Congress Park Gets Square Deal: Blue Pan Pizza

Congress Park is in for a square deal: Tonight Blue Pan Pizza will start serving its deep-dish, Detroit-style pizza at a second spot, at 3509 East 12th Avenue. Founded by Jeff Smokevitch and Giles Flanagin, Blue Pan has been up and running at 3930 West 32nd Avenue since June 2015, and…

Russell Stippich on Americana, Hospitality and Change at the Nickel

After taking control of the kitchen at the Nickel on July 1, Russell Stippich rolled out his first menu at the start of the month, one that pays homage to American classics and draws inspiration from the culinary memories of his kitchen In this interview, Stippich talks about the difference between American and New American cuisine, how hospitality impacts the back of the house, and the Mexican beer that’s always in his fridge.

First Look: Wayward Opens Tonight in Former Zengo Space

When the Way Back team first announced they were planning to open Wayward at 1610 Little Raven Street in the joint space that formerly housed Zengo and La Güera, they promised a restaurant that would hew to the ethos of local and sustainable sourcing they’d established at their first restaurant, tweaked for…

Clyde Calls It Quits in the Former Le Central Space

Since the beginning of 2017 our restaurant critic, Gretchen Kurtz, has reviewed fifteen restaurants, including this week’s look at Cattivella at 10195 East 29th Avenue in Stapleton. Of those, four are now closed. The latest is Clyde, the wine-centered eatery that took over the venerable Le Central at 112 East Eighth…

The Westword Watch List: Where and What to Eat This Week

We have happy hour and bar bites on our mind this week; fortunately, we’ve found a trio of spots that are good bets for late-afternoon stops, from Broadway to LoHi. Bar food doesn’t have to be bad food, as these three eateries prove. Citizen Rail 1899 16th Street 303-323-0017 Citizen…

Taco the Town: Tacolandia at Civic Center Park Today!

Tacolandia, Westword’s annual celebration of street tacos, will take over Civic Center Park from 4 to 7 p.m. today, Aguust 20. If you were smart enough to snag a VIP ticket, you can get in at 3 p.m. That’s when Jamey Fader, founding chef/co-owner of Lola and culinary director of…

Every Denver Restaurant Opening and Closing This Week

Denver made it through a week without a restaurant closing, quite an accomplishment during a summer that has witnessed a few fond favorites and surprises disappear — including Americatus, the Overland, Axios Estiatorio, Stella’s on 16th, Latigo and Uoki. But a labor shortage, high rents and stiff competition mean that…

Boulder’s Soon-to-Open Emmerson Defies Easy Definitions

There are restaurant “concepts” — easy to define in a word or two, recognizable in format by potential customers — and then there are restaurants. For a new eatery aiming to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner from a team of creative and forward-looking chefs and bakers, a pat definition isn’t…

The Lockwood Joins a Growing Number of New Hotel Restaurants Downtown

On the heels of the Crowne Plaza Denver’s $22 million renovation comes the hotel’s new restaurant geared toward the millennial working crowd downtown. With all the nuts and bolts of a locavore-style eatery, the Lockwood Kitchen & Bar hosts a grand opening today under the helm of Colombian-born chef Alberto…

Downtown’s 5280 Burger Bar Adds New Westminster Outpost

Despite fierce restaurant competition downtown, 5280 Burger Bar at Denver Pavillions has carved out some meaty territory since opening in 2014, drawing full houses from the surrounding offices, businesses and convention halls. But a new outpost, which opens on Thursday, August 16 at 4301 Main Street in Westminster, will rely…

Two Aerospace Engineers Save Their Favorite Lakewood Fish Market

The love of good food can make people do the strangest things. This is the story of what happens when two aerospace engineers fell head over heels with their favorite market, an unassuming fish shop called Tom’s Seafood & Specialties at 767 South Xenon Court in Lakewood. Originally opened in…

Chris Starkus on Sustainability, Beekeeping and Urban Farmer

A fourth Urban Farmer opened in the Oxford Hotel August 13. Helming the burners is Chris Starkus, who moved here from the Portland flagship. Starkus got his start cooking in Las Vegas fine-dining restaurants under Wolfgang Puck and Alex Stratta before decamping with his family for a friendlier, Pacific Northwest lifestyle. In this interview, Starkus talks about seizing on sustainable sourcing, nursing an obsession with beekeeping, and gaining the “Farmer 15” thanks to a particular late-night snack.

San Diego Transplant Chicken Rebel Plans Permanent Denver Roost

San Diego fried-chicken expert Lydie Lovett needed a change of scenery, so she brought her street-food stand, Chicken Rebel, to Denver in July for a month just to test this city’s chicken-sandwich market. Lovett has been so overwhelmed by the positive response from customers that she has already taken steps…