The Ten Best Hot Dog Joints in Denver

It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, so you’d better be the one doing the eating. Eating a hot dog, that is – whether slathered in mustard, piled with relish, onions and sauerkraut, or dressed up in something fancy. Just in time for National Hot Dog Day on Sunday, July 23,…

Six Really Old, Old-School Red-Sauce Italian Joints in Metro Denver

You used to be able to find old-school red-sauce joints all over metro Denver. But their ranks have been dwindling, as the owners of these Italian restaurants decided to retire or sell out to developers — or both. Stlill, there are at least six Italian joints in metro Denver that have been serving for five decades or more.

Romano’s Italian Restaurant Celebrates Fifty Years of Serving Littleton

Romano’s Italian Restaurant is the oldest Italian restaurant in Littleton; on December 1, it will mark fifty years at the same address of 5666 South Windermere Street. It’s not hard to see why this family-owned and -operated restaurant has attracted legions of loyal customers: It’s all about love, according to the…

Birdcall, From Park Burger Team, Opens Tonight in Five Points

Five Points continues to be transformed before our eyes; the latest metamorphosis comes in the form of Birdcall, a sleek, modern chicken-sandwich shop from the founders of Park Burger. Birdcall opens tonight at 800 East 26th Avenue in the former home of Tom’s Home Cookin’, which closed in December 2015…

Beau Jo’s Will Close in University Hills on July 30

Beau Jo’s may very well be the inventor and only practitioner of “Colorado-style pizza,” but soon there will be one less place to partake in the pies that sport a crust nearly cracker-thin in the middle but fat like a bicycle tire around the edge. The pizza chain will close…

Ryan Max Riley on Skiing, Spirits and Ski Bum Rum

Rum might be an island spirit, but Ryan Max Riley, who grew up in Colorado, was convinced it fit well in this state, so he built the Ski Bum Rum distillery in a Golden office park, where he began turning out silver rum, spiced rum and coconut rum in May 2016. Riley went for woodsy notes in his rum, hoping to capture the essence of the Colorado outdoors that had been such a formative part of his childhood.

Sean Kelly Sells Desmond Bar & Grill in Park Hill

When chef Sean Kelly opened Desmond Bar & Grill at 2230 Oneida Street in November 2015, it marked not only a return to the roll of restaurateur for Kelly but also an opportunity for his Park Hill neighbors to enjoy a  chef-driven menu in a part of Denver short on…

CREATE Cooking School to Join Stanley’s Culinary Lineup

CREATE Cooking School, set to open this fall in Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace, will offer over seventy unique courses for the home chef. Founders Erasmo Casiano and Diego Coconati aim to share their love of cooking with their guests, as well as inspire creativity and confidence in the kitchen.

Photos: A Fast Look at Slow Food Nations Weekend

Slow Food Nations kicked off on July 13 with a Slow Food USA delegate reception at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, where Mayor Michael Hancock welcomed representatives from dozens of U.S. cities and Snooze founder Adam Schlegel, the unofficial mayor of Denver brunch, ushered in a night of hospitality and…

Peek Inside Three of Denver’s Compact Urban Farms

When Slow Food Nations descended on Denver, the international organization brought with it nationally known power players in the sustainable food movement who convened seminars to share knowledge and inspire food lovers across geographical regions. But the festival and its many events also gave Denverites a unique perspective on agriculture…

Racca’s Returns to Its Original Marco’s Name

On a chilly December day in 2015, Mark Dym stood on the sidewalk outside his restaurant at 2129 Larimer Street watching workers take down the Marco’s Coal-Fired Pizzeria sign. The place wasn’t going out of business, but was instead changing its name to Racca’s Pizzeria Napoletana. That name change came…

Westword Watch List: What’s Hot and Cool in Food This Week

New restaurants keep popping up, some — like French 75 (which opens Monday, July 17) — with chill summer dishes and others with the hottest food in town. And favorites like Comal Heritage Food Incubator are drawing attention as Slow Food Nations, a weekend-long celebration of good food prepared with…

In Town for Slow Food Nations? Tour These Denver Food Originals

Slow Food warriors are heading to Union Station and Larimer Square this weekend for Slow Food Nations, a celebration of traditional and sustainable food production and cooking. The weekend is filled with outdoor markets, cooking demonstrations, presentations and food festivals — enough to wear down even the most earnest food…

The Best Slow Food Nations Events Through This Weekend

Slow food is coming to Denver this weekend with a three-day festival called Slow Food Nations. But the Events page of the Slow Food Nations website presents a mind-boggling barrage of lectures, tours, demos, tastings, dinners and outdoor markets. Here are some of the best.