Tonight: The final dish on Dish

Cafe Society is off to Dish, Westword’s annual celebration of the Denver dining scene, which debuts tonight in its new location at the Exdo Events Center, 1399 35th Street. We hear there are a few general admission tickets left; they’re $40 at the door, with a portion of the proceeds…

Smashburger opens first location in downtown Denver

Dylan BurkhardtThe new Smashburger in the Tabor Center​ After a brief delay because of a thirteen-inch construction snafu, Smashburger finally has a downtown location, in the Tabor Center. This is the eleventh Smashburger in the metro area — but the homegrown chain, which got its start three years ago on…

Guess where I’m eating?

You don’t come to this joint for tacos — not because they’re not good, but because they’re superseded by the restaurant’s namesake — but the tacos, doused with salsa and judiciously sprinkled with Mexican queso, deserve their own star billing. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who…

Park Burger’s housemade veggie burger: No beef necessary

For a while, it seemed like a new gourmet burger joint was opening every few minutes in the metro area. Although they’re not as ubiquitous as Starbucks (yet), restaurants specializing in well-made burgers were clearly a big trend. The question — at least as far as this Veggie Girl is…

Olé! Mezcal’s happy hour is a rockin’ fiesta

The Place: Mezcal, 3230 East Colfax Avenue, 303-322-5219 The Hours: Daily from 4 to 6 p.m. The Deals: $2 PBR and $3 Tecate; $5 margaritas; $4.50 mojitos; half-price tacos, quesadillas and sopes. The Digs: Mezcal is everything an East Colfax cantina should be: ablaze in bright colors and funky wall…

Rocky Mountain Brewery brews dessert in a glass

On Monday, we displayed a pictorial summary of everything that was edible at the Great American Beer Festival. If mediocre barbecue and carbs weren’t your thing, though, there was another option: Make continuous circles in the line for the bakery series by Rocky Mountain Brewery, a microbrewery and bar that…

Kelly Liken returns for tonight’s Top Chef reunion episode

We’ll be seeing Vail’s Kelly Liken at the Top Chef Reunion tonight. Kelly was among the four finalists who went to Singapore, then was sent home in the penultimate episode — but not before cooking many dishes that won the judges’ praise. Interestingly, Kelly said several times on the air…

Queen of Sheba serves up feasts fit for royalty

This week’s review took me to Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant housed in a dilapidated building way out in the hinterland of East Colfax. Inside that spot, beneath print and handwritten accolades, Zewditu (Zodi) Aboye turns out plates of spicy, savory stews with plenty of injera. You’ll need a…

Theo Adley to open The Pinyon on the East End of Pearl Street

Theo Adley’s resume is full of chef stints from some of Colorado’s best restaurants. Since coming here for school in early 2000, he’s cooked at the Flagstaff House and Frasca. He moved to Aspen to get in on the action at the Little Nell, and from 2008 until early 2010,…

Dishing up one last pair of Dish tickets…to Daveed

This morning, we offered readers another chance to win a pair of tickets to Dish, Westword’s annual celebration of dining in Denver, at the EXDO Event Center, 1399 35th Street, on Wednesday, September 22. Contestants had to tell us in five words or less why they deserved the tickets. And…

Guy Harvey’s Perfect Spot Bar & Grill set to open in Northfield Stapleton

Baited by the lure of the Rocky Mountains, where fly fishing and lodge lounging are popular pastimes, Guy Harvey, the marine biologist, author, conservationist, scientist, world famous marine life artist and prolific restaurateur, chose Denver — specifically Northfield Stapleton — to open his Perfect Spot Bar & Grill, a new…

Five tips for scoring great value wines

Ask your fellow oenophiles how they go about finding deliciously drinkable value wines and you’re guaranteed to get four different answers. That’s because their criteria for making that determination is likely to be as unique as their individual personalities, wine cravings and budget. When querying most peeps, though, the consensus…

Guess where I’m eating…green chile?

Smother love: It’s easy being green in Denver in September, when the smell of roasting chiles overrides the odor of exhaust along Federal Boulevard, and the green chile at your favorite Mexican joint carries the heat of the new harvest. For the next several weeks, Cafe Society will feature some…

Ask the bartender: a spirited discussion of mezcal

Sean Kenyon knows how to pour — both drinks, and advice. A third-generation bar man with almost 25 years behind the bar, he is a student of cocktail history, a United States Bartenders Guild-certified Spirits Professional and a BAR Ready graduate of the prestigious Beverage Alcohol Resource Program. You can…

Great American Beer Festival: 25 things I learned in 2010

1) No matter how prepared you are for GABF, it is still overwhelming. 2) San Diego County makes more amazing beers than some entire regions of the country. 3) Maui Brewing’s CoConut Porter was one of the most heavenly beers I have ever tried. Even better, sources say they’ll begin…