For over two decades, Jason Calvanese has served as a bartender in Portland. Presently, he holds the position of beverage director and bar lead at Sousòl, a speakeasy-style bar situated just around the corner from Kann, a restaurant that has won a James Beard award. Read online: https://www.koin.com/northwest-grown/haitian-cocktails-in-speakeasy-vibe-sousol-is-the-place/

Dear new (and veteran) dining spots in Denver,

It seems there might be some confusion about who you think you’re catering to. Was it intentional to set the price at $36 for a dish of chicken that barely passed as palatable? And that cocktail which vanished in three sips, was it genuinely meant to be $20?

Should I have felt thankful after spending $72 on that barely edible meal and minuscule cocktail, only to find myself stopping by Good Times to satisfy my hunger? Actually, it turned out to be closer to $80 once the kitchen fee, worker health insurance fee, and farmers’ fee were tacked on. (I understand the reasons but still, it stings!)

I recognize that the minimum wage has surged, that the cost of downtown real estate might be inflating more than my $18 mini personal-sized pizza, and that the prices for meat, eggs, and almost all other consumables (unlike that chicken) have climbed as sharply as my home insurance premiums.

I also recognize the importance of a satisfying meal and am willing to invest in such experiences. I once traveled to San Francisco just to try a specific loaf of bread, and I’ve shared stories here about a dinner that cost $450 per person, which completely shifted my perspective on dining. Over the years, I’ve chosen to explore new culinary hot spots rather than saving for retirement. (Oops!)

Many restaurants in Denver justify their prices well. However, you, the new restaurant in RiNo, do not yet possess the reputation of Frasca to demand $215 for your tasting menu. I doubt you’re introducing groundbreaking innovations on sweet potatoes similar to what I’ve seen at Alma Fonda Fina. Nor do you offer the best version of any dish in town, or even make the top ten, so it might be wise to reconsider your pricing of $7 per dumpling.

Unlike some places that manage to captivate my family for hours like Casa Bonita, your restaurant, branding itself as a casual neighborhood spot, disappoints with a $17 starter-sized salad and cramped seating arrangements. Charging $30 just to make a reservation and then informing customers they’ll lose their seat without a purse hook after 90 minutes is less than welcoming.

Spending a few hundred dollars on a meal at upscale restaurants is becoming the norm, even without including the cost of drinks. Indeed, that’s a significant amount for many, including myself. Such expenses might account for a person’s major celebratory meal of the year. If the charge reaches more than $16 for a cocktail and $35 for eggplant, those items truly need to be exceptional.

And the thing is, new LoHi restaurant, yours are not. You’re not doing anything better or more unique than the last disappointing restaurant that opened a block down that’s still clinging to QR code menus and wants me to bus my own table.

Yes, I know I’m a privileged food writer who often gets these sorts of meals for free. I and my colleagues and the outlets that give us a $40 dining budget to find the 12 best sushi restaurants in town need to do better at telling our readers what’s worth it and what isn’t. I’m also a huge Denver restaurant fan who, when I’m off the clock, can’t afford to keep paying $300 for ho-hum meals. It’s my job to hype the greats, but what to do with the not-so-greats?

I know that it’s challenging to make the restaurant economics work. But it’s not just you whose math just ain’t mathing. Our budgets are tight, too, and I can’t take my kids out for breakfast when your basic egg and cheese sandwich is $20. There’s certainly a place for fine dining done well, but increasingly, decidedly un-fine dining is being priced at that level.

Someday, newish restaurant, you might nail that chicken and build a staff where the hospitality alone is worth the price of admission. But come on, we both know you’re not there yet, so stop pretending you’re Alinea and put away the tweezers and mini squeeze bottles for fussy food prep and focus on best serving your current customers so they want to come back.

There’s got to be a way to make eating out work for everyone. Maybe instead of jacking up your intro pricing to match the James Beard Award winners across town, you prioritize serving a good meal, at a fair price? I really want to support you — I think we all do — but I also want health insurance, and I can’t seem to afford both.

Gastronomically yours,

Denver diners

Allyson Reedy is a food writer and restaurant critic in Broomfield. She’s the author of 50 Things to Bake Before You Die and 30 Breads to Bake Before You Die.

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Rachel Day, 29, was urgently taken to a hospital in Wales after exhibiting symptoms of sepsis – her situation was critical enough for doctors to induce a coma.

A mother has shared the painful experience of losing her daughter to a devastating condition just 10 days after celebrating with cocktails on a Bank Holiday weekend.

At 29, Rachel was in her best years, known for her vibrant humor and personality that brightened every room. Her parents remembered her as a “truly unique character.”

The former teenage judo champion from Wales, who also worked as a lifeguard and swimming instructor at Llanishen Leisure Centre in Cardiff, had aspirations to change careers and start a dog daycare business. However, her plans were cut short when she contracted sepsis, a critical condition caused by an excessive response to an infection, which rapidly deteriorated her health.

Just 10 days after being diagnosed, Rachel tragically passed away, according to WalesOnline.

“Rachel had such a cheeky sense of humour – everyone was drawn to her,” her grieving mother, Bernie Day, stated. “She was fit, healthy, and had firm ambitions for her future, but tragically, she never got to realize them.”

Her parents, still reeling from Rachel’s unexpected death six years later, are now raising awareness about the early signs of sepsis to educate others. In May of 2017, Bernie reflected on how Rachel had enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend, watching the sunset and enjoying cocktails in Cardiff Bay.

However, the following Monday, Rachel began to feel breathless, suffered from vomiting, and expressed that she felt like she was dying. She was urgently taken to the emergency department at the University Hospital of Wales around 4 am.

Despite Rachel’s return home a few hours earlier, her health deteriorated rapidly. “I was supposed to meet her for coffee but when she didn’t reply to my texts, which was unusual, I became worried,” Bernie explained. “I eventually called her, and she barely managed to answer the call.”

“She was in so much pain, she was screaming through the phone. I will never forget those screams. I left the coffee shop immediately, kept her on speaker, and rushed to her apartment.”

“She was visibly distressed, her skin blotchy and her lips a stark blue. She pleaded, ‘Mum, you’ve got to help me’. It was later revealed that her lactic acid levels were eightfold the normal range, resulting in severe leg pain,” Bernie recounted.

Bernie promptly called emergency services and Rachel was taken to the resuscitation unit at UHW. Given the severity of her situation, she was placed in an induced coma to allow her body to recuperate.

Rachel’s dad Steve said: “We were able to speak to Rachel before she was sedated and tell her that we’d be by her bedside the whole time. We were then taken into a side room by a consultant who told us that she probably wouldn’t survive the night. I couldn’t take it in because I was in such shock.”

But while in intensive care, Rachel deteriorated over the course of the following days. In intensive care, Rachel deteriorated over the course of the next few days. “She began not to look like Rachel,” Steve said.

“Her nose had turned black and she had drips everywhere. She even had blood trickling from her eyes, nose and ears. Sepsis was affecting almost every part of her body.”

On June 5, consultants shared the devastating news that Rachel would need to have her right arm and two legs amputated, which would critically impact her chances of a good recovery. But it was later found her left arm nor her vital organs could be saved.

Rachel passed away on June 7, at the young age of 29.

Bernie stated, “At that moment, she understood that it was time for her to leave us. She bravely made the decision to switch off her life support, which was devastating for us all. We managed to bid her farewell, and promised to ensure that her memory lives on by spreading awareness about ‘sepsis’.”world

The NHS describes sepsis as the condition where the body abnormally reacts to an infection, leading to potential damage to its own tissues and organs. It cannot be transmitted from one person to another. The UK Sepsis Trust reports that sepsis causes approximately 48,000 deaths annually.

After Rachel’s demise, her family supported the integration of the Sepsis Six Pathway throughout the NHS, focusing on early recognition and proper antibiotic management for those affected. Bernie remarked, “I was screened when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. But there was no screening for sepsis when Rachel was taken to A&E that night. I’m certain that it might have saved her life. We made a commitment to foster change not only in A&E but across all departments.”

Furthermore, the charity initiative “Rachel’s Day” has successfully raised around £60,000 to promote sepsis awareness through numerous events. Bernie has personally participated in six half marathons since the loss of Rachel, also sharing her story publicly.

Dr Paul Morgan, leading sepsis authority at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, has collaborated with the Day family to enhance sepsis awareness. He stated, “Sepsis accounts for more annual deaths in the UK than breast, bowel, and prostate cancers combined.

“While a significant number of these deaths affect those nearing the end of their life, others, like Rachel Day, are young individuals suddenly impacted at their life’s peak. Survivors often endure severe, lasting physical and mental challenges, such as those experienced by ex-Member of Parliament, Craig McKinley.”

“Cardiff and Vale UHB is currently revising its sepsis screening and treatment protocols to align with the latest updates in national guidelines provided by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC). Educational programs on sepsis are being modified to include these new recommendations.”

“It is also anticipated that advances in healthcare technology being rolled out in the coming months and years will greatly assist with this. Cardiff and Vale UHB is committed to ensuring that we deliver the highest quality of care possible, investigating when this has not happened and taking steps to avoid making any such errors in the future.

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