Denver Food Blog

Soon to be seen in Belmar

​The 4,547 square foot space in Belmar vacated by the doomed Mark & Isabella and, before that, Chama, has been snapped up -- by the fourth location of Little India, which should open this spring.

"Belmar is very excited about this new addition," spokeswoman Lisa Wieting says of the new entry into a restaurant space that would seem somewhat doomed, given the fate of the previous tenants. "The restaurant has a strong following in Denver and it will add to the diverse culinary mix at the center."

You can agree to disagree, but Sunday's Super Bowl left much to be desired. The spread was wide, all of the commercials seemed to be created by a sleep-deprived schizophrenic coming off of a Ritalin bender, and The Who should clearly never perform again. Ever.

We'll chalk it up as a wash, but hopefully the following list of the top five drink and food-related Super Bowl commercials of all time will assist you in getting that weird taste out of your mouth.

5. Budweiser: Wazzup
Bar rats and frat boys everywhere had a hard time letting this one go for months afterward. And we can't really blame them.

​If you're the kind of person who hears the words "breakfast" and "free" and leaps from your bed without so much as a potty stop on your way out the door, have we got a deal for you.

See that photo up there? That's your early morning wake-up call, your zap of energy that's robbing you of an hour on the treadmill so that you can jump into your car, violently slam the pedal to the metal and hightail it to your nearest Denny's for two pancakes, two slices of bacon, two sausage links and two eggs that I can guarantee you will never, ever look anything like the eggs in that murderously manipulated snap.

A Flickr photo.

​It's Stout Month at Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery (and at Southern Sun Pub and Brewery and Vine Street Pub, Mountain Sun's two satellite locations), and the company is celebrating with numerous events, including tonight's vertical stout tasting at Southern Sun, 627 South Broadway in Boulder.

​I've had my identity stolen by a porno palace; I've gotten e-mails from alleged relatives held hostage by Nigerians, demanding ransom.

But this latest request for a "reservation" at Cafe Society was a classic scam:

Mark Manger

Guess where you're not eating tonight? At Jen Jasinski's Rioja

​We'd thought 50top was the toughest invite to get in town -- but we might have to eat our words.

Because tonight's Dinner for Haiti Relief, a fundraiser at Rioja (1431 Larimer Street) featuring seven chefs and six courses, is completely sold out (with a waiting list).

That's 148 seats at $125 a shot, with every penny going to the Denver-based Project C.U.R.E. for its efforts helping Haiti.

We'll drink to that -- just not at Rioja tonight, since the restaurant will be completely devoted to the benefit.

​Say so long to Lizard's Bar & Grill, the Tex-Mex-style cantina that went dark last week after just six months. (But then, the space's previous occupant, the Public House, didn't last much longer.)

Anyone looking for Lizard's (including the band that was supposed to play there this past weekend) will find this sign on the door: "Lizards Bar and Grill will no longer be operational. Please forward all urgent correspondence to Equity Vest," with an address in Lansing, Michigan. And although the Lizard's web site is still up, calls go unanswered.

Lori Midson

​Denver's Independent Network of Restaurants (DINR), the group responsible for Harvest Week and A Saucy Affair, is asking its member restaurants to spread the love...through their liquid assets as part of DINR's Valentine's Day Cocktail Contest. The competition, which has already kicked off, continues through Wednesday, February 10, at which time winners from the pool of 20 participants will be announced by a likely lubricated band of judges, including 5280 food editor Amanda Faison, Westword editor Patty Calhoun and yours truly.

But don't let us have the last drop word: Stop by the competing bars and restaurants and ask for the "DINR Valentine's Cocktail Contest Cocktail" and then go to www.eatdenver.com/valentines-cocktail to vote for your favorite.

In the meantime, we'll be featuring different recipes and photos from the participating restaurants and watering holes. Today's cocktail: the Cupido from Locanda Del Borgo.

​First there was the seven-pound gut-busting breakfast burrito from Jack-n-Grill that Man v. Food host Adam Richman unsuccessfully attempted to shove down his throat. Then Virgilio's issued a similar challenge that currently involves eleven pounds of dough, six toppings, cheese, tomato sauce and a pizza called the "Hugilio."

Now comes word that three Taste of Philly locations, including the store at 2432 South Colorado Boulevard, are unleashing the "Apollo Cheesesteak Challenge," a 20-inch Amoroso roll mounted with 44 ounces of meat, 18 ounces of white American cheese and a half pound of grilled onions, which tips the scale at a hefty five pounds, give or take. "This is America and people love a challenge," says Taste of Philly owner Martin Garvey, who admits that there's only been one taker since he started the competition two weeks ago. "We've only had one challenger so far, and he threw in the towel after about 45 minutes, and didn't even want to take home the leftovers." Wimp.

If you finish the cheesesteak in 60 minutes or less, your name goes on the Wall of Fame, the sandwich, which is normally $29.99, is free, and you get an "I heart cheesesteak" T-shirt. If you don't finish the cheesesteak, you're a loser and get nothing, except for maybe a bit of empathy from the staff (and leftovers).

Oh, and there's a waiver you'll need to read and sign, which includes, among other rules and acknowledgments, your punishment for puking. For the rest of the decree, jump to the next page.

​Celebrate the days leading up to Valentine's Day (and Fat Tuesday) with an array of chocolate-centric events, wine dinners and much more. Here's a taste of what's ahead:

Monday, February 8:

The Tattered Cover LoDo, 1628 16th Street, presents Say It With Chocolate from 4 to 7 p.m., an all-you-can-eat chocolate festival with live music and a silent auction. Tickets are $20 and benefit the Third Way Center. Visit www.tatteredcover.com or call 303-436-1070.