Hunting for Grammys: Some of you might remember Jacki Jing, an AANHPI reporter who was on FOX31 in Denver 15 years ago but has forged a career in Hollywood as a creator and actor. She interviewed Ejae, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna about the Grammy noms for "Kpop Demon Hunters." youtu.be/6enwgxlODEU?...

News you can use: I'll be at an open mic discussion at the Denver Press Club this Thursday, with other veterans of the alternative press. I'll talk about my early 1980s days at Westword. 6 pm, 1330 Glenarm Pl. #westword #altweekly #journalism denverpressclub.org/event/consid...

Series will go back north: I'm in LA for a couple of day and the city is buzzing with World Series and Shohei Ohtani mania. I love this huge mural on the side of the Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo, where I'm staying. Sadly, after a marathon 18-inning Game 3, the Dodgers lost Game 4.

Dessert comfort food. I grew up with my mom making Oshiruko sweet Azuki red bean soup with Mochi, for New Year's. Erin made some homemade mochi and Oshiruko from scratch, with Kabocha Japanese Pumpkin. #foodporn

Pirate parking: fun sight in a parking lot. #halloween

Flavorful fusion: took home Birria Ramen from Chili Shack in LoDo. Instant noodles in a savory consomme soup with a generous bunch of Birria. #foodporn

American Dreaming: "Big Dreams in Denver's Little Saigon" is a powerful exhibit at History Colorado Center chronicling the past, present and future of the Little Saigon business district with oral histories, photos, and original art. Here's my article: www.westword.com/arts-culture...

Make history: It's hard to believe there's never been an Asian American on Denver's City Council. Now, Tran Wills is running to represent SW Denver's District 2, and she'd make a great councilwoman. We went to her launch party at Sap Sua and were inspired. Check her out at tranfortwo.com.

A really grand Grand Opening: Having the CU Marching Band play at the grand opening of @crepetherapycafe in Boulder was a dream of owner Chef Mawa McQueen, and the food, folks and fun lived up to her dream. It'll be a great hangout for anyone in Boulder. #foodporn

Culinary trifecta: Bada Bing Grill in Arvada serves an unusual combination of pizza, Greek and Indian fare, all delicious. #foodporn #westword www.westword.com/food-drink/b...

Japanese American cuisine: "Weiner Royale" wàs a common meal of hot dogs and scrambled eggs with soy sauce served to Japanese Americans in US concentration camps during WWII. It's still comfort food today, though I added onions and used Kimono Mom's Umami Sauce. #foodporn

Autograph hounds: YouTube star Kimono Mom Moe signed a bottle of her fabulous Umami Sauce and I signed a copy of my book for her and her husband Moto and daughter Sutan, who now have a house in LA but are criss-crossing the US educating people about Japanese culture and food. #umamisauce #kimonomom

Mex move: Santo Remedio Mexican restaurant is about to reopen after closing in Berkeley and now moving to Jefferson Park. www.westword.com/food-drink/p...

One of the best? Tokyo Premium Bakery was named by Yelp as number 71 for its tea and coffee, and Westword notes it won Best of Denver as a bakery in 2020. I had an egg salad and ham sando and Anpan pastry the other day and was disappointed by the sandwich. I prefer The Enchanted Oven on Broomfield.

Shrooms with a view: For generations, Japanese American families have hunted for matsutake mushrooms in the mountains west of Denver. But now it's an endangered activity. #japaneseamerican #matsutake #westword www.westword.com/food-drink/m...

Garden party: Restaurateur, entrepreneur and activist Fiona Arnold hosted a preview last week for Garden to Glass, a fundraiser tomorrow night for Denver Urban Gardens at Room for Milly. www.roomformilly.com/event-detail...

Dual personality: SoHi Cafe serves up tasty BBQ and Mexican food out of one funky little eatery in Westwood. #foodporn #bbqmex www.westword.com/food-drink/w...

The first episode is online: Watch the premiere of "Chef'n It," a new Denver series that is posted on YoutTube, with top Colorado chefs helping viewers make homecooked versions of some of their restaurants' top menu items. #foodporn #chefnit youtu.be/tnWJUevDeok?...

The diverse art of the South Asian community: Here's a preview of an art show by the newly formed Colorado South Asian Artists Group, which opens its debut exhibit tonight at the Englewood CityCenter. www.westword.com/arts/colorad...

Home cooking: Chef'n It is a new streaming cooking show featuring Denver area chefs demonstrating how to cook one of their signature dishes in a home kitchen. A brilliant, tasty idea! www.westword.com/restaurants/...

My final monthly #foodporn roundup: I've really enjoyed my time as interim food editor for #Westword. This is a list of my "Best Bites" from August, including a truly amazing meal at Alteno that featured this lamb shank. www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Taiwanese cuisine in the spotlight: Pig and Tiger is a terrific new restaurant on the edge of Five Points; it was one of my favorite recent dinners. #foodporn #westword www.westword.com/restaurants/...

A community finds its voice: I'm fascinated by how many new restaurants opened by Nepali immigrants are touting Nepal's cuisine, even as they continue to serve Indian, which is what most Americans know. #foodporn #westword www.westword.com/restaurants/...

A community hero: Mary Nguyen, owner of the Olive & Finch eateries, is dedicated to helping Denver's economy and to raising up the area's AANHPI communities. www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Woolly good time: I had a lot of fun and good food at the Lamb Jam at Denver Botanic Gardens, which intrdouced the many ways lamb can be enjoyed by attendees. #foodporn #lambjam www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Spirits in the night: Sakura Square's Spirit of Japan event is coming up. Read my preview and register now. #foodporn #spiritofjapan #sakurasquare www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Thai that binds: I attended the Buddhist ceremony blessing the opening of the newest Aloy Thai location in the area. The chain began with a terrific original restaurant in Boulder; Cherry Hills is their fourth spot. #foodporn #westword www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Good news for food: I wrote about Growhaus's food justice fundraiser, a great event that's already almost sold out. www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Update: This ran in Westword last week, the man who killed the owners of the Abide Ride burrito truck was officially charged by the Colorado State Patrol for the deaths. The GoFundMe for the son to continue his parents' legacy is still taking donations. www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Food for thought: KVNF, the powerhouse public radio station in Paonia, Colorado, published this cool cookbook with QR codes to jazz accompaniment for some of the dishes. Will the station be able to publish a followup? #westword #kvnf www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Sweet dreams: I traveled to Colorado's Western Slope to visit the farms that provide the state's famous sweet corn. www.westword.com/restaurants/...

A+ meals for students: Ichigo Matcha, a new shop on the Auraria Campus, serves oba and ice cream, plus a dream for college students: instantly-made Instant Ramen! www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Lakeview: Had to pull off into a driveway to take this photo of Stanley Lake with the sun going down behind the foothills. #coloradosunset

Rufus anime-ized: ChatGPT can take a photo of a pet -- say, our late cat Rufus -- and turn it into an anime-style illustration. Sorta fun way to keep him in our memory. #bakaneko #neko

Partnering with legacy: 40-year-old Anthony's Pizza in the Denver area is now using sausage and meatballs from 100-year-old Polidori Sausage. What a tasty way to top off your New York-style slice! #foodporn

Tiki textures: Ace Eat Serve, a hip Asian fusion restaurant, is hosting a Tiki Takeover on their patio for August. Yeah, tiki is tacky and cultural appropriation, but their food is tasty, and they don't have too much yucky decor out. #foodporn #westword #tiki www.westword.com/restaurants/...

The non-digital Spam is just so good: Sorry, the free Spam Musubi giveaway is over, but here's a short history of the Hawaiian onigiri and L&L Hawaiian BBQ, which has several Denver locations. #foodporn #westword www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Ring thing: Pacific Mercantile in Sakura Square sells Erin's hand-crocheted Towel Rings and sets with matching kitchen towels in a variety of colors and patterns. Check 'em out! Pacific Mercantile is at 1925 Lawrence Street in Sakura Square.

Colfax crap: The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) construction along East Colfax Ave. has disrupted traffic so much, many businesses are hurting and some have had to close. Tommy's Thai, a favorite of mine since it opened in 1988, has launched a GoFundMe to try and survive the chaos. #colfaxbrt #westword

Truck that: Longmont chef Devin Keopraphay withdrew his team from Food Network's "Great Food Truck Race" at the end of the season premier last night. Shocker ending! #westword www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Best Bites for July: It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it, right? Here's some of my favorite eats from the past month. #foodporn #westword www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Turning Japanese: I'll be talking about Japanese food in between sessions of World Denver's event at Stir Cooking School, where participants learn to cook Japanese dishes. ($135 fee) #cooking #japanesefood worlddenver.org/event/cultur...

Didja see it?: Th season premiere of "South Park" was brutally political. And, it helped this hot dog diner west of Denver, which has been depicted in the series have a banner weekend. #foodporn #westword www.westword.com/restaurants/...

I love this family's journey: Scott Warnick and his daughters have celebrated Taco Tuesdays now for SIX YEARS, going to a different restaurant every week. Westword got to celebrate with them last night for their 312th taco dinner! #foodporn #westword #tacotuesday www.westword.com/restaurants/...

A tribute to their legacy: the Carmens were killed in a tragic car crash several days ago. You can help their son Austin continue their legacy and donate to the GoFundMe campaign for their Abide Ride food truck. www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Take a walk for dinner: here's a story I wrote about Hey Kiddo, a fun restaurant in Denver's hip Berkeley neighborhood, which has a diverse menu and bar (and a hidden bar) and rooftop with a terrific view. #foodporn #westword www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Truck yeah: Tune into Food Network's "Great Food Truck Race" to cheer on Longmont chef Devin Keopraphay's Rising Tiger team will be competing starting Sun. 8/3! Here's my story. #foodporn #foodtruck www.westword.com/restaurants/...

Opening delayed: Kura Sushi was supposed to open yesterday, but permits pushed the "soft opening" to this Friday, with the Grand Opening Aug. 1. I updated my Westword story with the new info. (Photo by my bro, Glenn!) www.westword.com/restaurants/...

History lives on: Shoenberg Farms in Westminster has a rich and amazing history but it's been abandoned for years. Now it's being turned into a food hall and entertainment center. Read my story: www.westword.com/restaurants/... #history

Where is the best sushi in Denver? Check out my top-ten list of best sushi restaurants in the area. Do you agree? Where else do I need to check out? #foodporn #sushi #westword www.westword.com/restaurants/...