Labor Day has passed, but since we live in the land of 300-plus days of sunshine, let’s pretend we’re on vacation a little bit longer, shall we? One of the best places in town to play hooky is the secluded back patio at Tosh’s Hacienda, a 55-year-old family-run restaurant in…
After a few beers, guys are capable of solving all the world’s problems, performing feats of superhuman strength and experiencing Zen-like enlightenment. Alcohol’s mind-freeing ability allows us to express feelings anywhere along the spectrum, from shouting “Play ‘Freebird!'” to “I love you, man!,” and to channel this energy for the…
In fourteen syllables, the sign out front — a small thing, almost understated, the color of wet slate — manages to capture the kind of arrogance, the brash hubris, that would be celebrated in Los Angeles or Vegas with spotlights and names spelled out in hundred-foot-tall bonfires of neon. That’s…
A year ago, when foodies around town were all talking about Radek Cerny and the sudden closing of Papillon Cafe (its former home at 250 Josephine Street is now occupied by Indigo) and Radex (now Opal, at 100 East Ninth Avenue), I took a ride out to Niwot to review…
For a taste of la vie boheme, stroll over to Brasserie Rouge. This new restaurant pours signature European aperitifs and liqueurs, including Pernod, Benedictine and grappa, but nothing says francais like champagne — and half of Brasserie Rouge’s fourteen specialty drinks overflow with the bubbly. As mixed by master cocktail…
We stepped outside, Laura and I, our arms loaded down with takeout boxes, protected by an invisible force field of fennel, anise, clove and curry smells that pushed back the gray ugliness of another suburban parking lot in another suburban strip mall. Before us were too many SUVs, greasy puddles…
Some kids ask for a trip to Disneyland to see the magic rat. Some kids ask for tickets to a baseball game. But when eleven-year-old Galen Batson got his shot, he asked for a road trip to Cape Cod so that he and his two siblings could play music at…
From fond memories of Detroit’s Greek Town to my all-time favorite appetizer — flaming saganaki — I have plenty of reasons to wish there was Greek blood flowing through my veins. But since there isn’t, I have to content myself with healthy injections of ouzo, the potent licorice-flavored liqueur made…
The crucial question of the morning: Does anybody remember how I cut my hand? I, unfortunately, have no idea — because last night, we entered the Vortex. That’s a term coined by some friends to describe how things tend to spin out of control when we go out: You get…
What is patriotism but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?” wondered Lin Yutang. Lin, I’m guessing, was not thinking about fettuccine alfredo when he wrote that, but I am. I’m thinking about gloppy alfredo sauce out of a jar from the grocery store, the dim ghost…
That Lin Yutang quote on the menu at Bambino’s reminded me of other famous words on food by folks considerably brighter than myself. In particular, it reminded me of this long lovely from M.F.K. Fisher in The Gastronomical Me: “People ask me: why do you write about food, and eating…
Smoking is good for Jim Barsness’s health. For thirty years, his family has run House of Smoke, a Fort Lupton company that specializes in smoked meats and game. Originally a father-and-sons outfit with a converted refrigerator as its only smoker, House of Smoke now boasts four state-of-the-art smokers and 28…
The winner of everything from “Best New Chef” to “Best Wine List” in both local and national contests this past year, Adega Restaurant + Wine Bar is definitely Denver’s dining darling. But while barrels of accolades have been poured on Adega for the thousands of bottles of wine it offers…
There’s a method — rigorously tested and refined by my friend Andy, an old kitchen buddy — for determining the quality of a Mexican restaurant before you even sit down. It’s quick, scientific and nearly foolproof, and it simply calls for tallying the bullfighting paraphernalia on the walls. A single…
Hard-luck stories are like gold in this business. We — reporters, not cooks (for a change) — live on this stuff. I mean, who wants to read a story about some guy who went to a bank, got a loan, opened a restaurant and lived comfortably ever after? Bo-ring. No,…
Hipsters have a new hangout: Cielo, the upscale Mexican eatery now open on Lincoln Street that specializes in hot crowds and cool cocktails. After making my way through the roster of ten signature margaritas, my drink of choice is the Hot & Cold Margarita ($7.50), made with triple citrus and…
Sometimes it’s good to be a doctor. The other night in LoDo, for example, when those tens of thousands of dollars in tuition debt came in handy for diagnosing a medical emergency. It was a beautiful night, although apparently the folks at Rio Grande thought it was a beautiful night…
Remember Murphy Brown? I used to watch it a lot, because it was a show about reporters, and since I wanted to be a reporter someday, I considered that research. I didn’t know any actual journalists back then — the closest I came was a high school journalism teacher who…
Yes, folks, it’s finally time to unveil the winners of the first-ever Bite Me World HQ “I Wanna Be a Pantry Cook” recipe contest. Are you excited? I know I am. My faithful staff and I sorted through literally tens of entries before finding these few that so perfectly typify…
Sandwiched between the ultra-hip Lola and the perennially chi-chi Sushi Den, the Pearl Street Grill is an old-school oasis for easygoing drinkers. So why would I go in there and order a Pink Lipstick? Because in addition to offering a wide selection of tap beers, stiff margs and classic cocktails,…
Christ, it’s hot. A zillion degrees hot, and this is the thing about Colorado that they never put in the tourist brochures. It’s all mountains and deep powder in the winter ads, young ski bunnies with wind-pinked cheeks. In the summer, it’s sun-dappled forest glades, cool streams, the variegated shade…
Spies like us: The New York Times travel section gave Denver the full-page treatment on July 20. But in case you missed it, here’s a twenty-word recap: Denver is no longer a cowtown; man, they make a lot of beer here; and don’t call the new mayor “Hick.” (Why not?)…
