Food & Drink

When I put away my wigs (as if!) and pseudonyms at the end of 2015, I thought I was retiring as restaurant critic. I loved the job, but after nearly five years of reviewing, both at Westword and a previous publication, it was time for a break. My kids needed…

The Monkey Barrel completed the initial stage of its move from 1611 Platte Street to 4401 Tejon Street by opening its bar and kitchen on Wednesday night. Stage two of owner Jimmy Nigg’s plan is to build on an additional wing in the coming months to increase dining space and…

No. 62: P & S Snack Mix at the Pig & the Sprout Everyone knows that the best part of the chicken is the skin — salty, glistening and crackly from the oven. At the Pig & the Sprout at 1900 Chestnut Street (back behind Union Station), you don’t need to…

You know the drill at the majority of Thai restaurants in Denver: You pick your entree and the server asks how spicy you want it. You can even call out a number from a scale printed on the menu in many cases. And at the top of that scale are…

What started out as a weekend shack at the BigWonderful in RiNo and then became a mobile kitchen  — one good enough to win our Best Food Truck award — has found a permanent home in Parker. Jozi’s Kitchen & Shebeen is now the only South African restaurant in the…

Westword writers — and many other people who live and work in the Golden Triangle — are losing their home away from home. At the end of the month, Rooster & Moon, the classic coffeehouse (and bar! ) that moved into an old VFW post at 955 Bannock eight years…

Ryan Fletter started working at Barolo Grill in 1994 — the year it opened — and took ownership of the Cherry Creek stalwart just over a year ago, after putting in nearly twenty years there (with a few brief stints away from the restaurant). Now, for the first time in…

No 63: How the West Was Won, or Biscuits and Gravy at Dozens Restaurant  Before delving into this delectable dish, it should first be noted that the Dozens Restaurant in Aurora is not exactly the same as the other Dozens downtown. In fact, it’s been its own entity for 22…

Ever since Denver Deep Dish stopped slinging pizza at the Bar Car at 819 Colorado Boulevard just over a year ago, the watering hole’s tiny kitchen has been getting by with basic bar food. But now you can pick up a little something porky to go with your PBR: A new…

Juan Padro Highland Tap & Burger 2219 West 32nd Avenue highlandtapdenver.com Sloan’s Lake Tap & Burger 1565 Raleigh Street, Unit 100 sloanstapandburger.com Juan Padro, co-owner of Highland Tap & Burger and Bar Dough, swears that his initial foray into the restaurant industry was a mistake. He and his wife, Katie…

The block of Wazee between 17th and 18th streets downtown seemed to be crying out for a new restaurant —  a counterpoint to the aging McCormick’s Fish House, something a little more glamorous than the other casual eateries on the same stretch. A cavernous office space at 1550 Wazee seemed…

The U Baron Group, which operates a string of Silvi’s Kitchens and Etai’s Bakery Cafes throughout Denver, rebranded the Silvi’s at 2250 East Colfax as the Good Son in March 2015, bringing Detroit-style pizza and a long beer menu to the Lowenstein Theater complex. But the group has now sold…

When I travel, I plan my days around meals, not sights. Doesn’t a lemon granita, with lemons plucked from a nearby grove and turned into a tart slushie, say as much about the gentle breezes of Sorrento —and the lifestyle of those lucky enough to call it home — as…

Chef Stephen Kleinman, a mentor to many a talented cook in Denver over the years, opened Pop’s Place at 2200 Lawrence Street in April with Jim Pittenger, owner of Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs. The two took over the restaurant space vacated by Lower48 Kitchen late last year, hoping to lure neighbors from…

Our long hunt for Westword’s next restaurant reviewer has ended — and we’re pleased to announce that we’re returning to the tried and very, very true. Gretchen Kurtz, a seasoned pro who takes the role of reviewer very seriously, is back as our Cafe critic, offering her educated, opinionated take…