The inn crowd: The Schmoozers sign that had hung over the space at 4400 East Eighth Avenue has disappeared, replaced by one proclaiming that the place is once again The College Inn, the name it had gone by since the Fifties. But while that identity crisis has apparently been straightened…

A bite of the big Apple: Chef Matt Selby of Vesta Dipping Grill, at 1822 Blake Street, is just back from a stint at New York’s Gramercy Tavern. Sent there by Vesta owner Josh Wolkon to work with Gramercy owner Danny Meyer and chef Tom Colicchio in order to come…

Ali Awada left his native Lebanon and came to Colorado eleven years ago, when his brother married a woman from Denver. “My family has restaurants in Lebanon, but when I moved here I went to work as a financier for American Express,” Awada explains. “But I love cooking so much,…

When Tony Zarlenga first spotted Marla Maria Diaz, they were both on vacation in Greece. “I was by myself, and I noticed this girl on the other side of the boat who was laughing and having a good time,” he remembers. “She had a wonderful smile, and I kept thinking…

Mouth of the border: For years, Cafe Brazil (see review above) was one of just a handful of South American spots in town, but now we’re about to get more cuisine from countries far south of the border. This fall, the old home of Chives, at 1120 East Sixth Avenue,…

Since The Hornet opened in 1996, the restaurant has been busier than the proverbial bee–but the food hasn’t always gotten good buzz (“The Green Hornet,” June 6, 1996). Initially, the most appealing thing about the place was the cavernous space, which had been cleaned of decades of clutter left by…

Bested of Denver: I’ve been involved with the last six Best of Denver issues (there have been sixteen altogether), and the June 24 edition was the toughest yet. Yes, there are more restaurants here than when I started, but that doesn’t mean there are more good restaurants–much less consistently good…

From the start, the concept seemed fishy. An all-you-can-eat sushi spread sounds promising for about three seconds–until you start thinking about just how long that raw fish has to sit out there under those bright lights before everyone has eaten his fill or the joint closes for the evening. But…

My two young daughters and I were playing ladies who lunch the other day when the four-year-old suddenly pointed at what was obviously a hard-as-a-brick loaf of bread in the window next to our table. “Can we eat that?” she asked. “No,” I said. “It’s just there for decoration.” “Why?”…

Clam up: Here’s a truly Italian dish that just made its way onto the menu at Panzano (see review this page), and while I didn’t try it in the restaurant, it turned out beautifully at home. Panzano’s Clams With Prosciutto, Leeks, Tomatoes and Sherry 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus…

The secret’s in the sauce. Without it, much of the assorted Asian cuisines would be little more than slightly undercooked vegetables and thin slivers of stir-fried meat. The right sauce, though, can transform straightforward ingredients into such delightful dishes as orange beef and curry shrimp. Yes, the secret’s in the…

Singing the blues: The music was great at last weekend’s Denver Blues and Bones Festival, but many barbecue fans have a bone to pick with the organizers. Although the event included a two-day barbecue championship, with contestants ranging from mom-and-pop joints to backyard cooks and the final round of judging…

For the first two years, Jeffrey Cleary was delighted to look out into the eclectic dining room of his Cafe Bohemia and see just half of the eight tables full. “It was tough going,” says Cleary, a veteran chef who specializes in New American and French cooking, “but at least…

Freshly starched: Both owners of Cafe Bohemia (see review above) got early culinary starts. Jeffrey Cleary began at the age of thirteen, when he enrolled in the three-year culinary program of a vocational-technical college; by sixteen, he owned his own bakery in Minersville, Pennsylvania. His partner, Pascal Trompeau, grew up…

A pizza the action: Good pizza is hard to come by, and consistently good pizza is even less common, which is why Parisi (see review above) is such a find. But several other, lesser-known places in town serve up a decent slice, including Abo’s Pizza at 305 South Downing Street…

Nearly every Cafe review elicits responses from readers who agree or disagree, but one in particular inspired an unusually heavy load of negative reactions: my critique of Wild Ginger (“Sugar and Spice,” January 15, 1998). Eighteen months ago, I loved everything about the place. Unfortunately, one of the things I…

In Italy, just try walking into a pizzeria and ordering a pie with, oh, say, ham and pineapple. They’ll laugh you right into France. Black olives and green peppers? No way. Pepperoni and mushrooms? Fuggedaboutit. At the source, there are specific, standardized types of pizza. You don’t order a medium…

The server, who looked young enough to be Mick Jagger’s granddaughter, twittered with excitement as she leaned toward one of my dining companions. Pointing to his Rolling Stones sweatshirt, she asked, “Have you ever seen them?” Barry Fey made a low chortling noise but kept a straight face. “Yes, dear,…

Cream of the crop: Some steak buffs are so eager to get to the meat of the matter that they don’t bother with side dishes, but I like something to turn to between beef bites. The creamed spinach at Sullivan’s Steakhouse is an ideal break, because it’s a little salty…

Don’t pupu it: Not all Salvadoran restaurants serve pupusas. The turnovers are time-consuming to make and they take up a lot of grill space. But while Rincón Tropical (8615 East Colfax Avenue) is not a pupuseria, this austere yet cheerful space has been serving up excellent Central American fare for…

Back home in San Salvador, Hector and Maritza Gil ran a pupuseria with their families. After they decided to leave El Salvador and its horrendous economy and move to Denver last fall, they also decided to continue doing what they know best. And do best, judging from the wonderful food…

Cafe Odyssey is supposed to be that most miraculous of late-twentieth-century inventions, an “eatertainment” establishment where people can eat and be entertained. And just how hard up for entertainment are diners who make the odyssey to this spot in the Denver Pavilions? Well, in the Machu Picchu dining room, there’s…