Today’s daily dose of food porn, courtesy of C Y Steak

Just in case you haven’t heard, there’s a new steak house in town — and it comes with a side of strip … tease. Cliff Young, one of Denver’s best-known restaurateurs, recently returned from a 12-year extended holiday in France at the Chateau Cote d’Or to open C Y Steak,…

Guess where I’m eating?

One potato, two potato, three potato … That’s it for clues. You, too, can be a potato head if you can guess where I’m eating…

Part two: Chef and Tell with Mary Nguyen of Parallel 17

This is part two of Lori Midson’s interview with Mary Nguyen, exec chef of Parallel 17. You can read part one of Midson’s interview with Nguyen here. Most embarrassing moment in the kitchen: Before I started cooking, I worked in finance. When I was just starting out in this industry,…

The Royal Hilltop gives its customers reason to stay loyal

Years ago, I stumbled on the Royal Hilltop, a faux-British pub in the middle of a suburban strip mall that, despite its geographical and cultural challenges, was a fine neighborhood bar for those truly in love with greasy fish fries, hand-pulled Fullers, pints of black and creamy Murphy’s stout, and…

What’s Cooking: Pete Marczyk tells an oxtail

Braised Oxtails and Sugo with Homemade Pappardelle Pete Marczyk and Barbara Macfarlane do not leave their work behind when they leave Marczyk Fine Foods and head for their great old Denver house with the big, new kitchen. They often bring some of their market’s choicest ingredients home with them, and…

More Tales from the Nob Hill: Hob-nobbing with Doctor Ray

Last week I spent some time at the Nob Hill Inn, a great dive at 420 East Colfax Avenue, chatting with the regulars — some of whom have irregular hobbies. Doctor Ray takes care of the homeless in the neighborhood. Outreach, he told me. Getting them into shelters for the…

Staffing Up: Goin’ south at Mojitos

Buchi Cafe Cubano is a great Cuban restaurant. Step inside Cuba Cuba on a good night, and you need an oxygen tank (or a powerful constitution) because the air in the bar is like breathing muddled mint and rum. But while Denver has some Cuban restaurants, what this city does…

XO Noodle Bar is no more

XO Noodle Bar, the hip (but hardly happening) noodle bar that opened in June at 1612 Wazee Street in the Jet Hotel, shuttered on Saturday. “We totally believe in the concept,” insists exec chef Jose Guerreco. But, he adds, “it was a huge struggle to get people in that back…

Chef and Tell with Mary Nguyen of Parallel 17

“Food is the one thing that I grew up knowing would bring family and friends together, soothe wounds and mend hearts as well as improve any party or celebration,” says Mary Nguyen, chef-owner of the Vietnamese-French bistro Parallel 17. “I entered this profession because it’s the way I express my…

Tonight: March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction

Tonight, the Colorado Chapter of the March of Dimes will host its annual Signature Chefs Auction at 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Denver, 650 15th Street. Tickets to the event are $150 per person and include small plates from many of Denver’s top chefs, as well as live music…

Guess where I’m eating?

Long before pizza and fois gras joined the line-up on this street, there was green chile, offered both mild and hot and served over big, fat burritos. And while the dining in this neighborhood may be getting finer, that chile was just fine from the start. Guess where I’m eating?…

Getting frisky at the Cheeky Monk

Here are some things I know about the Belgians: They invented French fries and waffles — two vital food groups — but the French stole both of them. Every other country in the world has had its national foods co-opted by the French, but for some reason, the Belgians never…

Frasca’s Bobby Stuckey kicks asphalt at the New York City Marathon

Of the 42,000 runners who killed themselves finished the New York City Marathon — the world’s largest — this past Sunday, Bobby Stuckey, the master sommelier at Frasca Food & Wine in Boulder, placed 283rd with a time of 2:47:23. That’s right: the guy who drinks, pours, studies and explains…

Tilted Kilt kick-off time delayed

The Tilted Kilt was slated to open this week in the former ESPN Zone space on the 16th Street Mall, but the official kick-off time has been delayed. “We are shooting for next Monday, but it could be a day or two after that,” says franchise owner Mark Voss. “There…

Guess where I’m eating?

No, it wasn’t the greatest fish fry in the world, but it sustained me while the snow blew outside and the drifts piled up. It came fast; it came hot. The batter was lacy and delicate from the fryer, and the fries were crisp and herbed and nowhere close to…

Win a face-to-face pow-wow with Anthony Bourdain from Tony’s Market

If you think you have the ingredients to make food hustler Tony Bourdain a memorable dinner, then Tony’s Market wants to hear from you. Bourdain, as you may recall, is cruising around the country, stupefying audiences with his real-life tales of eating warthog ass, fermented shark and lutefisk. And he’s…

Tonight: Daryl Groom winemaker dinner at Mel’s Bar and Grill

Chad Clevenger, exec chef/owner of Mel’s Bar and Grill, 5960 South Holly Street, is hosting a five-course winemaker dinner tonight with Daryl Groom, the former chief winemaker of Penfolds and Geyser Peak, who’s now representing and making his signature private label, Groom. Groom focuses on three main varietals: sauvignon blanc,…

Last call for Mojitos Cuban Bistro

Mojitos Cuban Bistro, which opened last year at 1120 East Sixth Avenue (in the former home of Mel’s, and Montecito, and Piscos, and Chives, and Dudley’s…), has poured its last mojito. The restaurant is locked up tight, and a sign on the door announces, “We are closed…sorry for the inconvenience.”…

Chopsticks & Sushi closed for now…and maybe for good

The lights are on and the Open sign still hangs by the door at 1630 Welton Street, but that door is locked tight and the phone, which no one answered last week, is now disconnected. Looks like Chopsticks & Sushi is officially closed. But then, owner Yan De Yang is…