Minimum wage in Denver is going up again in January, and the number of restaurants is going down. While Denver’s restaurant community boasts a brand new Michelin star as of last week, more and more restauranteurs are leaving the Mile High in pursuit of greener pastures. So what exactly is happening that’s making it so hard to run a great restaurant here? The Colorado Restaurant Association’s CEO Sonia Riggs and government affairs director Colin Larson join host Bree Davies to talk about how Denv...
Sep 16, 2024•30 min
It’s Friday, and we’re rounding up the news of the week. First, grocery stores across the metro area are locking down everything from laundry detergent to coloring books. But is the shoplifting hysteria just a symptom of the hypercharged political climate? Then, Lyft is “exploring alternatives for our dockless bikes and scooters” and being vague about if they will continue to operate in Denver at all. Denver Post neighborhoods reporter Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton joins producer Paul Karolyi and host...
Sep 13, 2024•52 min
For the last few weeks, Denver’s top elected officials have been debating a very big new idea: What if Denver didn’t allow for the construction of any more gas stations in certain parts of the city? Amanda Sawyer, Diane Romero-Campbell, and Paul Kashmann have touted the proposal as a step toward making the Mile High more walkable, more amenable to new housing, and less car-reliant. But how would banning one type of business lead to a more pedestrian-friendly Denver? Senior associate and urban pl...
Sep 12, 2024•27 min
Casa Bonita finally opens reservations to the public — no special invitation needed — this month! But before the new chapter begins, we’re revisiting the whole CB saga with the new documentary “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” From the cliff divers’ death trap and a rooftop graveyard full of murdered pigeons to an ancient and dangerous HVAC system and the health department nightmare that was Casa’s kitchen, the doc exposes just why, exactly, Matt Stone and Trey Parker had to dump $40 million into the stri...
Sep 11, 2024•32 min
Exactly one year after giving out its first stars to Colorado restaurants, the Michelin Guide is back with an updated guide to our local restaurant scene in 2024. So we’re skipping our usual Tuesday news round-up, and Westword food editor Molly Martin is joining producer Paul Karolyi to dish on the most surprising winners, biggest snubs, and what Monday's announcement means for Denver chefs, restaurateurs and eaters. Molly has a list of all the new winners, and the article she wrote last week wi...
Sep 10, 2024•25 min
In the past few weeks, we’ve heard concerns over Governor Polis’s property tax deal being done “behind closed doors.” We watched as the GOP barred the press from covering controversial leadership votes. And now some Democratic lawmakers who were accused of shutting out reporters are simultaneously being honored as “defenders of the free press.” What is going on with Colorado politicians and transparency — or a lack thereof? Colorado Politics reporters Marianne Goodland and Ernest Luning join hos...
Sep 09, 2024•25 min
It’s Friday, and we’re rounding up the news of the week! First, Denver Police are banning food trucks in LoDo on the weekends in an effort to curb late-night violence, and the mayor has a new $500-million plan to fix downtown. But will these moves make the city center any better? Then, the brand new Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs just opened in August, and the noise complaints are piling up — is the venue exceeding decibel limits or are the neighbors just grouchy? Producer Paul Karolyi an...
Sep 06, 2024•57 min
The Michelin Guide returns to Colorado next week to award its highly-anticipated stars to local restaurants with the right kind of high-end culinary chops. So, who will make the cut? Can last year’s winners retain their glory? And what does it all mean for Denver’s dining scene anyway? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by writer and former fine-dining server Jake Browne to dig into the Mile High’s more recent foray into the world of Michelin glory and what Colorado has to gai...
Sep 05, 2024•32 min
It’s Wednesday, and we’re talking about the biggest news of the week. First, no more waiting for that elusive email invite — starting September 16, Casa Bonita will be open to anyone who wants to make a reservation. But old school CB fans are in store for some big changes with even bigger implications for the workers. What does it mean for the longevity of the Pink Palace? Then, the alleged takeover of some poorly managed apartment buildings in Aurora by the Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela ma...
Sep 04, 2024•32 min
If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Denver community. Welcome to September, our gateway month to the fall season full of opportunities to see beauty in Colorado! We’re taking you through some of our best picks of stuff to do, see, eat, and drink this month — like a hot new “carbon positive” bar opening with a killer view of the city, a quirky miniatures show, the best spot for leaf-peeping, and more. Fo...
Sep 03, 2024•28 min
It’s Friday and we’re talking about the biggest stories of the week. First, is the big exodus of businesses from South Broadway really that bad for Denver and good for Englewood? Times are always changing in the Mile High City, but the vibe shift is real. Then, the New York Times took another stab at its visitor’s guide to “36 Hours in Denver,” and we have thoughts. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by Westword staff writer and returning fave Catie Cheshire to dig into these ...
Aug 30, 2024•58 min
It’s the most delicious time of year here in Colorado. The farmers markets are buzzing, the roadside chile stands are roasting, and the locally grown produce is overflowing from grocery store shelves all across the metro area. So we got our whole team together to do some research and swap crazy, fun facts about Palisade peaches, Rocky Ford melons, Olathe sweet corn, and of course Pueblo chiles. Olivia would like to let you know that there’s a big truckload sweet corn sale coming up on September ...
Aug 29, 2024•29 min
Which novels would you recommend to give someone an honest view of what Denver is really all about? Because this sure ain’t the dusty cowtown of Louis L’Amour’s dime store Westerns, and it’s not just a way point for another adventure in the wilderness either. One of Denver’s most acclaimed novelists, Peter Heller, has a new book out this month, and he recently wrote a “literary road guide” to Denver for The New York Times, featuring a wide range of novels about our city. So we brought him back o...
Aug 28, 2024•20 min
It’s Tuesday, and we’re digging into all the stories Denverites are talking about this week. First, football is back! ESPN is broadcasting CU head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs’ season opener from Folsom Field in Boulder this Thursday evening, but unlike at every home game last season, tickets are not sold out. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi talk about the fizzling enthusiasm for Coach Prime and his uneasy relationships with the press and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Then, we dis...
Aug 27, 2024•33 min
Ever since the parent companies of King Soopers and Safeway agreed to a $24.6 billion merger back in 2022, many Denverites have been worried about the future of their neighborhood grocery stores. Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser investigated the deal and filed a lawsuit to block it back in February, and then the Federal Trade Commission followed with a challenge of their own a few weeks later. The FTC’s case is going before a federal judge in Portland, Oregon, in a trial starting today, a...
Aug 26, 2024•30 min
It’s Friday, and we’re rounding up the biggest stories of the week. First, DPS students returned to hot, sweaty classrooms this week as 29 Denver public schools are still without air conditioning. DPS leaders have a plan to help, but is anyone asking the right questions about the cost of a cool, consistent 72°? Chalkbeat Colorado bureau chief Melanie Asmar and stand-up comedian Joshua Emerson join producer Paul Karolyi to talk A/C in DPS, as well as a new city-led reconsideration of historic Den...
Aug 23, 2024•50 min
Trash mountains, rat infestations, no hot water for days — every day seems to bring a new horror story about unlivable conditions facing renters across the metro area. Out in Aurora, dozens of tenants were forced onto the streets when the city condemned their apartment building (and the landlord blamed a Venezuelan gang). Meanwhile, in Denver, a group of tenants is calling on the state attorney general to investigate alleged conflicts of interest around the city’s new rental licensing program. D...
Aug 22, 2024•29 min
Heartbreak — it’s a familiar feeling for Denverites over the past few years as too many longtime favorites shut down. Soon, you won’t be able to stand on 13th Ave. with another late-night slice from Benny Blanco’s. You’ll never catch a matinee at The Esquire or the Chez Artiste ever again. Mutiny Info Cafe is pulling up stakes for Englewood and The Mercury Cafe is up for sale again. The future of Denver’s most defining institutions is unclear — so we’re celebrating the ones that are still going ...
Aug 21, 2024•24 min
It’s Tuesday, and we’re digging into the biggest stories of the week. First, a surprising twist in the saga of Biker Jim. Denver’s iconic hot dog entrepreneur walked away from his eponymous restaurant earlier this year amid a sticky legal situation, but now he’s back — and he brought dessert. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking about Biker Jim’s next act, as well as the resolution of the 29th Ave. bike lane battle and an update on Cherry Hills Village’s effort to stop an affor...
Aug 20, 2024•30 min
Smashed with crispy edges or thick and juicy? Plain or piled high with a crazy array of toppings? American cheese, blue cheese, or no cheese? These are just some of the factors we considered when taking a closer look at Denver’s burger scene. From the most affordable to the most indulgent, host Bree Davies is joined by Hey Denver newsletter editor Peyton Garcia and Westword food and drink editor Molly Martin to examine and rate the Mile High’s best patties between two buns. Want more Denver burg...
Aug 19, 2024•32 min
We’re rounding up all the news you need to know this week. First, the number one issue dominating Colorado politics for the past year and a half has been, shockingly, property taxes. With surprising alliances forming and accusations flying across the aisle, Governor Jared Polis yesterday called for (another) special legislative to negotiate a deal to avert rapid tax hikes. One of Denver’s most entertaining political analysts, Deep Singh Badhesha (aka @deepnotshallow), joins host Bree Davies and ...
Aug 16, 2024•58 min
We’re celebrating 900 episodes, and we want to celebrate you! Since we began the City Cast Denver podcast and companion Hey Denver newsletter back in 2021, we have relied on you, our brilliant and hilarious listeners and readers, to share story ideas, hot takes, and questions that make us think. So to mark the big milestone, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are digging deep in the inbox to share your questions and comments on everything from dating in Denver and scooter struggles to th...
Aug 15, 2024•28 min
In the super-charged partisan atmosphere of an election year, one contentious issue has emerged as a beacon of bipartisanship: Nuclear power. Both Republicans and Democrats backed Denver congresswoman Diana DeGette’s bill facilitating the construction of new reactors with cutting-edge designs, and last month President Biden signed it into law. But today’s nuclear cheerleaders could learn something from the past — so we are sharing a short audio documentary that our producer Paul Karolyi created ...
Aug 14, 2024•27 min
It’s Tuesday, and we’re digging into the biggest stories of the week. First, what should the City of Denver do with a decommissioned, old power plant? The clock is ticking for a potential purchase, so producer Paul Karolyi is sitting down with Westword editor Patty Calhoun to discuss why Xcel Energy hasn’t demolished the plant in Sun Valley and the possibility that it could be converted into a new food hall, as neighbors have been hoping for years. Plus, Colorado’s most famous election denier co...
Aug 13, 2024•29 min
When Mayor Mike Johnston took office last year, he focused on Denver’s homelessness crisis, then the strain caused by thousands of migrants arriving from South and Central America. Now, he’s turning his attention to affordable housing, with a proposal that will likely be in front of Denver voters in November: Should Denver increase sales taxes by 0.05% to raise as much as $100 million per year for affordable housing? Robin Kniech led the charge on affordable housing as at-large member of city co...
Aug 12, 2024•25 min
It’s Friday, and we’re breaking down the biggest stories of the week. First, a notorious Venezuelan gang called Tren de Aragua has reportedly arrived in Denver, and they’ve already been connected to a violent jewelry store robbery, a condemned apartment complex in Aurora, and some rumored violence at a political rally. So is this gang a big problem or just another scapegoat? City Cast newsletter editor Adrian González joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about newcomer narrat...
Aug 09, 2024•58 min
More than 200 new laws went into effect in Colorado this week, touching on everything from concert ticket pricing transparency to gig driver protections, and each of those laws has a backstory. One in particular comes after years of back and forth between lawmakers and Wyatt’s Towing, the company Attorney General Phil Weiser found guilty of “deceptive and unfair business practices.” So will this new law finally protect Denverites from predatory towing? Denver Post reporter Sam Tabachnik has been...
Aug 08, 2024•23 min
A record 37.4 million domestic tourists visited Denver last year, according to new data from the city’s tourism office. But with all the crowds at Red Rocks and Rocky Mountain National Park, it feels like those people just hit all the same spots! So whether you’re entertaining visitors or looking for somewhere off the beaten path to explore for yourself, we’re here to help. Stand-up comedian JD Lopez joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to swap stories and share recs for family-frien...
Aug 07, 2024•25 min
It’s Tuesday, and Westword editor Patty Calhoun is joining us to help break down the biggest stories of the week. First, who is responsible for e-scooters unsafely zipping down sidewalks? Denverites have been having that debate ever since the scooter companies first arrived in 2018, and now City Councilman Chris Hinds has a new idea to promote safe scooting. So we’re talking e-scooters, the nepotism scandal rocking Denver’s tiny suburb of Lakeside, and an interesting new vendor that made an appe...
Aug 06, 2024•32 min
Denverites are fed up! And not well fed. Because the price of going out to eat feels like it keeps going up! After scouring the city for an affordable breakfast sandwich, the owner of a local ice cream shop recently started selling his own at a Saturday morning pop-up, proclaiming “the city desperately needs this!” So we felt inspired to help, too. One of our favorite regular guests — stand-up comedian Joshua Emerson — joins today to share recommendations for the best cheap eats in Denver. We’ve...
Aug 05, 2024•28 min
