Beer and Cheer: Santa’s Little Helper

Santa’s Little Helper Port Brewing Company San Marcos, California Port Brewing Company doesn’t mess around. The company, which began as a pizza place in Solano Beach and now owns a large brewing facility in San Marcos, makes unbelievably big beers. And like Stone Brewing, their Golden State neighbor to the…

Is Enstrom’s toffee the “best candy in the world”?

So I was listening to a podcast of the Thanksgiving edition of the hit food radio show The Splendid Table — because I’m a dork like that — and lo and behold, Jane and Michael Stern, authors of the popular Roadfood books, came on to sing the praises of Enstrom’s, the Colorado-based…

Red Trolley is moving fast — too fast

Red Trolley — the coffee house/ice cream shop/cafe that opened just this summer at 2639 West 32nd Avenue — left its second hang-tag of the week on the doors of houses in northwest Denver. “O.ver.zeal.ous,” it read. “Excessively enthusiastic.” The Trolley, it turned out, is moving so fast that it…

Veggie Girl: MAD Greens

    Sometimes all the veggie chile burritos, sesame tofu and lasagna in the world cannot entice me because all I really want is a nice, big healthy salad. Crisp spinach, fresh tomatoes, roasted beets and some fresh mozzarella and I’m happy — satisfying my body’s craving for something that…

The rise of the great, red beet

  Notice something red in your greens lately? Beets have been showing up on lots of Denver menus, mostly in salads, decorated with goat cheese and nuts. Gelman’s Restaurant serves a version with green beans and onions, Jonesy’s Eat Bar lets the red and gold beets shine without too much…

Christmas beers at Falling Rock

I’ve been reviewing some the best holiday beers available on local liquor store shelves, from Colorado favorites like Left Hand’s Snowbound Ale to out-of-state greats, like Deschutes’ Jubelale. But on December 2, at 7:30 p.m., the Falling Rock Taphouse, address, will host its 12th Annual Christmas Beer Dinner.   Some…

Beer and Cheer: Alaskan Smoked Porter

Alaskan Smoked Porter Alaskan Brewing Company It’s really quite simple. Alaskan Smoked Porter is one of the best beers ever made. It is like a rare gem in a field full of sandstone, a shooting star, a pearl in the oyster that is my local liquor store. I read about…

Believe it or not, Ruby Tuesday has a good burger

What, you thought I was done talking about burgers? Not quite. One of the best burgers I’ve had in a long time was the Triple Prime at the Ruby Tuesday at 14100 East Iliff Avenue. Yeah, it’s part of a chain (as are both Five Guys and The Counter, reviewed…

It’s hard to top the burger at The Counter

For more photos of The Counter, go to westword.com/slideshow. So, what’re you gonna get?” “I dunno. What’re you gonna get?” “That depends on what you’re gonna get. Like, I was thinking about the ham, but then I was thinking green chiles…” “Yeah, I was thinking green chiles. Bacon.” “Of course…

“Insert Your Name Here” Strip and Go Naked at Spago

When I woke up after a long evening at the bar at Spago in the Ritz-Carlton in Beaver Creek, I had an e-mail from Scotty, the bartender. “Thank you for gracing my bar last night,” it read. “Truly a pleasure to meet you. I always have a good time working…

Scoreboard Restaurant & Lounge

I have never before asked a bartender for permission to buy a drink. Why would I? Bars, taverns, saloons — they exist for the sole purpose of selling alcohol. Yet my first few seconds inside Scoreboard Restaurant & Lounge (3940 York Street) are so straight out of a movie —…

Return to Five Guys

Allow me to let you in on a little secret: I didn’t let Five Guys go after this week’s review was done. Couldn’t let the place go, actually.There was just something about it that bugged me–the amount of praise the chain has gotten, the pure number of people who list…

Drink Breckenridge

D’Vine Wine, a boutique winery, just opened at 211 South Main Street in Breckenridge, the fourth Colorado location of the California-based franchise. D’Vine makes handcrafted wines in its Colorado wineries, using freshly crushed grapes from Napa vineyards to create customized wines. “We are eager to introduce our wines to locals and tourists alike in one…

Eat Aspen! Part two

Over in Snowmass, Silvertree Properties has a new executive chef: Alan Sirull, a 25-year veteran of the business. He’s bringing comfort food — with an emphasis on rotisserie meals — back to the property’s two restaurants, Brothers’ Grille and Village Steakhouse. For all the details, go to www.silvertreeproperties.com.  …

Eat Aspen! Part one

It’s not too late to head for the hills. On Friday, November 28, the Hotel Jerome will reopen two dining venues: The Library (a wine bar with a small-plates menu) and the Century Room (fine dining). And in honor of their reopening, on Friday both hotel guests and local residents will…

Holy mole! The Mexican weighs in

El Maestro, a reader of the SF Weekly, Westword’s partner paper, recently asked Gustavo Arellano, author of Ask a Mexican and a food editor himself, to explain the difference between a mole and molé, since an “offending column” was placed on the back “of the glorious page that has ¡Ask…

The Gift of Pie

On Monday morning, the Food Bank of the Rockies was presented with 4,600 pies from Village Inn. To celebrate fifty years of business in Colorado, the company made a big donation of pumpkin cream pie, lemon cream pie, Boston cream pie and carrot cake. “The pies will most likely be distributed…

Beer and Cheer: Jubelale

Jubelale Deschutes Brewery Bend, Oregon   This strong ale stands a head above the others. Why? The complex malts are balanced by a powerful hoppiness that gives it an extra punch and you a good reason to stay up late on a cold winter night. Graced by a spicy kick…

No stuffing the strippers at La Boheme

So your extended family is coming in, and on Thursday you’ll spend a historically hectic day cooking, eating, mingling, eating, fighting and napping (and then eating again). To prepare for this festive day, I’ve got the perfect option for Wednesday night.  La Boheme Gentleman’s Cabaret, at 1443 Stout Street, is hosting a Vixen Fixin’…

I am not the guy for Five Guys

Since 1986, Five Guys Burgers and Fries has focused on keeping things simple, serving burgers wrapped in foil and bagged to-go in greasy brown paper sacks, even if you’re eating in; Idaho potato fries, hand-cut and fried in peanut oil; cold Cokes; some hot dogs. It’s a classic American operation,…