Sawa Mediterranean buffet restaurant opening near University of Denver

A Denver couple is looking to bring the city together with their food. It’s literally in the name. Sara Hamid and her husband, Nasr Ahmed, plan on opening Sawa at 1737 E. Evans Ave. by DU this March. The name translates to “together” in Arabic and is an homage to the wide variety of Mediterranean … Read more

“Top Chef” alum Byron Gomez is new chef at Brutø

Michael Diaz de Leon hung up his apron as executive chef at Brutø in December, leaving big shoes to fill. But “Top Chef” alum Byron Gomez is ready to step up to the Michelin-starred plate. Gomez has been named as the new executive chef of Brutø, Denver restaurateur Kelly Whitaker’s 18-seat chef’s counter restaurant at … Read more

Lucina chef opening upscale Mexican concept, Xiquita

At chef Erasmo Casiano’s newest restaurant, guests will be able to peer through a window and watch corn tortillas and tamales made fresh to order. “I want to help people appreciate why the tortilla and tamale are so important in Mexican cuisine,” Casiano said about the restaurant’s Mexico City-inspired menu. Xiquita will serve Yucatan dishes, … Read more

9 food and drink trends to watch in Denver in 2024

Staying on trend is a never-ending chase, and no one wants to be left behind. While the Mile High City seems to catch on to trends in the culinary world a little later than New York City or L.A., social media sites like TikTok and Instagram help speed things up. So we’re getting out our … Read more

Yelp’s top 100 places to eat includes 4 Colorado restaurants (2024)

There are a plethora of highly anticipated restaurants making their debut in Denver this year, but if you can’t wait that long to satisfy your appetite, Yelp is here to help. On Tuesday, the restaurant review platform released its annual list of the top 100 places to eat in the U.S. in 2024, which includes … Read more

Meet Aurora’s unofficial mayor of Korea Town: J.W. Lee

J.W. Lee’s first restaurant in downtown St. Louis sat in an old warehouse with only a glowing green neon sign from a nearby nightclub to illuminate the dark street corner. Customers from a previous sushi bar where he’d worked had pulled the money together to help him get Wasabi Sushi Bar up and running in … Read more

The 10 most anticipated Denver restaurant openings of 2024

The holidays are over, but there are plenty of gifts to look forward to in 2024 when it comes to the food scene in Denver and surrounding areas. Chefs are stepping up their game to make this leap-year worth it, while the Michelin Guide’s anonymous reviewers continue to scope out the risk-takers they might have … Read more

Chef Michael Diaz de Leon steps down from Bruto as executive chef

When chef Michael Diaz de Leon took over Bruto in 2020, he was handed “four walls, a hearth oven and a couple of induction burners,” he said. Three years later, Diaz de Leon has transformed Bruto into a Michelin-starred restaurant with a Michelin sustainability award and a 2023 James Beard nomination. “No one really understands … Read more

Mile High Vienna Stand closes following owner’s death

A Denver restaurant specializing in hot dogs has closed following the death of its owner. Inspired by his childhood summer spent noshing on franks in Chicago, Sonny Jarock opened the original Mile High Vienna Stand near the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Santa Fe Drive in 2008 before moving to another building at 300 Santa … Read more