11:00 am, Apr 11, 2013
Pinstripe Red Ale, Ska Brewing Company, DurangoStyle: American Amber/Red AleABV: 5.15 percentServing Type: 12-ounce bottleMalty? Hoppy? Malty, but balanced with hops and citrus flavorsReviewed: March 2013This beer was a total accident. When the Durango-based brewers at Ska didn't have enough ingredients to produce their True Blonde Ale during opening week in 1995,...
10:30 am, Apr 11, 2013
Spring snowstorms are practically guaranteed in Colorado. This means that right after a sunny day in which you were yearning for summer salads and lighter fare, you may find yourself craving something warm and filling. The next time the snow blows (and it will, you know), head to Cuba Cuba where the cuisine—heavy on plantains and yucca and black beans—will have you thinking of warmer...
11:35 am, Apr 10, 2013
It's finally happening: The Über Sausage's LoHi location opens tomorrow at 8 a.m. The gourmet sausage shop, the original of which is at Colfax and Detroit, has taken over the former home of Living the Sweet Life. Yep, that's right next door to Masterpiece Deli—and just down the way from Ale House at Amato's and Central Bistro and Bar. This stretch of...
10:30 am, Apr 9, 2013
A week ago, I was in the Florida Keys enjoying dinners of locally-caught hogfish. Back home in Colorado, I headed straight to Westminster’s Big Mac and Little Lu’s Seafood Market & Grill to further indulge in the flaky white fish. Hogfish, the delicious fish with an unfortunate name, is a delicacy of the Keys and a specialty of Big Mac and Little Lu’s. Co-owners Paul and Ashley Brock...
10:30 am, Apr 8, 2013
I love a good hot sauce—one that, with only a drop, can transform a bland bite into something rave-worthy. My current obsession is the Boulder Hot Sauce Company’s Smokey Serrano. The complex condiment relies on flame-charred poblano peppers to provide a smoky base for spicy red Serrano peppers. A hint of vinegar brings acidity and fresh carrots and onions add sweetness—all of which means the...
11:00 am, Apr 5, 2013
There comes a time every spring when I’m ready to trade my ski boots for a pair of sandals. But, before I do, I cram in a few more trips to the High Country to get my fill of powder play (snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, oh my!) before it all melts away. This year, though, the snow is less of a draw than a certain pizza joint: Crested Butte’s Secret Stash. Earlier this season, my husband and I...
10:30 am, Apr 5, 2013
Last week, Central Bistro and Bar debuted lunch service (Wednesday through Friday) with a menu that ranges from bowls of cozy tomato soup to sophisticated mushroom tartines. The dish that I keep thinking about (and I’ve tasted the entire menu) is the chicken salad sandwich. Sound basic? Perhaps, but executive chef Gerard Strong’s take on the classic is modern, jammed with flavor, and, above all,...
10:30 am, Apr 4, 2013
Poutine has gained a reputation, perhaps rightly so, as the kind of food you hate to love. Traditional poutine tops deep-fried French fries with rich brown gravy and chewy cheese curds to create the kind of greasy spoon, heart-attack snack you'll allow yourself only once a year. At Punch Bowl Social, chef Sergio Romero serves a version that honors the creamy-cheesy-potato...
10:30 am, Apr 3, 2013
Chef Troy Guard (TAG Restaurant, TAG Raw Bar, TAG Burger Bar) has built his career on juxtaposition. He's known for combining unlikely ingredients—Pop Rocks and flash-seared kampachi, anyone?—and somehow making them seem like natural pairings. No doubt unusual flavor mash-ups will also dominate at his new ventures. And so, when Guard and sous chefs Shaun Motoda and...
10:30 am, Apr 2, 2013
True jazz aficionados know that Ralph Sharon, the featured pianist at the St Julien Hotel’s Saturday afternoon teas, is a Colorado treasure. The six-time Grammy award-winning pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer tickled the ivories for Tony Bennett for 40 years. In addition to his own list of solo albums, Sharon has collaborated with jazz greats from Duke...
