Kokoro, voted Denver’s Best Not-So-Traditional Japanese Restaurant in Westword’s 2009 best of issue, is leaning a little more toward old school. The quick-casual, homegrown Japanese mini-chain has added miso ramen to its menu, which already features udon bowls and the more contemporary sobaghetti (yakisoba with vegetables and sauce). The miso…
Those of you watching the Cafewestword twitter feed over the weekend already know that I survived my night “cooking” at Mezcal without any serious difficulties. Nothing got burned down, no one got punched and, by the time we were done, we’d managed to serve several turns of the dining room…
Attention, Aurora residents: Your wait for the “better burger” is almost over! Smashburger will open its ninth metro location tomorrow at 2630 South Parker Road. Taking its name from the cooking method, a Smashburger is either a one-third or half-pound ball of 100 percent Angus Beef smashed on a flat…
This restaurant is the first place I take out-of-town guests who think Denver is fly-over culinary country. And while their shock over our incredibly good dinner was sweet, the bar’s new selection of fall cocktails was perhaps too sweet. The one above was made with Leopold Bros. Cranberry Liquor and…
After more than a decade behind the decks, DJ Miss Audry is retiring. But music’s loss is food’s gain, since she’s going to be devoting her time to helping out at Melita’s Greek Cafe & Market, the spot that took over for the Economy Greek Deli at 1035 Lincoln Street…
The dish that you see at the top of the page was sabotaged by the “chef,” and returned to the kitchen with a plea that he redo the damn thing and make it look, well, if not stunning, then at least quasi-presentable — which it wasn’t when it first landed…
Last Monday, everyone driving down Broadway knew that something bad was going on. Traffic was backed up for blocks, cars were going nowhere fast. And when they did finally make it to the block that holds both Deluxe and Delite, the reason for the jam became clear–both of those places…
Ristras Santa Fe Grill, the fast-casual New Mexican joint that opened in March at 11961 Bradburn Boulevard in Westminster, closed last week. And judging from the sign posted on the door, at least a few chile heads who live in the tony ‘hood are going to miss the restaurant’s thick…
Neil Arnold, Jeff Arnold and Storm Ireland, the owners behind the Pour House Pub at 1435 Market Street, will bring some LoDo fervor to Arvada in early November when they open the Archive Room at 5601 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard. That’s the space that held, briefly, the Arvada Grill. “We’re doing…
First, the good news: Venue executive chef James Rugile, Max Mackissock from Squeaky Bean, Shazz Cafe exec chef Benny Kaplan, Tyler Skrivanek of Duo and Brad Rowell of Colt & Gray have all hooked up to create the Highland Chef’s Collaborative, a five-dinner series that begins tonight at Venue, 3609…
Vita, the Highland restaurant boasting one of the best rooftop patios (and views of the downtown skyline) in the city, has introduced several fall items to its dinner lineup. The new offerings include shrimp two ways: tempura shrimp with chili honey sauce and shrimp poached in tequila topped with chimichurri…
Our former Cafe Society intern just decided to chuck college in favor of a real education: as a sous chef. In Under Fire, he chronicles his daily trials and tribulations in the kitchen.I learned many pointless things in culinary school. The knowledge of how to do tableside crepes suzette is now part…
Talk about a wake-up call! On weekend mornings, kitchens across Colorado start rolling breakfast burritos up and out — some served simply, to-go in aluminum foil; some served on fine china on linen tablecloths. This burrito is a cut above even that: offered only on Saturday and Sunday brunch, it’s…
What you might have missed this week on Cafe Society while you were commiserating with Jason Sheehan over his abysmal dinners at Mark & Isabella, the Italian restaurant run by Arizona-based hot-shot restaurateur Mark Tarbell. A man was shot dead in an altercation inside Chopsticks & Sushi, the downtown restaurant…
In the market for a late lunch? At 3 p.m. today — or any weekday — you can pop into this spot and order meatball sliders, paired with a great, garlicky marinara sauce, for just $2 each. But first, you need to guess where I’m eating…
Tim and Nina Zagat just dropped the 2010 edition of America’s Top Restaurants (full disclosure: I edited the Colorado section), along with pages and pages of dining stats culled from eaters who responded to Zagat’s annual survey that, more or less, sum up the best and worst of each city…
The yellow tape and chain-link fence formerly surrounding the Tacos Rapido compound at 2345 West Alameda Avenue have finally been removed, which means that all you drunkards hankering for breakfast burritos, tacos, tostadas and and tortas at 2 a.m. now have another 24/7 pit stop at which to get your…
Happy birthday, Viet’s Restaurant. The busy Vietnamese restaurant, located at 333 South Federal Boulevard in the Far East Center, replaced Thai Hiep Vietnam House a year ago. And to celebrate its first anniversary, the restaurant is offering free lobster or crab to parties of four or more. Even though the…
Denver has many great Italian restaurants. As I wrote this week, Mark & Isabella is not one of them. Here are ten of my favorites: Il Posto (2011 East 17th Avenue, 303-394-0100). Il Posto has an excellent location, crammed between other bars and restaurants, their patios shoulder to shoulder. The…
Chopsticks & Sushi, the Asian restaurant and bar at 1630 Welton Street that was the site of a fatal shooting yesterday, is not connected to Chopsticks China Bistro, the goofily-named restaurant that just moved from South Federal Boulevard to 5117 South Yosemite and is a Jason Sheehan favorite. But plenty…
Cold and flu season has arrived, and while there are vaccines and a multitude of drugs out there that will be used to combat these illnesses, doctors remain constant on one remedy: chicken soup. According to WebMD, doctors prefer milder, natural alternatives to treat colds and flu, with the exception…
Welcome to the first installment of our new feature, Sugar High. Check back here every Friday to see where we indulged our sweet tooth during the week. Granted, the chilly weather doesn’t make an ice cream shop immediately leap to mind when considering where to warm the belly, but…
