Nibbles, March 10

John Lehndorff, Rocky Mountain News

Friday, March 10, 2006

Eatery update

Steve's Snappin' Dogs has opened at 3525 E. Colfax Ave. in a renovated gas station dishing New Jersey-stuffed Thumann's Frankfurters in a natural casing that snaps when you bite into it. Also on the menu: 5-ounce Smashburgers, deep-fried green beans and chili cheese fries. . . . The Fourth Story Restaurant will close May 31 after 11 years in business. Special events include a wine dinner (March 29), a Stone Brewery dinner (April 20) and a grand finale dinner (May 7). Details: 303-322- 1824. Also recently closed: Pane e Vino, Louisville, and Poggio's Italian Coffee Bar Café, Denver. . . . Our chef in Hollywood, Ian Kleinman, reports keeping very different hours at his 5-week-old Aqua restaurant in Beverly Hills from what he worked at nine75 and Indigo. "We do most of our business from 10 (p.m.) to 1 (a.m.). In Denver, we were usually done at 10 p.m.," he said. Last week during the Oscars lead-up, Kleinman fed Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney. . . . Early reports suggest that the recently concluded Denver Restaurant Week was an unqualified success. It was so popular that Randolph's is extending it three-course, $52.80 meal- for-two deal through March 31.

On the menu

At Sala Thai, 9400 W. Colfax Ave., serua ronghi - spicy minced beef with carrot, tomato and cucumber ($7.50); and at Chama, 425 S. Teller St., Lakewood, baby- back ribs with coleslaw ($15).

Culinary calendar

Beckett's Table, in Parker, hosts a wine tasting March 25 to benefit the Parker Lions Club. Cost, which includes chef Chris Cina's hors d'oeuvres: $25. 303-840-3100.. . . News columnist Penny Parker and Post travel editor (and former dining critic) Kyle Wagner, both currently fighting breast cancer, host a cancer-benefit dinner March 21 at Panzano. Participating chefs: Elise Wiggins (Panzano), Frank Bonanno (Mizuna), Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson (Frasca), Tyler Wiard (Mel's), Rachel Woolcott (Aix) and Sean Yontz (Chama and Sketch). Cost: $125. Information: 303-296-3525. . . . Table 6 hosts a tasting Wednesday with the Pinot Posse, six top pinot-noir producers, including Kosta Browne Winery. Cost: $100. Tickets: 303-831-8800. Meanwhile, Trios Enoteca presents a tasting Thursday of pinots from Oregon's Willamette Valley. Cost: $25. Reservations: 303-293-2887.

Bread of the week

Independent doughnut shops are becoming almost as rare as the ivory-billed woodpecker, but we recently made a promising sighting. Walton Donuts, 6603 Leetsdale Drive, is attracting a loyal clientele to its nothing-fancy strip-mall location. The raised glazed doughnuts are non-greasy, melt-in-the-mouth treats that can hold their own against the chain versions. Other fresh faves include raspberry-filled raised, maple bars, chocolate-frosted cake doughnuts and fritters.

Reader mail

In a recent column, a reader wondered whether we knew of any restaurants featuring the cuisine of the Philippines. Several readers e-mailed to recommend the tiny Manila 2 Go at 1010 S. Peoria St., Aurora. Another suggested the combo grocery-eatery Filipino Sari-Sari, 1938 S. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs.