City Cast Denver

Green chile is a staple of Colorado cuisine – both the pepper itself and the spicy, soupy stew used to smother everything from burritos and french fries to eggs and hamburgers. For decades, Denverites have been flocking to The Original Chubby’s Burger Drive In for their version of the versatile dish, and there is perhaps no version as hotly contested as Chubby’s. Our resident green chile correspondent (and current candidate for House District 5) Justine Sandoval sits down with host Bree Davies to regale her with the tale of how Chubby’s came to be and the Cordova family’s dramatic and spicy rise to the top.

We pulled some background information for this show from Adam Cayton-Holland’s 2007 Westword piece, “Smothered: The Saga of the Chubby's Empire,” (which includes a conversation with the late, great Stella Cordova herself!)

This episode first aired on October 5, 2022.

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Would Denver be better with fewer vacant, blighted lots? In Philly, the answer is overwhelmingly yes, with significant drops in crime and depression recorded near newly transformed, “greened” neighborhood lots. But how did they do it? David talks with City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri and special guest Matt Rader, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, about how Philly prioritized revitalizing its abandoned outdoor space, the ways that having a nonprofit partner has made all the difference, and what still needs to be done.

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The Mercury Cafe is back! Again! This time around, the buyers are asking the community what they want from this legendary space before moving into it. Can a cultural icon be preserved while also evolving with the times? City government reporter Elliott Wenzler joins host Bree Davies to peer into the crystal ball to see the Merc’s future, plus they discuss Mayor Mike Johnston’s optimistic city budget for 2027 and share their wins and fails of the week. Oh, and if you’re a City Cast Denver Neighbor you get a special segment just for members where Elliott and Bree daydream about their fave Denver businesses of yore.

Elliott talked about a woman’s account of surviving a bear bite and DIA’s high marks for passenger happiness. Bree discussed the community survey from the new owners of The Mercury Cafe, the Supreme Court’s ruling on mail-in ballots this midterm, Torres shutting down and moving locations, and her love letter to an old restaurant.  

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What’s the long-gone Denver business you miss the most? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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Denver chefs and restaurateurs celebrated this week when both the Michelin Guide announced its 2026 winners and the New York Times dropped its 50 best restaurants in America list! In no surprise to local foodies, culinary superstars Johnny and Kasie Curiel’s latest spot, Milpero, nabbed accolades from both. Our coffee shop connoisseur and downtown champ Michelle Jackson joins host Bree Davies to talk about Denver’s ever-evolving food scene, plus they discuss whether or not the Mile High City is still a place that conventions, conferences, and expos see as a viable location, and why it’s so important to know what you’re really looking for in a city before you visit.  

Bree talked about the Merch Motel Instagram’s recent trip to Lakeside Amusement Park and our episode on the changing landscape of Mexican food. Michelle recommends her new fave downtown spot, The Flaming Grille.  

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A new poll out this week says Coloradans have strong feelings about AI and data centers, offering an interesting look at how age, political affiliation, and gender play into the topic. Editor and founder of The Lever David Sirota joins host Bree Davies to discuss the latest poll from local nonpartisan research group Magellan Strategies Plus, they share their feelings on how AI use is impacting their own lives – from work-related research projects and travel plans to what role they think the technology should play at their kids’ schools. 

Bree mentioned a post about how schools use surveillance apps from Lyz Lenz’ newsletter, Men Yell at Me. 

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Have you used AI at work or in your personal life? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

If you enjoyed this interview with Kevin Smith, the CEO of Denver Film, learn more here.

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Thirty-six years after the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, Mesa Verde National Park is returning more than 4,000 objects and remains of family members to their rightful Native American communities. So, what took so long? Westword Editor Emeritus Patty Calhoun joins host Bree Davies to talk about these repatriation moves and what it means in the bigger picture of how Colorado honors its Native history. Plus, they discuss Alterra’s move to the old Denver Post building, the brawl that got the Nativ Hotel and Gatsby’s Social shut down, and how much they wish the old Hard Rock Cafe would become a local music venue. 

Bree talked about Sam Tabachnik’s reporting for the Denver Post on the looted relics from southeast Asia once in the Denver Art Museum’s possession. She also mentioned a story she wrote about 16th Street back in 2014 for Westword and our podcast episode on the now-closed North American Indian Cultures Hall at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Patty has written extensively about the Sand Creek Massacre and History Colorado’s ongoing work to get the story straight. 

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What do you think about Mesa Verde’s repatriation of Native objects? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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While office vacancies remain high downtown, one developer thinks this excess of commercial real estate could be better used as housing. Asher Luzzatto has bought multiple office towers in Denver over the last year with the help of a $63 million loan through the Denver Downtown Development Authority. But will Denverites be clamoring to move into converted aging office buildings? Luzzatto sits down with host Bree Davies to explain why he’s taking such a big financial gamble on a city he just moved to.

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What do you think of Luzzatto’s big bet on downtown? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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It may not feel like it right now, but extreme heat is coming for Denver, and Las Vegas might have the answers you need. An already sizzling city, Vegas has continued to experience record-breaking heat in recent years, essentially forcing it to lead the charge in protecting residents from increasingly rising temperatures. City Cast Las Vegas host Jesse Merrick talks with David about the bold moves of Nevada’s lawmakers, like mandating heat mitigation and giving away trees, and how some time-tested strategies still need to be tweaked as rising global temperatures present new problems every day.

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Ballots will be in the mail in less than a month, and there are a lot of initiatives for voters to consider – including Proposition 134, which aims to ban trans athletes’ participation in girls’ sports, and Proposition 135, which would ban doctors from performing any surgery on a child quote “for the purpose of altering biological sex characteristics.” Comedian and sports correspondent Kate McLachlan joins host Bree Davies to parse out the motives behind these measures. Plus, they discuss Wild Tulips, the new sapphic bar coming to Cap Hill, and share their wins and fails of the week! Oh, and if you’re a City Cast Denver Neighbor you get a special segment just for members where Bree and Kate reminisce about High Plains Comedy Festival, Denver’s music, art, and comedy scenes’ rise during the early 2010s, and Colorado audiences’ love for local art.

Bree talked about Victor Marx’ AI-generated photo and the early leaf-peeping season. She also mentioned Erin Lee’s appearance on the Defense of Freedom Institute podcast and the Diabolical Lies podcast episode “What Trans Athletes Actually Mean for Women’s Sports.” She shared this data on trans people in sports and read a quote from Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. In Bree & Kate’s accidental book club corner, Kate talked about reading “A Little Life”; Bree talked about ”Educated” and “American Fantasy”.

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What do you think about the ballot issues targeting trans kids? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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Mayor Mike Johnston officially rolled out his campaign for reelection earlier this week with a big party at Town Hall Collaborative and an interview with Kyle Clark on 9News. Considering this race is half a year and an election away, political commentator Adrian Felix and host Bree Davies discuss what Denverites are looking for, if anything, in a battle for mayor right now. Then, they talk about DPS’ cell phone ban and react to your thoughts and feelings on what it means for Denver students to have limited access to personal technology during the school day. 

Bree also talked about this clip of Mayor Johnston’s appearance on On with Kara Swisher and data on overdose deaths in Denver from this spring. 

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Are you thinking about the mayor’s race yet? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

Learn more about the sponsors of this September 10th episode:

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