For this week’s Cafe review, I headed to Boulder and Pizzeria Basta, where chef-owner Kelly Whitaker and his partner, Alan Henkin, have been pushing to make pizza better since Basta opened in early 2010. Basta means enough, but enough will never be enough here. Here’s a serving of food porn…
Westword ran a cover story on SAME Cafe (SAME stands for “So All May Eat”) more than two years ago — and the pay-what-you-can concept restaurant is still going strong, judging from the lunch crowd yesterday (not to mention the two other pay-what-you-can eateries that have opened around town). The…
Yesterday afternoon, while stopped at the light at Sixth and Broadway, I noticed a pair of construction workers maneuvering a sign — a big sign that kept swaying — up the side of the brick building whose former tenant was Daphne’s Greek Cafe, which closed just over a year ago…
Do you sense something? Is that…could it be…summer in the air? Actually, no. But it is spring, and that means spring beer releases. What’s on tap this month? How about Odell Double Pilsner, Left Hand Good JuJu, Ska’s Mexican Logger and three beers from Great Divide, just to name a…
If you’ve been here before, then you’ll recognize the origin of those red, white, blue and spice-dusted chips immediately. If not, then you’ll want someone to guess correctly ASAP so you can run over there and get some. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the…
Eric Chiappetta Pizza Republica 5375 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village 720-489-2030 www.pizzarepublica.com Eric Chiappetta’s first job in the kitchen had nothing whatsoever to do with a palpitating passion to actually cook. “I was sixteen, horny and I wanted to make enough money to take girls to the movies,” confesses Chiappetta, the…
We’ve reached the middle of the work week, and as we all know, Wednesday has its own, well-earned nickname: Hump Day. Why? Maybe because from here, having gotten Monday and Tuesday out of the way, we can start contemplating the joys of the coming weekend, and some real hump days…
Denver could soon be awash in places owned by Landry’s Restaurants. On Monday, Tilman Fertitta, chairman and CEO of Landry’s (who has a 10.1 percent ownership of the company, according to the Houston Chronicle), made an all-cash offer for the McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants chain worth more than $137…
The news that Steak ‘n Shake is finally coming to town — Centennial, to be exact, with a groundbreaking this month — has fans of this iconic Midwestern burger drooling. Consider this from Lynn: Thank god there is finally good food coming to Denver! There are some decent restaurants, but…
Working on spring-cleaning your diet? Head to Green Spaces Colorado will host the CHOMP Vegan Supper Club from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight. Admission is a suggested donation of $6; BYO plate and utensils. For more information, go to www.plantsanimals.org. For information on dozens of culinary events around town, visit…
“Alex Weiser, man. He grows the best potatoes.” Kelly Whitaker was standing in front of his roaring wood-fired oven at Pizzeria Basta, slicing a tiny, misshapen purple tuber with exacting precision, then spreading the disks on a just-stretched circle of dough. “I used to get potatoes from a local farm…
It’s been a banner year for pizza in Boulder: Between January 2010 and January 2011, three ambitious pizzerias opened their doors, all with wood-fired ovens baking renditions of Napolitano or Napolitano-inspired pizzas. Kelly Whitaker, chef and owner of Pizzeria Basta, says the competition has actually helped; his restaurant’s numbers were…
Tickets for one of the newest, but already most buzz-worthy Colorado beer festivals of the year go on sale tomorrow at noon. The second annual Boulder SourFest — with more than eighty different sour ales — will run from noon to 5 p.m. on June 11 at Avery Brewing Company…
On Friday night, we left Coors Field after the ninth inning, when the game was still tied. Obviously, this skull knew something we didn’t. Can you guess where we were drinking? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to the week’s Where am I drinking/eating posts is entered…
Every year, TIME magazine (which seems to get smaller each month) holds a little poll full of big names — names that, according to those at TIME, are the most influential people in the whole wide world. And from now until April 14, you can vote for the person you…
When New York native Dino Espejo picked up a spot in lower Highland at 32nd and Tejon, he projected, optimistically, that he’d open his coffee shop, the Laughing Latte, sometime in December. Four months later, he’s finally hiring his staff, stocking his coffee beans and getting ready to brew…
Two months ago, Zi Fusion, whose name will soon change to Purple Ginger (more on that later), was flooded when a sprinkler head burst and several water pipes broke, severely damaging the restaurant’s hardwoods, mainly in the bar area. “The bar is warped so bad that you can hardly walk…
You know how hard you’ve been working to master the basics of food and wine pairing? Well, if you’ve been reading the same handful of recent articles we have, then you might be wondering if all that effort has been a big fat waste of time. The flames of this…
Denver is a burger-loving town, and you can find excellent versions all over: beefy patties, oozing juice, coated with cheese and served on tasty rolls. The very best? The American Classic Burger at Tarbell’s, which won the award for Best Burger in the Best of Denver 2011. Although Cafe Society…
I used to subsist on shepherd’s pie (and curry and scrumpy) when I lived in London, but it’s been years since I’ve had a good version of the stuff on this side of the pond. Sadly, the shepherd’s pie in the above snap did nothing to change that. Can you…
Our choice of the Vine Street Pub as one of Denver’s Five Best Restaurants for a Blind Date, as well as its win as the Best Break-Up Restaurant, raised an eyebrow…or two…from Dan. “Not exactly sure how a restaurant that only takes cash is good for either a Blind Date…
Enjoy the mountain views tonight at the Signature Chefs Series, which will stop at Chart House Restaurant, 25908 Genesee Trail Road. The five-course meal costs $85 and reservations are required/ For more info, call 303-526-9813 or go to www.chart-house.com. For information on dozens of culinary events around town, visit our…
