Food & Drink

A fourth Urban Farmer opened in the Oxford Hotel August 13. Helming the burners is Chris Starkus, who moved here from the Portland flagship. Starkus got his start cooking in Las Vegas fine-dining restaurants under Wolfgang Puck and Alex Stratta before decamping with his family for a friendlier, Pacific Northwest lifestyle. In this interview, Starkus talks about seizing on sustainable sourcing, nursing an obsession with beekeeping, and gaining the “Farmer 15” thanks to a particular late-night snack.

San Diego fried-chicken expert Lydie Lovett needed a change of scenery, so she brought her street-food stand, Chicken Rebel, to Denver in July for a month just to test this city’s chicken-sandwich market. Lovett has been so overwhelmed by the positive response from customers that she has already taken steps…

Jax Fish House and the Truffle Table lost a friend and employee when Marlon Casanova, a New Zealander who had worked at both restaurants for the last year, was killed while walking home after a kitchen shift at the downtown Jax just after midnight on July 31. Raoul Lanius was charged…

Denver dining has evolved over the past twenty years — and so has Westword’s annual celebration of the local restaurant scene. On Sunday, October 15, that celebration will rise to the next level: What had been an outdoor event is moving inside and uptown to the McNichols Building at Civic Center Park, where it will be a true feast for the senses.

The big day on Colfax is nearly here: Bourbon Grill will open in its new spot at 571 East Colfax Avenue at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 15. The tiny walk-up eatery closed up its former home at 1618 East Colfax last month, and owners Lien Vo and Tom Lieber have…

West-side residents are more than familiar with Tacos Rapidos, the 24-hour joint where carne asada fries, rolled tacos and other cheap fare keeps the drive-through backed up at all hours of the day and night at the original location at 2800 West Evans Avenue. The bigger Tacos Rapidos — with…

On August 15, the Kimpton Hotel Born will open at 1600 Wewatta Street, and with it comes a new restaurant called Citizen Rail, making two hotel/restaurant combos in downtown Denver for the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants group. Those who have enjoyed meals at Panzano in the Hotel Monaco, less than…

Is Denver feeling a little busy and crowded? You don’t have to go far to find a small-town feel; just off Highway 285 at 6328 South Turkey Creek Road sits Tomari’s coffee shop, only thirty minutes from Denver and ten minutes southwest of downtown Morrison. While Tomari’s hasn’t been there nearly…

Although plenty of restaurants are still opening in Denver, the number of spots closing kept pace last week. Some of those shuttering their doors were longtime eateries, while others others flared out quickly. After just seven months, for example, Stella’s on 16th closed abruptly at the start of August, leaving former employees complaining about missing paychecks and observers of the Denver dining scene concerned about more to come.

This week we welcomed Lot 14 to the building formerly occupied by Paxia in Sunnyside; sampled the jerk chicken at Healthful Juices, a new Jamaican juice bar and restaurant in Five Points; and took a look inside Urban Farmer, the new steakhouse that opens August 13 in the space in…

The chile peppers in the shot above are Trinidad scorpions, some of the hottest on the planet. Why would a human want to put that in their mouth? We took one for the team to find out if it was more pleasure than pain. Keep reading to find out where…

Sage Restaurant Group has breathed new life into Oxford Hotel’s restaurant space, where it will open Urban Farmer on Sunday, August 13. Sage currently operates three other Urban Farmer modern steakhouses, in Cleveland, Philadelphia and the original in Portland, Oregon Executive chef Chris Starkus just moved to Denver from Portland to helm the new outpost, and general manager Troy Christian has also made Denver his permanent home after opening two other Urban Farmers.

Every now and then a dish comes around to surprise you, but it’s not often that meal comes in sandwich form. Such is the case with Hops & Pie’s true hero, the Italian. Chef/co-owner Drew Watson created this magnificent sandwich more than five years ago, and the fact that the…

Chef Matt Selby is in charge of the kitchen at Bremen’s Wine & Tap. See what he keeps in his fridge at home.