I’m a firm believer in the culinary arts as the ultimate art form, because you can touch all five senses,” says Chris Jakubiec, executive chef of Fire and culinary director for the Art Hotel, which is scheduled to open in mid-June. That’s a smart approach, since the hotel is only…
No. 35: Meatloaf Sandwich at City Bakery Cafe Last January, Denver bread master Michael Bortz expanded his City Bakery concept to include a full breakfast and lunch cafe on Lincoln Street. The City Bakery Cafe has been serving breakfast pastries, egg sandwiches, soups, and hot and cold deli sandwiches since…
When attempting to tease apart the strands of American cooking that weave together soul food and Southern food, there’s no better source than Adrian Miller, author of the James Beard-award winning Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time. Miller’s book is a great…
Grateful Bread is already one of our favorite bakeries in town, earning the Best Bread award in our Best of Denver 2015 edition — and owners Jeff Cleary and Kathy Mullen are about to make things even better. Starting in August, they’ll be milling their own specialty flours on a…
Burgers may be big business in many parts of Denver, but one place where they can’t seem to find favor is on the 700 block of Colorado Boulevard. Little H Burger moved into a shopping center across the street from Snooze in 2011, but didn’t last long, as parent H…
Darren “Big Country” Byrd came to Colorado from Texas to attend culinary school at Colorado Mountan College and opened a barbecue joint in Keystone in 2007. But he grew tired of nine months of winter a year and so moved his operation to Denver, where he’s been running a fleet…
When Blackbelly Market opened in east Boulder last fall, chef/owner Hosea Rosenberg had grand plans for offering the Front Range a full market, butcher shop, breakfast and lunch counter, and destination dining establishment. Those plans have all come together and Rosenberg’s kitchen is in full swing, offering a meat-centric menu…
Jerry and Laura Lasco just opened a location of Max’s Wine Dive, their Texas-based chain, at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Sherman Street, but they’re into more than fried chicken and champagne. Diving into healthier eating as a way to combat high blood pressure and other health issues, they…
Sommelier and world traveler Travis Gee is nearly ready to open Brik on York, his wine bar and restaurant in a former watch repair store, antique furniture shop and movie theater on East Colfax Avenue. The old wood and stucco facade has been removed to reveal the underlying brick that…
Although opening day of Civic Center Eats was rained out on May 5, the twice-weekly food truck rally in Civic Center Park managed to squeeze in a couple of hours of lunch service last Thursday — and the sun even peeked out a little for the rescheduled official kickoff yesterday,…
Angus and John Hicks of Jozi’s Kitchen & Shebeen Brothers Angus and John Hicks grew up in apartheid-era Johannesburg, South Africa, where illegal bars and restaurants called shebeens were a part of the culture. For decades, native Africans had been prohibited from purchasing alcohol in liquor stores and bars, so the…
Beer and burger specialist the Pint Room got its start in Dublin, Ohio, three years ago offering 101 beers on tap. A second spot with 126 taps opened last year in Carmel, Indiana. And this week, the company will open its third Pint Room in Littleton, in the former home…
In the most recent example of urban infill, a groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday at 18th and Wazee streets for a new mixed-used development called Z Block, which will add office, hotel and retail space to a stretch that’s now mostly parking lots and office space. The project is a…
Kirk’s Soul Kitchen in Aurora lacks the homey charm of Cora Faye’s or the Welton Street Cafe, but the setting isn’t quite modern enough to give it hipster appeal. Instead, its appearance falls somewhere between a divey joint of the kind so prevalent in Aurora (and not at all indicative…
When Johnny Ballen first opened the Squeaky Bean in Lower Highland in 2009, chef Max MacKissock was behind the burners in a kitchen that was barely big enough for him to turn around. Ballen and MacKissock opened a spacious new restaurant and kitchen in LoDo in 2012, but MacKissock moved…
One of my favorite street-taco vendors, Tacos el Sampa, set up shop on West Evans Avenue a few years ago, selling carnitas, barbacoa, and tacos al pastor from a trailer equipped with a flat top and rotisserie and sheltered with a blue FEMA-style tarp. Over the course of a couple…
The newest edifice in the Golden Triangle Museum District, an area that includes the Denver Art Museum, the Clyfford Still Museum and History Colorado, is the aptly named Art Hotel. And since no hotel is complete without a restaurant, the Art Hotel will unveil Fire Lounge and Terrace when it opens…
In mid-April, a sign went up in the vacant Belvedere Polish Restaurant space informing passersby that the Greedy Hamster would soon be moving in. And while the name evokes images of a fat rodent stuffing its cheeks with baby carrots, this Greedy Hamster will be a restaurant and bar from…
No. 37: Pan Bagnat at Fuel Cafe A thoughtfully constructed Nicoise salad accompanied by a crusty chunk of bread can make for a perfect lunch. The variety and freshness of the ingredients combine with a filling serving of fish and eggs to create a healthy and nourishing dish — superfood…
We recently served up our list of the ten best burgers in Denver, with the Ditka burger from Jimmy’s Urban Bar & Grill in the top position. The burgers on that list ranged from simple and elegant — like those at Larkburger and Ste. Ellie, where the ground beef is the…
Tyler and Kimberly Armstrong Simply Pizza Food Truck Kimberly and Tyler Armstrong own their own construction and fabrication business. But they’re also avid home cooks and tinkerers, so Tyler — who goes by Ty — got to thinking about how to combine their love of cooking and fondness for building…
While Denver’s surge of independent restaurants over the past year or two has been astonishing, national chains still see plenty of opportunities in the surrounding suburbs. In last few days, branches of three corporate entities have found new homes in Lone Tree, Englewood and Northglenn. Although chains are often responsible for…
