The Great American Beer Festival, coming to town September 29 through October 1, is sold out — completely. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find plenty of beer geekery all over town. One of the first big warm-ups will be the Great COntenders, taking place from 1 to 4 p.m…
Why is it that so many of Denver’s more casual, moderately priced restaurants have wine lists that make the oenophiles among us want to just give up and order a beer? It’s as if the people in charge of designing these lists decided that when entrees cost somewhere in the…
The tables are tall, the Wrangler-wearing drinkers taller, and the tales taller still at this classic dive. Can you guess where I’m drinking? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to the week’s Where am I drinking/eating posts is entered into a pool — and every Monday, we…
The Qdoba at Sixth and Grant has housed Coca-Cola’s 100-flavor freestyle soda fountain for three weeks now, but the Terminator of the carbonated world is still creating lines all the way to the door. I stopped by this morning to watch the drink behemoth in action and came away as…
The long-awaited and often-rescheduled opening of Charcoal is finally happening on Monday. The high-ceiling, sharp-lined space has been transformed from the old Apple Spice Junction. The decor is defined by dark tile and rock pieces, and the open kitchen is the centerpiece: big, beautiful and full of potential…
As it turns out, the Shops at Northfield Stapleton were not the perfect spot for Guy Harvey, the famous artist and conservationist. Earlier this month, Guy Harvey’s Perfect Spot, a bar/restaurant/retail store decked out in fishing decor, closed less than a year after it opened in the outdoor mall…
Vodka has been the most popular spirit in America since the 1970s, and there’s no sign of it slowing down. As outlined in “Clear Thinking,” this week’s cover story about Spring44, vodka’s popularity keeps growing year after year, expanding into a market now worth billions of dollars. Part of that…
When it opened three years ago under chef Olav Peterson, Bistro One had more highbrow aspirations — but under chef-owner Alex Waters and his wife, Diane, it’s evolved into a neighborhood joint with a menu of French comfort food and a crowd of regulars who like to spend lazy evenings…
The stretch of Platte Street that heads up from 15th Street is one of the hottest restaurant areas in town, with Sushi Sasa swimming in business since it opened six years ago, Colt & Gray packing in the crowds since it joined the scene in August 2009 and Denver Beer…
Simon Purvis EDGE at the Four Seasons 1111 14th Street 303-389-3000 www.fourseasons.com/denver/dining Favorite restaurant in America: I had an exceptional meal in L.A. at José Andrés’s restaurant, Bazaar. It was packed, so the ambience was electric, I bumped into a former colleague, the food was good, the decor was stylish,…
Pity the poor Rocky Ford cantaloupe, vilified across the country even though the listeria-inducing culprit actually came from Jensen Farms, a third-generation family operation in Holly, almost a hundred miles away from Rocky Ford. But those farmers of southeastern Colorado have little recourse. Even though Colorado is the only state…
The gang’s all beer, now that the town is filling up with hops-heavy events in honor of the Great American Beer Festival, just a week away. But while the GABF is popular, does it need a makeover? That’s what Jonathan Shikes suggests in “Five ways to freshen up the Great…
The secret’s in the sauce! That will definitely be true tonight at Infinity Park Event Center, 4400 East Kentucky Avenue, the site of the annual Saucy Affair. From 6 to 9 p.m., chefs from the city’s top restaurants will compete in a “Saucy Battle.” Tickets are $65; for more information,…
Vodka’s rise to popularity wasn’t just a matter of taste. As outlined in “Clear Thinking,” this week’s cover story, brilliant marketing also had a lot to do with the spirit’s growth. And that marketing included placements in both movies and television shows — sometimes purchased, sometimes just lucky. Here are…
Are you ready to rumble? We are. The Great American Beer Festival kicks off on September 29, but there are plenty of GABF-related events where you can practice in advance — or even instead — of the big show. In fact, there are too many events to list, but I…
Spring 44’s vodka and gin — the subject of this week’s cover story, “Clear Thinking” — is made with water that comes from a pristine spring in a secluded forest in Buckhorn Canyon, up at 9044 feet…
For this week’s review, I visited El Olvido, a five-month-old restaurant on South Broadway that owner Jorge Pingarron calls “Mexican, but not Mexican.” By that he means not Colorado Mexican, because his place specializes in dishes from regions of Mexico not widely represented in Denver, including Jalisco’s carne en su…
Here’s a third — and final — chance to win a pair of free tickets to the events Friday, September 30, at the very sold-out Great American Beer Festival…
When I dropped out of college for the first, but not last time (which I’m certain my parents are still upset about, and that my dad would be genuinely hurt if I didn’t mention geaux Tigers here), I reluctantly moved in with my older sister and her then husband. I…
What’s that you say? How can you mess with perfection? Easily. The Great American Beer Festival, which takes place September 29 to October 1, is the biggest consumer beerstravaganza in the world. It’s on the life to-do list for beer lovers all over the globe, and it brings more cachet…
I ordered the mole enchiladas, only to have the server look at me dubiously before asking if I actually knew what “mole” was. That was strike one. Strike two was when my friend went out to the car to fetch his phone, and the host bid him farewell, only to…
This is part one of my interview with Simon Purvis, executive chef of EDGE at the Four Seasons. Part two of that interview will run in this space tomorrow. Simon Purvis EDGE at the Four Seasons 1111 14th Street 303-389-3000 www.fourseasons.com/denver/dining Simon Purvis is sizing up Denver’s dining climate. “There…
