Update: New Snooze is a go!

We reported this morning about today’s liquor-license hearing for the new Snooze location at 700 Colorado Boulevard. And now, I thought I’d pass along the good news to all you pancake junkies in the neighborhood: It looks like all systems are go. I just got off the phone with Jon…

Chopsticks China Bistro is still among the best

In this week’s Cafe review, I declared China Jade possibly the best Chinese restaurant in the city. And when I told a few of my fellow gastronauts what I was about to do, here’s what they all wanted to know: Is it better than Chopsticks? For the past few years,…

Abandoning Primebar for the Squeaky Bean

If you’ve been reading the Cafe Society blog (and you have been reading the blog, haven’t you?), you already know that Primebar — the highly anticipated, 400-seat restaurant that opened late last week at 1515 Arapahoe Street, in the former home of Palomino — lost its executive chef, Max Mackissock…

Joe Biden eats BBQ …

… and I’ve got nothing.  No jokes.  No snarky comments.  What has the state of politics come to when the VPOTUS — not exactly a man known as a tough target, not exactly a man who flies under the journalistic radar — comes to my town and does absolutely fuck-all that’s…

Is China Jade the best Chinese restaurant in Denver?

“Shrimp with gralic sauce?” “I love shrimp with gralic sauce. Get some of that.” “Sour taste cabbage? Or triple delight? What do you suppose that is?” she asked, and smiled. I responded, mind soaking in the gutter, and we giggled like kids hearing their first dirty joke. “Oh, wait. What…

Now we are everywhere…

In case you haven’t noticed (or in case you’re too lazy to scroll down the page just a little), we–the indomitable staff of the Westword Cafe section–now have a twitter feed.  We’re also sporting a couple of new bylines, some fresh blood, and have been working hard to keep the…

The List: BBQ road trip

The Q Worldly Barbeque (which I reviewed this week) might claim to have the market cornered on all manner of international barbecue styles, but like all other ‘cue joints in this town, it doesn’t offer everything that a big hungry boy needs when he’s got barbecue on his mind.Like cornbread,…

Tony’s Market update: Opening delayed

I just got off the phone with Danny Rosacci, son of Tony Rosacci and the guy behind the brand spankin’ new Tony’s Market that was due to open today at 950 Broadway. But now it looks like Tony’s will not be opening today. “The fire department made us jump through…

A cornucopia of good food at The Q Worldly Barbeque

I’ve gone back to The Q Worldly Barbeque a few times since my review meals — not for barbecue, but for the incredible corn fritters off the dessert menu. While I would like to see some corn bread up on that board as well, these are a good consolation prize:…

Banner day for Tocabe

I had lunch plans that were made weeks ago.  I had a time and a date, a big group of friends, a table waiting out on the patio.  What I didn’t have?  Any idea that today was the day the Denver Post was going to drop the love on my new favorite…

Guess where I’m eating (or drinking)?

This one could be tough — but the wall o’ tequila, tilework and beers on the tap-handles might be enough to give it away to regulars. For everyone else, here’s a clue: This plac used to be a serious dive bar. It was so dive-y, in fact, that someone had to buy…

Get a clue: Go to the Q Worldly Barbeque

Barbecue has a history and a long association with blues music and jazz music and roof-shakin’, foot-stompin’, Southern-tinted rock-and-roll music. It has a sweet Sunday morning side — all gospel hymns and stately women in enormous hats — and it has a dark and dirty Saturday night side as well…

Tonti’s opens a new location on South Broadway

Last Thursday, a pizza and a calzone mysteriously appeared in the office, addressed to me.  Because I wasn’t actually in the office at the time, said grub was immediately devoured by a variety of salespeople, editors and one very hungry music critic — trusting souls that they are — and…

Ask the Critic: Desert Island Top Five

I’m a huge fan of Lost. Have been since episode 1, will be until the day it rolls the final credits.  And like all Lost fans, I am currently going through the first, worst stages of withdrawal now that this season’s final episode has aired and I’m staring at something…

Breaking news on Tony’s

Got off the phone thirty seconds ago with someone at the original Tony’s Market at 4991 Dry Creek Road in Centennial, and she just told me that the plan — as it stands right now — is to have a soft-open for the new Tony’s at 950 Broadway (right across…

The List: No, I’ll just eat at the bar…

Gastropub, gastropub, gastropub… This week’s Cafe section was all about gastropubs and my intense dislike of the term. So this week’s list is simple: my favorite places where it’s just better to eat at the bar, places that would never think about calling themselves gastropubs. No knock againt their dining…

Argyll joins the brunch bunch

Robert Thompson’s Argyll, in the old Squealing Pig space at 2700 East Third Avenue, made its debut on April 30 with a slow roll-out. First there were dinners. Then, a few days later, lunch service was added. And this Saturday, Thompson and his crew will add two more services to…

20th Street Cafe is no gastropub. Thank God.

20th Street Cafe is the polar opposite of a gastropub: It’s a working-class diner serving the simplest and most historic of restaurant foods with nothing more than Cokes, coffees and mugs of green tea to drink. It’s what restaurants were like before dining out became a big-time business and restaurants…

The “gastropub” label aside, Jonesy’s EatBar is great

“Gastropub,” Leigh Jones said. “Really?” I asked. “No.” So she asked why, and I told her because I hate the term “gastropub” — seriously loathed it. It reeks of pretension, of culinary gamesmanship. To me, calling your place a “gastropub” is just a way of lowering expectations and admitting that…

GastronoMe

Hospoda, at 3763 Wynkoop Street, has a great little bar (upholstered in cowhide) that’s more than capable of seeing to the hydration needs of its regulars, and in the tiny kitchen, owner Irene Lesner creates excellent green chile and potato pancakes and schnitzel. So is Hospoda a gastropub? No. Fruition?…