“I’ll just wait to read what they say about me,” declares Brandon Foster, striding past the line at Vesta Dipping Grill and into the sunlit dining room, where there’s already a buzz humming from an early crowd. “He’s the heartbeat of the kitchen,” offers one of Foster’s cooks. “He’s incredibly…
If there’s one Laotian dish that I love above all others, it’s larb, a textural, pungently aromatic toasted rice-and-minced pork salad that’s salty, sweet, sour and spicy. And, here, at this Thai restaurant that resembles a yesteryear living room, the kitchen executes the dish extremely well. Can you guess where…
Too many home cooks find their confidence drying up when they consider fish. And that’s too bad, considering all the mahi mahi, wahoo, grouper and hogfish available on the market side of Big Mac & Little Lu’s Seafood Market & Grill, which I review this week. “We receive daily shipments…
It might be too hot to bake — but it’s not too hot to eat dessert, and Kate Gibbons has been stopping by restaurant kitchens around town, discovering how they cook up their sugar highs. At Euclid Hall, executive pastry chef Eric Dale just created a new dessert menu, which…
Star Bar, 2137 Larimer Street, will kick off its first “Battle of the Nontenders” — a guest bartending cocktail challenge designed for those who have no experience behind the bar — on Thursday, July 25. And as a preview to the fun, Westword’s own Lori Midson will be behind the…
If your summer plans include more staycations than vacations, I’ve got a place for you. After you’ve posed in front of the Capitol, taken a tour of the U.S. Mint and paid your respects to Buffalo Bill’s grave — in other words, done all the things you’ve never done before…
There are thirteen “characteristics” required of Chipotle employees, who now number more than 40,000. One is “infectious enthusiasm.” Another is “happy” — you must be happy. Half-time happy doesn’t cut it. And it’s those attributes — along with fast food focused on slow-food philosophies, resulting in burritos that make loyal…
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Colorado’s biggest homegrown success story, is on a roll. To mark the twentieth anniversary of the day its first store opened — July 13, 2013 — it’s introducing the Adventurrito, twenty days of fun, games and prizes, including twenty years of free burritos. To help get the…
Hearing Tom Waits rumble through “Jockey Full of Bourbon” while you’re dripping Tabasco on a barbacoa bowl at Chipotle may give you pause. Or you might take comfort in the smooth rhythm of Peter Tosh’s “Coming In Hot” as you wait in the lunch-rush line. The music selections at the…
Chipotle has been a part of my life since I moved to Denver with my burrito-loving parents, when I was just six months old and the chain was still just a toddler. I started eating Chipotle not long after that. Sometimes a lot of Chipotle. Here’s my standard order when…
Saturday, July 13, marks the twentieth anniversary of Chipotle Mexican Grill, the homegrown burrito chain that Steve Ells opened near the University of Denver in 1993. His $85,000 investment — a loan from his parents — has since spawned more than 1,400 stores around the world, making Chipotle the holy…
During the summer (and even on warm days in winter), you’ll find Root Down’s two outdoor patios packed with an eating (and drinking) set that lingers for hours, leisurely sipping on cocktails from the thoughtful bar program, sampling tastes from the locavore-inspired menu and, of course, soaking up all the…
Lenny’s Sub Shop has shuttered after several years at 726 Lincoln Street; there’s a sign on the door that simply says “Closed.” See also: – Lenny’s Sub Shop now open on Lincoln – Attivo Pizza & Subs moves into Beauvallon – Photos: DJ’s 9th Avenue Cafe opens in the Golden…
New breweries are opening nearly every week in Colorado, but the one that started up a new Facebook page last Saturday isn’t one of them. “No we didn’t change our name,” reads the first post on That Brewery on Zuni’s page. “We’re still that great craft brewery making unique, great…
Pete Marczyk and Barbara Macfarlane do not leave their work behind when they leave Marczyk Fine Foods and head for their great old Denver house with a spacious kitchen. They often bring some of their market’s choicest ingredients home with them and cook up a feast. The Fourth of July…
Celebrations usually uncork with a bottle of champagne, but on this particular occasion, we chose a screw top bottle of unfiltered sake (and some sushi) to mark the triumph. Can you guess where I’m drinking? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to a Guess Where post is…
In A Federal Case, I’ll be eating my way up Federal Boulevard — south to north — within Denver city limits. I’ll be skipping the national chains and per-scoop Chinese joints, but otherwise I’ll report from every vinyl booth, walk-up window and bar stool where food is served. Here’s the…
In honor of National Fried Chicken Day, Cafe Society recently listed the ten best plates of fried chicken in the metro area, at places ranging from the legendary White Fence Farm to Welton Street Cafe. And although the holiday is over, the cravings for fried chicken continue. Fortunately, readers stepped…
Kachina Southwestern Grill, 10600 Westminster Boulevard in Westminster, has introduced a “Beast & Beer” dinner series that showcases locally raised meat and Colorado craft beer. Tonight’s feast features cuts of bison from Prairie Ridge Buffalo Ranch paired with brews from New Belgium. See also: – At Kachina, the chiles pack…
Many of the restaurants I’ve reviewed have been launched by people trying to recreate the flavors that they grew up with. Karen Wee Lin Tan Beckman dishes up her mother’s recipes at Makan Malaysian Café; Jaedo Ryu uses Bop & Gogi to showcase the bulgogi, kimchi and bibimbop of his…
Although much of the public’s attention has been focused on Izakaya Den, which just opened last month in its spectacular new home next to Sushi Den, that restaurant has been making changes, too. Sushi Den spent months working with professionals from Southern Wine & Spirits along with national mixologists to…
When Bocadillo opened in June of 2012 in Sunnyside, partners Derek Dietz and Andrew Minhinnisk promised to unleash a Spanish sandwich revolution — and for several months, that’s exactly what they did, turning out traditional Spanish sandwiches (called bocadillos) and Spanish-influenced small bites (known as pintxos) to smitten crowds who…
