Denver Restaurant Week launched last Saturday, February 22, and will end on March 8. While participating restaurants attract many diners, there are still those who seek to get away from the $52.80 dinner for two promotion. Why get away? The crowds, the manipulated menus which sometimes do not reflect the essence of a restaurant, the stressed-out waitstaff that gets paid less and works more during the promotion, and hard to come-by reservations. So, if you want to get away, here are ten restaurants that will offer an alternative to Denver Restaurant Week.
Boulder restaurants bring on the citrus to give winter menus a boost of freshness, the Daily Camera reported. From the lemon preserves complimenting many dishes at Cafe Aion to the Belgian endive and ruby red grapefruit salad at the Kitchen, citrus balances out heavier winter dishes. More: check out these four stunning citrus-centric desserts.
This Boulder-based master sommelier is all about knocking wine off the pedestal and knocking one back in Oaxaca, Mexico where Sombra, his sought-after brand of mezcal, is made. Richard Betts is the sort of wine guy that makes you want to drink more because above all, it's fun. With a forthcoming book to boot, this busy wine and booze pro talked to Eater about his brand new wine projects, his thoughts on Colorado wine, and the boys' club stigma.
Cafe Aion, the Spanish-focused restaurant located on the Hill in Boulder, got a shout-out in Sunset Magazine this month. In a piece called Chefs' Favorite Restaurant Dishes, chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson of Frasca Food and Wine recommended the Cafe Aion Paella as a fun and amazing meal to be shared. Bonus: each Wednesday, Cafe Aion features the $39 Paella & a Bottle (of wine) deal. [Sunset]
Yesterday at about 2:15 p.m., the Boulder Fire Department responded to a small fire inside the kitchen walls at L'Atelier at 1739 Pearl Street, the Daily Camera reported. Shortly after, a gas leak was detected and Pearl Street was closed between 17th and 19th Avenue. Around 5 p.m., access to the street was reopened. [DailyCamera]
Snarf's, the family-owned collection of sandwich shops that started out in Boulder in 1996, announced today plans for significant local and national expansion. There are currently 14 Snarf's outlets along Colorado's Front Range, St. Louis, and Chicago. Expansion will continue in these existing markets as well as into Texas. The company expects to see Snarf's reach 50 stores nationwide by 2018.
Snarf's is best known for their 20 varieties of hearty toasted sandwiches as well as daily made soups and salads. "It's exciting to bring our award-winning sandwiches to more people across the country," said Jim Seidel, CEO of Snarf's.
· In Search of a Great Sandwich [EDen]
· Denver's Nine Most Cultishly Loved Sandwiches [EDen]
Boulder's Jill's Restaurant & Bistro at St Julien Hotel & Spa and Denver's Restaurant Kevin Taylor each earned spots on Forbes Travel Guide's 55th annual list of Four-Star Award-winning restaurants worldwide, announced today. They are two of five Four-Star restaurants in Colorado and 143 Four-Star restaurants worldwide. The only Five-Star recipient, is the Penrose Room at the Broadmoor. [Eaterwire]