Wine, beer, bison and benefits on this week’s calendar

The 8th Annual Denver International Wine Festival will uncork at the Grand Hyatt Denver this Wednesday, and will pouring into Saturday, November 10. The event will overflow with educational seminars, culinary pairings and a selection of more than 400 wines; check the website for a full schedule of events. Here’s…

Hurricane Sandy relief being served up by Denver restaurants

While the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy continues to swamp the Northeast, several Denver restaurants are doing their bit to help provide aid. Jax Fish House will be hosting a weekend scallop special featuring produce caught by fishermen affected by the storm; Central Bistro and Bar is serving free drinks to…

Five amazing fast-food holiday treats for 2012

The holidays bring out the very best in fast food restaurants (and sometimes in their customers who can be more easily shamed into not behaving like dingleberries in long lines), especially when it comes to seasonal drinks and desserts of the minty, eggnoggy and gingerbread-y type that we don’t have…

The pizza at Tony P’s disappoints during happy hour

Happy Place: Tony P’s, 240 Milwaukee Street, 303-355-1177 The Hours: Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. and again from 9 to 11 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 9 to 11 p.m. The Deals: $5 domestic pitchers; $10 craft beer pitchers; $2…

Pasquini’s is back in business on 17th Avenue

Tony Pasquini has returned to 17th Avenue with a new/old pizzeria. The latest Pasquini’s will open at 11 a.m. today in the former J.R.’s space at 777 East 17th Avenue. See also: -Pasquini’s will open a pizzeria and bar in the old J.R.’s space -Pasquini’s changes name of Cherry Creek…

Photos: Park House a true neighborhood tavern on East Colfax

The old house at 1515 Madison Street has gone through several incarnations since it was the elegant Normandy, a French restaurant run by Pierre Wolfe. Among other ventures, it housed both PS 1515 and the Pink Elephant — where cops busted burlesque dancers. Recently, there were plans to open a…

Left Hand’s fresh-hopped Warrior IPA tastes fresh off the plane

In September, Westword brought you “Is Everyone Hoppy,” the farm-to-plane-to-kettle story of hop farming in Colorado and of Left Hand Brewing’s Warrior IPA, a beer that is part of the fresh or wet-hopped category. To make these beers, breweries pick their hops and get them into the brewery within 24…

Reader: Schnitzel is my number-one comfort food

Do people care about schnitzel? You’re darn Teuton! As a side to her review of Cafe Berlin, Gretchen Kurtz served up the five best restaurants for a schnitzel fix — and her list has taken a pounding. Where is Cafe Prague? Sobo 151? And where’s that umlaut? See also: -…

All Colorado Beer Festival in Colorado Springs Saturday

Denver is still recovering from the Great American Beer Festival, but for those who’re thirsty again — and willing to take a road trip — the sixth annual All Colorado Beer Festival gets tapped tomorrow at Freedom Financial Expo Center, 3650 North Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs. The festival features…

Exclusive first look: Jelly Cafe is now open in the DU neighborhood

And…the wait is over. This morning, Christina Smith and Josh Epps opened the second Jelly Cafe, a year and a half after bestowing the Capitol Hill neighborhood with the original Jelly Cafe, arguably the hamlet’s most popular breakfast joint for pancakes, eggs Benny, hashes and bloody Marys. See also: -…

Movember starts today with a kickoff party at Rackhouse Pub

This is the first day of Movember, the perfect excuse for men around the world to let their mustaches grow wild for a good cause. Businesses around town are joining in this hair-raising movement, donating funds to Movember and Sons, which distributes the money to various prostate and testicular cancer…

Baba’s Falafel takes to the street with fried vegan goodness

Falafel is like fried chicken for non-meat-eaters. It’s crunchy and flavorful and filling. And there are many, many different ways to serve it. Dalia Hannah and Chris Hernandez are experimenting with as many of those ways as possible in their new food truck, Baba’s Falafel, which took to the streets…

Guess where I’m eating a fancy breakfast burrito?

There was a bit of miscommunication with my order — I’d asked for the sausage inside my breakfast burrito — and I wasn’t anticipating tomatoes and leaves on top, but once I dipped my fork inside the tortilla, I found beautifully scrambled eggs and sharp cheddar, and the wreath of…

Hapa Sushi — sexy rolls, raw fish and edamame

I made my first foray into sushi at the relatively ripe age of twenty (I don’t count the gobs of bad California rolls that I squished down before that), and it was an instant, passionate love affair akin to the greatest romances of all time. Romeo and Juliet, Bogey and…

Round two with Mitch Mayers, exec chef of Black Pearl

Mitch Mayers Black Pearl 1529 South Pearl Street 303-777-0500 www.blackpearldenver.com Part one of my interview with Mitch Mayers, exec chef of Black Pearl, an yesterday; this is part two of our conversation. Favorite restaurant in America: Morimoto, in New York City. When I ate dinner there, Morimoto was actually eating…