Bad enough when the real health inspector drops by a restaurant — but a phony inspector? That’s enough to get your temperature rising far above what’s considered safe for the storage of food. Over the weekend, the Colorado Department of Public Safety sent word of a phony inspector scam:…
Give a guy a Las Tortugas franchise, and what does he do? If you’re JuanCarlos Wong, you keep it for a few months before concluding that you can do your own thing — and do it better. Wong, who opened a Las Tortugas outlet earlier this year in June at…
A beer, a margarita, fresh chips ticked with salt, guacamole and piquant salsas litter the bar of this convivial hangout that turns out better than average south of the border grub to easygoing crowds of locals who often amplify their drunken debauchery with Jägermeister. Can you guess where I’m eating…
It was lights out for Thursday night’s “Scrumptious Holiday Appetizers” cooking class at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1005 York Street. The event was canceled because of yet another issue with the Xcel substation at 1310 Jackson Street, the same substation that exploded back in June, and then went down again…
Cafe Society served up five Guess Where contests last week, including everything from a lucious piece of chocolate cake to rotisserie chcken at Cherry Creek Grill to this green curry. For correctly identifying its source as ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro, Jane D wins an EatDenver deck…
In case you haven’t heard, homegrown chain Chipotle Mexican Grill is offering a Facebook deal this weekend whereby if you “check in” using Facebook Places Mobile on your smartphone and show your phone screen, proving that you’re not a big, fat liar to the eye-rolling workhorse behind the register, you’ll…
After numerous delays, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill finally opened this week. But before you scoot your boots over to the Shops at Northfield Stapleton to check out this giant country club, print out a copy of this I Love This Bar bingo game (courtesy of our…
Change is afoot at Red Trolley, 2639 West 32nd Avenue, a popular spot in Highland that sells homemade gelato, coffee and hot dogs. Owners Patrick and Julie Shaw are selling the business, which they opened almost two and a half years ago, to Dorina Miller, a former school eacher. And…
Barolo Grill isn’t the only restaurant that’s unearthing truffles this fall: The Flagstaff House, at 1138 Flagstaff Road in Boulder, is also playing around with truffles, thanks to executive chef Mark Monette, who’s created a five-course truffle-tasting menu for those who get all giddy during the truffle season. “They’re in…
If you get clocked speeding, blasting through a stop sign or committing a minor offense in the city of Golden, Ronald Miller, the hamlet’s municipal court judge, is offering a far more civilized choice in lieu of paying your mandatory $25 court cost fee: the judge — the kind we…
Going one better than wearing his heart on his animal-product-free sleeve, Walter Bond, the activist who yesterday pleaded guilty to torching the Sheepskin Factory on Colorado Boulevard this spring, rocked a major tattoo in his mug shot. It might make you think he set the fire because he was peeved…
“Believe it or not, it’s been pretty calm today,” said Frank Bonanno, standing in the kitchen of Osteria Marco, the turf for last night’s Celebrity Chef Tour dinner, a gathering of five Denver chefs — Bonanno, Alex Seidel (Fruition and Frution Farms), Eric Skokan (Black Cat and Black Cat Farm),…
Forget entrance essays: If you’re looking for a few extra dollars for college, you might want to dial in your ability to express yourself in 140 characters or less. KFC just announced that it bestow a $20,000 scholarship on the person who blasts out the single best tweet between now…
Famous Dave’s may be a chain, with six locations coming to Colorado in as many years, but the latest restaurant opening in Aurora next month is out to prove that Dave’s is more than just a corporate name. “Technically, we are a chain restaurant — but we are unlike any…
A few weeks ago, when I reviewed Euclid Hall, I wrote that I’d noticed a certain shortcoming common to chefs who’d trained under Wolfgang Puck. “They’re excellent cooks with mastery of technique,” I mused, “but they’re not innovative chefs.” Plenty of readers took issue with that. And now I’m ready…
As expected, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — the cop-calling Debbie Downer in a room full of people who just want to party — decided yesterday that caffeinated alcoholic beverages are unsafe and gave a handful of companies, including Phusion Products, which makes Four Loko, fifteen days to change…
It’s nice when contests end the way they should. Of the three finalists, Morgan is the master technician, cool and generally unflappable, and Danielle is strong on taste, not quite as strong on finesse. But Yigit, who has both heart and an impressive range of skills, wound up winning the…
There’s nothing like a bodacious slice of chocolate cake to end a meal that begins with chicken wings and continues through cheeseburgers and a really, really lackluster plate of enchiladas. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to the week’s Where am…
The newest Jack-n-Grill, 9310 Sheridan Boulevard, had just opened its doors, and already there was a food warrior attempting — and epically failing — to stuff the New Mexican joint’s notorious seven-pound burrito down his throat. “There’s no way I can finish this, no way,” he bemoaned before pushing the…
“This is my seventh book tour,” said Michael Chiarello, standing in the kitchen at Boulder’s Frasca Food & Wine, 1738 Pearl Street. “But this? This is just hanging out with the guys.” Amid a countrywide tour to promote his recently released cookbook, Chiarello, chef-owner of Napa Valley’s Bottega, wine producer…
Coffee at The Point opened for business this week, with the full beverage, food and dessert menu available to Crossroads Theater patrons next door and anyone else who needs a kidney-punch of espresso made with Denver’s own Novo coffee. Owners Ryan Cobbins, his wife Maggie and brother Donovan have morphed…
Matt Anderson Bistro Vendôme 1420 Larimer Street 303-825-3232 www.bistrovendome.com This is part two of Lori Midson’s interview with Matt Anderson, chef of Bistro Vendôme. Part one of that interview delves into Anderson’s take on WHIRL, EVOO, brains and Bourdain. Culinary inspirations: The seasons, and the way they make me feel…
