Colorado foodie dreams were realized when Trader Joe’s finally decided to open two stores in this state in 2013: one in Denver at the southeast corner of East Eighth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard (with an adjacent beer and wine shop) and one in Boulder at the Twenty-Ninth Street mall. Construction…
In the fields at Rocky Ford.The big food news: Colorado cantaloupe season kicks off today, when pickers hit the fields to start harvesting Rocky Ford cantaloupes. “We love it when people come experience our famous cantaloupes at one of our grower’s markets, but those who can’t make it to Rocky…
Chefs may debate the value of a cooking-school degree, but Ryan DiFranco, owner of DiFranco’s, which I review this week, has no regrets about school of another kind. “I use a lot of the stuff I learned in business school,” he says, everything from supply-chain management to inventory control to…
Edward Vanegas says he’s drawing a line between traditional Thailand and the vital Thailand of today with his Longmont eatery, Urban Thai. “There’s an older senior population that is the traditional Thai people that you come in contact with. They are very connected to the traditions,” says Vanegas, who officially…
Robert Cherenzia learned how to make bagels in New York before hauling his baking secrets to Park City, Utah, where the Detroit native opened his own bagel shop and, he says, “fell in love with the restaurant industry.” Years later, he moved to Denver, doing time at Wolfgang Puck Express…
Jimmy Zanon has been with the Big Red F family for fourteen years now: He was at the Jax in LoDo for almost six years, bartending, serving and managing, and then spent almost seven years at Lola, where he took over the bar program. Now he’s moved on to the…
For Loveland Aleworks, the bad news this week was actually the good news. The brewery was one of hundreds left in the dust on July 9 when registration for the Great American Beer Festival closed a mere two hours after opening under a crush of demand from anxious beer-makers around…
It’s been years since I’ve eaten artichoke dip — and I rarely see it on menus, especially menus that focus on pizza, but, hey, there’s guacamole on the board, too…so why not artichoke dip? Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to…
Sergio Romo La Sandía Cantina 8340 Northfield Boulevard 303-373-9100 richardsandoval.com/lasandiacantina In part one of my interview with Sergio Romo, exec chef of La Sandia Northfield, the Mexico-born kitchen commander weighed in on servers who need a kick in the butt, explained why his molcajete bests a blender and insisted that…
It’s been a long haul — owners Keith Winyard and Pete Satchell did much of the work themselves, and weathered floods and other disasters during construction — but Churchill’s Public House officially opens its doors to the public today. Churchill’s is located in the heart of LoHi, Denver’s hottest restaurant…
Rafael Najera just opened Agave Taco Bar in Washington Park, in the former home of The Local. Najera is the longtime executive chef of Washington Park Grille and Max Gill and Grill, and Agave is owned by the same pair who own those two restaurants. And what’s on the menu…
Whole Foods has partnered with theNature Conservancy in a campaign to preserve the Colorado River. Five percent of net sales at each market today will go towards the preservation program. See also: – The sh*t-show that’s the parking lot at Whole Foods (video) – The 104-pound swordfish at Whole Foods:…
Bravo’s Top Chef Masters will start its new season tonight, and Jennifer Jasinski, the James Beard Award-winning executive chef of Rioja (and co-owner of Euclid Hall and Bistro Vendome) is one of the masters. So is Richard Sandoval, who owns several restaurants in Colorado, including Zengo, Maya, Tamayo, Al Lado,…
Happy National Tequila Day! Yep, here we go with another reason to get drunk, just because you can, and the bar crew at both Pinche Taqueria locations is happy to help you achieve a stupor throughout the day with $4 house margaritas and free tequila sippers courtesy of several tequila…
If you missed the pilot episode of Colorado Brews, which aired on Rocky Mountain PBS a few months ago, you can catch it again tomorrow, July 25, at 9:30 p.m. The half-hour program, which will begin a regular run this fall, features a different Colorado craft brewery each week. It’s…
My Big Fat Greek Cafe, a joint where gyros and green chile — and gyros smothered with green chile — shared space on the menu with big, fat Greek burgers, Greek salads and a strip steak for the bargain price of $6.99, has closed on South Broadway after its owner…
It’s dishes like this deconstructed Greek salad that have catapulted the restaurant’s chef to one of Denver’s best…and most recognized. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to a Guess Where post is entered into a pool — and every Monday, we…
Sergio Romo La Sandía Cantina 8340 Northfield Boulevard 303-373-9100 richardsandoval.com/lasandiacantina This is part one of my interview with Sergio Romo, exec chef of La Sandia; part two of our chat will run tomorrow. Sergio Romo started his cooking career at the wee age of six, working at his father’s bakery,…
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…
For the most recent Chef and Tell, Lori Midson interviewed pastry chef Jason Lebeau of Coohills, who revealed that “only the people who went somewhere else first…and had dinner there” only eat dessert first. But it was his response to another question that raised the ire of one reader. See…
Bin 1884 Cheese Bar, 1886 South Pearl Street, is hosting the next in a series of beer and cheese pairings from 6 to 8 p.m. this evening, featuring beers from Upslope Brewing. See also: – Photos: Bin 1884 Cheese Bar is open in the Empty Bottle – Upslope follows up…
Despite the threat of “Thai hot” on the menu, the kitchen is predictably cautious, but the caddy of Thai condiments, all of which are chile-intensive, can turn “Thai hot” into a lip-blistering experience. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to a…
