Review: Butcher’s Bistro Sounds Meaty, But Where’s the Beef?

Butcher’s Bistro 2233 Larimer Street 303-296-2750 Journalists are taught not to “bury the lede,” which is newspaper-speak for remembering to put the most important information first. If you’re writing about a fire, for example, you don’t want to wait until the tenth paragraph to tell people when and where the…

Teriyaki Madness Closes in University Hills

When Teriyaki Madness, a fast-casual Asian chain based in Las Vegas, opened its first Denver franchise last May, the company promised the same “frenzy experienced by our raving fans who desire to have our dishes daily.” Apparently the frenzy was short lived, as the sole metro location, tucked into the…

Indulge French Bistro Has Closed — Au Revoir!

Late last year, chef William Wahl decided to put Indulge French Bistro, which he’d opened seven years ago on the edge of the now-hot Berkeley neighborhood, on the block. An ad on Zillo offered the French restaurant for just $200,000 (although the “Zestimate” of the property’s value was $426,981). See…

Last Call for the Rustic Tavern, a Classic Dive Bar

As metro Denver continues to grow and previously down-and-out parts of town gentrify, dive bars are rapidly disappearing. Over the last few years, we’ve lost several of our favorites, and last night another classic watering hole, the Rustic Tavern, closed for good, after a final Super Bowl party that saw…

Overhauls for All: Our Restaurant Roll Call for January 2015

A trio of popular restaurants are undergoing major overhauls. On January 9, Jen Jasinski and Beth Gruitch closed Rioja, which had marked its tenth anniversary in November, for an overhaul that will be revealed on February 4, when they reopen the Larimer Square favorite. Up in LoHi, Z Cuisine owner/chef…

Eck’s Saloon Has Poured Its Last Shot in Lakewood

Dive bars are disappearing all over metro Denver. The latest casualty? Eck’s Saloon, which was a rock-music haven as well as a popular Lakewood joint, although it had apparently become a lot less popular in recent years. Jon Solomon reported the news yesterday on Backbeat; once owned by Mike Bruno…

Street Kitchen Asian Bistro Closes at Vallagio in Englewood

Chef/restaurateur Mary Nguyen opened Street Kitchen Asian Bistro in the Vallagio at Inverness development in Englewood four years ago as a south-suburban complement to her Uptown Parallel Seventeen, now repackaged as P17. Since then, she’s also launched Olive & Finch, which made our list of the ten best new restaurants…

100 Favorite Dishes: Belgian Waffles from Waffle Up

No. 52: Belgian Waffles at Waffle Up 300 Elati Street 303-744-0174 In the streets of Brussels and many other Belgian cities, waffle vendors perfume the air with the aroma of yeast-risen batter and caramelized sugar. Tom McCarty fell in love with Liege-style waffles and perfected the recipe, bring the treats…

Review: Brazen Could Be Your Golden Ticket to a Great Meal

Brazen Neighborhood Eatery 4450 West 38th Avenue 720-638-1242 Given the excitement that chef’s counters can bring to dining rooms, it’s hard to believe they weren’t always a staple of restaurant design. Rather than being separated from the kitchen by solid walls and a swinging door, a chef’s counter lets diners…

Zoe Ma Ma Now Open Next to Union Station

In the five years since Edwin Zoe and his mom opened Zoe Ma Ma in a tiny spot just off the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Anne Zoe’s cooking has earned a reputation as some of the best and most traditional home-style Chinese cuisine in the Denver-Boulder area. And today,…

Katsu Ramen Opens to an Aurora Crowd Hungry for Noodles

The Denver ramen scene has been heating up over the past couple of years, with high-profile noodle-house openings and anticipation over others. But in Aurora, the demand for Japanese noodle bowls has been bubbling beneath the surface, with few options despite the vast array of ethnic eateries in the sprawling…

Dive Into Pupusas at Tacos Acapulco

Based on a month of exploring Denver’s Salvadoran scene, small is good when it comes to pupusas — at least as far as the eatery itself is concerned. Tacos Acapulco on East Colfax is bigger than the Pupusas trailer in Louisville, but not by much. With only four or five…