100 Favorite Dishes: Griddle-Cooked Bullfrog at Yum Yum Spice

No. 58: Griddle Cooked Bullfrog at Yum Yum Spice Skip the sizable menu of pedestrian Chinese-American offerings at Yum Yum Spice and head straight for what makes this DU strip mall joint special: a collection of dry-pot hot pots, listed as “griddle cooked foods,” which will give you a glimpse…

The Goods Closes Temporarily Due to Kitchen Fire

Alarms sounded, overhead sprinklers went off and customers of businesses at the Lowenstein Theater complex at 2526 East Colfax Avenue were evacuated on Friday night as the Denver Fire Department responded to a kitchen fire at The Goods, which had just opened on September 16 in the space formerly occupied…

Our Ten Best Food & Drink Lists of the Year — So Far

Through the year we’ve been tasting food in restaurants new and old, hanging out in Denver’s watering holes, taking notes about everywhere that you can find noteworthy edible and drinkable items in this town — and compiling our findings into lists of the best for your easy reference. To make…

The Cocktails of DISH 2016: Tiki Talk and Rum Concoctions

There’s only a day left until Westword’s DISH, our annual celebration of the Denver dining scene, which returns Sunday, September 25, for its 22nd year. The festival of food will take over Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, where dozens of local restaurants will offer samples of their best dishes — along…

Readers: Does Spatola Disappoint — or Does It Deliver?

Gretchen Kurtz just reviewed Spatola Ristorante & Wine Bar, which took over the former home of Julia Blackbird’s at 3434 West 32nd Avenue a few months ago. Although she’d been impressed when she interviewed owner/chef Francisco Spatola for Chef and Tell in August, she was disappointed that his presence wasn’t felt more at…

Voicebox Opens Tonight, Bringing Private-Suite Karaoke to RiNo

If you’re trying to live by the motto “sing like there’s nobody listening,” Voicebox, a new private-suite karoake bar that opens today at 4 p.m. at 2601 Walnut Street, is just what you’ve been waiting for to unleash your inner Adele or Eddie Vedder. Voicebox comes to Denver from Portland,…

Kool-Aid Pickles: The Next Big Soul-Food Trend?

Adrian Miller knows his soul food and barbecue. He’s an accredited barbecue judge and author of Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, so he doesn’t just eat soul food, he studies its history, travels the country talking to professional and home cooks, and…

Cafe Brazil’s Happy Hour Is Still a South American Standard

Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. in September is a bit late to chase Rio 2016 excitement. It is right on time for happy hour at Cafe Brazil, one of Denver’s finest South American restaurants. From the Brazilian Highlands to the streets of Madrid, it reps for Latin cuisine both familiar…

The Dishes of DISH 2016: Chicken Confit Tacos From Degree Food + Drink

There are only two more days until Westword’s DISH, our annual celebration of the Denver dining scene, which returns Sunday, September 25, for its 22nd year. The festival of food will take over Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, where dozens of local restaurants will offer samples of their best dishes, including…

First Look: The Denver Central Market Set to Unveil This Sunday

Developer Ken Wolfe has lived in the RiNo neighborhood for years — long before the area was given that monicker by the River North Art District. As condos and apartments sprang up and hip restaurants and galleries moved in, Wolfe realized that the neighborhood was missing the kind of community-oriented…

River North Brewery Repositions Itself, Moves Beyond Belgian Focus

Belgian-style beers may be royalty when it comes to their history, variety, flavors and technique, but in America, IPAs are king. Last week, River North Brewery, which has brewed primarily Belgian-style beers like saisons, quadrupels and wild ales, since its inception in 2011, said it will “broaden its malty world view”…

The Dishes of DISH 2016: Char-Grilled Oysters from Angelo’s Taverna

On Sunday, September 25, Westword’s DISH, our annual celebration of the Denver dining scene, returns for its 22nd year. The festival of food will take over Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, where dozens of local restaurants will offer samples of their best dishes, including succulent seafood from a neighborhood favorite…

Campus Lounge Will Close on September 25, Reopen With New Owner

Jim Wiste, owner of the Campus Lounge at South University Boulevard and Exposition Avenue, is retiring after forty years and selling his bar. “I’m ready to just be a customer,” he explains. Wiste is a University of Denver alumnus and former professional hockey player whose bar — a neighborhood favorite…