I’ve passed by Thai Lotus many times without going in. I’ve been to Charlie Brown’s dozens of times without ever cracking a menu. But when I did, I was just as surprised as when I finally stepped inside Thai Lotus. There are many reasons to go to Charlie Brown’s. For…
When I reviewed Pho 99 two months ago, I stuck with the Vietnamese soup for which the place was named, in deference to some complicated dental work. I slurped it with flank and tendon, with tripe, with chicken, and even managed to eat — carefully — some chao tom: homemade…
Standing in front of Thai Lotus after our first meal there, Laura and I look at the place, amazed. Stuffed and carrying takeout, we need something to aid our digestion. “In Florida,” Laura says, “my grandmother used to take a walk every time she went out for Chinese food. Not…
Wonder twin powers activate! Shape of an agave plant. Form of a hangover. At Lime XS, I recently met up with Dave Elger, who’s launched MuchoTE Tequila with his brother, Will. Born in Mexico City but now based in Denver, the twins have taken on the super-heroic task of making…
They’re everywhere, the foot soldiers of the political process — clipboards and pens in hand, earnest fervor oozing from their eyes and dripping from every “Are you registered to vote, man?” The answer, from me and almost everyone, it seems, is a piqued-though-not-pissed “Yep.” Not so from an off-balanced gentleman…
F-words are so lovable. Just looked over Jason Sheehan’s review of Thai Lotus, which reminded me of this recent missive from a reader: First off, let me say I think Jason Sheehan is a talented writer and fair food critic. I look forward to his column each week. Okay, now…
Jenny Meade exercises her biceps with a schooner of beer at the new Blake Street Vault. Walking through the Blake Street Vault, you can appreciate all the history — as well as blood, sweat and beers — that went into the creation of this new restaurant, which opened last month…
James Mazzio created great snack food for Neighborhood Flix. It’s curtains for Neighborhood Flix Cinema & Cafe, one of the occupants of the renovated Lowenstein complex on Colfax. The combo restaurant/movie theater will close after less than a year in business, the victim of too much competition for first-run films,…
So, what are you doing Wednesday night? Nothing? Good, because I’ve got something that’ll get you up off the couch and out on the town. How ‘bout a chance to see Solera’s Goose Sorensen and James Mazzio from Via going head-to-head in this year’s Mile High Chef competition at Westword’s…
The food at Thai Lotus is a pleasant surprise. It makes me wonder what else I have missed, overlooked, passed by without a second glance. I’ve been to Chianti, and Venice before that—what? Ten times, maybe? A dozen? Which means that ten or a dozen times before I’d been within…
We traded this for ballerinas? First, Bravo Ristorante dropped is opera-singing waiters. Now the Supreme Court is closed for renovation (although its web site has yet to reflect that), and when it reopens, it will be as Katie Mullen’s Irish Pub, the first location in this country for a family…
Gustavo Arellano, author of the weekly Ask a Mexican and the go-to guy for all things Mexican, was born in in Orange County, California, the son of a legal immigrant and an illegal immigrant. He tells his family’s story — and so much more — in his new book, Orange…
Eric Skokan should get out of the kitchen and check his bathrooms. What the f@&k is that smell? Okay, so I thought my review of Black Cat, chef Eric Skokan’s place in Boulder, turned out pretty well, with a nice story, some dick jokes, a pleasing arc — going from…
Late last week, I got word from Duy Pham that his new restaurant — in Pueblo, of all places — is just about done. “Buildout, total remodel,” he told me. “I just spent $5,000 on an awning, dude!” He’s hoping to roll out the red carpet at Restaurant Fifteen Twenty-One…
Do you know your Qilaishan Long Wu from your Huang Zhi Xiang? Well, neither do I. But Greg Fellman does. Fellman is the owner of Seven Cups, the three-month-old Chinese tea house that held its grand opening party on Saturday, September 13. On a warm, late summer day, the store…
Karma Cafe, which was once sandwiched between Vita and Lola in the 1500 block of Boulder street, has been reincarnated — but with a new name, Solar Vegetarian Café, and in a new neighborhood: Five Points, at 2615 Welton Street. But Karma’s conscience remains unchanged, and from 11 a.m.- 11…
Barbie as The Island Princess Cereal Kellogg’s Rating: Three spoons out of four Cereal description: Corn and oat flour bits squeezed into red and purple heart shapes — the latter apparently intended as a subtle tribute to our brave soldiers in uniform. These nuggets are supplemented by marshmallows available in…
The menu at Landmark is as empty as Scarlet Johansson. Dinner and a movie…it sounds like such a good idea, right? A movie theater with a restaurant inside? A place where you can get something a little more substantial than a soggy bag of popcorn and a box of Goobers?…
Gettin’ grilled. Chedd’s 1906 Pearl Street 303-386-3998 The Ultimate Gouda and havarti on Dakota bread $5.50 I wanted to like this sandwich and I wanted to like Chedd’s. The concept it so good: one of the greatest American comfort foods, grilled cheese sandwiches, some of them with added ingredients, done…
It’s rare for a restaurant to have a night go the way of our first meal at Black Cat. I’d watched (in weird, mimed silence, thanks to the panels of glass set between most of the line and the floor) as the night dissolved — the scramble through spiked checks,…
Have you ever dined with us before?” our server asked. She was penny-bright, scrubbed and polished in her house livery (black on black), standing with her hands folded in front of her and a spark in her eyes that bordered on fanaticism — a glow of barely contained glee at…
I’d actually forgotten how much I both love and hate election years. Hate: I’ve been tasting my shoelaces a lot these days, since I keep putting my feet in my mouth. I’d just assumed that most of my friends would find Sarah Palin’s ultra-religious, conservative social views as despicable as…
