The Best Italian Restaurant in 2014 was Luca D’Italia — now known just as Luca. That’s not the only change at Frank Bonanno’s restaurant; will it get the crown again? In the wake of Gretchen Kurtz’s review of Sarto’s, readers have been discussing what makes a good Italian restaurant —…
After reporting this morning that Katie O’Shea Padró and Juan Padró have have sold their stake in Old Major back to the restaurant, we spoke with owner/executive chef Justin Brunson about what the move means to the restaurant, as well as his plans for the rest of 2015. In terms…
There’s a certain glamor in living your dream. But that wears off quickly when your dream is owning a restaurant and you’re starting up on a shoestring. Just ask Dave Kilroy, owner of Kitchen Table Café. “My January and February were just horrific,” he says, thinking back to a year…
Big news in LoHi: Juan Padró and Katie O’Shea Padró, owners of Highland Tap & Burger (a Best of Denver 2015 finalist for Best Hamburger) and major movers/investors in Old Major, which opened two years ago a few blocks away from their hopping neighborhood hangout, have sold their portion of the…
The humble potato takes many forms in the culinary world, but the best results come from simple and straightforward techniques: boiling and mashing, baking or best of all, frying. French fries never go out of fashion (or fail to please, when done right), but recent years have seen a surge…
If you were going to live above a restaurant, would you choose the downtown Yard House? And by “live above,” we’re not talking about a second-floor apartment. We’re talking about the crawl space above the ceiling. But Stephen Graves apparently took the “House” in the restaurant’s name literally, and made himself…
Blake and Tracy Eliasson, owners of Settembre Cellars in Boulder, met at a wine bar while they were in college — and they weren’t even there for the wine. Trilogy Wine Bar was also a Boulder music venue, and the two went with friends to hear bluegrass. In hindsight, Tracy…
We’ve started the second round of voting in our Best of Denver 2015 Readers’ Poll, which now includes the five finalists in each category — as chosen by the readers. The five Best Burger finalists inspired several snarky comments. Says Willie: Glad to see Highland Tap continuing to bribe customers into voting for…
Yelp is a tool that users love, business owners hate, and the rest of us tolerate. I generally ignore Yelp; as a professional critic, I need to concentrate on my own opinions. But that changed last month, when Yelp released its list of the Top 100 Places to Eat in…
The epitome of your neighborhood bar and pub, Sloan’s has been going strong for ten-plus years in tiny Edgewater. With a homey, local vibe and a dining room that, upon first glance, doesn’t seem much different than any other bar and grille, Sloan’s seemingly effortless and casual decor belies the…
Denver has quite a few restaurants that get lumped into the culinary catch-all of “Middle Eastern,” even though much of the food they serve comes from an area far larger than the Middle East itself. Morocco, for example, isn’t part of the Middle East; it’s as far from Iran as…
When the four friends behind Four Friends Kitchen — Kurt and Sarah Pletcher and Genefer and Tim Thornton — broke ground on their new breakfast and lunch eatery last July, it was a rare sight in a planned neighborhood: independent restaurateurs building their own spot. Rather than leasing a space in…
Despite record snowfall in Denver for the month of February, contractors still managed to finish up a number of projects, some new restaurants — like Troy Guard’s second Bubu in Lowry and the airy School House Kitchen in Arvada — and a few favorites getting updates (Rioja, Fruition) or moving…
Wee Katie’s, the Irish pub from the owners of the massive 16th Street Mall boozer, Katie Mullen’s, opened yesterday in the Highland location that was once neighborhood dive Rockstar Bar. A two-year transformation turned the humble stucco shack into a gleaming new space with rich wood and leather finishes, cozy…
Best known for its take on New American Cuisine, sushi and an extensive list of champagnes, Epernay Lounge has spent the last two years shining in the downtown theater district as quick stop for theater goers headed to or coming form a performance at the DCPA. But now they’re expanding…
Tucked away in a little Victorian on South Pearl Street, the quaint and cozy atmosphere at Gaia Bistro will lure you in, and the food will keep you there. Known for a spread of organic and locally sourced ingredients (a greenhouse in the back supplements the menu in the summer),…
No. 45: Tuna Mousse at Cart-Driver 2500 Larimer St. 303-292-3553 Cart-Driver owner and chef Kelly Whitaker started out calling this dish tuna panna cotta at his first restaurant, Basta, in Boulder, but it’s now on the daily menu at the popular Five Points market and pizzeria, Cart-Driver, labeled simply as…
Denver International Airport turns twenty years old on Saturday and with it many of the food concessions and restaurants that have been serving up coffee, sandwiches and cocktails to travelers since 1995. In recent years, some of Denver’s top eateries have expanded into DIA, earning the airport national recognition as…
Next time you open a bottle of wine, you might want to hold onto that cork. According to Brian Laird, chef/co-owner of Sarto’s, the new restaurant in Jefferson Park that I review this week, the little plug that most of us unceremoniously throw out holds the key to tender octopus…
One of the most common complaints about Denver’s dining scene is the lack of good barbecue joints here. When CJ Johnson opened Kings BBQ last year in Wheat Ridge, he was trying his best to help fill that gap with juicy brisket and ribs — but Kings recently closed. Says theFabulousMarkT: It’s…
India’s Restaurant has been around the block a few times in South Denver. Krishan Kappor’s house of curries and kabobs started out as a barely noticeable eatery at the back of Tamarac Square (which has since been demolished) more than 25 years ago. Just over five years ago, India’s hopped…
If you’re feeling nostalgic or in need of Sunday Funday, Disco Brunch at the Corner Office may just be the throwback for you. Channel your inner Travolta and don your highest platforms and widest bellbottoms and get ready for a boogie-woogie good time. Just in case you want to get…
