‘Tis the season for family dinners — often at restaurants that are not designed for kids. The Old Spaghetti Factory, which Gretchen Kurtz just reviewed, is an ideal spot for a family gathering, with plenty to keep young customers amused. But many other spots around town are designed as places…
A year ago, Grant Williams, then bar manager at the Coral Room in West Highland, decided to buy the restaurant from his boss, who was putting it up for sale after ten years. Williams and longtime friend and now co-owner Raymond Childs had visions of a neighborhood bistro that emphasized…
With the holidays come hordes of visiting family members, bringing with them a need to find somewhere, anywhere, that the beleaguered host could take a group to eat. Gretchen Kurtz recently reviewed just such a spot, an oldie and, surprisingly, a goodie: The Old Spaghetti Factory. While the 43-year-old restaurant may…
Summer is the season to get out and explore new things — unfamiliar dishes at restaurants, an undiscovered hiking trail that winds through a mysterious valley. But as winter approaches and icy winds and dark days force us inside, we yearn for what’s safe. This is the time of year…
Latke love developed quite a cult following when it opened in Park Hill a few years ago after its start as a market vendor in 2011. But fans of the crispy potato cakes topped with classic ingredients like apple sauce and lox as well as playful fare like green chile…
No. 5: Fall Squash Carpaccio at the Squeaky BeanA question might pop into your head when you read the description for the Squeaky Bean’s fall squash carpaccio: “I don’t even know what a musquee de provence is, and you want me to eat it raw?” You can rest easy though,…
With more than twenty restaurants and bars opening in the metro area in November, a couple of trends stood out. Barbecue continues to heat up the dining scene, with four smokehouses opening from Aurora to Westminster. If the sheer number of new ‘cue joints opening this year means more competition…
The lights are bright downtown, since the Grand Illumination on Friday night lit up Denver from the City and County Building to Union Station. But crowds heading to the center of the city for the holidays illuminate another issue: concerns about the 16th Street Mall. Says Christa: Honestly, the homeless don’t…
With one of the biggest national pig-outs of the year just behind us, getting through a fridge full of Thanksgiving leftovers may be more on the minds of Denverites than hitting the grocery store or going out to eat. But give it a week of pilgrim sandwiches and turkey tostadas,…
His quest has hit some rough patches, but it looks like all of James Bertini’s efforts are finally bearing fruit. Earlier this month, in a pre-trial ruling, a federal court in California canceled the trademark for “urban homesteading” that its owner — the Dervaes Institute of Pasadena, California, a self-described…
Chef/restaurateur Justin Brunson has been expanding his meaty restaurant empire this year, with the opening of Honor Society downtown and the soon-to-open Masterpiece Kitchen in Lowry adding to his collection of two Masterpiece Delis (in Lower Highland and Uptown) and LoHi pork palace Old Major. But for his latest venture,…
Ignite Ale House and Kitchen opened on Sheridan Boulevard in July after a fast remodel job that converted it from a Woody’s Tavern outpost. But after only five months, Ignite failed to catch fire and is now closed. The Arvada Ignite was an offshoot of the popular Ignite Burgers &…
Is the fried taco native to Denver? That’s what Gustavo Arellano believes. After trying the tacos fried with cheese inside at Mexico City Restaurant & Lounge, he declared them another Den-Mex original, like the Mexican hamburger and the eggroll-style chile relleno. But a lot of readers couldn’t swallow this revelation, and…
Denver International Airport has been working hard on its restaurant offerings over the past few years, and the program just ramped up with the opening of the Westin Denver International Airport, which features the third Grill & Vine restaurant in the country as well as a bar with a fabulous…
I don’t normally review restaurants where placemats are decorated with pictures of what I’m eating. But there I was, sitting in a red trolley at The Old Spaghetti Factory, a plate of Spaghetti Vesuvius before me. “WARNING,” the placemat cautioned in all capital letters ringed by a red box. “This…
Our current cover story, “A Cut Above,” is about the Denver steak, certainly a more worthy food namesake for the Mile High City than the icky Denver omelette or the abysmal Denver bulldog. But some culinary marvels created in Denver don’t bear the city’s name, and that’s a shame. Last…
At this time of year we’re always trying to figure out ways to feed a crowd — not just on turkey day but in the busy weeks ahead. Of the many spots that cater to big groups, one restaurant might not come to the top of your mind — even though…
Sunnyside’s new all-day eatery, Bacon Social House, opened this morning at the corner of 44th Avenue and Alcott Street. Standing on the street, you would find it hard to guess that an architecturally impressive, two-story restaurant is now part of the neighborhood landscape. But a peek inside the Cobbler’s Corner…
Like a sculptor prepping an exquisite block of marble to reveal the statue concealed within, Dale Woerner hesitates for a moment, his just-sharpened ten-inch breaking knife poised for the first crucial cut. This well-marbled specimen isn’t a slab of metamorphic rock, though, but a nearly 25-pound chuck roll isolated from…
Denver loves pho. That much is obvious when you drive down Federal Boulevard or Havana Street and see that certain Vietnamese noodle houses are packed every night of the week; further afield, pho houses keep popping up in shopping centers in Longmont, Castle Rock and everywhere between. Part of the…
The Westin Hotel at Denver International Airport opened on Friday, featuring several new food and beverage options, plus plenty of great views from restaurants, lounges, guest rooms and special-events space. The Westin brings its Grill & Vine concept to the new hotel, the third overall, with two others in San…
No. 5: Baguettes from Babettes Artisan Breads Baker Steve Scott opened Babettes in the Source two years ago, adding a traditional French boulangerie to the mix of other specialty and artisan food producers in the factory-turned-marketplace. A peek behind the burgeoning bread counter reveals an array of flaky croissants, sugar-dusted…
