Food & Drink

Bob Blair, the man behind the five-year-old Fuel Cafe in Taxi, finally unveiled Refuel on Monday. The long-awaited fast-casual concept — just across from Fuel in the Drive development — serves made-to-order sandwiches from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The sandwich shop also shares lobby space with…

A river of red sauce used to run through northwest Denver, where many first-generation Italian Americans settled and opened their own restaurants — which were later taken over by second- and third-generation Italian Americans. But those red-sauce joints have been disappearing; Pagliacci’s, Longo’s Subway Tavern and Carbone’s Italian Sausage Deli…

Anyone who’s created a restaurant can tell you that there are many obstacles along the way to the actual opening. And that’s something the folks behind Cold Crush — a new spot going into 2700 Larimer Street in the hot, hot Ballpark neighborhood — are rapidly learning. Their plans to…

Pete Marczyk and Barbara Macfarlane do not leave their work behind when they leave Marczyk Fine Foods and head for their great old Denver house with the big, new kitchen. They often bring some of their market’s choicest ingredients home with them and cook up a feast. It’s a good…

Food is — and always has been — secondary to the beer at this watering hole, but the housemade pretzel rolls, sided with a cup of (average) queso, are a necessity when all that beer gets the best of you. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who…

Tommy Lee Uncle 2215 West 32nd Avenue 303-433-3263 uncledenver.tumblr.com This is part one of my interview with Tommy Lee, exec chef of Uncle; part two of our chat will run tomorrow. At 4:45 on a Saturday afternoon, a swarm of restless ramen geeks congregates around the door of Uncle, Tommy…

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…

Yesterday Lori Midson celebrated the lobster macaroni and cheese at Mizuna as one of our 100 Favorite Dishes. This is not standard, comfort-food mac and cheese; it uses poached sweet lobster meat in place of Oscar Meyer ham and silky mascarpone instead Velveeta. And it doesn’t have your standard, comfort-food…

Suffice it to say that I eat out more than the general population, unless, of course, the general population can catalogue more than 450 restaurant meals in a year — which is about the number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners that I stomached in 2012. Pathetic, isn’t it? But all…

From the labor-intensive Japanese cakes to the fashionable French macarons, everything at this gorgeous bake shop makes me swoon. 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 select…

Even though there’s snow on the ground, spring is now three weeks old — and that means shaping up for summer weather. Our favorite lighter fare? A chopped-up salad atChoppers Custom Salads — either the downtown or DTC location. It’s kind of like Illegal Pete’s mixed-up-burrito, but in salad form…

Purple Door Coffee opened yesterday at 2962 Welton Street in Five Points. In addition to serving beverages with locally-roasted beans, the nonprofit coffee shop also serves as an employment opportunity for troubled and homeless youth. Owners Madison Chandler and Mark Smesrud started the venture in order to provide faith-based guidance…

The Oreo turned 100 last year, which means that the cookie has had its lovers and haters for a century. Count Jenn Wohletz among the latter; she included Oreos on her list of five terrible foods. Although many readers love the cookie, one says it’s even worse than it used…