Even though we’re tasting from the same plate, the lamb shawarma I eat and the lamb shawarma my friend Gerry eats are two different dishes. When Gerry takes a bite of the grilled, marinated lamb, she’s eating a traditional dish created by her Lebanese ancestors, an entree that her grandmother…
No city is more revered for its culinary prowess than Paris, and certainly, its restaurants boast gastronomic delights without equal. Still, after several visits and many, many meals there — sometimes I ate two dinners in a day just to get to all of the places “they” said I had…
The first step in dealing with an addiction to Thai food is admitting that you have a problem. The second is accepting that there are no more steps — because who can contemplate a cure that bans curry?Chile peppers can be physically addicting, according to recent medical evidence. The reasons…
I’ve eaten at Le Central many times over the past six years, and I’ve always encountered some kind of problem. Often they’ve been production-oriented glitches, ranging from tardy courses to overcooked seafood (“Waiting for Gateau,” October 17, 1996); sometimes servers have failed to refill water glasses or replace silverwear. Out…
Ohana. That’s a Hawaiian term that translates as “the family and aloha spirit,” says Alex Fabrigas, the general manager of Roy’s Cherry Creek. But when Fabrigas left a Hawaii Roy’s to bring us this new restaurant in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, he didn’t just bring ohana with him –…
When Hemingway’s Key West Grille first opened in 1996 — actually, it sort of reopened, since a Hemingway’s (minus the words “Key West Grille”) occupied the same building on Old South Gaylord from 1977 to 1985 — the author must have been rolling over in his grave. I know a…
A friend just back from Vietnam has been recounting the mouthwatering food she enjoyed there: dishes that involved dozens of fresh, just-plucked-from-the-ground- or-ocean ingredients; abundant feasts that brought platter after platter of multilayered concoctions; snacks much more inventive and healthier than a bag of potato chips. All things, of course,…
You can bet that while Wally and the Beav were washing up for supper, June wasn’t busy ripping the lids off to-go containers. And no way did Ward stop by the takeout market after a hard day at the office to pick up some ready-made pasta and sauce. Making dinner…
When Uncle Bobby comes visiting from Connecticut and college roommate Susie stops by on her way from Chicago to L.A., they always want to “experience” the Old West in a way that lets them return to friends and families and confirm that, “Yep, out there in Cularada, they eat that…
The 3400 block of West 32nd Avenue is a melting pot. A green-and-purple-painted bookshop shares the street with antique stores, the South American eatery Sabor Latino, a coffee shop, a purveyor of new-age paraphernalia, a liquor store, a clothing exchange, several burrito spots and an ugly apartment building framed in…
A big dish of spaghetti and meatballs smothered with a righteous red sauce — this was my idea of a collection plate. While legislatures debate whether the Ten Commandments should be posted in public schools or if Good Friday ought to be an official holiday, food remains comfortingly nondenominational. Everyone…
In spring, some young restaurateurs’ thoughts turn to fancy creations they can make out of asparagus and baby peas. But the sophisticated 240 Union doesn’t stop there. Chef Matthew Franklin pulls from his extensive experience to create elaborate combinations that not only showcase what’s fresh and readily available, but also…
Texan ambitions seem to be as big as everything else down there. In the last year, two groups of former Texans have opened Mexican-oriented eateries within six blocks of each other in LoDo, and both are as ambitious as they come. Although the restaurants feature different styles that may appeal…
Confucius say: Man who lay woman on ground, have piece on earth. By the time we cracked open this cookie, we were looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. And skull-shaped glasses. And flaming volcano glasses. In short, it had been another wonderful evening at Twin Dragon, and the smiling…
When Sushi Boat was launched several years ago, a trip there was anything but smooth sailing. For starters, you had to find the funky little spot, tucked away on a side street next to the Marriott at I-25 and Hampden. Once you were inside, the setup was wonderful — a…
If you paint a sign on your restaurant window that reads, “The best there ever was. The best there is. The best there will ever be,” you’d better be prepared to back up that claim. And Sami Kraydie, owner of the four-month-old Sinbad that bears that sign, is ready to…
You can always count on Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant. Among the things you can count on is that the food will be a mixed bag. During any given meal there, half of the dishes will be delicious and half astoundingly insipid. But the Imperial still has the nicest decor of…
“I wish we’d never had kids,” announced the woman sitting next to us, as she poured the remaining half of her husband’s margarita into her glass. “God, it’s so good to be here without them.” Okay, so not everybody needs to get away as much as that couple, the parents…
Since the word ambrosia not only means “food for the gods” but also “anything that tastes or smells delicious,” it’s an appropriate name for Ambrosia Bistro. This four-month old eatery serves up many morsels for mortals that taste or smell delicious — often at the same time. But not often…
Sometimes a restaurant completely fails to find its niche; sometimes everything just falls into place. More often, though, adjustments are made here and there, a few things get changed along the way and, with any luck, an eatery eventually finds a modicum of success. Or much more, in the case…
On the sixth day, God made the beasts — some of them very tasty — and when He was done, He looked the beasts over and said, “Yes, this is good.” Then He paused for a moment and added, “But it might be better with sauce.” And so man created…
A good brunch is a mixed blessing. Once a restaurant becomes known for its brunches, customers tend to go there for that meal, and that meal alone. “How many times did you eat in Pour La France!, and how many of those times were for dinner?” asks Scott Holtzer, who…
