Years ago, when my teenager was a toddler, we ate at Spanky’s Roadhouse more times than I can count. After all, a burger and a shake is every kid’s dream dinner. Once Elliott discovered sushi and Thai food, however, the weekly ritual ceased, and we stopped going to Spanky’s, which…
Lou Ortiz Los Chingones 2461 Larimer Street 303-295-0686 loschingonesmexican.com This is part two of my interview with Lou Ortiz, executive sous-chef at Los Chingones; part one of our chat ran earlier this week. Most underrated Denver restaurant: Go Fish on Broadway. They make awesome sushi, and it was the first…
Veteran restaurateur Cliff Young and his son, Zach Young, encountered many obstacles trying to open baRed, the bar/lounge at 437 West Colfax Avenue. But they finally opened the doors last month, just in time for New Year’s Eve. “With live blues and two crimson floodlights creating columns of light visible…
caWhat’s on your culinary bucket list for 2014? Love it or hate it, many people will be visiting Casa Bonita, that Pepto Bismol-pink palace. Says Aloh: “I don’t care what anyone says, it’s an experience you have to have in your life.” For your kid’s sake, if not your own,…
Pity the poor Italian restaurant. Through a twist of fate stranger than Miley Cyrus vying against the Pope for Time’s Person of the Year, independently owned trattorias have found themselves walking in Olive Garden’s shadow, as if endless salad bowls and warm breadsticks were the most effective yardstick of a…
Paint this town read! Cafe Society is off for New Year’s Day, and will return early tomorrow. While you recover from last night, resolve to eat more, more, more in 2014 — and share the spots that are on the top of your dining wish list in the comments section…
While we prepare to ring in 2014, here’s a look back at the biggest culinary stories that shaped 2013. Some will make you raise your eyebrows, others will inspire you, and a few will make your eyes glisten — but they all made 2013 a year to remember, even if…
Bars and restaurants have been rushing to open before the end of the year, with dozens joining the Denver dining scene this month. But a couple of other spots will close their doors at the end of service tonight. Keep reading for our Restaurant Roll Call for December. See also:…
Longmont’s Cyclhops Bike CANtina is the latest emerald-capped tooth in Oskar Blues’ crooked grin. Armed with tacos and bikes, the restaurant, which is having a grand opening bash today, may be the quirky company’s oddest creation yet. But Jason Rogers, a Cyclhops chef partner, says it makes perfect sense. “This…
There were 23 breweries inside Denver’s city limits at the start of 2013 (depending on how you count them), and by December 21, when Station 26 opened in North Park Hill, there were 29 (again, depending on how you count them). But by this time next year, there could be…
Talk about trend-worthy: A new cookbook by Colorado author Corinne Tobias focuses on the very latest in food trends, from farm-to-table to gluten-free to vegan to…infused. Wake & Bake is the state’s first cookbook devoted to legal cannabis that has recipes for everyone from novice brownie-bakers to seasoned edible chefs…
I spent the majority of my holiday vacation immersed in food (and wine), which pretty much mimics my life when I’m not on vacation. But after a few too many gluttonous dinners, I wanted something simple, and ever since I was a kid, that longing has equated to a bowl…
Lou Ortiz Los Chingones 2461 Larimer Street 303-295-0686 loschingonesmexican.com This is part one of my interview with Lou Ortiz, executive sous-chef at Los Chingones; part two of our chat will run on Thursday. I come from a big, very Mexican family,” declares Lou Ortiz, who grew up in Newark, the…
In A Federal Case, I’ll be eating my way up Federal Boulevard – south to north – within Denver city limits. I’ll be skipping the national chains and per-scoop Chinese joints, but otherwise I’ll report from every vinyl booth, walk-up window and bar stool where food is served. Here’s the…
Bah humbug! The day after Christmas, we posted a comment from a reader who advised, “If you’re looking for ‘local regional fare,’ forget it here.” But other readers rose to defend Denver’s rapidly expanding scene. See also: Reader says if you’re looking for “local regional fare,” forget it here…
Like many of you, I found myself downtown a lot over the holidays. But instead of grabbing a bite at the usual suspects on Larimer Street, I ventured farther afield and ended up at Pizza Republica, the restaurant that was built onto the Colorado Convention Center and opened last May…
What’s with the wimpy tastebuds in Colorado? When a server assures me that something is hot, I’m often disappointed to find it is neither hot nor tasty. So when a waiter tried to explain to me that the Bangkok Fizz, made with Thai chile-infused vodka was really, really hot, I…
The Manitou Springs Fruitcake Toss has been cancelled for January. What to do with all those holiday bricks? Get them to Barbara Bailey, fruitcake recycler. Bailey started the Great Fruitcake Recycling Project in 2005, and this holiday season she has partnered with Glad Food Protection Products to help support the…
Station 26 Brewing, which opened December 21, holds the title of the newest brewery inside of Denver’s city limits; located in an former fire station in North Park Hill, it satisfies a thirst for craft beer in the northeast parts of town, including Stapleton. Westword photographer Brandon Marshall spent some…
Entertaining on New Year’s Eve and not sure what to serve for an appetizer? You can’t go wrong with fresh salsa, which can be modified to suit your spiciness tolerance and taste. Consider this recipe just a jumping-off point; tweak as needed. See also: Homemade guacamole for a flavor-filled spread…
Upper Larimer Street was busy Saturday morning — as it is almost every Saturday these days. That wasn’t the case twenty years ago; even as LoDo was starting to boom, this stretch was known as NoDough, and filled with pawn shops, empty storefronts, dive bars and hole-in-the-wall eateries. But today…
You don’t have to wait for 2014 to have some food-focused fun. Join the crew at Strange Brewing Company from 6 to 8:30 p.m. tonight for a unique beer and cheese pairing. Sip the GABF award-winning beers while indulging in fine cheese from Marczyck Fine Foods, as well as a…
