COMINGS AND GOINGS

"I never met a bugger I didn't like" - moi Fox

   I MAY NOT BE WRITING this column much longer. Y'all know that I'm number 3 on the list to be CEO at General Motors and number 2 at Hank's Place. All the rest of the qualified candidates are either in jail, in a cemetery, or under indictment by a federal grand jury. But I'm not inclined to relocate to Detroit. Been there, done that.

I worked in Detroit during the late sixties. It was not nice; too many shootings, stabbings and bad food. I remember one joint in Dearborn that was so tuff, when you walked in, the bouncer frisked you. If you didn't have a gun, he gave you one. Anywho, its been a while, so here are the recent comings and goings in the dining industry.

NEW IN TOWN. The Earl of Sandwich (named after the dude that allegedly created muh fav food) has opened (1431 Ogden St, 303/832-7411). The menu offers a large variety of interesting sangies. Try the Emerson, ham & Swiss served hot on focaccia with your choice of toppings ($5.95); or maybe the Lafayette, mayo & basil pesto spread with lettuce, sprouts, cukes & red onion topped with feta & black olives ($5.95). All the sangies come on fresh bread from Paradise Bakery down the street, soups, salads, and desserts.

The sign sed "15th Avenue Mexican Grille" in the space vacated by Maharaja ("no vun comes, ve sell no food") across from the state capitol. Oops, that was the sign a month ago. Turns out that that sign was under the old Maharaja sign This week's sign sez it's Broussard's Creole Cafe (233 E. Colfax Ave, 303/861-0931). Chatted with exec chef Ismael Reyes who's ready to rock. They're doing lunch only the first couple of weeks but by the time you get this, they should be serving dinner also. Look for alligator, frogs legs, and traditional New Orleans fare: gumbo, shrimp Creole, and crawfish etouffe'. Owner Chris Broussard, a transplant from New Iberia, Louisiana, prepares the gumbo from an old family recipe, Here's to you, guys.

Also serving Cajun fare is Le Creole Belle (2202 Kearney St 720/941-3472).
Recommended are the gumbo and the fab oyster po' boys. The master hails from
Okaloosa, LA. The reviews to-date are mixed, but give 'em some time.

Open for five months is Ole Che'. offering the food of Spain and with some Italian tossed in, and beef from Argentina. Seems like a weird menu since Spain is 7,000 miles from Argentina. They're tucked away in a huge space at Alameda and Harlan.

Grill and Tandoor Indian Restaurant is open and doing an all day long buffet in the space at 7180 E. Hampden Avenue (303/691-8786). Hear tell its super.

Little Russian Cafe owner Steve Ryan has opened a new joint a few doors from his old place. Red Square Euro Bistro (1512 Larimer St, 303/595- 8600) is in the space vacated by Le Bonne Soupe. Steve has always served great grub, so the new place should be good too.

Brasserie Rouge, a French brasserie, will open the early part of August in the Ice House (1801 Wynkoop, 303/991- 2242) where Anita's Crab Shack usta hang. This will be a maavelous eatery serving about 150 folks. Sorry, dinner only. How do I know it's gonna be maavelous? Cuz JI told me so. And JI speaks the truth. And that's the truth.

Also opening the same week is the Yard House at Colorado Mills (14500 West Colfax Ave), with 130 beers on tap. The press release sez American Fusion Fare, whatever the heck that is. It's a chainery.

El Trapique, a Columbian/Venezuelan eatery has opened at 15355 E. Colfax Ave. I am told the menu is heavy into seafood, and that's good. They got plantains. I luv plantains,

The old master, Radek Cerny, has opened yet another eatery, this time in his old hometown of Boulder. L'Atelier (1739 Pearl St) will be serving, among other goodies, super fresh fish in this new French bistro. The first eatery he owned in Boulder, European Cafe, was sold by him in 1995, recently closed.

Also up north Magnolia Steak and Seafood has opened at 1381 Forest Park Circle (303/665-3080) in Lafayette. Some old hands from Boulder eateries have joined forces to create this Southern style eatery. I worry about too many creative geniuses clashing. Time will tell.

The Ship Rock Grille is now open for the season, May thru September, at Red Rocks Amphitheater. The place is gorgeous. We'll find out about the food and letcha know, but I can't get anyone to call me back or send me a menu. They serve lunch only, ceptin on concert nites where dinner is available to concert ticket holders. Call 303/697-4939 for reservs and info.

Proto's Pizza, currently in Lafayette and Longmont, is now serving its famous thin pizza at 2401 15th St (720/855-9400) Muh old bud, John Lehndorff, Rocky Mountain News paid belly, sez the fresh clam pizza is "awe-inspiring". The Blanca (white) pizza is also yummy.

And oh yeah. Cielo really opened at 1109 Lincoln St....unless, since they were "opening any day" for so long, the post office gave away their old address and they had to get new street numbers.

GONE GONE GONE. The original European Cafe (2460 Arapahoe) is history. That was Radek Cerny's first entry into the Denver dining market, and probably his best. See above story.

Texas Land and Cattle of Park Ghetto fame, is gone. Bye. Terrible place.

CHANGES. The Rhino (1700 Vine St 303/399-1700) is changing its name to Galaxy Grill. Didn't know it became the Rhino, It usta be the Skydiner. Never been there either. Would you go to a restaurant called, "Rhino"? The name implies big and fat. But of course the Galaxy Grill name does even less for me.

Chez Walter has been sold. The deliteful and delish Swiss eatery at 5969 S. University Blvd, 303/794- 4026), after 23 years, will have a new owner, Robert Sansone. The remodeled eatery will have some old and some new items on the menu.

The Airport Broker (12100 East 39 Ave, 303/371-6420) has re-opened as the Bull & Bear Tavern, serving super casual fare for lunch and dinner. The menu is less expensive. Dinner 6 nites. lunch 5 days. Since the conversion, it's packed. But they still got the shrimp bowl.

It seems to me that more bad restaurants shudda closed in the past few months, but you folks have been eating out too often. Shucks, I even expected some good eateries to have shuttered recently.

G and I have been hitting some new places, and I'll report on those next week. That is, if I get time to do a column before we take off for San Francisco the last week in July. Yo!

   Cya.