Jefferson Park is an up-and-coming part of Denver — but has it arrived as a dining destination? Gretchen Kurtz just reviewed Amass, a new French bistro that moved into the spot Corner House vacated after eighteen months. And right now, she says, the kitchen lacks the critical mass needed to…
Dear Mexican: I’m in college, and I’m taking a class called Latina Pop Culture. I thought it would be educational and informative about the rich Latino/a culture, and I was eager to learn. But the moment I entered the class, it was evident that I, as a white girl, would…
What will be the big food trends in Denver in 2015? Paleo and pickling are both going strong, and hemp seeds are popping up on menus across town. And then there’s moringa, an import from Africa that’s been compared to spirulina and wheat grass. Yum! See also: Five Five Trends…
Back in the early ’80s, before the bust, the crane was considered Denver’s official bird. And now the cranes are back — in a big way. From my LoHi kitchen window overlooking downtown (and yes, I-25), the sunrise glints off the windows of all the new buildings that have been…
A flood of craft-beer businesses came into Colorado last year, and they’ll keep coming in 2015. At least ten new breweries plan to open within Denver city limits this year alone, as Jonathan Shikes reported on Friday. But is that too much of a good thing? See also: Ten Breweries…
For years, nosy neighborhood groups, restaurant-industry insiders and food-and-beverage reporters have relied on the Denver Department of Excise & Licenses website, which features a page devoted to Liquor License Public Hearings. But for most of December, that page was blank. We contacted Stacie Loucks, head of the Excise and Licenses…
Colorado’s minimum wage went up 23 cents on January 1, to $8.23. Twenty-three pennies for your thoughts? While some activists are pushing for $15 — or $10 at the bare minimum — others say minimum wage has gone high enough. The reader who says that Westword is “part of the…
Close to 300 restaurants opened in metro Denver in 2014, and while some of them introduced new concepts to the areas, many relied on new versions of tried-and-true favorites: Chicken and waffles. Burgers. Mac and cheese. See also: Restaurant Roll Call for 2014 — Nearly 300 Restaurant Openings…
Dear Mexican: How did the patron saint of Mexico get a name derived from Arabic?El Moro Judio Dear Jewish Moor: You’re referring to the Virgin of Guadalupe, the brown-skinned apparition of the Virgin Mary who tradition says appeared before the Aztec peasant Juan Diego in December 1531 just outside modern-day…
What food trends will you be happy to kiss goodbye in 2015? Jenn Wohletz offered her list of the top five fads that should die in 2015, including pretzel buns and fancy mac and cheese. Not surprisingly, some readers took issues with her hit list — while others offered their…
At this time of year, everyone gets in the prediction game — but it can be a risky business. New plans for the VC Hotel reminded us of an infamous chapter in the history of the building that started out as a Holiday Inn: It was once the hangout of…
UPDATE: After spending most of December 2014 down while the city completed an update to it, Denver’s liquor license public hearings page is up and running again. For years, nosy neighborhood groups, restaurant-industry insiders and food-and-beverage reporters have relied on the Denver Department of Excise & Licenses website, which features…
While the Nichols Partnership is looking to the future, turning the former Hotel VQ, right next to Sports Authority Field at Mile High, into 179 micro-apartments, we’ve been looking to the past of that building, whose circular design was once considered so cutting-edge. Out-of- this world, in fact, particularly when…
Baby, it’s cold outside — but a good plate of green chile could warm you up fast. Mark Antonation has been spooning up green chile all over town in this month’s Ethniche series, which most recently saw him at La Fuente, which makes a good green. By Colorado standards, at…
Dear Mexican: The other day, my Italian boyfriend asked me, “If you had the choice to be any nationality in the world, which one would you choose?” Being the proud Latina that I am, I said, “Mexican.” He said, “Why? What have Mexicans done that is so great?” The only…
Almost every Friday for two decades, I’ve driven up Welton Street on my way to the Colorado Public Television studios. Welton Street cuts right through Five Points — in fact, it’s one of the streets that creates the actual points. The story of this historic neighborhood stretches back more than…
Just a few weeks ago, the most controversial thing about The Interview was actor/creator Seth Rogen’s invitation to come smoke pot with him at a special December 8 showing of the movie in Denver: “We are going to do a screening of #TheInterviewMovie in Colorado where I get baked with…
Sit, Guinness. Roll over, Merlot. As our news blog reported yesterday, a website called rover.com, which bills itself as “the nation’s Airbnb for dogs,” has released a survey of the most popular dog names in 2014, and Denver ranks in the top spot as the city with the most alcohol-related…
Gentle cabrones: Behold my annual Mexican Christmas guide, in which I recommend the best Mexi-themed libros for you to give to your loved ones this Navidad instead of yet another tamale to unwrap. Buy them at your local bookstore or order online, but do buy! Lowriting: Shots, Rides & Stories…
At dawn on November 29, on the 150th anniversary of the Sand Creek Massacre, more than 500 descendants of massacre survivors and other tribal members gathered on Monument Hill for private ceremonies commemorating their fallen ancestors. Meanwhile, down below at the headquarters of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site,…
Dear Mexican: I’m a third-year university student, a liberal-studies and Spanish major. My family, extended and immediate, always like the chisme. During a family carne asada, we were all talking when one of my tías asked me what I was doing with my life; she and the rest of my…
Dear Mexican: I teach writing at a local community college. My students are writing their final essays on a local problem; I have one student who has decided to write about illegal immigration (specifically Mexican). We were discussing, as a class, each student’s project, and this student made a comment…
