The Downtown Denver Partnership has been working hard to increase the mix of menu options on the 16th Street Mall, expanding hours as well as offerings. "One of the things we've been striving for for the last couple of years is to increase the quality, predictability and overall appearance and image of the vending program on the 16th Street Mall," says the DDP's John Desmond. But some old vendors don't like the new rules. "We're independent vendors who are limited in budget and resources," says Mohammed Elaemi, who runs Shondiz, a kebab stand. "Who can really do six or seven days a week as individuals? We'll wear out in a couple of months."

More >>

The talk continues about T|ACO, the updated taqueria with the awkward name that opened yesterday in Boulder. It's not the first hip taqueria in the area, of course. Pinche Taqueria gave the Pinche Tacos concept a permanent home last year.

And in February Comida Cantina opened a brick-and-mortar version of its Comida truck in Longmont. (Executive chef Serena Romeo is featured in this week's Chef and Tell; read it here.)

More >>

T|ACO opens today in Boulder. It's a new concept from the folks behind H Burger Co. (an outpost of that joint just opened in Boulder, too), and readers agree that the place looks good -- the urban taqueria is a 62-seat homage to tacos and spaghetti Westerns -- and the menu seems promising....

But what's with that name?

More >>

James Mazzio serves up bruschetta popcorn at Ian Kleinman's pop-up dinner.

Kitchen magician Ian Kleinman is ensconced at James Mazzio's Studio F for the rest of the week, where he'll be offering a special pop-up dinner that plays with liquid nitrogen.

Lori Midson was there for the debut of Kleinman's nine-dinner run. So was Stefan:

More >>

The news served up a smorgasbord of tidbits on buffet last week, including a guy in Wisconsin who picketed a restaurant that cut him off from an all-you-can-eat fish fry, and a Chinese buffet in the U.K. where management instituted a clean-your-plates or pay a $20 tab policy.

Waste not, want not: Those stories inspired Jenn Wohletz to serve up the eight most egregious sins you can commit at a buffet.

More >>

Charlie Palmer (left) and chef Jeff Russell at the District Meats opening.

Six months after District Meats opened in a space that hsd already swallowed up a big-time national restaurant operator (the Chodorows, who'd brought Big Game to Denver as well as an outpost of Il Fornaio), another big-time national restaurateur has stepped in to change up his LoDo spot. "I'm renaming the restaurant, because there's been some confusion about whether or not it's a steakhouse, and while I've said from the beginning that it's not a steakhouse, from a consumer, client and even press point of view, the consensus has been that we are a steakhouse," Charlie Palmer told Lori Midson.

In fact, the goal is to be a modern American tavern, so as of next Tuesday, the place will be Charlie Palmer's District Tavern, which will no longer serve lunch and tweak its dinner menu to feature "lighter dishes that have more of a regional and seasonal emphasis," Palmer says. But there will still be meat.

More >>

The news that Laura Shunk is moving to New York and opening up a slot for a new restaurant critic inspired many readers to suggest possible candidates -- including old restaurant critic Jason Sheehan, for example. Penny Parker.

And two words: Dave. Barnes. "I think more reviews should be focused on menu font and whether it has free WiFi," writes Jim Rome.

There have been other suggestions for rules the new reviewer should live by.

More >>

Snooze found itself at the center of a protest over the camping ban after co-owner Brianna Borin spoke in favor of the ordinance at a Denver City Council hearing. During peak breakfast hours two weekends ago, members of Occupy Denver flocked to the original Snooze, at 23rd and Larimer streets, with signs accusing the restaurant of "criminalizing the homeless."

But according to founder/owner Jon Schlegel, who poured coffee for the protesters, four homeless individuals were working inside the restaurant at the very time the demonstrators gathered outside. And Snooze has worked closely with homeless services since the restaurant opened six years ago, in the very heart of the neighborhood where most of the providers are located and the homeless hang out all day and night.

More >>

Does this look like Denver's best paella to you? It definitely tasted that way to Lori Midson, who proclaimed it the "holy grail" in her search for great paella and asked readers to guess where she'd found it.

Turned out the answer was Solera. But before we got that, we had to read many, many comments about the right way -- and the wrong way -- to make this dish.

More >>

A year after it abruptly closed its original location in Highland, Squeaky Bean will bloom again next month at 1500 Wynkoop Street. And thanks to a series of videos with owner Johnny Ballen, you can get a taste of what's to come: a Casa Bonita for adults, he promises.

"Opening a restaurant can be a little tedious, and we want to have a little fun," Ballen says. "We just kind of want to get everyone excited about the Bean again, so we're making some short clips of what's going on behind the scenes in anticipation of the opening."

More >>