I believe in ghosts. Not the spooky, haunted-house kind that live in basements, but benevolent beings who watch over us from beyond. And while I never got to meet Doug Fleischmann in the flesh, I could swear I felt the warmth of his spirit when I entered Luca d’Italia. Killed…
I like a bar where, after you sit down, the first thing the bartender does is stick out his hand and introduce himself. “We like to know our customers’ names,” says Anthony Ilacqua, as if that’s standard operating procedure at watering holes around town. It’s not, but at the Thin…
On the list of man’s highest accomplishments, the sports bar comes right after the creation of fireworks, dark beer and frozen cookie dough. But let’s face it: All great inventions begin with guys who have nothing better to do than figure out new ways to amuse themselves or make their…
Like its agave-derivative namesake, Mezcal — the upscale Mexican cantina that opened on East Colfax last December — is getting slammed on a nightly basis. And rightly so. From its glowing Moroccan lamps and sunny walls painted with Sol Cerveza advertisements to such kitschy decorations as a chrome low-rider bike…
I am always amazed by the clarity of thought and flawless logic displayed by members of the Institute of Drinking Studies. In a recent post-Avalanche game wrap-up at the Pepsi Center’s Blue Sky Grill, we solved several of the world’s problems. As is too often the case, however, we could…
I loved Miami Vice, with its sexy yachts, fast cars and dangerous criminals. And since it went off the air in 1989, Friday nights have never been the same for me — I still miss Sonny Crockett. But life goes on. And if, like me, you prowl the streets of…
I was somewhat leery of meeting Bleary-Eyed Reader Matt K. at his favorite local bar, the Sundown Saloon (1136 Pearl Street, Boulder), because you’d think I’d have better things to do with my time than meet a complete stranger at a bar thirty miles away — things like picking the…
It’s a club with no membership rules, no initiation fees, and dues that vary depending on how much liquor you can consume in one sitting. For more than five decades, Don’s Club Tavern has been one of the most inclusive joints in Denver, a home away from home for everyone…
It’s time to start planning the biggest event of the year, your Super Bowl party. I don’t get as riled up about the game as I used to — I think it’s because players now change teams as often as they change their jockstraps — but I do still love…
For centuries, being banished to snowy Siberia was a fate worse than death for citizens of Russia. If you’d like to experience some authentic, icy Russian culture, without the forced labor, stop by Red Square Euro Bistro in Writer Square. On a blustery January evening, our thickly accented bartender poured…
I am on a roll in this new year, and I’m pretty sure I may be a candidate for sainthood. While I know that bleary-eyed readers are already well-acquainted with my piety, I’ve recently performed the requisite three miracles that should get me an all-expenses-paid trip to Rome and the…
In unofficial (and perhaps unintentional) homage to Chicago’s entertainment ringmaster Billy Flynn, the spirited Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge performs lots of alcoholic hocus-pocus with its Razzle Dazzle martini. The delicious, bright yellow Razzle Dazzle ($7) is made by combining Bacardi Raspberry with orange juice and champagne, then served up in…
I wasn’t able to go home to Minnesota over the holidays, but I did manage to find an enclave of natives at Cadillac Jack’s (2250 South Monaco Parkway), where my world ended a few weekends ago. Perhaps you remember this particular Sunday: The Vikings lost to the Arizona state high…
I have multiple vices, and the latest addition to my addictions is Indian food. When I need a fix, I head straight to Little India’s enclosed patio on Sixth Avenue. And since I rarely eat a meal without a cocktail accompaniment — what’s the point? — I promptly settled on…
For most of us drinkers, January 1 isn’t a particularly pretty day. When I’m hung over, I want a Coke, greasy bar food and a Bloody Mary — in that order, please. And that kind of misery loves company, so on the first day of 2004, you might want to…
If you’re still wondering how to down your bubbles this New Year’s Eve, let me suggest the Champagne Mojito ($6) at Agave Underground, a concoction powerful enough to blast you into one hell of a 2004. Agave, which opened last month, makes this drink by combining Brut Champagne and Bacardi…
Merry Christmas. Only 24 hours left until some of you (all women) can run out to catch all those post-holiday steals. You’ll say you’re going so that you can get your shopping done early, but you’ll still be back at the malls come Halloween, checking out all the new fads…
Following Toby Tyler’s lead, Santa Claus is running away and joining the circus that will be at Mario’s Double Daughter’s Salotto this weekend. Named for Italian ringmaster Mario Guccio’s ax-juggling conjoined-twin daughters who died in 2001, Mario’s Double Daughter is truly one of the greatest shows in town. And in…
Knowing what I know now, I would never have voted for the sweeping change in attitude embodied by John Hickenlooper’s administration. While I wholly approve of reversing parking rates to a level that does not require a second mortgage or a successful second career in narcotics trafficking, I expected a…
Do you remember your first experience with hard alcohol? For me, it was sneaking the liquor-soaked cherries out of the Manhattans that my grandparents drank each evening. As a child, I both hated and loved the bittersweet taste. Still, I’d never sat down and ordered a Manhattan until I bellied…
To any of you who were present at the Stout Pub (2052 Stout Street) the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I want to apologize on behalf of our entire group. I want to, but I won’t. Because the blame really belongs to bleary-eyed reader Andy Anderson, a fellow Minnesotan who suggested this…
I’ve always wanted to be the lead singer in a band. Not like Mick Jagger fronting a band rockin’ out large stadiums, but more of a Janis Joplin type, pouring my heart out on a small stage in a dark, smoky enclave. Sadly, I can’t carry a tune. My own…
