Castle Rock gets its Goat

The Celtic Crossing at 363 Village Square in Castle Rock closed a couple of months ago, leaving that town without an Irish bar. The Barking Goat to the rescue! The pub just opened in the Celtic Crossing space last Thursday, and although it’s not technically an Irish bar, it will…

Something else to learn from the Great Depression

I am continually astounded by the depth of food, the many levels of meaning it can have to anyone — no, everyone. Food is about culture, memories, competition, entertainment and so much more. And it tells stories that words never could: If a picture says 1,000 words, then a dish…

Bring out your best (by March 19)

Just got a copy of a restaurateur’s plea to his regulars: OK, last chance to rock a new vote: voting ends on Monday. This one is way important if we could win https://www.westword.com/polls/bestof09/. On last page is best new restaurant, type in HIS RESTAURANT HERE but if you do vote,…

Milking It: Cookie Crisp

Cookie Crisp General Mills Rating: Three-and-a-half spoons out of four Cereal description: Whole grain corn, corn meal, corn starch and corn syrup — in other words, a helluva lotta corn — mashed together and pressed into light brown, slightly puffy discs with what looks like a light sprinkling of powdered…

Kevin Taylor goes for seven

Word came down from on high late last week that Kevin Taylor and his Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group will be adding a seventh name to their reconstituted roster of super-high-tone food-service operations.  Let’s run the numbers, shall we? First, there’s Taylor’s namesake, the flagship Restaurant Kevin Taylor at 1106 14th…

Don’t be confused by two markedly different Marco’s

On your Marco’s, get set, bake!  Last month, a Marco’s Pizza opened in Broomfield. Only one problem: We already have a Marco’s. Marco’s Coal-Fired Pizzeria, at 2129 Larimer Street, which Jason Sheehan gushed over last October. I called the new Marco’s and asked manager Amie Peterson if she knew about the…

Aaron Whitcomb goes south to Yia Yia’s Euro Cafe

“Seriously, you left Strings for this?”We were sitting at the bar at Yia Yia’s Euro Cafe (8310 East Belleview Avenue in Greenwood Village), Aaron Whitcomb’s newest place of employment, when the words just kinda tumbled from my mouth — in part, I suspect, because I had just eaten lunch at…

Hi*Rise opens today

I stopped by Hi*Rise yesterday, hoping to grab a sandwich, but as the sign in the window promised, March 14 was the opening day — “Seriously.”Owner Doug Anderson said his place will definitely open at 6 a.m. this morning. And Hi*Rise will be much more than a bakery — although…

Go Organic!…and get coupons

Go Organic!, a comprehensive organic food education group, wants you to eat better. It also wants to help you learn why you should, and what “eating better” means. So in conjunction with King Soopers, Go Organic is offering a coupon book that can be picked up at stores, or by…

St. Paddy’s Day gets off to an early start

Just in case you haven’t made your plans yet, the Fainting Goat has you covered this St. Paddy’s Day weekend. The bar at 846 Broadway starts the action at 5 p.m. tonight with a benefit for Volunteers for America that costs $40 but keeps the Guinness coming until the keg…

Shead’s, back from the dead

Today I was driving along East Iliff Avenue in Aurora when I spotted a name from the distant past: Shead’s. I’d reviewed Shead’s Fish and BBQ Heaven back in August 2002, just two months after I took this gig, and I remember the place as a rattletrap, strip-mall barbecue joint…

Journalists battle it out over chili

The number of journalists in Denver may be shrinking, but the media scene is still cooking – at least when it comes to chili. A few dozen reporters, editors, photographers and the like (including yours truly) will battle it out tonight (March 13) at the Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm,…

Candy Girls: Reese’s Milk Chocolate Layered Cookies

We have pretty much given up on Reese’s products that aren’t Reese’s cups. The story is getting old: Reese’s cups = delicious, Reese’s cup variants = eh. But as fate would have it, a colleague recently took a tour of the Hershey factory, where he purchased and brought back for us a…

The Arvada Tavern is back in business

The building at 5707 Wadsworth Boulevard that houses the Arvada Tavern started out as a blacksmith shop, then got Arvada’s first beer license after Prohibition, opening as the Dutch Inn in 1933, then turning into the Arvada Tavern. But by last year, the watering hole had gotten a little too…

Fuel Cafe gases up for expanded dinner hours

I’ve had a mad crush on Fuel Cafe, the urban-industrial restaurant at 3455 Ringsby Court in the Riverfront North Taxi project, ever since owner-chef Bob Blair started peddling housemade pastries, snickerdoodles and whoopee pies early last year.I could have kissed the kitchen floor when I hit the joint up for…

Soul’d Roots supports justice for all

At 2 p.m. Sunday, March 15, “Soul’d Roots: A Food & Media Justice Institute,” hosts a Community Eat-in and Food Politics Talkback with an impressive roster of panelists, including Oakland-based eco-chef, food justice activist and author Bryant Terry, who’ll be on hand to sign his new book, Vegan Soul Kitchen. …

Little Raven awards you for cooking with wine

Little Raven Vineyards, the distinctive wine shop at 1590 Little Raven Street, wants to reward you for coming up with culinary creations. Just uncork your mind and create a recipe involving wine — and you could win a free bottle of the grape juice. The top two submissions will also…

Veggie Girl: Pasquini’s Pizzeria

Some days just beg to end in the back of a bar, hunched over a beer or two. There are plenty of Denver spots that will serve this purpose, but when your stomach also happens to be begging to be fed, a good bet is Zio Romolo’s Alley Bar, where…

Shazz has a seriously bad name, and seriously good food

See more photos of Shazz at westword.com/slideshow. I was at the diner. My cell phone rang. It was Laura. “So where are you going to dinner?” “I already told you.” “Yeah, but I can’t remember.” “Shazz,” I whispered. “What?” “Jesus, don’t make me say it out loud in public.” “Just…

Our Weekly Bread: Vert Kitchen

The sandwich: Tortilla Española Where to get it: Vert Kitchen (704 South Pearl Street, 303-997-5941, www.vertkitchen.com) What’s on it: potato omelet, aioli, manchego cheese, lettuce and tomato How much: $8 It takes a lot to open a new eatery and even more to offer menu items far from the norm…