Linger is almost a trademark restaurant for Denver, as it is housed in a unique building that used to be Olinger mortuary in earlier days.  Chef/owner Justin Cucci embraced the mortuary past of the building, and you can find vintage funeral decorations around the restaurant.  Linger serves globally inspired cuisine with local ingredients, plenty of gluten free and vegetarian options.  Linger has a diverse menu, and happy hour at Linger is a favorite for many because of their famous roof top patio with beautiful views of downtown Denver.

Linger’s weekend brunch options include delicious, unique options such as chorizo tacos, breakfast dosa, Mediterranean omelet, hangover ramen or challah French toast.  If you haven’t eaten dinner at Linger yet, you need to.  A word to the wise: reservations are recommended, as there is never a slow night for Linger.  Happy hour, which is Tuesday-Friday 4-6:30pm, offers $1 off draft beers, $6 cocktails and $5 wine glasses.  Happy hour is served in the bar and patio only.

Linger is located at 2030 W. 30th Ave. Denver 80211. 303-993-3120

Lunch: Tuesday-Friday 11:30am-2:30pm

Happy Hour: Tuesday-Friday 4:00-6:30pm

Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday 5:30pm-close

Brunch: Saturday and Sunday 10am-2:30pm

If you’re looking for a fun, rustic place with an amazing local farm to table and drink menu, head over to the Curtis Club this week.  The Curtis Club is an urban yet rustic bar that has an eclectic yet homey feel to it.  The wood furniture is homemade, and there is a beautiful picture of Wash Park hanging above the bar.

They offer a happy hour menu Tuesday-Saturday from 3:30pm to 6:30pm with $1 off drafts and bottles, $2 Genessee beer, $3 well drinks, $4 Fernet Branca, $5 house red and white wine and $7 cocktails.  Try pairing your happy hour drink with a slider: either alpaca, lamb or veggie.  Try the alpaca if you’ve never had it; it is pleasantly surprising.

http://blogs.westword.com/backbeat/2013/11/curtis_club_grand_opening_win_a_bar_tab.php

The Curtis Club also has delicious offerings for lunch and dinner including Idaho rainbow trout, Spring Tree Farms rabbit, potato crusted soft shell crab or the Maple Leaf Farms duck plate.  They use as many local ingredients as possible, and the flavor combinations in the dishes will definitely make an impression on your taste buds.

Curtis Club is located at 2100 Curtis St. 720-420-9898.

Bar hours:

Tuesday-Saturday 11am-2am

Sunday 10am-3pm

Happy Hour Tuesday-Saturday 3:30-6:30pm

Kitchen hours:

Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday 11:30am-2:30pm

Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday 5pm-10pm

Brunch Saturdays and Sundays: 10am-3pm

Closed Mondays

Where can you get quality paleo and gluten free sweets in Denver?  Sugar Bakeshop.  Sugar specializes in the usual decadent sweets: muffins, cookies, bars, coffee cake, etc. that are made from scratch everyday.  The twist is their surprisingly delicious paleo and gluten free treats.

The paleo muffins are made with almond meal, honey, banana, blueberry and spices.  Sugar Bakeshop also offers paleo chocolate cake and cookies.  Why paleo?  The paleo diet has been growing in popularity; it consists of no grains, no processed foods, no dairy and high in fruits, vegetables and proteins.

Sugar Bakeshop has gotten national attention for their decadent treats; they have been featured on the TV show Unique Sweets.  Another popular, distinct treat Sugar offers are their homemade pop-tarts, popsters.  Forget the artificial pop-tarts you remember as a kid; these homemade popsters are a hit with kids and adults a like.  They offer various flavors like brown sugar, nutella, strawberry, blueberry or banana peanut butter chocolate chip.

Sugar Bakeshop is located at 277 Broadway Denver 80203, 720-458-5432.

Monday-Friday 7am-6pm

Saturday and Sunday 8am-6pm

Have you heard about Toques and Tails event this week?  Have you gotten your ticket?  If not, hurry and get your ticket for this event on Thursday May 22 before it’s too late.  Toques and Tails is highlighting 8 of Denver’s top restaurants and bars: Squeaky Bean, Central Bar and Bistro, Old Major, Session Kitchen, Lower 48, TAG, The Corner Office and Ace Restaurant.

At this event, you will sample dishes from the chefs and cocktails from the bar tenders from these 8 elite Denver restaurants.  Guests will be able to vote for the best dish, best cocktail and best dish and cocktail pairing.  Judges from all over the country will also be there mingling with guests and voting on these categories as well.  This event is meant to highlight to and promote the culinary and beverage talent of innovative restaurants in Denver.  The friendly competition will also raise money for Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry.

Toques and Tails is gaurenteed to be full of amazing food, drinks and fun at this event!

Click here to get your ticket.

Event will by May 22 from 6-9pm MST at Cassleman’s Bar & Venue 2620 Walnut Street Denver, CO.

For any questions call 303-495-5487 or email foodie@culinaryconnectors.com.

Protein Bar, based out of Chicago, has made its way to Denver.  Protein Bar is focused on providing healthy, flavorful, quick meals.  Their mission is a tall order: to change the way people eat on the go.  They don’t hide behind anything; the nutrition value for menu items is proudly displayed on the menu.  The ingredients are fresh, and many items are made in house.  Protein Bar offers options for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner and catering.

What can you find on their menu?  From their name, Protein Bar, you may suspect they offer protein drinks, and you would be right.  They offer many delicious smoothies that have fruit, your choice of milk and what type of protein you want added.  A personal favorite is the “Mile High Perk” made with chocolate and espresso protein, choice of milk and house made cocoa malt.  Aspen Acai’d is another favorite made with Greek yogurt, vanilla protein, Acai berry and banana.

Protein Bar Bar-rito
www.theproteinbar.com

Protein Bar offers breakfast options like Greek yogurt bowls, oatmeal bowls, egg scramble bowls and breakfast bar-ritos.  The bar-ritos are different than other restaurant burritos because they are made with a flaxseed whole wheat tortilla, then grilled.  For lunch or dinner, try a spinach and pesto quinoa bowl, bar-ritos, quinoa chili or signature salads.  For other snacks, they have raw juices and 12 or 20 oz smoothies.

The Union Station location for Protein Bar opened May 6th, and Protein Bar has another location in Boulder.  Look for the opening of another Denver location, on CO blvd, this summer.

Quinoa bowl www.theproteinbar.com

Protein Bar is located at 1755 16th St. Denver. 303-893-0898.  You can order online with option for delivery.

Open Monday-Friday 7am-8:30pm

Saturday: 10am-4pm

Where can you taste some of the best food and cocktails from Denver’s top restaurants all in one place?  It’s not too good to be true- it’s possible at the chef and bar tender competition Toques and Tails on May 22.  Toques & ‘Tails was created to showcase the chef and bartender talent of Denver in a fun, interactive and fun competition.  Guests will be able to walk around the venue trying the food and drinks from these eight participating restaurants:

-Central Bistro and Bar

-Lower 48

-Old Major

-Session Kitchen

-The Squeaky Bean

-TAG

-The Corner Office

-ACE Eat Serve

Guests will have the chance to cast a vote for the people’s choice for best cocktail, best dish and best dish and cocktail pairing.  There are also two professional judged rounds.  The first round will be judged on bartenders creating a classic recipe and cocktail.  The second round will be judged on food and beverage pairing from each restaurant.  Judges for this event include:

-Anu Apte owner of Rob Roy in Seattle, internationally known cocktail bartender

-Tiffany Derry who appeared on Top Chef and will be on a new 2014 TV show “Hungry Investors”

-Liza Weisstuch an American Contributing Editor to the UK based Whiskey Magazine and a contributor to Whiskey Advocate

-Nico de Soto, decorated bartender and recently named one of New York City’s Top 5 bartenders for 2013

-Clayton Chapman, nominated for numerous James Beard Awards and highlighted by Cooking Light Magazine as one of the top “Trail Blazing Chefs”.

There will be numerous ambassadors from Colorado mingling and eating with guests including Alex Seidel chef/owner of Fruition, Amanda Faison food editor of 5280, Andra Zepplin Editor of Denver Eater and many more.

General admission tickets are $45, and VIP passes are $75.  You can purchase tickets online; make sure to get them before they are gone.  Toques and Tails is on Thursday May 22 from 6-9pm MST.

Venue address: 2620 Walnut St. Denver, CO

The charity that will be donated to for this event is Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry.

For questions about Toques and Tails, call Culinary Connectors at 303-495-5487 or email foodie@culinaryconnectors.com.

Cafe Bar is a new American restaurant with a modern but comfortable concept.  Cafe Bar offers brunch on the weekends, and would be a great option for taking ladies out for brunch this weekend for Mother’s Day.  The patio is beautiful and perfect for enjoying the Colorado sunshine.

Cafe Bar offers American classics like the basic breakfast with 2 eggs, potato hash, Berkshire bacon and wheat toast, chicken and waffles or steak and eggs.  They also offer more modern spin offs of classics like lemon cake French toast, mushroom hash or crab cake benedict.  Portion sizes are generous and the food tastes like something your grandma would make (or better).  Another excuse to get out on Cafe Bar’s patio is to enjoy happy hour from 3-6pm every day with half priced wine glasses, $1 off bottles beers, $3 draft beers and $2 off shared plates.

Shared plate options include a spin on traditional perogies, filled with mushrooms, thyme, shallots, goat cheese, potatoes and citrus creme fraiche; traditional burrata or bone marrow with Colorado beef bones, sweet onion marmalade, crispy shallots and grilled bread.

Cafe Bar is located at 295 S Pennsylvania St. Denver 80209. (303)362-0227.

Cafe Bar is open for brunch Saturday and Sunday 10am-2pm.

Monday-Friday 11am-12am

Dinner Saturday and Sunday 4pm-12am.

Forget the artificially flavored, colored and super sweet popsicles you remember from childhood.  Aiko Pops is a modern day popsicle shop serving artisinal, fresh, homemade, preservative free popsicles along with hand crafted sandiwches, soups and fruit de pate.  The flavor combinations are constantly changing, as Aiko strives for quality products and unparalleled creativity.  Where else can you find a cucumber sesame, avocado orange, peach chamomile or goat cheese/honey/date popsicle?

Aiko Pops was started in 2011 by owner, Christopher who started peddling a bike around Denver farmers markets with unique flavored popsicles.  Aiko continued to grow with more and more bikes, and soon grew into having a store front on South Pearl street complete with an outdoor patio.  Adults and kids a like fell in love with the simple, quality fresh tasting flavor combinations from Aiko.

The name Aiko means love child in Japanese, as Aiko Pops is and was started with passion, fun and love.  The highly creative, unique and ever changing menu items are designed to match the freshest ingredients available and in season.  Don’t just assume it’s a popsicle shop; the sandwich and soup menu is just as high caliber as their frozen treats.  The pate de fruit is also a must try; they are simply fruit, pectin, citric acid and sugar.  They come in unique flavors such as strawberry balsamic, prickly pear and melon lime.

Aioko Pops is one of the stops on the Culinary Connector Savor the Flavor tours in the South Pearl St. area.  You may also see an Aiko Pops bike around other parts of Denver, as they are selling popsicles in many locations.

Aiko Pops is located at 1284 S. Pearl St. Denver 80210.  Phone # 303-996-6400.

Open daily 11am-8pm.

Session Kitchen is a classy yet casual restaurant highlighting international cuisine with locally sourced ingredients.  Scott Parker, formerly of Table 6, holds the inspiration for the highly successful menu at Session Kitchen.  The restaurant opened in October 2013, and after not even being open for a year has won numerous awards including being named one of the best new restaurants in 2014 by Denver magazine 5280.

Image courtesy of http://www.sessionkitchen.com/#gallery

Session Kitchen is sure to please anyone’s palate with their diverse menu selections.  Examples include: chicken liver mousse with almond flour waffles; Thia chicken nugget salad with Napa slaw, cucumbers, Fresno chiles and lemongrass aioli or rosemary lamb collar with ugly goat chevre gnudi, arugula, pistachios, apricots and lamb jus.  For dessert, you will have a hard time deciding between homemade cronuts, chocolate Boston creme pie or strawberry rhubarb pie.  They also have a delicious brunch and happy hour menu.

On May 4th, Session Kitchen is hosting “May the 4th be With You” dinner at 7pm.  Star Wars fans will appreciate menu items such as “Luke…..I am Your Fava Salad” or the “Flan Solo”.  Costume prizes will be awarded; for more information and to make required reservations call Session Kitchen.

On May 22, Session Kitchen will participate in the chef and bar tender competition, Toques and Tails.  This event involves 8 different restaurants from Denver, and is a friendly judged competition based on food and drink pairings from each participating restaurant.  Guests at the event will be able to try samples from all chefs and bar tenders and have a say on the people’s choice vote for best dish, best cocktail and best dish and cocktail pairing.  Tickets are available now for this event, and the event also raises money for Share our Strength No Kid Hungry program.

Session Kitchen is located at 1518 S Pearl St. Denver 80210.  Phone # is 720-763-3387.

Hours: Open everyday from 11am-10pm.

Happy hour everyday from 3-6pm.

Brunch everyday 11am-3pm.