A Second Helping of Westword Food & Drink, January 30-February 3

As January transitioned to February and ice coated the city in a slippery layer, this week's food news included a company called Infinite Harvest that doesn't worry too much about the weather outside for growing vegetables hydroponically indoors. In fact, the company hopes to some day set up farming operations...

By Westword Staff

February 3, 2017

The sign says it all at SAME Cafe. Danielle Lirette

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As January transitioned to February and ice coated the city in a slippery layer, this week's food news included a company called Infinite Harvest that doesn't worry too much about the weather outside, because it grows vegetables hydroponically indoors. In fact, the company hopes to some day set up farming operations where conditions are much worse: on the surface of Mars. Gretchen Kurtz talked to Libby and Brad Birky, the owners of SAME Cafe, who are concerned with feeding people of all income levels here and now. After ten years of offering a pay-what-you-can menu model, the couple explains that "something really magical happens when you sit down and eat together that we miss in this busy culture."

And something magical can in fact happen when sharing the food of other cultures, as we discovered at Maandeeq East African Restaurant, where Somali cooking trumps politics. In other news:

RESTAURANTS/BARS OPENING THIS WEEK:*
Annette inside Stanley Marketplace (Saturday), 2501 Dallas Street
Broken Rice, 1390 South Colorado Boulevard
Olive & Finch, 3390 East First Avenue

RESTAURANTS/BARS CLOSING THIS WEEK:*
Marco's Pizza, 2207 East Colfax Avenue

*or earlier, and not mentioned in a previous edition of Second Helping.

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