Nosh & Sip

Denverites, pity those who live in Lakewood because local favorite Café Bisque is officially moving to Cherry Creek North (between Detroit and Fillmore), and Lakewood’s loss is our gain! 

After a difficult beginning, TD's All American Hot Dogs and Hamburgers has finally opened on Blake Street to take off where the Marrakesh restaurant was left behind. Todd Regan's original idea of unfolding his new restaurant just in time for baseball season didn't quite come to fruition, but he’s ready to open the doors and start serving the best hot dogs and hamburgers Denver has yet to see.

If you’ve been craving Greek food that doesn’t come from a truck or a diner, then we have great news for you. Replacing past favorite Felix Brasserie on Tennyson is Axios Estiatorio.

Another day, another opening! Denver has added a few more noteworthy restaurants to the mix that are definitely worth mentioning.

Mussels vs. moules? Fries vs. frites?

You’ll take it all, thanks. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of French cuisine in your book.

So head to Le Grand Bistro & Oyster Bar, a new restaurant from Robert Thompson (the restaurateur behind the late Argyll) which opened on Monday. They have recreated the classic bistros from France in our own downtown Denver. Their 125-year-old mosaic tile floors, smoky mirrors and oversized booths are sure to transport you right to views of the Eiffel Tower.

This bistro is no smoky Parisian cafe run by grumpy waiters, though; it’s a beautiful brasserie bringing back the classic everyday French food, moules, table wines and cheeses with every lunch and dinner. They will...

Summer is almost over, but the summer fun isn't! The delicious food-to-table farm dinners that are happening all over Colorado are just getting good.

Gaylord Street, Pearl Street, Highlands Square, Downtown Littleton....these longtime favorite commercial districts have some not-so-new competition in Olde Town Arvada.

Located on the streets surrounding Old Wadsworth and 55th, this historic district is now experiencing the same Renaissance that is happening in great neighborhoods across the city.  Some particular standouts include Cheesecake Therapy (7401 Ralston Road, 303.940.2530), Primo Vino  and our favorite place, Bella Bistro.

Bella Bistro is a true gourmet experience in a laid-back, jovial atmosphere.  The menu changes twice a week and ranges from fine dining and homemade...

What is sizzling hot this summer? Well, it looks like anything that tastes scrumptious and is usually served south of the border! 

There is no time like the present to rediscover just how satisfying it feels to roll a good game of skee ball. 

Recently opened, and just down the block from Coors Field, The 1 Up has brought this old school fun back to Denver, and it is the hotspot to go to rack up high scores on vintage arcade games of all types. They have over 30 arcade games dating back to 1985, two lanes of skee ball and eight pinball machines…not to mention giant Jenga games that can be played at your table.   

When you walk in, you'll notice the dimly lit, vintage-cool atmosphere and you'll immediately hear the ringing and dinging coming from the arcade games. You cann't help but to soak up the ambiance and...

Whether it's hairdos or mamas, the “big” prefix practically guarantees respect.

Now there’s The Big Eat, EatDenver’s newest food-related event that is full of authority. And they definitely have the goods to back it up.

With over 50 marquee restaurants on board, EatDenver has decided to put together its biggest foodie event yet. On Sunday, May 22, The Big Eat will include fun, dynamic food and entertainment, or as they describe it, "a one of a kind experience that incorporates the festive and hospitality-driven world in which we live in." For just $20, Union Station will be the place to be on May 22 from 2-6 p.m. for the best nosh and sips in town.

Restaurants including Root Down, Snooze, Vesta Dipping Grill and Green...

The Wash Park neighborhood is always busy and popular. People flock here not only for the vast green space that is the actual park, but also for all the restaurants and shops in the blocks surrounding the park. Lately, there are more reasons to love this neighborhood as a few more restaurants are popping up to make this an even hotter ‘hood! 

There is yet another reason to fly south these days. First there was Streets of Southglenn, and now we welcome Vallagio at Inverness, with shops and restaurants adding an urban cool factor to the southeast Denver suburbs. Two independent restaurants have recently launched here (and a third is on the way) that are second locales opened by tried and true restaurant veterans from the Denver dining scene. We think they are definitely worth the drive: 

Marco’s Coal-Fired Pizzeria—Yes, you got it: this is the second outpost of the oh-so-famous and tasty original Marco’s in the Ballpark neighborhood. This location has the same delicious pizzas, calzones and salads. However, unlike their Ballpark location, at...

Wake up, sleepyhead. Rise & Shine Biscuit Kitchen and Café in Crestmoor/Hilltop just opened a second location in the Highlands last week. They are calling their Highlands location an outpost (as it partners with the Basil Doc’s Pizzeria), but they promise it's still the same doughy goodness. Who doesn't love biscuits for breakfast and pizza for dinner!

Forget about the Napa or Willamette Valleys…they are just too far away! Now you don't have to look any further than the Denver metro area to set up wine-tasting excursions with friends.  Two family-owned-and-operated local wineries, Balistreri Vineyards and Spero Winery, are the perfect spot for your next Saturday afternoon.

It’s a well-known fact that the most popular New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and get in shape.  Even if that’s not yours this year, it probably has been in the past.  Unfortunately, it’s not easy.  Working out takes time and effort, lunches are full of fast but greasy options and finding the motivation to cook a healthy dinner is nearly impossible after an hour-long commute home.

Lucky for you there’s a new ally in town and it’s called Modmarket.  This Boulder favorite has opened its first restaurant in Glendale just off Colorado Boulevard. It’s a fast-casual restaurant, but we guarantee that when you walk in, the contemporary and organic décor will make you forget all that.

Modmarket...

You can pick up the rest at Stir Cooking School, which just opened last weekend on Zuni Street and is nested next to renowned neighbors Duo, The Wooden Spoon and Gallop Café. 

After long nights of celebrating this holiday season, nothing will hit the spot the next morning quite like a good and hearty breakfast. We suggest hitting at least one of the following places for these morning-after-holiday-party feast. Both are local favorites that you may have heard of but have yet to frequent!

Leave it to the creative minds behind the underground dinner club, Hush Denver, to come up with an extraordinary new idea coming to Denver’s dining scene: NOMAD. Loosely based on a trend that has been successful in larger cities, NOMAD will feature roving “pop-up” restaurants that literally pop up in an existing space for a short period of time. 

Launching in November with the location to be determined, this notion allows chefs who are trying to launch a new restaurant to let the general public taste their menu prior to opening, or gives chefs an opportunity to introduce and get feedback from diners on new dishes, flavor ideas, or new restaurant concepts. NOMAD will allow chefs a test drive, if you will, for those looking to get into or...

Frank Bonanno continues to take over the Denver metro restaurant scene. He has already dominated fine dining, noodle bars, pizza joints and Italian feasts, and now he is adding another one to his never-ending repertoire. Bonanno's  newest cuisine concept, French-American comfort food, will grace our town with Lou's Food Bar.

Now, many people associate French with expensive, but Bonanno knows why he’s been so successful. He promises that nothing on the menu will exceed the $20 mark, which is why his eateries continue to be such a sensation, even when people are not making eating out a priority. 

Bonanno is using the unfortunate times of the current real estate market to his benefit and in purchasing this next space. Watch out LoHi,...

Mannequin 2, The Next Karate Kid, Sex & the City II...some things don't deserve a sequel.

TAG, however, most certainly does.

TAG | RAW BAR, Troy Guard and wife Leigh Sullivan-Guard's newest restaurant concept, is set to become one of the seven small boutique spots available in Larimer Square's Walkway. This pedestrian walkway, currently being renovated, will connect Larimer Square to the Square's Parking Garage.

RAW BAR, will be a sleek, 20-30 seat place featuring a full bar, wine lists and Guard's signature clean, simple, yet sophisticated food. It'll be similar to TAG's bold flavors but with a raw twist to mix it up.

The restaurant will feature fresh raw fish such as sashimi and oysters for dinner, but is adding a new concept for the lunch...

A wine-tasting room in the heart of our very own city? Is this too good to be true? 

The answer is no. Denver is now joining the ranks of places like Sonoma and Napa with our addition of Colorado Winery Row, Denver’s new “urban wine tasting destination.”

A short time ago in a galaxy very close by, the Justice League of Street Food brought Denver into the food scene of the future.

Food trucks and carts have been loitering on our streets all summer long, gaining momentum and popularity with every red light. They have come together as one to create the Justice League of Street Food, which will bring us food pods parked around the city. These pods include food trucks and carts meeting in a central location for patrons to gather.

To kick off their food pod celebration, they have united to bring us a top-secret street food party that only gourmet food on wheels can do.

Familiar sights around town, such as the Steubens Truck, Biker Jims Gourmet Dogs, The Biscuit Bus and Pinche Tacos, are helping to invent...

Next time you're jonesing for a yummy breakfast, cruise down Broadway to the newest spot around: Bites Coffee Bar and Cafe.  

Just when you were getting bored with all the restaurants in town, there is a new melting pot of ideas coming to Northwest Denver! 

Sometimes hope is just the right ingredient for a restaurant to serve. At least that's what The Comfort Cafe believes.

The Comfort Cafe is a community kitchen opening up next Wednesday that serves up gourmet comfort food for those in mourning of their loved ones. Most of the food is created from recipes inspired by stories and memories collected from the community about their loved ones.

This brand-new not-for-profit cafe is a donation-based restaurant that allows you to set your own price for what you think the meal was worth. They believe in a "hand up, and not a hand out," and trust others will pay it forward whenever they can do so. Guests are just expected to "pay what they can" and will never be turned away.

You want to eat healthy and get your greens. But the thought of pushing your way through the Cherry Creek Farmer's Market this weekend is enough to start an anxiety attack.

Put away those elbows and visions of strollers galore and head out to Wheat Ridge to pay a visit to Mr. Greenjean's Produce Truck instead.

J.R. Johnson, aka Mr. Greenjeans, parks his big red truck outside the Wheatridge Poultry & Meat Market on 29th Ave. on Friday afternoons starting at 2 p.m., plus all day Saturdays and Sundays (9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to sell the local community fresh produce and to teach people how to cook!

Recent sightings on the truck included giant artichokes, one pound potatoes, apples, pears and delicious Colorado asparagus. If...

The cupcake dynasty has taken over the baked goods empire in every city on the map.

We all thought they were a delicious novelty item that wouldn't last the tests of time, but alas, they have prevailed. In fact, they have now taken over a major American staple of everyone's childhood: the ice cream truck.

Lo and behold, there is now the cupcake truck.

On Tuesday, April 13, The Cake Crumbs Bakery began taking their cupcakes on the road. They do not have a designated direction, so keep on the look-out for an old-school blue delivery truck that smells as delicious as those morning donuts. The cakes on board are specially designed for the trip ahead, so you won't be given any smashed sweets. Rockin' Red Velvet, Vanilla Party and Mile-High Mocha are a few of the...

Unspoken Truth of Travel: Traveling is awesome and such a great adventure, but sometimes you would rather just stay at home on the couch watching reruns of The Office instead of sitting at DIA for 76 hours when a blizzard comes in and postpones your trip.

Universal Rule of Travel: Flying stinks. And it's not getting any easier.

The next time the snow, rain, wind or a hurricane delays your travel plans and you're wondering, "What am I ever going to do while I wait out here in the middle of nowhere?" (aka DIA), head over to the Moonlight Diner just outside the aiport on Tower Road. It's sure to...

The New Year has begun, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow and the Winter Doldrums are here. Its cold even when its not snowing and everyone is looking for something new and fun to do.

Meetings, meetings, meetings. You never get the chance to sit down for a decent meal at lunch any more. It's always the same: run out, grab the quickest, easiest option within a few blocks and sit back in the board room again. Day after day after day. What a drag.

We think it's about time for a change. Thank goodness a few others did too!

Gastro Cart Denver opened up just a few short months ago on the corner of 18th and Curtis St. serving hand-held food that is not only refined, but easy to eat too. The two line cooks from Table 6 decided to take their food to the streets and revitalize Denver's street food. 

Try the Spicy Chicken Taco: roasted chicken...

Secrets fall into two categories: those you keep closely guarded (age, weight, addiction to Jersey Shore) and those that are just too good to keep to ourselves.

Like Hush Denver, a new (kind of) secret, invite-only, underground supper club.

You've probably heard of these types of dinners happening in other cities for the past few years, but never thought little ol' Denver would actually have one too...but we do! This isn't the cow town it used to be.

Hush brings together line cooks, station chefs, and other kitchen workers to cook dinner for small crowds in none other than a contemporary furniture gallery in the Ballpark area,

The corner of Hampden and Elati in Englewood may not be the first place you’d expect to find one of Denver’s hidden hot spots, but it’s there. Steakhouse 10 doesn’t have the high profile that other Denver steakhouses do, but the food is just as delectable, if not better. Sometimes flying under the radar is a good thing!

The décor is Rat Pack chic in the two intimate dining areas. Downstairs are a low-key bar and dining room. Upstairs you’ll find additional seating in the “Alibi Room,” which can be rented out for private parties or is perfect for a romantic dinner with someone special.

The restaurant is owned by the Kallas...

Is the mere thought of the upcoming winter making you wish you were somewhere far, far away from here? Say, somewhere fabulous and luxurious, like the hills of Tuscany with the beautiful sweeping hillsides and romantic towns flush with good food and great wine?!

Well, for most of us, this mental picture isn’t exactly coming to fruition any time soon. In the meantime, why not stop into the newest restaurant in Cherry Creek North, Brio Tuscan Grille, to get your own taste of Tuscany?

Brio recently took over the old Macaroni Grill location and...

You've already had a long day in the office and it's only 2 pm.

Yes, you swore off sweets but you need a sugar fix or you will never make it through the rest of the day.

We have just the solution. One of the best kept secrets in town: Sante Fe Cookie Company.

Located in the basement of Republic Plaza on the 16th Street Mall, the "cookie lady" has been serving up batches of delicious treats for years to make people's days a little bit better. Chocolate chip is the standard, but she also offers up macaroon, peanut butter, space chip, oatmeal raisin cookies as well as other baked goods.

The...

Calling all foodies!

Picture this: You are sitting at a picnic table in the fields of Boulder watching the sun set behind the flatirons, sipping wine while chefs are cooking (inside of a school bus nonetheless) a seasonal, deliciously fresh menu specifically crafted from the day’s harvest.  You are relaxed, happy and realizing that nights like this are one of the many reasons you love Colorado so much. 

No need to fear coming back to reality again, this is actually a real life concept of perfection - Meadow Lark Farm Dinners.  

This Saturday, Americans around the country celebrate our nation's independence. There are numerous ways to observe this holiday; however, a mainstay in many American backyards is the grill. Millions of us will be hosting or attending backyard barbeques, and we salivate at the mere thought of delectable hamburgers, hotdogs, brats, and all of the accoutrements that share the same plate. 

Summer is here and it's time to celebrate Denver's fabulous weekends by brunching with friends either inside one of our many hip eateries or on an outdoor patio. 

Wait, don't get too excited for Saturday morning just yet, there is more! What better way to improve any brunch date than the popular new idea  that's been spreading around town.

Bottomless mimosa brunches. 

And we have the skinny on some great places to go for an endless supply of these bubbly treats. 

If you and your girlfriends are shopping in Highlands Square, stop by The Coral Room. Their bottomless tasty treats are $11 and served from 10-2 on...

That's right, you've been caught haven't you.

Trying to get a table reserved at Troy Guard's newest hot spot, TAG, that is.

Opening on Monday in Larimer Square, Guard plans to introduce Denver to "continental social food" inspired by his childhood spent near the ocean. TAG will feature a lounge, two floors of seating, a wine "library" and an eclectic vibe in addition to the fresh, flavorful dishes. Think New York meets Hawaii in Denver.

The restaurant (which shares Guards initials) will feature a menu offering a harmonious mixture of local ingredients and internationally inspired, creative and...

New to town?

No?

We are.  

As the newest kid on the block, we'd like to introduce you to a few other friends that are keeping us company. Check them out soon so they aren't lonely for long.

Park Burger

New Restaurant + Bad Economy = Crazy Idea? Possibly.

Think again when the idea involves Jean-Philippe Failyau and silent partner Frank Bonanno, the renowned chefs and partners of Osteria Marco, Mizuna, Luca D'Italia and Bones, and the idea of a burger spot on South Pearl. Recipe well conceived. Park Burger will be open mid to late April.

Killer Burgers? Duh. Other talking points: Open kitchen. Big counter. Hand cut french fries. Belgian beers. And 'The Frenchie', a specialty burger featuring melted brie and...