Pop-Ups at Studio F, Tacos at Tacos El Sampa

Pop-up dinners are springing up in a number of places in Denver, including chef James Mazzio's newly-acquired Studio F space in LoDo's Ice House. Mazzio hosted the first of a series of pop-dinners over the weekend, kicking the season off with chef Charles Dale of Encantado Resort in Sante Fe. Mazzio and Dale prepared a five-course meal with wine pairings from Sutcliffe Vineyards out of Cortez, and according to Boulder Locavore, "the excitement was palpable. The diners were open and chatty with new found table mates and the entire ambiance felt more like a large, cohesive dinner party to me without any separation between diners, chefs and servers." Need more food porn from the dinner? Check out observations from Culinary Colorado and Denveater. [BL]

Remember that place called Simms Landing in Lakewood? The building Itself has been overlooking 6th Avenue for what seems like forever, and these days it's called Simms Steakhouse. The Denver Dish recently decided to give the steakhouse a shot. The verdict: "On top of the food, I found the team service culture refreshing. Entrees being dropped in unison with a meticulous attention to detail brought the experience to the next level. After all, there's nothing worse than enjoying a fine meal with aloof service. Fair to say in summary that the food was good, and the service was great." [DD]

And in taco news, Denver on a Spit found another food cart gem: "There are not as many things that make me smile as much in my Denver food bubble as finding a new spit of pastor — especially one in the open air — and El Sampa's spit was indeed glorious. " Look for Taco El Sampa parked on Evans and Zuni. [DOAS]

· Studio F brings Pop Ups to Denver [BL]
· The Restaurant Formerly Known as Simms Landing [DD]
· Stay For Carne Asada at Tacos El Sampa [DOAS]

Studio F [Photo: Adam Larkey]