Dallas-Based Fish City Grill Set for Aurora

IN THE NEWS: A Dallas restaurant company will expand into Colorado this month with the opening of Fish City Grill in Aurora, the Denver Business Journal reports. The restaurant opens Sept. 24 at Southlands Shopping Center, 6105 S. Main St. denver.bizjournals.com ... 5280 magazine reports The James Beard Foundation's first-ever Taste America national food festival includes Denver as one of 20 U.S. cities to host a regional dinner celebrating the culinary organization's 20th anniversary and James Beard's legacy. The dinner, which takes place at Panzano, is a collaboration of several top toques including Frank Bonanno (chef/owner of Mizuna and Luca d'Italia), Yasmin Lozada-Hissom (pastry chef at Duo), Alex Seidel (chef/owner of Fruition), Elise Wiggins (executive chef of Panzano), and Thomas Salamunovich (chef/owner of Vail's Larkspur and soon-to-open Watermark). Bobby Stuckey (master sommelier at Frasca and a James Beard Award winner) will pair wines with each course, and Tim Love (a James Beard Award nominee and chef/owner of The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Love Shack, and Duce in Fort Worth, Texas) joins the Denver chef line up. A limited number of tickets ($125 per person) are still available. To purchase, call 303-395-2677 or e-mail office@heedum.com. For more information about the event, logon to www.jbftasteamerica.com. 5280.com ... Westword's Jason Sheehan reviews Korean restaurant Sae Jong Kwan (2680 South Havana Street, Aurora, 303-752-1338) and Korean-Japanese spot Uoki Restaurant (303-837-4380), while Drew Bixby has the burger at Mead Street Station (3625 West 32nd Avenue). ... Sheehan reports that Rebecca Weitzman is leaving as chef at Cafe Star (3201 East Colfax Avenue) to return to New York City, and notes the October opening of Frank Bonanno's new eatery Osteria Marco in the Larimer Square space at 1453 Larimer, former site of the closed Del Mar Crab House. ... He also notes the recent opening of Sorbeteria, the new sorbet spot at 2046 Larimer Street, as well as the closings of the Oregon-based chain Bene Gourmet Pizza's two area locations (2623 East Second Avenue and 8547 East Arapahoe in Greenwood Village) as well as the closing of Harry's Chop House, which had shared space with Milagro in a building at 17th and Vine. westword.com ... The Denver Post's Douglas Brown reviews 8island Hawaiian Barbecue (3050 28th St., Boulder, 303-440-7427). denverpost.com ... The Rocky Mountain News' Lori Midson gives a B+ to taqueria Tacos Y Salsas (910 S. Federal Blvd., 303-922-9400). rockymountainnews.com ... The Daily Camera's Meg Tilton gives three stars to Railyard Restaurant and Saloon (1710 29th St., Boulder, 303-449-0039, www.railyardrestaurantandsaloon.com). dailycamera.com ... Boulder Weekly's Clay Fong reviews Oskar Blues Cajun Grill & Brewery (303 Main St., Lyons, 303-823-6685). boulderweekly.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com