Denver continually gets a bad rap for its barbecue, and if last night’s dinner at a joint that prides itself on pulled pork, sausage links and smoked chicken is par for the course, then it’s no wonder why. Equally dismal were the side dishes, especially the macaroni and cheese, which…
Some things, restaurant spaces included, are just meant to be. Such was the unanimous opinion of Leigh Jones, Margaret Moore and Jeremy Matzke, the crew behind Jonesy’s EatBar, the Horseshoe Lounge and the Bar Car, when they inked a deal last Friday to lease the recently shuttered Pete’s Patio Bar,…
Caitlin Mandigo City Bakery 5454 Washington Street 303-292-3989 citybakerydenver.com This is part one of my interview with Caitlin Mandigo, bread baker at City Bakery; part two of our conversation will run tomorrow. Food “is in my family’s blood,” says Caitlin Mandigo, the bread production manager at City Bakery. Born and…
In A Federal Case, I’ll be eating my way up Federal Boulevard — south to north — within Denver city limits. I’ll be skipping the national chains and per-scoop Chinese joints, but otherwise I’ll report from every vinyl booth, walk-up window and bar stool where food is served. Here’s the…
Back in June, when I first reported that chef-restaurateur Dylan Moore was closing Deluxe and Juanita’s, the two adjoining spaces he owned on South Broadway, I also revealed that both restaurants had been snatched up by Frank Jolley, a longtime restaurateur and nightclub owner who had most recently spent the…
There’s nothing better than taking a break from a restaurant, only to return and find that it’s even better than before. Such was the case here, in part because of the unassailable lamb shank, the meat of which just happens to come from the lambs raised on the farm of…
Cafe Society served up five Guess Where? contests last week, ranging from a platter of Vietnamese egg rolls from Pho 96 to a lovely Manhattan from A Cote Bar a Absinthe to a remarkably good plate of crackling chicken from a neighborhood restaurant that’s doing everything right…
I have yet to eat a dish that I didn’t love from this always-bustling taqueria, which continues to be my favorite go-to joint for terrific south-of-the-border eats, including the lime-kissed shrimp ceviche sidekicked with a generous scoop of guacamole. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who gives…
It’s still early in the year, but if you’ve paid attention to the restaurant scene over the last few months, then you’ve no doubt noticed the surge of small neighborhood restaurants. Peter Ryan, chef-owner of the Plimoth, opened a smashing forty-seater on the northern tip of City Park in late…
Denver got two new burger joints last week, both the first forays into the market by regional chains. Bad Daddy’s Burgers, a joint effort by the North Carolina-based Big Daddy’s and Good Times, got cooking in Cherry Creek, and 5280 Burger Bar & Creamery, a renamed concept from a Texas-based…
This week in Cafe Society, Gretchen Kurtz reviews reviewedHumboldt, the restaurant that Concept Restaurants opened in the former home of Strings this fall. That’s about when Tony Hessel became the executive chef of West Flanders Brewing Co. in Boulder; you can read about his career in this week’s Chef and…
Watering Bowl, one of Denver’s new dog bars that opened late last year, rebranded a portion of its space on Monday. The massive inside bar — all 5,000 square feet — will now be known as The Lift, while the outside, dog-friendly patio will remain known as the Watering Bowl…
If there’s one thing we know about 2014, it’s that Denver will be be a banner year of restaurant openings, and Jimmy Callahan, who owns Prohibition on East Colfax, is just one of dozens of restaurateurs and bar owners who’s making sure that we’re not exaggerating. Callahan, along with his…
There’s nothing wrong with the Mexican food at this upscale shrine to south of the border staples…if you live in the suburbs. If you live in the city, stick with the taquerias on Federal, because while the carnitas slicked with mole were fine, they weren’t worth the drive. The service,…
Last year, Concept Restaurants took on the challenge of transforming the former home of Strings. “This was a legendary space that had a legendary restaurant,” says Sean Huggard, operations director for Concept. “We did need to put effort into it to do right by this restaurant.” The result was Humboldt,…
After fifteen years of parties on the rooftop patio and turning out Italian cuisine to Boulderites, Bácaro Venetian Taverna is closing its doors on March 4, following one final bash. “I purchased the restaurant earlier this year, not to keep it Bácaro, which was owned by an Italian chef –…
Everything I’ve eaten at this new neighborhood hit has made me want to go back for more, and if you asked me what my favorite restaurant is right this very minute, this would be my pick, in part because of the crackling chicken with spaetzle. Just call it crack chicken…
Bad Daddy’s just opened on Monday in Cherry Creek, and today 5280 Burger Bar & Creamery will open in Denver Pavilions. It’s the initial Colorado franchise of Restaurant 512 Fresh, a company based in Austin, Texas — and certainly the first with the 5280 name. See also: First Look: First…
Tony Hessel West Flanders Brewing Co. 1125 Pearl Street, Boulder 303-447-2739 wfbrews.com This is part two of my interview with Tony Hessel, exec chef of West Flanders Brewing Co; part one of our conversation ran yesterday. Which living chef do you most admire? Alice Waters. She was my inspiration for…
Concept Restaurants took on an iconic space when it transformed the former home of Strings — the iconic restaurant founded by the late Noel Cunningham almost three decades ago — into Humboldt, which I review this week. “This was a legendary space that had a legendary restaurant,” explains Sean Huggard,…
Colorado’s first Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar opened Monday in Cherry Creek, in the former home of Tony P’s. The chain was founded by Frank Scibelli, who opened the company’s first Bad Daddy’s in North Carolina in 2007; this location is a partnership between Scibelli and Boyd Hoback, the president and…
In Hollywood, moviemakers drop half as much dough to build interest in films as they do to make them, leading to marketing budgets with lots of zeroes. Can you imagine if local restaurateurs did the same, putting branded toys in Happy Meals, wrapping ads around buses and running action-packed commercials…
