There are two distinct kinds of barbecue: Barbecue that tastes like it was cooked by a master, and barbecue that tastes like it was cooked by your Uncle Larry at his annual Fourth of July backyard picnic. Brothers’ barbecue? That’s Uncle Larry through and through. It’s not that the stuff…
Summertime, and the living is breezy. Denver diners and drinkers are obsessed with patios — and restaurateurs are obsessed with giving them what they want. Whether it’s just a couple of chairs stuck out on the sidewalk or acres of elaborate decks, almost every joint in town has an outdoor…
I can be bought for an easy smile and a pint of sweet tea. When someone has their grill going in my neighborhood, I will sometimes sit out on my porch just to smell the air. My wife has often told me that I’ve never met a barbecue restaurant I…
Dino S’mores Pebbles Post Rating: Two spoons out of four Cereal description: No skimping on shapes for this variation on the Pebbles franchise. The main pieces, dubbed “Crunchy Chocolatey Nuggets,” are misshapen brown orbs, not the usual disc-like mini-flakes that most other Pebbles cereals feature. Also included are light-brown “Bone…
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It’s really surprising, the number of food items that are illegal to import into the United States. What’s maybe even more surprising (and no doubt troubling to the food police) is how easy it is for a crafty gastronaut to lay hands on most, if not all, of these proscribed…
Sunday morning, 9 a.m. I haven’t looked out my windows yet so I don’t know if it’s raining or if the sun’s out (the forecast yesterday called for sunny and 78 degrees, but it’s Colorado, so…). I need a drink. Of course the liquor stores are closed, as they have…
Biker Jim Pittenger runs the coolest hot dog cart in the city: Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs. A trained journalist and former repo man, ex-resident of the great state of Alaska and proud biker, Jim now makes his living slinging Denver’s best dogs from his Cadillac of carts on the corner…
This week we have a special guest commentator, J “I love grandpa candy” Kellermeyer. That’s not really his middle name, but it sure is what we like to call him. J is a connoisseur of all sorts of candy that you probably thought they stopped making in 1953. He’s been…
I watch the guy behind the counter work the rice, his hands moving with the formality and grace of a Balinese dancer’s, through a series of motions so natural, so ingrained, they are like breathing. “Slow today,” I say, and he nods. “Slow,” he repeats. “Not for lunch. Lunch was…
I’ve always had a fascination for watching chefs work. The way they hold a knife, the way they turn a pan — I can tell a hundred things about a working cook’s training and upbringing from just these simple motions. How a man closes an oven door during service (whether…
When I met Dylan Moore a few years ago while testing numerous drinks at Deluxe, his wildly popular restaurant, we became instant friends. I don’t know what I admired more — his cooking/restaurant, his entrepreneurial chef spirit, his amazing eye for design or his boisterous essence — but I knew…
“That’s not Shiner Bock, is it?” I inquire, studying the chalkboard above the beer taps advertising $3 Shiners. Unfortunately, no — it’s Shiner Black. “A stout?” “Not that dark,” responds Jen, the brunette bartendress at Wyman’s No. 5 (2033 East 13th Avenue). “Wanna try it?” Why, yes, I do. She…
I’m slowly coming to the realization that the quality of a neighborhood sushi bar can be judged by the number of personalized sake boxes displayed behind the bar. Why? Because the sake box is a mark of dedication — like a gang tattoo or Heidelburg dueling scar — that shows…
The day after my review of Gemelli’s hit the stands, I got this missive from a reader: After reading your excellent review, my friend and I arrived at 11:10 this morning (Fri), drooling over the thought of the shrimp scampi …There was an 8 top that had walked in immediately…
Lots of good food for good causes at two upcoming charity dinners — one at Luca d’Italia, the other at Vesta Dipping Grill. On June 2 at Luca d’Italia (711 Grant Street), Frank and Jacqueline Bonanno (owners of Luca, along with Mizuna and Osteria Marco) are throwing a benefit for…
I love cereal, I love milkshakes. So when Carl’s Jr. introduced their new Cap’n Crunch Milkshake, I was immediately putty in their hands. Or I should say I wanted to be putty. The trouble was twofold: 1) I don’t much frequent Carl’s Jr. and 2) I accidentally caught a glimpse…
From my spot at the sushi bar, I can’t see outside. The windows are frosted, decorated with pictures of geishas and stalks of bamboo. I can’t hear anything from the outside, either, because they have the radio tuned to some kind of Asian soft-rock station—Tokyo’s version of Kenny G toodling…
Last week, while writing about the resurrection of Pizzeria Mundo (right), I mentioned that new owner Patrick Pool was trying to be nice to the planet and his fellow man by using as much local, organic produce as he could. Since he was heavily involved in Denver Urban Gardens, he…
Here it is, just off the line and popping fresh. New Belgium Brewing started canning Fat Tire Amber Ale today. By mid-June, the cans should be available in limited markets, including Denver stores. “We are looking forward to introducing our old friend, Fat Tire, in a brand new package,” says…
The Cherry Creek neighborhood went into mourning when Greg Goldfogel closed Amore last year. (The space it once occupied across from Little Ollie’s s slated to become a Hudson’s steakhouse.) But Goldfogel gave Denver a real consolation prize with Alto Restaurant, the spot he opened in the former home of…
My father used to smoke a pipe. For decades, the man was rarely without it, and he seemed to be forever packing and unpacking it, tamping it, lighting it, re-lighting it or just generally fussing with it. I came to know the sounds of his pipe-smoking as a kind of…
