Denver Food Blog

​For the chef at a seafood restaurant -- Oceanaire -- Matt Mine sure loves his bacon. He often features a slab of it on Oceanaire's menu, and he recently cooked up a batch of bacon brittle with Anthony Bourdain in mind, which was included in the pre-talk meal that Oceanaire and a few other restaurants sent to Bourdain's hotel room yesterday.

Although Mine had to work through Bourdain's talk at the Buell last night, he managed to run across the street to meet the cook/author. Here's Mine's Facebook account of the encounter:

"After giving up my tickets, I still was able to get backstage, shake his hand and find out what he thought of the spicy bacon-cashew brittle I made for him.....His comment? 'Whoooaaa..thanks for all your kitchen did tonight!'

"COOKS RULE!"

Mark Manger

​The New York Times blog "You're the Boss," ruffled the apron strings of restaurant servers nationwide when it ran Bruce Buschel's two-part list of things restaurant staffers should never do. As someone who worked the FOH for 14 years, I have two words for Buschel:

Bitch, please.

While Buschel made some decent points, his elitist tone reinforced the popular notion that servers are servants as opposed to facilitators. Good servers go out of their way to make the guest's dining experience exceptional -- but getting the recipe for every guest "that goes gaga over a particular dish," which is actually one of Buschel's suggestions, is ludicrous. Seriously, give me a break. Any server on the planet would rather slide down a five-foot razor blade into a pool of rubbing alcohol than ask the chef for their duck confit recipe during a Friday night push. That doesn't mean they give shitty service.

Oliver's Meat Market

​Working in the food industry has its hazards.

Today at 11 a.m. at Denver Police Department headquarters, five Denver police officers will be honored with the Citizens Appreciate Police award. On June 9, these officers responded to Oliver's Meat Market "on the unfortunate report of an employee who lost her arm in a meat grinder," according to a DPD advisory.

"The officers not only saved the life of dearly loved member of our family who is a new mother," a family member told the DPD, "but saved my husband from the grief of facing and cleaning up a horrific tragedy of a loved one."

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Yes, yesterday's Guess Where I'm Eating? cakes were from City Bakery, Michael Bortz's place up at 5454 Washington Street, an industrial-park setting that gives no hint of the wonderful things being created inside. Except for the smell, of course.

Although Bortz breads and desserts are featured at many restaurants around town -- including Elway's, Squeaky Bean and Fogo de Chao -- you can also buy directly from City Bakery. "We never sleep," Bortz advises.

Root Down is looking good.

​John Hickenlooper will announce the Mayor's Design Awards tonight, but we can tell you that two of the fifteen honorees are restaurants: Root Down and Marco's Coal-Fired Pizzeria.

Both restaurants opened last year, in old spaces made remarkably new. In Root Down's case, a vintage service station was turned into the town's coolest bar space, as well as a private dining room -- and also provided the sleek inspiration for the brand-new building put on the corner of 1600 West 33rd Avenue. Root Down has gorgeous views of downtown Denver, but it's already a landmark in its own right.

For Marco's Coal-Fired Pizzeria, a Victorian storefront at 2129 Larimer Street was transformed into a hip urban hangout, with huge pizza ovens as a focal point, a back deck that's clubhouse-cozy, and a front bar that invites everyone inside.

The awards presentation is at 6 p.m. tonight at the L2 Arts & Culture Center at 1477 Columbine Street, with a reception at 7. Admission is free, but you can RVSP here.

Six months after it opened in the former home of the Squealin' Pig at 2700 East Third Avenue, Robert Thompson's

It could be patio weather when Argyll opens for lunch today.

​ starts serving lunch today. "We've been fortunate to have built some momentum lately and our customers have been requesting a moderately priced, high-quality lunch spot in Cherry Creek," he explains.

Among the lunch offerings at the self-proclaimed "gastropub":

Duck confit salad with Roquefort, garlic confit, pickled shallots, dried cranberries and frisee with a walnut oil, dijon vinaigrette; shepard's pie with stewed lamb and beef and autumn veggies; "house cured" corned beef hash; and Argyll (lamb and beef patty) or pub-burgers served regular or au poivre style.

And on the side? Thompson's suggesting an "adult milkshake" like the Murphy Stout float, made with vanilla ice Cream and Murphy's Irish Stout.

And with any luck, if the weather holds, you'll be able to enjoy it out on Argyll's patio.

Nancy Levine

Ugly Betty, looking good -- if blurry -- at Lola.

​There wasn't a Balloon Boy in sight, but Ugly Betty would no doubt have blown away any Heene outfit at Saturday's Halloween costume contest at Lola.

Perhaps in deference to the site of the contest, the coastal Mexican restaurant located at 1575 Boulder Street, the contestants included several food-related get-ups. The cast of last season's Top Chef, for example, which rated runner-up status. Ditto for the couple dressed as Carrot and Celery, right down to a green face and 'fro above Carrot's orange outfit. But the duo that dressed up as a whole fish atop a Lola table, with a Big Red F chef right alongside, didn't bother with subtly influencing the judges, as you can see below.

Lori Midson

Future home of Deli Den.

​Looks like plans are moving fast for the new Den Deli and Sushi Market, which is going into 1501 South Pearl Street -- conveniently located between Sushi Den ( 1487 South Pearl) and Izakaya Den (1518 South Pearl).

Brothers Toshi and Yazu Kizaki are hosting a job fair for their new place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, November 2, at Izakaya and, according to the ad, are:

Interviewing for all qualified FOH and BOH positions. Barista, Deli, and or Seafood Market experience a plus! Apply in person ONLY with resume to : 1518 South Pearl Street.

Miss Audry at her farewell show at the Funky Buddha, just down from Melita's.

​After more than a decade behind the decks, DJ Miss Audry is retiring. But music's loss is food's gain, since she's going to be devoting her time to helping out at Melita's Greek Cafe & Market, the spot that took over for the Economy Greek Deli at 1035 Lincoln Street. "It's been a long and amazing DJ ride for me, but after thirteen years, I have decided to hang up my headphones," she told Cory Casciato for a story on our Backbeat blog. "About a year ago, my mom and I took over a Greek cafe, which is taking up most of my time. "I finally decided it's time to focus my energy on helping my family make the business a success."

It's not a decision that came easily, but Miss Audry (aka Adriana Aguilar), who had a farewell show this past weekend, knew it was the right thing. "I had some months to really think long and hard about my decision," she said, "and when you know it's time, it's time. I'm sure I will daydream about a future 'I'm Back' party, or doing some random guest appearance somewhere. For now though, there's no plans on the radar."

Not for making music. But as for making food? Expect Melita's to put on quite the show.

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Chopsticks & Sushi, the Asian restaurant and bar at 1630 Welton Street that was the site of a fatal shooting yesterday, is not connected to Chopsticks China Bistro, the goofily-named restaurant that just moved from South Federal Boulevard to 5117 South Yosemite and is a Jason Sheehan favorite.

But plenty of potential patrons of the Englewood Chopsticks were confused yesterday, when they heard of the incident. For the record, it's business as usual at Chopsticks China Bistro.

Not so at Chopsticks & Sushi, where the Denver Police Department responded to a call of a shooting yesterday afternoon and found a male victim with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at Denver Health; the investigation is continuing.

No word on when that Chopsticks will reopen; no one was answering the phone there this morning, and the door is shut tight.

​Sushi Hai, at 3600 West 32nd Avenue, celebrates its fifth anniversary tonight starting at 7 p.m., with half-off on sushi and drinks.

The Scott Davis Project will be playing acoustic blues in the downstairs Hai Bar -- a space guarded by an off-duty cop this past weekend. It was an unusual sight in Highland, but perhaps an inevitable one given the October 4 fight that started in the 3,000 square foot club and spilled out onto the street. Inevitable, if the owners of Sushi Hai want to avoid a major battle with neighbors. Hai Bar is also now closing at 1 a.m. on weekends -- although that's not yet reflected on the web site. "Like the Highland neighborhood we call home, Sushi Hai is refined, with a funky bite to its elegance," the home page promises.

Make that funky fight.

Councilman Rick Garcia has formed a committee of local bar owners and neighbors concerned about the the businesses in their midst; that group will meet for the first time next week.

How Metro CareRing is hoping the cupboards will look after its Share the Harvest Food Drive

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The cupboards are almost bare at Metro CareRing -- and that's bad news for the approximately 35,000 Denverites who rely on the non-profit emergency food pantry. The organization provides more than 2,000 pounds of food and personal-care items a day, but its budget is stretched very thin these days.

Over the last year, the organization has seen a 31 percent increase in demand. "The people who come in for assistance are spanning the whole spectrum," says Vicki Edmundson, Metro CareRing's acting executive director. "Usually it has been the working poor, but now we see more middle-class people who have lost their jobs....And worse, people who used to be our donors are now the ones looking for assistance."

To refill the shelves -- and its coffers -- Metro CareRing is running its Share the Harvest Food Drive all month. "We do see an increase in donations around the holidays and that is great," Edmundson explains. "But people are not just hungry around the holidays. We feed this many people all year round."

You can make a donation at Metro CareRing, 1100 East 18th Avenue. For more information, call 303-860-7200.

Hungry, thirsty dietitians before hitting Denver restaurants

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The annual American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo is drawing to a close in Denver. One of the world's largest organizations of food and nutrition professionals, the ADA focuses on the latest food-service trends and nutrition science information.

Naturally, I was curious to find out if convention attendees practiced what they preached. So I called Fruition and Bistro Vendome, two restaurants listed in the ADA's Denver dining, to find out more about the convention-goers' eating habits.

All-natural roast chicken with spaetzle, seasonal vegetables and pan jus

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If you want people to eat at your restaurant, why not have them pick the menu? That was the idea behind the new fall menu debuting tonight at Randolph's Restaurant and Bar at the Warwick Denver Hotel.

"We thought the people who came to select the menu would also be the people who come back to order from it," explains Danielle Bickelmann, spokeswoman for Randolph's.

At the October 1 "Choose Our Menu" event at Randolph's, diners paid $20.09 to taste eighteen possible menu items, including three soups and three salads, as well as scallops, chicken, Colorado lamb and sorbets. "Usually when we create new menus, we put specials on current menus and see how they fare," Bickelmann says. "So, we wanted to take it a step further and have an event around what people would like to see on the new menu."

​ Peter Boyles is holding his annual haunted house event at Yak and Yeti, the Nepalese restaurant that took over the former home of the Cheshire Cat Brewpub and Restaurant, at 7803 Ralston Road in Arvada. (There's a second Yak and Yeti at 8665 Sheridan in Westminster.) The ghosts on Ralston Road predate the brewpub era, though; the building got its start as a horse farm back in 1863, local fans of the supernatural swear it's haunted by more than a century of spooks.

You don't need to head to Arvada to find haunted restaurant sites, though. The biggest black hole in Denver could well be 250 Josephine Street, which recently swallowed Juicy Lucy's, and is still haunted by the spectre of Tula, Go Fish Grille, Indigo, Creekside Grill and Papillon, among other doomed occupants of the space.

We'll be compiling a list of the local dining scene's ten top black holes in time for Halloween; post your nominations below.

And feel free to note locations that seem to have broken a curse. JR's Bar, for example, is doing just fine at 777 East 17th Avenue, an address so spooked by previous tenants that the owners of Majorca had the Mudmen exorcise the place when that Mediterranean restaurant moved in. (Surprise! Majorca didn't last....)

On Friday nights, Tony's bistro area becomes a happy-hour bar with live music.

​The new Tony's Market at 950 Broadway may be the only place in town where you can drink a beer or glass of wine while you do your shopping -- legally. That's because the market opened with a liquor license that covers not just the bistro inside the market, but the entire floor.

And with that license's expansion to a cabaret license, Tony's can continue offering live music during Friday night happy hours. Next up (at 6 p.m. Friday, October 16): Anthony Rosacci, who just happens to be the son of the founder.

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Water 2 Wine features its low-sulfite wine

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The holidays are enough to drive anyone to drink -- so this year, why not help everyone out by giving wine? For $250, Water 2 Wine will help you craft a case of 28 bottles with custom labels -- which breaks down to about $9 a bottle.

"Most of the time, gifts of chocolates and crackers go straight to the office kitchen," says Water 2 Wine general manager Sarah Witte, "but the alcohol always makes it to the right person."

Larkburgers, fries and shake made with renewable energy

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Larkburger is making a name for itself with such menu items as hand-cut fries seasoned with parmesan and truffle oil -- but Larkburger president Adam Baker hopes that with the switch to wind power for 100 percent of its energy use, the company will also become known for its eco-friendly philosophy.

The fast gourmet burger joint that got its start in 2006 in Edwards and opened a second location in Boulder this spring (read Jason Sheehan's review here) has always touted its use of compostable disposables and environmentally friendly decor items, such as paneling made with reclaimed Monterey Cypress. "Switching to wind power was a real easy decision to make," Baker says. "We want to be as progressive as possible. We try to make good decisions and this fit right in."

​8 Rivers, Scott Durrah's modern Caribbean restaurant that opened last October at 1550 Blake Street (after a successful stint in a much smaller spot at 3609 West 32nd Avenue, now occupied by Venue), is changing its hours for the winter. And they're very ishy.

The restaurant, which also bills itself as a rum bar, is increasingly popular as a politically aware LoDo hangout, and that's reflected in the winter hours: 8 Rivers is dumping lunch, at least until May, and will open at 4:30 p.m. every day -- with happy hour running until 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday -- and stay open until 10ish Monday through Thursday, 11ish Friday and Saturday, and 9ish Sunday. Fair warning: the web site has yet to be updated to reflect these changes.

​The inn at Gold Hill, ten miles up from Boulder, has been around about as long as Colorado has been a state. Poet Eugene Field stayed there, and described his visits in "Casey's Table d'Hote," the first poem in his 1889 book A Little Book of Western Verse.

Oh, them days on Red Hoss Mountain, when the skies wuz fair 'nd blue,
when the money flowed like likker, 'nd the folks wuz brave 'nd true!
When the nights wuz crisp 'nd balmy, 'nd the camp wuz all astir,
With the joints all throwed wide open 'nd no sheriff to demur!...
And you, O cherished brother, a-sleepin' 'way out West,
With Red Hoss Mountain huggin' you close to its lovin' breast,--
Oh, do you dream in your last sleep of how we used to do,
Of how we worked our little claims together, me 'nd you?
Why, when I saw you last a smile wuz restin' on your face,
Like you wuz glad to sleep forever in that lonely place;
And so you wuz, 'nd I'd be, too, if I was sleepin' so.
But, bein' how a brother's love ain't for the world to know,
Whenever I've this heartache 'nd this chokin' in my throat,
I lay it all to thinkin' of Casey's tabble dote,

Frank Finn, who took over the inn with his wife, Barbara, and turned it into a legendary restaurant, loved to recite that poem, remembers his son, Brian, who now runs the Gold Hill Inn with his brother Chris.

Just got news from the Rocky Mountain BBQ Association that Mike McCrea of Big Mike's BBQ, at 8751 Pearl Street in Thornton, died on Tuesday night. McCrea had been injured in a flash-over from a propane tank in late September and spent that Friday night in an ER in Grand Junction, refusing to be flown to the burn unit in Denver. Why? Because he had a barbecue competition in GJ on Saturday, and he didn't want to leave his team a man down.

Yeah, you read that right: Second- and third-degree burns to the arms, face and hands, but McCrea had work to do. He and his team made all four turn-ins for the competition, according to the BBQ guys, finished out the vending operation, and only then -- once all the work was done-- did he check himself in to University Hospital in Denver, where he was immediately put in the ICU that Sunday.

He seemed to be improving through the week, and even was released. But he started feeling poorly again and went back to the hospital -- where he was diagnosed with pneumonia and passed away this Tuesday night.

This is how hard the guys who make your dinner for you work. This is what cooks do. Though I never knew McCrea, I feel poorer for never having gotten to know him. And sad that the world is now down one pit man plainly dedicated to his craft.

Rest in peace, Mike.

​It's not easy baking at 8,000 feet, but this pastry chef seems to have hit the jackpot. Want to be rolling in dough? Then guess where I'm eating.

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Sketch has a limited menu, but as Jason Sheehan noted in his review, what Jesse Morreale and Sean Yontz (the subject of this week's Chef and Tell) are serving there is choice. Still, when the place opened in March, we couldn't resist suggesting that -- in addition to the exotic cheeses, meats, nuts and Amarena cherries and El Rey Chocolate -- Sketch offer a skewer of the day, featuring random food items on sale at the Big Lots right across First Avenue.

Sadly, the Big Lots Skewer suggestion is now off the table, because the Big Lots closed abruptly. Rumor has it that a Sunflower Market may go into the space -- which would greatly expand the possibilities for a daily skewer, but make it considerably less sketchy.

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Just as the sign advises, "Please stand by..." for the opening of the Bardo Coffee House, which is coming -- slowly -- to the Imperial Building at 238 South Broadway, across from the Barker Lounge. The space boasts newly installed cabinetry, a few refrigerator cases and a waiting espresso machine, but it looks like it could be a few more months before the first cub is poured.