The photo above comes from a great bar. My friend calls it a dive bar, but to me, it’s just a bar-bar. It’s not fancy, and it doesn’t cater to hipster poseurs. Best of all, the bartender named Kathy was the nicest and best bartender I’ve ever had in a…
I do my best to stay away from restaurants that hype fried calamari on their menus, but when it’s grilled or sauteed, I’m less likely to turn up my nose and make an immediate beeline for the exit. There’s at least one kitchen in Denver that’s doing calamari three ways…
Handle Bar and Grill, the bicycle-themed shrine, bar and restaurant at 305 South Downing Street, is greasing up to reopen as Downing Street Bar and Grill, a “great bar and restaurant with the kind of really good American food that the neighborhood loves,” says owner Paul Gatchis, who plans to…
As a countdown to the Best of Denver 2010, coming April 1, Cafe Society is serving up, in no particular order, a hundred of our favorite dishes in Denver. Send your own nominations to cafe@westword.com…
It must be difficult to leave a great job that you’ve had for seven years for a new job that lasts all of two days. But some things just don’t work out, like former Avenue Grill bartender Randy Layman’s move to Jonesy’s EatBar, which ended after one weekend. You might…
This is part two of my interview with Olav Peterson, exec chef of Bistro One. To read part one, click here. Culinary inspirations: Whenever I go to Paris, I always come away with so many influences, whether it’s from the art in the city or eating an iconic banana Nutella…
Another genius idea has emerged from Japan, where entrepreneurs have developed a fire alarm for deaf people that uses wasabi powder to penetrate the nostrils and alert them to imminent danger. The wall-mounted alarm has a container of compressed, concentrated wasabi mist that, at the first hint of a fire,…
There are many local events benefiting Haiti in the wake of the recent earthquake; you can find our round-up here. But while most of the fundraisers include music or some other cultural aspect that tie them to Haiti, none have gone as far as the Tribute to Haiti, starting tonight…
Salt occupies the corner that Tom’s Tavern, a no-frills burger joint, held down for forty years — but the similarities end there. Salt’s beautifully remodeled interior is made from mostly recycled and reclaimed materials gathered in Boulder, and shows that chef/owner Bradford Heap’s commitment to using local sources extends far…
At 5:15 p.m. on a chilly Thursday, Jamey Fader, clad in black, with a plaid cap pulled low over his forehead, is balancing on a box in the corner of a back-alley warehouse. “Welcome to whatever the fuck this is,” he deadpans. It’s Fader’s first impromptu speech of the night,…
Talk about a blast from the past: Brittany Hill, long a favored spot for romantic dinners and corporate meetings, will soon rise again. The restaurant, which boasted a stunning view and so-so food, opened back in 1981, and enjoyed a good run until it closed in 2006. But now the…
The Walnut Room Pizzeria opened a week ago at 2 Broadway, but the grand opening isn’t until Saturday, February 6 — when you can try the place out for free. “Come one, come all,” says Chris Vetrano, spokesman for the Walnut Room Pizzeria and its sibling, the Walnut Room…
Five words: Everything but the kitchen sink. There’s only one last thing to beg for, beyond mercy: A crane. I assume you all know where I’m eating. Special bonus: Every Friday, anyone who gave the first correct answer to any of the week’s Where am I drinking/eating posts will be…
Denver’s Independent Network of Restaurants (DINR), the group responsible for Harvest Week and A Saucy Affair, is asking its member restaurants to spread the love…through their liquid assets as part of DINR’s Valentine’s Day Cocktail Contest. The competition, which has already kicked off, continues through Wednesday, February 10, at which…
The Place: Billy’s Inn, 4403 Lowell Boulevard, 303-455-9733. The Hours: All day Monday, Tuesday through Saturday from 3 – 6 p.m. The Deal: $2 Bud Light and PBR drafts; all other drafts are $3.25; discounted prices on wine by the glass, house sangria and margaritas. Appetizers from $3.50 to $7.50…
As a countdown to the Best of Denver 2010, coming April 1, Cafe Society is serving up, in no particular order, a hundred of our favorite dishes in Denver. Send your own nominations to cafe@westword.com…
“I was fourteen, working at a French bakery in Castle Rock as a dishwasher, and near my dish station, there was a picture of a chef’s kitchen in France…and there was something about that picture that always intrigued me and made me feel like it was my destiny to have…
Pete Marczyk and Barbara Macfarlane do not leave their work behind when they leave Marczyk Fine Foods and head for their great old Denver house with the big, new kitchen. They often bring some of their market’s choicest ingredients home with them, and cook up a feast. “Spend the dough…
It’s official: H BurgerC0, the new spot at 1555 Blake Street, will officially open at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 10, after a week of friends and family parties and events that start today — and after a slight name change from the original H Burger Lounge. But that’s just…
Barley wine isn’t actually wine — it’s barley-made beer with an alcohol content between 8 and 12 percent. Because barley wine is closer in strength to wine than beer, it’s been labeled a wine, despite the fact that it’s brewed just like any other beer (and doesn’t contain any fermented…
At 5:15 p.m. on a chilly Thursday, Jamey Fader, clad in black, with a plaid cap pulled low over his forehead, is balancing on a box in the corner of a back-alley warehouse. “Welcome to whatever the fuck this is,” he deadpans. What do you get when you put fourteen…
I’m a staunch opponent of Chuck E. Cheese — of any eatertainment children’s trap (except Casa Bonita, natch) that gets its kicks by encouraging kids to behave like flying monkeys on amphetamines. And I’ve never been a proponent of restaurants that have a “special” play area just for kids, because…
