Table Talk
Federal tax breaks for brewers? Why not. Last year, Senator Mark Udall stopped by Avery Brewing Company to tout his idea to reduce taxes on both microbreweries and larger beer producers. At the time, Udall's plan was to chop the excise tax on a barrel of beer (31 gallons), so that breweries would have extra cash to invest... MORE
Humans aren’t the only ones who love hops. While we tend to like ours brewed, Colorado’s hops blue butterfly prefers them wild. These tiny, powdery-blue insects live along the Front Range in tangles of wild hops, a plant distantly related to the hops used for brewing beer. Rob Schorr and Jeremy Siemers, biologists with the Colorado... MORE
5:00 O'Clock Afternoon Ale, Renegade Brewing Company, Denver Style: Blonde aleABV: 5 percentServing Type: 16-ounce canMalty? Hoppy? A faint hoppiness Reviewed: May 2013It seems we're seeing more and more low-alcohol session beers around Colorado. Fine by us. Sure, we dig the occasional 10 percent imperial IPA,... MORE
Don't have plans for Thursday, May 23? Oh, yes you do: That evening, Toques & ’Tails kicks off its first-annual chef and bartender competition at Casselman's Bar & Venue in RiNo. The event, which is the result of many months of planning by Culinary Connectors' founder Becky Creighton, will see eight of... MORE
Il Posto’s patio—there's hardly a better outdoor space in all of Denver. The energy from Andrea Frizzi's modern Italian restaurant spills out of the garage doors and mingles with the spirited crowd of intellectuals and hipsters populating Chada Thai, the Thin Man, and St. Mark's Coffee House. Nab one of Il Posto's coveted outdoor... MORE
Pinche Tacos began in 2010 as a food truck whose immense popularity practically demanded that chef-owner Kevin Morrison open a brick-and-mortar. The restaurant opened at York and Colfax in October 2011 and accolades from Bon Appétit and local media (5280 included) came quickly. If it was tough to get a table and a taco at Pinche before;... MORE
Sure, Smoke Modern Barbeque’s decor is sleek (concrete floors, abstract artwork) and its dishes are inspired. But make no mistake: The Basalt restaurant's menu is firmly rooted in traditional Southern recipes. Smoke’s bayou-style sides—oysters, cheesy grits, and fried okra—make excellent accessories, but just like any good, down-home cookout... MORE
It’s cookout season, when each week brings new opportunities to bike yourself and a six-pack to a potluck grilling party. The good folks at Breckenridge Brewery have invented a way to ease that commute. The new Topo Urban Outdoor Pack ($140) features a built-in insulated cooler designed for a six-pack’s precise specifications. Not only does it... MORE
With the words, “Wow, I’m just really happily surprised...holy crap!” Denver chef Jennifer Jasinski began her acceptance speech at the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards. After two previous nominations in 2011 and 2012, Jasinski won the Best Chef Southwest medal for her work at Rioja, her flagship restaurant. Jasinski beat out... MORE
Novo Coffee got its start more than a decade ago in a small warehouse-like condo in Lakewood. Since then, the company has evolved into one of the top coffee roasting operations on the Front Range. Although the beans are readily available in java shops around the Mile High City, Novo hasn't run its own retail spot since it closed its lone shop at... MORE
On Monday evening, celebrity chef and cookbook author Maneet Chauhan visits Denver on her book tour. Chauhan (who is a James Beard Award recipient and a judge on the Food Network’s hit show Chopped) will cook at TAG Restaurant alongside chef-owner Troy Guard and pastry chef Noah French.... MORE
For years, decades even, chicken was a menu also-ran. Sure, there was the occasional perfect roast chicken (see LoHi Steak Bar) but now, finally, the bird is getting its due.  Perhaps it was the rise of chicken and waffles (have you tried Euclid Hall's version from James Beard Award winner Jennifer... MORE
If I could only drink one type of alcohol for the rest of my life it would be Champagne. It's light enough for brunch, its effervescence makes any cocktail hour more festive, and its acidity pairs well with a wide range of dinner entrées. Even better: Champagne comes in rosé, which I start to crave once the weather warms.If you are new to... MORE
"Ask A Chef" is part of an on-going series in which we pose a single question to a local culinary luminary. May is Celiac Awareness Month, so it seems only appropriate to seek out Boulder blogger Elana Amsterdam, who was diagnosed with celiac disease long before most people had heard the term gluten-free. Amsterdam has become a go-to... MORE
Roll down the car window anywhere near 16400 S. Golden Road, and the sweet aroma of barbecue will lure you to Tin Star Smokehouse. The perfume of smoldering apple wood and mesquite mixed with smoky pork, beef, and chicken lingers in the air as you order from the shop’s simple chalkboard menu. There are no frills here: just a few bare... MORE