We’ve had plenty of exciting new openings in the Denver restaurant scene so far this year, but the fierce competition has led to the demise of old favorites and big names, too. The industry is shifting because of skyrocketing food and real estate costs as well as a labor shortage, and restaurateurs need to adapt or go under.
On Sunday, August 20, Westword is bringing back Tacolandia, a celebration of street tacos. You’ll want to get your tickets now: Prices go up on Friday, June 30.
Karl Fallenius says he was working hundred-hour weeks in the period leading up to the closing of his Owlbear Barbecue stand at Finn’s Manor at 2927 Larimer Street. Shutting the place down at the height of its popularity turned out to be the right move, though, as he’s now nearly…
The Denver dining scene continues to boom, with new spots opening every week. Here are the best new restaurants of 2017 (so far).
Last night, the Colorado Restaurant Association presented its annual Industry Spotlight Awards at the Stanley Marketplace. Among the award recipients were the owners of the Squeaky Bean, Johnny Ballen and Joshua Olsen, who were receiving the CRA’s Philanthropist Signature Dish Award in recognition of the work the two have done…
Chef/owner David Rosenfeld has a pedigreed résumé, but right now he’s serving pizza from Spezzatura, a trailer parked outside Rocker Spirits in Littleton.
Troy Guard, one of Denver’s most prolific restaurateurs, is having a busy couple of weeks: June 26 saw the launch of a third outpost of Los Chingones, and July 7 will bring alive his take on breakfast at Hashtag. “I loved breakfast as a kid,” says the chef. “I always…
Every year, the Colorado Restaurant Association presents its Spotlight Awards for outstanding restaurants, restaurant owners and service-industry professionals from around the state. This year the dinner and awards ceremony takes place at the Stanley Marketplace in Aurora. While Denver gets the bulk of the media attention when it comes to the…
The sun is a blazing ball burning a hole in the blue Colorado sky. The temperature has lodged somewhere in the mid-90s, and the only nearby hope for relief from the heat streaming off the black asphalt of South Federal Boulevard is an air-conditioned shop that serves icy-cold treats. Bambu…
“I wanted to create Roostercat so I would have a place to hang out with all my friends,” says Colin Floom, sitting on the patio of his laid-back cafe at 1045 Lincoln Street. Before founding Roostercat in 2012, Floom “was just a coffee shop whore. All I did between films…
When Sazza owner Jeff Rogoff first heard about the Stanley Marketplace’s focus on community and sustainability, he knew that he had found a perfect match for the second home of his Greenwood Village eatery that derives its name from SAlad and piZZA. Sazza’s new location, at 2501 Dallas Street, opens for business…
Even though Southern cooking is hotter than a buttermilk biscuit right now, Colorado’s two Southern Hospitality locations and their sibling barbecue joint, Carve, both closed this week. But readers say they weren’t good examples of Southern cooking.
If you need a little something beyond typical ballpark dogs when you’re cheering on the Rockies, we’ve got just the thing for you, along with suggestions for succulent sustainable seafood and deep-fried treats from South America. Here are three hot ideas for lunch and dinner this week, followed by our…
As the Denver sausage business goes, this is some of the most exciting news for fans of locally made salumi and other cured meats: Mark DeNittis is putting the apron back on and teaming up with Americatus chef/owner Iain Chisholm to start a new company called Americatus Artisan Provisions. Chisholm…
One of LoHi’s neighborhood hangouts is getting a facelift aimed at keeping its loyal customers from looking for the next-best thing. LoHi Steakbar, located on the northeast corner of West 32nd Avenue and Tejon Street, will close its doors at 8 p.m. Sunday to undergo top-to-bottom renovations, including new floors,…
Denver’s newest community marketplace, Mondo Market, opened its doors at Stanley Marketplace earlier this month. The new location at 2501 Dallas Street marks the second storefront for owners Nicolas Farrell and Michael Davis, who started their business with the online distribution company, Mondo Food, and expanded to their first brick-and-mortar…
Biju Thomas, founder of Biju’s Little Curry Shop, says he only has two speeds; the hand gestures he uses to indicate them translate to “full-speed ahead” and “full stop.” And because he’s only one man (although with all his appearances at local and national events, we sometimes wonder), he surrounds…
Along with every other kind of edifice springing up in RiNo these days, there are at least a couple of hotels expected to open in the near future. One of them is the Source Hotel at 3350 Brighton Boulevard, part of the overall Source Hotel & Market project (of which…
Masterpiece Delicatessen’s younger sibling at 1710 Sherman Street in the Uptown neighborhood got a name change and menu overhaul earlier this year, turning into Masterpiece Luncheonette. But that wasn’t enough to boost sales to meet the expectations of chef/owner Justin Brunson and his business partners, so they’ve closed the eatery…
Two love stories intertwine for Caleb and Jeannie Sprenger as they prepare to open Sapor Coffee & Concepts at 2785 Speer Boulevard. When Caleb went to work at his uncle’s coffee roastery four years ago, he didn’t know he was going to fall in love. He had no previous knowledge of coffee,…
We were looking forward to announcing a new Berkeley neighborhood brewery opening in the next week or two, but fate stepped in and put a hold on Dan Appell’s plans to launch his Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe & Brewery at the corner of West 44th Avenue and Stuart Street. Construction…
Keith Arnold and Stephanie Bonin, owners of Highland neighborhood restaurant Duo, announced last week that they’d be implementing a new 2-percent “kitchen livable wage surcharge” on Friday, June 16. And after a weekend of dinner service with the new fee, intended to provide additional income for non-tipped restaurant employees, Arnold…
