Photos: Barolo Grill unleashes its annual truffle feast

‘Tis the season of decadence at Barolo Grill, Blair Taylor’s lovely Italian restaurant in Cherry Creek North that, each year, bestows truffles upon Denver diners during its two-week truffle festival, an annual tribute to fresh black Burgundy truffles and the fall harvest of the coveted — and far more expensive…

Beaujolais and Beyond, beer pairings and more on the calendar this week

The Rocky Mountain French American Chamber of Commerce will host the 14th annual Beaujolais and Beyond Food & Wine Festival at Infinity Park Event Center this Thursday, November 15. The fundraiser features more than twenty local restaurants, and participating chefs will take part in a culinary challenge to create French-inspired…

2012 Pairsine Challenge: The ultimate food and wine throwdown

Wine never tastes better than when matched with its perfect food-based soulmate. So when the annual Pairsine -The Taste of Elegance Chefs’ Food & Wine Pairing Competition rolls into town, we clear our calendars and start fasting — because we know that it’s about to go down. See also: -…

Mona’s closes its Sherman Street spot, leaving only the original

Tomorrow morning a line will start forming early outside of Mona’s Restaurant, the incredibly popular breakfast/lunch joint in the Platte Valley. But owners Linda and Garen Austin have never been able to recreate the success of this spot. And last month, their third attempt at a Mona’s, this one just…

Red alert! Charlotte Saenz’s recipe for great red chile

With Christmas ads filling the airtime vacated by campaign commercials, the holidays must be upon us. But it doesn’t have to be Santa season for a server to ask if you want a Christmas tree. In New Mexico, where folks are even crazier about chile than we are, diners can…

Euclid Hall’s Jorel Pierce on being booted from Top Chef Seattle

I keep threatening to break up with Top Chef, the Bravo reality show that pits “cheftestants” (Bravo’s word, not mine) against one another in a string of often ridiculous challenges and theatrically contrived snippets that force the chefs to look into a camera and say really stupid shit — things…

Guess where I’m eating seared scallops?

We’ve all heard the myth — the one that stipulates that because we live in a land-locked state, we’re too far from the deep blue sea to procure great fish. The sea scallops in the above snap prove otherwise. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who gives…

Photos: Cafe Byblos Mediterranean Grill is now open

Cafe Byblos Mediterranean Grill opened quietly at the end of October, and we dropped in this week for a quick look at the place. According to owner Sam Khechen, his wife, Roya Khajeaian, did all interior design work, and his father-in law, Abbas Khajeaian, is the artist behind all the…

Five best marijuana meals for a real Rocky Mountain high

With the passage of Amendment 64 — which legalizes recreational marijuana in the state of Colorado — I know I’m not the only one looking forward to the vast array and variety of weed-infused edibles that one day we’ll be able to prepare at home — and maybe even order…

Art Meets Beast this weekend at MCA Denver

MCA Denver, 1485 Delgany Street, is hosting its second Art Meets Beast festival, honoring the history of the bison. The two-day celebration begins tonight at 6:30 p.m. with a workshop led by Pete Marczyk of Marczyk Fine Foods, who will carve an entire bison; the vegetarian option is a film…

Guess where I’m eating posole?

The lovely weather we’ve been experiencing this week is apparently coming to end this weekend, which, for me, means a warm bowl of soup, and the posole at this Mexican joint is exactly what I’d like to have in front of me when the flakes begin to fall. Can you…

Photos: Hideaway Kitchen + Bar opens in Genesee

Hideaway Kitchen + Bar may be tucked in an out-of-the-way location in Genesee, behind the Chart House, but locals have had no trouble finding it since it opened on November 1. “It’s going really well, with no promotion at all,” says executive chef Michael Powers. And he expects things to…

Curtis Park Creamery: a taste of this week’s Cafe review

In those sultry, late-August days before I started eating for a living, Westword’s former Cafe critics offered advice on how I should handle my new position. Kyle Wagner, now travel editor of the Denver Post, suggested I tell people I’m a pet sitter, because otherwise I’ll spend every minute of…

Round two with Darrel Truett, exec chef of Barolo Grill

Darrel Truett Barolo Grill 3030 East Sixth Avenue 303-393-1040 www.barologrilldenver.com This is part two of my interview with Darrel Truett, exec chef of Barolo Grill. Part one of our chat ran yesterday. What do you enjoy most about your craft? The instant gratification of pleasing a guest. I can prepare…