A casual eatery called Cibo celebrated its grand opening this week, bringing another restaurant to the bustling LoHi neighborhood. Located at the intersection of 16th and Boulder streets, Cibo (pronounced chee-bow) has a terrific patio that wraps around the outside — a seat at the corner table gives a view of the downtown skyline and the white arc of the Highland Bridge.
Cibo is directly across from Lola Mexican Fish House, and a block away from , so there’s lots of activity on the street — perfect for people watching — plus a convenient parking lot across the street ($4 for three hours).
It’s the latest concept from the Big Eats Restaurant Group, which also owns Marg’s World Taco Bistro. The menu features contemporary Italian food with a focus on natural and organic ingredients. The hand-stretched Neapolitan-style pizzas offer build-your-own choices, plus nine other types.
The popular Pizza Rustica is served with asparagus, roasted corn, prosciutto, roasted garlic, ricotta and fresh mozzarella ($11) and there’s also the Squash, a white pizza with smoked and fresh mozzarella, topped with butternut squash, walnuts and kale ($11).
And for carnivores, there is a Meat Lovers pizza with fresh pepperoni, sausage and bacon ($10).
If you’re hungry for hot-pressed panini, choices include the Verdura, with roasted eggplant, artichoke hearts, goat cheese and basil pesto ($9) and the Al Pacino, with Sausalito turkey, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and pepper jack cheese ($10).
Appetizers include braised short ribs ($9), mussels in a Thai curry sauce ($12), and calamari tossed with arugula in a sweet-spicy sauce ($15).
Salads include the kale caesar ($11), the arugula beet salad served with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette ($10), and the Mediterranean, with mixed greens, kalamata olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and feta with a red-wine vinaigrette served in a warm pizza crust ($9).
Cibo, 1560 Boulder St. 720-420-9097
Easy ordering
In the cluster of restaurants located at Lincoln Street and East Sixth Avenue in central Denver, Bombay Bowl has disappeared — and Taja Indian is in its place.
Chef-owner Amar Singh has rebranded Bombay Bowl, which opened in 2011.
“We’ve evolved as a company,” said director of marketing Autumn Singh.
The goal is to become the Chipotle of Indian cuisine, and while there are a few entrepreneurs across the country trying to do the same thing, it hasn’t been easy.
Bombay Bowl had a build-your-own style, but the problem was that many people weren’t familiar enough with Indian food to know what ingredients to put together.
As an experiment, Singh opened Taja Indian in Lakewood, and the concept worked very well.
“We decided Taja is the face of our brand going forward, because it’s easier ordering for customers,” said Autumn.
There’s a streamlined menu, with descriptions of the dishes, and the focus is on fine-casual dining, with real silverware and plates instead of plastic.
Taja, which means “fresh” in Hindi, focuses on healthy eating.
The tofu is organic and non-GMO, the basmati rice is non-GMO, and the chicken is locally sourced, hormone- and antibiotic-free.
Customers also asked for lamb dishes, so they added antibiotic-free, grass-fed lamb for entrees like lamb tikka masala, served with a creamy tomato, ginger and garlic sauce.
“Taja food is made from scratch for under $10 and served in less than 10 minutes,” she said.
Taja Indian, 575 Lincoln St., 303-645-4680 and 180 S. Union Blvd., Lakewood, 720-328-6158.
Alfresco dining
Summer’s outdoor festivals are on the way, a great time to have fun and sample new and different foods.
At the Denver People’s Fair in Civic Center on June 6 and 7, there will be more than 30 food vendors. New this year are Sweet Dreams Co., offering such fare as desserts, catfish or tilapia dinners and smoked chicken, and J.R.’s Smokehouse, which serves up ribs, sausage on a stick, and lots of barbecue.
Kaimira Fusion is also a first-timer at the People’s Fair, offering a concoction of shaved mangoes with several toppings including cinnamon, lime, caramel and chili powder.
Island Noodles Colorado offers wok-fired buckwheat soba noodles in a light Aloha Garlic and Ginger Sauce, tossed with 21 fresh vegetables, and also teriyaki glazed chicken along with soba noodles and vegetables.
There’s also the veggie food truck from MorningStar Farms, a leader in the veggie movement that specializes in things like greens smoked on a cedar plank to grilled green peppers with basil. Plus they’re offering recipes to help home gardeners get the most out of their harvests.
And on June 25, the Top Taco Festival takes place in the Sculpture Garden at the (1345 Champa St.) More than 35 restaurants — from Tamayo to Comida Cantina — will compete for such titles as Top Creative Taco and Top Traditional Taco.
You can sample all the tacos and margaritas, along with unique tequila samples, beer, and wine. Live music is by La Candela, Denver’s hottest salsa band.
General admission starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets, which start at $65 per person, can be bought at
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083, coconnor@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/coconnordp
