Happy birthday, Maggiano’s

Maggiano’s in the Denver Pavilions turns ten this week, and its is a real reason to celebrate. Unlike so many corporate-concept restaurants, this Maggiano’s — a link in a Chicago-based chain — pays attention to the community in which it is located, doing innumerable good works even while it serves…

No scoffing at Denver’s Escoffier dinner

William and Stephanie Wahl left their restaurant, Indulge, to cook at the Escoffier dinner. For those who don’t know Escoffier from etouffe, last night’s Auguste in November event offered a delicious course — eight courses, actually — on the essentials of French cooking. The duck fois gras, presented by William…

The week ahead: immigration and political emigration

Bill Ritter. Politicos across Colorado are brushing up their resumes and trading rumors about who’s going to Washington to join the Barack Obama administration — and some are looking either further afield. This morning, Governor Bill Ritter will announce an economic-development mission to Japan and China that will take forty…

Remembrance of things pasta at the Saucy Noodle

A river of memories — and red sauce — runs along the 700 block of South University Boulevard, where Sam Badis bought a little joint named Jim Sano’s back in 1964, changed the name to the Saucy Noodle, painted the walls red and added the slogan, “If you don’t like…

Andrew Romanoff loses one, wins one

Andrew Romanoff. Andrew Romanoff, the outgoing speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, will be back at the Statehouse today, helping to choose the leadership for the next session. In his last year of his last term before the state’s term-limits law booted him out, Romanoff crafted a plan to…

News from the frozen Northland

Dear Mexican: In your October 23 column, I read that Mexicans enjoy Clamato the way Canadians do. The True North Strong and Free has a favored drink (the Caesar) made with Clamato. It is similar to a Bloody Mary but way, way better — and spicy, to boot! So don’t…

After Obama’s election, an important sign of the times

Paul Trujillo’s art captures an historic moment. Yesterday, the day that Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States, I received a note from the Fords. They’re the family who’d asked Paul Trujillo, a sixteen-year-old urban artist, to paint a piece on the back of their garage…

The mail-in ballot horror stories continue

Please, Mr. Postman. Polling places across Colorado report that the voting process is going smoothly. But there are still plenty of bumps in the road — and Mimi Kaupe just hit one of them. Since she’s working in California, she’d long ago applied to the Denver Election Division for a…

High on my Highland polling place

Keep your distance, media scum. I was the 26th person in line at 6:45. Another fifty people had arrived by the time the election workers at the Mile High United Way polling place at the edge of Highland started the countdown at 6:59: “Five, four, three, two, one… the polls…

Get out the vote. And get off my lawn

Va-va-va-vote! When I arrived home late last night, I found a flier under my doormat, “Vote for the Change We Need,” with a number to call to find my polling place today. Right above the mat, suspended from my doorknob, was a more elaborate hangtag, “Vote Obama,” with detailed information…

Boo! Denver procrastinators get a ballot break today

What are you waiting for? In Denver, early voting ends today at 7 p.m. at the thirteen early-voting locations (find them at www.denvervotes.org). It’s too late to request a mail-in ballot by mail or over the Internet — but you can still pick one up until 7 p.m. today at…

A mystery whets our appetite for Twelve

There’s a mystery behind twelve, and it’s not why the restaurant opening November 4 in the Ballpark neighborhood, at 2233 Larimer Street, refuses to use capital letters. No, here’s the mystery: Who’s the man pretending to be the owner of twelve? Yesterday, I’d just finished perusing twelve’s press kit –…

The gay cabelleros ride again!

Dear Mexican: I know you’ve been asked variations of this before. I’m a gay white guy, and I’ve had three relationships with Mexican men in the last seven years. The first two lasted from three to six months; this past relationship actually lasted a year and culminated with us moving…

Painting by numbers never creates great art

Sean Rice was the first gallery owner to discover that the city had wiped out a wall of urban art. It was just before the Democratic National Convention hit town, and Denver’s graffiti cleanup crew, called out to deal with tagging in the Ballpark neighborhood, decided to give nearby Orange…

Mail-in ballots, down for the count

“X” marks the drop. We can’t tell you when you’ll get that mail-in ballot you requested, and then requested again. But we can lay to rest another rumor making the rounds: that mail-in ballots are only counted if a vote looks close election day. “We count every ballot,” says Linda…

Take a dip into history at the Wynkoop Brewing Co.

Gary Isaacs’s original photo for the Wynkoop proclaimed that Beer Is Food. The blow-out, twentieth anniversary celebration of the Wynkoop Brewing Co., 1634 18th Street, continues today with the after-party for the Gorilla Run and then, at 2 p.m., an amazing (and potentially very icky) stunt: a dive into a…

From Tosh’s Hacienda to Kiva to Club Dynasty

Tosh’s Hacienda The flier for the S.O.S. — Sophisticated.On.Saturdays — party October 25 says that it will be held in the new Club Dynasty, located in the “old” Kiva Restaurant at 3090 Downing Street, with two floors of dance club and a spelling-impaired dress code: “no hats, white tees, do…