Cafe Society

Lessons from Amy's Baking Company: Five lousy things restaurant owners do to employees

By Jenn Wohletz Fri., May 24 2013 at 7:58 AM

Gordon Ramsay trying to talk sense into these two.

By now everyone who isn't hiding in a television-free cave has heard about the Kitchen Nightmares episode featuring Amy's Baking Company (an Arizona pizza place with bad food and worse owners) that was so ugly and combative that Gordon Ramsay walked away. This may have been the only episode I've seen where Ramsay was less of a surly dick than the restaurant owners. The episode reminded me of all the restaurant owner/employee burns that I've had, witnessed or heard about over the years: There's no denying that some restaurateurs handle their employees in scummy, exploitative ways, and that is bad news for workers and customers alike.

Here are five things restaurant owners do to employees that are just plain wrong. A big shout-out to Amy's Baking Company for the reminder that some people should not own restaurants.

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Comment of the Day

Reader: Love Taita's pisco sours, but lower prices would sweeten lunch

By Patricia Calhoun Fri., May 24 2013 at 6:59 AM

Categories: Comment of the Day

Mark Manger

Chef/owner Pepe Aparicio outside of Taita.

Want to take a quick culinary trip this weekend? Try Taita, the Peruvian restaurant that Gretchen Kurtz reviews this week. In addition to the classic dishes of Peru, Taita serves up an interesting fusion that reflects the country's more recent culinary influences -- as well as the wide-ranging background of owner/chef Pepe Aparicio. But be prepared for a lonely lunch...and to open your wallet wide.

See also:
- Taita takes diners on an unexpected journey through Peruvian cuisine
- Three favorite potato dishes in Denver: This spud's for you
- Photos: Behind the scenes at Taita

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Culinary Events

Central Bistro & Bar is lending a hand to Oklahoma victims this weekend

By Patrick Langlois Fri., May 24 2013 at 6:00 AM

Categories: Culinary Events

Central Bistro & Bar, 1691 Central Street, is hosting a relief effort for victims of the Oklahoma tornados this weekend. The restaurant is donating $1 from the sale of every regularly-priced cocktail today, Saturday and Sunday to the tornado relief effort.

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Jenn in Chains

Larkburger's new salads make spring official -- celebrate with a Memorial Day burger BOGO

By Jenn Wohletz Thu., May 23 2013 at 4:01 PM

Categories: Cafe Society, Jenn in Chains

J. Wohletz

Good things were in this bowl.

Colorado-based Larkburger is springing into the warm weather with three very spring-y new salads: baby kale, bibb and quinoa, and Caesar. I'm sure I'm not the only Denverite who is hoping these spring offerings will bring some good juju with them, ensuring that we won't see another snowflake until next year.

See also:
- Larkburger -- there's now an app for that!
- Larkburger opens in Littleton this morning
- Larkburger lands in Northglenn...with a new BLT sandwich

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Open and Shut Cases

Spuntino has reopened with a bigger menu, bigger bar...and yes, gelato

By Cafe Society Thu., May 23 2013 at 3:45 PM

Categories: Open and Shut Cases

Spuntino, 2639 West 32nd Avenue, reopened its doors on Saturday after four days of renovations. The Italian restaurant now boasts a bigger menu, a larger bar and new furniture.

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Photos

First Look: Frasca crew will open Pizzeria Locale next Wednesday...with a one-of-a-kind oven

By Lori Midson Thu., May 23 2013 at 2:41 PM

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

All photos by Lori Midson.

Chris Donato, Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson, Bobby Stuckey and Jordan "Bruiser" Wallace.

"We're the slowest movers ever," quips Bobby Stuckey. "We waited six years to do a remodel of Frasca and more than nine years to do something away from our little corner in Boulder." Stuckey, along with Chris Donato, Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson and Jordan "Bruiser" Wallace, are the dream team behind Frasca Food and Wine, which opened almost a decade ago in Boulder. It's unsurpassed success was then followed by Pizzeria Locale, a Neapolitan-style pizzeria, which sits directly next door to the Friulan wonderland of foodstuffs, and, finally, after years of lusting on the part of Denverites, the foursome will open a second Pizzeria Locale in the Golden Triangle in Denver next Wednesday.

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The List

Three favorite potato dishes in Denver: This spud's for you!

By Gretchen Kurtz Thu., May 23 2013 at 1:46 PM

Categories: Follow That Story, The List

Mark Manger

Orgia de mariscos...with spuds...at Taita.

Potatoes are oft-overlooked workhorses (and will do extra duty in this weekend's picnic potato salad), but the potato-based appetizers at Taita, the focus of my most recent review, are hard to ignore. Those fried, stuffed, mashed potatoes in the papa rellena and the cool slices in the causa got me thinking about other spud sensations I've had over the past few months.

Here, in no particular order, are three of my favorites.

See also:
- Taita takes diners on an unexpected journey through Peruvian cuisine
- Photos: Behind the scenes at Taita
- Troy Guard's latest gives people what they want

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Cafe Society

Photos: A look at the new Colorado Plus Brew Pub, which began brewing this week

By Cafe Society Thu., May 23 2013 at 12:08 PM

Categories: Cafe Society, Open and Shut Cases

All photos by Philip Poston.

The Colorado Plus Brew Pub, which opened May 13 with 56 Colorado beers on tap, started making its owns beers this week on its small brewing system; the brewery part of the business, which includes a restaurant, was delayed by permitting issues. The beer should be ready in three weeks, at which time Colorado Plus, which occupies the former Valente's Italian Restaurant space in Wheat Ridge, will hold a second grand opening. Westword's Philip Poston recently stopped by and brought back these photos.

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Cafe Society

Photos: Switchback Smokehouse now smoking in the former Dick's Hickory Dock

By Philip Poston Thu., May 23 2013 at 11:04 AM

Categories: Cafe Society

All photos by Philip Poston.

Things are smoking again on the banks of Bear Creek off highway 74 in Kittredge. Darryl Swarts and three friends, all from Ann Arbor, Michigan, bought the former Dick's Hickory Dock in February 2011, and after a total overhaul of the charming but decrepit building -- starting with "squirrel removal," and continuing within new HVAC, plumbing and electric systems, as well as beetle-kill-wood counters and bar -- have reopened the place as Switchback Smokehouse. The emphasis here is on smoking, not sauces (although Switchback does have housemade sauces) because, Swarts says, "The meats speak for themselves."

And so do these pictures. Keep reading for a look at Switchback.

See also:
- Jason Sheehan on the fate of Dick's Hickory Dock
- Dick's Hickory Dock is back in business
- Barbecue: It's what's for breakfast at Cabin Creek

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Beer Man

Crooked Stave will distribute in NYC, bring Evil Twin, other rare beers to Colorado

By Jonathan Shikes Thu., May 23 2013 at 10:11 AM

Categories: Beer Man

Crooked Stave Facebook page

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project has struck up a partnership with a specialty importer in New York City that will allow the Denver brewery to sell its beers there while Crooked Stave will distribute some rare and unique beers in the Denver area.

The distributor, Brooklyn's 12 Percent Imports, is focused on bringing a handful of boutique Belgian beers into the United States, but it also handles distribution in New York City for a limited number of small or unusual U.S. breweries.

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