3:45 pm, May 22, 2013
Ever since Tammy Cunningham announced she was closing Strings Restaurant after 27 years of business (the last day was April 30), the Denver food world has been wondering what would happen to the space. I know of at least one concept that failed to capture Cunningham's attention (she remains the building's owner). But today...
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10:30 am, May 22, 2013
Finally, spring has arrived, and so has the seasonal—and sometimes nightly—hunt for the best outdoor dining spots in Denver. In the last two weeks, I've enjoyed al fresco meals at Tables on Kearney, Sherpa's in Boulder, and Kachina Southwestern Grill, the expansive patio of which (plus the Westin Hotel setting) makes you feel like you're on...
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11:00 am, May 21, 2013
When it comes to wine, the night of May 6, 2013, belonged to Frasca Food and Wine. It was that evening that co-owner and master sommelier Bobby Stuckey, wine director Matthew Mather, and sommelier Carlin Karr, crossed the stage at New York’s prestigious Lincoln Center to accept the James Beard Award for ...
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4:16 pm, May 20, 2013
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...
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10:30 am, May 20, 2013
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...
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4:00 pm, May 17, 2013
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,...
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11:00 am, May 17, 2013
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...
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10:30 am, May 17, 2013
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...
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11:05 am, May 16, 2013
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;...
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10:30 am, May 15, 2013
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...
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8:32 am, May 15, 2013
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...
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11:15 am, May 14, 2013
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...
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10:30 am, May 13, 2013
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...
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11:00 am, May 10, 2013
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....
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10:30 am, May 10, 2013
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...
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