Sushi Den architects share plans for the South Pearl project

This month started with major action on South Pearl Street — including a very involved deal that calls for the Wynkoop/Breckenridge group that had owned Pearl Street Grill to swap that space at 1477 South Pearl with Izakaya Den, at 1518 South Pearl, one of three restaurants in the eating…

Brewery Dinner at TAG

TAG, 1441 Larimer Street, is kicking off its 2012 series of brewery dinners tonight with Tommyknocker Brewery and Colorado’s Best Beef Company serving up five courses; the menu will include venison tartare and ribeye. Call 303-996-9985 or go to www.tag-restaurant.com. For information on dozens of culinary events around town, visit…

Coohills is a safe standby for those special-ish occasions

In the final hours before the Christmas-gift exchange, while family members made one last trip to the liquor store and put the finishing bows on their packages, I was at my computer, listlessly clicking through Open Table. I’d done most of my shopping but still had one pair left to…

Ginger Johnson: “What do women want from beer?”

What do women want from beer? That’s a question Ginger Johnson, owner of Women Enjoying Beer, has been pursuing for three years as she researches and educates consumers and producers around the country. “I was invited to speak at the Craft Brewers Conference in 2009, and that’s what really launched…

Parry’s Pizzeria & Bar opens today in Highlands Ranch

David Parry — a native of Syracuse, New York — opened his first restaurant in Parker almost six years ago with a mission to bring Denver the New York-style pizza he loved and missed. That shop, a counter service joint, gave way to a second location in Castle Rock two…

Guess where I’m eating?

Everyone has their guilty food pleasure. Mine is a loaded baked potato, which I’ll eat just about anywhere, but here, the baked spuds, speckled with salt, are a cut above. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to the week’s Where am…

No one trusts a skinny food critic

Over the last few months, I went from the worst shape of my life to the best while continuing to eat like a food critic. Don’t punch me in the face; instead, read how I did it in this series: No one trusts a skinny food critic. That sentiment was…

National food critics dish out tweets on their Denver meals

Some of the biggest and boldest national names in food criticism descended on Denver over the weekend to check our city’s culinary scene. Why, you ask? Let’s just say that they were doing research for the James Beard Foundation Awards. Several of those critics tweeted about their experiences at Fruition,…

Vine Street Pub & Brewery kicks off Stout Month in style

February is Stout Month for the Mountain Sun group, which means all three locations will be featuring a rotating draft selection of stouts (including some stellar guest taps), along with various other happenings in honor of the increasingly popular style. It’s an annual tradition that’s become a much anticipated festival…

Photos: Six dazzling Super Bowl meat stadiums

Holy Super Bowl! Someone in the football universe obviously takes his deli platter damn seriously, as evidenced by this snap, a dazzling stadium display of cold cuts, crudites, chips and cheese squares. The origin of the platter, seemingly large enough to feed every tailgater in Indianapolis, is unknown, but whoever…

Homemade seitan for a meat substitute on Meatless Monday

​No one’s saying you have to go meatless just because it’s Monday — but as incentive to join the growing movement, every week we’re offering an animal-free recipe. Seitan is a protein-rich compound made from wheat; it’s easily found in most grocery stores, but making your own is simple and…

Brewmaster Dinner Series at Devil’s Thumb Ranch

Devil’s Thumb Ranch, 3530 County Road 83 in Tabernash, has been upping its culinary profile with cooking classes and an ongoing Brewmaster Dinner Series. Tonight’s dinner, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., focuses on Uinta Brewing Company; the $39 price tag includes a three-course, specially crafted menu paired with…

Jonathan Greschler was notoriously shy…until he became a bartender

Jonathan Greschler, who recently landed behind the bar at Fuel Cafe, started bartending right after college. “I was in North Carolina working at a microbrewery,” he remembers. “The guys behind the bar were older than me, and they took me under their wing. We had an advantage, because it was…

Guess where I’m drinking?

When I heard about this bar, I couldn’t wait to see it — and I thought I would love it. But the truth is, I was hoping that the interior and cocktail menu would feel more in tune with its name. Alas, it seems like a mirror of yet another…

Enduring the black hole that is Rodney’s

Happy Place: Rodney’s, 2819 East Second Avenue, 303-394-3939. The Hours: Monday through Friday, 3 to 6 p.m. The Deals: Half-priced bottled beer, wines by the glass, well cocktails and appetizers. Were we happy? Flip the page to find out…