This is part two of my interview with Micheal Long, executive chef of Opus. To read part one of this interview, click here. Culinary inspirations: Norman Van Aken. I’m a south Florida guy, so when I came out of CIA in 1990 and moved back to Florida, Norman was definitely…
When it opened in the middle of the hot summer of 2008, Red Trolley was an ice cream and gelato shop, and only an ice cream and gelato shop. Still, it was located in a lovely, historic space (the website claims Red Trolley stands on the site of an old…
Red Trolley is a one-trick pony (an ice cream shop) trying to find other ways to make money (selling hot dogs, among other things) when the season isn’t right for ice cream — becoming all things to all people in a very deliberate and calculated way. Denver Ted’s is a…
The restaurant world is full of one-trick ponies. It is, in a way, designed for them — built up like a machine made for repetitive specialization. Grill men are grill men. Chefs who do Italian are (generally) not capable of being pulled out of their element and told to make…
As a countdown to the Best of Denver 2010, coming April 1, Cafe Society is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in Denver. Send your own nominations to cafe@westword.com. Number 86: Enchiladas from Taco House…
Poor Reese Witherspoon. She was spotted recently dining solo at the trendy London eatery La Petite Maison. She’s obviously dealing with the stress of dating other movie stars and being rich and not knowing what to do about it. Still, when a person has no other choice than to dine…
Julie Powell, the author of Julie & Julia, canceled her big stage talk, but she’s still coming to town: She’s scheduled a last-minute event at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, December 10, at the LoDo Tattered Cover for her latest book. Here’s what Tattered has to say: Powell “thought cooking her way…
Right. So, you’ve no doubt heard that sex addict golf great Tiger Weeds can’t keep his dick in his pants. And aside from a few posts on his website, one of which whines, “I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means,” he has…
Pete Marczyk and Barbara Macfarlane do not leave their work behind when they leave Marczyk Fine Foods and head for their great old Denver house with the big, new kitchen. They often bring some of their market’s choicest ingredients home with them, and cook up a feast. This month, Pete…
Apparently the “freegan” movement has been around for several years, but a recent article in the Boston Globe highlights the key points of these trash-scouring advocates. This is actually a good idea, if you ask me. Having come from a kitchen background where nothing went to waste, it’s easy to…
“I’m always trying to get away with as much creativity as possible, to push the boundaries and reel in my impulses,” explains Michael Long. “I don’t want to lose my audience, but for me, personally, food has to both taste good and entertain you in some way, whether it’s because…
Summer came again. Heat and ice cream weather. I showed up at the place for the salted caramel ice cream with its thick layer of chocolate; for honey graham that was so good I wanted to be able to pick it up at the grocery store or have it delivered…
Two weeks ago, on November 18, Tony Bourdain stopped in Denver for a talkfest at the Buell, in which he wore a Biker Jim T-shirt (and called Jim’s dogs the “pinnacle of American food”), slandered Sandra Lee and Rachel Ray, deemed Chris Angel a “douche” and called the contestants on…
This is a macho order of nachos: a monster mound with beans (black or refried), cheese and veggies layered evenly throughout, and the chips on top heated to an ideal crispiness. Can you guess where I’m eating…and eating…and eating?Special bonus: Every Friday, anyone who gave the first correct answer to…
And the 24/7 taco shop revolution continues! Right on the heels of Tacos Rapido, which recently opened at 2800 West Evans, comes Leobardo’s Taco Shop, 825 South Federal, a kitschy roundish shack with a triangular roof that has eight inside stools, give or take, and a couple of al fresco…
As a countdown to the Best of Denver 2010, coming April 1, Cafe Society is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in Denver. Send your own nominations to cafe@westword.com.Number 87: Corn-in-a-cup from Jack-n- Grill…
Bad news for gelato lovers: I saw this sign while wandering around Larimer Square this weekend. And while not all Gelazzi locations are gone, the Larimer Square address is definitely dark. It seems like Paul, at the least, is going to be very disappointed by this new black hole in…
The USDA recently recalled almost 111,000 pounds of frozen beef steak fritter due to the risk of small pieces of plastic that may be in the food. That’s all well and good and nice to know the USDA has our back, but what in the hell is a beef steak…
A friend, Sarah, has been a vegetarian for more than four years and a red meat avoider for seven. On the surface, she’s PETA’s dream: She makes her own seiten and works as a baker for Watercourse Foods, the meat-free precinct at 837 East 17th Avenue. Yet the lure of…
RESTAURANTS OPENING IN NOVEMBER Aboba, 5810 West Alameda Avenue Archive Room, 5601 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada Beaver Dam, 7545 East Iliff Avenue Buckin’ Harleys, 1451 Cortez Street Cafe Colorado, 287 Columbine Street Chasers, 11964 Washington Street, Northglenn Cheddars, 15775 East Briarwood Circle, Aurora Club Level Sports Bar, 1885 West 120th…
“I finally gotta place in my neighborhood to come and get pizza now,” says Rod Wagner, one of the partners involved with Ernie’s Bar and Pizza, an East Coast pie palace from the owners of LoHi SteakBar (3200 Tejon Street) that opens Wednesday, December 2 in the former 3 Sons…
As a countdown to the Best of Denver 2010, coming April 1, Cafe Society is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in Denver. Send your own nominations to cafe@westword.com. Number 88: Deviled eggs from Steuben’s I can still remember when the first draft of the first Steuben’s menu…
