Rack & Rye opens tonight in LoDo

Paul Piciocchi is putting into the former home of Alto, opens tonight at 1320 15th Street. The Drink, a sports tavern, made its debut on November 20; Mix Music Lounge is set to open next week. But right now, it’s Rack & Rye, which will host private parties starting at…

Wake-Up Call: Pull some strings for Peacejam

It’s been a tough year for Peacejam, the homegrown nonprofit that over the past fifteen years has reached out to hundreds of thousands of kids around the globe, showing them that in the toughest circumstances, it’s still possible to push for peace — and then proving it by bringing ten…

Guess where I’m eating?

OOn these cold days, there’s nothing more warming than a big plate of pasta smothered with red sauce. But first, of course, you have to eat your greens — even if they’re swimming in gorgonzola dressing. Guess where I’m eating?Special bonus: Every Friday, anyone who gave the first correct answer…

Party like a playboy at the Warwick

In December 1967, Denver’s Playboy Club opened at 1776 Grant Street. Today, the club is just a memory (one that leaves a smile on a certain generation of businessmen’s faces). The address now belongs to the Warwick Denver Hotel, which is celebrating the infamous former tenant with a special drink…

The most exclusive joint in town: a pot in every chicken

First, the folks behind 8 Rivers open a medical marijuana dispensary up the street. Now comes word that Colorado’s first “gourmet marijuana restaurant” will be opening next week in Denver. The official details are being kept under wraps until next week, but yes, all the culinary offerings will contain pot…

The glitch that almost stole Christmas

This is not energy conservation here, folks, this is a glitch,” quipped Mayor John Hickenlooper at last Friday’s “Light the Lights” event, after he and son Teddy flipped the switch on the new LED light display at the City and County Building — and the entire scene went black a…

Julie Powell books a different Denver appearance

Julie Powell, the author of Julie & Julia, canceled her big stage talk, but she’s still coming to town: She’s scheduled a last-minute event at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, December 10, at the LoDo Tattered Cover for her latest book. Here’s what Tattered has to say: Powell “thought cooking her way…

Live blog: Charlie Brown presents his pot proposal

This morning, Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown presented his proposed ordinance to regulate the city’s medical marijuana dispensaries to the council’s Safety Committee. We live blogged the hearing; you’ll find Brown’s proposal at the bottom of this post, with our most recent reports at the top. 11:50 a.m.: Broadwell thinks…

8 Rivers goes to pot — in a good way

Wanda James and Scott Durrah, the owners of 8 Rivers, just celebrated the end of their first year at 1550 Blake Street in LoDo, where they moved their restaurant after a successful run in the tiny spot at 3609 West 32nd Avenue that now holds Venue. “You can’t have a…

Wake-Up Call: Stirring the pot at Denver City Council today

Unlike Michigan, Colorado doesn’t have a Cannabis College — not yet. But the entire state is getting quite an education in both the efficacy of medical marijuana in soothing certain maladies and the difficulty of imposing new rules on dispensing it. Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown has gotten a real…

Guess where I’m eating?

This is a macho order of nachos: a monster mound with beans (black or refried), cheese and veggies layered evenly throughout, and the chips on top heated to an ideal crispiness. Can you guess where I’m eating…and eating…and eating?Special bonus: Every Friday, anyone who gave the first correct answer to…

Julie Powell cancels Denver appearance

Julie Powell, author of Julie & Julia, has cancelled her scheduled December 10 appearance in Denver. But if Anthony Bourdain’s recent talk didn’t satisfy your need to see culinary stars, Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives will rev up the Paramount on December 9 with “The Guy Fieri Road…

Echo Mountain opens tomorrow

Taking advantage of two recent storms, Echo Mountain will open tomorrow with an early-season deal that gets you twelve hours of skiing for just $29. And Echo isn’t just cheap — it’s close. So close, in fact, that you might be tempted to head up for a few runs during…

Restaurant Roll Call for November

RESTAURANTS OPENING IN NOVEMBER Aboba, 5810 West Alameda Avenue Archive Room, 5601 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada Beaver Dam, 7545 East Iliff Avenue Buckin’ Harleys, 1451 Cortez Street Cafe Colorado, 287 Columbine Street Chasers, 11964 Washington Street, Northglenn Cheddars, 15775 East Briarwood Circle, Aurora Club Level Sports Bar, 1885 West 120th…

Wake-Up Call: Marijuana fuels the new rush to the Rockies

One hundred and fifty years after the last rush to the Rockies, when gold was discovered back in 1859, a new rush is on. This time, adventurers are mining medical marijuana — and business is smoking! Every day, I get a call from another acquaintance thinking of getting into the…

Wall Street Journal highlights “Rocky Mountain Haute Cuisine”

“Truffles and saffron edge out Red Zinger tea and granola in Boulder,” reads the start of Raymond Sokolov’s piece in the weekend Wall Street Journal. But what “used to be the “hippiest, dippiest town around” is now the site of a major “gastro-boom.” Sokolov proceeds to prove that theory with…

Guess where I’m eating?

If the thought of some sweet breakfast offering leaves you feeling flat as a pancake, wake up and smell the chicken-fried steak. And the homemade hash browns and tomato gravy… Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Every Friday, anyone who gave the first correct answer to any of…