Cost Plus World Market is usually a one-stop gift shop for foodies, but during the holiday season it becomes a wonderland of seasonal edibles, drinkables and everything to create and serve them, including winter-themed cookware and dishes that you’ll only use once a year. The prices are reasonable for imported…
The McRib has been resurrected for the holiday season, and Jenn Wohletz celebrated its reappearance yesterday in her Merry McRibness ode. But not everyone is celebrating its return (or another fast-food post on Cafe Society). See also: – Merry McRibness! A holiday poem -The McRib is back, and Denver’s got…
All this week, I’m featuring my favorite culinary stocking stuffers and presents for the fervent foodnik, cook and restaurant fiend in your life (yesterday’s pick was the indulgent hot chocolate and salted caramel marshmallows from Spuntino). These are all gifts that are available locally — and locally made or produced…
Never mind that the guy behind the bar, a self-described beer geek since 1995, had never heard of sour beers. Weird, but forgivable, particularly since he suggested I try The Abyss, an inky special reserve Imperial stout, from Deschutes, with hints of caramel and licorice. Get it now, before I…
It’s not that easy to find vegetarian-friendly (let alone vegan-friendly) Mexican food; between lard in the refried beans and chicken stock in the rice or green chile, there’s no telling what animal products might be lurking in the foods you order. That’s why we just love places like Tarasco’s New…
Back in September, we spilled the very good news that Paul Reilly, the former chef of Encore, which closed early this spring, would open a new dining mecca called called Beast + Bottle, a restaurant, he told me, that would be nose-to-tail and “much more about the food and food…
Yesterday marked the glorious return of America’s favorite onion-ed, pickled, sauce-slathered, probably-pork sandwich. Much to my delight, the McDonald’s location at 505 East Colfax Avenue is now serving the McRib sandwich — and thanks to McDoo’s extremely persuasive “Get a second McRib for $1,” I not only got one McRib…
Jax is about to add a fourth location, in the new City Set development in Glendale, behind the Hilton Garden Inn at the corner of Colorado Boulevard and Cherry Creek Drive — an area definitely shy of good restaurant options. Jax isn’t the only eatery going into the project: Udi’s…
Cafe Society served up four Guess Where? posts last week, zigzagging from a rich — and rewarding — bowl of Malaysian shrimp laksa from Phat Thai, to a healthy kale salad from True Food Kitchen, to a dish with sliced lamb, scallions and chiles from a suburban Chinese joint, whose…
All this week, I’ll be featuring my favorite culinary stocking stuffers and presents for the fervent foodnik, cook and restaurant fiend in your life. These are all gifts that are available locally — and locally made or produced — and they’re all things that I hope to find in my…
If you’re looking for something to bring to the office for the holidays — and you work with people who don’t eat animal products — these vegan ginger cookies are a quick, easy solution. Softer than gingersnaps but with a similar bite imparted by the distinctive root, they’re a great…
Last Friday, we broke the news that Dave Query, the mastermind behind Big Red F, the Boulder-based restaurant group that already lays claim to eight restaurants in Boulder, Denver and Fort Collins, is adding a new chicken joint and brewery to his repertoire next year, this one in Lafayette. But…
The concept of “the backup” is a pretty familiar one in sports, electrical generators and dating, but you don’t usually see it applied to restaurants. But the International House of Pancakes is my idea of the perfect backup restaurant: It’s not a first choice for dining, but it’s a suitable…
Can there ever be too much bacon? Diners were in hog heaven at last weekend’s Bacon and Beer Festival, featuring craft beers from some of the state best breweries as well as bacon in every form imaginable, some edible — and some not, as the photo above indicates. It was…
One of my all-time favorite street foods is Malaysian shrimp laksa, and here, at this playful noodle and curry house that doesn’t play by the rules, the rich, thick coconut soup is perfumed with herbs, textured with cashews and slurp-worthy with slithery noodles. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special…
For the past several weeks, the brass from Big Red F — owner and chef Dave Query, culinary director Jamey Fader and Brett Smith, the current exec chef of Zolo Grill — have been on a chicken crawl, traversing the country in search of America’s best fried chicken and rotisserie…
This year has seen some random — and downright nutty — food heists. Stealing enormous amounts of edibles is a strange crime, especially since rarely are the thefts committed to feed starving people or to make significant political statements. What sort of greedy, soulless riffraff steals pilfers foodstuffs? Since none…
If these stools could talk! The Burnsley Hotel closed yesterday, and with that closure Denver lost an elegant hotel dining room and a tucked-away bar that was many things for many people… Including a great spot for an assignation. See also: – Reader: I’m bummed to see the Burnsley go…
Hoping to have one last drink at the Burnsley before the hotel closes in anticipation of turning into apartments? You’re too late. The doors are already locked, the restaurant and bar dark, and the sign above posted on those doors. RIP, Burnsley. See also: The Burnsley Hotel — and its…
The owners of the Empty Bottle wine shop have finally popped the cork for Bin 1884 Cheese Bar, a casual eatery they opened in the shop at 1886 South Pearl Street that offers soups, sandwiches and antipasta plates. Here’s a look at Bin 1884: See also: -Bin 1884 Cheese Bar…
When chef Jeff Osaka opened twelve in November 2008, he wasn’t thinking about a day more than four years in the future, the last triple date of this century: 12/12/12. He wasn’t thinking about the future much at all. He’d named his restaurant twelve to reflect the fact that he…
The above dish — sliced lamb with a garden of scallions — hails from a Chinese restaurant with a lengthy menu (aren’t they all that way?), much of it Americanized, but if you dig a little deeper and study the last two pages, you’ll be rewarded with authenticity. Can you…
