Tonight: Restaurants dress up for Halloween

Happy Halloween! Here’s a taste of restaurant parties that should be a real treat this evening — and if you know of any other culinary events worthy of attention today, share the information in the comments section below:…

Yoko’s Express is now Sakura House…and ramen is the new draw

I get pummeled on a daily basis (usually in a good way) with restaurant recommendations from friends, readers, strangers and chefs, most recently Wayne Conwell, chef-owner of Sushi Sasa. And yesterday, Conwell, during a conversation about sushi and Japanese cuisine, mentioned that Yoko’s Express, a restaurant that occupied a storefront…

Lola offers shelter from the storm — and a taste of home

Last night Belola, the lower lounge space at Lola with the bar and big TV, became an impromptu haven for displaced travelers, stuck in Denver and hungry for news of home — and maybe some food and drink, too. The camaraderie proved so comforting that Lola is now officially offering…

Trader Joe’s gets its retail liquor license in Denver

We can almost taste the Two Buck Chuck. The Trader Joe’s store that will be located at 790 Colorado Boulevard had a date with the city last Friday for a hearing on its liquor-license application — and the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses just approved its retail liquor store…

Guess where I’m eating a breakfast biscuit with bacon?

No matter the time of day, I’m always up for breakfast, and late yesterday afternoon, that’s exactly what I had, stopping in at this convivial cafe that’s built its reputation on wonderful fresh-baked breads, including flaky biscuits, which I ordered propped with an egg, bacon and cheese. Can you guess…

1515 Restaurant has a new executive chef, Garren Teich

1515 Restaurant is turning sweet sixteen, and has given itself a birthday gift: new executive chef Garren Teich, who will give the classical French fare a twist and continue the restaurant’s focus on molecular gastronomy. As Teich settles in, he and owner Gene Tang are coming up with a new…

Strudelfest at Rheinlander Bakery: Go for the dough!

If you’re still mourning the end of Oktoberfest, I’ve got another fest to cheer you up: Strudelfest. Held at Rheinlander Bakery through the end of October, the festival celebrates a dessert that was once so central to European culture, an old wives’ tale claimed that young women were ineligible for…

Reader: True Food menu may look good — but those chairs do not

True Food Kitchen opened yesterday in Cherry Creek. It’s the most successful concept out of Fox Restaurant Concepts, the company that also owns the nearby NoRTH, with locations in Arizona and California, and plans for several other cities after this Denver spot. The original True Food Kitchen opened in Scottsdale…

Ace introduces a weekly table tennis tournament tonight

Ace, the ping-pong parlor/restaurant/neighborhood hangout that opened this summer at 501 East 17th Avenue, is hosting the first in a weekly table-tennis tournament this evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. All matches will be singles, and the event is limited to sixteen participants; registration begins at 6 p.m…

Fleur Bistro closes its doors in Capitol Hill

Almost two years after opening, Fleur Bistro officially closed its doors after brunch service yesterday. Today owner Andrew Esparza was packing up the tables and chairs. Despite a great Capitol Hill location, close to where he’s lived for thirteen years, he says that business was slow and the restaurant just…

Guess where I’m drinking a lovely whiskey cocktail?

Some friends of mine from Los Angeles were visiting over the weekend, and since they wanted to see what Denver had to offer, both in terms of food and cocktails, I took them to several of my favorite stamping grounds, including here, where my whiskey-based cocktail was the equivalent of…

Exclusive first look: True Food Kitchen opens today in Cherry Creek

There’s been a lot written about Dr. Andrew Weil, a bestselling cookbook author, the founder and director of the Arizona Center for integrative medicine, and a partner in True Food Kitchen, which opens today in Cherry Creek. And most of what’s been penned about the doctor, who holds a medical…

Photos: Rockbar’s last call was a wild costume party

Rockbar closed its doors after last call on Saturday night — after an epic party full of costumed customers. After more than six years, the hipster hangout — whose liquor-license renewal was denied — rang out its final night in style, with hundreds of patrons lining up outside for a…

Lola celebrates tenth birthday with a spirited party

Lola celebrated its tenth birthday on Saturday with a combination fall fiesta/Halloween bash. Sadly, the promised donkey was a no-show; too bad-tempered, we hear. But everyone who made the party — complete with a pig roast and plenty of live music — was in good, if spooky, spirits. See also:…