Smashburger and New Belgium team up on burger-and-beer pairings

Hops can make spicy foods spicier. Roasted malts complement the sweet tang of barbecue sauce. And coriander? It pairs perfectly with Mexican food. Smashburger, the fast casual chain that began on South Colorado Boulevard and has expanded to around 160 locations in 27 states in just five years, has introduced…

We’ll gladly pass on happy hour at the Krameria Cafe

Happy Place: Krameria Café, 1401 Krameria Street, 303-322-3138. The Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. The Deals: $2 margaritas and canned beer; $3 bottled beer, well drinks, and wines by the glass; $2 tacos and chile rellenos. Were we happy? Flip the page to find out…

Guess where I’m eating a quartet of tacos?

I typically bypass the menu entirely at this longtime favorite, mainly because I’m always pulled in by the mole, which has always been stellar, but on this particular night, the tacos took center stage, while the mole was the understudy. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who…

Top five weird food news stories from this week

Food news is as varied as the food you’re served at restaurants. Some weeks our plate is filled with educational articles about science and technology, stories of new and exciting eats and drinks, and industry exposes that give us all something to gossip about by the office water coolers. Other…

Reader: Appetizer sizes are small, but prices are creeping up

As Gretchen Kurtz notes in her review of The Kitchen Denver, much of the menu is devoted to starters and small plates. Why? To find out, she went straight to the source, Hugo Matheson, chef/co-founder of the Kitchen empire that now includes four restaurants. “Being able to eat without having…

Photos: The food of Westword‘s Dish 2012

Last night Westword’s annual food party turned eighteen, and more three dozen local restaurants and food trucks stopped by to help celebrate the food fete. Held in the Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Dish 2012 celebrated the city’s culinary culture by serving up samples from some of…

Dishes of Dish: a final preview #dishword

Dish, Westword’s eighteenth annual food-and-drink festival in Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, is only hours away and our mouths are watering just thinking about all the delicious eats that will be featured there. Here’s a sampling of more on the menu:…

Dishes of Dish: Popchips and exploding salsa from The Inventing Room

Chef-slash-magician Ian Kleinman of The Inventing Room will be showcasing his unique molecular gastronomy at Dish, Westword’s eighteenth annual food-and-drink orgy that will fill the Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex from 7:30 to 11 p.m. tonight (tickets are still available). Here’s what he’s concocted for the party:…

The Kitchen’s Hugo Matheson thinks small…with a big list of starters

Talk about coincidence: Long before this week’s review of The Kitchen Denver came out, I began mulling over the reasons for the restaurant’s starter-heavy menu. Economics? (People order more of them, driving up the bill.) Grandstanding? (A place to strut local, organic and seasonal ingredients.) Mission builders? (That whole “community…

Round two with chef Mark Fischer: “Embrace humility”

Six89 689 Main Street, Carbondale; 970-963-6890 www.six89.com Phat Thai 2900 East Second Avenue; 303-388-7428 343 Main Street, Carbondale; 970-963-7001 www.phatthai.com The Pullman 330 7th Street, Glenwood Springs; 970-230-9234 www.thepullmangws.com Part one of my interview with Mark Fischer, exec chef-owner of Phat Thai, The Pullman and Six89, ran yesterday; this is…

Sweet Tomatoes isn’t saucy enough for singles

Have you ever stepped into a restaurant and seen immediately that it’s meant for families rather than single people? Walking into Sweet Tomatoes, I felt like I was entering a large daycare center with a baked potato bar. Now I know how people with children in tow feel at a…

Reader: The Kitchen Denver left me wanting more

For her first Westword review, Gretchen Kurtz visited The Kitchen Denver, the fourth restaurant in the Kitchen empire that got its start in Boulder eight years ago, and finally reached LoDo in March. Her review? Mixed. And, not surprisingly, so are the comments on Kurtz’s review itself. See also: -…