Photos: Phat Thai, the subject of this week’s review

This week’s review took me to Phat Thai, the restaurant that chef Mark Fischer opened in Cherry Creek North, extending his empire east after opening the original Phat Thai in Carbondale, where he also has the excellent Six89. I wasn’t expecting Phat Thai to be authentic — the website and…

A second Beirut Grill is set to open downtown

Beirut Grill is opening a second location at 1600 Champa Street, in what was once the home of Champa Street liquors. Although information is sketchy, we know that the menu will be the same as at the original location, 203 West Hampden Avenue: traditional Middle Eastern fare. Look for this…

Level 3 pool bar at Four Seasons reopens tomorrow

Last summer, the Four Seasons unveiled Level 3, a poolside bar open to the public once a week on Thursday nights, luring patrons to the deck with the promise of waterside drinks and a swanky “Miami vibe,” according to the hotel’s general manager, Thierry Kennel…

Who wants to be the new food critic at Westword?

Three and a half years ago, I arrived back in the Mile High City with nothing but a crazy (to my parents, at least) plan to give up my cushy finance job and work, somehow, in the wine and restaurant industry. The ride’s been better than anything I could have…

Domino’s new gluten-free pizza is actually worth ordering

Domino’s Pizza is not known for having the best pizza crust in the big-box pizza chain sphere of influence. Hell — it isn’t known for having the best pizza, either. So I was actually surprised when Domino’s became the first major pizza-delivery chain to offer gluten-free crust (doing what smaller…

Daily firkin tapping at Dry Dock Brewing: Raspberry Porter

To commemorate American Craft Beer Week, Dry Dock Brewery, at 15120 East Hampden Avenue in Aurora, is tapping a new firkin everyday until Sunday. Today’s firkin will be Raspberry Porter. For the beer-novice: Firkins are used to condition and serve cask ales — beers that are unfiltered, naturally carbonated and…

Phat Thai doesn’t need to be authentic, just good

I never expected Phat Thai to be an authentic Thai restaurant. When Mark Fischer opened his spot in Cherry Creek in December, it was clear from the start that Phat Thai is not a Thai restaurant — in fact, the restaurant’s website says as much in capital letters. And as…

Thai Monkey Club doesn’t monkey around with its food

After the grim green curry at Phat Thai, I decided to try Thai Monkey Club, a tiny spot that Kong Phom, a native of Thailand, opened in August on South Broadway. Unlike Phat Thai, Thai Monkey Club claims to serve authentic Thai cuisine, including some of that country’s most recognizable…

Boom Yogurt Bar expanding from Boulder with a location in Lowry

Kelly Reed describes herself and her husband, Matty, as “Boulder bubble people,” who try not to venture to Denver if possible. So the owners of Boom Yogurt Bar in Boulder surely never envisioned opening a second location in Denver — but that’s what they’re doing on May 21, when a…

With Masala Xpress, Ashim KC returns to the Denver dining scene

When we noticed that a restaurant named Masala Xpress had set up shop in the Aurora Mall, our first hope was that it might be a quick-service outpost of Masalaa, the restaurant on South Parker Road that serves an all-vegetarian menu and landed our Best Vegetarian Indian Buffet award in…

Parsley juices up the Golden Triangle

I like to think I’m fairly equal-opportunity in my love of all things edible, but I’ve got a list of hard-wired obsessions, and I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about them, talking about them and searching for them. For instance, I’ll drive hours out of my way for…

Guess where I’m eating a burger and fries?

This is where the cool kids from the food-writing class at Johnson & Wales hang out after their last day of the trimester. Can you guess where we’re eating? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to the week’s Guess Where posts is entered into a pool –…