Query Me This

    My Early Days of Food and Beverage. We in the restaurant business, for the most part, didn’t just fall into this craziness. It was in our bones and movements from an early age. These next few issues of this newsletter, I’m gonna share a few of my early urges and unknown nudges to be in the food and beverage industry. I was born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1963. My dad worked for IBM, there were three Query boys: Mark, Mike and me, Dave. We lived in a middle class neighborhood filled with big redneck-ethnic families who all seemed […]

  Hi Friends. We send a few of these BRF newsletters out a year. Last year, a couple of ’em had to do with President Trump and the Colorado Weed Industry snatching away restaurant employees. Those two in particular garnered some fiery responses and pissed some folks off – a few calling for boycotts of BRF Restaurants and an online campaign. Man, that’s a lot of free time in my day I wish I had. So. No Trump/weed comments this year, that wind ain’t worth it. Instead – just big love and appreciation for all the support those of you reading this might […]

  Hi Fall Friends. Just a simple non-confrontational note this time, not like the last few newsletters. No tales of stanky skunk weed in kitchens to infuriate a couple dispensary owner friends. No Trump comments. No theories or expanses on climate change. Not even a poke or two at some goofy folks who might need a poke or two. Cause at the end of the day, who am I to comment on any of these or other things? Just all BRF love this time ahhh-round. We are taking possession of the SHINE space at 2027 13th St. this week. This is […]

  Weed. It’s What’s For Dinner. Marijuana has been almost as much a part of dining, music, drinking and getting together with friends as alcohol for a long time. In Colorado, probably more so, but never more than the part in the play it has now. Not only is it more available, and legal, but it is steeped, infused, dunked and laced in a host of edibles from lolli-pops to salad dressings. Pop-up weed dinners, multi-course weed and food paired events, bakeries and serious edible production kitchens are finding traction all over town. The challenges it presents to the Colorado labor force have been well documented in recent articles. Why grind it out in […]

Neighborhoods. We have seen a few grow along the front range over the years. When we launched Lola 10 years ago in the old Olinger Mortuary, we were one of only a few joints you could get a proper drink and a hot plate of food in that ‘hood. Now, the ever-growing LoHi neighborhood offers 4,500 dining seats in over 40 restaurants – all in the last 10 years. When Jax LoDo opened in 1996 in the old Terminal Bar location, we had to stop the 8:00am happy hour for several reasons – none very good, as I reflect back. […]