In the old days — back when a phone call cost 25 cents and we had to walk ten miles through the snow just to get a replacement ribbon for our typewriters — the new year meant heading to the office-supply store to buy a new planner for the upcoming…
What were Denver’s restaurant industry pros talking about in 2016? We provided some answers in part one of our second taste of this year’s chef interviews. Here the reflection continues with more observations on what dining in Denver this year was all about. On how Denver’s changing demographics and the…
In late 2014, Small Wonder Food & Wine took over what had been the Coral Room at 3489 West 32nd Avenue; the West Highland eatery gave up the ghost earlier this year, leaving a glaring vacancy in a popular restaurant neighborhood. But now neighbors can get a taste of something…
Shh… come here. Sit down. Grab a bowl. You’re part of the Ramen Mafia now. The latest in a series of Ramen Mafia pop-ups is happening this Thursday, when Hanukkah and noodle bowls collide. Last spring’s Ramen Mafia pop-up event took guests through a casual, Japanese-style noodle bar, celebrating the birthday…
The craft brewing world felt a squeeze at the top this year as the number of breweries across the country soared past 4,000, and the number of bottled and canned offering grew by the thousands. In Colorado, where there are approximately 360 brewing licenses, competition was as fierce as ever…
No. 31: Chicken Tenders at the Fainting Goat Chicken tenders aren’t just for kids — not at the Fainting Goat, a great downhome bar at 846 Broadway that makes its own tenders. A $10 order gets you five big pieces of actual chicken, hand-breaded to order, then fried, along with…
The fast pace of Denver restaurant openings looks to continue at least through the beginning of 2107. Here are eight that will hit in January and February, with moves from old favorites, new locations for Denver chefs to expand their offerings, and newcomers to the Colorado culinary scene. American Grind…
This past year was frenetic — and not just in the political arena. Denver’s dining scene continued to move at a breakneck pace, as seasoned restaurateurs, rising stars and fresh transplants alike all opened ambitious new restaurants. Amid all the activity, what were the Mile High City’s hospitality professionals talking…
In the final days of 2016, it’s time to relax and refresh with good food and drink before the crazy party on Saturday. Whether you want to learn how to cook New Year’s dinner, Persian-style; splurge on a truffle dinner or kick back with local beer and music, these are…
Many Denverites took some time off from work over Christmas weekend, but not Matt and Brad Gruber, two brothers who opened Session Coffee at 1340 South Santa Fe Drive on Friday, December 23. The week before, Matt Gruber told us he and and his brother were just waiting for final…
As a restaurant critic, I’m often considering minutiae. Was the steak overcooked? Was the server informed? How were the scallops plated? These details aren’t insignificant; taken together, they determine which restaurants are worthy of our most precious commodities — i.e., time and money. But I often wish I could judge…
Our restaurant critic, Gretchen Kurtz, took much of 2016 off — but she returned in August revitalized after her sabbatical. And a good thing, too, because restaurants continue to open at an unprecedented pace in metro Denver. Her mission remains the same: to visit a restaurant anonymously — and more…
As the year comes to an end, we’ve started looking back at the best of what Denver chefs and restaurateurs brought to the table in 2016. Gretchen Kurtz chalked up her final restaurant review of the year — and it was a good one. Read what impressed our critic about…
As in the days of the Denver oil boom, steakhouses are a big part of Denver’s current restaurant renaissance. While old meat palaces are being revived under new leadership, others are stampeding into town from respected restaurant groups. Here are five eateries specializing in the art of grilled beef, from…
What will be the best restaurant to open in Denver in 2016? We just rolled out our list of the best restaurants that debuted before December, and several more contenders have opened in the last few weeks. But some readers already have favorites. Robert is a fan of Matsuhisa, and…
No. 32: Flavorsome Ramen at Sera’s Ramen Enclave Sera Nguyen opened this laidback West Highland noodle joint in the former Bang! spot (3472 West 32nd Avenue) in May, and has been making fans ever since. All it takes is one bowl of Nguyen’s comforting ramen to seal the deal, and a…
If you’re celebrating Christmas this year, there’s one more chance to hang out with people who aren’t your family and drink and eat delicious things that someone else made. Christmas Eve dinners at these six restaurants are especially festive and tasty, but hurry to make your reservations before they sell…
We’ve all been faced with the “Where should we go?” question. Sometimes the answer is obvious, but other times we need help. Whether it’s finding the perfect place to celebrate the right occasion, determining what kitchen can accommodate an unusual dietary restriction, or maybe just discovering a new place to…
The Bull & Bush Pub and Brewery, affectionately called “The Bull” by regulars, has definitely attained status as a Denver institution. The English-style pub has been a bar far longer than a brewery, but even the beer-making setup has been turning out suds since 1997, before nearly everyone and their…
No. 33: Bagna Cauda Broccoli Rabe at Dio Mio Handmade Pasta Broccoli rabe isn’t exactly sexy; the bitter vegetable more often than not looks like nothing more than limp weeds on a plate. But the cooks at Dio Mio Handmade Pasta at 3264 Larimer Street turn broccoli’s skinny cousin into…
Maybe you thought Denver couldn’t possibly hold another craft brewery. Or maybe you thought the boom was slowing down. I know I did. If so, then we were both wrong. Denver’s thirst for new breweries continued unabated in 2016 as eight new taprooms with Denver addresses (Brewability Lab, Bruz Beers,…
Chef/restaurateur Jeff Osaka just opened 12@Madison after a two-year period spent building Osaka Ramen, Sushi-Rama and the Denver Central Market, but he says there’s one person on his team who has made the growth of a restaurant mini-empire much easier, someone who takes care of business behind the scenes without…
