Denver got two new burger joints last week, both the first forays into the market by regional chains. Bad Daddy’s Burgers, a joint effort by the North Carolina-based Big Daddy’s and Good Times, got cooking in Cherry Creek, and 5280 Burger Bar & Creamery, a renamed concept from a Texas-based…
This week in Cafe Society, Gretchen Kurtz reviews reviewedHumboldt, the restaurant that Concept Restaurants opened in the former home of Strings this fall. That’s about when Tony Hessel became the executive chef of West Flanders Brewing Co. in Boulder; you can read about his career in this week’s Chef and…
Philip Phifer and Scott O’Hearn are a couple of pros, and they’re bringing their serious professionalism to Lowdown Brewery + Kitchen — along with some serious fun. The new brewpub opens on Tuesday, February 11 — although it will host a series of soft opening events over the weekend –…
Watering Bowl, one of Denver’s new dog bars that opened late last year, rebranded a portion of its space on Monday. The massive inside bar — all 5,000 square feet — will now be known as The Lift, while the outside, dog-friendly patio will remain known as the Watering Bowl…
If there’s one thing we know about 2014, it’s that Denver will be be a banner year of restaurant openings, and Jimmy Callahan, who owns Prohibition on East Colfax, is just one of dozens of restaurateurs and bar owners who’s making sure that we’re not exaggerating. Callahan, along with his…
The Denver Broncos were frozen out of the Super Bowl last Sunday, but on Thursday, it was the owners of the Denver Beer Co who were shivering in the frigid temperatures. That’s because they had made a wager on the outcome of the game with No-Li Brewhouse in Spokane, Washington,…
As Westword’s Ask the Bartender columnist, I’ve talked with many bartenders for Cafe Society’s “Behind the Bar” series, posing numerous questions to Denver’s top bartenders…and often receiving the same answers: “I love chartreuse,” or “I’m really into smoked cocktails/barrel aging/bottled cocktails.” See also: A bartender by any other name…is still…
Uncle Jacob’s Stout is one of best beers made in Colorado — if not the best. That’s not an opinion. It’s a fact, or as close to a fact as you can get when it comes to beer. Made once a year by Boulder’s Avery Brewing, Uncle Jacob’s has garnered…
There’s nothing wrong with the Mexican food at this upscale shrine to south of the border staples…if you live in the suburbs. If you live in the city, stick with the taquerias on Federal, because while the carnitas slicked with mole were fine, they weren’t worth the drive. The service,…
Who has the best burger in Denver? The best tater tots? The best gluten-free dish? The best draft-beer list? The best dim sum? The best pizza — thin-crust, thick-crust or deep-dish? The best new restaurant to open in the past year? It’s time to bring out your best. The first…
Last year, Concept Restaurants took on the challenge of transforming the former home of Strings. “This was a legendary space that had a legendary restaurant,” says Sean Huggard, operations director for Concept. “We did need to put effort into it to do right by this restaurant.” The result was Humboldt,…
Hungering to get out of the house? The deep freeze will be thawing today, so it’s time to make plans to take in some of this weekend’s culinary events. Ever wonder why wine and cheese make for such great friends? BookCliff Vineyards in Boulder will host an intimate tasting that…
After fifteen years of parties on the rooftop patio and turning out Italian cuisine to Boulderites, Bácaro Venetian Taverna is closing its doors on March 4, following one final bash. “I purchased the restaurant earlier this year, not to keep it Bácaro, which was owned by an Italian chef –…
Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew is planning to create a series of barrel-aged wild and sour ales later this year exclusively for The Populist, its neighbor in River North. And although the first beer won’t be available for at least six months — and the Populist needs to decide…
Everything I’ve eaten at this new neighborhood hit has made me want to go back for more, and if you asked me what my favorite restaurant is right this very minute, this would be my pick, in part because of the crackling chicken with spaetzle. Just call it crack chicken…
Upslope Brewing got its start five years by focusing on traditionally-styled beers that it packaged in cans. Since then, the Boulder brewery has grown both in size — it now has two locations — and in scope, making some huge, Colorado-style beers. Crooked Stave started four years ago with a…
Bad Daddy’s just opened on Monday in Cherry Creek, and today 5280 Burger Bar & Creamery will open in Denver Pavilions. It’s the initial Colorado franchise of Restaurant 512 Fresh, a company based in Austin, Texas — and certainly the first with the 5280 name. See also: First Look: First…
Tony Hessel West Flanders Brewing Co. 1125 Pearl Street, Boulder 303-447-2739 wfbrews.com This is part two of my interview with Tony Hessel, exec chef of West Flanders Brewing Co; part one of our conversation ran yesterday. Which living chef do you most admire? Alice Waters. She was my inspiration for…
Concept Restaurants took on an iconic space when it transformed the former home of Strings — the iconic restaurant founded by the late Noel Cunningham almost three decades ago — into Humboldt, which I review this week. “This was a legendary space that had a legendary restaurant,” explains Sean Huggard,…
Colorado’s first Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar opened Monday in Cherry Creek, in the former home of Tony P’s. The chain was founded by Frank Scibelli, who opened the company’s first Bad Daddy’s in North Carolina in 2007; this location is a partnership between Scibelli and Boyd Hoback, the president and…
While people scramble for reservations for a romantic dinner on February 14, two events today will be a feast for the senses. “An Appetite for Seduction,” a Valentine’s Day-inspired class at the Denver Botanic Gardens, will be hosted by Lee Clayton Roper, co-author of the award-winning cookbook A Well-Seasoned Kitchen…
In Hollywood, moviemakers drop half as much dough to build interest in films as they do to make them, leading to marketing budgets with lots of zeroes. Can you imagine if local restaurateurs did the same, putting branded toys in Happy Meals, wrapping ads around buses and running action-packed commercials…
