Saucy’s BBQ and Grill goes dark downtown

Apparently lagniappe wasn’t enough to sustain Saucy, the Southern-style barbecue joint that opened in late January at 2200 Market Street, a tough space that swallowed Otto’s Grill and Brix before spitting out Saucy earlier this week. Nearly everything in the restaurant is up for auction, including six flat-screen TVs, conference…

The Denver FIVE are passing the torch to five new chefs

In 2003, Leigh Sullivan was questioning what a lot of us in Denver ponder when discussing the Denver dining climate. Why, she wondered, is everyone focusing on the restaurants and chefs in San Francisco, Chicago and New York, when, in fact, Denver has its own vibrant culinary landscape? A landscape,…

Lufthansa testing high-altitude tastes to improve airline meals

There’s bad food, and then there’s airline food, barely edible foil-wrapped meals that command a category of terrible taste all to themselves. Unsurprisingly, a couple of airlines out there are realizing that if they improve the quality of their meals a bit, especially in first class, they’ll have a competitive…

Boston Fish Shack docks in the former Gelman’s space

A month after closing Gelman’s at 2911 West 38th Avenue, owner Michelle Gelman just reopened the space as Boston Fish Shack, a New England-inspired grubbery that’s doling out classic seafood shack plates like fish and chips, cioppino, Maryland crab cakes, lobster rolls and New England seafood chowder. “With the progression…

Guess where I’m eating?

As usual, I’m lovin’ the pig, and the pork on the above plate, served with watercress, pecans and something mustardy, which I won’t reveal, because, then, it would make this little guessing game far too easy, more than satisfied my enslavement to swine. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special…

A truck truce for Civic Center Eats

When this week’s edition of Civic Center Eats kicks off in a couple of hours, it should be one big, happy family of vendors. That’s because Colorado Fresh Markets, which runs three of the town’s biggest markets and has its vendors sign a non-compete agreement that technically prohibits them from…

Thai Patton pours masterful latte art at The Cup Espresso Cafe

Thai Patton is serious about espresso. He’s a smooth operator behind the bar at The Cup Espresso Café, 1521 Pearl Street in Boulder, pulling shots using a rhythmic routine, creating perfect foam, shouting out morning orders over the din of an ever-present crowd. There’s more to making a latte than…

Michael Long will soon add Aria to his existing Opus

Michael Long had news, but he wasn’t going to share it with me over the phone. “Let’s meet for lunch,” he insisted, “and I’ll tell you all about it.” Over xiao long bao, seaweed salad and beef noodle soup at Lao Wang Noodle House, Long detailed the plans for a…

Guess where I’m eating?

I love the molcajetes served at the restaurant where the above pic was snapped. The smoking mortar, stocked with shrimp, chorizo, beef and chicken, logs of Oaxacan queso, charred nopales and wilted green onions submerged in a swamp of tomatillos laced with green chile, was the ideal Sunday dinner. The…

Cantina Laredo opens in Streets at Southglenn

Even as Snooze plans to put its fourth store in the Streets at Southglenn, Cantina Laredo opened its doors there last week. It’s part of a chain with locations in a dozen states (and the United Arab Emirates!), with two in Colorado — the new one at 6851 South Gaylord…

Snooze opening fourth location at the Streets at SouthGlenn

Snooze brought breakfast food to Denver in a big way when it opened its first location, at 2262 Larimer Street, in April 2006, proffering sassy takes on eggs Benedict and pancakes in flavors like pumpkin and dreamsicle. Apparently the Front Range is hungry for breakfast. With each Snooze that opens…

Estrela Bartending School has new owners, and big plans

It’s keeping the same name — at least for now — but as of a few weeks ago, Estrela Bartending School has new owners. Local businessman Chris Robbins partnered with three others, including KarshHagan advertising firm co-founder Tom Hagan, to assume ownership of the school from previous owner Tom Lucas…

Haute lunch ladies: Denver chefs infiltrate Denver Public Schools

Vegetable cacciatore? Check. Lemon roasted chicken with pesto? Consider it done. While chicken nuggets will likely remain the most popular choice among the elementary school set, cafeteria staff at Denver Public Schools are learning how to prepare finer foods for students who will again fill cafeterias this fall. Chefs from…