La Piccola Venezia goes for its liquor license today

A new restaurant is coming to Cherry Creek: La Piccola Venezia has a liquor-license hearing today for its space at 250 Steele Street, right above Ondo’s Spanish Tapas Bar and Big Easy. See also: -Reader: Look around Cherry Creek — new independent spots are opening -Big Easy Creole Kitchen is…

Tresca’s Trattoria closes in a cursed space on 38th

Restaurant turnover isn’t anything new — joints shutter all the time in this city — but the space at 3555 West 38th Avenue has seen so many places come and go that we’re losing track. First, there was Playa de Oro, which closed in early 2011; that was followed by…

Guess where I’m drinking myself into a stupor?

This is how I spent my Saturday afternoon — drinking flight after flight of craft beers. In case you’re wondering how that all turned out for me, suffice it to say that I suffered mightily on Sunday. Can you guess where I’m drinking? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first…

Reader: I love Thanksgiving sandwiches, but hold the stuffing

Thanksgiving is not over — at least, not at Denver delis that serve sandwiches featuring all the trimmings of the traditional meal a combo traditionally known as the Pilgrim. While some people are still demolishing the remains of their own meals — “Why would I go out for a Thanksgiving…

Photos: Scenes from Art Meets Beast 2012

The second annual two-day celebration of the bison that is MCA Denver’s Art Meets Beast kicked off on November 10 when Pete Marczyk of Marczyk Fine Foods carved an entire bison. The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver shared these fun photos of the festivities, which combined art and education through…

Vita reopens today after a week of renovations

Would-be visitors to Vita Restaurant, 1575 Boulder Street, were surprised to find the place dark this week. Thankfully, the situation was only temporary: Vita had closed last Sunday for a week’s worth of renovations to the floor. The Highland spot reopens today, however, and will be serving up its recently…

Photos: Santa and his reindeer visit El Diablo

There’s no telling what the rest of his reindeer are up to (Thanksgiving obligations?), but Santa and at least a couple of his reindeer came to Denver early this year with a stop at El Diablo’s “Holiday Spectacular.” The Broadway hotspot invited family and friends to visit as it lit…

Guess where I’m drinking Barracuda Punch?

I love a wonderful handcrafted cocktail made meticulously by a professional mixologist. But at times, I get extremely annoyed waiting for it. Punch is a perfect way to have a fantastic cocktail with interesting depth of flavors without the wait. According to the Startender at this bar, punch requires five…

Round two with Drew Hardin, exec chef of Lola

Drew Hardin Lola 1575 Boulder Street 720-570-8686 www.loladenver.com Part one of my interview with Drew Hardin, exec chef of Lola, ran on Wednesday; this is part two of our chat. Favorite Denver/Boulder restaurant(s) other than your own: I’m probably biased when it comes to answering this, but I love Vesta,…

Red Robin does the time warp — with burgers from the past

I’d love to see chains bring back some of my old favorites that have been erased from menus over the years: the Bellbeefer from Taco Bell, the McOnion nuggets from McDonald’s, the 5 Alarm burger from Red Robin. And now that the folks at the Denver-based Red Robin are giving…

Makan Malaysian Cafe could turn you into a roti rooter

It doesn’t matter whether you brine and cook the bird yourself, pick one up from Whole Foods or hand a bottle of bubbly to the friend who invited you over for the feast. Regardless of who does the holiday cooking, chances are good that before your alarm rings on Monday,…

Makan Malaysian Cafe: a taste of this week’s review

It doesn’t matter whether you brine and cook the bird yourself, pick one up from Whole Foods or hand a bottle of bubbly to the friend who invited you over for the feast. Regardless of who does the holiday cooking, chances are good that before your alarm rings on Monday,…

Where to drink on Thanksgiving in Denver

There’s no shame in giving thanks at the bar as opposed to the table, or in taking a break from the family to catch a quick buzz — which is why many local watering holes will be open on Thanksgiving. Here’s a rundown of some of the best spots in…