Denver's newest bars bring handcrafted cocktails and funky flair
Why it matters: Warm weather calls for cold drinks.
Here are the latest spots to get your sip on:
🍸 Semiprecious, which debuted last Friday in Sunnyside, is an effortlessly cool cocktail bar with mid-century modern vibes. The divey, yet elevated concept comes from the team behind Los Angeles' acclaimed Thunderbolt.
The menu is full of funky flair, with offerings including a tomato highball, sour cream and onion martini and strawberry negroni. Drink prices range from $11 to $15.
🥃 The Whisky Bar also joined the scene last Friday as a moody speakeasy inside the lounge at Sushi by Scratch Restaurants. It's 12 seats only, and first-come, first-served.
Expect elevated handrolls and stiff cocktails in an ultra-intimate setting. Just ring the doorbell to enter.
🍺 Après at Govnr's Park, from the owners of Carboy Winery, launched Monday with a Colorado-forward drink list: Broken Compass and Storm Peak beers, Breckenridge Distillery spirits and Carboy wines.
It replaces Pancho Pancho, Carboy's former Mexican spot, and brings mountain town energy to the Capitol Hill corner.
What's next: Two new rooftop hangs drop next week.
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Eater
7 hours ago
- Eater
Whoa There Are a Lot of Restaurants Opening in Seattle Right Now
covers Seattle and Portland for Eater. A Seattle native, he's been a journalist for 15 years. Here's a list of notable openings we've clocked in the Seattle area in the last month. If we missed something, please email us: seattle@ GREEN LAKE — Highly anticipated Southern takeout spot Zax Eat 'N Three is no longer anticipated — it's here. It's serving meatloaf, chicken with horseradish sauce, and icebox cakes. CAPITOL HILL — Pitch the Baby, the second-ever women's sports bar in Seattle, is now open. Sister restaurant Condesa, which used to be a popular takeout window before it closed years ago, will reopen soon, but in the meantime you can get Mexican snacks and small plates alongside drinks. QUEEN ANNE — Six months after neighborhood institution Queen Anne Cafe closed, buzzy Capitol Hill Pizzeria Cornelly has opened its second location in the space. Expect lines at peak hours for this no-reservations place. QUEEN ANNE — For a different flavor of pizza in Queen Anne there's Swing. That's a new 'za and sandwiches joint that's notable for its $3.50 slices, which now counts as a bargain in Seattle? SEWARD PARK — There's a new pizzeria within a olive's throw of the water at Seward Park Pizza Co., a casual spot that also serves wings and sandwiches. WEST SEATTLE — Yet more pizza news, though this is a little more on the fancier end: Matt Gorman, formerly of Fremont standout Lupo, now has a takeout window only open on Friday evenings called Pizza Ritual. REDMOND — The fifth Washington location of upscale ice cream chain Salt and Straw opened in Redmond on July 5. MERCER ISLAND — The newest cafe from Macrina Bakery, whose breads and pastries are sold everywhere, just opened near Mercerdale Park. BALLARD — More expansion news: Brown liquor and meat purveyor Radiator Whiskey has opened its second location on Ballard Avenue. BALLARD — Just down the street from Radiator is another meat-focused restaurant, Little Beast, an upscale English-style pub and eatery from Beast and Cleaver owner Kevin Smith. (We're already celebrating its meat pies.) So if you're in Ballard, should you eat at Little Beast or Radiator? That's a real carnivore's dilemma. SOUTH PARK — El Rey Peruvian Restaurant, one of the few restaurants in the Seattle area serving that style of cuisine, is now open in South Park. (There's another restaurant with the same name in Lynwood, but the two appear to be unaffiliated.) WALLINGFORD — The already crowded Japanese food scene in this neighborhood is now even more crowded thanks to Sushi Taiyo. It doesn't have a website but the Seattle Times reports that it's been 'packed.' WALLINGFORD — And there's another new Japanese restaurant in Wallingford, Daruma Sando, which specializes in pork and chicken katsu. CHINATOWN–INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT — And speaking of Vietnamese cuisine, La Ka Saigon, a spot serving street food and milk tea, is now open on Jackson Street. CAPITOL HILL — A lively bar with street, Gol Mok Korean Market Bar has opened on Pike Street in the heart of Capitol Hill. It's owned by the same folks behind nearby Meat Korean BBQ. REDMOND — Japanese restaurant Momoji has opened a second location on the Eastside, in a mixed-used building next to the Downtown Redmond light rail station. As with the Capitol Hill location, it serves a standard selection of Japanese standards like sushi, sashimi, and yakisoba. PIONEER SQUARE — Day Made, a small cafe on the edge of Pioneer Square, is now open and serving the usual coffee drinks (and matcha), alongside primo baked goods from Ben's Bread. ALKI — Taking over the old Locust Cider space is the accurately, if unimaginatively named Seaside Grille, which serves mainly burgers and sandwiches. CAPITOL HILL — Colibri Mexican Kitchen has opened in the former Plum Bistro space, reports Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, with 'large portions and full plates.' Looks like a lot of steak on the menu too. UNIVERSITY VILLAGE — In a move that absolutely makes sense vibes-winse, juice-and-sandwich joint Joe and the Juice is open inside the swanky outdoor shopping complex.
UPI
8 hours ago
- UPI
Conjunto music pioneer Flaco Jimenez is dead at 86
Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Texas conjunto music pioneer Flaco Jimenez, 86, died while surrounded by his family at one of his son's homes on Thursday night, his family announced. Flaco was born in San Antonio in 1939 and began performing with Tex-Mex bands at age 15, which led to his earning multiple Grammy Awards many years later. "It is with great sadness that we share tonight the loss of our father, Flaco Jimenez," his family said on Thursday in a Facebook post. "He was surrounded by his loved ones and will be missed immensely," his family said. "Thank you to all of his fans and friends -- those who cherished his music," the family continued. "His legacy will live on through his music and all of his fans." The post was signed by Arturo and Lisa Jimenez, Javier and Raquel Fernandez, Gilbert Jimenez and Cynthia Jimenez. Flaco Jimenez suffered from a long-term illness prior to his death, the San Antonio Express-News reported without saying the nature of the illness. His last words were, "Ya estoy cansado," which is Spanish for "I'm tired," Arturo Jiminez said. Flaco and his brother, Santiago Jr., were born and raised in San Antonio and became leading performers of conjunto music, which their grandfather, Patricio Jimenez, pioneered. Conjunto music combines Mexican, German, Polish and Czech waltz and polka musical traditions to create a danceable form that features the accordion with accompaniment from guitars, bass and drums. Conjunto is particularly popular in northern Mexico and Texas, and Flaco played a three-row button Hohner accordion and sang. He recorded his first regional hit, "Hasta La Vista," in 1955 for the Tipico record label. Flaco's early conjunto recordings were made for small record labels and later were collected by folk recording label Arhoolie. Flaco in a 1973 interview described conjunto as "happy music" and said it combined polka with rock and roll and cumbia forms. "You can't just stick with polka and redova and schottisches," he told Arhoolie owner Chris Strachwitz in the interview. "You have to play what's going on in the world." Flaco recorded with fellow conjunto pioneer Doug Sahm in New York City in 1972 and contributed to Ry Cooder's 1976 album, "Chicken Skin Music," which helped spread conjunto beyond its Tex-Mex roots in San Antonio. He also performed with the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Dr. John, among others. Flaco was especially influential as a solo performer and as a member of the Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven musical acts. Flaco's career led to his receipt of many awards, including six Grammy Awards from 1987 to 2015. One of his Grammys was a Lifetime Achievement award. Notable deaths of 2025 Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg waves to the crowd before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field in Chicago on October 12, 2015. Sandberg died on July 28 after a battle with cancer at the age of 65. Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo
Los Angeles Times
9 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Tejano music legend Flaco Jiménez dies at 86
Famed Tejano singer-songwriter and master accordionist Leonardo 'Flaco' Jiménez has died. He was 86. Jiménez's family shared the news of the musician's death on his official Facebook page Thursday night. A cause of death was not disclosed. 'It is with great sadness that we share tonight the loss of our father, Flaco Jiménez. He was surrounded by his loved ones and will be missed immensely,' his family wrote. 'Thank you to all of his fans and friends — those who cherished his music. And a big thank you for all of the memories. His legacy will live on through his music and all of his fans. The family requests privacy during this time of sadness and grievance.' Over his more than seven decades in the music industry, the San Antonio native garnered six Grammy Awards, received a National Medal of Arts from President Biden and established himself as a pioneering accordion virtuoso who helped nationalize the popularity of Tejano and conjunto music in the U.S. Jiménez is perhaps best known for his work with the Tejano music supergroup Texas Tornados, which included the talents of Freddy Fender, Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers. Texas Tornados won the Mexican/Mexican-American Performance Grammy in 1990 for their song 'Soy de San Luis.' The band's Spanglish style is on full display in their most popular track '(Hey Baby) Que Pasó?' In 2022, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, led by Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, included the 1989 hit in its list of nominees to Library of Congress' National Recording Registry, in an effort to increase Latino representation in the U.S. Castro, a San Antonio native, shared a statement on Facebook regarding Jiménez's death. 'I am saddened by the passing of San Antonio music legend Leonardo 'Flaco' Jiménez,' he wrote. 'He was a pioneer in conjunto music — receiving a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, National Medal of Arts, and a place in the National Recording Registry for his work. Texas is proud of his legacy. May he rest in peace.' Jiménez's 1992 album, 'Partners,' was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2020. 'People used to regard my music as cantina music, just no respect,' Jiménez told the Library of Congress. 'The accordion was considered something like a party joke … I really give respect to everyone who helped me out on this record, and I'm flattered by this recognition.' His skills on the 'party joke' of an instrument were so well recognized that the famed German musical instrument manufacturer Hohner collaborated with Jiménez in 2009 to create a signature line of accordions. 'The music world has lost a true legend. Flaco Jimenez was a global ambassador for Tex-Mex Conjunto music, bringing its vibrant sound to audiences around the world,' Hohner wrote in a social media post following Jiménez's death. 'His passion and virtuosity on the three-row button accordion inspired generations of musicians across cultures and continents. Since 1976, Flaco was a proud partner of Hohner, a relationship built on mutual respect and a shared love for music. It was an incredible honor to work alongside such a talented, humble, and gracious artist.' Jiménez was born on March 11, 1939, in San Antonio to a family with a storied musical background. He first began performing at age 7 with his father, Santiago Jiménez, who himself was a pioneering figure in the conjunto movement. At 15, Flaco appeared in his first recording with the musical group Los Caporales. He went from local fame to modest international recognition on the folk scene when musicologist Chris Strachwitz recorded him for his Arhoolie label, and after being featured in a 1974 Les Blank film on Texas-Mexican border music. Then in 1976, Ry Cooder tapped him to be a member of his Chicken Skin Revue. Jimenez worked with Cooder on several projects, including the soundtrack to the 1982 film 'The Border,' which starred Jack Nicholson. He won the first of his three Grammy Awards for best Mexican-American performance in 1986 for his album 'Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio' and his last in the category in 1999 for his work with the supergroup Los Super Seven. He also won Grammys for his solo albums 'Flaco Jiménez' in 1994 and 'Said and Done' in 1999, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. The list of artists with whom Jiménez collaborated is as long as it is distinguished and includes Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, Dwight Yoakam and Linda Ronstadt. Jiménez played the accordion on the Rolling Stones' 'Sweethearts Together,' a Tex-Mex-infused ballad off of their 1994 album, 'Voodoo Lounge.' Jiménez's success and recognition far surpassed anything he could have imagined for himself, he told The Times in 1994. 'I thought that it was always just going to be a local thing. I'd only hear my dad and other groups in San Antonio, or even here just in the barrio,' he said. 'I think that audience started changing when I began to 'bilingual' a lot of stuff and started playing rock 'n' roll and with a little country to it. Then the reaction of the people, not just the Chicanos but the Anglos, was stronger.' Speaking with The Times in 1996, Jiménez said he was delighted that crossover with country had helped to bring the distinctive sound of accordion-based Tejano music to a wider audience. 'It's more respected and more listened to than ever before. I'm satisfied. At the level Tejano or conjunto music is now, we can communicate with the mainstream,' he said. Reflecting on how far the reach of conjunto had come, Jiménez recalled one of his earliest and most impactful memories introducing the genre across the globe. 'Conjunto or Tex-Mex music was not known at all. We went on tour to Switzerland, and when I got to the concert hall there was just one microphone and one chair. They thought I was going to give a concert with pura acordeon — just the accordion,' he said. 'I said, 'Hey, where's the rest of the amps and whatever?' And they managed to get a drum set so we did our thing. Then the audience noticed, 'Hey, this is fun!' And it got really wild. Because when I play, I'm really just having a party with the audience.' Times staff writer Fidel Martinez contributed to this report.
