As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. — Henry Hill, GoodFellas And as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to find the perfect Italian restaurant: the kind of place where goodfellas would go for linguini and clams, some sausage and…
“Cooking is like love,” wrote Harriet van Horne. “It should be entered into with abandon, or not at all.” ‘Tis the season that most cooks dream about and restaurant owners dread. With Christmas, New Year’s and now Valentine’s Day passed, we’re on that long, slow slide toward spring, when people…
Looking for a historical booze cruise? When Buffalo Bill Cody had a hankering for a stiff one, legend has it he’d saunter into the Buckhorn Exchange and order up the usual, apple juice and rye — not the tastiest combo, but one guaranteed to ease the pain of a long…
So here’s Laura and me, handling the logistics of dinner: I call; the phone rings; she picks it up. Me: “Okay, sweets. How’s dinner tomorrow at Tante Louise?” She: “On a Friday night?” Me: “Yeah, tomorrow. Nice romantic dinner on a Friday night.” She: “French food….” She sounds…unenthused. Me: “Denver’s…
One sweet deal: Open since Halloween at 1 Broadway, a space that has scared away several restaurants (and swallowed up a few more), Sweet Bob’s Bar-b-que is now running a special to lure people in the door. A five-spot gets you a Little Bob sandwich with your choice of meat…
The Uptown neighborhood, which was one of Denver’s wealthiest in the late 1880s and one of its grungiest eighty years later, has made a strong comeback, attracting an eclectic mix of fashionable restaurants, bars, markets, condo-dwellers and dedicated homeowners fixing up those old Victorian houses. Last summer, it also acquired…
Never draw to an inside straight. Never pet a burning dog. Never use margarine if there’s butter in the house. And never, ever call your restaurant a New York deli unless: a) It’s actually within the boundaries of New York City; or b) You’re from New York City yourself, as…
The two Ted’s Montana Grill eateries that recently opened (at 1401 Larimer Street and 7301 South Santa Fe Drive in Littleton) serve beer and wine only. Why, you may ask? I was wondering the same thing, so I called the Larimer Square location with what I thought was a very…
Adam Avery is the patron saint of Colorado’s gonzo beer lovers. As the owner and founder (with his father) of Boulder’s Avery Brewing Company, for the past ten years he’s been making the state’s most assertive, mouth-whomping beers. While much of Colorado’s craft trade has focused on accessible, middle-of the-road…
At Steamboat Springs, the destination better known as “Ski Town USA,” you can immerse yourself in champagne powder all day long. But après ski, the indulgence of choice is the bright-yellow Chicarita served up at Dos Amigos, a Mexican restaurant that’s been a fixture in the mountain village since 1975…
Two things you should know about Opal right from the start. One, it’s expensive. Not quite once-in-a-lifetime, mortgage-the-condo expensive, but to do it right — to really kick out the jams with appetizers, flights of sushi, wine, entrees and dessert — it’s gonna cost you. And two, it’s worth every…
January 23 marked another small victory for the forces of clean air and intrusive legislative fanaticism, as Denver’s Board of Environmental Health voted 4-0 in favor of a resolution recommending amendments to a circa-1986 city smoking ordinance that would drastically increase limitations on smoking. (Chairman Leo Goto recused himself because…
Irish Car Bomb The Irish Hound 575 St. Paul St. 303-996-0709 Sure, the name’s politically incorrect, but an Irish Car Bomb ($6) will start your big night with a bang. And the Irish Hound, Denver’s hot new Celtic bar, is just the place to let ‘er rip. Although the drink…
Lunch at Roy’s Cherry Creek was fantastic — comfortable, cheery, leisurely, and deeply, profoundly satisfying. Over my long history of long lunches, rarely have I had a better one. It helped that Roy’s space, just to the right of the valet stand at Cherry Creek Shopping Center, was made for…
Everyone is going Hollywood these days. First, Chipotle — that home-grown chain of burrito joints that’s slowly taking over the world with a little help from now-majority-owner McDonald’s Corporation — got a massive pop-culture bump on a recent episode of MTV’s The Osbournes. Ozzy, everyone’s favorite stumbling, stuttering, shuffling dad,…
Haggis is the souse of Scotland, a meaty mystery traditionally made of ground sheep organs, oats and spices, boiled together in a sheep’s stomach. It’s a peasant dish with hundreds of years of history (both pleasant and unpleasant) and a pungent smell that lingers almost as long. “You smell it…
If you’re looking for a place to watch the big game this Sunday, head directly to Chopper’s Sports Grill — and get there early, because the place will be packed. Chopper’s, named for Bob “Chopper” Travaglini, the late, beloved Denver Nuggets trainer, is a real sports bar, with memorabilia and…
Just go ahead and sit anywhere, guys. We’ll find you.” Happy hour at the Stout Pub. Cheap drafts and well drinks at recession-friendly prices, soggy blue corn nachos and an appetizer lineup borrowing heavily from the Midwestern “Everybody loves fried cheese!” school of menu design. Behind the bar, bottles lined…
Over the holidays, I received this charming missive from Julie: “I read your December 5 ‘Smoke Free or Die’ with interest, and I agree that legislating a smoke-free policy is terrible for Denver businesses as well as the unfortunate patrons who just want a place to eat, drink and have…
Sushi Den, filled with beautiful, impeccably dressed people eating perfectly arranged sashimi and unagi rolls, is as popular as ever — which means the wait for a table can be brutal. If you’re starving, that sucks. But if you’re thirsty for both killer drinks and company, nursing Saketinis and popping…
One of the best reasons to eat at an ethnic restaurant is to sample another culture relatively risk-free, without the expense, hassle and occasional danger associated with actually traveling to far-flung corners of the globe in search of pigeon pie or the perfect shark taco. You don’t have to pack…
Another one bites the dust: Okay, so I gave the guy a break when he did it at Dandelion, but now uber-chef Kevin Taylor has gone and closed the doors on Nicois (815 17th Street) without any warning to his staff, dropping the hammer just after the big ball dropped…
