Spring weather is finally upon us, and with flowers and cool breezes come new menus featuring fresh produce and light flavors. Here are three recent menu updates: from a Boulder Italian restaurant, a museum eatery and a Highland neighborhood gem. Arugula 2785 Iris Avenue, Boulder 303-443-5100 After a remodel at…

The culinary opinions of writer, chef and television personality Ruth Reichl matter; after all, she has been a restaurant critic for both the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times, in addition to writing ten books on food and cooking. So when she makes a stop between the coasts…

In January, we noticed a hand-painted sign reading “Lucia” at 1550 17th Street in downtown Denver, and learned that the space would soon become a new eatery from Urban Food Group, a team that currently operates five restaurants in North Carolina, including the original Lucia in Durham. It looks like…

This week, Gretchen Kurtz made a beeline for Abejas in Golden, where she interviewed chef Nicholas Ames about working a Toyota factory cafeteria and his love of ramen. Mark Antonation rustled up a few fried pork tenderloin sandwiches, a rarity in Denver but a big slab of comfort for displaced…

No. 84: Korean Fried Chicken Wings at Yong Gung The nondescript little storefront at 2040 South Havana Street that once boasted the name Yong Gung Dragon Palace Chinese Restaurant is now simply Yong Gung — a minor change that takes away some confusion, since the restaurant doesn’t serve Chinese cuisine…

Chef Tim Payne may take his cooking inspiration from the Colorado soil, but the business model for his restaurant, Farmer Girl, is thoroughly modern. Payne started out with a food truck and catering company before signing a short-term lease in Avanti Food & Beverage, the restaurant incubator in LoHi, last…

Coy and Rachael Webb opened Roaming Buffalo Bar-B-Que at 2387 South Downing Street in January 2015 and since then they’ve made it a favorite among smokehouse aficionados and neighbors alike. Like the best smokehouses around the country, the Webbs often sell out well before the dinner hour. But since there’s…

No. 85: The Tornado at the Chowder RoomIf you’re looking for a great bowl of clam chowder, starting at a place called the Chowder Room is a good bet. The seaside-style fish house on South Broadway offers no fewer than four styles every day: a classic bacon-studded New England chowder,…

After several months completely overhauling the former Le Peep at 1875 York Street, Syrup is now open for breakfast and lunch. This is the third Syrup in owner Tim Doherty’s sweet little a.m. empire, after the original at 300 Josephine Street in Cherry Creek and the downtown spot at 999 18th…

There’s been a growing call in recent years to stop using the word “ethnic,” especially in food writing. The basic argument is that the word has come to mean anything non-white or to imply that food from other cultures should be cheap and served from hole-in-the-wall joints with little regard…

Project Angel Heart has been providing meals to Front Range residents dealing with life-threatening illnesses since 1991 — and executive chef Jon Emanuel has been the head of the kitchen for a good part of that. Emanuel signed on with the non-profit organization in 2005 and has helped oversee the…

Onefold, a popular breakfast and lunch stop at 1420 East 18th Avenue, was broken into and robbed over the weekend. Owner Mark Nery says the break-in took place at about 3 a.m. on Sunday morning. The perpetrator smashed in the glass front door and stole the cash register from the…

Chef Stephen Kleinman’s new eatery, Pop’s Place, opens today in the Ballpark neighborhood for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast, with a quirky roster designed by Jim Pittenger of Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs, begins at 7 a.m. today. Kleinman and Pittenger have been working to open Pop’s since January, when they…

The pace of restaurant opening increased dramatically over March and into this week, culminating in what almost seemed like an April Fool’s Day joke, with six bars and restaurants opening today or tomorrow. March saw Justin Brunson’s new American grill, Masterpiece Kitchen, open in Lowry; a second Steuben’s debut in…

No. 86: Brisket and Ribs at GQue Championship BBQ Barbecue isn’t just food, it’s a competitive sport. And GQue Championship BBQ owner Jason Ganahl has proven himself on the competitive circuit with high marks at events in both Colorado and in the American South, where good ‘cue is taken seriously…

If you’ve got a little spare change to blow and a few hours of free time tonight, a quick call for reservations and a drive up to Vail — scratch that — a private plane to Vail will net you a six-course wine dinner at Matsuhisa with German winemaker Richard…

They say that if you want to get something done, ask the busiest person you know. Busy folks are easy to find in the food-service business, with 24-hour days a common occurrence for restaurateurs juggling multiple eateries while dealing with hiring, developing menus, pleasing customers and often building new restaurants…

A new all-day market, deli, restaurant and music venue is coming to the RiNo neighborhood this week. The Preservery will have its grand opening this Friday, April 1, in the Backyard on Blake development at 3040 Blake Street. The Preservery is the culmination of more than two years of planning…

Whole-animal butchery is already a big part of the program at chef Hosea Rosenberg’s Blackbelly Market, but customers will soon have even more options when it comes to beef, pork and lamb cuts and housemade charcuterie — and more space to hang out for breakfast and lunch. Rosenberg is in…