez, Spain, in January 2011 — when they’ll compete against international chef and sommelier teams for the Copa Jerez title. They won the chance…

Breckenridge Brewing gets ready to can Lucky U

Breckenridge Brewing plans to roll out its second canned beer, Lucky U IPA, by the end of the month, adding it to Avalanche Ale, which it began canning last year. “We got the cans on Friday,” says Breckenridge brewmaster Todd Usry. “Distribution will be limited to begin with, just Colorado…

Larkburger sells 1,700 $2 burgers on Saturday

This past Saturday, the Larkburger at 8000 East Belleview Avenue offered $2 burgers — for one day — as a thank-you to the Greenwood Village community. And what a thank-you: The lines stretched out the door, and before the day was done, the store had served up 1,700 Larkburgers…

Guess where I’m eating?

Fruition executive chef/owner Alex Seidel is making ricotta cheese from his farm just outside of Larkspur, and several Denver restaurants are pimping dishes, including the one in the above snap, that feature the magnificent cheese, which frankly, deserves a plate of its own. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special…

Basic Kneads pizza to set up pop-up restaurant this weekend

Food pods, farmers’ markets and street parties have spread through the Denver food scene. Now, from the Bakken brothers at Basic Kneads Pizza, comes the first mobile vendor-related pop-up restaurant we’ve seen in this city — something we predict will rapidly catch on. Channeling the family gatherings that spurred their…

Jeff Osaka reopens twelve today with a new fall menu

Chef/owner Jeff Osaka will reopen twelve today after an eleven-day break. The restaurant at 2233 Larimer Street is getting close to marking its second anniversary; although the neighborhood was a little lonely when Osaka opened his place, other spots have since opened, with more deals reportedly in the works in…