Guess where I’m eating a pork chop…in Vail?

I’ll admit that I’ve never been terribly impressed with the restaurant climate in Vail, and let’s face it: In a resort town like this, where a fickle public chews up their restaurants and then spits them out just as fast, you’ve got to be better than good to survive (unlike,…

Photos: RiNo’s on Blake opens in the former Brauns space

RiNo’s on Blake, a “contemporary American” restaurant, opened last night at 2401 Blake Street, the original home of the Blake Street Tavern (and a second Brauns after that). While RiNo’s will continue to have a bar vibe, it’s also created a white-tablecloth dining area that focuses on “sustainable made-from-scratch foods.”…

Reader: Fat Sully’s should take over Crimson Canary space

Business is soaring in the Baker neighborhood — but even so, the Crimson Canary just didn’t fly on Broadway. Saturday was the last night of service at this restaurant that specialized in “Boss Italian,” a sophomore venture from the folks at Interstate Kitchen & Bar. The spot had previously swallowed…

Buffalo Doughboy closed today — back to baking tomorrow

Updated: Buffalo Doughboy reopened this morning, and is back to baking.Buffalo Doughboy has faced some challenges since it moved from a tiny spot in Baker to bigger digs at 1298 South Broadway two years ago. For starters, there was the economy. And then there was the endless construction work on…

Guess where I’m eating a meat-centric molcajete?

There are plenty of usual-suspect dishes at this Mexican restaurant, but there’s also a whole section devoted to seafood, much of it excellent, and lurking somewhere between the whole snapper and the enchiladas is the smoking molcajete crowned with every meat imaginable. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus:…

After a year and a half on Broadway, Crimson Canary closes in Baker

Crimson Canary, the “Boss Italian” restaurant in Baker that Interstate Kitchen & Bar owners Andre and Aaron Lobato (they’re also brothers) and Joey Newman opened in the fall of 2011, ceased singing on Saturday night after a final dinner service. See also: – Best Fried Calamari – 2012 Crimson Canary…

A second helping of this week’s Cafe Society

This past week on Cafe Society, Gretchen Kurtz reviewed Tom’s Urban 24, the upscale diner that Tom Ryan opened last fall in Larimer Square. Read her review of Tom’s Urban 24 here. Sixteen blocks further up Larimer Street, Jonathan Power is the chef/co-owner of The Populist, which opened just a…

Strings will close on April 30

Our first clue that something was up at Strings came when we heard that many long-time employees had left the restaurant that the late Noel Cunningham had founded in 1986. Our second clue was when the annual Mother’s Day brunch hosted by Strings, a benefit for Volunteers of America, started…

Guess where I’m drinking a Soiled Dove?

I used to love this rough bar back before it was turned into a restaurant. It was the only place in town that would serve you up to 1:59 a.m. Now that it’s remodeled, I love sitting at the bar to eat. And it’s not just any bar — it’s…

Trader Joe’s begins building its first Denver store

Five months after getting its liquor license, Trader Joe’s has finally begun work on its first Denver store, located at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. Bulldozers began rolling at 790 Colorado Boulevard, where there will eventually be an 18,000-square-foot outlet of the California-based market chain. See also:…

Little Carmine’s Italian Sandwiches opens on Penn

For nearly twenty years, Carmine’s on Penn Italian Restaurant has been stuffing Denver with its heaping bowls of gourmet pasta. Though Carmine’s pricing is often as bloated as its patrons’ bellies — largely due to serving sizes that are injurious for a single person to consume — the restaurant jas…