Mezcal closed its doors in May for a renovation of the twelve-year-old kitchen and dining room — and when the Colfax Avenue cantina reopens later this summer, it will unveil more of a reboot than a remodel, with new direction from longtime owners Chris Swank and Loris Venegas, and chef…
Chile season is heating up, and chiles from Pueblo, Commerce City and other hot spots are beginning to show up at local farmers’ markets. Just a taste of the Hacienda Maize jelly featured at a Colorado Proud pop-up picnic on August 1 inspired us to stir things up, again, by…
No 28: Mysore Thali at Masalaa Masalaa in Aurora is no secret to seekers of great Indian cuisine or to vegetarians looking for well-made dishes beyond the standard range of tofu-this and seitan-that. But even for regulars, the choices can be a little overwhelming because everything on the menu entices…
If you’ve tried the famous fried chicken at Max’s Wine Dive for dinner, you know that portion control isn’t a part of the company’s lingo. As a chain of eight restaurants with only two locations outside of Texas, Max’s isn’t messing around when it comes to the idea that everything’s…
The word fusion, when applied to restaurant cooking, is generally associated with overwrought combinations of French and Asian ingredients and techniques. As a culinary movement, it reached its apex years ago – although international mash-ups are still making their way onto “New American” menus as chefs search for new ways…
As Mark Antonation reported last week, there are two Ophelia’s in the metro area: very different restaurants connected by nothing but a name. Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, which Gretchen Kurtz just reviewed, opened this spring in the Ballpark neighborhood; meanwhile, there’s an Ophelia’s in Olde Town Arvada, where Louise Vigil has been…
This week, Gretchen Kurtz told us which dishes at the hot, hot Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox left her cold, but she definitely warmed up to the brothel burger — made with ground yak. Across town in Arvada, Mark Antonation happened across a much older Ophelia’s, one that, although hardly as sexy…
The Nickel is celebrating its one-year anniversary today. Last year, an overhaul of the Hotel Teatro reconfigured the previous restaurants in the space — the posh, Euro-style Restaurant Kevin Taylor and Prima — into a more inviting, almost rustic, dining room and bar. The menu from executive chef Chris Thompson is…
Bellwether opened this week in the Elm District on East Colfax Avenue, becoming the neighborhood’s go-to spot for fashion, coffee and whiskey — and for members of its private social club, the best new place in town for a shave and a haircut. Initially co-founders Rustin Coburn and Josh Schmitz wanted to…
Last week our brunch expert, Lauren Monitz, visited Lala’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, which has teamed up with nearby Turin Bikes to offer a brunch special every Saturday in August, with a chance to win a bike that will be raffled off on August 29. Sounds like a good deal,…
Welcome to DISH, now with Tacolandia! Mexican food flavors so much of Colorado’s culinary tradition. Recognizing that, we’ve added a special feature to this year’s DISH, our 21st annual celebration of Denver’s food and drink scene. Set for Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m…
The BSide opened a year ago on East 17th Avenue and quickly earned recognition for its fried chicken and beer list. The bar was Justin Lloyd’s second project after taking Star Bar, a longtime Larimer Street dive, from a musty and decaying cavern to a hip but still down-to-earth tap…
This week Gretchen Kurtz reviews the sexy, sultry Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, restaurateur Justin Cucci’s latest carnival of colors and flavors, which Kurtz writes is his “raciest — and riskiest — plan yet, and it’s every bit as maddening as it is genius.” But far from the late-night scene of booze…
Even in a town like Denver where exotic meats are popular, there’s one that’s hard to come by: yak, a shaggy-haired, short-legged mammal first domesticated in Tibet. So when I saw the brothel burger with a yak patty on the menu at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, which I review this week,…
Denver has seen drastic growth in its coffee community over the last few years, which is great because as a fast-growing city, we need something to keep us going. On board with the coffee boom is Corvus Coffee Roasters, well known for bottled cold brew found in stores all over Denver…
“Over the years,” Gretchen Kurtz writes in her review of Ophelia’s, “I’ve come to think of Justin Cucci as a mad genius, twirling his thumbs and cackling as he ponders what dominion to conquer next. Who else could take a gas station and some vegetables and make Root Down one…
SupperBell launched its gourmet dinner delivery service at the beginning of this year, offering a range of chef-driven entrees, appetizers, salads and desserts delivered fully assembled to your door — most requiring only a few minutes in the oven before being table-ready. Chef-restaurateur Frank Bonanno, who many know from his…
Gretchen Kurtz loved almost everything about Solitaire when she reviewed the new restaurant in Highland, but some of our readers have taken issue with the service there, as well as the big price tags on of small portions. In response to one such Solitaire comment, David says: Yes, another example of tiny portions for full…
The restaurant space at the corner of South Federal Boulevard and Cornell Avenue has been accumulating layers of paint in recent years. Not too long ago, it was decked out in the bright red flames and graffiti art of Bubba Chinos. Next came the royal blue and white of Boost…
Over the years, I’ve come to think of Justin Cucci as a mad genius, twirling his thumbs and cackling as he ponders what dominion to conquer next. Who else could take a gas station and some vegetables and make Root Down one of the coolest seats in town? Who else…
Four Barrel Bar & BBQ opened last month in a former Texaco station on the edge of Olde Town Arvada. Although there are four barrels that serve as beer taps built into the bar back, the name actually comes from four-barrel carburetors that the former service station once installed in high-powered…
Dae Gee, a Korean restaurant that won fans in Westminster, opened a second spot at 827 Colorado Boulevard a year ago, and quickly made even more fans. “We’re letting them know what Korean food is about,” 33-year-old chef/owner Joseph Kim told Gretchen Kurtz when she reviewed that location seven months…
