Exclusive: Samir Mohammad named new executive chef of Black Pearl

At the end of October, Samir Mohammad quietly departed the kitchen at Lala’s Wine Bar + Pizzeria, a bustling open galley of pizza, pastas and Americanized Italian food that he’d spent the past year commanding. “I left because there was a difference in views between me and the owners –…

Guess where I’m eating a quinoa and kale salad?

It was my kid’s birthday over the weekend, and when you’re fourteen, spending time with your parents is about as much fun as taking final exams, so we shooed him and a friend off to their own table, while we — the embarrassing parents — squatted at the bar and…

Vegan stroganoff for a hearty dinner on Meatless Monday

Everyone reaches a point during the holiday season when the thought of one more bite of holiday food makes you feel like never eating again. You’ll get over it — we promise — but in the meantime, there are plenty of other comfort foods that can fill you up without…

Guess where I’m eating hot and sour soup?

Considering the Golden Age diners that occupied every table but mine, the absence of chile sauce on the table and a multi-page menu that reads like every other pedestrian Chinese menu, I didn’t have high hopes for the hot and sour soup I ordered at this long-standing Chinese restaurant, but…

Arch Pizza opens its second Mile High location tomorrow in Lone Tree

In late October, Marc Dak, along with his wife Stacy, a St. Louis native, opened Arch Pizza in Park Hill, a joint that’s modeled after Imo’s, a celebrated, family-owned, St. Louis-based pizza chain that dispenses cracker-thin crusted pies, cut in squares and paved with Provel cheese, a blend of processed…

First look: At long last, Voodoo Doughnut rises tonight at 6 p.m.

Here is where I confess what many would consider a sin: Up until a few weeks ago, I’d never stepped foot inside Voodoo Doughnut. I have never shoved a cock-and-balls doughnut down my throat. Old-fashioned doughnuts, sure, Glazed doughnuts. Check. Doughnuts glistened with chocolate. Of course. But not a cock-and-ball…

Rusty Taco coming to Aurora

Old School Burgers had a lot of fans when the mini-chain started cooking in Colorado almost a decade ago, but other burger joints soon took over the market. And since the Old School Burgers at 1760 South Havana Street in Aurora turned off its grill more than two years ago,…

Chefs Bryan Moscatello, James Mazzio both head for the hills

Ever wonder what happened to two of the Denver area’s most heralded chefs? Head to the hills, where the dining scene heats up even as the temperature cools down. That’s where you’ll find Bryan Moscatello, the chef at the groundbreaking Adega, which was the hottest restaurant in town when it…

25 most promising new restaurants of 2013

More than 200 restaurants have opened in metro Denver this year, with more hurrying to open their doors before the end of 2013. Some are updated versions of earlier restaurants, others are completely new. And while some are far too young to have been reviewed, they already look like they…

Dunkin’ Donuts opens today, Voodoo Doughnut tomorrow

Doughnuts are on a roll in metro Denver. Another Dunkin’ Donuts location opened at 4:30 a.m. this morning at 8775 Washington Street in Thornton, reviving some of the fever that hit town when two DD stores debuted on the same day in August. But the temperature — as well as…

Reader: Eggnog is the perfect way to consume cheap bourbon

Is everyone already full of holiday cheer? After Jenn Wohletz unwrapped her five worst X-mas foods — including everything from date nut balls to popcorn tins — defenders of Royal Dansk rose up in defense of the Danish cookies. And even eggnog got a pass from some readers. See also:Five…