Guess where I’m eating steak crowned with pesto?

Despite a disappointing cocktail list that shoves little more than vodka down the throats of imbibers, the recently revamped menu at this suburban watering hole and restaurant is far better than than it’s been in the past, and the kitchen doesn’t balk when you want your meat on the crimson…

Photos: BookBar opens a new chapter on Tennyson Street

Recognizing the decline in small, local bookstores, Nicole Sullivan realized she’d have to do something new when she took over the space at 4280 Tennyson Street that had recently been vacated by a bookstore. The result? BookBar, a spot that not only sells books, but serves coffee, beer and wine,…

Fire Bowl Cafe is a cool option for a summer meal

The Fire Bowl Cafe franchise is based in Austin — and you can make whatever jokes you like about Texas producing an Asian fast-casual eatery, but the only location in the metro area is packed every lunch hour. Fire Bowl seems to be the go-to place for Denver Tech Center…

Reader: A bummer to have another empty spot on Broadway

The face of Broadway is changing — fast — and the stretch heading south from First Avenue saw plenty of changes in May. Sketch and El Diablo closed at the start of the month, ending one chapter of the long-running saga of the circa 1906 First Avenue Hotel. And at…

First Look: BRU Handbuilt Ales and Eats opens today in Boulder

It’s Saturday afternoon, and the kitchen magicians at BRU Handbuilt Ales and Eats are on the patio, running through their checklist; an hour later, Ian Clark’s new alehouse in Boulder is pulsating — with music, energy and a swell of bodies, all of whom have been invited to be the…

Cochon 555 Punch King title served up at Ace

On a booze-filled Sunday afternoon at Ace, ten of the top bartenders in the country — Josh Wortman of Anejo NYC; Trip Sandifer of The Spence in Atlanta; Dustin Hoeft of Modis in Breck; Adam Fortuna of Artusi in Seattle; Kevin Mabry of JM Curley in Boston; Daniel Godinez and…

Photos: A first look at the new Truffle Table

When Rob and Karin Lawler opened the doors to the Truffle Table last week, deliberately without fanfare, they knew that cheese admirers from across Denver — and especially those in the Highland ‘hood — would sniff them out no matter what, and so they did, giving the crew a gentle…

Trader Joe’s finally breaks ground on its Boulder store

Trader Joe’s fans in metro Denver have waited a long time to get one of the stores — and now they’re getting two, both of which could open this fall. The Trader Joe’s that’s going into Boulder’s Twenty Ninth Street development was the first one announced, and the project finally…

Reader: Plenty of places in town do handmade pasta

When Lori Midson dropped by a red-sauce place for a disappointing plate of spaghetti and meatballs last week, her server confided that while the pasta was billed as handmade, it wasn’t — making pasta was so tricky that few restaurants serve homemade spaghetti these days, he told her. See also:…

Five places to eat, drink and be merry this weekend

The Highland Farmers’ Market begins today, June 1, and runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through October 12. Check the website for more information — and keep reading for four more places to eat, drink and be merry this weekend. See also: – May showers bring beer flowers…

News, brews, reviews: A second helping of Cafe Society May 25-31

This week, Mark Antonat’s travels up Federal Boulevard finally reached Lao Wang Noodle House, a spot already beloved for its soup dumplings — but he found plenty of other crave-worthy dishes there. For Chef and Tell, Lori Midson interviewed Jimmy Bernat, who just opened Jimmy’s Urban Bar & Grill in…

Pizza, pizza, pizza: Restaurant Roll Call for May

Although more than a dozen restaurants opened in the metro area this month, pizza carved the biggest slice out of the market. Pizza Locale, which got its start in Boulder, opened a restaurant in Denver. Pizza Republica, which got its start in Greenwood Village, opened a restaurant in Denver. And…

Photos: Cold Crush promises to be a hot spot in RiNo

After postponing its opening once, Cold Crush is open — but not officially. Still, if you stop by the bar/art gallery and music hangout this weekend, you should be able to get a drink, maybe even a sandwich — and drink up the atmosphere of this promising spot in RiNo…