This space for lease….again

The space at 2505 Federal Boulevard that was once home to Fritangas and then — very briefly — La Parrallida is once again for lease. Given this spot’s proximity to Jack-n-Grill, right across the street at 2524 Federal Boulevard and our perennial winner of Denver’s Best Green Chile, the next person to lease…

The hard sell for French 250

According to the French 250 auction listing reported here yesterday, the space at 250 Steele Street is being stripped down to the wall-bolts — so, bad news, it looks like we’re never going to see the French Underground concept that I once thought might revive the space. But there’s good…

Tocabe tingles my tastebuds

I just finished eating my oversized fry-bread thingy at Tocabe: An American Eatery and was definitely pleased with my meal. I’d written about Tocabe, the Native American, Chipotle-esque establishment yesterday, and was eager to try the place when it opened officially today. Owner Ben Jacobs told me that despite the bad weather,…

Phil’s Fresh wins a fresh loan from Whole Foods

Boulder-based Phil’s Fresh Foods has just won a $96,000 loan from Whole Food’s Local Producer Loan Program. Phil’s is a wholesale, all-natural burrito manufacturer; its product is stocked by local Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage and Sunflower stores, as well as some King Soopers. Selling at about $2.50 each, this is “not the typical frozen burrito,” says Phil’s…

Jax turns twelve with a dozen deals

Jax Fish House Denver, whch netted a rave review from Jason Sheehan this fall, moved into the old Terminal Bar at 1539 17th Street back in 1996. And while Jax doesn’t feature three happy hours, the way the Terminal once did, it is offering twelve days of specials that run through Tuesday, December…

Veggie Girl: Parisi

I love Italian food. So much, in fact, that I once spent a month in Florence taking Italian language classes — that I then immediately put to the test in my Italian cooking classes. Not a word of English was spoken, and sure, there was some confusion (my book of…

We’re rooting for Root Down

Root Down, Justin Cucci’s spanking-new restaurant, isn’t slated to officially open until Friday afternoon — but we have it on good authority that if you stop by 1600 West 33rd Avenue this evening, Root Down will have its doors open. And what doors they are. We stopped by for a preview…

Up for auction: French 250

Schur Success Auctions is advertising a January 5 auction of the contents of French 250, the fancy French joint that had Jason Sheehan all haute and bothered when he reviewed the place this spring. But six months later, owner Ted Reece (right) abruptly closed his restaurant at 250 Steele Street.  And now the contents — “lots…

La Chaumiere bids au revoir after more than thirty years

After more than thirty years in business, La Chaumiere, the charming, classical country French restaurant in Lyons, has closed its doors. Kyle Wagner loved the place when she reviewed it for Westword in 1998, and in “French Toast” recounted the tale of how Elizabeth and Heinz met in Munich, married other people,…

Ooh la la! This bistro is a beauty

For photos from inside Brasserie Felix, go to westword.com/slideshow. You know what they call French food in Paris?” the chef asked, repeating his shtick. “What, chef?” I responded, my fingers sore and shredded from peeling hard-boiled eggs under tap water, my brain numbed from hours of prep. I’d heard the…

Leaving France for America

I’ve talked about a lot of the town’s French restaurants this week, but one has been left out in the cold: Aix. There are a couple of reasons for this, but the most important is that Aix is no longer really a French restaurant. It was once. Seared foie gras,…

The food trends–or lack thereof– in 2009

“Value.” “The economy.” “No new concepts.” “Staying open.” I talked to four of the top chefs in the state (and possibly the western United States) and asked each of them about the top Colorado food trends of 2009. I wanted to share their bold predictions, like “the new hottest dish will be anything with…

Holiday happiness is a Red Trolley gingerbread house kit

Someone forgot to tell Red Trolley Cake, Coffee and Cone that ice cream shops are supposed to focus on summer fare. This establishment at 2639 West 32nd Avenue is not only doing a brisk coffee, breakfast and lunch business alongside its sweeter offerings, but it’s filling these wintry days with…

Colorado wine sure is fine

The Colorado Wine Industry Development Board has just announced its fourth restaurant recognition program, to single out restaurants that promote Colorado wine. Last year’s winners were Juicy Lucy’s (the original, not the second spot in Cherry Creek), the Mercury Cafe and Restaurant Six89 in Carbondale. For this year’s program, awards will be given…

Johnny Rockets franchisee lands in bankruptcy court

Nation’s Restaurant News, the bible of the restaurant industry, has reported that David Giesen, who owns Steak Escape and Johnny Rockets franchises in Colorado, on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. According to court filings, his Giesen Restaurant Enterprises LLC and Rocket Restaurant Ventures LLC have debts of between…

Tocabe brings Native American food to the Denver dining scene

Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery opens tomorrow at 3536 West 44th Avenue, and even in a city stuffed with restaurants, it has the potential to set itself apart. The creation of Ben Jacobs, a member of the Osage tribe whose home is in northeast Oklahoma, Tocabe (the word is Osage for “‘blue”, Jacob’s mom’s favorite color) will be…

Mezcal fifth anniversary party, day one

Mezcal kicked off its fifth anniversary celebration last night, a five-day affair full of five-buck deals through December 20: five-hour happy hours, five tacos for $5, five tamales for $5, tequila shots and coin-style margaritas for five bucks. (BTW, we’d pay five times that for a plate of the barbecued lamb ribs,…

212 in the 303

212 Salad and Sandwich Company 1710 Sherman Street 303-861-7212 42nd Street Corned beef, turkey, coleslaw, lettuce and thousand island dressing on rye $6.49 I don’t know if it’s a rule that every New York-style deli that opens outside of the five boroughs has to name all of its sandwiches after…

Doing Lunch at Brasserie Felix

“You know what they call French food in Paris?” the chef asked, repeating his shtick. “What, chef?” I responded, my fingers sore and shredded from peeling hard-boiled eggs under tap water, my brain numbed from hours of prep. I’d heard the question before, as well as the answer, but that…

Update: Answers from Santa Fe Tequila Company

I knew the news was going to be bad as soon as I got William Kennedy, one of the two partners at Santa Fe Tequila Company (along with Joe Falco), on the blower this afternoon. It was in his voice, in the defeated slump of his shoulders that I could actually hear over…

From cars to ‘cue, Merle’s opens in Littleton

Downtown Littleton has a new neighborhood joint: Merle’s, which occupies the old Merle’s Alignment Center at 2609 West Main Street, which started life as a gast station in the 1930s. The building was unoccupied for a number years; and a group of partners all chipped in and bought the place, turning it into…