You don’t have to go to Cuba for a good Cuban sandwich

How far is Cuba from Denver? Don’t ask your iPhone, because all you’ll get is the frustrating line about how you can’t get there from here. At least that’s what my iPhone 4 says. With all the humorous gaffes (Stapleton airport, really?) related to maps on the new 5, who…

Taco Bell unveils new design in Commerce City: Way to glow!

I woke up yesterday and immediately thought to myself that what Taco Bell needs most right now are Cool Ranch Doritos Locos tacos, as well as new store designs that include glowing, purple LED lighting on the outside paneling. The much-anticipated taco upgrade is still in the works, but that…

Breakfast at Hi Rise is a plant-based high point

When you’re looking for a quick breakfast — coffee for one hand, sandwich or bagel for the other — and you want it meat-free, Hi Rise is an excellent choice if you’re near the Ballpark neighborhood. The coffee, bagels and breakfast sandwiches are all superb; service is fast; there’s seating…

Tonight: Take a hike at Wynkoop Brewery

Wynkoop Brewing Company, 1634 18th Street, presents Beers Made by Walking from 5 to 8 p.m. today. The mini-beer fest will feature ten beers that were made over the past summer by nine well-known breweries around Colorado; each includes some sort of edible or medicinal plant that was discovered along…

Guess where I’m eating carne adobada fajitas?

My affinity for Mexican food knows no bounds, but when I’m searching for some of the best, the trail inevitably leads me here, where everything from the green chile to the carne abobada fajitas leaves me wistful for more. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who gives…

First look: T|ACO opens Friday in LoDo

“It’s Downtown Denver’s Mexican alley,” quips Whitney Olmstead. At the very least, the arrival of T|ACO, which opens in Denver (the original location sprouted in Boulder earlier this year) at 11 a.m. on Friday, will make the 1500 block of Blake Street a trifecta of Mexican restaurants, given that the…

Lancer Lounge gets evicted and will close tomorrow at 2 p.m.

Update: For photos of Lancer Lounge’s final night, visit “Slide show: Lancer Lounge’s last night.” For more on the developing story, read “Lancer Lounge seized by State of Colorado for back taxes.” I don’t remember the first time I went to the Lancer Lounge — it was more than a…

Photos: Gourmet food truck festival and tailgate party

It’s a universally acknowledged truth that food and football belong together — were meant for each other, even. But what about food trucks and the traditional tailgating party? From the looks of Sunday’s gourmet food-truck festival dedicated to feeding Broncos fans (and their opponents), those specific stars are just as…

City denies Rockbar’s liquor-license application renewal

Tom Downey, director of the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses, just issued his final decision regarding Rockbar’s application to renew its liquor licenses for the hipster hangout on East Colfax. Downey’s decision? No. And if that order stands, Rockbar will be high and dry within the month. See also:…

Vegan kosherie with a kick for a hearty meal on Meatless Monday

Kosherie is a Middle Eastern dish comprising lentils, pasta, rice and a spicy, tomato-based sauce, topped with fried onions. This version (recipe adapted from Moosewood New Classics) features fried shallots instead, just to switch things up. Although this dish requires a four-burner stove with a lot of things happening at…

Plenty on tap outside of #GABF on the calendar this week

The Great American Beer Fest will fill the Colorado Convention Center this Thursday through Saturday. Tickets to the seminal celebration of craft beer sold out in record time this year, and Cafe Society will be offering up comprehensive and “professional” coverage throughout the week — as well as a couple…

Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant in Golden destroyed by fire

A passerby saw the smoke coming from Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant at 17535 South Golden Road early Sunday morning, and called 911 at 1:20 a.m. Sunday morning. By the time firefighters from four metro departments arrived, the blaze had gone to the roof, and it took several hours to put out…

The Ritz-Carlton: Denver’s only AAA Five-Diamond hotel

The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, 1880 Curtis Street, has received AAA’s Five-Diamond rating for the third year in a row, securing its reign as Denver’s first and only hotel to meet the travel guide’s lofty standards. “We are truly proud of the incredible service we extend to our guests each and every…