Guess Where

Guess where I'm eating spicy Szechuan chicken?

By Lori Midson Wed., May 22 2013 at 12:20 PM
Categories: Contests, Guess Where, Midson: Gastronaughty

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Lori Midson

Spicy, absolutely, but more to the point, salty -- way too salty, even for someone like me, who will dive for the bag of ridged potato chips long before the slice of chocolate cake.

Can you guess where I'm eating?

Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to a Guess Where post is entered into a pool -- and every Monday, we select one lucky winner who'll receive an EatDenver dining deck, worth up to $520 in discounts at independent restaurants.

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Follow That Story

The Kitchen Next Door, Snooze and a new restaurant and market from Alex Seidel will open in Union Station

By Lori Midson Wed., May 22 2013 at 11:19 AM
Categories: Follow That Story, Midson: Gastronaughty

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Lori Midson
Alex Seidel, chef-owner of Fruition, is opening a new restaurant and market at Union Station in July 2014.
Today, at 10:30 a.m., in front of the Oxford Hotel, Larimer Associates announced the names of three new restaurants that will take up residence in Union Station, the historic, century-old train depot that's currently being redeveloped by the Union Station Alliance.

A new restaurant and market concept by Alex Seidel, chef-owner of Fruition and Fruition Farms, along with The Kitchen [Next Door] and Snooze will all occupy the landmark train terminal in July 2104, and each restaurant will lay claim to an outdoor patio.

See also:
- Union Station-booted model-railroad club will make a stop at History Colorado
- Union Station's model trains might have reached the end of the line
- Our restaurant roll call for April


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Contests

Win two free tickets to EatDenver's Big Eat bash on Sunday

By Lori Midson Wed., May 22 2013 at 11:02 AM
Categories: Contests, Midson: Gastronaughty

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On Sunday, EatDenver, the city's network of independently-owned restaurants, is hosting the Big Eat, a blowout culinary bash at Sustainability Park, 2500 Lawrence Street. The eco-friendly festival, which sold out last year, struts forty restaurants, four breweries, four wineries, plus local spirits and cocktails. "It's a fun-filled, American-themed event, and each restaurant brings a signature dish and excitement, plus there's unique entertainment and custom libations using some of the state's best local ingredients," says Elizabeth Woessner, executive director of EatDenver.

See also:
- Our favorite local culinary gifts for foodniks: EatDenver Dining Deck
- Photos: The Big Eat was the weekend's best culinary bash
- The Big Eat! at Union Station

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Chef and Tell

Nate Bychinski, exec chef of Mateo, on cow tongue, TV drama and the McDouble

By Lori Midson Wed., May 22 2013 at 9:05 AM
Categories: Chef and Tell, Midson: Gastronaughty

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Nate Bychinski
Mateo
1837 Pearl Street, Boulder
303-443-7766
mateorestaurant.com

This is part one of my interview with Nate Bychinski, exec chef of Mateo; part two of my interview with Bychinski will run tomorrow.

"I didn't play with knives, but I definitely did my fair share of cooking," says Nate Bychinski, remembering his younger years in Wausau, Wisconsin, where he grew up bow-hunting white-tailed deer on his cousin's farm and working in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother. "My grandmother came from a family that ate a lot of peasant food, and that's what we ate, too: lots of chipped beef on toast, macaroni and cheese and pfeffernüsse -- little nuggets of bread dough that my grandmother perfected," says Bychinski, who's now immersed in French cuisine at Mateo, in Boulder.

See also:
- Tyler Nemkov is now the exec chef at Mateo
- Tyler Nemkov has left Mateo

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Open and Shut Cases

Ghost Plate & Tap will shutter on Friday

By Lori Midson Tue., May 21 2013 at 4:05 PM
Categories: Midson: Gastronaughty, Open and Shut Cases

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Lori Midson
TJ Hobbs, the current chef of Ghost Plate & Tap, will become the corporate training chef for Breckenridge/Wynkoop.

Next month, Ghost Plate & Tap, an elevated pub with a formidable beer list and an excellent cocktail program, would have celebrated its second anniversary downtown, but the Wynkoop/Breckenridge concept, which opened in June of 2011, is shuttering just shy of its two-year anniversary, closing this Friday, directly after lunch service.

See also:
- TJ Hobbs, chef of Ghost Plate & Tap, on portion size, pastry and Pepsi
- Round two with TJ Hobbs, chef of Ghost Plate & Tap
- Chef Christopher Cina lands in the kitchen of Ghost Plate & Tap


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Guess Where

Guess where I'm eating a Greek salad?

By Lori Midson Tue., May 21 2013 at 10:04 AM
Categories: Contests, Guess Where, Midson: Gastronaughty

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Lori Midson

Thanks to a recent influx of pizza palaces, I've eaten way, way too much of the stuff over the past week, including at this restaurant, which, while new, isn't as new as some. In fact, it's been around long enough that the kitchen should have its pizza down pat, but in this case, the Greek salad was far better than the lukewarm slices.

Can you guess where I'm eating?

Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to a Guess Where post is entered into a pool -- and every Monday, we select one lucky winner who'll receive an EatDenver dining deck, worth up to $520 in discounts at independent restaurants.

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Contests

Win admission for two to Toques and 'Tails on Thursday, May 23, at Casselman's (with winner)

By Lori Midson Tue., May 21 2013 at 8:59 AM
Categories: Contests, Midson: Gastronaughty

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Via the Toques and 'Tails event page

Update: We have a winner of our Toques and 'Tails contest giveaway! Last week, we asked Cafe Society commenters to guess how many Culinary Connector tours owner Becky Creighton has conducted in Denver. Congrats to BSquared5280, who guessed 330 tours, the exact number. BSquared5280, we'll send you an e-mail with directions on how to claim your prize.

Original post: On Thursday, May 23, Becky Creighton, the founder of Culinary Connectors, a company that exposes foodniks -- both locals and visitors -- to various Denver, Boulder and Aspen restaurants as part of a walking tour of those city's top dining dens, is rolling out a new food-and-cocktail event: Toques and 'Tails, a chef and bartender battle created, says Creighton, to "celebrate and promote the culinary and beverage talent of innovative restaurants in Denver and Boulder -- and to feature the culinary team from the same restaurant."

See also:
- Casselman's opens in NoDo
- Casselman's gets a sixteen-and-up license
- Best New Club - 2010 Casselman's Bar & Venue


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First Look

Exclusive first look: Live Basil Pizza opens Thursday in south Denver

By Lori Midson Mon., May 20 2013 at 3:20 PM
Categories: First Look, Foodography, Midson: Gastronaughty, Open and Shut Cases, Photos

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All photos by Lori Midson.

Tom Ryan and his partner Rick Schaden are on a roll -- a burger roll, a 24/7 restaurant roll and a pizza roll. The two men, both of whom are the entrepreneurial brains behind Consumer Concept Group, one of the country's top companies in the field of restaurant development and investment, founded Smashburger, which now trumpets more than 220 locations across the world, including 22 in Colorado. Last year, on Halloween, they unleashed Tom's Urban 24, a 24/7 food temple that's also expanding outside of Colorado, and on Thursday of this week, Ryan and Schaden will open Live Basil Pizza, their first fast-casual pizza chain, located just off I-25 and Hampden...and conveniently next door to Smashburger.

See also:
- The man behind that smash hit, Smashburger
- First look: Smashburger unveils new design concept
- Exclusive first look: Tom's Urban 24 opens on Halloween

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Follow That Story

The Squeaky Bean's Crickett Burns tapped as the kitchen manager at the Truffle Table

By Lori Midson Mon., May 20 2013 at 11:30 AM
Categories: Follow That Story, Midson: Gastronaughty

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Facebook

After nearly eight years cooking alongside Max MacKissock, chef-owner of the Squeaky Bean, Crickett Burns, the sole woman in McKissock's kitchen, is stepping away from the Bean team to join Rob and Karin Lawler at the new Truffle Table, which will open in Highland on June 4.

See also:
- Truffle owners opening the Truffle Table in the Cellar Wine Bar space
- The Truffle's Rob Lawler on Spam musubi, brains, glutards and his favorite cheese
- Max MacKissock's new tasting menu sprouts at the Squeaky Bean

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A Real Deal

Guess where I'm drinking a flight of beers, none of which are sold in liquor stores?

By Lori Midson Mon., May 20 2013 at 10:15 AM
Categories: A Real Deal, Contests, Guess Where, Midson: Gastronaughty

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I spent a lot of time drinking in tap rooms over the weekend, including this one, where none of the house-brewed beers are sold at any liquor stores -- and that's a huge bummer, because it's a long trek from my house to here.

Can you guess where I'm drinking?

Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to a Guess Where post is entered into a pool -- and every Monday, we select one lucky winner who'll receive an EatDenver dining deck, worth up to $520 in discounts at independent restaurants.

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