The first time I stepped into Elway’s Downtown at the Ritz-Carlton, I immediately wanted to turn around, get in my car and drive somewhere more my speed: some greasy taquería, perhaps, a dive bar where I could get into an argument with a midget about Irish versus Scotch whiskey, even…
Elway’s Downtown (see review, page 41) sells luxury — fat steaks and lobster tails, murderously expensive ports and oysters from the raw bar, all cloaked in the trappings of a retro-nouvelle design meant to invoke those heavy, serious steakhouses of yore while still keeping the dining room approachable enough that…
Fisher Clark Deli 723 South University Boulevard 303-722-2091 Spanish Ham and Cheese Serrano ham, chorizo, manchego cheese, arugula, pear and onion jam on focaccia bread $8.95 Yeah, nine bucks is a lot to spend on a sandwich, so Fisher Clark is a place I only go to occasionally…
Yesterday, a Denver jury convicted Phuong Van Dang of attempted first-degree assault on a peace officer, attempted aggravated robbery and a whole one-from-column-A, one-from-column-B menu of other charges connected to an incident last fall at Ha Noi Pho, at 1036 South Federal Boulevard. Dang was armed with a shotgun and wearing a mask…
Over a year after he closed the well-reviewed but poorly performing Sketch Food & Wine in Cherry Creek, it looks like restaurateur/developer Jesse Morreale is reviving the concept — or at least the name — on Broadway. Morreale bought the historic, decrepit and partially vacant 1st Avenue Hotel building at…
The Salvation Army has teamed up with area schools to put a creative twist on the classic canned-food drive with CANstruction. I vividly remember canned- food drives in elementary and middle school; how I’d make a parent take me to Costco to get that last case of Top Ramen for a food drive just so our…
When last we saw Robert Thompson, he’d closed Brasserie Rouge, was out of Atomic Cowboy, and was selling B-52 Billiards (which would become the Real World: Denver House, then Theorie). He moved on to Chicago, where he’s now co-owner of Seasoned Development — a restaurant company that just leased 5,500 space at 1433…
Black is the new black, forty is the new thirty, and you know what? Winter is the new summer. Yeah, you heard me. Effin A. I didn’t grow up with a barbecue grill in the back yard (well, there was technically a grill, but it was more of a spider…
Elway’s — the original Elway’s — spawned this second location, which opened in January. The Ritz management, its F&B people and chef de cuisine Ben Davison all spent time poking around the kitchen and dining room of the Cherry Creek restaurant. In one of those quirks of synchronicity that I…
The idea — letting people pay what they can (or want to) for a meal — sounded crazy from the start, but SAME Cafe just keeps going. And growing, having recently expanded into the storefront next to its original home at 2023 East Colfax. And the restaurant just rated a story in…
On Wednesday nights, Aix (our Best Taste of Provence) is now offering ‘Rebel or Submit’ dinners in addition to its regular menu. The rules are relatively simple: If you Rebel, you choose your meal; if you Submit, Aix chooses your meal. With the Rebel option, you get a number of salad, side and entree options. Submit, and the kitchen…
Maybe it’s because I’m landlocked that I wonder about the magic of the sea, the rush of the waves and soft sand between my toes. Now, don’t go trying to take away my Colorado native pass, because I love my mountains! But when I drift away, I usually end up on…
The Cody Inn is back in business. The restaurant located at 866 Lookout Mountain Road in Golden closed this summer, and reopened September 30 with Perri and Paul Gummerson as the new owners. The Gummersons renovated the eighty-seat restaurant, replacing lighting and adding a lounge area, a new bar and a patio that’s a…
Recently I had a run-in with some less-than-delicious bacon. After I wrote about it, Sue from Whole Foods posted a comment that I should get in touch. So I did, and Sue Raney, store accountant at the Ideal Market in Boulder (which owned by Whole Foods), made a gracious offer of a gift…
Every Monday through the end of March 2009 (when we unveil the Best of Denver 2009) we’ll be posting a list of some of our favorite Denver dishes/restaurants on Cafe Society. Have a request? A comment? Post it here. Jason Sheehan’s recent review of The Counter (shown here) got us thinking about…
Mark Tarbell has finally chosen a name for the new restaurant he’s putting into the old Chama space near The Oven, his great pizza restaurant in Belmar. This second spot will be called Mark & Isabella. “The name, like a good rock lyric, has no real story,” he tells me…
People have been raving about Palazzo Verdi since the office building housing the Madden Museum of Art as well as the Atrium event space debuted last month. And now Mangia Bevi is giving them more reason to applaud. The European-style cafe, created by Larry DiPasquale and run by his Epicurean Catering (which also…
After I posted last Friday’s blog about the opening of El Camino, I received this note from partner Chris Golub about the new spot, which took the place of his four-year-old Swimclub32: Howdy Jason! Thanks for the mention in the blog! I have yet to reach out to you to discuss the…
Echo Mountain, the ski area closest to Denver, just kicked off its third full season of operation on Friday, and while the mountain is relatively no-frills, it does have a restaurant: the Echo Cafe, located in Echo’s Garage. Fresh soups, sandwiches and pizzas have been added to the menu at this indoor/outdoor dining…
Sad news on the sandwich front. The Deli Zone franchise at 955 Lincoln, my favorite local sammie joint, has closed for “economic reasons,” according to a handmade sign on the front door that was addressed to “loyal customers” (me). I reviewed Deli Zone’s Chrysler Building (pastrami, Swiss cheese and mustard…
Eggo Maple Syrup Cereal Kellogg’s Rating: Two and a half spoons out of four Cereal description: Puffy wheat, corn and oat platters, light yellow in color, with a series of holes punched through them. The result suggests manhole covers with a thyroid condition…
