City Cast Denver

Did Illegal Pete’s bite off more than it could chew by opening three new locations last year? Were the restaurants just hit especially hard by COVID? Or is something else to blame for the way some Denverites have turned on the local restaurant chain? It all started earlier this year, when Reddit was ablaze with stories of food poisonings, cuts to worker benefits, and less-than-awesome queso. So, e...

Anti-Palantir protesters gathered outside the AI surveillance giant’s new headquarters in Cherry Creek on Sunday, while the company’s billionaire CEO, Alex Karp, reportedly just bought a massive monastery outside Aspen. So, is Gov. Jared Polis having second thoughts about inviting Palantir to Colorado? Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk through t...

City Cast Denver listeners nominated Denver’s new NWSL franchise, Denver Summit FC, as one of the biggest wins of the year at our Denver-est Denver Awards last week, and the city is undeniably abuzz with excitement over the prospect of a professional womens soccer team. But how much public money should the City of Denver put up to support the team? City Council is voting tonight on the proposal to...

More than 100,000 Coloradans were left without electricity this week as Xcel Energy preemptively shut down power lines to mitigate the risk of wildfire — just like they did last April. But the controversy is way different this time. Comedian and longtime friend of the show JD Lopez returns with producers Olivia Jewell Love and Paul Karolyi to parse the politics of power. Plus, we discuss Denverite...

Denverites were going at each other this year, with some juicy fights on and off social media. From politics to restaurants to pop culture, host Bree Davies sits down with producer Paul Karolyi and resident Denver gossip Adrian Felix to hash out the biggest beefs of 2025, and decide who came out on top.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at den...

Neighbors in West Wash Park have now gathered more than 1,000 signatures calling for Mayor Johnston to reverse the city’s plan for traffic calming on Alameda Ave. to the original, three-lane proposal. They argue that there’s no way the new four-lane plan is just as safe, as DOTI head Amy Ford has argued. But could that possibly be true? CU Denver civil engineering professor Wes Marshall has been w...

It’s been an unseasonably warm December, and that means the risk of wildfires is relatively high. So, producer Olivia Jewell Love and producer Paul Karolyi discuss how Xcel Energy is preparing for a possible pre-emptive power shutdown this week. Plus, we unravel the mystery of the street safety signs that were hacked last Friday to read “Cars Ruin Cities” and respond to listener questions about mo...

Coloradans are increasingly disillusioned with traditional political institutions, including the Democratic Party, which polled at 68% unfavorable in a recent Magellan Strategies survey. So why did current State Senator Julie Gonzales, once a darling of the Democratic Socialists of America, decide to run for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat? Gonzales joins host Bree Davies to discuss her relationship...

After the announcement of State Sen. Julie Gonzales’ bid to unseat U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, stories emerged alleging Democratic Party insiders tried to deter her from running. Comedian Joshua Emerson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dissect the details of Hick’s primary strategy, as well as Denver’s questionable new homeless service provider contracts, disability activists’...

What gift do you get the Denverite who seems to have everything? Or your friend who suddenly became a minimalist and has, like, no material possessions? Fear not, the Mile High is filled with exciting and unique potential gifts — from newly released books from great local authors to quirky classes they can take! Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Olivia Jewell Love and content creator/politica...

Creative takes on the classic martini, pickles on pizza, and … a hotly contested debate over the tipped minimum wage? It was an up and down year for Denverites looking for a good meal at a fair price. ⁠Westword food and drink editor Molly Martin⁠ returns to talk about all the hottest trends, most exciting new restaurants, biggest stories, and best bites of the year with host Bree Davies and produc...

State Sen. Julie Gonzales announced yesterday that she’s challenging John Hickenlooper for his seat in the U.S. Senate, setting the stage for a very Denver Democratic primary next June. So, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking about how this race reflects the broader divide within the Democratic Party, from Gonzales and Hickenlooper’s respective policy achievements to their appro...

‘Tis the season for holiday markets, ugly sweater parties, and pop-up bars aplenty — but what about the kids? Where do parents and caregivers take the little ones to have fun without breaking the bank? Last year, host Bree Davies sat down with fellow parents Linnea Covington, managing editor at DiningOut, and David Gilbert, writer and local history buff, to come up with a killer list of fun and af...

State Sen. Faith Winter was killed in a car accident last week, and the internet is buzzing with heartfelt tributes, but also rumors about the circumstances and some really nasty speculation. So how should we make terms with her multifaceted legacy? Congressional candidate Melat Kiros joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about Faith Winter and alcohol at the Capitol. Plus, a ne...

We’re celebrating all the Rocky Mountain highs and lows of the year by giving our the inaugural Denver-est Denver Awards! Join us on Dec. 18 for special celebrity guests, live music, comedy, and a formal awards presentation to the Best Artist of the Year, the Best Bar/Restaurant, the Biggest Win, and more. We received hundreds of heartfelt nominations and today on the podcast, host Bree Davies and...

Denver’s public transit agency RTD has had a rough couple of years. Almost a full year of track maintenance and slowdowns led to a nearly 20% decline in light rail ridership, but ridership across the network overall is down, too. With even more light rail maintenance expected in the next few years, RTD’s budget is projected to hit multi-billion deficits in the early 2030s. So what’s the plan to ge...

A fleet of 600 drones is putting on a holiday light show every night over downtown Denver, but that’s not the only big new idea Denverites have for downtown. Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins producer Paul Karolyi to talk about the Museum of Ice Cream, giant TV screens, the latest developments for the Denver Pavilions, and more. Plus, a new report finds that Colorado is suffering from record hig...

The days are getting short and the nights are getting long, but Denver is already feeling the holiday spirit. And we’re back with our monthly guide to the best of Denver. That means we’ve got plenty of recs for how to make the most of your Mile High December, from a cozy greasy spoon cafe in Lakewood to a Christmas-y comedy show sure to make you bust a gut.  If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put...

Join City Cast Denver host Bree Davies alongside fellow hosts from Austin, Chicago, DC, Las Vegas, Madison, Nashville, Philly, Pittsburgh, Portland, Salt Lake, Seattle, and the Twin Cities for a special episode that’ll help you knock out your holiday shopping early and support small businesses around the country. From a handlebar mount (and app!) that’ll turn your phone into a bike cam, to a musta...

Are Denverites going to be talking politics at their Thanksgiving tables or chatting about more palatable topics like the gritty details of Blucifer’s backside? Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval to talk about Colorado Polling Institute’s new poll on Coloradans’ outlook on the economy, elected officials, and rise in political violence...

The Denver metro area has two mayors named Mike who have made homelessness a top priority. Johnston, the Denver liberal, has pursued a “housing first” strategy as he attempts to end unsheltered homelessness in our city, but recently he’s been branching out, including a proposal for $11 million to fund a new street ambassador program. Coffman, the Aurora conservative, just opened a new shelter with...

The Democrats of Colorado are divided this week over a brewing scandal around a swanky “retreat” to a luxury hotel in Vail and who paid for it — a so-called dark money group called One Main Street. 9News anchor Kyle Clark joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about how the Dems are navigating a touchy ethics investigation. Plus, we talk through the viral video of a local food in...

The Denver International Airport is famous all over the world for conspiracy theories and unsolved mysteries in the tunnels underground — and that’s without even mentioning Blucifer! But Thanksgiving is coming up, and tens of thousands of holiday travelers really just need to get to their gate on time. So how does DIA make it all work? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking to YouT...

In a video that went viral on Monday, two people wearing City of Denver uniforms can be seen at a roadside taco stand dumping bleach into big jugs of agua frescas, radishes and pickled onions. The video attracted tens of thousands of likes, shares, and outraged comments. But what’s the real story behind the shocking imagery? Host Bree Davies talks to Mario Martinez, who documents and promotes Denv...

When it was first revealed that Denver was getting a new professional women’s soccer team, many Denverites were thrilled! Including Mayor Mike Johnston, who has become Denver Summit FC’s chief cheerleader. But he’s been in hot water lately with city council, and now they’re throwing the brakes on public subsidies he wants for a new soccer stadium. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi have be...