That hits the Spot: It was googie while it lasted, but the White Spot has finally closed its doors at 800 Broadway — despite the fact that those doors led into a room so California coffee-shop classic that it ranked as a true googie (named after Googie’s, a long-gone roadside…
Q: Do you know of any amateur wine clubs in Denver where people meet on a regular basis to talk about wine? A: Since our state legislature put the kibosh on wine tastings in liquor stores this past session, the most obvious avenue for organized but informal wine tastings has…
The new kid on the block is a blockbuster. The people who brought us Mizuna are far from newbies, however. Owners Frank Bonanno and Doug Fleischmann have been around the Denver dining block a few times, usually in conjunction with restaurants owned by Mel and Janie Master, such as Mel’s…
As an avid mountain biker — is there any other kind? — and beer lover, I was a guaranteed sucker for Bike & Brew America: Rocky Mountain Region (Brewers Publications, $16.95), the first in a series of six books proposed as a joint effort of the Association of Brewers (headquartered…
Q: Is there anywhere in the area where I can walk in off the street and buy a deviled egg? A: I thought I was going to lay an egg on this one, since the only place I could count on for freshly made deviled eggs was the now-defunct East…
At first glance, it would seem that the cooking of Greece and Mexico have nothing in common. The two countries are thousands of miles and an ocean apart, a distance emphasized by different terrains, different soils and different climates, which in turn translate into different agricultural practices, different ingredients, different…
Good to gone: Now that he’s had some time to think about it, Tom Moxcey says that if he had it to do all over again, he’d still open Diane’s Good to Go — but he might do things differently next time around. Moxcey closed two of his five Diane’s…
Q: Friends were recently discussing how much fun it is to go to restaurants that allow you to bring in your own wine and beer. Are there any places like that in Denver? A: Either your buddies are from out of state or they frequent local eateries that are run…
We were headed into the ladies’ room when my six-year-old suddenly backed away from the door with a surprised look on her face. “We can’t go in there,” she said, pulling the door shut. “Why?” I asked. “Isn’t that the bathroom?” She nodded. “But there’s someone taking a bath in…
Steak it to ’em: The calls have been pouring in regarding my dinner with Barry Fey at Gallagher’s (“We Came, We Sauce,” May 31), 1480 Arapahoe Street. “Unfortunately, that awful place is right near my office, so we keep winding up over there,” said Jill Delong, who asked that her…
Q: We’re going to the Aspen Food & Wine Festival the weekend of June 15 and plan to linger for a few days afterward. What’s the don’t-miss restaurant in Aspen for someone who’s never been there? A: If I were you, I’d skip the festival and spend the money on…
The next time you see a grown man walking down the street dressed in a black T-shirt, black tuxedo jacket, black shorts and spotless white sneakers (no socks) carrying a bottle of Heinz 57, you’ll know why. It’s the legendary Barry Fey, former concert promoter, current racehorse owner and always…
What’s in a name: Okay, the pathetic, prejudiced people who wouldn’t know a glace de viande if it bit them on their turned-up noses can stop sending complaints about Tante Louise (4900 East Colfax Avenue) that make the ludicrous charge that the decades-old restaurant is no longer truly French. “I…
It’s just before 5 p.m., but already cars have been sitting out front for nearly half an hour. In the storefront window, the chefs are clearly visible, rolling and kneading, peeling and chopping, stirring and frying. But those who’ve been watching the cooking show while they’ve waited have also been…
Med alert! D Diamond is fighting for the life of her four-year-old restaurant, Ilios (1201 Broadway). The owner/manager of this Mediterranean eatery has seen trouble before — first, she had to wrest the place from her ex-husband, Bobby Rifkin, and not long after that, she lost her chef, Sean Brasel,…
Q: I recently moved to Castle Rock and wonder which local restaurants you can recommend. A: There are three restaurants I like in the shadow of the big rock. The Old Stone Church (210 3rd Street, 303-688-9000), in a decommissioned church, is a great choice for an à la carte…
Trying new restaurants is a lot like dating: Appearances can be very deceiving, you waste way too many nights on losers, and no matter how bad the experience, somebody still has to pick up the tab. But then you stumble upon Osaka Sushi, and suddenly all those bad dinner dates…
The end of an era: While Denver continues to net new sushi restaurants (see review, above), the area’s roster of Vietnamese restaurants has just decreased by one — and a big one. T-Wa Inn (555 South Federal Boulevard), Denver’s first Vietnamese restaurant and the place where many local diners were…
Q: Any suggestion for a hip, fun, moderately priced restaurant, preferably in LoDo, where I can take some out-of-town girlfriends? A: Amaze those girlfriends with the groovy, happenin’ Vesta Dipping Grill (1822 Blake Street, 303-296-1970). The snazzy, wraparound booths are perfect places to dish and dine. The innovative menu items…
Gag me with a spoon. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers — yes, there is such a thing — 190 million adults, or about 94 percent of the eighteen-and-over population, visit shopping malls every month. Since 1967, the number of shopping centers — including hundreds of “super-regional centers,”…
Boeing’s new headquarters may be decided by a food fight. “We’ve got chalupas. We’ve got tacos. We don’t need no stinkin’ mountains,” Ron Kirk, mayor of Dallas, boasted last week. So what did Denver do to battle the evil forces of chalupas and tacos (not to mention the Chicago-style hotdogs…
Q: Is there a Web site where I can buy berbere? A: The essential spice blend for Ethiopian cooking, berbere involves garlic, red pepper, fenugreek, coriander and cardamom in varying amounts, depending on the creator. But because of confusing and annoying trade-regulation problems in Ethiopia, several Ethiopian sites, including my…
