After dueling meetings with business and neighborhood groups last week, Mezcal’s application for a cabaret license went before a hearing officer with the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses on Monday. Supporters of the application — which would allow owner Jesse Morreale to regularly feature live music, including mariachi bands…
Toshi Kizaki, who founded Sushi Den back in 1985 with his brother, Yasu, is currently in Japan meeting with vendors, fishmongers and a third brother, Koichi, who visits the markets daily to buy fish for Sushi Den and Izakaya Den (left). When Toshi returns later this month, he’ll bringing a few limited edition…
Elvis may have left the building, but his appetite lives on at the Berkshire. In honor of what would have been the King’s 74th birthday tomorrow, the pork-pushing restaurant at 7352 East 29th Avenue is running a special Elvis promotion. From January 8-11, the Berkshire’s “The King” sandwich — peanut butter,…
My review of the Celtic Tavern (which will be posted here later today) started an interesting conversation among some of the more Hibernian-leaning staff at the Westword office, chewing over why Denver seems incapable of opening and maintaining a decent Irish bar. (RIP, Duffy’s Shamrock.) This discussion immediately struck me…
In September 2006, a mystery shopper visited the Pennsylvania Quiznos store owned by Rich Piotrowski and Ellen Blickman. At the time, Quiznos was in the midst of a major national advertising campaign targeting Subway, using commercials that claimed its Prime Rib Philly Cheeseteak sandwich had twice the meat of a…
The last time we saw Rick Rosner, the then-Denver bouncer/stripper who’d beaten all comers on an Omni IQ test, he was on the cover of Westword wearing roller skates, a loincloth and the question: “Is this the smartest man in America?” Two decades later, Rosner, now a TV writer, is the star of…
There are things I like about the Celtic Tavern. I like the fact that it sits at 18th and Blake, one of my favorite parts of downtown. I’ve rarely spent a night in this neighborhood that hasn’t culminated with my being offered drugs (everything from weed to opium), by friendly…
Here’s a video of 2008 Best Chef award-winner Frank Bonanno — of Mizuna, Luca D’Italia, Osteria Marco and the newly opened noodle bar Bones at 701 Grant Street — giving a tutorial on how to make Lobster and Edamame Ramen. The video-production quality ain’t exactly Rachel Ray yell-a-vision, but it…
Last week, I digested a year’s worth of eating. To recap, here are my six best meals of 2008, in no particular order, and one in memorium addition: 1) Le Bernardin, Manhattan. Eight or nine or ten courses, with the menu personally chosen and assembled by Eric Ripert and wines…
That’s right, the Miami-based chain has been around since 1964, growing from one humble, four-seater restaurant to 62 Benihana restaurants, nine Haru restaurants, and 22 RA Sushi restaurants. Benihana is best known for its flashy way of preparing your food — and frankly, everything tastes better when a 500° skillet is the…
n my recent blog on Frasca’s eventual move to a new building of its own from its current home at 1738 Pearl Street in Boulder, there was some confusion over where, exactly, that building will be. It will be constructed on the spot once occupied by Marisol Imports (where Jason Sheehan once took…
Back in 1996, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers moved its national headquarters to Greenwood Village. And while other chains are scaling back (or disappearing altogether), those based in Denver seem to be doing fairly well. There’s Chipotle, of course, which is moving into London this year. And on Monday, Red Robin…
When we last checked up on Heaven Star, which the owners of Super Star Asian (the best dim sum joint in the city) are opening at 7600 West 120th Avenue in Broomfield, the opening date was slated for January 10. But last week the manager said that was looking soft,…
The Old Spaghetti Factory celebrates its fortieth birthday this year, but instead of crying about middle age, the famous chain is throwing a party. On Tuesday, January 6, diners at all 37 locations nationwide, including the one in Denver, at 1215 18th Street, will offer full meals for around $3,…
The first few weeks of the new year are generally a quiet time in the restaurant industry. Under normal economic conditions, this is a time for the bean-counters and accountants to put their heads together over the books and figure if the twin mercies of Christmas parties and New Year’s…
Blueberry Monster Crunch Disney Magic Selections Rating: One and a half spoons out of four Cereal description: Light-brown wheat and rice rectangles that curl slightly at the edges, like old papers found in a far corner of the attic. The bits are speckled with the occasional dark splotch, which may…
When I checked in with Jeff Osaka, chef/owner of twelverestaurant, last month, he told me that although he’d just opened his restaurant at 2233 Larimer in early November, he was already reducing the prices on his changing-monthly menu. (His concept of a dozen menus a year — each featuring seasonal…
After five years, the Spice Boys of the Rockies are closing up their “humble little spice boutique” at 301 West Eleventh Avenue and moving to an all-online shop at www.spiceboysrock.com. “As the first specialty spice and tea store in Denver, we were definitely challenged to create a product line especially…
The Jet Entertainment Group may be the busiest boys in chow business. They picked up Nine75 (975 Lincoln Street) right after Jim Sullivan closed it this fall, and reopened it in a matter of days. They’re finishing up a project at the Jet Hotel, at 1612 Wazee Street, to make…
Want a taste of the town’s best restaurants? We’re whetting your appetite by publishing our Best of Denver 2009 Readers’ Poll earlier than ever — in this week’s paper and right here online. What’s the best new restaurant in town? In the Best of Denver 2008, Izakaya Den took that honor…
Steuben’s, the bar/restaurant at 523 East 17th Avenue that opened at 11 a.m. yesterday, will stay open until 3 p.m. today — when its staff will take a well-deserved rest after 28 hours of continuous service. We stopped by shortly after 5 p.m. New Year’s Eve, for a celebration-cushioning green chile cheeseburger, the best…
I started the year at O’s in Westminster, sucking mango-vodka purée out of shells of frozen vanilla, eating matsutake mushrooms and razor-shaved snails and drinking champagne by the bottle. I started the year at Bar Americain in midtown Manhattan, checking in on Rebecca Weitzman (ex of Cafe Star and since…
