EASY COME, EASY GO

"When compelled to cook, I produce a meal that would make a sword swallower gag." - Jody Strogoff

July 27, 2004

LOTS BEEN HAPPENING IN THE DINING ARENA. So many happenings that I have to limit today's column to the "dearly departed" and save the "new borns" for next week.
You probably have read all this in either Kyle Wagner's column in the Denver Post, or John Lehndorff's column in the Rocky Mountain News, and you wonder how we all get the same or similar info. OK, here's the secret: Shhh. I have my sources. They have their sources. But I read their newspapers and they don't read mine. So I get it all. I'm just a bit pickier as to what I include and what I don't. So if what you read here looks like something one of the other paid bellies wrote, it just might be true.

FROM THE SAYONARA LIST: I guess I'll start off with a combo (in and out). Kona Grill has opened in the space vacated under rather strange or perhaps merely peculiar circumstances by Roy's of Cherry Creek (3000 East 1 Ave, 720/974-1300; www.konagrill.com) The new restaurant is an Arizona-based eatery. Gee, I thought Kona was Hawaiian. Roy's is Hawaiian. But they're not related. Gotta check out the Big Kahuna bugger tho. I like the word, "big" when referring to a bugger.

Because of the Denver Art Museum construction project, Kevin Taylor's Palettes will close in early September 2004 and reopen in late 2005 or early 2006. Waddaya bet he never reopens the place. You read it here first.

Karen's Country Kitchen (NOT Karen in the Country) has been gone for some months, but someone has to be the last to know and I guess that's me. In its place is The Huckleberry - wonder if they serve huckleberry pie. All you weirdoes here call it blueberry, but blueberry is BLUE, huckleberry is purple with red gook. But the dang place serves wild blueberry flapjacks, What happened to huckleberry flapjacks? Location: 700 Main St., Louisville, 303/666-8020). The new owners are open seven days, closing about 8:30 pm at nite during the week and 3 pm on Sunday.

Gasho of Japan, in the Denver Tech Center is gone, altho I don't know of anyone that cares. There is a maavelous new entry in this field of Japanese steakeries that will blow your mind. Hanabi (7900 W. Quincy Ave, 303/979-9298; www.hanabigrill.com) has opened in the spot vacated by Rodizio Grill. This new addition to the dining scene is something to behold. Bring the kids; they'll have a gas. You will not go away hungry and you will get your money's worth but it ain't cheap.

Still more restaurants that have closed include Fusion at 1175 Walnut St., Boulder. Yuko Asia has opened in that space. The Indian restaurant, Roma's Royal Bengal Kitchen, in Longmont is gone. Also closed: Pique, 6603 Leetsdale Drive. Bye, y'all.

Gee, the best "86" (code for gone, gone and still gone) I wrote about in years is the closing of Vasil's Euro-grille. Before I even had a chance to tell you that they changed to a prime steakery, they decided to shut the doors. But there's even more good news. One of muh favs, Sullivan's Steakhouse, a great steakery is taking over the space. Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon owns Sullivan's It's also the parent company of Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House and Texas Land & Cattle Steak House. Sullivan's is the mid-price, top end of the choice cut, steakhouse. By the by, ever wonder why Lone Star and Sullivan's are "steakhouse" and Del Frisco's and TLAC are steak house (one word vs. two words)? Why? Who cares?

Another great "86" for Hilltop Café in Golden, Yes folks, The Hilltop Cafe has closed. Awe shucks. But they won't be forgotten, or even out of the dining picture. The owner, chef and staff of Hilltop will move down the hill to the Golden Hotel (800 11th Ave, 303/279-2010) into the space currently occupied by Coburn's. The new place will be called Bridgewater Grill. Plans are to make it a casual Western-style steak house. Detailed plans, menus, etc. are in the works

Meanwhile, buh-bye to Cherry Creek's Canyon Café and a big Colorado "Howdy" to Elway's in the space (2500 East 1st Ave) although no opening date has been set. While I really want John to succeed (altho word is he has no financial interest in the place) what this town really doesn't need is another prime steakhouse. Or is it steak house? And then we have Flemings coming to the Denver Tech Center, a sister steakery of Outback Steakhouse, but with all prime beef. Move over Morton's, Del Frisco, Capital Grille, etc.

I have never reported that Finster Brothers Bagels (5709 E. Colfax Ave) closed, but it did. This is one I was sorry to see go (once I found out it went) cuz they were rated by many as the best bagels in Denver and they were darn good. I guess the raters are too few and far between to buy enuf bagels to keep a place going. Anywho, in that spot is now the Ivy Café, owned by Goose Sorensen and Brian Klinginsmith. Robert McCarthy, formerly of Mel's makes the breads and pastries. Robert will also prepare the baked goods for its sister eatery, Solera (5410 E. Colfax Ave, 303/388-8429) located just a few blocks away.

Coos Bay Bistro, a University of Denver neighborhood eatery, has closed at 2076 South University Blvd. This usta be one of muh favs 'til they forgot how to run a restaurant, or why they wanted one in the first place.

Vega, the deliteful Latin eatery created by Sean Yontz (a bloomin' genius with a pan in his hands) has closed at 410 E. Seventh Ave. The restaurant never attracted any customers, leastways not enuf. Sparrow, a New American eatery (whatever the heck New American is, as opposed to old American) will open in the space later this summer. I would never eat in a place called "Sparrow". Almost as bad as muh fav New Jersey eatery, Rats. Yeah, need to do the column on that dining experience.

Bye-bye Bahama Breeze, which pulled the plug on its Colorado stores in May. Owner Darden Restaurants, which also owns the Olive Garden and Red Lobster chains, sez this will strengthen its other locations. Now here are two restaurant chains that I can't understand the appeal of. Red Lobster is outrageously expensive, altho at one time they made a great tuna sangie. It was sooo good they took it off the menu. There's a Red Lobster located next to 240 Union (240 Union Blvd, 303/989-3562; www.240union.com), a fine upscale eatery that serves much fresh seafood. Where would you eat?

The Big Bowl Asian Kitchen restaurants in Broomfield, Denver, Englewood and Littleton have all closed. The economy gets just a tad better and these cheap dining joints are gone. Also on the closed list are Anavama Mexican Restaurant, 500 W. Colfax Ave. Shucks, I never heard of that one. Guess no one else did either.

The Devil's Food Bakery (1024 S. Gaylord St, 303/733-7448) has closed for remodeling soes they can open a café. The place never had what I wanted when I wanted it, so maybe they just ought to stay closed. Good luck getting there from Lakewood. You can't.
Bubbles and Squeak
Ian Kleinman - top toque at Go Fish Grille, heads to New York August 4 to cook at the famed James Beard House with his dad, Stephen Kleinman, chef at Denver's Boettcher Bistro, the latter being one of the Best Kept secrets in Denver. They serve perhaps the best upscale dinner buffet in town. Other than Mt. Vernon Country Club, of course, but that's a member-only eatery. You could join tho. Just tell 'em The Fox sentcha. G and I have been members for over 20 years and have never ever had a meal that wasn't spectacular. Daughter Camille's wedding reception was held there and it's still talked about as one of the great social events of the last millennium.

Cya.