'Midson: Gastronaughty' Archives

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Costumes of the 2013 Ms. Hooters Colorado Pageant

By Cafe Society
Photos: Last night's Toques and 'Tails bash

By Lori Midson
Morrison Holiday Bar named a "Best Banquet Bar"

By Philip Poston
Lessons we learned from Amy's Kitchen

By Jenn Wohletz
First Look: Pizzeria Locale opens next Wednesday

By Lori Midson
Photos: Switchback Smokehouse is now smoking

By Philip Poston
Crooked Stave brings rare beers to Colorado

By Jonathan Shikes
Round two with Nate Bychinski, exec chef of Mateo

By Lori Midson
Photos: Odyssey Beerwerks, a new Arvada brewery

By Trevor Andersen
This week's craft beer calendar

By Jonathan Shikes

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

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

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."

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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?

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Guess Where

Guess where you're eating? At an EatDenver restaurant if your name is NickCO

By Lori Midson Mon., May 20 2013 at 9:30 AM

Categories: Contests, Guess Where, Midson: Gastronaughty

Lori Midson

Cafe Society served up four Guess Where? contests last week, ranging from a mouth-numbing Colorado spirit poured at an Italian restaurant that has yet to be identified, to a old-fashioned from Bull & Bush, to a plate of fantastic tacos from a still-unnamed taqueria, to a scallop pooled in squid ink.

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Booze News

Williams & Graham and Sean Kenyon both finalists for Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards

By Lori Midson Fri., May 17 2013 at 4:52 PM

Categories: Ask the Bartender, Awards and Honors, Behind the Bar, Booze News, Midson: Gastronaughty

Jacqui Segura for the Cocktail Ambassador

Westword bar columnist Sean Kenyon just landed in New York City about an hour ago for the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, and once he turned his cell phone on, it started buzzing like a palpitating heart -- and Kenyon's heart just about dropped to the floor when he began reading his text messages.

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First Look

First look: Jimmy's Urban Bar & Grill opens in LoDo

By Lori Midson Fri., May 17 2013 at 1:09 PM

Categories: First Look, Midson: Gastronaughty, Open and Shut Cases, Photos

You likely won't notice that the front door of Jimmy's Urban Bar & Grill slants, if only a little. It has something to do with luck -- good luck -- and Alicia Bernat, along with her husband Jim and their son and exec chef Jimmy, deliberately designed their new namesake restaurant with teases of feng shui: copper and metal elements are strategically placed among the televisions, while earth tones, the color of warm spices, brush the walls showcasing original art from local artists, which, by the way, is all for sale -- and every dime of what's sold goes directly to to the artist.

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Guess Where

Guess where I'm drinking mouth-numbing Tingala?

By Lori Midson Fri., May 17 2013 at 9:01 AM

Categories: Contests, Guess Where, Midson: Gastronaughty

Lori Midson

I can't imagine what you'd do with this Colorado spirit, which makes your mouth, lips and gums go numb -- a lot like Sichuan peppercorns -- but there's at least one restaurant and bar that's conjuring up ways to use the spirit in cocktails. Still, this has got to be the strangest liquid I've ever put in my mouth.

Can you guess where I'm drinking?

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Open and Shut Cases

Exclusive first look: Pizza Republica opens tomorrow in the downtown theater district

By Lori Midson Thu., May 16 2013 at 3:49 PM

Categories: Foodography, Midson: Gastronaughty, Open and Shut Cases, Photos

All photos by Lori Midson.

Pizza palaces, as we reported earlier today, are peppered throughout the downtown Denver restaurant landscape, and while some of those same pizzerias that opened within the past year have since shuttered, Pizza Republica, the original of which resides in the Landmark development in Greenwood Village, has proven that it has staying power (not an easy feat in the 'burbs). And tomorrow, at 11 a.m. owner and executive chef George Eder will open a second outpost of Pizza Republica at 890 14th Street, directly next door to the Colorado Convention Center, and given its prime location (and what may the city's best patio to date), we're willing to bet that downtown denizens will greedily chew it up (and not spit it out).