Wine Experience Cafe

I started worrying about Wine Experience Cafe the moment I stepped inside. The place was empty, completely deserted on a day and at an hour when the eighty-seat dining room should have been packed. I was thinking that in this neighborhood (Southlands, another one of those commercial/residential, new-urbanism developments that…

Wine Time

This has been a good year for Colorado’s oenophiles. First, Wine Experience Cafe (reviewed this week) brought the pleasures of both the bottle and the table to those neglected souls living in the south suburbs. Before it opened, I’d talked to owner Eldon Larson, who told me that one of…

The Remy Sidecar

Several of my friends are known for their favorite cocktail. There’s Matt, who drinks Ketel One and still water — and drinks it so often that we’ve named it the Keeney-tini. There’s Ellen, who drinks Cosmos made with Stoli Ohranj, no lime and no lime juice. And then there’s Deb,…

Kiva Restaurant

It was everywhere, the puppy piss — puddling up on the concrete beneath our chairs, flowing toward the unaware flip-flops and purses underneath the crowded patio tables. Try as we might to soak it up with napkins, the current of devastation could not be abated. So we left, but not…

Cork House

Three years ago this month, Tante Louise finally faded from the Denver restaurant scene, after three decades of good works — including serving as a training ground for many cooks who would later come to form the top rank of Denver’s chef elite. As owner Corky Douglass bowed out, Ed…

The Sky’s the Limit: Moon Time

Summertime, and the living is breezy. Denver diners and drinkers are obsessed with patios — and restaurateurs are obsessed with giving them what they want. Whether it’s just a couple of chairs stuck out on the sidewalk or acres of elaborate decks, almost every joint in town has an outdoor…

I Blame the Vegetarians for Bastien’s

Making for home down East Colfax Avenue yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice two things. One: the recent warmth has certainly brought some color back to the bums and sign-fliers working our most storied stretch of blacktop. And two: It looks as though Bastien’s, which has held down its space…

Annie’s Reopens on Colfax

Annie’s Café officially reopened today, June 18, in its new spot at 3100 East Colfax Avenue, and it’s already starting to feel like home – despite a number of kinks that have yet to be worked out, said Peggy Anderson, who owns the old-school Denver eatery with Diane Williams. “The…

Culinary Cruising: Viva Espana!

Marisol, the author of The Lady, the Chef and the Courtesan, a sensual, romantic novel that comes complete with recipes, last month left landlocked Denver for a stint as a celebrity chef. She sent Westword regular missives from her temporary home: a cruise ship. But not everything went according to…

A Garden of Eatin’: Gemelli’s

Summertime, and the living is breezy. Denver diners and drinkers are obsessed with patios — and restaurateurs are obsessed with giving them what they want. Whether it’s just a couple of chairs stuck out on the sidewalk or acres of elaborate decks, almost every joint in town has an outdoor…

Grape Expectations

For chef Matt Franklin, the Wine Experience Café concept was a perfect fit. It’s a wine shop with a restaurant attached. (Or, in my world, a restaurant with a wine shop next door.) All of the bottles and glasses served in the restaurant are available for sale in the shop;…

Culinary Cruising: Class Dismissed

Marisol, the author of The Lady, the Chef and the Courtesan, a sensual, romantic novel that comes complete with recipes, last month left landlocked Denver for a stint as a celebrity chef. She sent Westword regular missives from her temporary home: a cruise ship. But not everything went according to…

Community Spirits

Expect to drink a lot of red wine – and pay a hefty bar tab – at the new, and popular, Community Table Night at Parisi, a northwest Denver hotspot at 4401 Tennyson Street. If you’re shy, you’ll need a glass or two to get into the spirit of things,…

You’re a Good Patio: Charlie Brown’s

Summertime, and the living is breezy. Denver diners and drinkers are obsessed with patios — and restaurateurs are obsessed with giving them what they want. Whether it’s just a couple of chairs stuck out on the sidewalk or acres of elaborate decks, almost every joint in town has an outdoor…

Milking It: Princess Gems cereal

Princess Gems Disney Magic Selections Rating: Two and a half spoons out of four Cereal description: The main cereal pieces are made of oats shaped like puffy stars with a hole in the middle, as if they’ve been blasted by a Disney super-villain armed with a .44 magnum. In addition,…

Culinary Cruising: Beer Instead of Wine

Marisol, the author of The Lady, the Chef and the Courtesan, a sensual, romantic novel that comes complete with recipes, has left landlocked Denver for a stint as a celebrity chef. She’s sending daily missives from her temporary home: a cruise ship. Somewhere near La Havre: The day after tomorrow,…

Culinary Cruising: Time for a Manicure

Marisol, the author of The Lady, the Chef and the Courtesan, a sensual, romantic novel that comes complete with recipes, has left landlocked Denver for a stint as a celebrity chef. She’s sending daily missives from her temporary home: a cruise ship. Cadiz, Spain: Cadiz is the oldest city in…

Culinary Cruising: Menu Change

Marisol, the author of The Lady, the Chef and the Courtesan, a sensual, romantic novel that comes complete with recipes, has left landlocked Denver for a stint as a celebrity chef. She’s sending daily missives from her temporary home: a cruise ship. Marseille (or so we thought): If you’ve been…

Chow Down For Charity

With summer comes grilling and overeating, usually one as a result of the other. But some people like a little competitive juice with their meal, and they take this idea to the next level. Welcome to the ongoing Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs hot dog eating contest – created to raise money…

Pass Around the Cup for One of Denver’s Top Roasters

You may have noticed that your favorite local cup of joe has lately tasted a bit off, even a tad bitter. If so, there’s a reason: The local coffee community has been shaken to its core by painful news about one of its key members: 26-year-old Semeon Abay, head roaster…

In the Ballpark: Meadowlark

If you’re tired of the downtown crowd or simply looking for a mid-show break from the Larimer Lounge, the Meadowlark’s patio is a true urban oasis. It’s big and dark and often quiet, and coming here is like slipping away from a party and into someone’s back yard to share…

Candy Girls: Indiana Jones Special Edition Candy

This week, the Candy Girls decided to try a few of the limited edition flavors released by the Mars candy company to celebrate the release of the first Indiana Jones film in almost 20 years. The Snickers Adventure Bar promises to “Satisfy your taste for adventure! Rich Chocolate. Crunchy nuts…