The latest from Larimer Street, part two

While the 2000-2200 blocks of Larimer Street are jumping, things quiet down past Snooze. And a rancorous project at 2425 Broadway, on the triangular parcel of property bordering Larimer that once held an auto body shop and the late, lamented Bamboo Hut, is currently on hold.  The owners of that parcel, Focus Property…

The latest from Larimer Street, part one

On Saturday morning, the Christmas carols were pouring from the pawn shops on Larimer Street, and the chile at the Mexico City Lounge was appropriately red and green. But all was too calm across the street; judging from the unopened mail inside the locked space, it looks like Larimer Kabob…

Friend or pho? Ha Noi case goes to trial

Denver’s pho restaurants have seen some tough times lately. Last month, a car crashed into Pho 7, knocking the joint out of commission for a few days. Times were even tougher at Ha Noi Pho, our Best Taste of Hanoi in the Best of Denver 2007. Soon after we bestowed…

Cheap tacos — if the Nuggets win big

Last year, Adam Cayton-Holland checked out Taco Bell’s deal offering four tacos for a buck from 4-6 p.m. the day after the Colorado Rockies scored seven runs. By carefully mapping out his course, he managed to secure 28 tacos — and a severe case of heartburn. Now Taco Bell is advertising…

Fat Sully’s grand opening

Fat Sully’s, a pizzeria that took up residence inside Atomic Cowboy about a month ago, will finally celebrate its grand opening at 9 p.m. on December 6. The concept for Fat Sully’s, according to employee Josh Rifkin, “is a neighborhood pizzeria with giant slices of New York-style pizza. We also offer gluten- and fat-free pizza options with delivery going until 1 a.m., sometimes longer.”…

Good times at Go Fish

    The space is simple, almost iconic Japantown nouvelle, with wood and steel and stone all polished to a high and gleaming gloss, mismatched walls in shades of lime and mustard, one of those trickling fountain things and abstract sculptures of fish on the walls done in shiny, candy-colored…

The Boulderado through the ages

The Boulderado has some tread on its tires. The landmark Boulder hotel will celebrate its hundredth year in 2009, beginning with an elaborate New Year’s Eve gala and an open house on January 4. But you don’t have to wait until then to enjoy the Boulderado’s most noteworthy feature: the buffet. The hotel…

Beer and Cheer: Alaskan Winter Ale

Alaskan Winter Ale Alaskan Brewing Company Juneau, Alaska Get ready for something different when you drink one of these, something different and something delicious. Although I normally don’t like fruit-flavored beers, pine needles are a different story, and that’s what the company says goes into this ale. The distinctive taste…

Don’t swim in this Aquarium

It’s a thought that haunts the over-stimulated, over-movied imagination: a school of hungry piranhas eating you alive. And while our Café writer Jason Sheehan would have preferred that fate to the time he spent at the restaurant inside the Downtown Aquarium (see “Finding Nemo,” his 2005 review), staff writer Joel…

The fifth greenest airport in all the land

Health magazine has proclaimed Denver the fifth healthiest airport, The article on its website highlights Denver’s use of solar panels, runway recycling systems and healthy eating options. SinceI couldn’t think of any healthy airport eating options (except for the inevitable overripe banana and mushy apples on cafe counters), I gave DIA spokesman Jeff Green…

Cafe Bisque now simply Bisque

When Cafe Bisque opened at 224 Union Boulevard in Lakewood in 2003, Westword food reviewer Jason Sheehan was initially unimpressed with the confused New American menu, but after a return trip in October, he came to appreciate some of chef Alex Gurevich’s menu items, most notably the rich, creamy lobster…

Let there be light! Chefs cook for a cause

How do chefs find time to run their own kitchens? Last night, Brandon Biederman (of Steuben’s), Jamey Fader (of Lola, shown at right) and fast fill-in Paula Lueske (Goose Sorenson was stuck at Solera) met in the big demonstration kitchen of Mise en Place, the cooking school in the Ice House…

Rooting around Root Down

We’re still looking for a revised opening date for Root Down, the new restaurant coming to 33rd and Osage. But in the meantime, we have two updates: Yesterday, the original opening date, they were putting in grass (!) around the former service station, which will have a great outdoor deck and…

Geek in the Galley: Fat, lazy bastard edition

I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry. On November 16, the good people at TiVo announced what has to be one of the signs of the foodie apocalypse: that through a partnership deal with Domino’s, customers would now be able to order pizzas through their TV. Why?  Because getting…

Beer and Cheer: Winter Warlock

Winter Warlock Bristol Brewing Company Colorado Springs Winter Warlock offers a complex mix of sweet caramel and roasted chocolate flavors that really jumps off the tastebuds. Pouring black with a thick head of foam, it is a solid, well-done stout that I look forward to drinking again. And again. –…

Venue: a new venue for Highland

The space at 3609 West 32nd Avenue that 8 Rivers left on October 1, when it finally opened its LoDo restaurant, is now home to Venue.   Venue, which opened two weeks ago, serves “American fare with European influences,” explains owner Holly Hartnett. formerly of Table 6. “We’re using smaller distributors, featuring…

Cafe Cero is cerrado, but Open Tap is now open

Cafe Cero, at 1446 South Broadway, was never really known for its food — although it found loyal fans who appreciated its intimate atmosphere, live music and convivial crowd. But not enough fans, apparently. Cafe Cero has closed, and in its place is the Open Tap & Grill, open from 11…

Root Down still putting down roots in northwest Denver

    There’s been lots of talk about Root Down, the restaurant that Justin Cucci, former co-owner of Ye Waverly Inn in New York City, plans to open in an old service station at 1600 West 33rd Avenue, at the corner of Osage Street. One such conversation — recorded by…

C.R.E.A.M. skims the surface in Cherry Creek

287 Columbine Street is now home to C.R.E.A.M. It replaced Java Creek about two weeks ago, and will be doing similar, but not identical, work.  “We’re going to be much more coffee-focused, doing higher-level barista work,” explains barista Amanda Sapir. “Our coffee is being roasted by Coda Coffee, a local roaster…

CityGrille gets a crash course

Those “Best Burger” banners over CityGrille, at 321 East Colfax Avenue, got plenty of play last week when TV newscasts reported on a Colfax car accident November 24 that sent a car careening into the doorway. The bar/burger joint had to close for the night to assess the damage, but…

Milking It: Peanut Butter Cookie Crisp

Peanut Butter Cookie Crisp General Mills Rating: Three-and-a-half spoons out of four Cereal description: Whole-grain corn discs, yellowish-tan in color, with a semi-rough surface that makes each piece look like a discus designed to shatter on impact. Save each shard for me…

Start December with dinner out — but not too far out — at Black Cat

Think local, eat local. Black Cat is celebrating this holiday month with “100 Mile” dinners, with four-course menus that will change nightly through December 30 — but will always feature ingredients that chef Eric Skokan can find within a hundred-mile radius. And as Jason Sheehan discovered when he reviewed this restaurant…