Gabby Gourmet's Taste of Denver/Boulder

DI N I NG OU T M AG A Z I N E P R E S E N T S

G A B B Y G O U R M E T ’ S TA S T E O F

Denver / Boulder 2 019 E D I T I O N

W E L C O M E notes from the publishers

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> > > IN THE LATE 1990’S, WHEN MY PARTNERS AND I LAUNCHED DININGOUT MAGAZINE, Pat Miller was ensconced as the queen of all things culinary in Denver. Between her weekly radio show, The Gabby Gourmet Show, her regular television appearances, her hosted Gabby Dinners, and of course her annual book, Pat’s name—and nickname—were synonymous with Mile High dining. She was, and is, famously feisty, and she’s never been shy about her opinions, but she harnesses her spunk to lift up the things she loves rather than tear down the things she doesn’t. She’s been the truest and most generous champion of Denver and Boulder’s restaurant culture, and she’s been doing it since before there was much of a culture at all.

AFTER DECADES OF TASTING, RATING, AND SHARING, this year’s Gabby Gourmet Guide is the first of a new era. We have a new format, new writers, new designers—a whole new team!

When I sent Pat our very first issue of DiningOut, I was a 24-year-old kid.

I was no one—she could have easily ignored me, or wished a simple “good luck” and gone about her day. She could have viewed the magazine as a kind of competition. But Gabby is, above everything, an advocate. She took the time to meet, to introduce me to others, to be a sounding board. She became a mentor and a true friend.

The Denver/Boulder metroplex just keeps growing, and a reputation for great food and innovative, creative concepts has grown right along with it. It just makes sense that our guide should evolve as well.

When Pat proposed that DiningOut partner on a new iteration of the Gabby Gourmet Guide, I suspect I got a little taste of what John Mayer must have felt like when the Grateful Dead first rang him up. When your heroes ask you to collaborate, it’s a validation of the highest order. To say we are honored to help Gabby carry on the tradition of her guide to Denver and Boulder dining, is an understatement.

As always, we set out to showcase the best restaurants—the trendsetters, the tastemakers, the new-and-notable and the tried-and-true gems that define our local culinary landscape. We’ve also included reviews of must-try casual dining spots, bars, and markets along with profiles of the people and personalities behind it all.

Of course, nothing would be possible without a dedicated team, and this book was no exception. I feel blessed to be surrounded by an editorial and design team of all-stars. First and foremost, Ruth Tobias, in my estimation, is pound for pound the finest food writer in Colorado, and we are so lucky she agreed to take the writing reigns for this project. Michelle M. Gutierrez is our Art Director extraordinaire at DiningOut; it’s her job to make us look good, and she does that job in a style that never ceases to amaze me.

Together with managing editor Morgan Carter and the rest of our staff, this group of all-stars pulled off the daunting task of summing up the evershifting landscape of Denver/Boulder dining within the confines of this book’s covers.

Please welcome my new partners with this edition: noted food writer extraordinaire, Ruth Tobias and the wonderful Josh Dinar of DiningOut magazine. We hope you like the new format and encourage you to keep dining out to discover new, favorite bites!

Gabby

We set out to create a love note to the restaurants and personalities that make up that landscape. We hope that’s the spirit in which it’s read and that it helps lead you many unforgettable experiences.

Josh

CONTENTS 04

154

115

169

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176

PUBLISHERS

EDITOR

Pat Miller, Josh Dinar

Ruth Tobias

PEARL PUBLISHING MEDIA GROUP

ART DIRECTOR

Josh Dinar, Jeff Suskin, Geoff Smith

Michelle M. Gutierrez

restaurants people new & notable

bars markets & food halls cheap, casual & cult eats

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

1660 Gilpin St. Denver, CO 80218 info@diningout.com diningout.com

Morgan Carter Peyton Garcia Elizabeth Libertore DESIGN PRODUCTION

Catherine Colosia ON THE COVER:

Citizen Rail

PHOTO BY RACHEL ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

HICKORY & ASH

OLD FAITHFULS AND NEW SENSATIONS.

Hot spots and hidden gems. Tradition keepers and trendsetters.

Farm-to-fork charmers and global showcases. From the humblest family-run hole in the wall to the splashiest special-occasion destination, the Mile High City continues to make room for them all—growing, diversifying, and shining brighter day by day. This book is not only a celebration of the Denver dining scene as it stands in 2018 but also a salute to the chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, purveyors, bartenders, sommeliers, general managers, servers, and patrons who define it, in all its dynamism. Here’s to you hospitality heroes—we can’t wait to see what you do in 2019.

restaurants

RESTAURANTS // 5

12 @ M A D I S O N

1160 MADISON STREET, DENVER | 720 216 0190 | 12ATMADISON.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST It’s modern and neighborly. It’s quaint yet super cool.

It’s fine dining made affordable—bonus! We cannot speak highly enough about 12@Madison, which is true of all of Jeff Osaka’s concepts. Chef Osaka is joined by chef de cuisine Toby Prout. With two great minds steering the ship, both with an unprecedented appreciation for seasonality, there is always something new cooking in this kitchen. And you’ll never forget where it’s at because the name refers to the intersection where the restaurant is located. It’s also very unlikely that you’ll forget because people who dine here quickly become regulars.

MENU It changes every couple of months or so. Osaka and Prout utilize in-season ingredients whenever possible, so you’ll never tire of the menu. Dishes fall under the umbrella of New American, so expect to see fresh salads, veggies, homemade pasta, lighter proteins, and heavier meats.

With a roster that changes with the seasons, spellbinding dishes are here one moment, gone the

next. But a few that’ve loved include the sweetbread bánh mì; duck confit agnolotti with pickled plums, baby beets, and fried almonds; and sardines in bagna cauda with grilled bread.

DRINKS The entire wine gang is accounted for—sparklers, rosés, whites, and reds that fit everywhere on the boldness spectrum. Classic sips like the French 75 and the Sidecar are available too.

PRO TIP The Sunday brunch is dynamite. From 10am to 2pm, brunchers can whet their appetite with classic dishes and items that scream, “We have state pride,” like the Pueblo green chile and chorizo burrito or the bread pudding French toast with Palisade peach preserves.

PHOTO BY TAYLOR MURRAY

VIBE Comfortable and welcoming. It’s like hanging out at your sophisticated friend’s loft where you always

overstay your visit. Don’t worry about overstaying here; the team encourages guests to take a load off for awhile. Natural light flows in from the entrance made up entirely of floor-to-ceiling windows.

Diners can enjoy all the niceties of Congress Park, like passerbys peering at the menu posted out front and families on an evening stroll with their pooches leading the way. Charming, isn’t it?

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PHOTO BY ANNA REGAN

AC E E AT S E R V E

501 EAST 17TH AVENUE, DENVER | 303 800 7705 | ACEEATSERVE.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Talk about an ace in the hole. Josh Wolkon’s panAsian playpen has always been a blast, but the installation of young gun Thach Tran in the kitchen in 2017 upped the ante anew. Ping-pong, jop jop, bibimbap, bonbons: The stuff you can indulge in here is almost as much fun to say as it is to play, drink, and eat.

VIBE Scrapheap chic. Old airplane parts, shippingcontainer panels, wood planks, and other vintage finds in neon, vinyl, and more come together for an indoor-outdoor festival of color, buzz, and movement—from the dining room with its cranking

open kitchen to the table-tennis parlor and the bar to the sprawling patio.

MENU Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese classics take contemporary twists and turns. Tran pulled the Night Market Chicken, set over goji berry–speckled coconut rice, from his own memories of childhood in Vietnam; he also rocks the cheong fun with scallops and shrimp in XO sauce and the simple-sounding but flavor-bursting Jade Stir-fry with lotus roots and greens. And he’s got a rock-star partner in Secret Sauce pastry chef Nadine Donovan, who works wonders with miso, five-spice powder, wonton strips, and other staples of the Asian pantry.

SIGNATURE DISHES Start with the kimchi-spiked black-pepper short-rib bao and the spicy Tiger Wings; end with cheeky custom fortune cookies.

DRINKS It’s a barrel of monkeys over here at the bar. Sake in a can and Japanese sweet-potato ale, highballs and slushies, Scorpion Bowls and bourbon shots with kimchi picklebacks, seasonal cocktails flavored with Thai chiles, kumquats, and pandan leaf—it’s enough to make you shed a tear for teetotalers.

PRO TIP That crimson-colored chile oil on the table? Use it.

RESTAURANTS // 7

AC O R N

3350 BRIGHTON BOULEVARD, DENVER | 720 542 3721 | DENVERACORN.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Acorn is not just on our list, it’s on everyone’s.

Earning top spots and honorable mentions in nearly all of Denver’s “best of ” lists, Acorn doesn’t exactly fly under the radar. The restaurant has secured a seemingly permanent spot on 5280’s annual 25 Best Restaurants list every year since 2014. Other recent tips of the hat come from the Travel Channel’s Food Paradise and the New York Times.

MENU Acting as the heart and soul of this Denver gem is the wood-fired oven, churning out New American eats that are a far cry from the classics. Think yam dumplings, barbecue baby carrots, and Hong Kong toast for shared plates. Mains are comprised of an oak roasted free range half-chicken, a 16 ounce double bone pork chop, and a 24 ounce bone-in dryaged CAB ribeye, each of which serves at least two hungry souls.

SIGNATURE DISHES There isn’t a bad option among these fresh, chef-

driven plates, often sourced from local purveyors and farms. But Acorn didn’t earn its stature without a few staples. Try the tomato-braised meatballs or the Key West royal red shrimp and grits on the lunch menu.

DRINKS The accompanying bar program spans the whole spectrum, from “light on the booze” to heavy-handed sippers. Find libations that are just as inspired as what’s flying from the kitchen, crafted with unique liqueurs, herbs, and spices.

PRO TIP No reservation? Don’t sweat it. The chef ’s counter, attached to the open kitchen, is arguably the best seat in the house and available for walk-ins only.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER OLSON

VIBE Harbored at The Source, a bustling warehouseturned-artisan-hub, it’s all exposed brick walls, edgy graffiti, cavernous ceilings, and bare metal piping: contemporary industrial fashion at its finest. Dining quarters bleed out into the hustle of the market

hall and also onto a mid-size patio dotted with sun umbrellas and surrounded by a wall of chopped oak.

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PHOTO BY FROM THE HIP PHOTO

ANNETTE

2501 DALLAS STREET, SUITE 108, AURORA | 720 710 9975 | ANNETTESCRATCHTOTABLE.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Caroline Glover first caught our attention when she effortlessly manned the oak-fired ovens over at Acorn inside The Source. With the opening of her flagship restaurant inside Stanley Marketplace, Glover solidified her star status here in Denver as well as around the country, as Annette landed on Bon Appétit’s list of best new restaurants in 2017 and even received a few nods from the James Beard Foundation.

VIBE Annette’s contemporary design is a delicate complement to Stanley Marketplace’s industrious façade. Bathed in natural light from the garage doors, Annette charms with intricate bamboo lanterns, flourishing greenery found in planters as well as on

the table, and framed paintings of poppies painted by Glover’s grandfather.

a bed of crispy potatoes and roasted garlic aioli has been a favorite on many a foodie’s list.

MENU Living up to the beauty of the décor, Glover cooks up her version of scratch-made comforts, most of which are kissed by the wood-fired grill. With a history of working on farms around the country, Glover shows an appreciation for veggie-forward dishes, like succotash tossed with a medley of corn, zucchini, and green beans. As far as proteins go, Glover isn’t afraid of offal, pushing the envelope with chicken liver pâté and strips of brined and braised grilled beef tongue on toast slathered with bone marrow.

DRINKS Underneath pendant light fixtures, the quaint bar serves a satisfying list of cocktails shaken with housemade syrups plus craft beers and boutique wines by the bottle. Zero proof tonics and fizzy sodas with flavors like lemon-rosemary, orange cream, and the eclectic Earl Grey and dill round out the list.

SIGNATURE DISHES The tender braised octopus patatas bravas served over

PRO TIP Morning revelers need only look toward the Standard Breakfast for brunch. This breakfast sammy crafted with bacon, romesco aioli, eggs, arugula, and a house English muffin is, as Scott Mowbray of 5280 puts it, “...an egg McMuffin for the gods.”

RESTAURANTS // 9

ARC ANA

909 WALNUT STREET, BOULDER | 303 444 3885 | ARC ANARESTAURANT.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST The name refers to tidbits of specialized knowledge that only a privileged few possess, which sounds intimidating. Rest assured that all you need to become an initiate in Arcana is an open mind and palate; what this farm-driven destination offers is glorious enlightenment as to what Colorado cuisine is and keen insight into what it can be.

VIBE From the tilework above the bar to the shimmering golden wallpaper and modern glass chandeliers in the dining room, the space dwells in urbanity—leaving the open kitchen to convey Arcana’s message rather than forcing it with corny farmhouse decor.

SIGNATURE DISHES It goes without saying that year-round dishes aren’t really in Arcana’s wheelhouse, but an order of freshbaked bread with house-cultured butter is a sure

and soothing thing any time. Ditto the brunch-only “breakfast sammy” with sausage, cheddar, a fried egg, and chile mayo on a soft honey bun.

DRINKS The intimate, idiosyncratic wine list is something truly special, with a focus on terroir-driven producers the world round. So is the collection of nearly 30 craft ciders. Meanwhile, the bar follows the kitchen’s lead in ingredient experimentation—incorporating pistachio and curry syrups here, huckleberry mostarda and horchata there.

DON’T MISS Speaking of maverick wine, Arcana celebrates it weekly with Terroir Tuesday, discounting pours from back-to-the-land producers like Liguria’s Punta Crena and Eden Sabie of Swartland, South Africa.

PHOTOS BY CASEY GILTNER

MENU Many restaurants source locally for their dishes

“whenever possible”; almost without exception, the kitchen crew here doesn’t make dishes for which local sourcing isn’t possible. They also bake breads, cure meats, make dairy and pantry products, and otherwise find countless ingenious ways to showcase every ingredient they bring in. Think lamb bacon with heirloom beans and kale or pistachio-studded rabbit-pork terrine for winter; purslane salad with melon and whipped buttermilk cheese or grilled trout with creamed dandelion greens in parsley dressing in summer; and rice doughnuts with pumpkin dip or twice-baked acorn squash come autumn.

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PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

AT E L I E R B Y R A D E X

2011 EAST 17TH AVENUE, DENVER | 720 379 5556 | ATELIERBYRADEX.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST The slogan of this City Park West bistro is “Frenchinfluenced cuisine for everyone.” We’d add “with a sense of mischief.” Chef-owner Radek Cerny is a legend in this town as much for his gregarious, irreverent personality as his expert cooking; both are on vivid display here daily.

VIBE The utter charm of the space sets the tone for the experience—cozy and quaint as could be in eggshell and black, with shiny copper cookware serving as artwork, an open kitchen as entertainment, and a sweet little sidewalk patio topped with striped umbrellas as enticement to come on in.

MENU True to the spirit of a vrai bleu bistro, Cerny’s menu holds steady; if you wanted to come here for the lobster ravioli in Champagne beurre blanc and the saltimbocca with jamón iberíco every damn night, you could. (In that sense it takes us back, every time we visit, to a trattoria in Verona where we once watched an elderly gent enjoy a three-course meal solo—and then request the same meal all over again, then and there.)

Meanwhile, to keep things interesting for regulars, Cerny whips up constant specials—think king crab au gratin and thyme-roasted poussin atop forbidden rice—while hosting regular multicourse wine dinners.

DRINKS On that note, though there’s a full bar, the focus of the beverage program is naturellement on wine, particularly high-end French and Californian reds. But the list is scattered with some fun relative values too: a Crémant de Bourgogne here, a Hungarian Syrah there.

PRO TIP Sit at the chef ’s counter and engage Cerny in conversation. We guarantee it will make for a night to remember.

RESTAURANTS // 11

AV E L I N A

1550 17TH STREET, DENVER | 720 904 6711 | AVELINADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST This gorgeous LoDo haunt comes right out of the pages of an interior-design magazine, with its drum chandeliers and gauzy curtains, pillow-strewn banquette and spacious booths, all in hues of cream and caramel with pops of goldenrod, chartreuse, and teal. Just shove a few tables out of the main dining room, put a bed in the private one, and voilà: Avelina’s our dream apartment. (We’ll keep the kitchen and the bar just as they are, thank you very much.)

DRINKS The wine list’s strong on Old World and California bottlings, but before you spring for a bottle, check the Coravin section and ask yourself whether you don’t want to splurge on a few half-glasses of something otherwise out of financial reach. Craft beers and cocktails, meanwhile, are comme il faut, be it chocolate-rye Scotch ale from Ratio Beerworks or a Tom Collins reimagined with mint-cucumber liqueur.

SIGNATURE DISHES The roasted-cauliflower flatbread and the charred octopus set over marble-potato salad have remained on the menu more or less intact since day one, with very good reason.

DON’T MISS Brunch, starting with fresh-baked scones.

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

MENU New American cuisine is an inherently slippery concept; some burger joints throw in some poke and hummus and consider it done, while others barely

touch on homegrown tradition in their exploration of global flavors. Chef Josh Oakley takes the concept to heart, playing the field of influence from the center as he puts Mediterranean and Latin, Asian and Southern spins on salads and pastas, house charcuterie and chops. Think peach-glazed pork belly with zucchini two ways, crispy garlic panisse with grilled maitakes in tomatillo salsa, and coconut-lemon panna cotta with rosemary crumble and pineapple sorbet.

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PHOTO BY CASEY GILTNER

BAR DOUGH

2227 WEST 32ND AVENUE, DENVER | 720 668 8506 | B ARDOUGHDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Building off successful neighborhood spot Highland Tap & Burger, restaurateurs Juan Padro and Katie O’Shea continued their takeover of 32nd Avenue with the opening of Bar Dough. Scoring Max MacKissock hot off his run at The Squeaky Bean—who brought with him the ever talented Blake Edmunds—the group opened the buzzy Italian joint to much fanfare with handmade pastas and crusty wood-fired pies.

Gaining even more notoriety, Carrie Baird of Top Chef now works alongside MacKissock, adding even more powerhouse to this all-star culinary lineup.

VIBE Lined with red upholstered banquettes sitting

opposite from a stellar marble bar that nearly runs the length of the restaurant, Bar Dough emits serious date night vibes. Gather around the community tables for a shareable feast or sidle up to the kitchen counter in view of the Mario Acunto wood-fired oven and Baird and her team.

MENU Coming in hot from the wood-fired oven are charred Italian pies, roasted vegetables, and a rotating list of Carrie’s own fancy toasts. Pastas are found here too, like the squid-ink tagliarini with plump mussels and squid. From the grill, the pan-seared half chicken is easily shareable, you just won’t want to.

SIGNATURE DISHES Carrie’s competition-winning toasts from Top Chef are so good, no matter the season, that you may as well give in.

DRINKS Spritzers with housemade limoncello, aperitifs, and an Italian-only wine list (a few of which are on tap) sits behind the bar.

PRO TIP Special nights call for a reservation in the Segretto room. Request a custom feast with family-style entrées or leave it up to the chef to prepare a multicourse meal.

RESTAURANTS // 13

BAROLO GRILL

3030 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, DENVER | 303 393 1040 | B AROLOGRILLDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Barolo Grill’s longevity speaks for itself. With 26 years under the belt, this pasta-haven has laid claim to Denver’s Italian arena. A heavy-weight champ on the wine scene, Wine Enthusiast Magazine recently named Barolo Grill one of “America’s Best Wine Restaurants 2018.” Annual staff trips to Italy help steep the concept in cultural authenticity, thus deeming Barolo a benchmark for just about every aspiring Italian eatery that comes to Denver.

VIBE Dimly-lit lanterns and the glow of the fireplace leave gentle shadows to dance on the walls while comforting hues of warm beige and gold surround white-linen tables.

SIGNATURE DISHES Staying up to date on seasonal trends and shifts, Barolo’s menu is no stranger to change. But some things are just too good to switch up. Here, you’ll always find duck in some capacity. Braised in red wine or stuffed confit-style in agnolotti, whatever the variation is that season—the duck won’t disappoint.

wines, with sections of the menu that read “Italian Reds of the South,” “Italian Whites of the North” and, quite literally, everything in between, from Lombardia to Toscana to Campania. Guest stars on this Italian-forward list range from German Rieslings to California Cabs. Bonus: Barolo proudly represents many small family wineries that practice eco-friendly farming and responsible winemaking philosophies.

DON’T MISS Barolo’s Annual Truffle Dinner lands on the first Monday of November every year and features a sixcourse tasting of truffles (another Piedmont classic).

DRINKS You’ll catch on to the name of the game here pretty fast: wine. The restaurant’s extensive 2,100-wine cellar is the star of the show and is mostly home to Italian

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BAROLO GRILL

MENU Doing more than just the classic Italian standbys,

Barolo Grill guides the palate through the lush green landscapes of the Piedmont region of Northern Italy.

This signature cuisine graces the tables of Barolo by way of seafood-forward fritto misto or the buttery, cheese-dusted ravioli de plin.

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PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

B A S TA

3601 ARAPAHOE AVENUE, BOULDER | 303 997 8775 | B ASTABOULDER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Hidden among condos on a pedestrian-averse stretch of Arapahoe Avenue, Kelly Whitaker’s flagship is nominally Italian but more meaningfully processdriven—it’s less about any representative dish than about the ingredients that go into them, above all house-grown and -milled heritage grains but also local produce and meticulously sourced meats, seafood, and cheeses. If that doesn’t sound like a clear-cut description, it isn’t, nor need it be; the crystal clarity of Whitaker’s ways reveal themselves in a visit.

VIBE Even the tiny space is process-driven: Other than the oven glowing behind the small chef ’s counter and the stack of firewood at its center, the low-lit dining

room stands spare and bare. Who you’re with and what you’re tasting—that’s the focus here.

MENU Small and seasonal, the menu centers on stellar pizza—its edges charred and bubbled, its bottom crust razor-thin in true Neapolitan style, topped with goodies that speak to the moment: lump crab meat, zucchini, pickled peppers, and breadcrumbs on a béchamel base, say, or clams and pancetta with cream, garlic, and tarragon. Beyond that are a handful of studies in painstaking simplicity, both small and large: citrusy, spicy kampachi crudo sprinkled with puffed rice; trout rillettes with horseradish cream and housemade seeded crackers; a half chicken atop risotto-style wheatberries or spaetzle; crisp-edged lasagna. You’d do well to split at least three items.

SIGNATURE DISHES That said, we bet there are regulars who’ve never had anything but the sausage- and kale-topped CartDriver pizza.

DRINKS About 50 mostly Italian wines by the glass and bottle—supplemented by as many craft spirits— await beside 10 or so fine beers and ciders and spiffy cocktails like the Czech Me Out with tequila, herbal liqueur, orgeat, tonic, and nutmeg. Amari aplenty complete the picture.

PRO TIP No matter how stuffed you are, a spoonful or two of smoked-vanilla ice cream or fennel sorbet goes down nice and easy.

RESTAURANTS // 15

B E A S T + B OT T L E

719 EAST 17TH AVENUE, DENVER | 303 623 3223 | BEASTANDBOTTLE.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Run by Denver’s favorite brother and sister duo, Paul and Aileen Reilly, beast + bottle has stood as one of Denver’s finest farm-to-fork restaurants for nearly six years. Flexing his French Culinary Institute training, Paul drums up nose-to-tail comforts complemented with local ingredients from his network of 20-plus purveyors. As for front of house, Aileen sees to the dining room, instituting a type of genuine service that is often missed (and much needed) in Denver.

MENU With an in-house butchery program, the beast side of beast + bottle features nose-to-tail cookery from panroasted lamb and half roasted chickens to the offal, including pig’s trotter fashioned into meatballs. Even whole pig heads are on order, just call ahead to secure this crowning glory. Paul’s passion for vegetables shines with a rotating list of seasonal dishes.

with Paul’s signature from Encore, by ordering the Fig + Pig Flatbread.

DRINKS Beyond overseeing the dining room, Aileen meticulously curates the wine list—sourcing bottles from Portugal, Hungary, and Germany—and has even nabbed recognition by Wine Spectator Magazine.

Playing off the name, seasonal cocktails are also served by the bottle.

PRO TIP Keep an eye out for the next Musical Chairs Dinner, which features inspired dishes led by music from Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones.

SIGNATURE DISHES Still remember the old days of the duo manning the charge at Encore off of Colfax? Get a little nostalgic

PHOTO BY CASEY GILTNER

VIBE Beast + bottle’s quaint interior exudes rustic farmhouse vibes with chocolate booths and wooden tables surrounded by mismatched chairs. Near the rear of the restaurant hangs an antique mirror, scrawled with a running list of farmers that the

Reillys have partnered with. When beast opens for dinner, park it near the kitchen to get a glimpse of Paul and his team at work. If you’re lucky, you might even catch him singing along to the tunes played in the dining room.

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COURTESY OF NEATRICE & WOODSLEY

B E AT R I C E & WO O D S L E Y 38 SOUTH BROADWAY, DENVER | 303 777 3505 | BEATRICEANDWOODSLEY.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST To step into Beatrice & Woodsley is to be overcome with wonder. For 10-plus years, this dreamscape on South Broadway has been mesmerizing diners with its recreation of somewhere they’ve been before but can’t quite place…The aspen trees filling the dining room. The hung lanterns casting their amber glow.

The chainsaws holding up the bar shelves. The gauzy drapery shifting like clouds. No matter what you eat or drink, the spell doesn’t lift until you’ve left.

VIBE In case we’ve failed to convey the magical mountaincabin atmosphere, allow us to direct you toward the bathrooms, designed to resemble (very tasteful) outhouses complete with beaded pull chains down which water cascades into tin-pail sinks. If you’re

having a bad date, just take a moment to compose yourself here—it’ll relax you as much as any belt of booze will.

MENU Despite chef shuffles tover the years, the kitchen has held remarkably steady with respect to its vision of a seasonal New American menu inspired by the era of westward expansion. The results can seem somehow both quaint and cutting-edge at the same time— think stuffed quail over wild rice with blood sausage in wax bean–mustard sauce, lamb terrine with fried fennel and pickled green strawberries, or crème brûlée made with toasted oats. The same goes for brunch, when biscuits with homemade fruit butter, pimiento-cheese grits, and apple-pie pancakes hold sway.

SIGNATURE DISHES It’s a race between the turtle dumplings in braised rabbit ragù and the crawfish beignets with red-pepper aioli. Get both and it’s you who wins.

DRINKS The wine list packs plenty of intrigue onto its small frame, with cool bottles from lesser-known regions like the Côtes de Gascogne, Bugey, and Tokaj, while the cocktail selection goes back to the future with ingredients like brandy, tea, and oleo saccharum.

MEET THE FAMILY And now for something completely different—Beatrice & Woodsley’s Cap Hill sibling, Bang Up to the Elephant!, looks like a disco set in a Barbados warehouse, with Caribbean plates and libations to match.

RESTAURANTS // 17

T H E B I N D E RY

1817 CENTRAL STREET, DENVER | 303 993 2364 | THEBINDERYDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Linda Hampsten Fox is as much an Impressionist painter of food, a lyric poet of food, as she is a chef. Each season since opening her contemporary LoHi market, bakery, and eatery, she fills notebooks with sketches of new dishes, with captions that read like free verse: “moss, wet meadows, warm sunlight, blue skies, elation” in spring, say, or “salt, sand, sex, love, anger, fire, dirt” in summer.

Though these aren’t ingredients, you can see them, and taste them, on the plate; that combination of clarity and sensuousness applies to everything she does here—and she does it all here, all day long.

MENU By day, the market counter overflows with tarts and buns both savory and sweet, quiches and cookies and more, while the kitchen turns out sunny egg dishes, gourmet sandwiches on house-baked bread, carrotginger or corn-blueberry waffles, and the like. Come dinner, one dish after another radiates bold, seasondriven playfulness and worldly polish by turns—from the most elegant of salads with green heirloom tomatoes, plums, robiola cheese, and pistachio oil to the most deceptively rustic of comforts such as rabbitpecan pie topped with mustard gelato and capersprinkled grilled tuna ribs.

SIGNATURE DISHES The colorful vegetable “charcuterie” sampler called The Secret Garden and the barbecued octopus in aguachile negra exemplify the kitchen’s bravado.

DRINKS Interesting craft beers and wines from small, primarily Old World producers supplement just the sort of cocktails you’d expect here, laced with herbs and flowers as well as seasonal produce.

QUOTE Hampsten Fox once wrote in her journal that life is “sometimes like drinking a shot of cold soup, other times like being splattered with hot grease.” In a good way, so is dining at The Bindery—now refreshing, now soothing, now astonishing.

PHOTO BY LUCY BEAUGARD

VIBE Maybe that’s why the place feels like an atelier: clean lines and lots of white space, awash in sunlight, serve

as a canvas against which Hampsten Fox’s gorgeous pastries and composed plates pop.

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PHOTOS BY RUTH TOBIAS

BISTRO BARBÈS

5021 EAST 28TH AVENUE, DENVER | 720 398 8085 | BISTROB ARBES.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Though it’s named for a bustling immigrant enclave in Paris, Jon Robbins’s stellar French–North African Park Hill retreat does anything but bustle; it’s out of the way, it’s miniscule, it’s quiet, it’s as thoughtful in the pace of its service as in the precision of its cooking, and all in all it remains one of Denver’s bestkept secrets. Keep it on the down-low.

VIBE All of 11 tables, plus a few seats at the chef ’s counter in back, line the narrow storefront, where colorful photographs of faraway lands shimmer against the white-on-white backdrop and the patrons beneath lean in close for tête-à-têtes. If you’re looking for a rendevous, you’ve got one.

MENU We still remember the first dish we ever had here—a garlic flan dotted with plump escargot in a pool of verjustinged parsley beurre blanc. Robbins and his crew have been wowing us ever since with their meticulous sense of balance between airy and fleshy textures, delicate and earthy flavors; we expect we won’t forget a recent dish of artichoke-mousse filled agnolotti—startlingly pure and clear in a parmesan consommé with sumac-poached artichoke heart and fresh green apple—for years to come either. From the first bite—perhaps an amuse bouche of carrot hummus on a housemade cracker—to the last of a pear flognarde with honey-saffron ice cream, they make the most exotically spiced intricacy seem like the simplest, most natural and transparent expression of seasonal ingredients. It’s rather remarkable.

SIGNATURE DISHES With only 10 or so items on offer at any given time, the kitchen’s understandably inclined to switch them up on the regular. But whenever you spy the layered Moroccan pastry called b’stilla on the menu, savory or sweet, snap it up.

DRINKS Supplemented by just a few, but well-chosen, craft cocktails and beers, the Old World–centric wine list is likewise fine-tuned—any place that pours Franciacorta instead of Prosecco is A-OK by us.

MEET THE FAMILY Robbins also owns Temper Chocolates and Confections at the Denver Central Market; needless to say his bonbons are exquisite.

RESTAURANTS // 19

BISTRO VENDÔME 1420 LARIMER STREET, DENVER | 303 825 3232 | BISTROVENDOME.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Classical French cuisine is back in a big way these days, but for years, it was a scarce commodity around here. The only notable exception to the rule was Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch’s Larimer Square bistro, which stands as sure and solid a thing for Gallophiles today as it has for the past decade and a half.

MENU Plus ça change, plus ça la même chose—as the old French saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Take the escargot: It’s a Vendôme staple, yet it’s different every time you order it—now topped with brioche in Pernodfennel butter, now sprinkled with breadcrumbs in corn beurre blanc. Or confit duck leg, which may top a frisée salad in mustard crème fraîche or serve as an entrée with pommes fondant in brown butter.

Or brunchtime quiche and crêpes du jour. It’s all so très français.

SIGNATURE DISHES But some things never change to begin with, like the white wine–steamed mussels, the steak frites au poivre, and the crème brûleé. Le sigh.

DRINKS The staff knows its stuff, winewise, so if you’re not familiar with the appellations of Alsace or the Loire (never mind the byzantine vineyards of Burgundy), ask s’il vous plaît.

DON’T MISS The Thursday night special, a tribute to the nonpareil dishes of France from pizza-like Provençal pissaladière to Languedocienne cassoulet.

PHOTOS BY MARC PISCOTTY

VIBE Granted, irresistible ambiance is no small part of its status as a Euro-sanctuary. Even if you can take or leave French food, you can’t help but be enchanted by the courtyard setting—the awning-shaded patio strewn with potted plants, the quaint yellow-and-

white dining room bathed in sunlight by day, the glow of pendant lamps and sconces by night.

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PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER CINA

BITTERSWEET

500 EAST ALAMEDA AVENUE, DENVER | 303 942 0320 | BITTERSWEETDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST We’ve been rooting for Olav Peterson, who runs this grown-ups’ sanctuary in Wash Park West with wife Melissa Severson, for a long time. A talented and meticulous chef, a savvy wine buyer, and a natural, outgoing host, he’s managed to mine a New American gem in the rough that is Alameda Avenue.

VIBE The two-room space feels like something out of the pages of an interior-design magazine, but more Southern Living than Architectural Digest—while modern and polished in neutral tones, it conveys softness and warmth with fireplaces and clocks and other homey touches.

MENU Among the most artistic plates in town come out of this kitchen; they’re always changing but always a delight to behold as well as bite into. A study in sunchokes lights up the room, with chunks of the root confited to spoonable creaminess beneath translucent sunchoke chips in a pool of emerald sunflower vinaigrette sprinkled with scallion ash.

Spaghetti so toothsome it seems lightly toasted comes tossed with juicy mussels in dollops of buttery persillade. And so it goes in stunning succession, from wild boar ribs and rabbit sausage to desserts that look more like bouquets.

SIGNATURE DISHES Peterson’s signature is that there are no signatures;

the bittersweet fact is that the seasons don’t make exceptions. But if you need something to count on for comfort, come on Thursdays for the four-course, beverage-paired prix fixe—a steal at $50.

DRINKS The cocktails rival the food for sophistication, but it’s the rarities on the wine list we come for. Be it a Loire Valley Romorantin or a Washington Blaufränkisch, there’s always something eye-opening and palatebroadening to try.

BONUS A basket of fresh-baked bread with quenelles of compound butter. It’s the little things.

RESTAURANTS // 21

B L AC K B E L LY

1606 CONESTOGA STREET, BOULDER | 303 247 1000 | BLACKBELLY.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Hosea Rosenberg got everybody’s attention when he won Top Chef Season 5, but he won our hearts when he opened this combination New American destination and indie butcher shop in 2014. Hit the market by day to pick up some of the finest chops you ever did see courtesy of master meat cutter Nate Singer; return by night for a lesson in cooking them right.

MENU What we mean by that is that a place like this is built on the contradiction between the raw and the cooked: the blood and dirt of the local ranch and farm, the worldly technique and transformative potential of the kitchen. A once whole cow becomes summer sausage, tartare, filet; fresh-to-bursting tomatoes and peaches become elegant savory tarts; melons are compressed, lemons preserved. “Honest” and “artistic” are, for the most part, mutually exclusive adjectives, but not at Blackbelly.

SIGNATURE DISHES Both the market’s breakfast burrito and the

restaurant’s cheeseburger have garnered cult followings for all the right reasons, while the carrot cake will do your heart as well as your sweet tooth good—$1 of every sale goes to cancer research.

DRINKS Though the wine and cocktail lists cover every palate in style, it’s the beer selection that stands out as a showcase for small-but-serious craft breweries like Arvada’s New Image, Louisville’s Crystal Springs, and Glenwood Springs’s Casey.

APT REVIEW In her writeup for The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver 2018, 5280’s Denise Mickelsen summed things up neatly: “If you’re going to eat meat in Colorado, Blackbelly is where you want to do it.”

PHOTOS BY LAUREN FEDER ROSENBERG

VIBE The word in art criticsm is chiaroscuro, or “lightdark.” Sun drenches the front patio and small bar up front; bright lamps spotlight the open kitchen— yet much of the dining room and back bar lie in shadow. The mood can shift from cheerful and wholesome to dramatic and seductive depending

on the angle, in keeping with the yin-yang farm-totable experience.

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PHOTO BY CON POULOS

B L AC K C AT

FA R M - TA B L E - B I S T R O

1964 13TH STREET, BOULDER | 303 444 5500 | BLACKC ATBOULDER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Eric Skokan’s the culinary version of a Renaissance man—not only a chef and a restaurateur but a farmer who raises his own crops and animals and even mills his own grain. Black Cat is the brilliant fruit of his near-superhuman labor; to dine here is to take an armchair tour of his farm, experiencing the land firsthand without leaving your seat (or your glass of wine).

MENU Being harvest-driven, both the à la carte and tasting menus change near-daily. One visit, chilled almondwalnut soup, followed by Tunis lamb with squash panzanella, green-olive tapenade, and eggplant puree, brings the Mediterranean to the mountains; the next,

tromboncino-squash noodles with grilled beef heart in mole, alongside duck ragout–stuffed celery crêpes, warm the belly and soul. Exquisite desserts and cheese plates cap off an automatically special occasion.

SIGNATURE DISHES Obviously, mainstays aren’t how Skokan rolls. But any dish featuring Mulefoot pork, a heritage breed he’s been instrumental in reviving in the U.S., comes closest.

DRINKS At nearly 60 pages, Black Cat’s wine list stands among the best on the Front Range. Its selection of grower Champagnes alone (among other types of farmer fizz) outshines any we know of, though its quantity of top Colorado labels impresses too; what’s

more, it was among the first to train a spotlight on organic and biodynamic production.

VIBE At a glance, the space exudes elegance, low-lit and understated. But when you lean back against one of those sheepskins on the seats—a gift from the herds on the farm—it suddenly seems as homey as a cabin in the woods.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE Black Cat’s more casual but no less scintillating sibling, gastropub Bramble & Hare, awaits right next door to serve next-level comfort fare like beef-andlamb bread pudding, baked goat cheese with braised leeks, and knockout cocktails starring beets, snap peas, or asparagus.

RESTAURANTS // 23

BOULDER DUSHANBE TEAHOUSE 1770 13TH STREET, BOULDER | 303 442 4993 | BOULDERTEAHOUSE.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Have you seen the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse?

Hand-built by artisans in Boulder’s sister city of Dushanbe, Tajikstan, it’s quite simply the most sublime feat of craftsmanship you may ever lay eyes on. That you get to drink and eat here from morning to night is just the cherry on top of a visual feast.

MENU Central, South, and East Asian threads tie the dining experience together with slender Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ribbons. Eggs Benedict comes topped with Lapsong Souchong–infused sausage patties; house-baked naan accompanies colorful chicken korma; the Syrian-style walnut–red pepper spread called muhammara coats lamb chops with tabbouleh in kumquat yogurt. Any place you can nibble on Greek meatballs, Thai fish cakes, and Persian chickpea croquettes in one sitting is A-OK in our book.

SIGNATURE DISHES Besides afternoon tea service itself—cucumber

sandwiches, scones, and all—the Tajik pilaf known as plov, here served with beef, chickpeas, and dried fruit, is a mainstay.

DRINKS Owners Lenny and Sara Martinelli also own the Boulder Tea Company, which is to say their selection and their knowledge of the leaf go hand in hand—as their long list illustrates with sommelier-style tasting notes. But there’s a full bar too, so if you’re not the teetotaling type, indulge in a tea-infused cocktail like the peppermint mule.

DON’T MISS Dim sum service, offered the last weekend of each month.

COURTESY OF THREE LEAF CONCEPTS

VIBE Every inch awash in marigold and fuchsia, seafoam and lilac, jade and cerulean, the Teahouse stands a magic Persian kingdom of ornate ceiling panels, elaborate carved cedarwood columns, copper sculptures, and woven rugs amid plants that stretch toward the skylight and the tall windows overlooking the creekside rose garden… But that’s

just a description, and words don’t do it justice.

Come see it for yourself.

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PHOTO BY PHIL MUMFORD

BRASSERIE TEN TEN 1011 WALNUT STREET, BOULDER | 303 998 1010 | BRASSERIETENTEN.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Brasserie Ten Ten could as easily have been called Bistro Ten Ten—the two concepts are distinct in France, blurred stateside. But it’s true to both in that it’s a place everyone can agree on. We don’t mean blandly settle for—we mean wholeheartedly, fullthroatedly say yes to; its combination of class and approachability, European chic and Coloradan ease holds genuinely broad and broadly genuine appeal.

VIBE Flowerboxes line the awning-shaded patio. Elaborate bouquets dot the dining room, where enormous globe-shaped pendant lights glow like moons over warm woods, white linens, and tesserae flooring.

Blackboards and vintage posters dot the brick walls.

The staff’s decked out in vests and ties. In short, this is the dictionary definition of comme il faut.

MENU The challenge here would be to find something that doesn’t whisk you off to a sidewalk table in Rouen or Lyon or Nice. Oysters and charcuterie, escargots and crêpes, bistro salads and house-baked pastries, steak frites and bouillabaisse, profiteroles and pots de crème—it’s all here and all classique. Except, of course, when it’s moderne, but even then it’s traditional in the sense that French chefs rely on what’s local and seasonal too—think curried cauliflower with black currants and pine nuts or duck confit with shishitos, radishes, and shallots in pear vinaigrette.

DRINKS Per brasserie custom, the bar puts a premium on local beer, supplemented by Belgian imports; per bistro custom, it pours (mostly) French wines galore, all by the glass as well as the bottle. And per everywhere in 2018, it crafts cocktails in keeping with its theme— cheers to a fine Kir Royale.

PRO TIP Long waits are common for walk-ins, so don’t be one—make a reservation. Or come at 3pm, when happy hour starts. True French café habitués don’t live by the 9-to-5 clock.

SIGNATURE DISHES Enriched with crème fraîche and scented with thyme, the mariner-style moules frites are a must time and time and time again, as is the eye-popping poulet en brique in beurre blanc.

RESTAURANTS // 25

BUTCHER’S BISTRO 2233 LARIMER STREET, DENVER | 303 296 2750 | THEBUTCHERSBISTRO.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST What’s the difference between a steakhouse and a butcher’s bistro? Come to Scott Bauer and Tyson Holzheimer’s Ballpark gem and find out, but here’s a big hint: It has a lot to do with humble yet scrupulous whole-animal craftsmanship, and a lot to do with eschewing big-ticket surf-and-turf glitz in favor of down-to-earth seasonal cooking.

SIGNATURE DISHES Along with steak frites, two staple amuses bouches speak to the trust the kitchen has built among diners.

One is the tender sliced beef heart with olive-caper

tapenade, the other the crispy fried bison ball (which is just what it sounds like); both will turn you on to offal for sure.

DRINKS The cocktails here have got a bite, built sturdily enough to stand up to any red-blooded thing on the plate. Twenty or so mostly local craft beers and ciders are a given, but it’s the wine selection that really reinforces the bistro-versus-steakhouse theme—a well-edited mix of regions, varietals, and styles rather than a compendium of conspicuous Cabs.

NEWSFLASH While we’ll miss the adorable patio out back, the fact that it’s being converted into a garden to bring homegrown produce into the kitchen as of 2019 is a huge consolation.

PHOTO BY ERIN SHAPIRO

VIBE At four years old, Butcher’s Bistro looks like it’s been here forever, with a massive carved bar, unfinished wood floors, and warm yet understated decor preserving the character of the old storefront it occupies—all of which is only enhanced by the display case stocked with the cuts du jour at the entrance.

MENU What the kitchen does with those cuts runs the gamut from charcuterie boards to sandwiches to chops and beyond, supplemented by small plates and salads.

Sounds simple—and it mostly is, all the better to showcase the quality of the meat. But it’s also just creative enough for comfort. Lunch could be lamb poutine in onion gravy or a burger that changes its stripes daily; dinner could be mesquite-smoked brisket in apple barbecue sauce over cheddar grits or roast duck atop sweet-potato gnocchi in sage butter and mangoshishito gastrique. And dessert goes hog-wild: think pork-whiskey caramel parfait and chicharrón cannoli.

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C AFE AION

1235 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, BOULDER | 303 993 8131 | C AFEAION.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST The chef-owner of this homey little Mediterranean haunt, Dakota Soifer, takes his culinary cues primarily from Spain and Morocco to bring sunbaked, sangria-spiced sizzle to the romance of his weathered old space on the Hill, a former boardinghouse and used bookstore.

VIBE Aion’s a tight squeeze in the best sense, suffused with the warmth of worn wood floors and brick walls, a hand-built bar, and a pillow-strewn bay window beside the fireplace; a shady patio adds a little breathing room in warm weather.

MENU Given the snugness of the place, the menu’s

surprisingly expansive. At lunch and brunch, the kitchen whips up egg dishes, soups and salads, flatbreads, sandwiches, and more, all with the exotic twist imparted by Iberian and North African ingredients—housemade chorizo and merguez sausage, harissa paste and ras el hanout, preserved lemons and chickpeas. (All, that is, except housebaked pastries filled with locally grown fruit.) Come dinner, staple tapas like salt-cod croquettes, papas bravas, and tortilla española pave the way for hearty, aromatic tagines and paellas.

SIGNATURE DISHES Addictive as the popular fried cauliflower—a heap of golden-brown florets accompanied by saffron yogurt for dipping—may be, you’d better go easy if you

plan to make a dent in that paella. Soifer makes a few more-or-less classic versions as well as a seasonal special every Wednesday that might include goat, pumpkin, corn, and/or kale.

DRINKS Day or night, the fiesta starts at the bar, which honors Spanish tradition with a merry array of gintonics, vermut, Sherry, cider, and indigenous wines.

FUN FACT Soccarat is the Spanish word for the rice that forms a crust on the bottom of a paella pan. Now you know how to describe it to your companions after you’ve scraped up as much as possible for yourself.

RESTAURANTS // 27

C AFE BRAZIL

4408 LOWELL BOULEVARD, DENVER | 303 480 1877 | C AFEBRAZILDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST If it’s true that the Denver dining scene was historically short on global adventure, it’s also true that there have always been exceptions to the rule.

This family-run Berkeley longtimer is an essential case in point: South American food is trending now, but it’s been the stuff of festive tradition here for more than 25 years.

SIGNATURE DISHES Two of Brazil’s most renowned specialties are also two of Cafe Brazil’s most renowned specialties—feijoada, a gutbusting stew of black beans and mixed meats, and xim xim, a Bahian mélange of chicken and shrimp stew made zesty with dende oil, malagueta peppers, and cashews.

DRINKS The pan-Latin wine list fills the bill perfectly— accessible, affordable—but the rum’s where it’s at,

with an extensive selection both for sipping and for sampling in the form of as many fruity, tropical cocktails as you can stand (and stay standing).

VIBE It’s like sitting in a box of crayons. It’s also like going to a neighbor’s house for a dinner party. You get the idea—casual, colorful, ever-lively.

PRO TIP Hit the Rum Room for happy hour, and you’ll get a free snack with your first drink; do it on a Tuesday, and you might get the drink free too—if, that is, you’re willing to dance for the bartender for a full minute. True story.

COURTESY OF CAFE BRAZIL

MENU Seafood lovers are in for a treat here—but then, so are meat lovers. And cheese lovers, for that matter.

The griddled manchego makes for a giddy prelude to the main event—prawns and scallops and all sorts of

fin fish flavored with coconut milk, ginger and garlic, and chiles galore—while daily specials range from seared grouper in beet-nectarine-elderflower salsa to full racks of lamb or berry-glazed beef shoulder.

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PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

C AT T I V E L L A

10195 EAST 29TH DRIVE #110, DENVER | 303 645 3779 | C ATTIVELLADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Gusto, the term we use in English to mean “an abundance of vigor and enthusiasm,” happens to come from the Italian word for “taste.” In either language, Elise Wiggins lives, breathes, and certainly cooks with it. After years as the longtime exec chef of Panzano, she struck out on her own in 2017 to open this Stapleton sensation, which combines the soul of a classic trattoria with the spunk of a contemporary hot spot.

VIBE Action is all the decor this place needs. Minimalist in oyster gray and blond wood, the space sets a stage for the hustle behind the central chef ’s counter, where the cooks put on a show from open to close— flipping pans over open fires, sliding paddles in and out of the wood-burning tiled oven, and plating

chops and chickens fresh from the outdoor combo rotisserie-grill.

arugula and sweet aged balsamic. Gnocchi’s surefire too, whatever the preparation.

MENU Meat, shellfish, cheese, and dough—all the food groups that matter abound on Wiggins’s seasonal menu, divided into sections for antipasti, pasta, pizza, and entrées. If fig-glazed lamb ribs, eggplant cannelloni, whole-grilled branzino, and ’ndujaburrata pie sounds like too much food, you sound like too few people—the more the merrier with a selection like this.

DRINKS As with the kitchen, so with the bar, which observes tradition here and breaks with it there. While the small but thoughtful wine list doesn’t stray from Italy’s borders, the cocktails skew ultramodern, combining New World and Old World ingredients with gumption—think peach sangria with rum and Pinot Grigio or cherry- and vanilla-infused bourbon with amaro, black-walnut bitters, and coffee liqueur, which tastes almost like an ice cream-less float.

SIGNATURE DISHES Winners since day one include the charbroiled oysters with garlic butter and parmesan and the thin, tender focaccia di Retcco stuffed with crescenza and prosciutto, their rich saltiness balanced by peppery

FUN FACT Cattivella is Wiggins’s own nickname, roughly translating as “naughty girl.” (Her food says otherwise—she’s very, very good.)

RESTAURANTS // 29

CHOLON

MODERN ASIAN BISTRO

1555 BLAKE STREET, SUITE 101, DENVER | 303 353 5223 | CHOLON.COM/DENVER WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Formerly of Buddakan and Spice Market in New York City, Lon Symensma secured his own mark on the city of Denver with his flagship restaurant ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro. Eight years later, the Pan-Asian restaurant is a pillar on the LoDo scene with its upscale take on street food staples.

SIGNATURE DISHES Yes, the French onion soup dumplings that brim

with a Sherry broth and melty gruyère cheese have a cult following all their own—as they should—but the kaya toast slathered in coconut jam served with a custardy egg cloud for dipping makes for a close second place.

DRINKS Sake, soju, and a number of Japanese whiskys are on order, plus a number of cocktails that are shaken with the flavors of Asia.

PRO TIP Set a timer for exactly five minutes to let the dumplings cool before eating. Delicious as they may be, boiling the roof of your mouth is no way to start dinner.

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

VIBE Incredibly chic, Cholon’s modern design with dark woods and minimalistic Asian influences centers around the open kitchen. Having undergone a major renovation this past year, ChoLon touts a new bar and table tops, plus a stunning ceiling piece looming over the dining room.

MENU Mirroring Symensma’s extensive travels throughout Southeast Asia, ChoLon cycles through the flavors of Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and even China, elevated with French technique. A number of Denver’s greats have graced the kitchen here, including Ryan Gorby and Thach Tran. With chef de cuisine Becca Henry sharing the kitchen with Symensma, ChoLon serves upgraded street food like thick chunks of pork belly sitting atop pickled veggies with steamed puffed buns as well as shareable entrées tossed fresh from the wok.

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PHOTOS BY SPENCER BARNES

C H OW M O R S O O S T E R I A 1500 WYNKOOP STREET, DENVER | 720 639 4089 | CHOWMORSO.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Strip Barolo Grill down to its essentials—fresh pasta, fine Italian wine, spruce ambiance—and you’ve got Chow Morso. Run by owner and wine director Ryan Fletter, the new LoDo sequel to the Cherry Creek fine-dining icon fills a long-standing gap in the Denver dining scene for Italian cuisine: traditional but not stereotypical, accessible yet classy.

VIBE It’s the design equivalent of Fletter himself— trim and tailored, warm and welcoming—where chandeliers shaped like starbursts and a glassed-in wine wall shine amid hues of gray-blue and tomatored. As the packed house basks in their glow, the overall effect is at once intimate and lively.

MENU Though Italian-American red sauce this isn’t, there’s not a dish on the menu most diners won’t recognize.

Among the antipasti, tiny, buttery, lightly battered and fried rings and sprigs of calamari with spicy aioli remind you why you fell for squid in the first place; the disks of oiled puff pastry called gnocchi fritti, topped with rosettes of prosciutto, eat like salty, meaty yeast doughnuts. Meanwhile, the kitchen treats classic pasta dishes with all the respect they deserve, from spaghetti alla carbonara to linguine alle vongole—deviating only slightly here and there by, say, adding pistachios to pesto—just as it does a handful of secondi piatti and simple desserts like panna cotta and chocolate-dipped biscotti.

SIGNATURE DISHES Time will tell, but the veal agnolotti in sage brown butter has a head start, insofar as the stuffed pasta has long been a staple at Barolo Grill, too.

DRINKS The wine list is a fraction of the size of Barolo Grill’s at about 10 pages—which is still longer and more thoroughgoing than most, spanning all the regions of Italy from Alto Adige to Sicily. Appropriately, it’s also rather more affordable, with the majority of bottles clocking in at $40-$80.

PRO TIP Reservations are well-advised; on a recent Wednesday night, the dining room was booked solid by 6pm.

RESTAURANTS // 31

CITIZEN RAIL

1899 16TH STREET, DENVER | 303 323 0017 | CITIZENRAIL.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Frankly, we initially underestimated this Hotel Born dark horse–turned–Union Station hot spot. We heard “wood-fired New American grill” and thought “been there, done that.” We heard the name “Citizen Rail” and went “huh?” We heard “San Diego chef ” and shrugged. But now that we know what supremely talented go-getter Christian Graves can do, we claim him as one of Denver’s own.

MENU It’s for the sake of hotel guests that Citizen Rail is open all day, but it’s to everyone’s benefit; even breakfast and brunch are first-rate here, from the warm, tender coffee cake to the hot chicken sandwich smeared with duck schmaltz on house-baked white bread. Still, the dinner menu’s the showpiece. Obviously, meat is the meat of the matter, be it charcuterie or any number of prime cuts. But beautifully plated seasonal creations and frequent specials go well beyond the steakhouse norm: Even a radish-cucumber salad with French feta and salsa verde proves Instagram-worthy, and surprises like truffled lamb neck-and-marrow pie pop up on the regular.

SIGNATURE DISHES Go for broke—and smoke—with the smoked sturgeon– and caviar-topped potato cake or the smoked short rib with horseradish-potato puree and green-bean tempura.

DRINKS When beverage pros speak of “curated” wine and beer lists, this is what they mean—a super-suave collection of cult favorites and hard-to-find gems.

But kitchen-driven cocktails like the Bengal Lancer with almond milk, turmeric, and curry leaf steal the scene; the clarified cantaloupe milk punch is a must-get.

PRO TIP Speaking of scenes, check this place out come happy hour—it’s happening for real.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITIZEN RAIL

VIBE Entering the dining room—city-slick and streamlined in black, white, and neutral tones—feels a little like stepping onto a train pulling out of a station (that explains the name). Chrome fixtures gleam in the open kitchen and bar to carry the minimalist motif, while a glassed-in locker filled with

house-butchered, aged, and cured meats starts many a lively conversation.

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C O LT & G R AY

1553 PLATTE STREET, DENVER | 303 477 1447 | COLTANDGRAY.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Platte Street has built up around Nelson Perkins’s New American haunt since it opened in 2009; nowadays it can easily go overlooked in the LoHi hoopla. But it shouldn’t go underestimated. Perkins was among the city’s earliest practitioners of nose-to-tail cookery, and he’s still among its most proficient, laying the foundation of his brawny but sophisticated, seasonal New American menu with meat that’s butchered, cured, and aged in his basement (where he also runs one of Denver’s original speakeasy-style bars, Saint Ellie).

VIBE We think of the space as our own handsome little ski lodge in the city—lots of brick and ironwork and sturdy furnishings in ivory leather and black

trim, plus two fireplaces to keep you toasty. In season, the front patio overlooking the pedestrian bridge invites lingering for a good long spell.

MENU Obviously, the chops are tops, but our hearts belong to the lesser and off-cuts. With any luck, the rotating selection of house charcuterie will feature ’nduja, porchetta di testa, or duck prosciutto; lamb in the form of tartare or grilled kidneys on toast, veal sweetbreads sautéed with wild mushrooms and hazelnuts, and proper chicken ballotine in olive demi-glace continue the meat parade. Which isn’t to say the kitchen snubs vegetarians; varied meatless offerings include scrumptious pastas like the smoked-chestnut tortellini with salt-baked celery root and sweet-and-sour dates.

SIGNATURE DISHES You haven’t had pig’s feet until you’ve had Colt & Gray’s unctuous crispy pig trotter. (What’s that you say, you don’t want pig’s feet? Trust us, you do. You just don’t know it yet.)

DRINKS By all means get a bottle or two from the good-sized wine list, but not before you’ve sampled at least one cocktail. Be it a flirty pineapple-banana daiquiri or any of five variants on the Old Fashioned, the bartenders here put their all into their craft.

DON’T MISS Happy hour, when the blue cheese–dusted gougères earn their place among the top five bar snacks in Denver.

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CONCOURSE

R E S TA U R A N T M O D E R N E

10195 EAST 29TH DRIVE SUITE 140, DENVER | 720 550 6934 | CONCOURSEDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST This New American destination stands a hefty slice of downtown glitz in the heart of the suburbs—and the cherry on top for glamour-starved Stapletonians is that it’s served up by Lon Symensma and Luke Bergman, which means its substance is equal to its dazzling style.

VIBE Marble and soapstone tile, woodwork and brass fixtures, and black and gray upholstery come together beneath a sculptural walnut-slatted ceiling in a drop-dead gorgeous space inspired by old airports and rail stations. The streamlined design suggests movement; the result is that you won’t want to budge in its midst.

SIGNATURE DISHES As if Wagyu beef tataki weren’t sensual enough, Bergman serves it in a hickory-smoked mayo–smeared bowl for scooping up with potato chips. Genius move.

The dark chocolate that spices up his pappardelle Bolognese, combined with the exchange of bison for conventional beef, makes for another luxurious staple.

And speaking of chocolate, there’s a gold-flecked candy bar for dessert that puts Twix to shame.

DRINKS In addition to the expected craft beers and boutique wines, the bar knocks out its share of fun, freewheeling cocktails with nifty sweet-and-savory twists—take the Strawberry Fennelade with corn vodka, orange liqueur, and toasted fennel-seed syrup or the rum-based LandLubber flavored with nectarine, vanilla, and cilantro.

APT QUOTE In a glowing review, Westword critic Gretchen Kurtz praised Bergman for “taking the familiar and turning it on its head—not in a forced, precious way, but with the deliberate and thoughtful cheekiness of twentieth-century artist Marcel Duchamp.” (To clarify, Duchamp’s the guy who gleefully put a moustache and goatee on the Mona Lisa.)

PHOTO COURTESY OF CONCOURSE

MENU Bergman called one of our favorite creations from his

inaugural menu “free-form lasagna,” which appeared on the plate as a loose desconstruction of the layered pasta, garnished with a black-sesame paste that further broke the mold. We think of that dish as a metaphor for his entire repertoire, which playfully defies the very traditions it’s built on, be it scallop ceviche reimagined with tangerine granita or octopus risotto balls, a sort of mashup between Italian arancini and Japanese takoyaki.

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PHOTOS BY CASEY GILTNER

C O P E R TA

400 EAST 20TH AVENUE, DENVER | 720 749 4666 | COPERTADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST If you didn’t know you were in Denver, you’d be convinced you’d just stepped into a trattoria in the alley of some Italian hill town rather than this beast + bottle sibling from actual siblings Paul and Aileen Reilly. Here’s where Uptown meets Umbria.

VIBE “It’s bad luck to move a bar,” we recently overheard our bartender explain to a guest inquiring about the decor. Whether that’s true or not, the cozy threeroom space preserves the vintage charm of the soda fountain that once occupied it, right down to the original wood, brick, and patterned tilework.

MENU The love letter to central and southern Italian cuisine

starts with imported mozzarella di bufala—ideally accompanied by Sienese pepper chips and sundriedtomato pesto—and continues through small plates, pastas, and entrées that showcase the honest simplicity of the regions’ bounty: Tuscan white bean–kale stew, Lazio-style bucatini all’Amatriciana, Sicilian eggplant parm, Calabrian grispelle (spiced doughnuts).

SIGNATURE DISHES The tidbits on the spuzzulia platter change daily, from cobia crudo and insalata di farro to garlicky housemade sausage and fried baby eggplant in a pool of tangy salmoriglio. After that, Chef Paul’s cacio e pepe and pollo allo diavolo encapsulate what Coperta’s allo’bout.

DRINKS Cocktails hew to aperitivo-splashed Italian tradition.

Take the vodka-based, mint-garnished Romana Swizzle with a float of bubbly and lemon sorbet, which is sessionable enough to ensure you’ve still got the wherewithal to explore JP Taylor’s excellent wine list, brimming with such hard-to-find indigenous varietals as white Nuragus from Sardinia and red Piedirosso from the Amalfi Coast. A fine amaro collection caps it all off.

PRO TIP Sit at the (unmoved) bar to indulge in happy-hour specials that run all night, every night, including $6 spritzes and earthy basil-chickpea dip with crostini for $3.

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C O R R I DA

1023 WALNUT STREET #400, BOULDER | 303 444 1333 | CORRIDABOULDER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Here’s something we bet Boulder’s one-withnature types didn’t think they needed—a Spanish steakhouse named for one of the world’s bloodier sports. But boy, have Bryan Dayton and his chefpartner Amos Watts shown them. Not only does their impeccable sourcing ensure the cows lived a far happier life before becoming beef than your average toro, but their similar emphasis on highquality produce and seafood disarms vegetarians and pescatarians like.

SIGNATURE DISHES If you’re thinking a steak is a steak, think again— the same cut can be a whole different animal (so to speak) depending on season, region, harvest age, feeding regimen, and various other factors. Buy a couple by the ounce for a side-by-side comparison.

And speaking of whole (different) animals, the turbot, grilled in a basket and filleted tableside, is just dreamy—don’t leave the head untouched.

DRINKS Dayton’s got a national reputation to uphold as a cocktail whiz, and uphold it he does via a seasonal array of gin-tonics (to use the Spanish term) delivered by cart and flavored with the likes of violets, cucamelon, and fennel, as well as concoctions splashed with Spain’s great aperitif and fortified wines. In fact, the entire wine list (along with the beer and cider selection) is devoted to Spanish producers, so now’s a good as time as any to fall in love with Sherry, zero-dosage Cava, or the fittingly named Toro DO. NEWSFLASH If a dinner here’s out of your budget, come for happy hour and indulge on the cheap in discounted tapas and $20 bottles of wine.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER OLSON

VIBE Occupying the top floor of a downtown four-story, Corrida’s a spare, modern, white-cloth show of restraint, keeping the focus on the essentials—the meat locker, the wine case, a stunning view of the Flatirons beyond the gorgeous roof deck.

MENU Whether traditional or original, Watts’s tapas are nothing if not elegant, from fried olives sprinkled with Idiazábal cheese and chive blossoms in a pool of romesco to the stellar potatoes cooked with dry and fresh chorizo in a milk foam. The premium he puts on artful presentation extends to larger plates too, as with grilled octopus that looks like a sea garden in swirls of salsa verde and paprika aioli.

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COURTESY OF D BAR

D BAR

494 EAST 19TH AVENUE, DENVER | 303 861 4710 | DB ARDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST The “D” in the name of Keegan Gerhard and Lisa Bailey’s Uptown delight stands for three things— drinks, dining, and last but nowhere near least, dessert.

While they do a dandy job of the first two, pastry’s their specialty; forgoing something sweet here is like going to the beach and not dipping your toes in the water.

VIBE Only the cute hue—robin’s-egg blue—suggests D Bar might be a sweeter spot than any other sleek, modern go-to in the year 2018. Well, that and the chef ’s counter, where you can watch the crew whip and frost and scoop to your heart’s content.

MENU On the savory side, nobody doesn’t like the pizza

salad sandwich—basically a folded slice of pestoand-mozzarella pizza topped with dressed greens and other fresh veggies—or the Crue fries loaded with cheese sauce, crumbled bacon, and ranch dressing for good guilty-pleasure measure. On the sugar-coated front, the seasonal selection consists of concoctions as elaborate as they are worth every calorie: Take, for just one example, a duo of cream cheese–frosted carrot cake and Cognac-laced pumpkin cheesecake with buttermilk ice cream, fried carrot strings, apple-cider caramel, and an applecider shooter to cap it off (whew).

SIGNATURE DISHES The Cake & Shake isn’t just a Gerhard and Bailey hallmark—it belongs to us all as one of the city’s

most cherished desserts. A simpler pleasure than a slice of three-layer chocolate cake, plus a chocolate, vanilla, or raspberry milkshake to wash it down, is hard to come by.

DRINKS There’s no shortage of table wine, beer, and kicky cocktails to pair with your savory fare, but dessert calls for something ambrosial—and the bar delivers with salted-caramel martinis, fine icewine, housemade limoncello, and the like.

PRO TIP Don’t leave without checking out the pastry case in back for goodies to go—cupcakes, cookies, macarons in flavors like sugar-plum and eggnog, you name it.

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D E PA R T U R E

249 COLUMBINE STREET, DENVER | 720 772 5020 | DEPARTUREDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Back in 2016, staid Cherry Creek needed some shaking up. Enter this swish Halcyon Hotel showcase for Portland-based celeb chef Gregory Gourdet’s distinctive style of pan-Asian cuisine— now nuanced, now brash; it’s been doing the trick nonstop since.

SIGNATURE DISHES “Gourdet” is only one letter off from “gourmet,” as illustrated by the chef ’s elevated takes on otherwise-

humble bibimbap and sausage-and-egg fried rice.

And the bulgogi-inspired Wagyu burger topped with a fried egg warrants a brunchtime detour. Soothe any lingering burn with the seasonal frozen mousse.

DRINKS The kicky cocktails resemble the desserts in their emphasis on exotic produce, herbs, and spices: sesame, tamarind, Japanese pickled plums, pandan leaf. There’s also a handsome selection of premium sake, food– friendly wines, and craft beers with an Asian tilt.

DON’T MISS Every December, Departure offers real-deal Peking duck with all the trimmings; it’s well worth the advance booking and the outlay for two to four people.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAGE RESTAURANT GROUP

VIBE Departure represents exactly that. With its sweeping, aerodynamic lines, rich woods, and roomy booths— not to mention the aerial photos and risqué baggage X-rays dotting the walls—it feels something like an exclusive airport lounge where sharp-dressed jetsetters mingle in anticipation of their next adventure.

MENU Nimbly executed by chef Khamla Vongsakoun, the seasonal menu takes you on a whirlwind tour of the continent—Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand—via beef curry–stuffed samosas and crispy, baby lamb chops in eggplant curry, say, or delicately fried mushroom gyoza in shiitake broth and fried whole bass with mango and cashews. Think of it as a vacation: Not sampling a variety—including dessert, which is spectacular here—is tantamount to sitting in your hotel room the whole time.

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DOMO

1365 OSAGE STREET, DENVER | 303 595 3666 | DOMORESTAURANT.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST We’re tempted to write “see: Vibe” and leave it at that, but this Lincoln Park institution hasn’t thrived for two decades on atmosphere alone. Its uncommon brand of Japanese country cuisine ensures that even its reputation for slow service deters no one in search of a truly immersive dining experience.

VIBE The interior’s a virtual replica of a cottage in shogunera Japan, with furniture fashioned from stone slabs and tree stumps and a museum’s worth of artifacts for eye-popping decoration. Beyond it lies Denver’s most

enchanting courtyard bar none, landscaped with trees and rocks and a pond spanned by a wooden bridge.

Domo’s worth a trip twice a year just to see the spring and autumn foliage.

MENU From katsu curry and salmon teriyaki to tofu nabemono and tsukemen with shrimp tempura, the menu hasn’t changed much over the years. Noodles, soups, rice bowls, grilled meats—it’s all Japanese comfort food to us. But we’ve got a particular soft spot for the unagi tamago (eel omelet) and Domo’s signature style of sashimi, which the kitchen

garnishes as it sees fit—think squid with pickled plum paste or yellowtail with spicy miso—so don’t you dare ask for extra soy sauce.

DRINKS Trust on this one—stick with tea and sake.

PRO TIP Domo doesn’t take reservations, so come early; even then, prepare to practice the patience of a Zen Buddhist. You may not need it, but just in case.

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EL CHINGON

4326 TENNYSON STREET, DENVER | 303 248 3641 | ELCHINGONDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Smarts and heart—this Berkeley Mexican bistro boasts both in spades. Run by a multigenerational clan that includes classically trained chef David Lopez, his uncle Lorenzo Nuñez, and his grandmother Gloria Nuñez, it’s as naturally welcoming to couples and mingling singles as it is to neighborhood families and out-oftown guests. A lot of restaurateurs strive to talk the talk of community; El Chingon walks the walk effortlessly.

SIGNATURE DISHES The kitchen elevates both soulful carnitas and beefstuffed chiles rellenos to gourmet heights; ceviche awash in delicate pastels whisks you straight to the seashore.

DRINKS Proper as the margaritas are, a serious craft-cocktail program encourages exploration—take the Humo with smoked Japanese whiskey, artisanal mezcal, Fernet Branca, and cola reduction. A well-edited list of beers and wines follows suit; surprises like German Pinot Gris and Greek Moscofilero prove that someone here knows a thing or two about foodfriendliness.

DON’T MISS Brunch—nothing like horchata-banana French toast and smoked-chipotle micheladas to kick off a gameday fiesta.

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

VIBE Set in a little old clapboard home, the dining room feels a lot like the living room it surely used to be— warm and cozy, with just enough mod-artsy accents to locate it in the present moment, it’s a place you could lounge around all day (literally, since it’s open straight through weekday lunch and weekend brunch).

MENU The honesty of la cocina de abuela meets the polish of the new in a seasonal mix of classic and contemporary plates. On the humbler side, spears of fried potatoes luxuriate in a smoky, porky red chile, and crispy chicken enchiladas verdes burst with startlingly herbaceous freshness. On the more elegant side, the simplest of lump crab cakes—seemingly held together by nothing but their golden crust—sit tall atop dollops of epazote-pepita salsa and serrano aioli, while seared duck breast comes blanketed in a mole enriched by its own fat.

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EL FIVE

2930 UMATILLA FIFTH FLOOR, DENVER | 303 524 9193 | ELFIVEDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST From a mortuary turned hip LoHi eatery to a former brothel turned gastropub, Justin Cucci has an innate ability to transform spaces into hot hubs around Denver. The fifth floor penthouse suite may seem to be his safest choice yet, but the glitzy El Five impresses with both a vibrant style and tastes to match.

VIBE Blown up vintage Egyptian movie posters and vibrant paintings of famed actors from the golden age of Arab cinema adorn nearly every inch of the restaurant that isn’t covered in tiles, glittering mirrors, and intricate steel shelving. Balancing the color explosion, the dining rooms are outfitted with dark woods and plush banquettes for intimate dinners over tapas. If the

interior ceases to impress you, the breathtaking views of the Denver skyline to the east and the mountain tops to the west will restore your excitement.

MENU Cucci describes the menu as a homage to “tapas de Gibraltar,” which translates to a Mediterranean mashup of globally-inspired plates. Culinary director Jeremy Kittelson travels to the underrepresented corners of the Mediterranean via Israeli hummus and Moroccan spiced lamb. Defnitely a tapas heavy affair, El Five is best explored by ordering a few before diving into pans of paella.

SIGNATURE DISHES Sprinkled with a bit of that fusion twist, Chinese-style

soup dumplings blend with Jewish flavors to create the matzah ball soup dumplings.

DRINKS Carrying on Cucci’s penchant for sustainability, beverage director Ky Belk tackles water waste by serving low to no ice cocktails and repurposes scraps for housemade bitters. Traversing through the regions, the wine list incorporates varietals from the far reaches of the Mediterranean.

PRO TIP For a brunch above the rest, ascend to El Five every Sunday for an all-you-can-eat tapas buffet plus an entrée and a cocktail for $47.

RESTAURANTS // 41

E LWAY ’ S

2500 EAST 1ST AVENUE, UNIT 101 | 303 399 5353 | 1881 CURTIS STREET; 303-312-3107 | ELWAYS.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST You don’t have to be a Broncos fan to understand why the namesake football legend’s steakhouse quartet (there are also branches at DIA and in Vail) is such a mainstay. You just have to be a fan of the finer things in life, such as killer chili, onion rings, and Ding Dongs…Wait, we mean shellfish towers, 28-ounce porterhouses, and magnums of Napa Cab. (But really we mean both.)

VIBE You’re already picturing it—the timeless swank of polished marble, rich woods, expanses of leather upholstery and crisp white linen. (Of course the RitzCarlton outpost boasts an extra layer of luxury-hotel glitz.) Which isn’t to say that Elway’s doesn’t have its livelier, more casual side, namely in the lounge amid the

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(tastefully displayed) sports memorabilia and out on the patio, where live music is a summertime tradition.

MENU You’re already picturing this too—the wedge salads and the crab cakes, the racks of lamb and the bone-in ribeyes, the à la carte sides of creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin, the crème brûlée and the brownie à la mode. But what about king-crab fried rice, honking chicken-fried steak burritos for brunch, or the glass of cold milk you can get with any dessert?

Just the right amount of novelty raises the stakes for the ultimate steak experience.

SIGNATURE DISHES That’s especially true if you bookend your meal with the green chile–laced lamb chop fondue and the

cream-filled devil’s food cake (we weren’t kidding about the homage to Hostess)—you haven’t really been to Elway’s until you’ve tried them.

DRINKS The fact that the wine list is nearly 40 pages comes as no surprise; the fact that it’s far more diverse than it has to be given the classic context does, from numerous fine Rieslings to Cabernet from, get this, China. Your wish for a proper martini, a glass of good Scotch, or a splash of rare Cognac is the bar’s command as well.

PRO TIP Having said you don’t have to be a Broncos fan to appreciate Elway’s, we admit it’s all the more fun if you are—especially on game days in the lounge.

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

EMMERSON

1600 PEARL STREET, SUITE 100, BOULDER | 303 953 9852 | EMMERSONRESTAURANT.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Despite some rough patches following the departure of the marquee stars it had assembled for its opening in mid-2017, this self-styled “neo-bistro” continues to impress us with its mettle: Run by a young crew eager to bring something transformative to their corner of Pearl Street, it’s not just another pretty space.

VIBE Granted, the atmosphere alone does render Emmerson destination-worthy. Eye-popping curiosities fill the floor-to-ceiling shelves in the vestibule; beyond them, the sleek, ultramodern dining room awaits, awash in hues of eggshell and pale pink beneath a free-form chandelier. A neon-rimmed portrait of a sexy lady in a spacesuit adds a little cheek to the chic.

MENU If the New American cuisine’s not quite as adventurous as it was on day one, it’s still more sophisticated than most. Seasonings from ­the world round—sumac, shiso leaf, Aleppo chiles—accent the menu, where far-flung influences commingle in dishes like the Asian-meets-Southern lacquered duck breast with dirty rice, edamame, and yuzu or squashkale panzanella with pepitas and feta. Come brunch, though, the kitchen goes all out on a comfort kick, dishing up sweet-potato hash with duck confit, toasts galore, and even a refined take on Colombia’s answer to loaded fries, choripapa.

DRINKS What the wine list lacks in breadth it makes up for in remarkable quality-to-price ratio, with most bottles under $60; kudos too for a beer list that’s devoted almost entirely to worthy Boulder-area producers.

But smart cocktails are Emmerson’s strongest suit.

The weirder it sounds—take the vodka-based Gold Pan with passionfruit, lime, crème de cacao, and mole bitters—the better.

PRO TIP Cheers to the classy happy hour, where the Prosecco’s DOCG and the mignonette-dressed oysters go for just $2 a pop.

SIGNATURE DISHES Both the mafaldine Bolognese and the malted-barley pavlova have earned their keep season in and out.

RESTAURANTS // 43

FISH N BEER

3510 LARIMER STREET, DENVER | 303 248 3497 | FISHNBEERDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Though there’s more to the menu than gills and suds, the name of Kevin Morrison’s little RiNo retreat actually does the place justice in its not-so-much generic as timeless simplicity: Fish N Beer comes about as close to a classic shoreline seafood shack as you’ll find in the Mile High City.

for something fun—but you’ve got to start with the house saison, made exclusively for FNB by Ratio Beerworks. Unless, that is, you start with a supersmart cocktail—some themselves made with beer, others upping the intrigue with unexpected infusions like celery and papaya. Or, why not, a glass of wine: the selection’s as delightful and food-friendly as it is brief, what with Valdobbiadene rosé here and Greek Pinot Noir there.

SIGNATURE DISHES It’s hard to go easy on charbroiled oysters topped with the likes of blue-cheese butter and bacon, but try, or you won’t have room for the crazy-good buffalo blowfish tails or the even-crazier-gooder flourless chocolate torte.

DON’T MISS Watch FNB’s social media pages for special events— it seems there’s always something going down, from pop-up brunches to Midwestern-style fish fries.

DRINKS Sixteen ever-rotating taps mean you’re always in store PHOTOS BY FAREBRANDING.COM

VIBE Snug and light on frills in hues of white and chrome, black and blue, it’s centered around the counter stool–lined open kitchen, where the wood-burning grill emits enough light and heat to warm the whole dining room, also strewn with a few two-top booths (four-top if you’re pushing it) and not much else.

The back patio may lack an ocean view, but it’s got picnic tables, and the tall fence at least allows you to pretend that the surf ’s up just beyond it.

MENU The bicoastal oyster selection changes by the day (as well it should)—listed on a sheet with the requisite tasting notes—while the dinner menu abounds in baskets, sandwiches, and platters redolent of salt air and sunshine: fried smelts and steamed mussels, lobster rolls and whole wood-grilled bass. This is the kind of honest, evocative, feel-good seafood you go on vacation for.

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NOTE: At press time, FNB was temporarily closed due to fire but should reopen soon.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLAGSTAFF HOUSE

F L AG S TA F F H O U S E 1138 FLAGSTAFF ROAD, BOULDER | 303 442 4640 | FLAGSTAFFHOUSE.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST The onetime summer cabin it’s housed in is 90 years old; the restaurant itself is nearly 50—and the sweeping views are eternal. In other words, the Flagstaff House isn’t just a special-occasion destination par excellence, it’s a veritable landmark.

VIBE White tablecloths, candlelight, and a staff crisply clad in vests and ties set the semiformal tone, but this place could be decked out in lava lamps and tie-dye without losing a drop of allure, thanks to the picture windows and terraces from which to behold all of Boulder—first in the setting sun, then in the twinkling lights at night.

MENU At first glance, it reads like a compendium of

delicacies—caviar, oysters, foie gras, truffles, Wagyu.

But once your eyes adjust to the dazzle, you’ll see where the kitchen comes in, preserving its legacy of contemporary French cuisine via terrines and bisques, confits and vol-au-vents. Pain perdu becomes a vehicle for braised Kurobuta pork in bourbon-peach coulis; pan-seared loup de mer swims in a pool of blue-crab risotto; chocolate strudel’s a decadent swirl of ganache and Grand Marnier crème anglaise.

SIGNATURE DISHES Speaking of cream, lobster and duck represent the crème de la crème of house specialties. However they’re prepared, you can’t go wrong with either; you can only go wrong without them.

DRINKS No offense to the bar crew—we’re sure the cocktail program is just peachy. But we wouldn’t know, because the Flagstaff House boasts one of the grandest wine cellars in the state of Colorado, so all our attention (and hard-earned money) goes to the 110-page wine list. In our dreams, we’ll start with a 1961 Krug, followed by the 1978 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru and an 1881 Bual Madeira. In real life, we’ve got plenty to choose from that won’t run us $38K total—several thousands of bottles, in fact.

DON’T MISS Coffee service—the whimiscal presentation of sugars, creams, and candies gives new meaning to the phrase “sweeten the pot.”

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FRASC A

FOOD AND WINE

1738 PEARL STREET, BOULDER | 303 442 6966 | FRASC AFOODANDWINE.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Bobby Stuckey. Phrases like “Best Wine Service” and “Wine Director of the Year” have consistently followed this master sommelier since the launch of his career in the 1990s. Where there’s Stuckey, there’s world-class vino. But it doesn’t hurt to have celebrated chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson as a co-founder either.

VIBE Full-on class and elegance. Polished and sophisticated, you’ll want to pay no less than top dollar for the impeccable service and cultural experience on offer here.

MENU Friulano cuisine is about as specific as this kitchen

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gets. The ever-changing menu is constantly surprising diners with fresh takes on the region’s delicacies. But don’t worry if your Italian is rusty, serving strictly from multi-course prix-fixe menus, you can rest well-tended in the hands of Chef Lachlan and his team. Choose between the Quattro Piatti menu, a four-course no-brainer, or take a journey through the Carnic and Julian Alps by way of the six-course Friulano Tradizionale tasting menu.

SIGNATURE DISHES In the midst of Frasca’s rapidly rotating dish selection, there’s only one standby you can always count on: the frico caldo. And what a standby it is. Chef Lachlan’s savory Italian cheese crisps are the one and only way to start your meal in true Frasca fashion.

DRINKS Did we mention Bobby Stuckey? Yes, the wine selection here can hold the spotlight without flinching. Frasca’s 200-varietal wine list is organized according to flavor profile and theme, helpfully nudging diners toward their perfect glass. But there’s also a unique focus on the Italian ritual of aperitivi and digestivi. The spirits menu unfolds to display pre-meal bitters and aromatized wines, tequilas and mezcals, vodkas, and gins, coupled by after-dinner whiskeys, Scotches, brandies, and amaros.

APT REVIEW “Bobby Stuckey guides the most thoughtful service team in America; soulful northeastern Italian dishes and a profoundly deep wine list make for euphoric dinners.”—Bill Addison, Eater Denver

PHOTO BY MCCALL BURAU

PHOTO BY MCCALL BURAU PHOTO BY DANIEL LANE

PHOTO BY MCCALL BURAU

FRUITION

1313 EAST 6TH AVENUE, DENVER | 303 831 1962 | FRUITIONRESTAURANT.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST In March 2007, then–Denver Post restaurant critic Tucker Shaw wrote a paean to his “new favorite restaurant.” At just a month old, he raved, the food it served—“steadfastly traditional in its soulfulness, strictly classic in its execution, thoroughly modern in its outlook”—already rendered it an “exemplary and potentially profound addition to our city’s culinary culture.” That restaurant was Fruition. In fact, it still is. Having since opened his own farm and dairy (among other ventures), chef-owner Alex Seidel won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest this year in testament to the fact that his vision for shaping Denver’s dining scene has all come—and leads back—to Fruition.

VIBE Suavely understated in cream and beige, with cherrywood furnishings and striking black-and-white kitchenscapes to set a cozy mood—and smooth, crisp service to enhance it.

MENU Call it “elevated comfort food,” as Seidel himself does. Call it “farm-to-table cuisine,” as it most certainly is. Either way, you’re getting thoughtfully conceived, artfully executed seasonal cuisine that’s both grounded in European technique and awash in contemporary Colorado cool.

oysters Rockefeller are forever, as is the ever-changing duck—whether it’s served in a pool of foie gras jus with figs, fennel, and pistcahio baklava or nestled among morels and ramps on truffled farro.

DRINKS From the latest names in craft beer, cider, and spirits to its fair share of grower Champagnes, the 20-page beverage list is de rigueur.

DON’T MISS Anything made with cheese from Fruition Farms.

SIGNATURE DISHES Seidel’s luxurious twists on pasta carbonara and

RESTAURANTS // 47

G U A R D A N D G R AC E 1801 C ALIFORNIA STREET #150, DENVER | 303 293 8500 | GUARDANDGRACE.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST It’s literally on everyone’s list. How do we know?

Because we’ve been here for a late lunch. We’ve been here at 9pm on a weeknight. We’ve been here at 5pm on a Saturday and every business hour in between.

And we’ve never seen Troy Guard’s progressive CBD steakhouse when it wasn’t packed from front to back.

Much as we brag about putting our cowtown days behind us, we Denverites still worship our beef—and there’s no indie altar to it quite like this one.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TAG RESTAURANT GROUP

VIBE Leather and glass, mellow woods and glittering metallics, bold lines and sweeping curves intersect from the long, slick bar and lounge in view of the patio to the main dining room overlooking the open kitchen. In hues of ochre, taupe, and mahogany, it all pays homage to the established design tropes of the genre without getting stuck in them.

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MENU The same goes for the menu—classic in structure, contemporary in detail. With chilled shellfish, charcuterie and cheese samplers, appetizers, salads, and à la carte trimmings galore to supplement the full slate of chops, you could revel in an old-school repast of oysters on the half-shell and a wedge salad, followed by grilled prime rib in brandy-peppercorn sauce with a baked potato, and capped off with chocolate cake.

Or you could defy convention entirely and feast on braised rabbit over semolina panisse, smoked chicken in roasted-garlic jus with celeriac mousse, and goat cheesecake. It’s only a steakhouse if you want it to be.

SIGNATURE DISHES If all you ordered were the oak-fired carrots in herbed yogurt with pistachio crumble and the filet mignon flight, you’d leave with a fair grasp of what Guard and Grace is all about—complete with your fill of

warm dinner rolls that alone are worth the price of admission (ditto the cookies at lunch).

DRINKS An extensive selection of wines by the glass and a 30-plus page-bottle list make good on the promise of the glassed-in cellar at the entrance—while the cocktails up the ante on your granddad’s steak-night standards, be it a barrel-aged, Sichuan pepper–spiked Old Fashioned or a Dark & Stormy kicked up with housemade plum liqueur.

PRO TIP If you can score one, the circular booths at the center of the L-shaped space make for the best seats in the house.

COURTESY OF HEARTH AND DRAM

HEARTH & DRAM

1801 WEWATTA STREET, DENVER | 303 623 0979 | HEARTHANDDRAM.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST In its first year in business, construction woes and chef shuffles somewhat muffled the impact of this stone-cold stunner in the Hotel Indigo. But with the talented Adam Vero, longtime right-hand man to Troy Guard, now helming the New American kitchen, it’s got all the juice it needs to make a real splash. (Not to mention one of the biggest whiskey selections in town.)

MENU Though the wood-fired range yields chops galore, it’s the seasonal small plates that loom largest for us, intriguing and intricate all the way. Here, the delicate sweetness of king crab leg softens the intense funk of sea-urchin risotto in brown butter; there, tangy, earthy beets invigorate gnocchi, bright pink beneath a salty confetti of feta and pistachios, while roasted delicata squash rings in the fall with compressed pear and pumpkin-seed granola atop silky crema.

VIBE Metal, glass, wood, leather, and concrete criss-cross a slick, sweeping space that evokes a sort of indoor skyline. From the massive bar that stretches to the ceiling to the open kitchen running the length of the back wall, it all pulses with big-city energy.

SIGNATURE DISHES The Whole Beast Feast requires an advance reservation of at least five days for six to eight people.

The reward for that little bit of effort on your part is a multicourse extravaganza of beef, pork, seafood, lamb, goat, or duck; the latter, for example, includes

duck-tongue trail mix, yakitori wings, smoked breast with crispy rice salad and roast cashews—and much, much more.

DRINKS Presented on a leather-bound tablet, the beverage list covers all the bases more than adequately. But it’s that endless whiskey collection that demands your uppermost attention, along with the cocktails it yields.

Starring bourbon or Scotch or rye, laced with chile and rhubarb or coffee and orange or almond and lemon notes, they pave a smooth path through your meal.

KUDOS Hearth & Dram took home the People’s Choice trophy at the 2018 Denver Burger Battle; come for lunch to savor the cheesy, bacon-y taste of victory.

RESTAURANTS // 49

H I C KO R Y & A S H

8001 ARISTA PLACE, BROOMFIELD | 720 390 4400 | HICKORYANDASH.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Here’s a story about an apple falling right next to the tree. Kevin Taylor is a founding father of the modern Denver dining scene; he’s also the father of Ryan Taylor, who’s doing his part to bring Broomfield up to culinary speed—just as his dad (and, now, partner) did for LoDo—at this stylish New American hot spot in Arista Place.

VIBE With a name like Hickory & Ash, it has to look just like this. Spacious and airy, modern yet warm, filled with lots of natural light, variegated woods, and earth tones, it’s splashy enough to make an impression yet laid-back enough for impromptu visits.

SIGNATURE DISHES Taylor junior clearly takes pride in the versatility of his short rib, which he turns into pastrami for a Reubeninspired dish with brussels sprouts, pumpernickel croutons, and pickled mustard seeds; braises and serves in hunks over cheddar polenta with broccolini;

and showcases in brunchtime hash smothered in green chile and bacon salsa with a fried egg.

DRINKS While the wine list skews heavily toward California, the selection of spirits and beer is grounded right here; local representation extends to Broomfield itself, home to breweries 4 Noses and Wonderland.

MEET THE FAMILY After a few-year hiatus from the limelight, Kevin Taylor is hard at work these days too; adding to his long-standing venues at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, he opened breezy Mediterranean kitchen Mila downtown this summer and will soon join his son in unveiling a second Arista Place concept, modern Mexican spot Masa.

PHOTO BY RACHEL ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

MENU With a name like Hickory & Ash, it has to have a

menu just like this too—built around a wood-fired grill and laden with plenty of options for meatand-potatoes types and foodies alike. The former can chow down steakhouse-style on wedge salads, bone-in ribeyes, creamed spinach, and cheesecake; the latter, meanwhile, get to luxuriate in the likes of lobster bisque with black-truffle dumplings, potted duck and foie gras with gooseberries, ricotta gnocchi with squash “Bolognese,” and whiskeybutterscotch pudding.

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PHOTO BY ADAM BOVE

HOP ALLEY

3500 LARIMER STREET, DENVER | 720 379 8340 | HOPALLEYDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Ever visited Hop Alley without a wait? Yeah, us neither. Opened in 2015, Hop Alley is still, well, as hopping as ever in the trendy RiNo hood, constantly flanked with a line of customers begging for a taste of Tommy Lee’s take on regional Chinese food.

VIBE Clean cut like its sister restaurant Uncle, Hop Alley is outfitted with cherry wood tables, a few of which are saved for communal dining, and simple white chairs sitting among charred black wooden walls.

Quiet as the design may be, the music blaring over the speakers definitely isn’t. With bumpin’ playlists crafted by Lee himself, dining to the likes of Kanye West to A Tribe Called Quest is Hop Alley’s M.O.

MENU With a name that pays homage to the now-extinct Chinatown area in Denver, Hop Alley keeps the tradition alive by wandering through various regions across China. Condensed down to 15 items, the menu cycles through regional dishes like char siu pork shoulder served with fluffy steamed buns alongside modern interpretations cooked on the wood-fired grill, like the grilled salt crusted bass.

With most dishes served up family-style, this is a place to bring a group.

sharing, the infamous bone marrow fried rice is a can’t-miss.

DRINKS With a menu meant to be shared, the drinks here follow suit with large format porrons best shared with buds. Hop Alley also has a number of sparkling wines sure to cut through the spice.

PRO TIP It seems simple, but skip the lines and call ahead for a reservation.

SIGNATURE DISHES In between tongue numbing spices from the Sichuan-style fried chicken, cool off with the chilled tofu dressed in a sesame bang bang sauce. For RESTAURANTS // 51

I L P O S TO

2601 LARIMER STREET | 303 394 0100 | ILPOSTODENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST The name translates simply as “The Place,” but the place itself is hardly so generic. On the contrary, Andrea Frizzi’s contemporary Italian go-to in RiNo is flashy, edgy, and definitely not for everyone. We mean that as a compliment.

VIBE A gravity-defying octopus of a chandelier spreads its bulb-tipped tentacles around the high-ceilinged dining room, where wine racks tower above the bar and huge circular booths stand halfway to the mezzanine; the effect is somewhere between a modern-design showroom and a magical night under the stars.

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MENU Consider that chandelier a metaphor for branching out: There isn’t a safe, boring dish in the house. The kitchen shakes up now-familiar hamachi crudo by adding rosé mignonette and fried chicken skin; takes risotto out of its comfort zone with the bold, bright addition of roasted grapes, sharp gorgonzola, pine nuts, and pink peppercorns; and, sometimes, goes for the gusto with beef-fat candles and sea-urchin cream in the shell. You should go for it too.

SIGNATURE DISHES That said, we suppose the pappardelle with marjoram-scented pork ragù and oyster mushrooms counts as “safe.” And rich. And delectable.

DRINKS The all-Italian wine list doesn’t let you off easy either. Good. You can always drink Pinot Grigio and Chianti; little-known indigenous varietals like Piedmontese Erbaluce and Mayolet from the Valle d’Aosta amount to a rare treat. Then again, if you’re disinclined to risk it, snappy cocktails will fill the gap.

APT QUOTE Following Il Posto’s move from City Park West to Larimer Street, Westword named it the Best Italian Restaurant of 2017, writing, “Il Posto 2.0 presents some of the team’s best cooking yet.” We concur.

I Z A K AYA A M U

1221 SPRUCE STREET, DENVER | 303 440 0807 | IZAKAYAAMU.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Standing quietly in the shadow of its sibling next door, rollicking local institution Sushi Zanmai, this tiny Japanese jewel box has been Boulder’s bestkept secret for years. To enter it is to be transported eastward in an instant to some age-old Tokyo sake shop, where dish after dish from a roster of dozens of small plates engages all your senses in cast-iron pans and glazed ceramic bowls, on wooden boards and bamboo mats, sizzling, steaming, and sparkling.

VIBE The space is little more than a wood-floored hallway, leading from a small bar that provides an up-close and personal view of the chefs in action to a couple of tables set for tatami-style dining in back. But as snug as it is, it’s serene through and through, traditionally decorated and warmly lit.

MENU To do the place justice, get something from all seven sections of the menu. Daredevils could start with natto (fermented soybeans), then move on to soft tofu–avocado salad, egg yolk–glazed salmon sashimi, grilled amberjack collar with the head attached, whole fried softshell crab, chilled green-tea soba accompanied by duck soup for dipping, and a dessert special like pumpkin mousse or green-tea cheesecake.

But there’s no shame in sticking with old favorites here—house miso soup, shrimp shumai, chicken teriyaki, and the like are also made with the utmost care and precision.

SIGNATURE DISHES At the risk of doing you a disservice by singling anything out—everything is special—we will say that the chawanmushi, a savory egg custard with chicken,

shrimp, and mushrooms is simply exquisite. And the broiled green-lipped mussels dazzle beneath a dollop of spicy miso sauce too.

DRINKS Brief tasting notes on the sake list provide some illumination, but you’d do well to ask the staff for personal recommendations. That said, simple shochu cocktails make for a refreshing treat; a couple of beers, wines, and Japanese whiskys round out the selection.

PRO TIP You’re humbly asked to remove your shoes at the entrance, so choose your footwear—not to mention your socks—wisely.

RESTAURANTS // 53

J A PA N G O

1136 PEARL STREET, BOULDER | 303 938 0330 | BOULDERJAPANGO.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST From the generous daily happy hour six days a week to the DJ sets on weekend nights, there’s always something happening at this Pearl Street Mall mainstay to warrant its longtime slot in Boulderites’ weekly rotation. But even if there weren’t, the extensive selection of Japanese dishes, classic and otherwise, would keep them coming.

SIGNATURE DISHES Key crowd-pleasers include anything broiled in dynamite sauce, be it mussels or salmon-wrapped avocado, and the over-the-top Kitsune’s Kiss roll with salmon, avocado, asparagus tempura, and more—all topped with baked hamachi in sweet mayo.

DRINKS The bar goes on forever too; premium sakes and

Japanese whiskys, as well as Asian-inspired cocktails and beers, abound, and even the wine list is wellconsidered in terms of food-friendliness.

VIBE Clubby within, breezy without. Shocks of blue neon, a floor-to-ceiling jellyfish tank, and oversized lounge furnishings give the dining room a partytime gloss, while the sunny patio on the Mall makes for a leisurely people-watching perch.

PRO TIP Japango’s a madhouse (in the best sense) on Tuesday nights, when $40 all-you-can-eat sushi lures the collegiate hordes.

COURTESY OF JAPANGO

MENU In fact, it’s hard to beat Japango for sheer diversity.

Traditionalists can stick to the script with housemade gyoza, broiled yellowtail collar or grilled whole squid, natto mixed with quail egg, and standard nigiri; freewheelers have got uni shooters to gulp,

fried lobster in chile sauce to tackle, and all manner of rolls to rock out to, featuring pickled plums, macadamia nuts, seared beef, and even tuna-stuffed peppers. Bento boxes, hot pots, and handrolls are what we call fun for the whole family.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF JAX FISH HOUSE

JAX

F I S H H O U S E & OY S T E R B A R

928 PEARL STREET, BOULDER; 303 444 1811 | 1539 17TH STREET, DENVER; 303 292 5767 650 SOUTH COLORADO BOULEVARD, DENVER; 303 756 6449 | JAXFISHHOUSE.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST We’ll see your shoreline clam shacks and chowder houses and raise you these long-rocking Big Red F oases in the high desert. With the force of nature that is Sheila Lucero at the helm, Jax has emerged as a national pioneer of sustainable seafood—and what the exec chef and her crew do with that (figuratively) green stuff from the deep blue is sensational.

MENU The menus at each location (there’s also one in Fort Collins) differ quite a bit, but they all reflect a deep appreciation for the seasons as well as the seas that

connect the cuisines of the globe. Asian influence shows in kimchi-fried oysters and grilled butterfish over forbidden black rice with long beans and bok choy in hoisin and yuzu-miso aioli; Southern roots sprout from fried catfish atop cheddar-poblano grits with collard greens and crispy shrimp po’ boys in smoked-onion rémoulade; crab carbonara and octopus panzanella in pickled-ramp vinaigrette bring the Mediterranean into shimmering view.

SIGNATURE DISHES Besides the obvious—raw-bar platters crawling with all the shellfish you can handle—the crawfish gumbo,

whether with shrimp or chicken, has stood the test of time. So has the key lime pie.

DRINKS The bar does it all, albeit with a natural emphasis on seafood-friendly quaffs. That means more sparklers, whites, and rosés than reds; easy-breezy refreshments like the signature flavored vodka lemonades; and, if you’re lucky, stout made by sibling POST Brewing Company with Jax’s own Emersums, a proprietary Rappahannock River oyster.

RESTAURANTS // 55

JULEP

3258 LARIMER STREET, DENVER | 303 295 8977 | JULEPRINO.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Looking for some downhome Southern comfort?

You’ve come to the wrong place. What Kyle and Katy Foster’s red-hot RiNo spot offers instead is a highflying Southern challenge via flamboyant, produceheavy seasonal cuisine that has its roots in regional tradition but then branches out in myriad directions toward whole new flavor destinations.

SIGNATURE DISHES The deviled snails with rice grits and saltine salad are succulence itself, while the thick-cut, housemade

bologna—presented at brunch on slices of freshbaked Pullman loaf spread with zingy butterbean chow chow—redefines the cold cut as as a downright delicacy.

DRINKS In addition to the classic quaffs of New Orleans (Sazeracs, Hurricanes, and so on), the bar whips up sultry house specialties like the Sorghum Old Fashioned with black-walnut bitters, supplemented by a well-rounded list of wines and craft beers.

DON’T MISS Sunday Supper, when family-style entrées such as fried chicken and roasted pig’s head come complete with all the not-so-usual trimmings.

PHOTO BY CASSIDY NEITH

VIBE Spacious, gracious, vivacious. Industrial chic meets country-home ease in the lofty space, with a mezzanine overlooking the dining room and the split-level patio it opens onto; mod, minimalist light fixtures and exposed pipes add striking contrast to floral wallpaper and the splendor of the massive wooden bar.

MENU Originality’s its crux, as Chef Kyle transforms the humblest of ingredients into complexly conceived, intricately plated conversation pieces. Humble fried scrapple takes unexpectedly dainty form as finger food, cut into matchsticks and served in a paper cone with mushroom ketchup; a splash of Madeira adds sweet-and-sour tang to earthy collard-green pot likker, bobbing with gnocchi-like red-pea dumplings and maitake mushrooms; boiled peanuts become stuffing for crêpes flavored with chicory and the Ethiopian spice blend called berbere. Nothing here doesn’t come as a surprise.

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THE KITCHEN

1039 PEARL STREET, BOULDER; 303 544 5973 | 1560 WAZEE STREET, DENVER; 303 623 3127 | THEKITCHENBISTROS.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST In 2004, Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk saw the future of food—local, seasonal, sustainable—and introduced it to Boulder in the form of this farm-totable trailblazer on Pearl Street. A decade and a half later, it’s got four siblings (and counting, no doubt), including one in LoDo, as well as a litter of cousins.

But for all its success, it remains as down-to-earth as its name.

VIBE Before every place was all exposed brick, wood, and tin with funky chandeliers and mounted blackboard menus, The Kitchen was all that. And the twinkling, cozy mood the dining room exudes extends to the fireplace lounge upstairs.

MENU It’s the West End catalog of menus—appealingly modern, at once wholesome and urbane, from shrimp hush puppies with chile honey to focaccia panzanella with artichokes and burrata to smoked chicken and dumplings. The same goes for brunch and lunch, be it lemon-ricotta pancakes topped with pistachio butter and blueberry compote or sandwiches layered with roasted mushrooms, braised greens, gruyère, and garlic aioli.

DRINKS

SIGNATURE DISHES Granted, as far as some of The Kitchen’s most loyal regulars are concerned, the menu only needs to be two items long—so long as those two items are the tomato soup and the sticky toffee pudding.

Door American Eatery represents a more casual,

The full bar follows the kitchen in its emphasis on effortlessness, with charming results. A beverage list that’s simultaneously accessible and interesting seems like a no-brainer, but it isn’t, so here’s to a TRVE grisette, a dry Sicilian Muscat, or a hopped Tom Collins.

MEET THE FAMILY With multiple locations in multiple states, Next gastropubby means to the end of wholesome, sustainable cuisine as determined by The Kitchen— and as illustrated by the famous kale chips and the primo 50/50 burger with a beef-mushroom patty.

RESTAURANTS // 57

LEÑA

24 BROADWAY, DENVER | 720 550 7267 | LENADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Jimmy Callahan jump-started two trends at once when he opened this South Broadway looker in 2014: pan-Latin cuisine on the one hand, woodfired cookery on the other. But Leña still stands alone in bringing the two together in the form of Argentinian-style asado, whereby the kitchen prepares an array of meats over a white oak–fueled grill (the name translates as “firewood”).

(blood sausage). The same goes for empanadas verdes made with green-plantain dough.

MENU Small plates both cold and hot make up the bulk of the menu, so you’re getting a mess of ’em. For starters, ceviche’s a no-brainer, except in the sense that the kitchen actually puts a lot of thought into it, mixing it up with ingredients like coconut milk, guava, and grilled jicama. Look for duck, too, always a good get whether in the form of meatballs or confit atop blue-corn sopes.

DRINKS The team puts all that room at the bar to good use, making not only Latin classics galore—from margaritas to pisco sours—but also house creations heavy on smoke, spice, and, if you’re lucky, bugs (candied crickets may pop up as a garnish). That said, give the wine list a gander—it’s both a little bigger and more interesting than it has to be.

SIGNATURE DISHES The accompaniments change, but the mixed grill’s forever—or at least for the foreseeable future— with steak, short rib, chorizo, and delectable morcilla

MEET THE FAMILY Callahan also owns Prohibition on East Colfax, which as a traditional bar-and-grill has nothing to do with Leña—except insofar as it, too, deserves more credit than it gets for being a blast.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEÑA

VIBE For such a large space—long room, long bar, ceilings high enough to support a mezzanine (not to mention a private room downstairs)—Leña feels unusually cozy.

That’s thanks mainly to decor that itself glows a bit like a fire: lots of red brick, gleaming wood, and warm light

emanating from both rope-and-iron chandeliers and glass pendant lamps shaped like starbursts.

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LINGER

2030 WEST 30TH AVENUE, DENVER | 303 993 3120 | LINGERDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST At the risk of sounding kitschy, Linger is bold, edgy, slightly dark-humored, and truly enchanting in such a way that you not only find yourself, well, lingering, but itching to return. Linger’s transition from a funeral home, Olinger Mortuaries, to a food haven was easier than you’d think. The massive fluorescent Olinger signage? Unplug the “O” and finagle a few letters to change “mortuaries” to “eatuaries,” and boom—welcome to Linger.

VIBE The unabashed nod to the building’s past life is all at once intriguing and somewhat brazen. The upstairs bar is low-lit and colorful with a dash of punk rebellion. But don’t let the audacity of the concept cloud your full view. The dining room has been

refurbished with polished woods, spacious c-shaped booths, and delicate light fixtures. Large garage-style windows allow for open-air dining in the summer, and the rooftop patio offers sprawling views of the Highlands neighborhood.

MENU Truly a culinary melting pot, Linger is a bubbling, cohesive, mixture of flavors from around the world.

Dedicated to global street eats, the menu here strays from the traditional. With plates grouped by respective continent, peruse popular bites from Europe and Eurasia, the Americas and the Caribbean, Africa and Middle East, Asia, and India.

the menu all to themselves. Choose from Mongolian BBQ duck, five-spice pork belly, Korean fried chicken, and the Reuben with bison pastrami, or sub any of the aforementioned meats for crispy tofu.

DRINKS With a heavy focus on local, sustainable, and organic ingredients, Linger slings handcrafted cocktails that include punch bowl options that serve four to six people.

DON’T MISS Tour the menu for cheap on Prix-Fixe Tuesdays, when you can piece together a three-course sampler for $33.

SIGNATURE DISHES Geography aside, the bao buns here earn a section of RESTAURANTS // 59

LOLA

C OA S TA L M E X I C A N

1575 BOULDER STREET, DENVER | 720 570 8686 | LOLADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST This LoHi fixture was doing regional Mexican cuisine way before most Americans understood there was such a thing. May all the good mojo it has accrued along the way last far into the future. Though longtime chef-partner Jamey Fader recently stepped down from the position he’d held since its opening in 2002, no one could fill his shoes better than the woman he calls his “work sister”—Sheila Lucero, exec chef of Lola’s own sibling Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar.

SIGNATURE DISHES Made tableside, the guacamole still turns heads, as does the seafood stew called chilpachole, teeming with

myriad shellfish. And then there’s the chicken-fried steak in chorizo gravy, an all-time brunch favorite in our book.

DRINKS By all means get your margarita on—but not until you’ve sipped some premium tequila or mezcal straight, in all its glory, whether as a flight or as a combo with a sangrita back. Cheers also to the Top Rope Mexican Lager from Lola sibling POST Brewing Company.

DON’T MISS Lola seems to host more goings-on than just about any joint in town, from live-music sessions and Gringo Nights with hard-shell tacos to cocktail dinners and all-out bashes on Mexican holidays. Just show up, and there’ll be something to celebrate.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOLA COASTAL MEXICAN

VIBE Weathered woods, wrought iron, and copper tones give the space the patina of an age-old neighborhood cantina—which, at this point, is kind of what Lola is.

MENU Showing influences from Jalisco and Oaxaca, Veracruz and the Yucatán, the kitchen puts mariscos at the center of the flavor kaleidoscope: shrimp could come into focus amid a vivid swirl of mole amarillo with bombarice fritters, caramelized chayote squash, pan-roasted oyster mushrooms, and fried artichoke hearts, or Arctic char might shine beneath a tequila-chile glaze with trout chicharrónes, crumbled chorizo, and a salad of brussels sprouts and dates. Even the simplest raw oyster gets the royal treatment with mezcal mignonette and roasted-pineapple verdita instead of horseradish and hot sauce; even the batter for fried ice cream is tricked out with pumpkin seeds. It’s a real fiesta de cocina.

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L O S T E L L A R I S TO R A N T E 1135 B ANNOCK STREET, DENVER | 303 825 1995 | LOSTELLADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST The original Lo Stella has stood in Portofino, a resort town on the Italian Riviera, for more than 150 years.

This one, run by eighth-generation restaurateur Alessandro Polo in the Golden Triangle, may not have the waterfront views of his family’s place back home, but it’s got just about everything else it needs to whisk you away to Liguria for an evening.

VIBE Dimly lit and simply decorated in neutral tones beneath low-slung ceilings, Lo Stella dwells in intimacy; not even the open kitchen, set as it is behind glass, tends to distract guests from the all-important business of engaging in private conversation while exchanging seductive bites.

MENU Ligurian cuisine is naturally heavy on seafood and redolent with herbs, and the menu reflects that tradition via the likes of warm octopus-potato salad, gnocchi coated in the region’s world-famous pesto, and parsley-flecked mussels sautéed in white wine with garlic and lemon. But you can’t go wrong with much here; be it a staple dish like veal saltimbocca or ham-and-pepper pizza or a sometime special like lasagna Bolognese or fettuccine tossed with mushrooms inside a hollowed-out wheel of parmesan, it’s all prepared with genuine Italian verve.

SIGNATURE DISHES Good luck choosing between the two superb stuffed pastas—ravioli di pesce in a shrimp cream sauce and

pansoti in salsa di noci, filled with herbs in walnut sauce. Better you should let your good sense trump good luck and order both.

DRINKS There’s a full bar, but wine’s the way to go—the allItalian list is well-priced if not wildly diverse.

PRO TIP Two of our favorite dishes are currently available only by advance order; rest assured that a two-minute phone call is time well spent for the chance to taste the farinata di ceci—a crispy chickpea pancake— and the focaccia al formaggio di Recco, a thin, flaky flatbread filled with melted crescenza.

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L OW C O U N T RY K I T C H E N 1575 BOULDER STREET A, DENVER | 720 512 4168 | LOWRESTAURANT.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Low Country hospitality meets Mile High style in this ode to America’s favorite regional cuisine from husband-and-wife team Brian and Katy Vaughn.

Hailing from Kentucky and Tennessee, respectively, before making names for themselves on the Steamboat Springs fine-dining scene, they’ve got the whole Deep South–in-the-Rockies thing down pat.

VIBE A little bit farmhouse, a little bit urban loft. In the split-level LoHi dining room, rustic and industrial, warm and cool elements mix amid weathered woods and slick white accents; a breezy, foliage-fringed patio beckons out front.

SIGNATURE DISHES Which is to say that you’re probably getting what you came here for anyway. Like fried-green tomatoes in the form of a charmingly deconstructed BLT, with slow-cooked pork belly, frisée, and pimento cheese arranged in bite-sized bits and dollops around croutons. And the finespun deviled eggs with ham, pickled celery, and beer-infused mustard seeds. And the craggy-crusted, juicy buttermilk-fried chicken, whether on a fluffy biscuit or in a bucket (which comes with a bottle of bubbly for $32 during both happy hour and brunch). And some of the best bacon-enriched collard greens this side of anywhere.

And pecan pie, because you can’t stop now.

DRINKS If tradition appropriately reigns in the kitchen, creativity shines at the bar. An impressive collection of not only whiskey but also aperitifs and digestifs gives the crew leeway to play: Think rye sours with thyme syrup and bread-and-butter pickle brine or Old-Fashioneds laced with coffee-pecan bitters.

Meanwhile, from grower Champagne to fun finds like Furmint-Muscat blends from Hungary to trendy Cru Beaujolais, the wine list is a real sleeper, while the craft-beer selection smartly emphasizes lowerABV sours, saisons, cream ales, and the like.

DON’T MISS Balcon, the New Orleans–inspired rooftop lounge LOW operates weekends only year-round, weather permitting.

PHOTOS BY LAURIE SMITH

MENU In short, the space sets just the right mood for the upscale-downhome food, based on heirloom

recipes but adapted with seasonal and house-crafted ingredients to polished effect. To that end, Chef Brian keeps menu changes to a simmer: They happen, but they’re subtle, born of market necessity.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF MATSUHISA

M AT S U H I S A

98 STEELE STREET, DENVER | 303 329 6628 | MATSUHISARESTAURANTS.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST If you have to ask, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Start by Googling Nobu Matsuhisa—a chef so famous he’s known by his first name alone, which also happens to be the name of his globe-spanning chain of luxury modern Japanese restaurants.

But here’s the really cool part: he owns just three restaurants bearing his last name, and they’re all right here in Colorado, including our very own Cherry Creek temple of tempura and toro. Guess that makes us kinda special.

VIBE It looks expensive. (It is expensive. Like we said, if you have to ask…) Tastefully simple and serene from the heavy wooden front door to the minimalist rock fountain marking the restrooms, this is very much a

retreat into rarefied air. We all deserve to breathe it once in a while.

MENU It goes without saying that Nobu’s sushi chefs are at the top of their game, starting with exquisite product and executing with traditional precision. But to understand what makes the man a legend, you’ve got to go beyond nigiri and maki. You’ll know why they call ankimo (monkfish liver) the foie gras of the sea when you taste his, topped with caviar in a pool of mustard miso drizzled with eel sauce; why they don’t call sea urchin the custard of the sea when you taste his shiso-wrapped uni tempura you’ll never know. Be it an oyster shooter or a head-on shrimp cocooned in shredded phyllo, everything comes as a surprise even though you ordered it.

SIGNATURE DISHES Miso black cod existed before Nobu. But he made it a global sensation. Lightly seared aburi existed before him too—but not the way he does it: he simply pours hot oil atop the fish for a dish he (and, now, the world) calls new-style sashimi.

DRINKS If you’ve got it, flaunt it with a $5000 bottle of Krug or $70 glasses of junmai daijingo. If not, don’t fret—there’s plenty of more-affordable quaffs in all categories. The point is that there may be no surefire place to splurge.

FUN FACT Nobu’s also a hip-hop superstar: Jay-Z, Kanye, and Drake have all name-dropped him.

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THE MEDITERRANEAN 1002 WALNUT STREET, BOULDER | 303 444 5335 | THEMEDBOULDER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST We’re pretty sure the Med hasn’t had a slow business day since it opened in the 1990s; a happy-hour staple, a gathering spot for big groups, and a mini-escape on date night, this pan-Mediterranean stalwart just keeps keeping on.

SIGNATURE DISHES Nothing like paella to make a celebration count.

The Med makes three versions, including classic Valenciana with chorizo, chicken, and shellfish; there’s also a vegetarian rendition, because Boulder.

DRINKS Though a mid-sized, well-priced list of craft beers and wines supplements the cocktail selection, let’s face it—all that really matters is sangria, white or red.

APT QUOTE After all these years, The Med’s still cleaning up in Boulder Weekly’s Best of Boulder readers’ survey; for 2018, it won best overall restaurant as well as best tapas and best business lunch. Seems only fitting for a place the editors called “what Boulder County would be if it were a restaurant…it’s casual yet energetic, eclectic and welcoming.”

PHOTO BY TIM ROMANO PHOTO

VIBE Though the highlight is the sun-splashed courtyard— bedecked with flowers and strung lights around an Italianate fountain—the sprawling interior has its own plaza-like pizzazz amid colorful tiles, paintings, and plants.

MENU Where do your tastebuds want to go? The menu will take them there—to Spain in the form of tapas galore; to Italy with pizza and pasta; to Greece, France, and Morocco thanks to saganaki and spanakopita, tartare and ratatouille, b’stilla and tagine. Fresh-baked breads and desserts from the onsite bakery, however, bring them right back home again.

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COURTESY OF MERCANTILE DINING & PROVISION PHOTO BY MCCALL BURAU

MERC ANTILE

D I N I N G & P ROV I S I O N

1701 WYNKOOP STREET, SUITE 155, DENVER | 720 460 3733 | MERC ANTILEDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST At Mercantile, chef/owner Alex Seidel takes farmto-table dining seriously. Like, buy a farm seriously.

Harvesting ingredients from his own artisanal creamery, among other local farmers and purveyors, Seidel and chef de cuisine/partner Matthew Vawter operate a European-inspired market and eatery that sets the bar for “farm fresh” at an extremely elusive height. Here, the only thing that comes before pleasing the palate is unobstructed transparency.

VIBE Mercantile makes it possible to step away from the commotion of Union Station, even just for a bite.

The sunlight streaming in bright and cheery from the massive windows feels like a breath of fresh air.

Glossy white-brick pillars, pale blue upholstery, and towering ceilings can make for a pleasant change of pace if you’ve just stepped off the light rail.

MENU For commuters on the go, morning pastries and other breakfast bites are simply not worth skipping.

And for lunch, peruse sandwiches, soups, and salads that have been crowned some of the best in the city. But the true treat? Dinner. The team pulls out all. The. Stops. Come 5pm, the real stars take the stage. Seidel and Vawter somehow take the odd and unusual and mold them into the daring and delicious. Ingredients that have at one point taken residence on the Mercantile menu include sea urchin, pig ear, and halibut cheek.

SIGNATURE DISHES Speaking of pig’s ears, try them crisped to perfection in the shishito peppers starter plate complemented by a sesame caramel sauce and brittle.

DRINKS The cocktail program goes hand-in-hand with the market pickings. Crafted with seasonal harvests in mind (and crafted with seasonal harvests literally), these boozy concoctions will complement any one of the kitchen’s disarming dishes.

NEWSFLASH Seidel’s most recent pat on the back came in the form of the James Beard Best Chef: Southwest award earlier this year—as if you really needed more convincing.

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MISTER TUNA

3033 BRIGHTON BOULEVARD, DENVER | 303 831 8862 | MISTERTUNA.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Think of it as a loosey-goosier, bump-and-grindier version of TAG. Bearing the nickname of Troy Guard’s father, it was inspired by the chef-owner’s childhood memories of backyard cookouts in Hawaii—hence the wood-fired grill in full view behind the chef ’s counter—but this here luau takes a staunchly urban turn.

abruptly—right where it should: at the gorgeous gray-on-gray mural of a woman in close-up, the muse of the whole convivial affair.

MENU The way to go is with something from every section of the menu—the raw-bar items, the shared plates, and the entrées. Splurge on sashimi or carpaccio served atop a block of pink Himalayan salt, get your veggies in the form of roasted yams with coriander yogurt or carrot agnolotti with candied pistachios, then knock yourself out with an oak-grilled bone-in chop or whole fish.

VIBE Dead sexy. The bar and open kitchen span the long, narrow, industrial-chic space nearly end-to-end; so does the central banquette, flanked by a row of more tables and garage doors open to the front patio. The good energy flows right through, stopping only—and

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PHOTO BY NATHAN LEACH PROFFER

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAG RESTAURANT GROUP

SIGNATURE DISHES The Vietnamese-style kampachi’s a rainbow–light

and bright crowd pleaser, while the king crab in brown butter’s a mass seducer—prepare to embarrass yourself slavering over it. And the massive heritagepork collar’s too big to fail; 5280 reviewer Scott Mowbray once called it a “flame-born masterpiece.”

DRINKS Charcoal and chiles, lychees and matcha—the bar crew freewheels across the Pacific Rim, while pouring all the craft beers you’d expect and some wines you wouldn’t.

DON’T MISS The bathrooms—love ’em or hate ’em. (We won’t spoil the surprise.)

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIZU IZAKAYA

M I Z U I Z A K AYA

1560 BOULDER STREET, DENVER | 720 372 7100 | MIZUDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST We think of Mizu as the people’s izakaya. Without the big names that have propelled Denver’s other Japanese taverns into the media spotlight, this LoHi haunt has nonetheless found an avid following among locals who appreciate its lively vibe and genuine hospitality as much as its culinary integrity—we haven’t had a bite here that didn’t make an impression.

VIBE Strung with globe lights that glitter like stars at night and dotted with pillow-strewn banquettes inside and out, the space has ambiance to spare. Graffiti painted on brick and neon add touches of paradoxically gritty elegance—flowers twine up a column here, a sake-drinking geisha beckons there, a violet-blue glow

MENU Daily treats abound here—from grilled chicken hearts and live uni to filefish sashimi and green-tea tiramisù—so be sure to scan the list of specials you’ll receive along with the regular menus. Granted, it’s a lot to take in: there’s practically nothing the kitchen crew and sushi chefs don’t do, be it lobster tempura or king-crab maki, hot-stone Wagyu or chicken karaage.

DRINKS After poring over all those food menus, you may be inclined to pick something—anything—quick from the equally extensive beverage list. But patience is your boozy friend here: careful perusal leads the way toward a splurgeworthy reserve sake, a lovely bottle of Sancerre, or an innovative cocktail from one of the most underrated bar teams in town, which works the likes of pumpkin, almond milk, balsamic vineagar, and edamame into the house libations.

SIGNATURE DISHES The cream pork kimchi’s as outrageous as it sounds, and the yaki ika, or grilled squid, as straightforward and perfectly crispy-tender; the kitchen makes a mean miso ramen too.

PRO TIP On top of happy hour, Mizu is forever doing drink specials, especially as the evening wears on—so if you can stave off hanger until 9pm or so, you might get lucky.

outlines the bar—while ropes and slatted woods crisscross the dining room to intricately moody effect.

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MIZUNA

225 EAST SEVENTH AVENUE, DENVER | 303 832 4778 | MIZUNADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST There’s a reason so many notable chefs—including Alex Seidel, To the Wind’s Royce Oliveira, and Bistro Georgette’s Ty Leon—honed their skills at Mizuna: because Frank Bonanno is himself one of Denver’s most venerated chefs, and his contemporary French flagship in Capitol Hill one its most enduring destinations as well as a proving ground for talent.

VIBE In a word, classique. Amid white tablecloths and wood floors, awash in earth tones glinting with copper and gilt accents, the dining room fosters the

SIGNATURE DISHES This one’s a no-brainer—the mac-and-cheese with

butter-poached lobster. Though the accompaniments change regularly, sumptuous beef Wellington beckons too.

DRINKS Following the departure of Austin Carson, we’re happy to say the bar’s as avant-garde as ever, bringing experimental techniques to bear on cocktails infused with the likes of seaweed and peanut butter. As for the wine list, it’s every bit the enormous, Old World– centric treasure trove you’d expect it to be.

PRO TIP Request a two-top at either end of the banquette for the most intimate seats in the house.

PHOTO BY SCOTTIE DAVISON

lost art of lingering in quiet conversation.

MENU In a word, non-classique. Though Bonanno’s menus are certainly grounded in the tradition of haute cuisine and the use of très français staples like escargot, foie gras, and game birds, they alight from there in globally and seasonally inspired directions. Those snails could seem almost Southern when garnished with hickorybraised pork cheeks, celery jam, and Creole aioli; dryaged duck two ways may criss-cross the Pacific with Hawaiian sweet potatoes, South Asian rose-apples, and Chinese broccoli; veal loin might go to Mexico alongside a chile relleno in acorn-squash mole.

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PHOTO BY CASEY GILTNER

MORIN

1600 15TH STREET, DENVER | 303 534 9979 | MORINDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Since the day he served us foie gras doughnuts in a mini-treasure chest as the chef at The Squeaky Bean, we’ve been Max MacKissock fans—but in recent years, he’s been inclined less to take the spotlight than train it on talented protégés like Bar Dough’s Carrie Baird and Señor Bear’s Blake Edmunds. Admirable (and justifiable in their cases) as that is, we’re thrilled to see him front and center at this contemporary French newcomer, turning out some of the most strikingly original dishes we’ve tasted in some time.

MENU It’s a heartbreaker, by definition. Every last dish on the inaugural menu—divided into five sections including hors d’oeuvres, seafood, meat, vegetables, and, charmingly enough, potatoes—is a keeper that nevertheless won’t keep for more than a season, so

fall in love with ’em while you can. We’re talking crispy veal sweetbreads layered with vadouvan aioli on pain au lait, enchantingly reminiscent of childhood bologna sandwiches but exponentially better. And marrow custard drizzled with onion caramel beaneath a lid of puffed tendon—like Nilla wafer pudding in its mixed texture but the creamy essence of beef in flavor. And pommes dauphinoise reimagined as a roulade—layered with fresh cheese made in-house from fermented leeks and buttermilk, then sprinkled with dried bresaola. As personal as the food may be for MacKissock, inspired by his French heritage, it has a sly way of becoming personal to you too, as strangely comforting as it is exciting.

DRINKS Mary Allison Wright and McLain Hedges of RiNo Yacht Club are running the bar program like the

effortlessly cool tastemakers they are. “Natural”— read: low-intervention, terroir-driven—wines comprise Wright’s list of small-production gems, marked with icons to indicate their flavor profile (e.g., the Prince symbol means “funky”). And Hedges’s fabulous cocktails likewise reflect a passion for sustainability: Take the daiquiri made with rhum agricole, cachaça, salted lime, and a cordial of caramelized cantaloupe scraps.

VIBE Hard to believe this used to be a pizza joint. From the undulating sculpture above the island bar to the vintage stained-glass windows shining through one wall to the lounge furnishings on the mezzanine, Morin exudes pure class. Denver’s in for something special.

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OA K AT F O U R T E E N T H 1400 PEARL STREET, BOULDER | 303 444 3622 | OAKATFOURTEENTH.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Bryan Dayton and Steven Redzikowski’s flagship project feels as sharp and relevant today as it did when it first sprouted eight years ago, turning out New American cuisine that’s at once fresh and familiar, sophisticated and sincere for a knowing crowd that never thins.

VIBE It’s a gleamer. Polished woods, burnished metals, glossy tiles, and picture windows give OAK a clean, urbane veneer to which the open kitchen adds just the right touch of elbow grease and grit.

SIGNATURE DISHES There would be hell to pay if Redzikowski ever removed either the kale, apple, and almond salad with grana padano and togarashi or the tomatobraised meatballs from the menu. He hasn’t dared try to our knowledge, and we suspect he never will.

DRINKS The same goes for a few of Dayton’s cocktails,

including the sprightly vodka-based Monk’s Garden with Green Chartreuse, lavender, basil, tarragon, and cucumber and the Across the Atlantic, a honeytinged but potent combination of rye, Bénédictine, and Lillet Rouge. Whether staples or seasonal concoctions starring “it” spirits like Träkál and Singani 63, though, they’re all of an on-trend piece with the savvy wine list—heavy on sommelier’s darlings from California and France—and the sourslanted craft-beer selection.

DON’T MISS On a semiregular basis, OAK switches things up with theme menus centered on, say, tomatoes, truffles, or the foods of New York. Sometimes they’re prix fixe; sometimes they’re à la carte. But they’re always worth keeping an eye out for.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER OLSON

MENU Market-driven and ever-changing, the repertoire nevertheless bears some hallmarks you can count on, above all its nods to Asian, Mediterranean, and Latin cooking. Here’s posole with sopaipillas; here’s

mint tagliatelle in lamb bolognese; here’s crispy pork shoulder in cumin miso over pineapple fried rice; here’s a dish that combines all three influences— tempura-fried squash blossoms with feta panna cotta and salsa verde. And now for something completely different: the lunchtime doughnut du jour. Could be spiced pear–gingersnap, could be toasted coconut– caramel—what it can’t be is denied.

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OLD MAJOR

3316 TEJON STREET, DENVER | 729 420 0622 | OLDMAJORDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Have you ever seen Justin Brunson? He looks like a guy you want cooking for you: big-boned and big-bearded, with a meaty, gregarious personality to match. You’d guess that he goes whole-hog when he’s in the kitchen, and you’d be right—and whole cow, poultry, fish, and vegetable too.

VIBE Part rustic, part industrial, and yet somehow all sexy. Turns out whitewashed brick, floorboards, steel beams, and hams hung from hooks make for a pretty fetching look.

MENU While butcher’s cuts of all kinds go without saying, the kitchen takes just as much care with seafood and produce—so before you get all piggy with it, give the likes of braised octopus with parsley elbow pasta and almond relish or grilled heirloom carrots with fried chickpeas in hummus and yogurt a shot.

(Don’t worry, you’ll get your bacon—probably atop your dessert.)

SIGNATURE DISHES Sandwiched into fluffy, craggy biscuits with a smear of red-pepper jam, the aforementioned ham is on

the short list, as is the seasonal nose-to-tail plate showcasing all sorts of pork parts.

DRINKS Somebody’s paying attention. A fine wine list rivals the expectedly wide array of craft beer and spirits— with which the bar whips up some banging cocktails, like the strange-but-true Winter Down in Mexico with coconut tequila, limeade, roasted jalapeños, and cinnamon syrup.

DON’T MISS Royal Rooster, Old Major’s weekday-only, chickenshack alterego.

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OSTERIA MARCO 1453 LARIMER STREET, DENVER | 303 534 5855 | OSTERIAMARCO.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST America’s got nothing on Italy when it comes to comfort food. The colors of the nation’s flag come together in dishes that celebrate the pure and simple pleasure of wholesome ingredients—red tomatoes, wine, and meats; white doughs and cheeses; fresh green produce and herbs. For 11 years and counting, Frank Bonanno’s subterranean sanctuary from Larimer Square has been raising that flag and flying it high (or at least as high as it can underground).

VIBE All sepia-toned brick, wood, and cement lit dimly by vintage lamps, Osteria Marco feels like a cross between an old saloon, a wine cellar, and a neighborhood pizza parlor—which is fitting, because it is all those things (and more).

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MENU Un po’ di tutto, as the Italians say—a little of everything. Salumi, formaggi, and classic antipasti like bruschetta and insalata Caprese lead the way; where you go from there depends on your gut, literally.

Among the crusty panini, you’ll feel the warmth of lamb meatballs, goat cheese, arugula pesto, and pepper-tomato jam down to your toes; of the pizzas, the egg yolk on the carbonara pie seeps into your soul.

And secondi piatti like pulled rabbit over spinachricotta gnudi in bacon-flecked carrot-parmesan brodo have plenty of heart as well as muscle.

SIGNATURE DISHES All three of the housemade cheeses—ricotta, mozzarella, and oh that burrata—are must-tries, as is the lemon-roasted artichoke with garlic aioli.

DRINKS Italophiles, get ready to geek out—the wine list is entirely devoted to gems from across the Boot, with a strong emphasis on lesser-known regions and varietals: Müller Thürgau from the Alto Adige; Lombardian Nebbiolo, aka Chiavennasca; Friuli’s Schioppettino. This being a Bonanno joint, you know you can count on the cocktails from beverage director Adam Hodak too, the New Age with mezcal, crème de menthe, honey, and spirulina being a perfectly weird (in a good way) example.

DON’T MISS Three words—butterscotch bread pudding.

PHOTOS BY GLEN ROSS PHOTO

PA L I Z O I TA L I A N O 1472 SOUTH PEARL STREET, DENVER | 720 379 8595 | PALIZODENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Essentially Platt Park’s Restaurant Row, Old South Pearl is a tale of two kingdoms—Toshi and Yasu Kizaki hold the center with their trio of Japanese destinations, while Patrick Mangold-White commands a scattered quartet of forts up and down the street. Occupying a lovely, stone-columned two-story, this classy, cozy trattoria is his latest, and it might just be his best, delivering thoughtful, eminently approachable Italian food with an emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients.

VIBE The dining room emanates tranquility, its whitewashed brick walls, leaf-green booths, latticed screens, and framed botanical prints putting the breezy charm of a garden café in a date-night wrapper. Serving as the

bar area, the small front room overlooks the action on Pearl Street beyond the shady front patio; a second patio upstairs gives you the bird’s-eye view.

MENU Though seasonal, it’s also timeless—a mix of classics and house creations that reflect the Italian penchant for freshness and simplicity. Plump mussels bob with sliced fennel in an aromatic, vermouth-spiked broth enriched by prosciutto and cream. The crunchy, cracker-like Sardinian flatbread called carta di musica comes spread with tangy eggplant tapenade beneath a generous sprinkling of ricotta salata and fresh herbs.

The pappardelle’s silken, awash in plush Bolognese; the grilled ribeye gargantuan at 20 or 40 ounces; the tiramisù pillowy. This is just what neighborhood Italian should be.

SIGNATURE DISHES Listed as “Pat’s Vongole,” the clam pasta with cherry tomatoes and herbs in white wine–butter sauce bears Gabby Gourmet’s own stamp of approval.

DRINKS Sprightly cocktails featuring aperitivi and amari complement an all-Italian wine list that’s as wellplanned as it is well-priced, nimbly sidestepping clichés as it expresses regional diversity.

MEET THE FAMILY With Kaos Pizzeria, Uno Mas Taqueria y Cantina, and Bird all just steps away, Mangold-White keeps the neighborhood knee-deep in wood-fired pies, streetstyle tacos, and all-day comfort food, respectively.

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PA N Z A N O

909 17TH STREET, DENVER | 303 296 3525 | PANZANO-DENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Jennifer Jasinski once helmed the kitchen here; so, for a decade, did Elise Wiggins. In short, this upscale Italian fixture in the Kimpton Hotel Monaco has always been in good hands. Now it’s Nic Lebas’s turn, and the French native is doing the place proud; the food’s as vibrant, on the plate and on the palate, as ever—if not even more chic, with a veneer of sophistication we’re inclined to chalk up to the chef’s haute heritage.

SIGNATURE DISHES Topped with julienned green apple, chopped pistachios, and a sprinkle of rosemary salt, the fried brussels sprouts in apple-cider reduction have sweet, sour, and salty staying power no matter who’s in the kitchen; so does brunchtime strata.

DRINKS While the extensive, primarily Italian wine list covers all styles, the bar tends to specialize in particularly

hard-hitting cocktails, laced with intense flavors like dandelion and cactus—best you nurse that barrelaged Manhattan for decorum’s sake.

VIBE Refined yet understated from the dining room, awash in pearl-gray and dark-red tones, to the gleaming woodwork in the bustling bar, Panzano feels like just the place for the downtown crowd to wheel and deal—and it is.

PRO TIP Panzano was one of the first restaurants in town to cater to gluten-free diners; whether it’s eggs Benedict with polenta for brunch, pizza carbonara for lunch, or butter-poached lobster over black-pepper fettuccine for dinner, your celiac companions are in for a rare treat.

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

MENU Take his intricate pastas as an example. Bison short ribs are braised and turned into a smooth, almost sausage-like stuffing for lightly crispy cannelloni, which comes bathed in demi glace and gorgonzola espuma beneath a frizzle of fried kale; the dish is as luscious as his ravioli filled with beet greens and ricotta in a pool of mushroom consommé is delicate.

But across the board, startling little flourishes reveal his saucy style. A torchon of foie gras is set atop a swath of black-garlic coulis amid curls of shaved celery, then crowned with a porcini macaron; pesto-crusted scallops pop against black-rice risotto with a squid-ink tuile and daubs of carrot gel; even chocolate pudding gets an elegant makeover with pink-grapefruit whipped cream and hazelnut bark.

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PIZZERIA LOC ALE 1730 PEARL STREET, BOULDER | 303 442 3003 | LOC ALEBOULDER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST The Front Range is happily splattered in the red sauce of countless quality pizza parlors, but Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson’s Pearl Street fixture stands something else entirely—a true homage to Neapolitan cuisine, where the New York slice fold gives way to fork-and-knife decorum and the bar goes far, far beyond “red, white, or beer.”

VIBE The Frasca team’s consummate style shows in marble counters and imported tiles, chic photographs of Italian streetscapes and equipment that’s artwork in itself, from the beehive oven in the open kitchen to the racy prosciutto slicer on the bar. It’s like stepping into a souvenir postcard from Napoli’s centro storico.

MENU True to form, the kitchen takes only the most tasteful of liberties with Italian custom, weaving seasonal ingredients like beet greens, hazelnuts, pickled plums, and cherry mostarda among the impeccably sourced tomatoes, cheeses, and salumi covering the flawless, tender-centered pie crusts. And the same goes for the rest of the menu, which includes a handful of elegant salads and antipasti—think classic insalata di frutti di mare with potatoes and capers or squash-pancetta bruschetta—as well as the occasional pasta.

SIGNATURE DISHES The Mais, a white pizza with corn and prosciutto cotto, may sound unusual, but the topping combo is as traditional as it is dreamy. Make it a meal

with tuna-stuffed peppers to start and the iconic butterscotch budino to finish.

DRINKS As the next-door sibling to a restaurant with a James Beard Award–winning wine program, you bet Locale boasts an unimpeachable, all-Italian list that’s nevertheless in keeping with the spirit of a pizzeria— one-page, value-driven—along with a delightful array of spritzes and other aperitivo-hour cocktails.

MEET THE FAMILY If the likes of cheesy bread and multi-meat toppings are more your red-blooded American style, look no further than Pizzeria Locale’s fastcasual Denver spinoffs.

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T H E P L I M OT H

2335 EAST 28TH AVENUE, DENVER | 303 297 1215 | THEPLIMOTH.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST You say “hidden gem,” we say “The Plimoth.” In otherwise sleepy Skyland, chef-owner Peter Ryan redefines the casually welcoming, hoopla-free neighborhood joint as an ultra-classy little New American date-night destination.

VIBE With its elegantly patterned wallpaper and floor tiles, low lighting, and small produce garden flanking the patio, The Plimoth emits an aura of almost bygone grace, enhanced by warm, unaffected service.

DRINKS If wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy, as the old saying goes, The Plimoth’s well-edited boutique wine list is proof that he also cares about our bottom dollar, with the majority of bottles in the $40-70 range. Meanwhile, the cocktails just prove that there’s as much wit and wisdom behind the bar as in the kitchen—take the grappa-washed “filthy martini” with Castelvetrano brine.

SIGNATURE DISHES While its accompaniments change—dumplings in crawfish gravy today, ramp spaetzle in bacon vinaigrette tomorrow—the cracklin’ chicken is a constant, crusty-skinned and practically bubbling with juice. So is the pork terrine, a melt-in-yourmouth mosaic of herb-sprinkled rillettes.

PRO TIP The menu doubles as a pairing cheat sheet, every dish listed with a suggested wine, beer, or cider; even if the recommendation is for something you don’t typically drink, it’s worth a try for the insight into how, say, dry Riesling works with something as hearty as pork ossobuco.

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

MENU In conversation with us, Ryan once offhandedly referred to his cooking as cuisine du terroir—an underused phrase that means more in French than “local, seasonal food” does in English, conveying a deep-rootedness to place and tradition. Sure enough,

from cucumber-basil panna cotta in sherried orange sauce to rabbit-mortadella galantine with carrot coulis, the menu remains refreshingly grounded in the integrity of its raw materials, even at its most inventive and complex. The key word is balance— we’d eat a dessert like the toasted brioche with lemon-curd mousse, roasted plum and walnut jams, and honey-cardamom gelato as an appetizer; we’d eat an appetizer like the cast-iron cornbread with sage butter and pear preserves for dessert.

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PHOTO BY MAST STUDIOS

THE POPULIST

3163 LARIMER STREET, DENVER | 720 432 3163 | THEPOPULISTDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Despite the name, Jonathan Power, Noah Price, and Cliff White’s Larimer Street pioneer is anything but a celebration of the commonplace. With two whip-smart chefs, Theo Adley and Russell Stippich, helming the kitchen, The Populist brazenly puts the “New” in “New American”—while bringing the funk when it comes to booze.

VIBE Small, dark, and handsomely simple, this is very much a RiNo hipster’s date-night haunt, with the myriad bottles on the bar shelves and your fellow (good-looking) guests serving as decor. The patio beckons as an urban oasis of vines, strung lights, and flagstones.

MENU Ever heard of pork sung? Spigarello? Agretti? Here’s the place to discover them, incorporated into small plates that put your palate on notice. Rich, crispy-skinned short rib sounds like a comfort until it’s drizzled in clam sauce with pickled peppers and onions; then it becomes a bold challenge worth taking. Luscious burrata toast perks up in a pool of herb dashi with slices of paperthin green tomato. Even salads get funky, as with the wonderfully weird combo of kohlrabi, endive, pork loin, and pistachios in “broken” Caesar vinagrette.

SIGNATURE DISHES And then there’s the “bacon and egg,” which reimagines your average breakfast as a poached egg perched atop a goodly dollop of sherried bacon-onion jam, accompanied by lardo-draped, grilled bread.

DRINKS It follows that the wine list would dare to be different. Be it a sparkling rosé from New Mexico (that isn’t Gruet) or a rarely seen red blend from the Torrette DOC of the Vallée d’Aosta in Italy, there’s always something to catch a grape geek’s eye. By the same token, cocktail connoisseurs can have a ball comparing the classics side by side with seasonal house variants: a Sazerac with smoked wildflower syrup, an Old Fashioned with dandelion simple.

PRO TIP The chef ’s tasting here is easily one of the best deals in town—seven courses, 50 bucks ($85 with beverage pairings).

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THE POST

B R E W I N G C O M PA N Y

2200 SOUTH BROADWAY, DENVER; 720 466 5699 | 2027 13TH STREET, BOULDER; 720 372 3341 | POSTBREWING.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Come on in, y’all. Big Red F’s brewpub quartet (there are also locations in Lafayette and Longmont) celebrates all things downhome and heartland— think Sunday suppers on the farm and backyard beer busts alike.

VIBE Though hardly carbon copies of one another, each branch looks as though it were built from the blueprint of an old roadside honkytonk—check out those deer heads and rough-hewn log lamps—but with just enough wink-wink, pop-artsy accents to ground you in the 21st century.

MENU And the menu follows suit. Texbook as its

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centerpiece, buttermilk-fried chicken, may be, it’s accompanied by surprises as often as not: beyond the bucket and standard fixings like fries and slaw, you can get it over waffles with pumpkin-seed butter and spicy cherry chutney as well as sausage gravy and maple syrup, say, or in a salad with roasted butternut squash, deviled eggs, sweet-and-sour peppers, and black-eyed peas. Instead of chips and dip, there’s fabulous pinto-poblano hummus with chicken chicharronés; instead of pulled pork, there’s griddled porchetta. And instead of pie—just kidding, the kitchen doesn’t mess around when it comes to realdeal, fresh-baked fruit pie.

DRINKS Johnny Molasses, Ol’ Zippy, Meathooks—it seems as though POST’s beers were christened according

to the Redneck Book of Nicknames, which is only a small part of what makes them so fun to drink. But really, everything here is fun to drink. Speaking of Sunday suppers, the bar does its dead-level best to recreate them in a glass, lacing its concoctions with everything from cranberries and pecans to preserves and cedar bitters for a whiff of woodsmoke to, get this, chicken stock and even gravy in the form of a back for a shot of whiskey.

NEWSFLASH Location number five will open at the Denver International Airport in 2019—yeehaw.

COURTESY OF POTAGER

P OTAG E R

1109 OGDEN STREET, DENVER | 303 832 5788 | POTAGERRESTAURANT.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again—the concept of farm-to-fork cuisine, by any name, didn’t really exist in Denver before Teri Rippeto burst onto the scene in 1997. Then and ever since, she’s been walking the walk of hyperseasonal, locally sourced ingredients for the New American menus she and her team present with a day-in, day-out flourish at this singular Capitol Hill haunt.

VIBE No place looks or feels more like an actual farmhouse.

The rough concrete walls, the wooden shelves lined with wine bottles at the bar, the vintage parlor furnishings, the cookbook collection, the namesake garden fringing the back patio—looking out the window, you half-expect to see rolling countryside.

MENU Rippeto was among the first to include the names of farmers in her dish descriptions; to read the menu—and to hear the list of daily-changing specials—is to understand how each dish represents her commitment to them as a variation on the theme of market availability. It’s to appreciate the abundance of asparagus and arugula, green garlic and nettles in spring or the reliance on squash and chiles, orchard fruits and nuts come fall, as the kitchen unites and reunites them in salads, pastas, stews, entrées, and other dishes that speak powerfully to their exact moment in time.

SIGNATURE DISHES Whether bobbing in a garlicky, herb-laced tomatopepper stew or bathed in a green chile–squash

broth drizzled with cider cream, the Bouchot mussels have been a mainstay for as long as we can remember. So has the twice-baked soufflé—now toasting to summer with goat cheese, corn, and peaches, now welcoming winter with parmesan, pumpkin, raisins, and walnuts.

DRINKS Naturally, the beverage list focuses on wines from small grower-producers as well as local craft breweries and cideries—providing yet another opportunity to grasp the meaning and magic of terroir.

PRO TIP Check Potager’s Facebook page on Tuesdays to see if the burger special’s got your name on it, topped with provolone and peach rémoulade or Grafton cheddar and granola.

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Q HOUSE

3421 EAST COLFAX AVENUE, DENVER | 720 729 8887 | QHOUSEDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Much as we love Hop Alley, it’s about time someone challenged it as the only modern Chinese joint standing. Enter this East Colfax hot spot, where partners Jen Mattioni, Jon Pinto, and exec chef Chris Lin have are giving Bluebird District habitués something to crow—and chow—about.

DRINKS Mattioni’s beverage program is equally concise yet high on spice, both literally—as with the Sichuan pepper–spiked Paloma and the jalapeño-laced Charred Sidecar—and figuratively, in the form of catchy pours like red-rice ale and RieslingGewürztraminer blends.

STAY TUNED Mattioni says they’ll be dialing up the spices even higher throughout the winter “to fight the cold,” both in the kitchen and behind the bar, where rhubarb, apples, and pears are coming into play.

PHOTOS BY RUTH TOBIAS

VIBE Super-snug in gray and black, Q House has the dim, cozy feel of a neighborhood watering hole, with just a couple of paintings and a sunny patio (and sunny service, for that matter) to brighten things up a bit. At first glance, nothing in particular suggests what you’re in for foodwise—it just looks like a nice place to have a drink.

MENU But it turns out that you’re in for a lot. Lin worked as a sous chef at David Chang’s Ssam Bar in New York, and his experience shows on a small menu that packs a wallop for its size. Time will tell with respect to signatures; at this still-early stage, they’re all contenders, from the five-spiced nuggets of crunch and juice that are Lin’s wings with tomatillo-ginger sauce to the wonderfully fatty, salty, thin-sliced Yunnan-style brisket, balanced by the crisp freshness of the pear-radish salad atop it. And get a load of those shacha-slathered spareribs—stacked like small bricks beneath an even coat of minced peanuts, chiles, garlic, and chives, there’s nothing “spare” about them.

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COURTEY OF QUALITY PTALIAN

Q U A L I T Y I TA L I A N 241 COLUMBINE STREET, DENVER | 303 532 8888 | QUALITYITALIAN.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Yet another entry in the field of major outside players making Denver their second home over the past few years, this self-styled “modern interpretation of an Italian-American steakhouse” brings some Manhattan mojo to Cherry Creek’s Halcyon Hotel. It’s see and be seen, go big or go home all the way.

VIBE Old-school swank is new again here—from the Art Deco–esque marble-topped bar to the sweep of the multiple dining rooms, where old picture frames with or without photos and objets d’arts inspired by butcher shops of yore add antiquated warmth to expanses of wood and leather, white cloth and gold trim.

MENU “New York, just like I pictured it.” A glance at the menu brings the Stevie Wonder lyric to mind, awash as it is in the city-slick glamour of sparkling shellfish and hefty pastas, bone-in chops and real-deal veal, à la carte sides and showy desserts.

Resistance is especially futile when it comes to cart service, be it the spicy lobster rigatoni alla vodka finished in the pan tableside or the cannoli assembled before your eyes.

SIGNATURE DISHES That said, our fantasy meal goes as follows: housemade ricotta with sesame focaccia for the table.

An order of garlic toast topped with sausage and peppers and another of the porterhouse agnolotti.

The famous chicken parm, served like a pizza for

two, with a side of corn crème brûlée. And a gelato sundae for dessert. Sure, that’s too much, but so is this place.

DRINKS For all the big, bold trophies of Napa, Piedmont, and Tuscany in magnums and verticals, not to mention Champagnes galore and geekier finds both Old World and New, the wine list does not disappoint.

Neither do fabulous cocktails like the Negroni on nitro or the margarita with a tri-colored ice cube à la the Italian flag.

STREET SMARTS Come after 8:30pm, and you can score a threecourse, wine-paired feast for just $65 per person.

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RED SQUARE

EURO BISTRO

1512 LARIMER STREET, R 38, DENVER | 303 595 8600 | REDSQUAREBISTRO.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Hidden out of sight, hence too-often out of mind, in Writer’s Square, this self-styled “Euro bistro” and vodka bar stands among Denver’s most underrated dining (and drinking) dens. Combining Eastern, Middle, and Western European influences to charming effect with surprisingly engaged service to match, it’s a discovery always waiting to happen— including right now.

MENU Elevating classics right and left, the kitchen fills pierogi with ricotta, leeks, and wild mushrooms, then serves them in white wine–butter sauce; plates plump pickled herring over a smear of walnut sauce with baby potatoes, rosettes of zucchini, and fried onion

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strings; and ladles up fabulously refreshing bowls of borscht and pickle-potato soup. It pairs cauliflower schnitzel with horseradish-honey yogurt; updates chicken Kiev with Sherry gastrique; and makes a mean latke. We’ve yet to try anything here that didn’t frankly exceed our expectations.

SIGNATURE DISHES Both the pelmeni—little meat-stuffed, sour cream– topped dumplings in beef broth—and the steak stroganoff will put hair on your chest.

DRINKS So, of course, will the house-infused vodka shots; we’re partial to savory flavors like dill, horseradish, and garlic, but several fruit-based variants do the trick

too. In addition, nearly 100 different brands of vodka from around the world invite exploration (along with a decent selection of wine, beer, and cocktails).

VIBE Inside, a cozy bar area gives way to a rather elegant, red-walled and art-filled dining room—but weather permitting, we prefer the serene, flowerbox-lined patio.

PRO TIP Perhaps precisely because it’s a bit secluded, wandering visitors seem to find this place more easily than locals focused on the latest hot spots—so you can glean some fascinating insights about your own hometown if you sit at the bar and strike up a conversation with your neighbor.

COURTESY OF RIOJA

RIOJA

1431 LARIMER STREET, DENVER | 303 820 2282 | RIOJADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST With years cooking all over the country under the watchful eye of Wolfgang Puck, Jennifer Jasinski decided to settle down in Denver in the early 2000s. Landing a job at Panzano, she clicked with her future business partner Beth Gruitch. Sharing a vision, the two decided to strike out on their own, opening Mediterranean restaurant Rioja in the historic Larimer Square back in 2004. Decades and countless accolades later—including Jasinski winning the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Southwest, the first Denver chef to do so—rioja serves as a longstanding testament to the duos commitment to culinary precision and professional service.

VIBE After a decade of service, Rioja underwent a much needed update back in 2015. The auburn brick

is now washed white, complemented with warm woods and verdant green crushed velvet booths and banquettes. Various window wells display the restaurant’s hefty collection of wine.

MENU Though strongly influenced by the Mediterranean, Rioja is still firmly planted in Denver, evident by local and seasonal flavors found in the kitchen. Start the meal with a little picnic of your own by nibbling on various meats and cheeses found in the Rioja “Picnic.” Gorgeously plated entrées come in the form of the spiced rubbed lamb loin and the serrano ham wrapped octopus. But before diving into dinner, flag down the dedicated bread server and snag one of the legendary lavender-goat cheese biscuits.

SIGNATURE DISHES We hope the artichoke tortellini with artichoke mousse never disappears.

DRINKS Pulling from Spain’s bountiful regions, the wine list is heavy on Tempranillos straight from Rioja, plus a sturdy number of Sherries. Unsure where to start the journey? Order a tasting flight of three different wines to find your favorite.

PRO TIP Warm nights call for a dinner on the patio under the aura of lights of Larimer Square.

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R I V E R A N D WO O D S 2328 PEARL STREET, BOULDER | 303 993 6301 | RIVERANDWOODSBOULDER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST We think of Daniel Asher as the poet laureate of the Front Range food scene—he’s an extraordinary storyteller, both in words and in ingredients. River and Woods is his forum, speaking to his passion for preserving America’s culinary heritage through a celebratory synthesis of sustainable sourcing and heirloom recipes.

MENU The menu advertises Asher’s dual concern for environment and community up front. For one thing, it’s categorized by geography—the coasts, the farms and fields—rather than dish type; for another, certain items are named for the people whose family favorites he’s adapted along the way (and yes, you can contribute too—there’s a submission form on the website). Cross the rivers with an order of freshwater oysters Hickenlooper, broiled with chèvre, kale queso, green chiles, and cracker crumbs; wander the woodlands with lamb-and-oat meatloaf in pumpkinseed salsa verde.

SIGNATURE DISHES There are several, but for pure charm it’s hard to

top the corndog—a pheasant-spinach brat fried in blue-corn batter with wildflower-honey mustard for dipping—and Aunt Penny’s delectable mac-and-cheese.

DRINKS The bar likewise reflects a staunch sense of place. All the beers are Colorado-proud, and every cocktail incorporates at least one local product; the wine list, meanwhile, follows the same format as the menu, with high-acid, minerally whites representing the rivers, earthy reds the farms and fields, and so on.

DON’T MISS Challah on Fridays, not least for the kind of fascinating backstory River and Woods thrives on— our own Gabby Gourmet got the recipe from her son’s neighbor, a Holocaust survivor whose mother made her commit it to memory in the camps.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RIVER AND WOODS

VIBE He and partner Josh Dinar couldn’t have found a more appropriate venue for such a project—a historic clapboard cottage on Pearl Street that housed a Boulder institution, John’s Restaurant, for decades.

Filled with nooks and crannies in turn filled with blond woods and natural light, it’s a cozy old home away from home that leads to a magical, light-strung backyard away from backyard, where the trailer bar

keeps the adults as entertained as various games do the kiddos.

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R O OT D O W N

1600 WEST 33RD AVENUE, DENVER | 303 993 4200 | ROOTDOWNDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST As the mastermind behind several of Denver’s other heavy-hitters including Linger, Vital Root, and Ophelia’s, Justin Cucci offers Root Down diners a cohesive combination that only he can bring: an eye for sustainability, a passion for global cuisine, and a dash of eccentricity.

VIBE Becoming rather well-known for his knack at transforming historic Denver buildings into dinner lounges (see Linger, a former mortuary), it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some of the interior décor pays homage to the property’s previous calling: a 1950s gas station. (The host stand is inconspicuously the old shell of the gas station’s air compressor.)

But overall, the ambiance is bright, fun, and rather

quirky, utilizing chairs of a variety of colors and decorative art that follows no particular theme, including a wall installation that appears to be a mosaic of soup can tops.

MENU “Globally-influenced seasonal cuisine.” But what does that actually mean? The menu is dotted with unique dishes featuring the season’s most promising produce offerings and sprinkled with intercontinental influences. Take the Colombian arepas for example (a beloved signature dish) or the rockfish tom kha (a coconut-based Thai soup).

SIGNATURE DISHES The aforementioned arepas are sure to impress. And the carrot & Thai red curry soup, spotlighting apple-

pear chutney and cilantro, has been lauded as one of Denver’s best bisquey options.

DRINKS The bar program brings an all-Colorado list of brews to choose from. Wines come by the glass or bottle and span two pages of the beverage menu. Cocktails keep your interest with cheeky names (like Professor Booty or the Don Draper) and incorporate all the major players: infused vodkas, aged rums, rye whiskeys, and even a chipotle-infused mezcal.

NEWSFLASH Cucci doesn’t bring his eco-awareness just to the dinner plate but to every inch of the restaurant he can spare. Root Down is proudly powered 100-percent by wind energy.

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S A F TA

3330 BRIGHTON BOULEVARD #201, DENVER | 720 408 2444 | EATWITHSAFTA.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Believe the hype. Or don’t believe it, for that matter.

Come experience Safta for yourself, and you’ll understand on a gut level why celeb chef Alon Shaya deserves all the kudos he’s getting for not only bringing his brand of modern Israeli cuisine to Denver but assembling a crackerjack young team to represent it with audacity.

VIBE Rosy hues, windowed walls, and lots of plants bring the ample patio-flanked space to warm, cheerful life—from mid-morning when the market counter opens to serve coffee, pastries, and such onward through lunch and dinner.

SIGNATURE DISHES It’s still too early to call beyond one specialty in particular—the extraordinary hummus topped five ways (our favorite’s curried cauliflower and onion), served with puffy, char-speckled pita warm from the oven. (Pro tip: Ignore the pro tip offered by Shaya

himself, among others, not to fill up bread and dip.

Stuff yourself silly. There will be other visits.)

DRINKS The beverage list hews admirably true to concept, thanks to an emphasis on Eastern Mediterranean wines and cocktails that feature the floral and bazaarspice aromatics of the Middle East.

FUN FACT Safta is the Hebrew word for grandmother (bubbe the Yiddish). Pick up Shaya’s self-titled cookbook and you’ll learn all about his own.

PHOTO BY MIKE THURK

MENU You could easily make an entire meal (a vegetarian

meal at that) of the salatim, essentially the Israeli version of meze, and other small plates. We’re smitten with the ultra-tangy roe spread called ikra; the crispy eggplant, pillow-soft beneath its fried crust; and the eye-rollingly rich kibbeh nayeh, or lamb tartare with unapologetically oily, tissue-textured Yemen flatbread. But if you do make it past the starters, surprise—one of the most memorable entrées is but a humble heap of charred cabbage in a hot-pepper sauce with hazelnuts, matched in deliciousness by the halvah for dessert.

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PHOTOS BY RACHEL ADAMS PHOTOHRAPHY

S A N TO

1265 ALPINE AVENUE, BOULDER | 303 442 6100 | SANTOBOULDER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST If Blackbelly is chef Hosea Rosenberg’s highly accomplished firstborn, Santo is his loveable baby. In fact, it’s a tribute to his own childhood in Taos, New Mexico—colorful, comforting, cozy, and cool at the same time.

MENU And when we say “colorful,” we mean rainbowvivid. Blue corn. Yellow corn. Black beans. Queso blanco. Arroz verde. And, of course, bushel upon bushel of red and green chiles. Every dish resembles a cornucopia of the given season’s harvest, spilling chokecherries and prickly pears, peaches and pineapples, ramps and radishes, avocados and cactus pads across an equally wide range of meats and starches: boar and bison and pork belly and local trout, frybread and sopes and sopaipillas and

brunchtime grits. Some come together in hearty, traditional fashion, like stacked chicken enchiladas; others make for refined creations such as coffee- and chimayo-rubbed pork loin in spiced cherry mojo with hominy hash and sumac-pickled chayote squash. Even desserts toast to the bounty: now tangelo custard, now apple–green chile pie.

SIGNATURE DISHES If you know what’s good for you, you’ll add chorizo to the red-pepper jelly and pepitas that top the luscious wood-fired queso, accompanied by warm tortillas. Whether or not it’s technically good for you, you won’t regret a bite (or several) of the green-chile cheeseburger either.

DRINKS What you might regret is not getting a margarita

made with barrel-aged orange liqueur. Unless, that is, you and agave spirits don’t get along, in which case you’ve still got plenty of options—New Mexican as well as Colorado craft brews dominate the blast of a beer list, while wines span the Latin world from Portugal to Chile.

VIBE The name refers to the carved-wood statues of saints that bring a folk-artsy charm to the stylishly clean, desert-white space, further brightened by cacti, painted tiles, and a Zia symbol–shaped chandelier.

DON’T MISS Breakfast—as at Blackbelly, Santo’s to-go burritos have got a fervent cult following. Truth be told, though, we’re just as fond of the bizcochitos (anise cookies).

RESTAURANTS // 87

S A R TO ’ S

2900 WEST 25TH AVENUE, DENVER | 303 455 1400 | SARTOS.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Housemade pastas made from scratch? Check. A quaint chef ’s counter with daily rotating Italian fare? Check. A fine dining Italian restaurant? Eh, not quite. Sarto’s proves that you can have high-end Italian experience without breaking the bank.

VIBE Working with a color palette of grays and white, Sarto’s shines bright thanks to natural light from the restaurant’s multiple bay windows. Formally occupied by a fabric shop in the 1950s, Sarto’s design pays homage to its former occupant—a fabric shop based in the 1950s—in subtle ways like pinstripe fabrics and door handles fashioned like sewing needles. But you might miss these details on the way in, as the bar immediately draws the eye with its meticulous

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collection of Aperol bottles contrasted against the white marble bar.

MENU With a name that translates to “tailor” in Italian, Sarto’s fashions up tailored plates at the cicchetti bar.

Once reserved for intimate 10-course tastings, the chef ’s table overseen by executive chef Garrett Meyer has taken a more casual approach by presenting daily changing menu of small nibbles and Italian cocktails.

Stitching the theme together, the menu dives into “Seamless Pastas” to “Tailored Entrées” that cycle through rich proteins like crispy roasted chicken to pan-seared scallops. On the go? The neighborhood eatery includes an adjacent marketplace and quick stop deli stocked with grab-and-go hot meals, sandwiches, and salads, plus entrées to make at home.

SIGNATURE DISHES Daily offerings at the cichetti bar have included items from deviled eggs kicked with Calabrian chiles to a braised octopus agnolotti in a saffron butter sauce.

DRINKS Certified organic and biodynamic wines culled from various regions of Italy are served by the glass or bottle while rare and vintage finds are stored away in Sarto’s Cellar. As for cocktails, the stocked wall of Aperol should give a hint as to what’s on order.

PRO TIP Although the cicchetti bar has taken a turn for the casual, Sarto’s fans can still reserve a formal tasting menu by calling the restaurant in advance.

S AT C H E L’ S O N 6 T H 1710 EAST 6TH AVENUE, DENVER | 303 399 2560 | SATCHELSONSIXTH.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Originally opened as a quirky neighborhood spot in Park Hill, Satchel’s underwent a revamp. Partnering with Larimer Associates, owners Andrew Casalini and his wife Jen Dactano reopened with a new name (and a new vision) as Satchel’s on 6th, landing in Cherry Creek in 2011. The updated Satchel’s 2.0 retains its charm of yesteryear, now serving New American comforts dictated by the rolling seasons.

VIBE With a central bar and booths backed by exposed brick, Satchel’s has the neighborhood vibe down.

Preserving the familiarity of the former restaurant,

the new Satchel’s still houses the same community tables that once resided in the former Park Hill Hub. MENU Satchel’s has a certain polished edge compared to its predecessor. Changing with the seasons, the menu balances a selection of both small and larger entrées. Small plates have included local produce, like heirloom tomatoes and baby farm beets.

Hearty plates follow the likes of lamb Bolognese spun over housemade pappardelle and fresh ricotta to fall apart confit short ribs served with a medley of veggies like heirloom beans, local corn, and Anaheim nopales jam.

SIGNATURE DISHES Even burgers and fries have an upscale edge. The rich duck fat fries elevate any spud game while the bar burger goes down South with collard greens, molasses bacon, and pimento cheese.

DRINKS Wines from regions such as Hungary and New Zealand can be found by the glass or bottle while cocktails are stirred with a number of different Colorado-born spirits.

PRO TIP Weekly Sunday night suppers are wildly popular featuring paella or empanadas.

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SEÑOR BEAR

3301 TEJON STREET, DENVER | 720 572 5997 | SENORBEARDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST From one of Denver’s truest bluest culinary authorities, chef Max MacKissock, comes Señor Bear.

Here, MacKissock and executive chef/partner Blake Edmunds execute classic Latin cuisine at the highest level. A concept that is founded on the idea that fine dining can be fun and approachable, Señor Bear proves that elevated meals don’t have to be served on white-clothed tables.

SIGNATURE DISHES Despite seasonal rotations, the mofongo always finds its way back to the top of the menu. Boasting braised chicken, plantain, chicharrón, green papaya cabbage slaw, and mango habanero sauce, this dish captures the spicy heart and soul of Señor Bear. Another star player comes in the form of the crispy pig tail, covered in a sweet and sticky caramelized onion and tamarind glaze that will leave you licking your fingers for just one more moment of porky bliss.

DRINKS Take a trip somewhere beachy and warm when you sip on any of Señor Bear’s rum- and tequilaforward bevs, which are spring break-reminiscent and pleasantly booze-heavy.

APT REVIEW “Executive chef-owner Blake Edmunds creates refined renditions of Latin American–inspired country cuisine at Señor Bear—each plate of mussels or pig tail or heirloom beans pops with color, acid, and heat—and he nails it, every single time.”

—Denise Mickelsen, 5280

PHOTOS BY CASEY GILTNER

VIBE In true cantina-style, Señor Bear bypasses the usual lavish elements of an eatery of this stature, instead outfitting the place with decorative pottery, Aztec patterned textiles, and draping greenery. Under the twinkling patio lights and poised in the heart of the Highlands, Señor Bear has an unavoidable air of comfort and familiarity.

MENU Back in the kitchen, all your favorite Latin comfort foods are getting a makeover. Think shrimp and octopus ceviche, but with the unexpected touches of sweet potato and avocado mousse. Think beef tartare, but with the elegant presence of charred onion aioli, serrano puree, and egg yolk jam.

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COURTESY OF SHANAHAN’S

SHANAHAN’S

5085 SOUTH SYRACUSE STREET, DENVER | 303 770 7300 | SHANAHANSSTEAKHOUSE.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Much as we boast about shedding our cowtown image, Denverites still love their beef as much as they love their Broncos. Enter Shanahan’s, which, like Elway’s, celebrates both with overthe-top pizzazz.

VIBE She’s a stunner all right, supersized and ultramodern.

Get to know your neighbors around the island bar, as much a sculpture as a beverage station. Slide into a massive leather booth, lit by a pendant lamp whose shade is half the diameter of the white-clothed table.

Or people-watch out on the patio, where live music lights up the night in summer and a fireplace does likewise as the seasons turn.

MENU No better way to look at it than through the eyes of Gabby Gourmet herself. “I adore the French onion soup, oysters, crab-claw cocktail, and the chopped salad,” she says, “and my guy pals love the bone-in veal chop.” But wait, there’s more: From lump-crab cakes and lobster bisque to New York strips and lamb chops with giant baked potatoes and green-bean almondine, Shanahan’s does its thing in unabashedly traditional, über-luxe fashion, right down to the lemon-strawberry shortcake and caramel crème brûlée.

SIGNATURE DISHES Do as the high-rollers do and go for the surf and turf or the 36-ounce Wagyu tomahawk with a side of jumbo onion rings.

DRINKS Why have a wine rack when you can have an entire wall? The 5000-plus bottles stored behind glass represent some 750 selections, including all the trophy Cabs, Super Tuscans, and Grand Marque Champagnes you can spring for and many you can’t. Classic cocktails and a sizeable selection of whiskeys and tequilas also await for pairing with that after-dinner cigar (you bet you can still smoke fine tobacco here).

FUN FACT Most steakhouses aren’t kid-friendly; this one not only has a dedicated children’s menu but a penchant for making the little ones feel special with quickie presentations of the Super Bowl trophies and rings on display, courtesy of ex-NFL coach and co-owner Mike Shanahan.

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SPUNTINO

2639 WEST 32ND AVENUE, DENVER | 303 433 0949 | SPUNTINODENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST For their gutsy, idiosyncratic approach to modern Italian cuisine and wine, husband-and-wife team Cindhura Reddy and Elliot Strathmann have earned themselves and their LoHi haunt a sterling critical reputation. But it’s their utterly gracious hospitality that has gained them such a devoted following among civilians.

MENU Lusciousness is Reddy’s stock in trade. Creamy cheeses, supple pastas, egg yolks, pickles and preserves, pungent spices—they’re all recurring motifs she weaves throughout a menu that captures her knack for capitalizing on the flavor of the most delicate shellfish, the freshest seasonal produce, and the richest of meats, be it smoked pork belly or confit goat.

VIBE Snug, cozy, understated. The fact that the decor remains where decor was meant to be—in the background rather than the foreground—only enhances Spuntino’s charm, inviting diners to focus on their company as well as their meal.

SIGNATURE DISHES If you start with the chorizo-enriched octopus carpaccio and end with the amaro-infused chocolate truffles, you’re going to have a great meal no matter what comes between them.

DON’T MISS Wine Corner Wednesday, the bimonthly tasting class complete with spuntini (snacks), in which Strathmann offers an overview of specific regions or producers—from Calabria and Corsica to Etna’s Salvo Foti and Umbria’s Paolo Bea.

PHOTO BY MEGAN SWANN OF STARCHEFS

DRINKS Though the craft-beer selection is well thought-

out and the specialty cocktails delicious, laced with housemade liqueurs and homegrown herbs, Strathmann’s wine list simply has no equal in Denver.

There are bigger cellars with more precious trophies, but no one goes to the trouble of acquiring Italian curios you won’t find anywhere else quite like he does. He also makes his own amari and digestivi, which together form an after-dinner rabbit hole worth going down, down, down.

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PHOTO BY MARC PISCOTTY

S TO I C & G E N U I N E 1701 WYNKOOP STREET, DENVER | 303 640 3474 | STOIC ANDGENUINE.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST One of two Union Station sensations claimed by Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch, this stone-cold stunner is also just one of countless local eateries that continue to disprove the misconceptions about landlocked seafood in the era of flash-freezing and same-day shipping. But it stands alone with respect to the wildly creative yet market-driven tack it takes toward its swimmingly fresh star ingredients.

VIBE Consider the wraparound mural of octopus tentacles a cheeky poke at the size of the snugness of the highceilinged dining room, criss-crossed with wood slats to evoke a fisherman’s crate. Yet the tight squeeze makes the space feel all the more, well, genuine, in the vein of classic coastal raw bars.

MENU Crustaceans and cephalopods, bivalves and fin fish and roe: They’re all here in one form or another, morphing from one season to another. While raw oysters on the half-shell, king crab legs, and caviar are forever, the rest of the menu floweth over with surprises. Here’s a play on surf-and-turf starring steak-wrapped ahi tuna drizzled with what amounts to liquid oysters Rockfeller; here are Bloody Mary–inspired mussels enriched with chiccharones; here’s fried rice bursting with the umami funk of uni and kimchi.

SIGNATURE DISHES Mosaic slices of octopus “mortadella” topped with candied-lemon vinaigrette have legs, so to speak, but the majority of staples actually aren’t seafood-based, reflecting the kitchen’s just satisfaction with the

thoughtful alternatives it has crafted for landlubbers.

These include a much-ballyhooed cheeseburger as well as the sprightly broccoli-apple salad with avocado and sunflower seeds in yuzu vinaigrette and the cast-iron cornbread.

DRINKS Since day one, Gruitch has gone to great lengths to ensure that even the reds on her lovely wine list are seafood-friendly. (That said, if Champagne’s in your budget, spring for it.) But she and Jasinski also created what, as far as we know, was world’s first granita bar, giving cocktail connoisseurs a sterling opportunity to mix and match spirits and shaved ice in flavors like almond and violet to their heart’s content.

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SUPER MEGA BIEN 1260 25TH STREEET, DENVER | 720 269 4695 | SUPERMEGABIEN.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST In the hands of a lesser chef, the mashup of two major dining trends—Pan-Latin cuisine and dim sum–style cart service—might seem like a mere short-lived gimmick. In Dana Rodriguez’s hands, it makes all the sense in the world—giving her the freedom to simultaneously go with her unerring gut and showcase her skills through a parade of small plates, each more exhilarating than the last.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER OLSON

VIBE Between the ceiling sculpture of dangling wooden sticks, the pattern-tiled bar, and a riot of lucha libre– themed posters, the small dining room in hues of red and turquoise and bright green whisks you to some street corner in Valladolid or Valparaiso—all color and noise and nonstop action.

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MENU The array of dishes loaded onto the trolleys changes all the time—from the Brazilian seafood soup called moqueca, fried eggplant with avocado crema, and pork ribs salmorejo to empanadas stuffed with fruits and nuts or chicha morada (Peruvian purple-corn pudding). For groups of three or more, Rodriguez also turns out family-style platters that positively sizzle with soul: a play on Peking duck that comes roasted in chipotle-honey glaze alongside gorditas and curtido in lieu of pancakes and green onions, say, or lamb braised with peppers and onions in banana leaf alongside fresh tortillas.

SIGNATURE DISHES Don’t pass up the ropa vieja with sweet plantains— one of only a few permanent dim-sum items—or the

caldo de piedra, a Oaxacan-style, stone-heated fish stew; you’ll want to bathe in its steamy aromatics.

DRINKS Partner Tony Maciag’s deceptively simple approach to the beverage program makes drinking fun again: Every cocktail lands just left of center to refresh and intoxicate by turns, be it the Chilean terremoto, a sorbet–white wine float, or the pretty-in-purple La Rosa, a gin-and-tonic infused with florals.

APT REVIEW “The carts are only a vehicle. Literally. These plates could be delivered by mimes or shoved on a cafeteria tray by a lunch lady and they’d still be terrific.”

—Gretchen Kurtz, Westword

S U S H I RO N I N / I Z A K AYA RO N I N 2930 UMATILLA STREET, DENVER | 303 955 8741 | SUSHIRONINDENVER.COM

3035 BRIGHTON BOULEVARD, DENVER | 303 953 1602 | IZAKAYARONIN.COM WHY THEY’RE ON THE LIST “Corey Baker, sushi chef ”: It may not roll off the tongue, but it’s only funny because it’s true. In fact, Baker found his calling at the tender age of 17, when he began working at Sushi Den, and he’s been perfecting his craft ever since; now he’s got two hot properties to show for it.

VIBE If you want to court a date, go to the LoHi flagship, an elegantly simple haunt that glows prettily as the sun goes down. If you want to seduce a date, go to the RiNo hideout, grittier and funkier from the windowless upstairs dining room to the supremely windowless bar beneath it—once a boiler room, now

an open secret in pulsating crimson.

MENU The main menus are more or less the same at both locations: A tidy selection of tempura and other fried goodies, pickles and skewers, and noodles and donburi round out textbook nigiri and maki aplenty, supplemented by gorgeous nightly specials.

Meanwhile, Izakaya Ronin lives up to its name with downstairs-only drinking snacks like katsu curry and takoyaki (octopus fritters).

SIGNATURE DISHES That said, the izakaya’s most buzzed-about item just so happens to be tonkotsu ramen, which

Baker enriches with chicharrones to mouth-glazing effect. And at either location, the seared, shio koji– marinated Wagyu culotte, garnished with wasabi oil and yuzu-chile relish, reveals Baker’s facility with beef as well as seafood.

DRINKS While the beer, wine, and cocktail selections are all fine and dandy, the bar specializes in premium sake and Japanese whisky—among them the kinds of finds you’d best drink straight if you know what’s good for you.

PRO TIP About those specials—if you see ankimo, say ankimo.

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OTOTO 96

SUSHI DEN / IZAKAYA / OTOTO SUSHI DEN | 1487 SOUTH PEARL STREET, DENVER | 303 777 0826 | SUSHIDEN.NET

IZAKAYA | 1478 A SOUTH PEARL STREET, DENVER | 303 777 0691 | IZAKAYADEN.NET

WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Ah, the sacred sushi corner of Denver. At the southern edge of the city sits a triple-concept powerhouse doling out some of the best sushi rolls the Mile High has ever seen: Sushi Den, Izakaya Den, and OTOTO. The sushi trinity. The sashimi trifecta. Den Corner. These three sushi siblings are aptly fostered by the three Kizaki brothers—Toshi, Yasu, and Koichi. Flying in fish fresh from Japan on the daily, the Kizaki brothers go to extreme lengths to keep Den Corner on the map. And more than three decades since inception, with guaranteed waits and lines every night, the extra mile (or 5,000) seems to have paid off.

VIBE The three restaurants are separated by mere steps— the proximity is all about synergy. All three locations are, to some extent, draped in gentle lighting, paper lanterns, Japanese-imported art, and an allencompassing air of tranquility. Major differences come into play when you’re deciding between factors like meal duration and cuisine specialties. At Sushi Den, expect elegant and elevated. Stop by here only when you’re ready for a slow-paced, deeply-saturated sushi experience. Izakaya, though still offering a full-service dining experience and tastefully decorated environs, overall prompts less of a red-carpet feel compared to its sister restaurant. And kid brother OTOTO (literally translating to “little brother”) sets up a quick, casual option without compromising quality or spirit.

MENU Each concept brings something unique yet equally delicious to the table. The original sushi sanctuary, Sushi Den, sets the golden standard, delivering

PHOTO BY JAMES FLORIO

OTOTO | 1501 SOUTH PEARL STREET, DENVER | 303 733 2503 | OTOTODEN.COM

next-level rolls that are crafted from fish selections hand-picked by the youngest Kizaki brother, Koichi (who works on the ground in Japan). At Izakaya, however, the menu places a little less stock in the rigorous traditions of Japanese fare. Here, expect classic Japanese delights but with just a sprinkle of international flavor. Find a wide range of ramen bowls, but also some surprises, like lobster gnocchi or Kobe beef sliders. And in completing the trifecta, enter OTOTO. With a blazing robata grill at its heart, the Kizakis’ most recent endeavor slings traditional Japanese-style skewered meats in an environment that is just a little more devil-may-care than its sibling counterparts.

SIGNATURE DISHES It’s hard to top world-class sushi, so there’s hardly reason to change up Sushi Den’s über-expensive list of sushi options (except, of course, the “Catch of the Day” menu). But if you need somewhere to start, some choices that are consistently top performers include the aburi (or flame-seared) sushi rolls and

the miso black cod tempura among the dinner selections. If you’re getting your fresh fish fix at Sushi Den, then ramen is the way to go when you move on to Izakaya. Found exclusively on Izakaya’s specialty menu, sample ramen combos featuring the likes of lobster and roasted pork. At OTOTO, where the robata grill takes the cake, whole grilled fish is the name of the game. Don’t miss the kama (or fish collar)—choose from Scottish salmon or mesquitegrilled yellowtail.

DRINKS All three locations tout a staggering list of sake offerings. From junmai to aged to warmed, you can choose from literally several dozen sake selections and flights. But on top of that, find Asian-inspired cocktails mixed with vodkas, tequilas, and both Japanese and Western-style whiskeys, as well as beer and wines.

Need a little help? At OTOTO, the sake menu includes a suggested food pairing for each style of sake, plus a novice-friendly guide to sake terms and facts.

DON’T MISS Unyielding in their efforts to bring Denver sushilovers an unparalleled look into Japanese dining, the Kizaki brothers invite you to explore ever further with up-close, hands-on opportunities right alongside them. Inquire about Sushi Den’s Denchu Room for an omakase (chef ’s choice) dinner led by master chef Toshi himself. If you’re looking to get your own hands dirty, try the Sliced! Sushi Class at Izakaya Den, where you’ll practice crafting a variety of sushi styles with guidance from chef Yasu. And if you just cannot decide how to begin this journey, look into Den Corner’s brand new Progressive Dinner, a walking (and eating!) tour through all three Kizaki concepts.

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SUSHI SASA

2401 15TH STREET, SUITE 80, DENVER | 303 433 7272 | SUSHISASA.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Denverites have grown spoiled for Japanese food over the past several years, but a decade ago the burden was on a very few chefs to do all the honors. One of them was Sushi Den alum Wayne Conwell, who’s still going strong today in a storefront that links LoDo to LoHi with destination-level, ponzu- and miso-splashed panache.

VIBE Sleek and chic in white-on-blond tones, the tworoom space would look as much like an art gallery as a restaurant if not for the set tables and the sushi bar swirling with energy in back. There’s just something about Sasa, at any rate, that seems to inspire this

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dressed-down town to gussy up a bit when they come here. It’s a nice change of pace.

MENU Beyond straight-up nigiri and sashimi, beyond rolls with all the requisite pieces of flair, the kitchen turns out some truly original treats—seared Wagyu with cucumber cured in sake lees and potatoes cooked in foie gras, for instance, or pork fried rice with baby sardines beneath a sous-vide egg yolk, or wasabispiked tiramisù. So even if you don’t do omakase— which offers a mix of raw and cooked dishes—you won’t regret branching out from sushi here.

SIGNATURE DISHES The Pink Lady roll with scallop, yellowtail belly,

asparagus tempura, and more proves as pretty and delicate as it sounds; on the flip side, the French onion–style black cod soup brings the umami funk.

DRINKS Asian beers made with black soybeans, sweet potatoes, and miso have a natural affinity with the food, and naturally there’s plenty of premium sake to go around too; wine and cocktail drinkers would do well to keep it light with bubbly and white wines or spirits (Japanese whisky excepted).

DON’T MISS Sunday brunch, when Sasa adds ramen and bottomless mimosas to its repertoire.

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

TA B L E 6

609 CORONA STREET, DENVER | 303 831 8800 | TABLE6DENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST As comfy as a robe and slippers yet as quirky as could be, this Alamo Placita bistro wears its badge of irreverence proudly. And that’s just the way his regulars like it. Owner-sommelier Aaron Forman and his crew have a way of disarming even the crankiest guest, whether they’re sabering Champagne bottles or pumping up the volume during Sunday brunch with the resident DJ. VIBE Mellow and convivial by turns. Weathered old doors, a wall of plaid, and pop artwork lend layers of character to the otherwise classic wood-and-brick surroundings—centered on an open kitchen—that make you feel right at home.

MENU Table 6 has seen its chef shuffles over the years, but the wit at the heart of the seasonal New American menu never seems to change. We’re talking duck confit accompanied by pistachio-Brie crêpes in cider vinaigrette; braised short rib in orange-peppercorn jus with steak fries and a side of mussel mayo; and Camembert-flavored flapjacks with fig marmalade for brunch—juxtapositions you don’t see coming yet don’t mind a bit getting blindsided by.

DRINKS It’s all about the wine list here. Upgrade from Prosecco to Franciacorta; taste an uncommon white Burgundy from Santenay; discover Spain’s next big grape, earthy red Mencía—the point is go different or go home.

FUN FACT Forman was once a dog musher. True (and endearing) story.

SIGNATURE DISHES Two words—tater tots. Sometimes they’re smothered in country gravy and hot honey with fried chicken livers; sometimes they’re set for dipping into piquillopepper cream cheese and green-tomato ketchup.

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TA B L E S

2267 KEARNEY STREET, DENVER | 303 388 0299 | TABLESONKEARNEY.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST For more than 10 years, this mom-and-pop New American charmer has been there for Park Hill residents through thick and thin. Run by Dustin Barrett and Amy Vitale, it stands a testament to the importance of the neighborhood bistro for any community—sitting in the sweet spot between the corner bar-and-grill and the fine-dining destination, it nudges diners out of their comfort zone with such gentle goodwill they find they feel right at home there.

SIGNATURE DISHES For two more examples, take the soup and the burger. Both change daily, so at any given meal you could enjoy a dilled, chilled cucumber-cantaloupe soup or a sourdough-mushroom bisque followed by

a sandwich that may or may not even involve a beef patty on a bun, never mind the unexpected toppings.

DRINKS The wine list is just right too, with about 30 wellpriced bottles that lead you off the beaten path without losing you entirely; well-balanced craft cocktails with garden-fresh infusions and garnishes fill the bill for spirits buffs.

APT QUOTE Back in 2012, Westword restaurant critic Gretchen Kurtz made a lovely observation about Tables that holds true today: “This is a restaurant that’s comfortable in its own skin, and I’ll take that over high-gloss corporate directives any day.”

PHOTO BY JP BEATO III PHOTOGRAPHY

VIBE Subtle farmhouse chic suffuses the space in the form of latticed woodwork, mismatched furniture, and other reclaimed materials, underscored by thoughtful touches like flower vases and blankets for use out on the patio. You can tell just by looking that you’re going to be treated with genuine hospitality.

MENU Proving creativity is in the constraints, the kitchen relies on many of the same ingredients season after season—sweetbreads, duck breast, and scallops, for instance—while building around new dishes around them. One visit, the roast half-chicken might come with horseradish-creamed brussels sprouts and apples in smoked-paprika sauce; the next, it’ll be accompanied by hasselback sweet potatoes with pecan–sweet potato leaf pistou in peppered maple sauce. It all makes for an experience that’s at once deeply familiar and engagingly novel, every time.

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COURTESY OF TAG RESTAURANT GROUP

TAG

1441 LARIMER STREET, DENVER | 303 996 9985 | TAG-RESTAURANT.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Tag, you’re it. At least you’ll feel like you’re it in Troy Guard’s Larimer Square flagship, still sexy, loungy, and happening after nearly 10 years—like you’ve arrived at the place to be. And though you may never feel as though you could supply a dictionary-grade definition of “continental social food,” to use the restaurant’s tagline (no pun intended), you’ll certainly be able to hold forth on what it tastes like—delicious.

VIBE Brick-walled and wood-floored, the long, narrow space beckons like the urbane gathering spot it is, filled with statement light fixtures and all manner of cozy nooks and crannies from the ottoman-ringed banquette up front to the small central bar and booths in back.

MENU Guard gleefully challenges his guests to step out of their comfort zone on the regular, whether more directly with the likes of kangaroo tartare, fried alligator, veal sweetbreads, and rabbit saddle or more subtly through unexpected juxtapositions and elaborate compositions— cylinders of chicken ballotine dotted with cardamom yogurt in a pool of red curry, say, or seaweed-wrapped foie gras on sushi rice with passionfruit “roe” and soy gel. Uni emulsion, huitlacoche coulis, burrata foam—he finds ways to pump up the funk you never dreamed of.

DRINKS This is a cocktail-swilling crowd, and the bar delivers the goods, as with the staple kumquat-jalapeño mojito. But don’t overlook the sizeable wine list, made all the more commendable by appealing (and actually useful) tasting notes.

PRO TIP The super-cool downstairs dining room, TAG Underground, is among our favorites in town for private events.

SIGNATURE DISHES The sushi tacos with salted plum–mango salsa and the flash-seared hamachi with yuzu–white soy dressing and Pop Rocks (really) serve as a crash course in TAG studies.

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TAV E R N E T TA

889 16TH STREET MALL, DENVER | 720 605 1889 | TAVERNETTADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Dreamt up by James Beard Award-winning duo Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson, Tavernetta was a three-year venture in the making, hotly anticipated by all. Pulling into Union Station in September of 2017, Tavernetta quickly burned bright, literally, as a fire within its walls shut down the restaurant after only eight days of service. Two months later, Tavernetta rose from the ashes and even nabbed the title of “Hotel Restaurant of the Year” by Eater Denver only a month later. Turns out a little fire was nothing compared to Tavernetta’s hot-hot heat.

VIBE Straight off the bustling train tracks of Union Station, Tavernetta acts as a refuge for both the

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visitor and traveler alike. One of Denver’s finest living rooms, the walk-in lounge and bar area with its roaring fireplace is made to linger. Woven into the fabric of the dining room sprawls an open exhibition kitchen, staffed with a flurry of cooks rolling pastas and slicing prosciutto.

MENU While sister concept Frasca is married to the FriuliVenezia Giulia region, chef Ian Wortham—also a Frasca alum—pulls from his own personal travels all across Italy. Start the meal with a selection of hand-carved salumi and a few of the chef ’s choices of crudi, or raw seafood. Pick and choose from the lot of handmade pastas before moving onto wood-fired entrées like the agnello.

SIGNATURE DISHES Instead of licking the bowl of lamb ragù clean, snag a slice of housemade bread to sop up every drop.

DRINKS With Stuckey and wine director Carlin Karr leading the charge, Tavernetta boasts a lengthy list that ventures through the regions of Tuscany, Piedmont, and Friuli. As for bubbly, one only needs to peruse the solid lineup of Champagnes.

PRO TIP Hang out in Denver’s living room by visiting for aperitivo hour from 4 to 6pm. Various cicchetti (the Italians’ answer to tapas) and Aperol-forward Venetian spritzes are a steal at only $6.

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

TO K I O

2907 HURON STREET, UNIT 103, DENVER | 720 639 2911 | MYTOKIO.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Sushi bar Japon was a Wash Park fixture for nearly two decades. Much as its closure a few years ago stung, veteran chef-owner Miki Hashimoto quickly healed the hurt by opening this snazzy bi-level Japanese tavern in the little Prospect neighborhood west of Coors Field, where raw fish isn’t the half of it—drinking snacks, charcoal-grilled items, and ramen all reflect his respect for izakaya tradition.

VIBE Narrow and high-ceilinged, Tokio’s a sultry, dramatic affair—glowing red and blue along its shōji-paneled walls and rough-hewn woods, with an intimate chef ’s counter downstairs and even-tinier bar on the small mezzanine. We suspect it might look right at home in its namesake city.

MENU When it comes to sushi, Hashimoto doesn’t play games—his selection of nigiri, maki, and hand rolls is admirably traditional and without frills. So, for that matter, are his small plates, all the better to appreciate their key ingredients and the classic techniques employed to showcase them—from creamy, panko-breaded and fried oysters to whole, crisp-tender squid charred over binchotan to snappy tsukemono (mixed pickles). But he dares to take a few liberties with ramen in 10 different styles, including his own favorite, the miso ramen with chashu pork— which starts with a pork-and-chicken broth that gains intrigue from a hint of apples.

SIGNATURE DISHES Also not for purists, the decadent Cremoso Diablo

ramen glistens with melting cheddar and Jack cheeses, while the vegan Ramen Air is an indulgence even by meat-eaters’ standards, its broth lush with soy milk, pumpkin, and potato.

DRINKS The bar pours a few basic cocktails, but it keeps the focus on straight-up pours—Japanese and local beers, easygoing and well-priced wines, shochu, and of course sake, which curious tasters can sample as a flight.

DOUBLE DARE Here’s one of the more oddly specific eating challenges we know of—if you can polish off 5.5 pounds of ramen in 22 minutes, you get it for free.

No judgment.

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TO T H E W I N D B I S T R O 3333 EAST COLFAX AVENUE, DENVER | 303 316 3333 | TOTHEWINDBISTRO.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST There may be no chef ’s counter we’d rather sit at than that of Royce Oliveira and Leanne Adamson. Taking up nearly half of the glorified shoebox that is their contemporary storefront bistro on Colfax, it’s more like an island in a home kitchen than some hushed culinary theater—and the couple and their crew are more like your new friends than some methodical brigade de cuisine, chatting away about everything and nothing as they make your food right in front of you. The only difference is that they cook way, way better than your old friends.

MENU The seasonal menu, too, is small, but the flavors are robust. True to a classic bistro, the 12 or so plates on offer at any given time fall somewhere between homey and haute, rustic and refined in execution—though they’re hardly traditional in inspiration, ranging from fried squash blossom– crowned zucchini bread atop a smear of goat butter to roast rockfish filet over lentils and yellowfoot mushrooms in cacao-nib vinaigrette. The same goes for Adamson’s desserts, be it fig-pistachio cheesecake

made bright and tangy with chèvre or deep, dark chocolate-stout cake.

SIGNATURE DISHES Oliveira’s forever reinventing both his buttermilkroasted chicken and pulled pork over cornmeal waffles; “it can’t possibly be as good as last time,” you’ll think every time, and you’ll be wrong every time.

DRINKS No compromises, no afterthoughts. The highly curated beverage list centers on top-notch craft beers and whiskeys, local and otherwise, but a small wine selection pulls its own weight, especially when it comes to little-seen French bottlings like Loire Valley Cheverny and Alsatian Pinot Noir.

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

VIBE Did we mention the place is tiny? Beyond the counter, a 20ish-seat dining room awaits—quaintly

polished in eggshell-white and black, with banquette pillows and local artworks lending personal warmth.

You need a quiet respite from the Colfax chaos, you’ve got it.

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PHOTO BY LOGAN CRABLE

UCHI

2500 LAWRENCE STREET, DENVER | 303 444 1922 | UCHIDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST For the most part, we’ve excluded out-of-state franchises from this book. But the fourth branch of Uchi—the other three being in chef-owner Tyson Cole’s home state of Texas—is not to be denied. In a breathtaking RiNo space with its own hydroponic greenhouse on the rooftop, it’s turning out some of the most transcendent Japanese plates—both artfully traditional and wholly original—this town has ever seen. (Cole isn’t in the James Beard club for nothing.)

VIBE What a beauty. Cool concrete and warm woods intersect at stylish angles amid ivory-and-black furnishings and bursts of light and color: a panel of flowering vines, a slash of red wallpaper scrawled

with yet more flowering vines, glass bricks scattered across another wall to let in late-afternoon sunbeams.

Of course it’s all centered around a humming open kitchen and sushi bar.

SIGNATURE DISHES The foie gras nigiri’s the most glistening, unctuous morsel you’ll have all year. One piece, two bites, nearly 10 bucks. Worth it.

MENU First, check the list of daily specials, both for sashimi you may not be familiar with (rosy sea perch, threeline grunt) and for delicacies like translucent walnut dumplings in black-butter vinaigrette. Then get at least one thing from the “Cool Tastings” and “Warm Tastings” sections of the menu—we suggest the yellowtail hama chili and the oh-so-soulful, straightto-the-belly kinoko nabe, an egg-topped, mushroomlaced, pearly rice comfort. And definitely do dessert: pastry chef Ariana Quant’s a talent to watch.

DRINKS We’d be lying if we said the beverage list, however handsome, were a steal, especially with respect to sake. But you will find some delightful values (as opposed to bargains). Look to sparkling wines and rosés in particular.

PRO TIP There’s no soy sauce on the table for a reason. Just this once, don’t ask.

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U LT R E I A

1701 WYNKOOP STREET, SUITE 125, DENVER | 303 534 1970 | ULTREIADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Situated in the Grand Hall of Union Station, Ultreia, which loosely translates to “onward,” is the perfect stop for several small plates before a traveler moves on to his or her final destination. Sharing is caring, right? The team behind Ultreia—who are also the creators behind four other award-winning Denver restaurants—think so. That’s why they built their fifth concept around the idea of shared plate pintxos (peen chos) and tapas inspired by the flavors of the Iberian Peninsula, namely Spain and Portugal. So you and your globetrotter companion can settle in and order a variety of flavors before moving onward in your own adventure.

MENU Cured trout, cedar plank mushrooms, spiced pork ribs, and churros with tempered chocolate have been on the menu since the beginning, and there’s a reason they remain constant favorites.

deemed the best ham in the world. Coming in at $1,000 a leg, this buttery, salty, and simply delicious piece of meat is worth its weight in gold.

DRINKS Keeping with the Iberian Peninsula theme, riffs on Spanish gin and tonics take center stage. The same is true for Sherry sips.

PRO TIP Not sure where to start? Order the Chef ’s Feast. Perfect for two, the meal includes all the crowd-pleasing dishes. Note: there’s a lot, so bring your appetite.

SIGNATURE DISHES You cannot miss the ham of all hams. Cinco Jotas Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, aged for four years, is

PHOTO BY RACHEL ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

VIBE Although it’s in a transit hub, the madness of traveling silences when you walk in. It’s a serene

corner of the world with a gothic aesthetic. The black cast iron staircase leads diners to an intimate mezzanine, which is juxtaposed beneath the buzzing open kitchen. Bulky and beautiful crown molding frames a cloudy night sky mural on the ceiling. Red velour chairs give a splash of color. All in all, it’s a grand atmosphere that transports you to an entirely different era.

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PHOTO BY ADAM BOVE

UNCLE

2215 WEST 32ND AVENUE, DENVER | 303 433 3263 | UNCLERAMEN.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST One of the first Japanese noodle bars in Denver is still one of the hottest. Tommy Lee opened this LoHi ringer for a Tokyo ramen shop in 2012, and six years later, lines out the door keep the joint jumping from open to close night after night.

VIBE Bare bones, tight squeeze. Lee wisely left the atmosphere up to the people inside it—the action in the open kitchen set to a hip-hop soundtrack, the buzz of the guests crammed elbow to elbow along the bar and at every available table.

MENU Ramen is its undeniable heart and soul, with five

or six variations available at any given time—some traditional, some not so much. But the rest of the menu is Uncle’s dominant right brain. From saltand-pepper quail to fried green-tomato bao slathered in miso mayo to Wagyu poke, it’s the seasonal small plates that win us over time and again, occasionally supplemented by equally creative specials like whole fried bass with kimchi sauce and green-papaya slaw or donburi gone wild with beef tongue, uni, and smoked-trout roe.

SIGNATURE DISHES The confit-duck shoyu ramen changes slightly with the weather—studded with corn in summer, apples in winter—but its awesomeness remains the same year in and year out.

DRINKS Funky sakes, cool craft beers, and cocktails flavored with lychee, honeydew, cardamom, and the like fill the beverage bill—but the small wine selection is the real treat, especially when it comes to whites. You don’t find Languedocienne Picpoul de Pinet or a Viognier/Chardonnay blend from the Galilee at any old noodle house.

APT REVIEW Thrillist recently included Uncle among the 24 best ramen shops in America, noting that “this is a place that draws its influences from sages both historic and modern, but also marches to its own weird, delicious beat.”

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U R B A N FA R M E R

1659 WAZEE STREET, DENVER | 303 262 6070 | URB ANFARMERDENVER.COM MENU By the same token, Starkus’s menu also covers all the greatest hits, from eye-popping seafood towers to gut-busting ribeyes. But if you never touched a shellfish or chop here, you’d still feast like royalty— on local greens in vinaigrette made with honey from upstairs, luscious sweetbreads with parsnip custard, roasted halibut and chickpea fritters in dandelion butter, and butterscotch brownies à la mode to make you swoon.

VIBE All the trappings of a traditional cow palace—lots of wood and leather, oversized booths, a grand bar and lounge—feel minty fresh here, juxtaposed as they are with homier, cheerier elements: a plaid wall, a display of jarred preserves and pickles, pops of scarlet and teal, a greenery-lined patio.

SIGNATURE DISHES The New York steak tasting—a sampler of three differently finished strips from three different ranches—opens your eyes to the variety of flavors and textures that seemingly homogenous beef can exhibit, while the mushrooms sautéed tableside with onions and Marsala open your eyes to the meatiness of fungi.

At lunch and brunch, the cheeseburger’s worth the splurge for the housemade English muffin alone.

DRINKS As the kitchen goes, so goes the bar. While the wine list more or less follows the rules of the genre, bearing lots of big-ticket bottles from the West Coast, France, and Italy, the cocktails tend to break them via showy flourishes like butter-pecan washes and dollops of pepper jelly.

PRO TIP Event planners take note—Urban Farmer’s stained glass–bedecked private rooms set a striking stage for special guests.

COURTESY OF URBAN FARMER

WHY IT’S ON THE LIST It might seem an odd name for a modern steakhouse, but Urban Farmer comes by it honestly thanks to executive chef Chris Starkus, who runs his own microfarm in Lakewood, keeps bees high above the restaurant on the rooftop of the Oxford Hotel, grows mushrooms in the hallways below it, butchers whole animals and bakes his own bread in house, and otherwise keeps it real and down-to-earth in an environment devoted to high-rolling glamour.

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V E S TA

1822 BLAKE STREET, DENVER | 303 296 1970 | VESTADENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST At 21 years and counting, Vesta never gets old.

Christened after the Roman goddess of the hearth, it began stoking the fires of LoDo’s transformation into hot property in 1997, and it has kept them burning ever since through transformations of its own—a name change (from “Vesta Dipping Grill”), a subtle renovation, a New American menu whose sophistication has increased exponentially with that of the neighborhood.

VIBE Vesta actually feels something like a long, narrow hearth, with its brick walls and old wooden columns, reddish and coppery hues, flame-shaped lights along the bar, and giant circular booths whose black edges spiral upward like swirls of smoke. It’s all about sizzle.

MENU As the original name suggests, Vesta’s menu was once built around mix-and-match condiments rather than main ingredients. Today, chef Nicholas Kayser honors that tradition while integrating them more fully into his seasonal dishes: showcasing lightly smoked, panroasted salmon with both mustard-seed “caviar” and smoked-onion crema as well as warm potato salad, say, or tossing toasted farro risotto in cashew cream along with asparagus and peas. It’s elegant, intricate stuff, capped off with pastry chef Nadine Donovan’s witty desserts, like the banana-chocolate trifle with exploding whipped cream and black tea–bergamot syrup.

ponzu—for adding to any dish you like or sampling on the house naan platter; the curry-grilled venison in cherry reduction isn’t going anywhere either.

DRINKS The bar rocks on the rocks, no doubt about it. Vesta was a local pioneer in barrel-aged cocktails, so they enjoy pride of place on the list, but the seasoned crew doesn’t make a bad drink, using anything from salted agave to seaweed. The sizeable beer selection is well-balanced stylewise—and the wine program may be one of the city’s most underrated. (Canary Island white blends, Passetoutgrain, vintage Port from 1967? We’re in!)

SIGNATURE DISHES That said, a selection of about 14 dips remains— black-pepper aioli, green-garlic puree, jalapeño RESTAURANTS // 109

T H E WAY B AC K

3963 TENNYSON STREET, DENVER | 970 682 6888 | THEWAYB ACKDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST With a crackerjack team that includes co-owner and top bar pro Chad Michael George and exec chef Jon Lavelle, a Danny Meyer alum, this Tennyson Street hot spot stands out even from the endless pack of contemporary small-plates specialists by doing its thing with that much more eclectic, progressive flair.

SIGNATURE DISHES The Way Back’s signature is resistance to signatures,

but the excellent okonomiyaki (a savory Japanese pancake) seems to be staying put for now, even if the accompaniments morph with the seasons.

DRINKS By contrast, the beverage list abounds in helpful hints, with detailed descriptions to explain the cheeky cocktail names (“None of Yabiscus,” “Resting Peach Face”). About 20 craft beers and the same number of wines by the glass (double by the bottle) skew food-friendly, from kölsches and sours to Sherries and Austrian whites.

DON’T MISS Like that libation? Learn how to make it—The Way Back hosts bartending classes every month or two.

COURTESY OF THE WAY BACK

VIBE With its massive carved bar and wooden booths, the lounge up front evokes an old longtimers’ pub, probably because it used to be one; the dining room, meanwhile, has the veneer of a timeless supper club, lined with black sofas, green banquettes, and floral panels beneath a foliage-fringed chandelier.

MENU It’s really more an ever-changing list of ingredients than a menu, with only one- or two-word headings and prices to indicate dish style and size: Think “charred bison heart, onion, turnip, mustard” or “carrot, feta, peanut, mint.” Don’t sweat it: You can trust Lavelle, who knocks out exquisite pastas— squid-ink fettuccine in green-chile pesto topped with crispy rice, say—and luscious veggie mélanges like mixed mushrooms in onion broth enriched with a cured egg yolk, as well as more straightforward fish and chops. And he makes a mean dessert too (such as cornbread with molasses gelato and miso caramel).

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COURTESY OF WILD STANDARD

W I L D S TA N D A R D 1043 PEARL STREET, BOULDER | 720 638 4800 | WILDSTANDARD.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST “I think I’m doing the best cooking I’ve ever done right now, at Wild Standard,” chef-restaurateur Bradford Heap told us recently. For someone whose own wildly high standards have been well documented since he opened Niwot farm-to-table pioneer Colterra (currently closed due to fire) in 2005, that’s saying something—and it’s not for nothing either. The seasoned confidence of his cooking style is the spotlight that shines on this showcase of sustainable seafood.

VIBE Whitewashed brick, weathered wood beams, vintage chandeliers, and a raw bar gleaming with shellfish on ice lend the dining room the well-worn texture of some old fish house on Cape Cod or

Fisherman’s Wharf—but without the kitsch. Date night’s doable here for sure.

MENU Between oysters, crab legs, cocktail shrimp, and steamed mussels, you could easily make a meal of classic starters here. But you’d be missing out on what the kitchen brings to the table, so to speak— the uni-butter toast that gives bouillabaisse extra oomph; the use of lobster, grilled eggplant, and pickled peppers in an uncommon play on ramen; even a burger made better with grass-fed beef, cracked-pepper chèvre, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and truffled aioli.

SIGNATURE DISHES The seafood green curry’s a steady favorite. Less

steady due to availability, but no less favorite, is anything made with wild Alaskan salmon. Heap uses every inch of the catch he gets shipped to him direct as often as he can—in tartare and sliders, on tacos and salads, as well as for seasonal entrées.

DRINKS Much as we appreciate the wine list’s emphasis on French bubbles and whites, we downright applaud Heap’s decision to include Colorado producers among them as well as on the beer and spirits rosters.

MEET THE FAMILY Not in the mood for seafood? That’s weird, but you’re in luck regardless—Heap also runs back-to-the-land bistro SALT just a few doors down.

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T H E WO L F ’S TA I L O R 4058 TEJON STREET, DENVER | 720 456 6507 | THEWOLFSTAILOR.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST As irresistible as it is uncategorizable, this Sunnyside sensation represents Kelly Whitaker’s diverse influences and passions as both a chef and a sustainability maven more than any particular genre—a loose interweave of Eastern and Western cuisine, heirloom grains and homegrown produce, each strand distinct enough to pick out but impossible to yank from the whole.

MENU Crudos and pickles, skewers and noodles, and familystyle platters make for a mix-and-match feast. A typical meal might start with jarred scallop crudo and tallow-rubbed beef kushiyaki, followed by casarecce (pasta twists) with sardines and turnips in a dusting of toasted breadcrumbs or acqua pazza (“crazy water”), an Italian fish-and-tomato soup Whitaker reimagines with dashi broth. It simply must end with one of pastry chef Jeb Breakell’s desserts, be it redmiso panna cotta or black-sesame semifreddo.

SIGNATURE DISHES Granting that it’s too early to say, we’re pazza ourselves for the fresh-baked piada, a type of Italian bread, accompanied by succulent mushroom puree and the Japanese savory custard known as chawanmushi, doubly enriched with parmesan.

DRINKS Though brief, the beverage list reads like a what’s what in smart bar trends, from sparkling sake and Japanese whisky highballs to single-varietal cider and orange (read: oxidized white) wine.

PRO TIP Sit at the tiny bar if you can—that’s where the binchotan magic happens.

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

VIBE Whereas open kitchens tend to emit high energy, there’s something serene about this one—set as it is against the quasi-minimalist backdrop of the small dining room, where house-milled and -shaped pasta dries behind a glassed-in display over here and Whitaker’s talented crew works the wood-burning

oven and the robata grill over there. Beyond that, decor is left to plants—both the sculptural flower arrangements inside and the abundance of vegetables and herbs growing out on the garden patio.

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PHOTO BY JENNIFER OLSON

WO R K & C L A S S

2500 LARIMER STREET, SUITE 101, DENVER | 303 292 0700 | WORKANDCLASSDENVER.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST If you order right, Dana Rodriguez and Tony Maciag’s RiNo anchor serves as Denver’s own Latin-inflected answer to the Southern meat-andthree. Just choose a protein, round it out with a few sides, and you’ve got yourself one of the heartiest, most soulful meals in town—just like your mom would have made if she were a Mexican-born, preternaturally talented ex-protégée of Jennifer Jasinski.

VIBE Urban goes downhome in this reclaimed shipping container, where industrial materials meet rainbow colors and bustling crowds squeeze into cozy nooks.

MENU Something slow-roasted, something fried; something starchy, something spicy. Follow that basic formula for a balanced diet, Work & Class–style: maybe cornmeal-fried catfish and spit-cooked lemon–brown butter chicken with corn-poblano salad and griddled goat-cheese masa one visit, French-onion short ribs and fried trout with chipotle mac-and-cheese and jalapeño cornbread the next.

SIGNATURE DISHES Your first visit, though, should include all of Rodriguez’s greatest hits: rich, tender cabrito (roasted goat) and cochinita pibil (pork braised in red chile); the chile sampler called peppers five

ways; and jarred butterscotch pudding topped with crushed toffee and whipped cream.

DRINKS Maciag’s approach to the beverage list is as witty as it is approachable: How can you pass up a top-shelf, barrel-aged Long Island Ice Tea; a beer-and-shot combo of Funkwerks and Xtabentún (saison and Mexican honey-anise liqueur); or a glass of I’m Not Drinking Any $%&*# Merlot? Just asking for them out loud is part of the fun.

DON’T MISS The Sunday special: fried chicken. Enough said.

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ZOLO GRILL

2525 ARAPAHOE AVENUE, BOULDER | 303 449 0444 | ZOLOGRILL.COM WHY IT’S ON THE LIST Given that Colorado extends into the Southwest, the dearth of options for the region’s distinctive cuisine—based on the traditions of our neighbor New Mexico—in the Denver/Boulder area is frankly kind of embarrassing. This Big Red F fixture has proudly stood among the few exceptions to the rule for more than 20 years, highlighting the bounty of corn, beans, squash, chiles, and more that defines one of America’s great foodways.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ZOLO GRILL

VIBE Beneath a log-beamed ceiling, the dining room captures the windswept expanse of the desert in vivid hues of red and turquoise, decorated with landscapes, mounted steer skulls, cactus designs, and the like; the view of the craggy Flatirons from the patio only enhances the mood.

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MENU As novel as the flavor combinations that the kitchen dreams up may be, every last plate seems to come straight from the ancient earth. Apple butter and huitlacoche vinaigrette enhance empanadas stuffed with roasted mushrooms. With sage biscuits and dried cranberries, pan-fried and gravied buffalo medallions atop a mélange of turnips, parsnips, and yams elicit Thanksgivings of yore. Tacos spill like cornucopias with sweet potatoes, golden beets, leeks, shishito peppers, and apple-jicama slaw, drizzled in arugula chimichurri. Pecans and chiles bring smoky, toasty depth to chocolate custard. Welcome to the Land of Enchantment.

SIGNATURE DISHES The tableside guacamole and the chicken enchiladas enjoy residency on the menu; so does the tamale,

though it changes with the seasons—now graced with pickled corn relish, pan-roasted zucchini, and purslane in corn-silk cream, now with spaghetti and butternut squash, almond-habanero crema, and apricote compote.

DRINKS The bar puts its extensive collection of agave spirits to fine use in an array of margaritas you’ll be hardpressed to look past—but then again, why should you? They’re the house specialty for an obvious reason.

PRO TIP Speaking of margs, they come two-for-one during lunch on Fridays. At Zolo, BOGO is just another way of saying TGIF.

A S D E N V E R I T E S , W E ’ R E G R AT E F U L F O R

every last chef, restaurateur, manager, bartender, sommelier, server, and dishwasher who commits to wining and dining us day in and day out. But some deserve a special tip of the hat for their efforts to make a positive impact not just on our cuisine but on our culture and our community. Read on to learn what makes these visionaries, mavericks, and movers-and-shakers tick.

people

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movement—what’s a life lesson you’ve learned about changing people’s attitudes and outlooks along the way?

I really try to live by the motto “never criticize, condemn, or complain.” The road to success is a series of bridges and finding common ground. But I’m not saying to just compromise! A great example is the work of sustainability, which is polarizing to some. If you’re a zealot (like myself ), preaching turns more people off than on—though we’re generally aligned in thoughts, the wrong words throw up walls. But if you’re reluctant to part with money, sustainability is your best friend; if you don’t believe in climate change, you can still believe in the prudent use of resources.

ADAM SCHLEGEL I’M NOT A CHEF. I’M REALLY NOT A RESTAURANTEUR. Reluctantly, I’ll classify myself as a business guy.” So says Adam Schlegel, who founded Snooze—the beloved Ballpark neo-diner turned booming regional chain—with his brother Jon Schlegel in 2016. But anyone who knows him knows better. Schlegel’s a community visionary whose work with organizations such as Eat Denver, Denver Urban Gardens, the Denver Sustainability Food Policy Council, and many others has helped make this city both healthier and greener. As he puts it, “Our food system is either the ill or the cure for so much of life. And everyone who eats can contribute to what it should be. Pick up your fork.”

Tell us about the meal that made you who you are today.

I owe my great fortune of being in this business to my brother Jon, who dreamed up the idea of Snooze and was kind enough/needed free labor/ cautiously optimistic that I could help.

However, my defining food experience was at the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Australia. It’s one of the world’s great public markets, and as a 22-year-old who had been shipped to 116

work abroad, I fell in love with every produce stand, the hundreds of cheeses, the goats, pigs, and fish. I connected with it in the most visceral of ways—it forever changed my perspective on the origins and the importance of food and remains one of my greatest hopes to reimagine in our city.

corned-beef hash. I remember the day our then-chef Scott Bermingham created it, just overjoyed with this perfect vision of hearty, delectable corned beef with caramelized onions and poblano peppers.

I put poached eggs on everything at Snooze and now add our new English muffin, crafted after many years of work.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at Snooze and why?

If I had to pick just one, it would be our

You’re involved in a lot of projects that promote both the Denver dining scene and the sustainability

What do you see as the most important developments on the local dining scene since you started?

I want change so fast that I often forget to look back and see how narrow it used to be—that the meat-and-potato town actually existed—but in 10 years we’ve become a radically different city, with a connection to our fields, eclectic neighborhoods, and a variety of cuisines. Now, I’d like us to go deeper. I continue to hope that our city develops a truly great, year-round public market, with an emphasis on wholesale—a gathering place for all, and a way to help define the food culture in Denver. From hospitals to the public-school system, we should all have access to the bounty produced by our often-underestimated but extremely robust local agricultural system.

BOBBY STUCKEY

MASTER SOMMELIER BOBBY STUCKEY AND HIS CHEF-PARTNER LACHLAN MACKINNON-PATTERSON COME AS CLOSE AS ANYONE IN COLORADO TO RESTAURANT-INDUSTRY ROYALTY. After joining forces as rising stars at Thomas Keller’s Napa Valley legend The French Laundry, the duo almost single-handedly put our fair state on the national culinary map when they opened Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder in 2004. And they’ve been helping to keep us there ever since—opening Pizzeria Locale and Tavernetta to bring their total of celebrated Italian restaurants to three and winning just about every accolade that matters along the way, including two James Beard Awards.

We’d say “all hail the kings,” but we have a feeling they’d object to that—their reputation, after all, is built on conscientious, ego-free service as well as worldclass wine programs and flawless cuisine. In fact, Stuckey—who began making a name for himself at renowned Aspen resort The Little Nell even before his stint in California—maintains a laser-like focus on service to this day, as his answers to our questions reveal.

PHOTO BY MIKE THURK

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received?

I was reviewed once at The Little Nell—this was right when we were coming out of the old-school sommelier world and before the days of Internet reviews—and a critic said something to the extent of “really, sommeliers aren’t supposed to be that nice and caring.” This was 20-something years ago.

What do you see as the most important development on the Denver/Boulder dining scene since you started? What changes would you

like to see next?

The Denver dining culinary scene has skyrocketed since we’ve been here, almost 15 years, but it is truly on a different playing field for cooking than for front-of-house service. I hope we can bring the level of hospitality up in the Front Range as the chefs have done with culinary in the kitchen.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

That would be hospitality—taking care of people.

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JOSH WOLKON WHEN NEW AMERICAN FIXTURE VESTA OPENED IN 1997, OWNER JOSH WOLKON WAS, AT 25, BUT A BABE IN THE WOODS—OR RATHER THE GRITTY WILDERNESS THAT WAS LODO AT THE TIME. As he’s grown up and gone on to open upscale diner Steuben’s and pan-Asian pingpong parlor Ace Eat Serve, the Denver dining scene has grown up with him. But in the midst of its explosive growth, Wolkon has kept his focus on the community that has supported him all these years, giving back in spades through events like Plates for the Peak and Wings & Whiskey. In him, big-city success meets small-town solicitude.

What was the meal that led you to become a restaurateur—the one that made you who you are today?

Hot-and-sour soup, chicken wings, spare ribs, and scallion pie at Cheng Du in Mansfield, Massachusetts. I loved and still love East Coast Chinese food, and this is the place my family would go regularly. I remember thinking that if I owned my own restaurant, I could eat these foods every day—and Vesta, Steuben’s, and Ace have all served wings and ribs at some point.

The first time I ever experienced bold fruit salsas on grilled fish and meat was at the East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which was fun, casual, high-energy, and beachy. When I had the opportunity to meet owner Chris Schlesinger, he pulled up in a Jeep Wrangler with his surfboard tied to the roof and came into the restaurant in shorts and flip-flops. With all the talk of how hard the restaurant business is, I remember thinking to myself, this guy has it figured out. I‘ve always put a similar priority on my active lifestyle outside of the restaurants.

Describe the atmosphere of each of your restaurants in less than 10 words.

Ace: Edgy pong Thai beach bar.

Vesta: Worldly, refined, seasoned, and inspiring. Steuben’s: Austin Powers meets Diner meets Boogie Nights.

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

El Taco de Mexico: It’s a Denver institution—a genuine, traditional Mexican food joint. The rice and beans are great as well as the salsa. They have a team of all women who keep a spotless kitchen and crank out the home-cooked food. I crave their beef taco plate and green chile on a regular basis; the green chile gets my vote for best in Denver, and the experience proves that not all great dining experiences have to break the bank. Pair it with a horchata and you’re all set. When Andrew Zimmern from the Food Network filmed here, they caught my wife Jen in the background chowing down on tacos.

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received, whether from a loved one or an online reviewer?

Vesta’s first review in Westword, 1997.

The headline: “Have a Nice Trip.” “Poor Josh Wolkon,” the article began, and went on to spend at least half of the review discussing the dysfunction of our custom-designed copper chairs that we had already acknowledged we were replacing ASAP. Overall the review, as it related to food and hospitality, was positive, but never did I expect our chairs to take center stage.

and John Schlegel, and Justin Cucci (I’m sure I’m missing a few). We’ve worked closely to build the non-profit organization Eat Denver and help to set the standards and a road map for the next generation of community-focused, independent, and creative restaurants.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

When we celebrated Vesta’s 20th What do you see as the most anniversary, as I gave my toast, I important development on the Denver/Boulder dining scene since you looked out to the crowd of nearly 300 started? What changes would you like people and was overwhelmed by the connection we all shared. As we have to see next? added Steuben’s and Ace to the group, The close-knit community of chefs our family has grown exponentially. and restaurant owners that grew up Secret Sauce has brought thousands and worked together to promote and of people, guests, business partners, expand the Denver dining scene is and our own staff and family together. pretty unique in this industry, in terms of mutual respect and support. The likes We’ve celebrated countless occasions and joined together to support so many of Mel Masters, Kevin Taylor, Corky Douglas, and Noel Cunningham paved community and philanthropic causes.

Being a part of the journeys of our staff the way for Dave Query, Troy Guard, as they grow up, advance their careers, Matt Selby, Jamie Fader, Tyler Wiard, marry, and have children is a lucky part Jen Jasinski, Beth Gruitch, Frank Bonanno, Paul and Aileen Reilly, Adam of my world and career.

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HOSEA ROSENBERG HOSEA ROSENBERG MAY BE A STAR, BUT HE’S A GROUNDED STAR. After winning Top Chef, the Taos native could have taken the bright lights, big city route; instead, he dug deep in Boulder. When he finally opened the fine-dining destination everyone was waiting for, Blackbelly, he did it on his terms, with a whole-animal butcher shop attached; his follow-up, Santo, is an equally heartfelt ode to the folk cuisine of New Mexico. Heck, even his answers to our interview questions reflect his down-to-earth spirit.

PHOTO BY RACHEL ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

What was the meal that made you who you are today?

Pork and beans. I’ll elaborate: It was the year after I won Top Chef, and I was having a tough time deciding what to do next. I was invited to Sonoma, California, to participate in the Heirloom Tomato Festival at [winery] Kendall-Jackson. It was an amazing time cooking, eating, and drinking wine all weekend; on the last day, all the visiting and local chefs were invited to a party catered just for us as a big thank you.

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I ended up spending a good amount of time in the kitchen with the amazing husband-and-wife catering team. I learned they owned a farm where they raised animals, grew produce, cured meat, preserved and fermented vegetables, and owned all of their equipment. We were talking at the stove, and as they stirred a big pot of heirloom beans spiked with sausage made from heritage pigs from their farm, a light bulb went off. I thought to myself, “This is what I want to do!” From that point on, I made an effort to only cook food I had either grown or raised myself or that came

from someone I knew. I started my own boutique farm-to-table catering business and cooked every single thing from scratch. I partnered with a buddy who had some farmland and we began to raise livestock and grow produce. I bought a food truck and focused on seasonal, organic, local food. From those humble beginnings to a multiunit operation, I have always tried to stick to the mantra that every ingredient matters and should tell a story.

What’s the funniest online criticism you ever received?

I don’t know if it’s funny or sad, but we recently had a Yelp reviewer rip us apart because a table near him at Blackbelly had children. He felt that the loud kids ruined his meal. Instead of reaching out to a manger, he just decided to go home and give us a 1-star review that said he will not be back until a “firm no-children policy is implemented,” despite acknowledging that our food is good. I rarely respond publicly, but I told him we will never consider such things and he shouldn’t publicly degrade a restaurant just because he doesn’t like children!

JEFF OSAKA CRAVING JAPANESE FOOD? JEFF OSAKA’S YOUR GUY, WITH SUBTERRANEAN TAVERN OSAKA RAMEN AND THE EVERGROWING SUSHI-RAMA FRANCHISE TURNING OUT NOODLE BOWLS AND CONVEYOR-BELT ROLLS GALORE. Need a fab datenight nook? He’s still your guy, with 12@Madison ranked among Denver’s best upscale contemporary restaurants. Hot to hit a food hall? He came up with the vendor plan for Denver Central Market—which now has a branch at the Denver International Airport, where Osaka Kitchen will also pop up soon. If you want it, Osaka’s probably got it. Admitting that “it overwhelms even me sometimes,” he adds, “It’s taught that good things take time—I’ve been cooking for almost half my life, and I’m just now hitting my stride!”

COURTESY OF SUSHI-RAMA

Tell us about the meal that made you who you are today.

I don’t think it was a particular meal, but more a person—my mother. She cooked for our family almost every day for a good 30-plus years—longer than I’ve been in the business. Her skills were effortless: deboning a chicken like nobody’s business, making pâté à choux and filling it with whipped cream for dessert, all while raising five kids!

What’s your favorite thing to eat at each of your concepts and why?

Osaka Ramen: I love the chicken karaage—the marinade (secret recipe) keeps it juicy, and the potato starch we coat it with before we fry it keeps it extra-crispy. Sushi-Rama: The California roll will always be a favorite.

It’s the perfect balance of surimi, Kewpie mayo, cucumber, and avocado!

12@Madison: the baby lettuce salad, the only dish I carried over from the original Twelve restaurant. The mesclun

mix, frisée and endive for bitterness, shaved vegetables, salty parmesan, and Banyuls vinaigrette is the ultimate composed salad—I can eat it almost everyday!

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received, whether from a loved one or an online reviewer?

One of the most ridiculous “reviews” was from someone who didn’t even dine in my restaurant: “I couldn’t find parking, so I left. One star!” You have to take these things with a grain of salt.

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

The one my family and I frequent the most is Super Star for dinner—it’s simple, fast, and makes us happy.

On the weekends we may meet some friends for dim sum—it’s always so festive. Watching them take the tops off the steamer baskets is like opening Christmas packages.

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EUCLID HALL

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JENNIFER JASINSKI

& BETH GRUITCH

CALIFORNIA GIRL JENNIFER JASINSKI STUDIED AT THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA AND WORKED FOR YEARS UNDER HER LEGENDARY MENTOR WOLFGANG PUCK—BUT SHE TRULY CAME INTO HER OWN WHEN SHE MOVED TO DENVER, BECAME EXECUTIVE CHEF AT PANZANO, AND MET COLORADO NATIVE BETH GRUITCH. From there, the pair went on to open what now constitute five of Denver’s greatest hits: modern Mediterranean flagship Rioja, (mostly) traditional French charmer Bistro Vendôme, gastropub Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen, splashy seafood spot Stoic & Genuine, and even-splashier tapas bar Ultreia. Along the way, Jasinski won a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest, while Gruitch has established herself as one of the city’s head hospitality honchos. Duos don’t get more dynamic than this one.

and the influence it had on genuine service fascinated me. As a table of two old people and two children asked for separate checks, I was taught early on that service staff could be influenced by preconceived ideas and that their approach and attitude could influence our meal. I wanted to serve people regardless. I wanted to know peoples’ stories and I was truly interested in why and how they were there.

Of all the dishes you’ve ever offered, what are the first that comes to mind as the ones you’re proudest of? What’s one of your current favorites?

JJ: Still, after all these years, the artichoke tortelloni and our cardamom-spiced fresh bacon at Rioja.

But also the mussels Billi Bi at Stoic & Genuine, the roast chicken with pomme fondant and zucchini ribbons at Bistro Vendôme, and the jamón croquettes at Ultreia.

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER OLSON

Be it in your grandmother’s kitchen or a Michelin-starred restaurant, what was the meal that led to that aha moment and made you want to go into the business—the meal that made you who you are today?

JJ: I don’t think there was one meal that led me to be the person I am today. It was many meals, catching that energy you get from a great dining experience—like when I was 17, out with my mom, and I saw the chef at the end of the night go around and say thank you to each table. I thought that was so cool. When I made Thanksgiving turkey for my family at 16 and deboned the whole thing (but kept it intact with all the skin) and stuffed it and saw the looks of wonder and joy on their faces.

When I crushed my first service. When I ate the perfect risotto. This all made and makes up the reason I’m still excited to make people happy—through food, beverage, and the whole experience that makes restaurants cool.

in Denver, finally! And I have mad respect for Mercantile and the team there. Sushi Den is always a favorite!

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received, whether from a loved one or an online reviewer?

JJ: Oh, this is easy—some Yelper didn’t like Rioja. They asked the server if they could get the artichoke tortelloni with no artichokes and the server tried to explain, it’s an artichoke-filled pasta in an artichoke broth, with an artichoke garnish. They refused to listen and said we gave terrible service—that we were anti-vegetarians who wouldn’t grant their simple request!

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

BG: As children we were fortunate JJ: I love a few—most are my husband’s enough to travel with my [Mac MacKissock], but besides that, New grandparents; we were given a daily Saigon is still such an awesome place!

BG: “You need to stop caring about allowance to pay for all of our meals what everyone thinks.” and gratuities. The tradition of gratuity BG: Super happy to see Tavernetta

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

JJ: I want to be known as a good teacher and leader. I want people to be proud they worked for me. I want people to tell stories of how fun and good it was—it’s always hard, but I want them to remember what we created together, as a team!

BG: I always want to change the stigma of restaurant management and the perception that this business is for burnouts and drunks. I hope that people will think of me as a businesswoman who’s impressively hospitable.

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TROY GUARD

HE’S A MILE HIGH POWERHOUSE NOW, BUT TROY GUARD’S TIES TO THE OCEAN GO A MILE DEEP. Raised in Hawaii, he built his career on coasts and islands all over the world—from San Diego and New York to Japan and Singapore—as well as his home state, where his training under James Beard Award–winning chef Roy Yamaguchi is reflected in his penchant for Pacific Rim cooking to this day, especially at contemporary hot spots TAG and Mister Tuna. Yet the freewheeling, hang-ten spirit instilled in Guard from childhood is also encapsulated in his willingness to tackle just about any culinary genre. Upscale steakhouse? Guard and Grace.

Rockin’ taqueria? Los Chingones. Neighborhood hang? FNG and TAG Burger Bar. Daytime diner? Hashtag. Healthy fast-casual? Bubu. What’s next? Who knows—with Guard, the only sure thing is that there’s always something next.

Be it in your grandmother’s kitchen or a Michelin-starred restaurant, what was the meal that led to that aha moment—the meal that made you who you are today?

This is a great question—funny how easily you remember that. It was 1992 and I’d just moved to Maui, at the age of 21, to work at Roy’s. He had a beautiful exhibition kitchen, and it was the first time I’ve ever cooked in a kitchen where guests could see us. I worked for free as part of my schooling, and I remember going in six hours every day just so I had more one-on-one time with the chef. This was where my foundation was set for hard work and making a great kitchen hum.

It was also where a dish was created that I remember so vividly: Pan-seared Hawaiian opakapaka [pink snapper] with stir-fried won bok [Napa cabbage],

steamed rice, and macadamia nut– lobster butter sauce. Sounds crazy, but I can still taste it every time I picture it.

All-around unforgettable.

O.G. Taco Sushi, which happens to be my wife’s favorite too!

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

There are so many favorites that I Of all the dishes you’ve ever made, love, but the one I want to call out is what’s the first that comes to mind as the one you’re proudest of? What’s Izakaya Den. Everything they put out is incredibly fresh and everything they do one of your current favorites?

I’ve made so many dishes over the years, is spot on, from ambiance to hospitality so this is very difficult to answer, but the to food. Well done! dish I’m most proud of would be when What counts as the funniest criticism I flew out 300 pounds of Colorado you’ve ever received, whether from a lamb racks for my dad’s 70th birthday loved one or an online reviewer? celebration in Maui. When they arrived, Oh man, there’s too many good ones—I I marinated them in soy, ginger, garlic, can’t pick. Everyone seems to be a critic rock sugar, and sambal—and wow, these days, and it’s just part of the fun. were they a huge hit! As for one of my favorites now, I’d say TAG Restaurant’s What do you see as the most flash-seared kona kamapchi with important development on the truffled white soy, myoga [a gingery Denver/Boulder dining scene since you herb], baby tatsoi, and Pop Rocks or our started? What changes would you like

to see next?

I’m really happy to see that Denver and Boulder are gaining so much recognition for what’s happening here. Between James Beard Award– winning chefs, amazing local farms, and unique spirits and breweries, we really do have it all, and it’s about time people realize that.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

Well, I hope I don’t see this for a long, long time, but I’d would be most proud to be remembered as a loving husband, kick-butt dad, and a great chef—and I hope they say that all three were done with passion! I just want to be remembered for giving it all I had and living well.

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PHOTOS BY CON POULOS

BLACK CAT FARM-TABLE-BISTRO

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ERIC SKOKAN ERIC SKOKAN LIVES MORE LIFE IN A DAY THAN MOST OF US DO IN A YEAR. He’s a family man. He’s the chef-owner of two beloved Boulder fixtures, Black Cat Farm-Table-Bistro and gastropub Bramble & Hare. And he sources most of the ingredients for both from his own 130-acre, certified-organic and -biodynamic farm, where he raises a menagerie of heritage breeds and grows hundreds of heirloom crops, including grains—which he also mills. We don’t know how he does it. We do know he does it with bravura.

Be it at your grandma’s house or a temple of gastronomy, what was the meal that led to that aha moment and made you a chef—the meal that made you who you are today? What was the moment that made you a farmer?

As far as becoming a chef, it wasn’t so much a meal as an experience. I was at the University of Virginia, and I was working my way through school by cooking. I planned on attending law school after graduation. But along the way, I realized that I had a knack for cooking and that I was bringing joy into people’s lives by doing it—and I could juxtapose that with being a lawyer, where I would create joy in only half the people’s lives and potentially create misery in the others’ lives.

Now I know taking care of people is hard-wired into who I am—I have the hospitality gene. What’s more, the culinary field is so expansive that is piqued my intellectual interest.

What are some of the crops you’re most excited about right now?

Right now, it’s arugula. In the heat of the summer, it’s too spicy, but the nights are getting cooler, and it’s delicious, at the peak of its flavor. That’s the great thing about growing and cooking everything ourselves. Every month, every week, there are new, fun things to celebrate.

As far as becoming a farmer, ironically that stems more from a meal. I had been working in big kitchens for a while when [wife-partner] Jill and I took a vacation to the Basque Country in France. We were staying at this auberge,

Also, every year I experiment with a new crop, something I’ve never grown before. That sense of discovery is addictive. This year I’m focusing on buckwheat. Last winter Jill and I went to Tokyo and took a class in

and I saw our chef-waitress-farmer Marguerite scurry out of the kitchen door into her garden after taking our order, and then I saw her return to the kitchen with an apron full of produce.

And then, 15 minutes later, dishes were coming out of the kitchen. They were glorious. The immediacy and beauty of food that was just harvested and then served in a simple and delicious way was a revelation. And that got me to daydreaming about how I could somehow pull that off in Colorado.

soba making from a soba master. It was mind-boggling. So the mission of the moment is learning how to grow buckwheat and then, once the harvest is in, learning how to mill it. Hopefully by spring I will have perfected soba making here in Colorado.

What do you see as the most important development on the Denver/Boulder dining scene since you started? What changes would you like to see next?

When I first moved here, restaurants were celebrating cuisine from across the world; excellent and worthy food had to do with how far removed it was from Colorado. But now it’s a celebration of what is happening here. It’s hard to overestimate how important that is to creating a mature, vibrant food scene and culture in Colorado—or any region.

In terms of changes, there needs to be a more consistent level of authenticity.

If you say you’re a farm-to-table restaurant, then you should be farmto-table. If you say you’re sourcing an ingredient from somewhere, it should really be from there. The greenwashing, the slippery ethics, of putting the names

of hard-working farmers on your menu and then not actually buying from them and supporting them is hard to justify.

And unfortunately, it’s very common.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

I think we moved the needle in terms of what’s possible in creating a local, sustainable food culture. Obviously what we do is an extreme example of the farm-to-table movement—it’s hard to get more extreme than us. Our hope is not that everybody does what we do but that more people will do more— that they will move in the farm-to-table direction because we’ve provided a model for doing it successfully.

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FRANK BONANNO IF DENVER HAD A CULINARY AMBASSADOR, FRANK BONANNO WOULD BE A SHOO-IN FOR THE POST. Since 2001, when he opened contemporary French institution Mizuna, he’s been leading the way toward a self-sufficient, self-contained dining scene, showing locals what we were missing before we knew we were missing it. Housemade salumi and cheeses at Luca and Osteria Marco. Craft cocktails at neo-speakeasy Green Russell. Bao and ramen at Bones. So much of what we now take for granted didn’t exist here before Bonanno, with wife-partner Jacqueline by his side, started doing it—and he just keeps doing it, whether in an underground barbecue shack (Russell’s Smokehouse) and pie shop (Wednesday’s Pie), a Jersey-inspired deli (Salt & Grinder), a neighborhood dive (Vesper Lounge), or a one-man food hall (Milk Market). Raise a glass and say it with us: Thanks, Frank.

Be it home cooking or haute cuisine, what was the meal that led to that aha moment—the meal that made you who you are today?

When I was a freshman in high school, I was home sick watching Julia Child with my mom. She was such great television—so real, so inspiring—and her food was truly beautiful. That afternoon, before my father came home from work, my mother and I cooked Child’s zucchini frittata together. I remember grating the zucchini while my mom whipped the eggs, reading the notes my mom scrawled while Julia was talking, and healing over the act of cooking. That’s what food is. It’s healing. It’s magic.

Of all the dishes you’ve ever made, what’s the first that comes to mind as the one you’re proudest of? What’s one of your current favorites?

For [noted businessman] Walter Isenberg’s 50th birthday, I roasted a rack of veal and served it with a truffle demi-glace and mashed potatoes. It was so simple, but, man, that roast didn’t slice so much as melt away from the

knife—juicy, tender, perfectly seasoned.

Every component of the night—the food, the friends, the wine—just grooved. In my fantasy mind, Walter is saying my eulogy, talking about how I made One Perfect Meal and wiping a tear from his eye, not for me but in remembrance of a perfect rack of veal.

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

Right now I’m loving Super Mega Bien, not just because the food is great (I mean, anything Dana Rodriguez cooks is amazing) but because she and Tony Maciag took so many risks there—with the South American fare, with the dim sum style, with the design and the location. And it makes me happy to just enjoy a Chicha [cocktail] in that room, laughing with my wife, and taking in the happiness around us.

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received, whether from a loved one or an online reviewer?

A guest personally scolded me on her way out the Mizuna door about the uselessness of linen napkins because

you can’t spit your gum in them.

What do you see as the most important development on the Denver/Boulder dining scene since you started?

What changes would you like to see next?

When I moved here, Denver seemed like one big neighborhood with a smattering of businesses a short drive away. Now there are dozens of neighborhoods, each with its own flavor and flair and distinct personality, and it’s only steps from most homes to great food and drink. I’m in the Highlands, for example. I can walk to Seafood Landing and pick up fresh halibut to grill at home, head over to St. Kilian’s to pore over starters, and select a right proper wine from Mondo Vino on the way back to my house. Or I can just enjoy a super-tasty enchilada at El Camino and revel in the margarita buzz on the walk home with my sons. It’s so cool. There’s no good light-rail access in the Highlands, though, so I tend to get stuck in my own neighborhood.

It’s not bad, really, but that’s what I’d like to see more of in Denver: public

transportation that better connects us, thoughtfully, regularly, meaningfully, happily.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

I’d like my culinary epitaph to speak to Denver, to a sense of place and food and culture and how I’ve maybe made a difference—tried to make a difference. I’d like to be known for the generation of chefs that came through these swinging doors to learn, to hone, to perfect—then went forward to open their own restaurants and run their own kitchens. I’d like to be remembered for the memories shaped in my dining rooms—proposals made, and labors started, couples who have met while working these floors and kitchens, then had their own children and successes.

I just want to be somewhere in their story, in Denver’s story.

But really: I’d like to be remembered for the Perfect Meal I once cooked for Walter Isenberg on his 50th birthday.

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JUSTIN CUCCI

WE’VE SAID IT BEFORE, WE’LL SAY IT AGAIN—NO ONE HAS HIS FINGER ON THE PULSE OF THIS CITY MORE FIRMLY THAN RESTAURATEUR JUSTIN CUCCI. Sustainable, seasonal, vegetarian-friendly cuisine: check. Globally inspired street food and small plates from countries, like Israel and India, heretofore inexplicably underrepresented on the Denver food scene: check. A live-music venue and a craft distillery (the latter outside of the Edible Beats group) with actually good food: check. Time and time again, Cucci has stepped up to fill vacant niche after niche—and just as important, the sheer style with which he’s done it is beyond compare.

Thanks to his knack for reclaiming historic spaces and filling them with all things vintage, sexy, and just plain oddball, every last concept is a knockout.

What got you into this crazy business?

For me, it was sort of like being born into the carnival—it’s just what I was going to do. I didn’t have a choice, but even if I did, I would still be doing exactly what it is I’m doing now.

All your restaurants are known for their eye-popping interior design. Tell us about a few of your favorite items of decor.

The wall of repurposed tin-can lids at Root Down. It encapsulates what the place is all about: There are so many parallels between Root Down and that mid-century garage. Also the

Jägermeister bottle bar downstairs at Ophelia’s. My father worked at a liquor store in Key West, and he sent all those bottles to me. The color is so vibrant, and I love that we were able to use them—one customer drank each and every one of those bottles!

What local restaurants not your own do you love?

Cho77, New Saigon, and Spuntino.

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received, whether from a loved one or an online reviewer?

When we first opened Root Down nine

years ago, Jason Sheehan, who used to write for Westword, said in a review that he wouldn’t trust a peanut butter–andjelly sandwich from the Root Down kitchen. It’s quite an entertaining article!

But this December, we’re celebrating 10 years, and we’re thankful Denver and our guests have decided to trust our kitchen.

What do you see as the most important development on the Denver/Boulder dining scene since you started? What changes would you like to see next?

There has been such an incredible

evolution of the restaurant culture in Denver. When Root Down opened, there weren’t many restaurants from the 21st century; now there are thousands.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

Ha, that’s an easy one—that all the restaurants are still open! But in a deeper sense, I’d like to be remembered for our culture of culinary collaboration and for fighting the vegetable-forward battle.

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JUSTIN BRUNSON

YOU CAN TAKE THE BOY OFF THE FARM, BUT YOU CAN’T TAKE THE FARM OUT OF THE BOY. Iowa native Justin Brunson grew up among the roots of our food system, and his homegrown understanding of production, not just cooking, shows in everything he does—most notably meat cookery.

From butchering, curing, and sausage making to smoking, roasting, and grilling, he showcases it all at his LoHi fixtures Old Major and Masterpiece Delicatessen, as well as at Culture Meat & Cheese in Denver Central Market in RiNo and at the Denver International Airport; his latest project, meat-processing facility River Bear American Meats, will soon be churning out wholesale charcuterie. Busy as he is, he’s also the epitome of a fun guy, so we directed the fun questions to him.

Be it haute cuisine or home cooking, what was the meal that made you who you are today?

My grandmother’s cast-iron fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and coleslaw served with a glass of icecold milk. I remember her whole house smelling like fried chicken. Running into the kitchen as a little kid, I would look up to the counter and watch her chopping away and boiling those potatoes—the smell was intoxicating. I think, at that point, I was hooked for life!

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What’s your favorite thing to eat at each of your concepts and why?

At Culture Meat & Cheese, it’s the breakfast sandwich [eggs, bacon or sausage, tomato, and arugula on a bagel]—because breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Masterpiece Deli makes the best Italian sandwich ever. At River Bear American Meats, it’s our hot dogs—made with real ingredients and smoked to perfection.

And Old Major’s fried chicken reminds me of my grandmother!

DANA RODRIGUEZ

THIS TOWN IS FULL OF HONORABLE AND HIGHLY RESPECTED CHEFS. But few are as downright beloved as the force of nature that is Dana Rodriguez. With a bubbly personality overlying a steely will to excellence, the Juarez native trained for years under Jennifer Jasinski before opening Work & Class and, more recently, Super Mega Bien with partner Tony Maciag. Both sit at the top of Denver’s Latin-food pyramid thanks not only to her exceptional talent but also to her ability to light up any room she’s in.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER OLSON

What single dish most inspired you to become a chef/restaurateur?

Green-chile posole. I grew up with it; it was a tradition to have it every Sunday with my family, and when I started cooking, it became a tradition for family meal for my entire staff—I just make it fancier now!

What’s your favorite thing to eat at your restaurants and why?

At Super Mega Bien, it’s the Peking duck; we do it with orange and chipotle to give it Latin flavor. At Work & Class, the fried sweet plantains and the jalapeño cornbread—I can eat them with everything!

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

My favorite restaurant of all is Lao Wang Noodle House. It’s just two old people cooking, and I love the passion they have. They’re open, like, two hours a day; when they run out of food, they run out. But I’m waiting at the door for those potstickers.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph?

Everything I do in the industry is about how I want people to remember me. I want my employees, my customers, and my community to think of me as trying to be the best for everyone else. I’m not thinking about making money or building a name for myself—just about serving food that makes people happy.

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ALEX SEIDEL

CALL HIM THE POSTER BOY FOR THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN DENVER DINING SCENE. After making a name for himself at one of its cornerstones—Frank Bonanno flagship Mizuna—in the early aughts, Alex Seidel moved on to craft another of its cornerstones, namely his own flagship Fruition, in 2007. Since then, he’s been at the forefront of every major development in local food production, from building his own farm and creamery, Fruition Farms, to opening Mercantile Dining & Provision, with its now–de rigueur onsite market; he’s also collaborating on a production bakery (Füdmill) and a fast-casual chicken joint (Chook).

In short, Seidel has his fingers in so many pies these days that it’s no wonder he pulled out a plum in the form of the 2018 James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest.

Be it home cooking or haute cuisine, what was the meal that led you to become a chef/restaurateur—the meal that made you who you are today?

I don’t think it was a single meal, honestly. I grew up in Wisconsin in the 1980s on ring bologna and canned sauerkraut; if we had a steak, that was like a once-a-year thing. I remember making a stuffed tenderloin when I was 17 with a soccer buddy. That stuck in my head: “No one ever taught me this; I don’t know how I put this thing together, and it’s kind of decent.”

What changed was when I started working in kitchens and encountering these really simple ingredients. I remember seeing fresh herbs and thinking, “I’ve never seen these before.

Wow, they smell so great and do amazing things to food!” I think this is what led me out West. Working with calamari for the first time—it was a big

deal to me. Sand dabs and abalone and traveling through the artichoke fields.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at each of your restaurants and why?

It’s always changing. I recently had my first meal of 2018 at Fruition and I was really impressed with what was going on there. It’s like Thanksgiving dinner— when you’ve been cooking all day long, it’s really hard to sit down and enjoy it—but I can honestly say that this was one of the best experiences I ever had at Fruition: amazing tomatoes, squash blossoms, a little foie gras on brioche, melon soup with curried yogurt.

With Mercantile, what I’m most proud of is putting so many different elements into practice all in one place—it’s challenging and rewarding at the same time.

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received, whether from a loved one or an online reviewer?

I don’t read reviews. In the first six months of Fruition, I’d look at what people had to say. Thankfully, it was mostly positive, but I learned then that no matter how hard I try, I’m not going to please everyone.

For me it was moving here from California and missing what I had access to. If you’re yearning for those things, what do you do? You try to create them.

I think a lot of people have done that and elevated the cuisine.

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

I’ve been loving Señor Bear. I just really like what Blake [Edmunds] and Max [MacKissock] are doing—nice, clean, bold flavors. Knowing Blake, who came up through Fruition, I’m proud of what he’s accomplishing. I took a chef from L.A. there this summer and he was blown away.

But I’d like to see us pump the brakes a little bit and focus on quality as opposed to quantity. We have a lot, now let’s make it better: Our community can only support so many venues, and when we dilute our talent we make it harder on ourselves.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph?

What do you see as the most important development on the I don’t really think about that. But I Denver/Boulder dining scene since you recently saw a good friend in Chicago started? What changes would you like who remembered the first hamburger I ever made him: “I knew you were gonna to see next? be a great chef back then!” Then we Certainly our city has gained a lot of started reminiscing about cooking nice energy over the past five years, brought meals for girls in college. in by chefs and brewers and distillers.

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PHOTO BY J. HUNT

KELLY WHITAKER I HATE DOING THINGS THE SAME WAY JUST BECAUSE THAT’S THE WAY THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN DONE. TRIAL AND FAILURE ARE SO IMPORTANT TO GROWTH.” So says chef-restaurateur Kelly Whitaker, who certainly tries more than just about anyone we can think of (though, admittedly, we’re blanking on any failures). From his acclaimed, not-quite-Italian Boulder flagship Basta to eclectic Sunnyside game-changer The Wolf’s Tailor to numerous groundbreaking collaborations and side projects—including the Heritage Grain Alliance—his penchant for shaking things up at every turn makes him among the most exciting, label-defying innovators on the Front Range.

What was the meal that made you a chef?

I have great memories of being at my Grandma Taylor’s farm and being on a stool to help make jam. However, there were a couple of pivotal meals that sent me on my journey. The first was at Frasca Food and Wine. I was already interested in cooking and was washing dishes at a small restaurant in Fort Collins while going to school for hospitality. I traveled down to Frasca because I had heard they were making an impact. I was truly blown away by everything that was happening; they could tell I was curious and, even 136

though the restaurant was packed that night, they offered to show me the kitchen. I peeked in—this was preremodel—and I did not understand how they cooked that food in such a small kitchen, on stoves that I’d never seen, French flattops. I think that gave me a lot of energy to go out in the world and try and figure it out.

Six years later, after two trips to Italy, several stages, and work at two different Michelin-starred restaurants, I came back to Frasca to stage, and when I looked at the same kitchen that had sent

me on my quest, I had a pretty clear picture of what was going on. That one meal made me question so much, and returning to it gave me the confidence to think I could open a restaurant.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at each of your concepts and why?

Anything with fish and grain. I could cook and eat either forever. I love breads and pasta, and I love seafood raw and cooked. We cook with a lot of fire, so it’s part of who I am now. My overall favorite is probably the whole hearth-roasted fish with charred potato and olive at Basta.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be?

Serving people. Being a restaurant owner is my form of serving the world.

Many restaurant owners say the word “hospitality,” but serving people is slightly different. It’s really difficult to wake up every day with a mission to serve people selflessly; a lot of sacrifice goes into it. I fail at it all the time, but it’s what drives me. I don’t need to be known; I am driven by faith, known by God, and that is enough for me.

LON SYMENSMA WE’D SAY THAT 2018 HAS BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR LON SYMENSMA, what with the imminent opening of upscale European spot LeRoux and the relocation of Southeast Asian street-food haunt Cho77 to LoDo from Baker, where he recently launched freewheeling taqueria BorraCho Tacos (which originated as a stall at Avanti Food & Beverage). But the truth is that every year is a big year for Lon Symensma. The CIA grad and former protégé of Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Stephen Starr burst onto the scene with contemporary Asian destination ChoLon in 2010, and he’s been blowing and going ever since, wowing Stapleton with Concourse Restaurant Moderne in 2017 and…doing what in 2019!? Actually, we have no idea. But we also have no doubt it’ll be something—something big.

Be it in your grandmother’s kitchen or a Michelin-starred restaurant, what was the meal that led you to become a restaurateur—the meal that made you who you are today?

[Famed Spanish restaurant] Arzak, 2005.

I actually staged there with [celeb chef ] Angelo Sosa and worked there for a while, and on my last day I was actually able to sit down and enjoy a full meal—and it was life-changing. That was over a decade ago, and they were already experimenting with that sort of new-age, avant-garde thinking that I’ve come to admire.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at each of your restaurants and why?

At ChoLon, the kaya toast. It’s a classic for us—it’s been on ChoLon’s menu since day one, almost eight years now. It’s also my favorite Singaporean dish. At Cho77, [Thai/Burmese noodle soup] khao soi.

Chef Ryan [Gorby] is just awesome. We’ve both done extensive traveling throughout Southeast Asia, and Ryan is dedicated to preserving the history of a dish while still putting his own, modern spin on things.

At Concourse, the beet salad with arugula sorbet; Chef Luke [Bergman] is doing really cool things over there. I

love it because it’s a traditional dish that he’s taken and turned into something special—something I don’t think is being done anywhere else in the city. I love the juxtaposition of the savory sorbet with the earthiness of the beets. And at BorraCho Tacos, the BorraCho Taco! It’s a play on ChoLon’s French onion soup dumplings— it’s got a lot of those same flavors. Chef Kevin [Chu] is expanding the menu for our new location on South Broadway, though, so check back in a few weeks and I may have a new favorite dish!

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received, whether from a loved one or an online reviewer?

I get a lot of disappointed faces when people realize I’m not Asian, just a white guy!

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

There are a lot of local restaurants I enjoy. The Denver dining scene is getting more exciting by the minute.

I really enjoy El Five over in the Highlands—Corey Ferguson is an amazing chef and Justin Cucci is one of the best visionaries for concepts.

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138 PHOTO BY RACHEL ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

TOSHI

& YASU KIZAKI

THE FRATERNAL O.G.S OF MILE HIGH JAPANESE CUISINE BEGAN COOKING AS YOUNG CHILDREN IN SOUTHERN JAPAN; AFTER SEPARATE STINTS IN LONDON AND LOS ANGELES, THEY LANDED IN DENVER TOGETHER ALMOST BY ACCIDENT. But what a lucky accident it was for locals. For more than 30 years, Sushi Den has been the first name in raw fish (and miso black cod, and tempura, and gyoza, and much more) around here, since joined by the architectural stunner that is the more contemporary Izakaya Den and the sexily rustic robata grill and tavern OTOTO. The brothers’ secret to longevity?

“It’s all about trust,” Toshi once told us—in both the quality of the seafood and the ability of the chefs handling it. Here’s what Yasu, with Toshi’s input, has to say about the matter.

What was the first food you ever remember making an impression on you?

Sushi. Our parents and grandparents were farmers and we grew up on a completely vegetarian diet. We had chicken once a year for a festive occasion; we ate cooked fish just a handful of times in the year. I was about 17 or 18 when I ate my first sushi, and it was so flavorful and clean. It was unlike anything I’d ever known.

Our greatest accomplishment is flying in fresh fish from one of Japan’s largest fish markets, from the city of Fukuoka on Kyushu Island, close to our hometown. Our brother Koichi visits the fish market daily and the seafood is dry iced and flown to Denver Tell us something about sushi you wish in less than 24 hours. Toshi visits our more people knew or understood. importer’s warehouse every morning at Sushi is such a simple food, yet very 7am to inspect the seafood and takes it complex. It’s simple because it’s only back to the restaurants personally. No uses four ingredients: fish, sushi rice, one else does that. wasabi, and soy sauce. But every Of all the dishes you’ve ever offered, What do you see as the most ingredient has to be perfect. The what are the first that come to mind important development on the temperature and opalescence of wellas the ones you’re proudest of?

Denver/Boulder dining scene since you seasoned sushi rice, the relationship Kohada [gizzard shad], which is the symbol of Edomae–style sushi (from 300 between the size of the rice and the size started? What changes would you like to see next? of the fish, the amount of wasabi and years ago to now). It requires the most The most important development I’ve soy sauce have to be well balanced to skill. Being a delicate fish, it must be seen is that diners became more open preserved by curing, as they had to do in bring the best of each ingredient to the and exposed to various cuisines through olden times. Depending on the size of the forefront. Because it is made by hand, travel, media, and most important fish, you have to put the right amount of the chef ’s energy is called the “secret through natives introducing their ingredient” of sushi: Skilled chefs can salt to cure it, then after the first curing culinary roots to Denver. We were you need to wash away the salt, and cure produce a superb bite while mediocre lucky to be the first to bring authentic chefs using the same ingredients can’t. once again in rice vinegar. Each step sushi from Japan, due to the pipeline Because our restaurant is so busy, our requires a subtleness that is difficult to chefs gain more experience and practice we created directly to Denver (instead achieve. It really requires experience and of just using frozen fish, which is than many other sushi bars. skill to get kohada just perfect.

Also, aburi is not a dish you see on many sushi menus. The fish [lightly seared on top] must be ultra-fresh. We offer aburi toro from Croatia and aburi salmon from Northern Scotland on the “Catch of the Day” menu.

what was available at that time). Our diners responded extremely well and then demanded higher quality all around. They’re curious about Japanese traditions and ingredients, which is why we offer many culinary-immersion experiences throughout the year, such as sushi-making classes and progressive dinners.

What changes would we like to see?

Better customer service. Better line cooks. More experienced sushi chefs.

We love the culinary attention Denver is now receiving. But it’s because we have dedicated chefs beyond ourselves who are in the kitchen every day. We’ve all blazed that trail to entice national chefs to call Denver home.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your careers, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

We brought Japan and the United States closer together by introducing authentic Japanese culinary culture to diners in Denver. Food brings people together.

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PAUL C. REILLY SIBLINGS PAUL AND AILEEN REILLY MAY NOT BE TWINS, BUT THEY’RE IDENTICAL IN TERMS OF HEART AND SOUL; STEP INSIDE either of their acclaimed Uptown restaurants—New American destination beast + bottle and Italian charmer Coperta (which will soon have a spinoff pizzeria at Broadway Market)—and you’ll be enveloped in the honest warmth and good cheer with which they run the house from front to back. While general manager Aileen’s concern for the well-being of her guests borders on maternal, Paul wears his heart on the sleeve of his chef’s coat—turning out plates that comfort, surprise, satisfy, and make you think by turns. Of course, engaging diners on such a personal level is also a means to holding themselves accountable for excellence; after all, says Paul, quoting Walt Whitman, “You can’t have great art without a great audience.”

Tell us about the meal that made you a chef.

There was a burger bar in the New York theater district called JR’s; my folks would take us there before a show or after a day in the city. They had a burger au poivre on the menu— basically a burger smothered in a brandy-peppercorn cream sauce. It was divine, and it opened my eyes to the fact that it was possible to have great food anywhere.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at your restaurants and why?

At beast + bottle, it’s our house bacon at brunch—heritage pork that’s smoky and salty. It flies under the radar for how good it is. At Coperta, it’s the bucatini all’Amatriciana; I think it rivals bucatini I’ve had anywhere. We put a lot of thought into that dish, and it really sings. Also, our pastry chef, 140

Jodi Polson, leaves trimmings of her desserts for the team to snack on. I can’t resist those.

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

I think Cart-Driver is the most underrated restaurant in the city. It’s consistently excellent and craveable.

Their hospitality is so genuine. I feel like I’ve walked into an old friend’s kitchen, and I’m welcomed that way every time.

What’s your ultimate goal as a chefrestaurateur?

Harboring relationships with local farmers and ranchers and passing those relationships on to fellow cooks and chefs. Great ingredients make great food, period; all food has a story, and the best-tasting food has the best stories.

culinary scene in many cities leads with ego, here we lead with collaboration and humility. There is a fierce collective desire to lift all boats on the same tide, a profound network of producers, farmers, ranchers, and food artisans that we all support and promote, in a unified effort to elevate our Colorado dining experience. We share resources, cooks, events, ideas, dreams, and opportunities. Our entrepreneurial spirit continues to be electric and inspiring. There’s a huge emphasis on thoughtfulness and sustainability and a shared burden of keeping it real.

DANIEL ASHER FEW CHEFS HAVE TAUGHT US ABOUT TAKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO DINING QUITE LIKE DANIEL ASHER. From his time as the culinary director of the Edible Beats to today, as chef-partner of River and Woods and Ash’kara (to name just two of his many projects), Asher has served as an eloquent spokesperson for more sustainable, healthful, and fair cuisine; he’s so eloquent, in fact, that we’ll just let him speak for himself.

Be it home cooking or haute cuisine, what was the meal that led you to become a chef—the meal that made you who you are today?

I can’t define one meal in particular, but my mom embodies every element of authentic hospitality—a caretaker and steward of the land, a peaceful warrior who has nurtured my love of cooking since I was seven years old.

She taught me, on my counterside kitchen stepstool, how to emulsify a vinaigrette, bind meatballs with stale bread, layer flavor in a stock, and grill

and rest proteins; how sun-warmed heirloom tomatoes from her garden needed only a sprinkle of sea salt to be mind-blowing and how a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on a slice of summer cantaloupe added a magical pop of acidity and sweetness. How she captivated my workaholic, entrepreneur father with her fresh-baked brioche and brisket sandwiches was a skill I wanted to learn and harness. From chopped liver to cold wedges of spanakopita to chicken cacciatore to rum balls rolled in chocolate sprinkles and packed

in metal tins to bring to neighbors during the holidays, my mom’s kitchen was the soul of my childhood and the foundation of my emotional attachment to feeding people.

What do you see as the most important development on the Denver/Boulder dining scene since you started? What changes would you like to see next?

My immersion in the Colorado food scene began over a decade ago with an awareness of the deeply embedded sense of community here. Where the

I would hope that, as the food system continues to evolve, we prioritize locally produced food, ask the hard questions, have total transparency, support organizations that seek to feed those in need, and maintain a strong level of purpose toward social justice and equality. The single most important thing facing America, and one that demands our focused attention and intention, is wasted food. If Colorado is to lead the country, my dream is that we refuse to accept food waste as a natural part of an unnatural equation.

Instead, we can demonstrate the most intelligent ways to be compassionate with our resources and repurpose our food waste so that not a single individual in our reach ever experiences another moment of food insecurity or hunger.

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DAVE QUERY

SINCE 1994, DAVE QUERY HAS BEEN DOING IT BEFORE IT WAS COOL, WHATEVER “IT” WAS—FROM RAW-BAR FARE TO SOUTHERN COMFORT TO REGIONAL MEXICAN CUISINE. Along the way, the founder of the Big Red F restaurant group has also found a crew with the talent and gumption to do it with him, including personal and professional partner in crime Dana Query. Today, old favorites like the all-American West End Tavern and Southwestern kitchen Zolo Grill just keep humming along, while new branches of Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar and The POST Brewing Company are set to open at DIA in 2019. And Query’s enthusiasm for it all continues unabated.

Tell us about the meal that made you who you are today.

In my English grandmother’s kitchen, it was a proper roast with horseradish and spicy jellies. In my mother’s kitchen— she was daughter to a non-English– speaking Italian immigrant—it was lasagna and stews and good cheese and sausage. But the meal that closed the deal on my future career was actually a series of meals—ones that I was cooking nightly at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco while apprenticing at Chez Panisse on days off. They’re what sealed my fate: that I would do this forever.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at some of your restaurants and why?

This is the “who is your favorite child?” question—impossible to answer. But if I had to, it would be oysters from Jax. We don’t plant them. We don’t grow them.

We don’t harvest or sort or ship them.

But we receive them, and we take great care of them—we serve them as if we made them.

There are few foods that we all have access to that are so amazing and refreshing they can take you to a thousand memories on a thousand docks, bar stools, shuck shifts.

Oysters—those are my favorite child.

And Zolo’s chicken enchiladas. Those two. That’s it. And a burger from The West End Tavern, Lola’s corn soup, and

a proper platter of fried chicken from The POST. But that’s it!

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

I love Sushi Zanmai/Amu in Boulder.

They have been the go-to sushi destination in Boulder for over 30 years. Consistent, committed, sourcing great fish from Japan. I’ve eaten there hundreds of times and never, ever regret it. And a standing ovation to John Platt at Riffs. The hardest-working and most talented chef in the restaurant business.

What’s the funniest criticism you’ve ever received?

Where to begin? From friends and great

customers, it’s an “I hate you” e-mail and a copy of their credit-card bill showing they’ve literally eaten in one of our dining rooms 20 times in 30 days.

What are your last words as a restaurateur?

If you’re going to open a restaurant, learn how to work. Understand your community and your staff and what they need from you. Learn the trade and do the work and open something that will last for decades; don’t waste everyone’s time and money by closing your doors shortly after opening.

You owe it to everyone—staff, family, investors, diners, and most of all, your fellow chefs and restaurateurs.

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PHOTO BY JUSTIN LEE

BRYAN DAYTON

& STEVE REDZIKOWSKI

BOBBY STUCKEY AND LACHLAN MACKINNON-PATTERSON MET WHILE WORKING AT THE FRENCH LAUNDRY, THEN WENT ON TO OPEN FRASCA FOOD AND WINE. Bryan Dayton and Steve Redzikowski met while working at Frasca, then went on to open OAK at fourteenth, Acorn, and Brider, spawning their own successful protégés along the way (including Annette’s Caroline Glover and Smok’s Bill Espiricueta). Such is their flourishing restaurant family tree—though a better plant metaphor might be kudzu. Today, Redzikowski’s a silent partner in the group while remaining executive chef of OAK; Dayton, for his part, has branched out with Corrida. But their inimitable stamp as a duo remains on all their joint projects: Here’s to rocking cocktails, kale-and-apple salad, oak-fired mussels, porchetta-kimchi sandwiches, and oh, those doughnuts.

Be it in your grandmother’s kitchen or a Michelin-starred restaurant, what was the meal that led you to where you are today?

SR: I ate at Le Cirque when I was staging there at 18 years old. They made me their famous bass wrapped with potato and braised leeks for staff meal after my 12th or 13th stage. I was blown away by the care and cooking technique involved in making that dish—it looks so simple on paper, but it’s so delicate.

BD: I grew up in the South, and our family would have these big Sunday lunches at my grandparents’ home with fresh produce from their 100-acre farm. I remember getting eggs from the coop and shelling beans. The smells that came out of that kitchen— and the biscuits! I always helped out with all the dishes, and I really think this celebration of food early on in my life was the foundation.

While it’s simple, it’s made with topquality ingredients—we use 7x Wagyu beef, roasted and thinly sliced with amazing ciabatta from Grateful Bread.

BD: At OAK, the oak-roasted half chicken is something I gravitate toward.

It’s always on point; the flavor it gets coming out of the wood-fired oven is just amazing. At Acorn, the monkfish has to be one of the best dishes to ever come out of our kitchen—so tasty with the chickpeas and red chermoula! Brider’s rotisserie porchetta with fried rice is the bomb. I crave it all the time! And at Corrida, any of our steaks. To be honest, I was never a big beef guy until I opened Corrida. We have access to such amazing breeds, styles, cuts, and ages—it’s so amazing to be able to enjoy them in moderation.

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received, whether from a loved one or an online reviewer?

SR: Just look at Yelp! Honestly, What’s your favorite thing to eat at one whether it’s good or bad, who has that (or more) of your restaurants and why? much extra time in their day to play “professional writer”?

SR: I love the French dip at Brider.

BD: That I’m too intense.

Tell us about a local restaurant (not your own) that you love.

SR: I love Cart-Driver. Yes, they have consistently good pizza—but, most of all, I’m impressed by the hospitality.

There is a ton of training that must happen to achieve this, yet you feel that the staff is genuine, that the employees truly want to be there.

more diversity in dining, more unique concepts, and the progression of service and hospitality.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your careers, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

SR: This is an easy one! It’s to see my former cooks—chefs I’ve worked with and hopefully mentored—take charge of their own kitchen. These guys have BD: Uncle! I love what Tommy [Lee] put in a ton of hours and energy with and his crew do. So good! me, and if I could help them achieve their own professional goals, it would What do you see as the most be my honor. Bill [Espiricueta] is a great important development on the example, with his new restaurant Smōk.

Denver/Boulder dining scene since you I’m a silent partner with him—and started? What changes would you like happy to be after he busted his ass every to see next? day for five-plus years and treated our SR: Avanti Food & Beverage. I must restaurants like his own! admit, I don’t frequent food halls so BD: I hope it’s that I elevated the much, but Avanti was a pioneer in Colorado and has been a real kickstarter culinary scene in Colorado and gave as many professionals as possible an in the Highlands. opportunity to excel in this field. I’d like BD: I think The Source was the catalyst to finish my career by going full circle and having a small ranch and farm to for a great trend in Denver toward multi-use functions. I would love to see help support the restaurants.

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JUAN PADRO

& MAX MACKISSOCK

GOOD LUCK KEEPING UP WITH THESE GUYS. When Juan Padro, the indefatigable owner of Highland Tap & Burger, and his partner Katie O’Shea teamed up with chef Max MacKissock to open Bar Dough in 2015, they had an instant hit on their hands—and they’ve gone on to lead a hit parade that includes pan-Latin triumph Señor Bear, contemporary French showstopper Morin, and two more Tap & Burgers; modern Middle Eastern spot Ash’Kara, helmed by chef Daniel Asher, should be open by the time you’re reading this, and much-awaited seafood joint Maine Shack is on track for spring 2019. Somehow Padro found the time to spearhead Puerto Rico hurricane-relief efforts along the way. For their next trick, they’ll solve Denver’s housing crisis and launch a line of hot sauces with one hand tied behind their backs (we’re spitballing here).

Tell us about the meal that made you who you are today.

JP: I grew up on Puerto Rican food; my dad’s an exceptional cook. We didn’t let my Irish mom cook too much, but she was super-understanding about that stuff.

Latin food’s all about pops of flavor; the biggest thing was the sofrito, the care that went into it—culantro and cilantro and heavy garlic—and rice and beans.

could eat multiple times a week. A side of coconut rice and some milk punch, and I’m in my happy spot. At Morin, my favorite dish is the champigñons.

I love mushrooms, and I feel that dish has a very sophisticated balance of temperatures, textures, acid, and fat that results in a beautiful harmony.

JP: At Bar Dough, the squid-ink pasta with mussels and squid—it’s easily my To this day I’ve never seen a key to my favorite dish we’ve ever done there. At house; the door’s never been locked.

Señor Bear, the pigeon-pea escabeche My mother never knew if there were with plantain chips—it’s very simple, going to be six people or 10 or more for but the flavor of the gandules elicits a dinner. Handling those issues was part lot of memories for me. And at Tap & of my upbringing.

Burger, I’ve been eating a lot of plants; there’s a red-curry quinoa bowl I love, What’s your favorite thing to eat at it’s this beautiful orange color. At each of your restaurants and why?

Morin, we have a chocolatier on staff, so MM: At Bar Dough, without a doubt it’s that’s amazing for me. the squid ink-tagliarini. It’s my favorite pasta, and pasta is my favorite food! At What counts as the funniest criticism Señor Bear, it’s the jerk chicken—it’s you’ve ever received, whether from a spicy and smoky and something you loved one or an online reviewer?

JP: We got a Yelp review from a guy who’d walked into Belleview Station that said we didn’t have it together—we had to reach out to him and explain we hadn’t opened yet! He took it down.

If your final legacy were to center on

MM: In a very short review, The Denver Post dinged Bar Dough for not having a coat rack as his only justification for two stars. That’s pretty funny.

Cunningham’s [the legendary late owner

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

MM: Sushi Ronin is the most underrated restaurant in Denver. Corey [Baker] doesn’t just rely on superior product; he is also so creative with his flavor combinations and presentations.

I go there more than anywhere else for sure.

JP: I think Jen [Jasinski] knocked it out of the part with Ultreia. For authenticity and creativity, it’s a pretty special restaurant.

just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

JP: Probably something like Noel of Strings]. I have great admiration for people do who philanthropic work— that’s what’s most important. Obviously we as a group want to be thought of as super-innovative and creative, but if I had to choose one thing to pass down, it would be lifting people up.

MM: I love the group that we have put together. They’re not just great at what they do, they are truly great people.

We work so hard, but we love what we do, and we love doing it together.

That is what I hope I’m remembered for, creating special groups of people moving forward together to create something special.

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There are so many amazing restaurants in Colorado that it’s hard to choose!

But I think our favorite is Mercantile.

It’s such a trend to “overdesign” the menu, but Mercantile manages to balance sophistication and simplicity without pretentiousness while highlighting foods from its own farm (a model we love, of course).

What do you see as the most important development on the Denver/Boulder dining scene since you started? What changes would you like to see next?

We’ve watched restaurateurs learn that people along the Front Range have educated palates and care about the provenance of their food. Where does it come from? How was it grown or raised? People here know that ingredients matter.

LENNY

& SARA MARTINELLI

ODDLY, NEITHER OF US PLANNED TO GO INTO THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS ORIGINALLY,” says Sara Martinelli, who with her husband Lenny owns and operates not only Three Leaf Farm in Lafayette and The Boulder Tea Company but also The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant, and the historic Chautauqua Dining Hall—all in Boulder—as well as Zucca Italian Ristorante and cafe-bakery The Huckleberry in Louisville.

“We both worked in restaurants during college, and in fact met in one.” Today they’re among the most down-to-earth of industry power couples we know—as Sara’s answers to our questions, with input from Lenny, indicate.

What’s your favorite thing about farm life? What’s your least favorite thing?

What have you learned about farming that might surprise people?

I love that we have a chance to spend so much time outdoors. There’s something so grounding and balancing about being outside all day, working with the earth in the Colorado sunshine. You can’t beat freshly grown vegetables—or freshly laid eggs!

We also love that we’re able to offer people an opportunity to learn. At the 148

farm, we offer all kinds of workshops on food and herbal medicine, and educational outreach has become one of our most important missions.

But farming is hard. People always say that, but until you really experience it, you don’t know. The sun is hot, the ground is hard, the weeds are relentless. You’re at the mercy of the weather all the time—you plan, and then Mother Nature laughs at you and makes it snow. You have to learn to roll with it

and allow the natural rhythms to guide your work.

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received, whether from a loved one or an online reviewer?

The Teahouse menu lists the country of origin of all of our teas: China, Japan, India, et cetera. Once a guest complained to me that we didn’t have any tea grown in England.

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

But, as I mentioned earlier, it’s easy to become pretentious. I just don’t think it’s necessary. A tomato—even if it’s an organically grown tomato at our own Three Leaf Farm—is still a tomato.

There’s no reason to jack up the price or overdesign the dish. Instead, we’d like to see people awaken to the idea that, when locally grown and intentionally cultivated, even common ingredients are delicious and deserve to be savored.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your careers, what would you want it to be—what’s your culinary epitaph, so to speak?

Wow. That’s sort of a tough one since we have such a wide range of concepts—but I guess the overarching theme for us is community. Food brings people together, and we’ve tried to create restaurants that are integrated into our community by offering affordable fresh foods that showcase our farm and a sustainable lifestyle.

PHOTO BY TIM ROMANO PHOTO

PEGGY

& JOE ROMANO

WHEN BOULDERITES DEBATE WHERE TO GO FOR DINNER ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT, THERE’S A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT AT LEAST ONE OF JOE AND PEGGY ROMANO’S THREE RESTAURANTS WILL BE ON THE SHORT LIST. In fact, The Med’s been on that list for more than 20 years, since joined by Brasserie Ten Ten and upscale Italian spot Via Perla (literally “Pearl Street,” in honor of its location). But as much as their eateries are a source of everyday comfort to locals, the Romanos themselves tend to remain behind the scenes. Here, then, is a rare personal introduction from Peggy herself.

Tell us about the meal that made you want to become a restaurateur.

Getting the best produce at the Saturday farmers’ market with my dad in Michigan—corn, tomatoes, peaches, plums, apples, cider—and my grandmother’s potato salad. Even now, it’s still the best. Just ask my children.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at each of your concepts and why?

I’m not a “favorite thing” kind of person, but here are three of the best:

The bouillabaisse at Brasserie Ten Ten, the seared tonno alla peperonata at The Mediterranean, and bistecca alla fiorentina at Via Perla.

What counts as the funniest criticism you’ve ever received?

That The Med is noisy. It’s funny but true—it’s a real challenge to keep 400plus people quiet under one roof. Still, “noisy” has been a friend to us for the past 25 years. Try as we may to add more and more sound proofing, the

noise can add to the fun!

Tell us about a local restaurant not your own that you love.

Japango—the cuisine is completely different [from what we do], and sushi is so rewarding. Plus it has a nice ambiance.

What do you see as the most important development on the Denver/Boulder dining scene since you started?

The most important change has been the number of new restaurants that have opened over the past 25 years.

The challenge has been finding and retaining key talent—that’s become more difficult, coupled with new regulatory guidelines.

If your final legacy were to center on just one aspect of your career, what would you want it to be?

That the people of Boulder would think of our restaurants as home.

PEOPL E // 149

F I R S T I M P R E S S I O N S A R E N ’ T E V E RY T H I N G .

But the distinguished foot these newcomers put forward on day one bodes extremely well for their long and luminous future on the Denver dining and drinking scene. Included among them are a few imminent arrivals we’ve got equally high hopes for.

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ASH’KARA

2005 WEST 33RD AVENUE, 303 537 4407; ASHKARADENVER.COM

Joining forces with the team behind Señor Bear, Bar Dough, and Morin, chef Daniel Asher (River and Woods) is overseeing the kitchen at this guaranteed LoHi sensation, which will open around the turn of the year to celebrate the cuisines of North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean—from tagines to flatbreads—against a crayonbright and sure-to-be-raucous backdrop.

BABETTES

2030 IONSOPHERE STREET, LONGMONT; B ABETTESB AKERY.COM

During its tenure at The Source, Steve and Catherine Scott’s artisanal bakery received loads of adoring attention from the national media—which is to say it’ll be well worth the drive to Longmont when the couple relocates in January to offer not only their famous loaves and pastries but also pizza and desserts.

BECKON

ASH’KARA

PHOTO BY CASEY GILTNER

2843 LARIMER STREET; BECKON-DENVER.COM

To score one of the mere 17 seats lining this chef ’s counter in a tiny RiNo bungalow attached to sibling Call, you’ll have to book and pay in advance. Trust us, it’s an honor. Every last morsel of the beverage-paired tasting menu Duncan Holmes cooks right before your eyes proves a marvel, be it a caviar-topped, rye-fried oyster in dill sauce with three types of seaweed or a cabbage-wrapped goat crépinette atop dukkah-spiced carrot puree.

NEW & NOTABL E // 151

PHOTO BY LUKE GOTTLIEB

152 PHOTO BY MORGAN CARTER

PHOTO BY JONNIE SIROTEK/HELLO PAPER LAUNDRY

BECKON CHO77

LADY JANE 152

CHO77

1555 BLAKE STREET, SUITE 102; CHO77.COM

DELLA RADICE

PHOTO BY LUCY BEAUGARD

Let’s get this party restarted: Come January, Lon Symensma and Ryan Gorby’s house of Southeast Asian street-food fun will be back in business in LoDo, slinging dumplings, noodles, buns, curries, wings, and more with abandon—not to mention all the sake bombs you can handle and some you can’t.

CHOOK CHARCOAL CHICKEN

Inspired by the neighborhood rotisseries of Melbourne, Australia, Alex Seidel, Adam Schlegel, and Randy Layman have joined forces to give Platt Park a taste of coal-roasted chicken with all the downhome (if not Down Under) trimmings—including taters, slaws, salads, and booze. Ultimately, the fast-casual joint will source birds from Seidel’s own farm.

DELLA RADICE 2955 ULSTER STREET; 720 389 5413; DELLARADICE.COM

LIBERATI OSTERIA & OENOBEERS

COURTESY OF LIBERATI OSTERIA & OENOBEERS

1300 SOUTH PEARL STREET; 303 282 8399; CHOOKCHICKEN.COM

LOU’S ITALIAN SPECIALTIES

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

We’ve missed chef Cristino Griego since his days at The Bistro at Stapleton. Good thing, then, that he’s returning to his old stomping grounds to open this wine bar and market in January, when the Old World corks will pop alongside pan-Mediterranean small plates like Brie en croute and head-on gambas al ajillo.

contemporary tack—there’s rosemarymiso jus in the butternut-squash tortellini and basil-uni butter in the spaghetti with wood-grilled king crab; the corn soup foams like cappuccino and the olives are coal-roasted; and the small lunch menu changes daily.

LADY JANE 2021 WEST 32ND AVENUE; 720 328 9288; LADYJANEDENVER.COM

Hudson Hill’s Jake Soffes strikes again.

In a breezy, palm-fringed, teal-on-white space inspired by the swinging pads of 1960s Palm Springs, he’s created a LoHi watering hole with all the unpretentious yet immaculate craft and style of his Cap Hill cult hit, where spiffy seasonal cocktails, uncommon beers, and boutique wines pair with easygoing bar snacks that include his famous grilled cheese.

LEROUX 1555 BLAKE STREET, SUITE 102; LEROUXDENVER.COM

Set to open by year’s end, Lon Symensma’s tribute to European cuisine is bound to be grand—a survey of the continent’s greatest hits from choucroute garnie and weinerschnitzel to Italian and French specialties done in his own inimitable style, paired with all the wines fit to print on an Old World– focused list. Here’s to truffled oysters and rolling cheese carts.

LIBERATI OSTERIA & OENOBEERS

JOVANINA’S BROKEN ITALIAN

2403 CHAMPA STREET; 303 862 5652; LIBERATIDENVER.COM

At first glance, it’s an old-school Italian joint, run by an actual mom and pop (Jake and Jennifer Linzinmeir) in warm, rustic, vintage-toned environs.

But the menus take a decidedly

When we say there’s no place like this in the world, we mean it. Italian native Alex Liberati’s Five Points brewery is the first ever dedicated solely to mindbending, spellbinding grape ales—from Chardonnay saison to Malbec dubbel, with many more to come. Meanwhile,

1520 BLAKE STREET; 720 541 7721; JOVANINA.COM

NEW & N OTA B L E

his Italian chef is doing wonders with dishes rarely seen in the U.S., like couscous-crusted seafood cannoli and the Milanese meatballs called mondeghili.

LOU’S ITALIAN SPECIALTIES 3357 DOWNING STREET; LOUSITALIANSPECIALTIES.COM

Call Josh Pollack Denver’s ambassador to the East Coast. The latest from the owner of Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen and Famous Original J’s Pizza is this Jersey-style Italian deli in Cole, whose crew prepares grade-A subs and red-sauce staples from scratch while filling their retail cases with local and imported meats, cheeses, sauces, salads, pantry products, and everything else you need to mangia bene.

OSAKA’S 2460 C ANYON BOULEVARD, #1, BOULDER; 720 398 9115; OSAKASRESTAURANT.COM

The fluffy but firm egg pancake called okonomiyaki doubles as a bun for a dozen different sandwiches filled with sukiyaki beef, fried fish, and much more at this handsome Japanese innovator in Boulder, which also serves up shumai, mochi, and other nibbles while pouring sake and shochu aplenty.

ZOCALITO LATIN BISTRO 998 18TH STREET; ZOC ALITO.COM

Chef Michael Beary spent more than a decade throwing Aspenites’ palates for a loop with his brand of Mexican cuisine, distinguished by the rare chiles and other ingredients he imported directly from Oaxacan farmers. Now he’s relocating to downtown Denver to share his bounty with us: Get ready for grasshopper guacamole, pork loin in mole rojo with nopales and huitlacoche, and more.

NEW & NOTABL E // 153

D E N V E R ’ S A C R A F T- B O O Z E P L AY G RO U N D, jam-packed with breweries, distilleries, and even wineries on virtually every corner. Lucky us. But as much as we love our taprooms and tasting rooms, this section’s dedicated to bars and the mixologists, sommeliers, and cicerones who run them—showcasing not only that sweet, sweet locally produced nectar but also the wide world of wine, beer, and spirits with gumption and gusto.

bars

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THE TATARIAN

B ARS // 155

156 PHOTO COURTESY OF COOPER LOUNGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF COOPER LOUNGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF BAR HELIX

PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

BAR HELIX FAUSTO

COOPER LOUNGE

A L C O H O L M AY N OT S O LV E YO U R P R O B L E M S . . .

54THIRTY 1475 C ALIFORNIA STREET, 303 893 1888; 54THIRTY.COM

on the roof deck, with tacos and other comfort food to soak up the booze.

BAR FAUSTO

A rooftop bar is one thing. An openair rooftop bar on the 20th floor of the Le Méridien Denver Downtown, overlooking the mountains and skyline, is a whole other thing—namely a party that starts with flutes of bubbly, a round of thyme-lemon Japanese highballs, and you. Fun finger foods like prosciutto bruschetta and avocado-yuzu hummus keep it going.

3126 LARIMER STREET, 720 445 9691; B ARFAUSTO.COM

ADRIFT

BAR HELIX

218 SOUTH BROADWAY, 303 778 8454; ADRIFTB AR.COM

The name fits. Amid bamboo thickets and fishnet-hung lanterns and Polynesian folk art and a rainbow of cocktails that pack a whale of a punch, you can easily slip your moorings here, mooning the night away in a tiki haze until last call. It’ll be a rude return to landlocked reality, but there’s always a next time for a rum-fueled reverie.

AMERICAN BONDED 2706 LARIMER STREET, 303 942 1201; AMERIC ANBONDED.COM

Sean Kenyon’s latest watering hole represents the golden mean between bespoke Williams & Graham and punkdriven Occidental—whiskey-centric and easygoing both downstairs and up

This moody refuge from the RiNo riot makes our kind of cocktail, funky and culinary—think honeydew and saltedplum syrups, sesame-seed cordials and cumin bitters, heirloom tomatoes and lime leaves—to pair with cool snacks like sardines and toast or barramundi ceviche (plus Fernet-infused soft serve for dessert).

3440 LARIMER STREET, 720 449 8587; INSIDETHEHELIX.COM

Kendra Anderson’s sultry shoutout to Playboy Club–era decadence has it all: disco-ball glitter and graffiti-edged grit; a patio for lounging on and peekaboo nooks for cuddling in; suave cocktails (including several different Negronis) and witty nibbles, like gourmet pigs in a blanket, to go with them. Champagne shots and caviar bumps all around.

BUT NEITHER WILL WAT E R . personalities. If you can’t kick back and relax here, you can’t do it anywhere.

BOOZ HALL 2845 WALNUT STREET; BOOZHALL.COM

BOOZ hall is exactly what it sounds like—a warren of tasting rooms run by local producers, namely four distilleries and one winery (Jack Rabbit Hill).

Laid-back and super-artsy with murals, music, and a retail bazaar, it invites a bar crawl in one place, pouring biodynamic Riesling and chile-infused martinis here, sweet-tea moonshine and pineapplelavender gin-and-tonics there.

B&GC

BRIAR COMMON BREWERY + EATERY 2298 CLAY STREET, 720 512 3894; BRIARCOMMON.COM

We’d say this Jefferson Park surprise is first and foremost a brewery, but that’s not exactly true. With a full bar and a fine kitchen turning out everything from shrimp corndogs to saison-steamed mussels, what it is, first and foremost, is a home away from home for just about everyone, including kids and dogs.

COOPER LOUNGE 1701 WYNKOOP STREET, 720 460 3738; COOPERLOUNGE.COM

Return to a classier era and live in the moment at the same time at this ultraglamorous mezzanine lounge in Union Station, all marble gleam, brass flourish, and bird’s-eye views. The cocktails positively fizz with old-school cool atop silver trays alongside ramekins of mixed nuts. Now that’s what we call civilized.

THE CRUISE ROOM

THE BITTER BAR

245 COLUMBINE STREET, 720 925 8598; B ANDGCDENVER.COM

1600 17TH STREET, 303 628 5400; THEOXFORDHOTEL.COM

This is the living room you wish you had—the kind with a bar in it, manned by mixologists under the leadership of the talented James Lee, whose skills are commensurate with their engaging

Clandestine to the max, this swish, Art Deco-inspired basement lair in the Halcyon Hotel Cherry Creek, aka Boys & Girls Club, doesn’t make entrance easy. But once you’re in, you’re in for a scintillating time, complete with the ultimate in bespoke libations and personalized service.

A martini amid the neon-lit Art Deco splendor of The Oxford Hotel’s historic barroom (which opened the day after Prohibition ended in 1933) isn’t just a time-traveling pleasure, it’s a local rite of passage, set to a jazzy jukebox soundtrack.

835 WALNUT STREET, 303 442 3050; THEBITTERB AR.COM

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DEATH & CO

158

DEAD BATTERY CLUB

2420 17TH STREET, #103, 303 477 2444; DEADB ATTERYDENVER.COM

Dripping with retro-artsy style, this plush little lounge on LoHi’s border takes the edge off with splashy cocktails, boozy (or CBD-laced) coffee drinks, and a bigger wine selection than you’d expect for its size—all paired with such quirky snacks as crab salad on charcoal buns and seeded tabbouleh.

DEATH & CO

1280 25TH STREET, 720 330 2660; DEATHANDCOMPANY.COM

Actually three bars in one at The Rambler Hotel—a stunning, chandelier-bedecked lobby lounge, a seasonal rooftop-garden oasis, and a swanky 20-seat suite—this outpost of one of New York’s (and therefore the world’s) most renowned cocktail haunts lives up to its billing. Linger in ease over truly inspired libations like the Southern Nights—combining Cognac, aquavit, Oloroso Sherry, mascarpone, and peanuts—and equally thoughtful small plates such as heirloom-bean hummus with fry bread.

ELEVATED

PHOTOS BY ELLIOT CLARK

249 COLUMBINE STREET, 720 772 5020; ELEVATEDROOFTOPB AR.COM

There’s a party on the rooftop of the Halcyon Hotel Cherry Creek nearly year round, and you’re invited. Kick back in summer with frozen margaritas and tarragon-cherry daiquiris, curl up in autumn with hot toddies by the fire pits, and take in the view—both the mountains and the beautiful people beckon all around you.

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160 PHOTO BY AMANDA PIELA PHOTOGRAPHY

GREENLIGHT LAB

TO M E , ‘ D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY ’ M E A N S D O N ’ T S P I L L I T.

3245 OSAGE STREET, 303 481 8185; THEFAMILYJONES.CO

Less a house than a soaring cathedral of spirits, this stone-cold gorgeous LoHi distillery is also more a fullfledged lounge than a mere tasting room. Between snazzy cocktails like the avocado daiquiri and the bourbonamaretto sour and such meticulous seasonal small plates as three cheese– pumpkin fondue and confit duck leg in curried carrot spaetzle, you can make a heck of a night of it here.

FINN’S MANOR

2927 LARIMER STREET; FINNSMANOR.CO

A little bit Bourbon Street, a little bit beach shack, a little bit state fairgrounds—this RiNo nonesuch combines all the world’s best places to party in one indoor-outdoor setup where the tropical punches and rare craft beers flow, the resident food trucks ply you with the likes of pizza and poke, and live music gets you in the smoothest of grooves.

FIRST DRAFT TAPROOM & KITCHEN 1309 26TH STREET, 303 736 8400; FIRSTDRAFTDENVER.COM

Cool kids in the candy store—that’s what everybody becomes the moment

they step foot in this sprawling RiNo taproom. Design your own craftbeer flight from the 40 self-serve taps lining the wall; throw in a glass of cider or wine if you’re feeling frisky and soft pretzels or a burger if you’re feeling peckish; grab a seat up on the mezzanine or out on the patio for some prime people watching; repeat until you can repeat no more.

around the world, it’ll win even the staunchest hophead over with its show of stylistic diversity while spoiling you for bar food forevermore—try the roast-beef toast with horseradish crème fraîche and pepper-parmesan popcorn tossed in duck fat on for size.

GOED ZUUR

Ever the pioneer, Frank Bonanno opened one of Denver’s first speakeasystyle craft cocktail bars beneath Larimer Square in 2010; it remains one of the best. For all its dreamy atmosphere— imagine a cross between an underground cave and a Victorian parlor—its lasting

2801 WELTON STREET, 720 749 2709; GOEDZUUR.COM

In our book (literally), this Five Points retreat is Denver’s best beer bar by none. With an ever-changing selection of around 100 wild and sour ales from

GREEN RUSSELL

1422 LARIMER STREET, 303 893 6505; GREENRUSSELL.COM

success is built on substance, not style, with a crackerjack crew who can catch any curveball you throw them. Snacks from Russell’s Smokehouse seal the deal.

GREENLIGHT LAB

1336 27TH STREET, 720 788 5320; GREENLIGHTLAB.NET

This is the stuff of film-noir flicks, snug and dim-lit behind a barely-there entrance in a RiNo alley—you halfexpect to find the booths filled with gumshoes in trenchcoats and femme fatales exhaling cigarette smoke. But the experimental cocktails bring you back to the future one saline injection, hollow ice cube, and dollop of fruit caviar at a time.

HUDSON HILL

PHOTOS BY LUKE GOTTLIEB VICTOROFVALENCIA.COM

THE FAMILY JONES SPIRIT HOUSE

B ARS // 161

I DON’T GET DRUNK, I GET AW E S O M E .

HUDSON HILL

618 EAST 13TH AVENUE, 303 832 0776; HUDSONHILLDENVER.COM

We’d call this stylishly comfy coffeehouse-meets-cocktail bar the quintessential neighborhood hangout, but the destination-level drinks (and service) say otherwise. Whatever your poison—a lemongrass-coconut cold brew with almond milk and sea salt, a rooibos- and artichoke-infused Old Fashioned, a sake-rice saison—let owner Jake Soffes’s glorious grilledcheese sandwich be the cure.

IMPROPER CITY

3201 WALNUT STREET, SUITE 101; 720 666 0043; IMPROPERCITY.COM

The question isn’t so much “what is Improper City?” as “what isn’t it?”

Attached to Movement Climbing Gym and Fitness, it’s essentially an 8,000-square-foot community center built around a bar with 36 taps as well as cocktails and wine—one that leads to a 12,000-square-foot beer garden with firepits, games, and food trucks.

Oh, there’s a coffee shop too. If you found a corner to sleep in unnoticed, you could pretty much live here.

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FAMILY JONES

B ARS // 163

PHOTO BY JAMES FLORIO

PHOTO BY RYAN DEARTH

GREEN RUSSELL

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I F YO U WA L K A MILE IN MY SHOES...

LA COUR

1643 SOUTH BROADWAY, 303 777 5000; DENVERSARTB AR.COM

Billing itself as an “art bistro and cabaret,” this two-story ode to la belle vie not only boasts an all-French wine list and a selection of craft cocktails laced with intrigue (candied rose petal? avocado wood smoke?) for pairing with assorted small plates, but also a charming garden patio and live jazz throughout the week.

LICENSE NO. 1

2115 13TH STREET, BOULDER, 303 442 4560; BOULDERADO.COM

The cheeky slogan of this subterranean sanctuary beneath the historic Hotel Boulderado is “Serving Since 1909— Legally Since 1969.” Dark, warrenlike, and handsome in crimson and gold, it lives up to that speakeasy billing with classic cocktails from Sazeracs and Sidecars to mules and daiquiris.

MEADOWLARK KITCHEN

2705 LARIMER STREET, 303 953 1815; MEADOWLARKKITCHEN.COM

No doubt a lot of inattentive people mistake this little RiNo storefront for a dive bar. Don’t be one of those people.

Behind that door lies a bona fide gem, where razor-sharp cocktails pair with killer eats (the burger’s famous, the chicken nuggets game-changing) in

a space that doubles as a gallery for vibrant street art, inside and out on the back patio.

MIDDLEMAN 3401 EAST COLFAX AVENUE; MIDDLEMANB AR.COM

The Bluebird stretch of East Colfax perked up overnight when this spruce little lounge opened up to serve peachy cocktails like the vanilla- and herb-scented, sake-based Space Wine alongside New Mexican-themed bar snacks. Punctuated by greenery and local art, the beautiful woodwork alone is worth a look-see.

MILLERS & ROSSI 3542 WALNUT STREET, 720 257 5342; MILLERSANDROSSI.COM

Business in the front, party in the back: Located behind a chic art gallery, this neo-speakeasy is the mullet of bars. We mean that in a good way; its crew clearly has a ball whipping up strawberry-infused Sbagliatos and smoked Old Fashioneds against a vintage-toned backdrop filled with parlor furnishings and the flicker of old movies screening against one wall.

NOCTURNE 1330 27TH STREET, 303 295 3333; NOCTURNEJAZZ.COM

As swanky yet gritty as any legit jazz joint, this RiNo supper club dazzles

with Art Deco style, a smoking lineup of local and touring acts, and a pitchperfect list of classic and inventive cocktails and fine wines, paired with a full menu of elaborate New American plates. The likes of smoked-salmon cake with horseradish ice cream or braised pork belly with foie gras–popcorn puree and a thyme financier nearly upstage the musicians.

OCCIDENTAL 1950 WEST 32ND AVENUE, 720 536 8318; OCCIDENTALB AR.COM

From the cassette tapes and Bukowski quotes on the walls to the old video games and cult flicks on the TV, this LoHi punk-rock shrine would be a hell of a place to knock back a beer—if it weren’t owned by the city’s most celebrated barman, Sean Kenyon. As it is, it’s actually a hell of a place to knock back top-notch cocktails (and the bar food’s swell too).

OFFICERS CLUB 84 RAMPART WAY, 303 284 0714; OFFICERSCLUBLOWRY.COM

Though also a full-service eatery serving comfort food that includes a buzzworthy burger, this jazzy Lowry hit is modeled after the namesake military watering holes of yore—complete with a bar that specializes in Old Fashioneds and live piano music four days a week.

OPHELIA’S ELECTRIC SOAPBOX 1215 20TH STREET, 303 993 8023; OPHELIASDENVER.COM

This Edible Beats hot spot downtown isn’t just a bar either; it’s a full-service New American restaurant and music venue too. But with eye-poppingly, jawdroppingly immersive decor inspired by the building’s illicit history as a brothel and peepshow, it sure is a sexy place to knock back a craft cocktail or three.

PALENQUE MEZCALERIA 13 EAST LOUISIANA AVENUE, 303 778 1294; PALENQUEMEZC ALERIA.COM

Looking for all the world like a rustic Oaxacan cantina that got picked up in a dust storm and dropped intact behind Adelitas on South Broadway, this enchanting little getaway completes the picture with an exceptional selection of craft mezcals— poured by a staff with the chops to walk you through them all and paired with fab snacks like tlayudas.

YO U ’ L L E N D U P AT A BAR. B ARS // 165

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UNION LODGE NO. 1

I SUGGEST WE DRINK...

PMG 2018 10TH STREET, BOULDER, 303 786 8585; PMGWINE.COM

Even if Pour Ma Gueule (French for “for my mouth”) weren’t one of the only true wine bars on the Front Range, it’d be one of the best by far. Emily Gold’s experience working for famed importer Kermit Lynch in Burgundy shows in a breathtaking collection of bottles that double as an in-depth education in Old World terroir; her hostess-with-themostest grace, meanwhile, puts even novices at immediate ease. And the seasonal, modern Mediterranean menu makes pairing a snap.

POKA LOLA SOCIAL CLUB 1850 WAZEE STREET, 720 460 2725; POKALOLADENVER.COM

Those mint-green parlor sofas. That black-and-white-tiled floor. Those geometric stained-glass panels crowning the bar. As lobby bars go—heck, as any bars go—this ode to Art Deco at the center of Dairy Block is a knockout.

That it whips up some nifty libations like the Charisma Check, heady with Scotch, Sherry, and honey plus a touch of basil, is only a bonus.

PONY UP 1808 BLAKE STREET, 720 710 8144; PONYUPDENVER.COM

There’s a Napoleonic portrait of a

French bulldog beneath a chandelier, shuffleboard tables beneath a mounted buffalo head, a cowhide rug beneath a fireplace. There are brown-butter Manhattans, matcha piña coladas, and an array of French dips (thumbs up to the mushroom-Swiss); there’s also lawnmower beer and karaage (Japanese fried chicken). Nothing about this LoDo tavern makes logical sense; everything about it makes intuitive sense.

PROHIBITION 504 EAST COLFAX AVENUE, 303 832 4840; PROHIBITIONDENVER.COM

It looks like a hundred other neighborhood joints. It sounds like a hundred other neighborhood joints.

But this comfy, humming little Cap Hill corner bar is somehow better than all of them. Maybe it’s those barrel-aged Manhattans; maybe it’s that short-rib burger. Maybe it’s just the colorful slice of Colfax life we all need a bite of.

RAYBACK COLLECTIVE 2775 VALMONT ROAD, BOULDER, 303 214 2127; THERAYB ACK.COM

It bills itself as “Boulder’s backyard,” but “Boulder’s everything” is more like it: This warehouse–turned–indoor/ outdoor beer garden, coffee lounge, food-truck park, and live-music venue lures the locals from sunup to late night. Come for the kombucha and the

BEFORE WE GO OUT DRINKING... makeshift workspace; stay for lunch; stay longer for a game of cornhole fueled by the brews on 30-plus taps.

RETROGRADE

530 EAST 19TH AVENUE, 720 772 7843

What looks like a walk-in freezer at the back of Uptown ice creamery Frozen Matter is actually a tiny, super-chill (no pun intended) cocktail bar whose sci-fi motif carries over to the drink list: Take the They Live with brown butter– washed bourbon, brandy, chai-infused vermouth, and salted-caramel syrup or the egg-frothed Lawnmower Man with gin, mezcal, rose liqueur, and orgeat.

SAINT ELLIE

1553 PLATTE STREET, 303 477 1447; SAINTELLIE.COM

Plush and party-ready, the cocktail lounge below Colt & Gray is the kind of place you can lose track of everything— the time, the season, your keys, your reasons for a two-drink limit. Slow your own roll by challenging the bartender to

a customized concoction while noshing on calorific goodies like sweetbread hush puppies and duck nuggets.

THE TATARIAN

4024 TENNYSON STREET, 303 416 4496; THETATARIAN.COM

The coffee-table gloss of the cocktail booklet alone makes this mod Berkeley hot spot worth a visit; the fact that the drinks live up to their depiction on paper make it worth many a return.

Case in point: the rum-based Neem Neem with white pepper–cashew orgeat, toasted-coconut cream, pineapple and orange juices, and tiki bitters.

THERE…

3254 NAVAJO STREET, 72 500 3254; THEREHOSPITALITYGROUP.COM

This LoHi oddball is so full of surprises that any description amounts to a spoiler. So we’ll just advise you to try any cocktail with jam in it as well as the elk wraps and the crab buns—and to bring a healthy sense of anything-goes humor.

THE TRUFFLE TABLE 2556 15TH STREET, 303 455 9463; TRUFFLETABLE.COM

From the owners of The Truffle Cheese Shop, Rob and Karin Lawler, comes this consummate date-night haunt in LoHi—complete with cozy, jazzy atmosphere, a superlative assortment of cheeses and charcuterie, and an arresting B ARS // 167

PHOTO BY NICOLE PACHA

IMPROPER CITY

“ A M A N ’ S T R U E C H A R AC T E R C O M E S OUT WHEN HE’S D R U N K .”

—CHARLIE CHAPLIN selection of wines and beers to match.

If the Swiss cheese called Tête de Moine is listed on the blackboard, get it, and just say yes to a sip of dessert wine from Greece, Uruguay, or Hungary.

168

UNION LODGE NO. 1

1543 CHAMPA STREET, 720 389 0447; UNIONLODGE1.COM

“Number one” is right: This little pre-Prohibiton–themed CBD hideout

could well be Denver’s most beloved bar. For all the razzle-dazzle the bartenders display—they put on one heck of a show while mixing drinks— it’s their unpretentious hospitality that wins everyone over. Well, that and the positively stratospheric gin fizzes.

VESPER LOUNGE 233 EAST 7TH AVENUE, 720 328 0314; VESPERDENVER.COM

Not everybody gets Frank Bonanno’s way-chill revamp of old Cap Hill dive bar Lancer Lounge. Good. All the more room for us to kick back in peace and quiet over rounds of the namesake cocktail and cheese-stuffed Juicy D burgers.

WILLIAMS & GRAHAM 3160 TEJON STREET, 303 997 8886; WILLIAMSANDGRAHAM.COM

It may be the recipient of some of the world’s most prestigious industry awards, but Sean Kenyon’s LoHi flagship is really just a warm, cozy neighborhood bar in a craft destination’s clothing. Its trove of spirits is world-class, the skill of its crew unsurpassed—and yet if you ask for a vodka tonic, you’re going to get the best vodka tonic you ever had, without a drop of attitude. (That said, don’t ask for a vodka tonic. The time and place to expand your cocktail horizons is here and now.)

I N A F E W S H O RT Y E A R S , D E N V E R ’ S B E C O M E A PA R A D I S E O F O N E - S TO P S H O P S F O R T H E F O O D I E S E T. Some serve as rotating

incubators for the concepts of local restaurateurs; others double as gourmet groceries. But either way, these community hubs are now woven into the fabric of our social life, providing hours’ worth of browsing, grazing, imbibing entertainment. Honestly, how did we live without them?

markets & food halls

MARKETS & FOOD HAL L S // 169

AVANTI FOOD & BEVERAGE 3200 PECOS STREET 720 269 4778 AVANTIFANDB.COM

OVERVIEW: On paper, the tagline

“A Collective Eatery” sums up this ultra-hip LoHi food court neatly, but it doesn’t fully capture the place in real time. With two floors, two bars, tons of seating indoors and out on the multitiered deck, and sweeping views of the city, Avanti serves up a kaleidoscopic slice of life as Denver lives it today.

VENDORS: Modified shipping

containers act as incubators for seven different concepts, which rotate out as they “hatch.” At the time of this writing, Avanti is home to burger joint American Grind, casually classic French kitchen Bistro Georgette, fusion taqueria BorraCho, wood-fired pizzeria Brava!, poke bar Quick Fish, Venezuelan sandwich shop Quiero Arepas, and rotisserie The Rotary; but to date it’s also housed shawarma, pasta, pan-Asian, and still other stalls. Change is all part of the point and the fun.

BISTRO GEORGETTE AT AVANTI 170

PHOTO BY RACHEL ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

SIGNATURE DISHES: Which means

there’s no guarantee that your favorite dish one visit will be there the next— just a guarantee that your new favorite awaits. Ours include Brava’s garlicky white pie with prosciutto and arugula, Quickfish’s scallop-avocado bowl with yuzu vinaigrette, The Rotary’s roast chicken with aji verde, and Georgette’s textbook croque madame and tarte tatin—at least in the here and now.

In the there and later? Your guess is as good as ours.

DRINKS: The beverage crew is constantly shaking things up too. With about 30 craft beers on tap and in bottle, you could luck out on a grape ale from Dogfish Head or a limited-edition

browse... milkshake IPA from Odell; frequent cocktail specials like the rose- and rosemary-laced vodka concoction Pink Ribbon supplement the seasonal list of 10 or so mixed drinks, while about 20 well-curated wines beckon at less than $50 a bottle.

DON’T MISS: Weekend brunch, when

poke and seafood tostadas; and Vero fires up the beehive oven and works the dough for pizzas, pastas, and purchase for use at home. Finally, High Point Creamery and Temper Chocolates churn out scoops and bonbons in flavors galore.

SIGNATURE DISHES: On the one hand,

the joy of a market like this is that it’s a whole new experience every day; on the other, it boasts too many specialties to name. That said, Culture’s meat cone, Vero’s Massimeno pizza with speck and THE DENVER CENTRAL MARKET radicchio, and High Point’s ice-cream 2669 LARIMER STREET DENVERCENTRALMARKET.COM sandwiches on Izzio’s kouign-amann OVERVIEW: Of all Denver’s vibrant, count as highlights. bustling food halls, this RiNo revitalization of the 90-year-old H.H. INFINITE Tammen building comes the closest MONKEY THEOREM to a full-fledged retail market, inviting AT STANLEY MARKET PLACE visitors to stock up on groceries as much as settle in for a meal. (Nobody says you can’t do both at once, of course.) each outlet offers an apt special— breakfast burritos or scrambled-egg arepas, say—from 11am to 2pm.

DRINKS: Why shop here rather than your neighborhood supermarket?

Besides the obvious show of community support, you can guzzle a beer, sip a glass of wine, or nurse a cocktail while you do it. Here’s to bar Curio, which whips up everything from aquafabaspiked gin fizzes to concoctions like the Down Payment—combining barrelaged cachaça, avocado, lime juice, and chamomile-lavender bitters—until midnight on weekends.

NEWSFLASH: In November 2018, a

smaller satellite of the original opened at the Denver International Airport, with

four vendors including Jeff Osaka’s SushiRama standing in for the fish market.

MILK MARKET 1800 WAZEE STREET DENVERMILKMARKET.COM OVERVIEW: Leave it to can’t-stop-won’tstop Frank Bonanno to open and run, on top of 10 other establishments, his very own bustling marketplace and dining hall. Anchoring LoDo’s Dairy Block, it’s as personal as it is ambitious: Navigating its charmingly decorated nooks and crannies is akin to going on a walking tour of Bonanno’s career highlights, or perhaps a journey through

round the clock. Crema Bodega and Izzio Artisan Bakery open bright and early to jumpstart your day with espresso drinks and sticky buns or croques madames on fresh-baked bread you can grab a loaf of to go, while both Culture Meat and Cheese and The Local Butcher live up to their names with prepared sandwiches as well as amply stocked cases. As the morning wears on, Green Seed serves up smoothies, açai and grain bowls, and gorgeous salads featuring the farm produce it also sells; SK Provisions gets the rotisserie cranking and keeps the sides coming; Tammen’s Fish Market displays the daily catch on ice while rocking the

PHOTO BY FROM THE HIP PHOTO

VENDORS: Ten stalls do it all nearly

MARKETS & FOOD HAL L S // 171

172 PHOTO BY STEPHAN WERK

THE SOURCE

graze...

his culinary mind. Here’s a seafood counter named for his grandmother, Albina by the Sea; here’s a butcher shop named for his wife-partner Jacqueline’s grandmother, Ruth’s Butchery; here’s S&G Salumeria, the culmination of his pioneering obsession with house-cured meats.

VENDORS: Even excluding the above

(and the watering holes below), the list seems endless. There’s salad bar Green Huntsman, a crêperie called Fem, and chicken shack Lou’s; there’s stuffed-bun specialist Bao Chica Bao, poke purveyor Mopoke, and Morning Jones, a coffee shop and bakery. And of course there are numerous homages to Bonanno’s Italian upbringing: not one but two pizza concepts (Bonanno Brothers and Engine Room), Mano Pastaria, and gelateria Cornicello.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Not to get

personal ourselves, but Lou’s hotchicken sandwiches make us cry (in a good way). We’re also smitten with Albina’s crab cakes and the pizzeria’s robiola-marbled, truffle-scented wildmushroom pie.

DRINKS: Forming a massive, free-

standing oval in the thick of the action, MOO Bar has become the unofficial check-in desk for meetups, where friends gather to treat themselves to a welcome cocktail before formulating a plan of (snack) attack. A suave little niche called Cellar pours about 20 wines on tap while uncorking a few extra by the bottle, with an emphasis on Italian and domestic labels. And the

aptly named taproom Stranded Pilgrim indeed stands alone as a relatively serene, adults-only nook with an allColorado selection of craft drafts.

PRO TIP: Among myriad other weekly

community events, Cellar conducts tastings every Tuesday at 5pm, so it’s as good a time as any to stop by.

STANLEY MARKETPLACE 2501 NORTH DALLAS STREET, AURORA STANLEYMARKETPLACE.COM OVERVIEW: More like an indie mall

than a market hall per se, the Stanley has nonetheless filled the sprawling former aviation factory it occupies with artisan food and beverage producers, fast-casual eateries, and sit-down restaurants—some 20 in all to guarantee myriad mix-and-match experiences under one roof, from shopping sprees to brunch with the fam to date night.

VENDORS: For starters, the Stanley’s home to the celebrated Annette and the ever-popular Comida Cantina as well as outposts of some of the city’s favorite counter joints—including Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen, Maria Empanada, Denver Biscuit Company, and Sweet Cow Ice Cream. But it also boasts its share of superb purveyors you won’t find elsewhere, from Logan House Coffee Company and offbeat doughnut shop Glazed & Confuzed to adorable sushi bar Misaki and the Stanley Beer Hall, where you can pour your own brewskis from self-serve taps, then hang out over brats and burgers in the biergarten.

SIGNATURE DISHES: You’ll find

something to love at all of the above, but to name a few we haven’t mentioned yet, don’t miss the soulful sandwiches from craft butchery The Juniper Pig, Rolling Smoke’s rocking brisket, or realdeal chocolatier Miette et Chocolat’s Nutella éclair.

to the addition of a boutique hotel this year that multiplied its already topnotch dining-and-drinking options in electric fashion.

enough, Cheluna Brewing Co. kickstarted a recent trend by pouring some of the city’s best Mexican-inspired suds—think tamarind gose or chilemango wheat beer. Upstairs, a satellite of RiNo winery Infinite Monkey Theorem pours its wares—including the guilty pleasure that is dry-hopped Sauvignon Blanc—in a onetime break room turned ultra-stylish lounge.

VENDORS: It’s a testament to The Source’s significance that so many of the outlets in both the original building and the hotel have their own spotlights in this book, including New American hot spot Acorn, modern Israeli smash hit Safta, and barbecue shack Smōk.

But we had to save something for this page, right? We’re talking gourmet pantry Mondo Market, beloved modern taqueria Comida, and The Woods, which serves as both the hotel’s viewblessed, gastropub-style restaurant and the rooftop taproom for New Belgium’s onsite satellite brewery.

STAY TUNED: A Stanley Marketplace

SIGNATURE DISHES: See the listings

spinoff, Broadway Market, is in the works for the Golden Triangle, boasting concepts from chefs Daniel Asher (River and Woods, Ash’kara), Paul Reilly (beast + bottle, Coperta), and Biju Thomas (Biju’s Little Curry Shop), among others.

above for more, but Comida’s baconjalapeño griddled tacos and sirloin tacos with mashed sweet potatoes count as foolproof faves. As for The Woods, it’s too early to say, but anything with beer baked right in—including the soft pretzel with stout-mustard butter and the Fat Tire–infused sausage pizza— indicates a keeper.

DRINKS: As if the Beer Hall weren’t

THE SOURCE 3330 BRIGHTON BOULEVARD THESOURCEHOTEL.COM OVERVIEW: Without The Source, there

is no RiNo: The arts district built up around it to become Denver’s most exciting commercial destination in just a few short years. Such was the impact that Zeppelin Development’s pioneering marketplace, set in a historic, graffitiemblazoned iron foundry, had on our culture—and continues to have, thanks

DRINKS: But wait, there’s more,

starting with Rino Yacht Club, which McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright run with the same passion and determination to make us all better, cooler drinkers that they do their onsite bottle shop The Proper Pour. Try a lowwaste cocktail with Sherry or Madeira.

Try a pét nat. Try a single-varietal cider.

Don’t know what any of that means?

MARKETS & FOOD HAL L S // 173

ZEPPELIN STATION 174

imbibe...

Ask and you shall discover. You can also wet your whistle at Commonwealth Coffee Roasters’ first-rate java shop Caffè Figurati and cult brewery Crooked Stave, a major pioneer of sours and wild ales. That’s right, two of Colorado’s most celebrated craft-beer producers await in one location. Suds fight!

HIGH PRAISE: The Source has appeared on countless lists of America’s best food halls over the past few years, including those of Reader’s Digest, Travel & Leisure, Thrillist, and Fodor’s.

ZEPPELIN STATION

3501 WAZEE STREET 720 460 1978 ZEPPELINSTATION.COM OVERVIEW: Linked by a pedestrian

bridge to the 38th & Blake A Line light-rail station, this food hall from Zeppelin Development—which pioneered RiNo’s revitalization with The Source and TAXI—is proving a travel-themed game-changer in its own right. Eight stalls serve as showcases for some of Denver/Boulder’s most acclaimed chefs and producers as well as transplants bringing something new to the neighborhood, while two bars keep the booze flowing.

COURTESY OF ZEPPELIN STATION

VENDORS: Duc Hyunh runs not one

but two outlets here: Dandy Lion, a Vietnamese-inspired coffee counter, and a satellite of Vinh Xuong, his family’s beloved bakery and báhn mì shop. At Injoi Korean Kitchen, Bill Espiricueta has said he aims to pay “respectful tribute to Korean food while playing with Southern influences,”

whereas Chicago’s Jared Leonard opened Montreal-themed Au Feu to merge “my love for Texas-style barbecue with my wife’s Canadian heritage.”

Also out of Chicago is Aloha Poké Co. Namkeen, from Spuntino’s Cindhura Reddy and Elliot Strathmann, specializes in sizzling Indian street food; Fior Gelato sibling Gelato Boy covers dessert in delightfully quirky fashion.

And finally, No Vacancy makes room for rotating concepts—maybe you’re getting shawarma and fattoush, maybe octopus and chicken yakitori.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The short answer is “too many to count,” but don’t miss Namkeen’s Chicken 65, Au Feu’s smoked brisket on rye, or Injoi’s bulgogi.

DRINKS: Day drinking doesn’t get

much better than it does at Kiss + Ride, which pours a globe-spanning range of sessionable craft beers and wines by the glass as well as porch-pounding cocktails. Big Trouble, meanwhile, whisks you away to some underground hot spot in Tokyo or Hong Kong with its funky vibe, DJ booth, and a killer selection of exotic libations, including large-format punches.

SOUND BITE: “Leave it to Zeppelin

Development, who introduced the market hall trend to Denver via the Source in 2013, to refresh the experience just when it started to feel a bit commonplace,” wrote 5280 upon crowning Zeppelin Station the city’s best market hall in its 2018 Top of the Town issue.

MARKETS & FOOD HAL L S // 175

T H O U G H W E W I S H W E H A D RO O M TO C OV E R E V E RY TO P - N OT C H B A K E RY, I C E C R E A M E RY, A N D C O F F E E H O U S E I N TOW N

(looking at you, Tokyo Premium Bakery, Sweet Action, and Corvus), this book has to end somewhere. But not before we’ve introduced you to some of our favorite delis, pizzerias, taquerias, burger joints, smokeshacks, international holes in the wall, and other gems that deliver extra bang for the buck.

cheap, casual & cult eats

ALOY THAI

FOOD IS THE I N G R E D I E N T T H AT B I N D S U S TO G E T H E R .

ACREAGE 1380 HORIZON AVENUE, UNIT A, LAFAYETTE, 720 443 3007; ACREAGECO.COM

A collaboration between Stem Ciders and two acclaimed chef-restaurateurs— Daniel Asher and Kelly Whitaker—has yielded a sprawling, Basque-inspired playground for fun lovers of all ages, who drink in the boundless mountain

views from its light-filled taproom and firepit-lined deck as deeply as the rotating house and guest ciders (nonalcoholic for kids).

ADELITASDENVER.COM

From the mural of the bandolierstrapped soldadera on the façade to the twice-daily happy hour to the numero uno Taco Tuesday deal in town, Adelitas (now with a Littleton location) has all the makings of a fiesta—but the party doesn’t start until you get here, margarita in hand, molcajete on the way.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Spinach

enchiladas, chicken mole

SIGNATURE DISHES: Housemade

AFRICAN GRILL AND BAR

sausages, roast chicken, cider doughnuts

18601 GREEN VALLEY RANCH BOULEVARD, 303 375 7836; AFRIC ANGRILLCO.COM

ADELITAS CANTINA Y COCINA 1294 SOUTH BROADWAY, 303 778 1294;

Running this oasis in the DIA-area desert with inexhaustible heart and

humor from back to front, the OseiFordwuo family cooks up a wealth of West African specialties to sizzle your innards and stir your soul. Be it palmbutter soup, red red, or fufu with cow’s feet, it’s not so much a meal you’re having as a culinary awakening.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Akara (black-eyed

pea fritters), tuo zaafi (just try it), jollof rice with goat or lamb ALOY THAI CUISINE 2720 C ANYON BOULEVARD, BOULDER, 303 440 2903; ALOYTHAI.COM

While its Denver sibling dabbles ably in Asian fusion (Brie tempura, fried alligator), we’re still fond of the moretraditional flagship, where the bright, C H E A P, CA S UA L & C ULT E AT S // 177

“ O N E C A N N OT THINK WELL, L OV E WELL, SLEEP WELL... fresh notes of homestyle Thai cooking ring loud and clear amid the handsome dining room’s flashes of red and gold.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Crying tiger,

khao soi ANGELO’S TAVERNA 620 EAST 6TH AVENUE, 303 744 3366; 6885 SOUTH SANTA FE DRIVE, SUITE A, LITTLETON, 720 532 1389; ANGELOSTAVERNA.COM

Attached to an urban winery, the suburban satellite of this Alamo Placita institution is only a couple of years old, but it somehow shares the time-worn charm of the original—though you can hardly beat the garlic bread, chargrilled oysters, fried ravioli, massive pizzas blanketed in blistered cheese, and housemade limoncello for charm.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Chipotle- and

bourbon-butter oysters, ribeye pizza 178

BIJU’S

THE BAGEL DELI & RESTAURANT

ANGELO’S

6439 EAST HAMPDEN AVENUE, 303 756 6667; B AGELDELI.COM

SIGNATURE DISHES: The Alaskan

For more than 50 years, this family-run deli has warmed the cockles of homesick East Coast transplants’ hearts with its commitment to keeping it old-school.

Borscht? Blintzes? Chopped liver?

Gefilte fish? Check, check, check, and oh-so-comforting check, all day long.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Matzo brei,

knishes, the triple-decker sandwich

reindeer and elk-jalapeño-cheddar dogs, fried mac-and-cheese BIJU’S LITTLE CURRY SHOP 1441 26TH STREET, 303 292 3500; 4279 TENNYSON STREET, 303 975 6886; LITTLECURRYSHOP.COM BLUE PAN PIZZA

BEET BOX 1030 EAST 22ND AVENUE, 303 861 0017; BEETBOXDENVER.COM

SIGNATURE DISHES: Chickpea-salad

sandwich, mushroom panino, beet brownies, doughnuts BETTOLA BISTRO 10253 EAST ILIFF AVENUE, AURORA, 393 750 1580; BETTOLABISTRO.COM

After years of bouncing around, chef Samir Mohammad has finally settled down in an Aurora strip mall to serve simple, seasonal Italian plates like sausage-mushroom tortellini and pork saltimbocca with a gusto that’s got the whole neighborhood on his side.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Scampi, pan-fried

ricotta-spinach gnudi

Biju Thomas’s mod, funky homage to the colorful roadside dhabas of India serves up rice bowls, stuffed flatbreads, and fried snacks—bhaji, samosas, and so on—that burst with vibrant colors, robust flavors, and loads of spice.

— V I R G I N I A WO O L F BIKER JIM’S GOURMET DOGS 2148 LARIMER STREET, 720 746 9355; BIKERJIMSDOGS.COM

Denver’s favorite (and only) repo man– turned–dog whisperer, Jim Pittenger, runs this bang-up Ballpark sausage joint, where you can get just about anything tubular on a bun—including rattlesnake, yak, and boar—with an

SIGNATURE DISHES: The Parma Italia

and the Brooklyn Bridge BONES 701 GRANT STREET, 303 860 2929; BONESDENVER.COM

beef, roasted eggplant roti BIRDCALL

SIGNATURE DISHES: Pork-belly buns,

MULTIPLE LOC ATIONS; EATBIRDC ALL.COM

...IF ONE HAS NOT DINED WELL.”

to prove it—and your own tastebuds to confirm it. Despite their small size, both locations boast full bars to seal said deal with concoctions like the Fernet & Faygo, as funky as the artwork (give it all a close look).

By all means come to Frank Bonanno’s offbeat, pocket-sized Asian noodle bar on Capitol Hill for the bao and ramen, but come back for everything else—be it escargot potstickers, shrimp toast, churro cream puffs, or jelly beer, they know how to throw a foodie a curveball around here.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Curry braised PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

“Box” is practically an overstatement, given the wee size of this Five Points cafe. But it brings the flavor in bulk, producing some of the city’s most savory, flat-out delicious sandwiches on house-baked bread along with fetching pastries galore. That it also happens to be vegan is irrelevant (except, of course, to vegans).

equally wild array of toppings alongside a cold one (or two) to make a gray day brighter and a good day even better.

It’s on track to revolutionize the fast-casual industry with its high-tech operating system—but beyond the novelty of start-to-finish automation, this sleek and sunny chicken shack delivers on the promise of Southernfried nostalgia: fresh, hot, juicy, crispy sandwiches from sunup to well-past sundown. Throw in a strawberry milkshake to feel like a kid again.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Nashville hot

chicken

lobster ramen BONEY’S BARBEQUE 1543 CHAMPA STREET, 303 825 9900; BONEYSBBQ.COM

In a dark basement space that looks like a sports bar but feels like a homecoming, this family-run locals’ lair rustles up Southern staples you taste deep down in your soul: kicky wings, crispy fried okra, punchy baked beans and collard greens, and all the smoked meats that do a body good.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Rib tips, fried

BLUE PAN PIZZA

catfish, peach cobbler in season

3930 WEST 32ND AVENUE, 720 456 7666; 3509 EAST 12TH AVENUE, 720 519 0944; BLUEPANDENVER.COM

42 SOUTH BROADWAY, 720 389 9055; BORRACHOTACOSDENVER.COM

This specialist in Detroit-style pan pies is the real deal, with awards from several prestigious pizza-making competitions

It’s like Dia de los Muertos exploded all over Lon Symensma’s rocking taqueria, with its skull-printed tablecloths and

BORRACHO TACOS

C H E A P, CA S UA L & C ULT E AT S // 179

PHOTOS BY SAVANNA RONCO

BORRACHO TACOS

F I R S T W E E AT, T H E N W E D O E V E RY T H I N G E L S E . brick walls covered in wild graffiti— and the menu mirrors the vibe, a profusion of color in the form of avocado fries, shrimp-satay tacos, and mango-chile margs.

BORRACHO TACOS

SIGNATURE DISHES: Besides tacos, try

the tamales and the goat quesadilla BRIDER

SIGNATURE DISHES: Aebleskivers and

1644 PLATTE STREET, 303 455 3084; DENVERBRIDER.COM

It’s a coffee shop, a bakery, a rotisserie, a bar. Depending on the hour and your mood, Bryan Dayton, Steve Redzikowski, and chef Chase Devitt’s airy, modern all-day cafe checks the right box with gourmet verve, from turmeric lattes and farro oatmeal to whiskey sours and roasted leg of lamb with couscous, tzatziki, and naan.

SIGNATURE DISHES: House-baked

English muffins with egg and cheese, porchetta-kimchi sandwiches BRU HANDBUILT ALES & EATS 5290 ARAPAHOE AVENUE, BOULDER, 720 638 5193; BRUBOULDER.COM

The beer’s infused with tangerines, dates, and lemongrass; the food’s infused with IPA, saison, and stout. As owner, chef, and head brewer of this hip little farm-to-table gastropub, Ian Clark connects the dots between his passions with integrity and moxie—and tops them off with ice cream from his

Duncan Holmes and GM Allison Anderson hail from Frasca Food and Wine. In a tiny old RiNo bungalow– turned–ultramod cafe, they’re making sandwiches, salads, and pastries that represent nothing short of a fast-casual revolution, permanently erasing the line between humble eats and haute cuisine. tartines, both savory and sweet CART-DRIVER

2500 LARIMER STREET #100, 303 292 3553; C ART-DRIVER.COM

organic scoop shop next door.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Mussels,

sourdough pizza BUCHI CAFE CUBANO 2651 WEST 38TH AVENUE, 303 458 1328; BUCHIC AFECUB ANO.COM

This little slice of Key West puts the “sunny” in Sunnyside with a small but vibrant selection of Cuban staples— pressed sandwiches, guava–cream cheese pasteles, foamy cortaditos, mintpacked mojitos, and all.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The Cubano, por

supuesto CALL 2845 LARIMER STREET, 303 954 0230; C ALL-DENVER.COM

Craig Lieberman’s the founder of cracker company 34 Degrees; chef

The smaller the space, the more the merrier. This ever-lively pizzeria slings wood-fired pies, shucks oysters galore, and pours a wide range of spritzes, Italian wines, and craft beers for the hipster contingent from noon to midnight—all in a closet-sized RiNo shipping container (made slightly larger but no less jam-packed by two patios).

SIGNATURE DISHES: Chicken-liver

mousse, sausage-kale pizza THE CHERRY CRICKET

2641 EAST 2ND AVENUE, 303 322 7666; 2220 BLAKE STREET, 303 297 3644; CHERRYCRICKET.COM

The Cherry Creek original’s a divey, decades-old institution; the Ballpark newcomer’s practically a theme park, complete with an arcade—but both make for a Mile High good time.

Slather that burger patty with peanut C H E A P, CA S UA L & C ULT E AT S // 181

CALL

COOKING I S L OV E MADE VISIBLE. butter and grape jam, throw in some mash puppies, wash it all down with a goofball boozy shake, and don’t regret a thing.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The Cricket

Burger with candied bacon and jalapeño jelly CHERRY HILLS SUSHI CO 1400 EAST HAMPDEN AVENUE, SUITE 110, ENGLEWOOD, 303 761 1559

CHOCOLATE LAB 2504 EAST COLFAX AVENUE, 720 536 5037; CHOCOLATELABDENVER.COM

At his mod little City Park cafe, Phil Simonson leaves no bean unturned in his efforts to build an entire menu around chocolate—savory dishes, cocktails, confections, and desserts. Not everything works, but experimentation is all part of the fun—and the successes warrant a fist pump.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Meatballs in

bourbon-chocolate sauce, chocolate ravioli CHOP SHOP CASUAL URBAN EATERY 4990 EAST COLFAX AVENUE, 720 550 7665; 200 QUEBEC STREET, 303 364 1102; COLORADOCHOPSHOP.COM

Slick and pop-artsy, this tiny momand-pop Japanese joint is a study in simplicity. Sit at the counter, sip a little premium sake or Asian whiskey, watch the chefs make your spicy-scallop and unagi hand rolls to order right in front of you—and relax. That’s all there is to it.

Chef-owner Clint Wangsnes set the paradigm for fast-casual dining when he opened this answer to frazzled families’ prayers in Hale and then Lowry. Put his onion ring–topped, bacon-wrapped meatloaf, pan-roasted chicken two ways, or orange cheesecake against those of any bistro; if you can tell the difference, it’ll likely be in his favor.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Temaki, chirashi,

SIGNATURE DISHES: The 72-hour

and sashimi—pretty much the whole menu CHINA JADE 12203 EAST ILIFF AVENUE, AURORA, 303 755 8518; CHINA-JADE-RESTAURANT.COM

onion soup and the 48-hour short rib CITY, O’ CITY 206 EAST 13TH AVENUE, 303 831 6443; CITYOCITYDENVER.COM

This Aurora strip-mall stalwart has a lot more competition than it used to, but it’s still on our short list for hearty, fiery, real-deal Sichuan cuisine—from beef tendon to pork kidney, the kitchen doesn’t dumb a thing down.

Welcome to Bohemia. This super-artsy, always-busy vegetarian haven in Capitol Hill keeps the cool kids coming nearly 24/7 for turmeric lattes and tempeh hash, craft drafts and quinoa bowls, Palomas and poutine and pizza—not to mention a pumping late-night happy hour.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Tofu with

SIGNATURE DISHES: Fried ravioli,

preserved egg, cumin lamb

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L I F E I S TO O S H O R T, E AT D E S S E R T F I R S T. COCHINO TACO 3495 SOUTH DOWNING STREET, ENGLEWOOD, 720 573 6174; COCHINOTACO.COM

Owner Johnny Ballen’s wicked sense of humor suffuses every inch of this southside party place, housed in an old gas station. Check out the street signage (“Taco Emergency—Dial Nine Juan Juan”); knock back a Zima-spiked frozen Paloma with hard-shell tacos served in a toy truck at happy hour; return for micheladas and egg-topped chiles rellenos at brunch—it’s a blast any way you slice it.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Evil Cheetos, pig-

ear and fried-chicken tacos COMAL HERITAGE FOOD INCUBATOR 3455 RINGSBY COURT #105, 303 292 0770; FACEBOOK.COM/COMALKITCHEN

Eat well, do good, feel good at this wonderful weekday lunch counter run by immigrant women learning the ropes of the restaurant biz, where on any given day you might be treated to Mexican pork ribs adobo and arroz con leche or Middle Eastern lamb kebabs and honey-semolina cake.

Way out near the airport, Priscilla Smith’s soul-food sanctuary doesn’t always have everything you want when you want it, but it’s always got what you need before you know it. Oxtails, neck bones, fried catfish, hush puppies, banana pudding—at its best, there’s no place like home.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Smothered pork

chops, egg rolls, fried chicken, coconut cake DENVER BISCUIT COMPANY MULTIPLE LOC ATIONS; DENBISCO.COM

Hot, huge, fluffy, flaky, loaded, and luscious—the generic name just doesn’t do justice to the goods at this local franchise, which turns out biscuitbased, Southern-fried, gravy-smothered breakfast and lunch plates to fill your belly for what feels like a week.

EUCLID HALL

SIGNATURE DISHES: The pot pie,

SIGNATURE DISHES: Meatballs, in subs

cinnamon rolls, and Ellworth sandwich with fried chicken, honey, and pickles get a whole lotta love from locals.

or on spaghetti

DIFRANCO’S 955 LINCOLN STREET, UNIT D, 720 253 1244; DIFRANCOS.COM

A deli on the surface, a red-sauce parlor at heart: That’s this Golden Triangle sweet spot in a nutshell (or rather cannoli tube), where the simple menu puts the freshest of housemade and locally sourced ingredients first.

Be it classic chicken parm or penne in prosciutto-vodka sauce, lemon pound cake or ricotta cookies for dessert, it’s all done with downright-touching honesty and integrity.

DIO MIO HANDMADE PASTA 3264 LARIMER STREET, 303 562 1965; DIOMIOPASTA.COM

Self-styled “artisanal spaghetti monsters” Spencer White and Alex Figura put their fine-dining experience to fabulous use at this RiNo pasta joint, whipping up clever stunners like summer-squash ravioli in sunflowerseed pistou and balsamic-sprinkled chitarra with bottarga and caramelized onions to pair with a small but foolproof-cool selection of wines, beers, and cocktails.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Cacio e pepe,

house-baked sourdough with prosciutto and burrata

DIFRANCO’S

SIGNATURE DISHES: Hummus and

housemade pita, tacos on handmade tortillas CORAFAYE’S CAFÉ 16251 EAST COLFAX AVENUE, AURORA, 303 333 5551

This is the essence of home cooking.

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E AT I N G I S A N E C E S S I T Y BUT COOKING...

DOS SANTOS 1475 EAST 17TH AVENUE, 303 386 3509; DOSSANTOSTACOS.COM

With a rustic-industrial vibe and a freewheeling kitchen, this cantina from brothers Jason and Kris Wallenta keeps you on your toes via ever-changing specials: Think achiote-marinated mahi mahi tacos with peaches, poblanos, and pepitas in chia-seed shells or deep-fried brussels-sprout tostadas with spicy cotija sauce and habanero-honey peanuts. Then it knocks you off your feet with easydrinking but hard-hitting agave cocktails.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Aguachile de

camarones, the OMFG with raw tuna on lettuce DUNBAR KITCHEN & TAP HOUSE 2844 WELTON STREET, 720 630 7641; DUNBARKITCHENANDTAPHOUSE.COM

Not every last neighborhood tavern, no matter how beloved, warrants a following beyond a few-block radius.

This one does—not only for its killer burgers and smashing craft-beer lineup but also its genuine, easygoing warmth.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Grilled cheese and

PHOTO BY JENNIFER OLSON

tomato soup, the Tuesday burger special EL TACO DE MEXICO 714 SANTA FE DRIVE, 303 623 3926; ELTACODEMEXICODENVER.COM

There isn’t a vaunted chef in the world who couldn’t learn something from

the masters behind the counter at this Lincoln Park mecca of Mexican street food—not just about the art of carne asada or refried beans or green chile but also about the value of simplicity, consistency, and equanimity.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The chile-relleno

burrito and the tacos de carnitas EUCLID HALL BAR & KITCHEN 1317 14TH STREET, 303 595 4255; EUCLIDHALL.COM

With a beer list as exceptional as theirs, Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch could have stopped at “Bar”—but they added “Kitchen” and they meant it.

This is gastropub fare at its finest, from brûléed marrow bones and brat burgers on pretzel croissants to mac-and-cheese with fried squid and tortamisù.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Pad Thai pig ears,

duck poutine, housemade sausages and mustards FLOWER PEPPER 2655 BROADWAY, BOULDER, 720 381 1594; FLOWERPEPPEREATS.COM

The dining room’s barely a hallway, but what this Chinese counter joint lacks in square footage it makes up for with its menu’s regional breadth and depth of flavor—Sichuan mapo tofu, Taiwanese braised-beef noodles, Beijing-style duck-wonton soup, and more brim with homey, wholesome goodness.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Steamed

dumplings, sour-and-spicy sweet potato noodles, stewed pork belly over rice FNG

3940 WEST 32ND AVENUE, 720 667 3727; FNGRESTAURANT.COM

Most neighborhood places are safe spaces. Leave it to Troy Guard to give his Highlands Square take on the genre a good hard edge, from the name (guess what it stands for) to the rock-n-roll theme to the comfort food that goes to 11—gnocchi chowder, rabbit green chile, bison enchiladas—alongside banging cocktails.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Bologna sliders,

burgers the way they should be FORTUNE WOK TO TABLE

2817 3RD AVENUE, 303 321 7788; FORTUNEWOKTOTABLE.COM

Amusing as it is that some of the best Chinese food in greater Denver is now to be found in culturally homogenous Cherry Creek, the food here is no joke. Offering no more than 10 items

I S A N A R T.

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FRESH THYMES 188

“ T H E R E I S N O S I N C E R E L O V E T H A N T H E L O V E F O R F O O D.” — G E O R G E B E R N A R D S H AW (usually less) on two different menus, the kitchen lovingly hand-crafts it all— soulful Shanghainese curries, noodles, and dumplings downstairs, more elaborate dishes such as hot-and-sour seafood soup and pork ribs wok-fired in honey and rice wine upstairs.

favorite turns out wholesome eats to brighten even the dullest diet—from falafel burgers and creative pizzas to take-home comforts like spaghettisquash casserole and chicken and dumplings.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Dumplings,

tacos, vegan mac-and-cheese

dumplings, dumplings—righteous whether fried or steamed, stuffed with beef, pork, or vegetables FOUR FRIENDS KITCHEN 2893 ROSLYN STREET, 303 388 8299; FOURFRIENDSKITCHEN.COM

The decor’s as bright and splashy as a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, the staff’s as sweet as pie, and the menu’s set like an alarm clock to wake you up, nice and easy, in the South. This daytime Stapleton staple piles on the rise-and-shine provisions: fluffy, creamy, crispy, sunny, savory, syrupy—and Bloody, of course.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Crab and

fried-green tomato Benedict, smoked brisket hash FRESH THYMES 2500 30TH STREET, #101, BOULDER, 303 955 7988; FRESHTHYMES.COM

As crisp and colorful inside as its everchanging array of salads, this vegan-, celiac-, and Paleo-friendly fast-casual

SIGNATURE DISHES: Korean steak

FUNNY PLUS 2777 SOUTH PARKER ROAD, AURORA, 303 745 3477; FUNNYPLUS.WIXSITE.COM

the part with gusto too: You want scampi, spaghetti and meatballs, and spumoni, you got it, with plenty of Chianti to wash it down.

and everything else) right; the tangy apple slaw cuts right through each bite to refresh your palate for the next.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Clams Casino, sausage and peppers, veal and eggplant parmesan

sandwich and the dry-rubbed wings

GARIBALDI MEXICAN BISTRO 3298 SOUTH BROADWAY, UNIT B, ENGLEWOOD, 303 781 0812

It’s loud, it’s packed, and it’s as offbeat as its name, so come here pumped for a Korean culinary escapade. The fried chicken is the stuff of instant legend; the rice-cake casserole bubbles like lava with chile sauce as well as tofu skin, ramen noodles, and eggs; and the plentiful soju comes cheap. Dig in, drink up, and rock out to K-pop.

Though “bistro” is a bit of a misnomer—it’s a bare-bones little cocina attached to a gas station and car wash—the food here rivals that of any special-occasion destination. From tlayudas, huaraches, rellenos, sopes, and tortas to daily specials like barbacoa platters and blue-corn quesadillas stuffed with squash blossoms, everything is something special, handmade with love.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Besides the

SIGNATURE DISHES: Quekas,

chicken, get the corn cheese and Army soup GAETANO’S

pambazos, anything with nopales (cactus) GQUE CHAMPIONSHIP BBQ

3760 TEJON STREET, 303 455 9852; GAETANOSITALIAN.COM

5160 WEST 120TH AVENUE, UNIT K, WESTMINSTER, 303 379 9205; GQUEBBQ.COM

With a delightfully checkered history stretching back more than 70 years, this LoHi landmark looks the part of an old-school Italian joint, all wood paneling, red banquettes, and blackand-white photos. Of course it plays

Once a barbecue desert, greater Denver’s now a land of milk and honey, smoked meat–wise; this suburban stripmall joint stands among its brightest oases. Jason Ganahl’s the rare pitmaster to do turkey (as well as ribs, brisket,

SIGNATURE DISHES: The pulled-pork

HASHTAG 10155 EAST 29TH DRIVE, 303 993 6896; HASHTAG-RESTAURANT.COM

Sitting inside Troy Guard’s sunny, buzzing Stapleton breakfast-and-brunch joint, you’ll feel a little like you’re nestled in an egg or a piece of honeycomb—the decor is just that evocative of the get-upand-go food it serves, from burritos and Benedicts to skillets and waffles.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Cream cheese–

frosted cinnmon rolls, coconutmacadamia pancakes, loco moco hash HIGHLAND TAP & BURGER 2219 WEST 32ND AVENUE, 720 287 4493; HIGHLANDTAPDENVER.COM

With two siblings in Sloan’s Lake and Belleview Station, this beloved tavern doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel—just to pimp it a bit with, say, root-beer pulled pork and onion rings or chickenfried bacon and beer-cheese sauce.

Then the bar greases it with any of 70 rotating craft beers.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The Shroom

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GOOD FOOD IS ALL THE SWEETER WHEN S H A R E D. . .

HOPS & PIE 3920 TENNYSON STREET, 303 477 7000; HOPSANDPIE.COM

Despite the name, this is not your basic taproom or pizzeria—or sub shop, for that matter. Cult and rare beers make hopheads’ eyes pop, while the kitchen outdoes itself daily with wildly inventive pizza toppings and sandwich fillings: smoked tofu, mashed potatoes, pecan cream cheese, garlicky pea shoots, you name it.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The artisan pie of

the month, topped with anything from scrambled eggs and stone-ground grits to confit pork belly and hoisin sauce IL PORCELLINO SALUMI 4324 WEST 41ST AVENUE, 303 477 3206; ILPORCELLINODENVER.COM

Old World technique meets New World spunk at Bill Miner’s celebrated Berkeley salumeria and deli, where the retail case is chock full of sausages, butcher’s cuts, cheeses, and more to go and the kitchen rocks an honest sandwich, be it bison pastrami with 190

HIGHLAND TAP & BURGER

melted Swiss or herb-roasted chicken with Marsala aioli, pickled mushrooms, and caramelized onions.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The Hoggie, an

Italian-style sub with salami, pepperoni, and ham JAMAICAN GRILL 709 WEST 8TH AVENUE, 303 623 0013; JAMAIC ANGRILLDENVER.COM

Done up in all the colors of the Jamaican flag, this laid-back little slice of the Caribbean delivers curried goat, oxtail stew, fried plantains, and other hearty island classics at its own pace—leaving you plenty of time to soak up the vibe while sucking down Red Stripes.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Beef patties, jerk

chicken, brown stew fish KIKI’S JAPANESE CASUAL DINING

1565 WEST ALAMEDA AVENUE, 720 583 6586; LAC ALLETAQUERIA.COM

From beef tongue and intestine to pork stomach and skin, this Valverde taqueria doesn’t sweat the nasty bits, and neither should you—they’re absolutely luscious beneath a few blazing dollops of housemade salsa.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Try the tacos de

cabeza, cueritos, or chivo LA CHIVA 1417 SOUTH BROADWAY, 720 389 9847; LACHIVACOLOMBIAN.COM

Chef Jorge Aguirre is a peach, and his charming Colombian cafe on South Broadway a breath of fresh air—where tropical cocktails cut through hearty, hefty platters of meat, yuca, plantains, beans, rice, and so much more like an easy breeze.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Empanadas,

arepas, picada LAO WANG NOODLE HOUSE 945 SOUTH FEDERAL BOULEVARD, 303 957 2497

This extra-cozy, shabby-chic University Hills fixture has flown under the foodie radar for years, but it’s one of our main go-tos for Japanese comfort food like grilled mackerel, curry udon, and hayashi (minced beef in gravy over rice).

Notoriously indifferent to the niceties of service as they may be, the momand-pop owners of this textbook hole in the wall have earned the (unrequited) affection of hordes of Denverites for their dumplings, including xiao long bao; dan dan and other pungent noodle bowls; and curiosities like the delightful spiced tofu jerky.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Japanese fried

SIGNATURE DISHES: Potstickers,

chicken, katsudon, beef ramen

Taiwanese beef-noodle soup

2440 SOUTH COLORADO BOULEVARD, 303 504 4043; KIKISJAPANESERESTAURANT.COM

LEVEN DELI CO

LOS CHINGONES

123 WEST 12TH AVENUE, 303 325 5691; EATLEVEN.COM

MULTIPLE LOC ATIONS; LOSCHINGONESMEXIC AN.COM

Despite the almost-quaint ambiance— think latticed woodwork and lots of plants—this Golden Triangle deli run by two Potager alums skews decidedly new-school, with daily specials like za’atar-dusted egg salad on sourdough toast and “masa-ball” soup supplementing burrata-tomato baguettes, paprika-laced grilledcheese sandwiches, and tahini-spiked brownies.

The name loosely translates as “badasses,” and the crews at Troy Guard’s quartet of mod cantinas—sprayed in fluorescent hues and kooky graffiti—live up to it, putting rattlesnake chorizo in their guacamole; topping tacos with smoked ostrich, chicken teriyaki, or fresh figs; and spiking tequila with Tang. Get ready to rumble at the dining equivalent of lucha libre.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Smashed-

neck tacos

chickpea flatbread, pastrami Reuben LITTLE CHENGDU ASIAN CUISINE 8101 EAST BELLEVIEW AVENUE, SUITE A90, 303 220 0577

Whatever you think you know about Chinese food, rethink it here over hand-pulled and knife-shaved noodles, fiery hot pots and roujiamo (meatstuffed flatbread sandwiches). No amount of fancy decor or fine service could make them taste any better than they already do.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Besides the above,

handmade wontons in chile oil

PHOTO BY MORGAN CARTER

WITH GOOD FRIENDS.

LA CALLE TAQUERIA Y CARNITAS

SIGNATURE DISHES: Pig nachos, lamb-

MARIA EMPANADA

MULTIPLE LOC ATIONS; MARIAEMPANADA.COM

We think of the owner of this acclaimed Argentinian cafe and bakery, Lorena Cantarovici, as Denver’s own Martha Stewart. Her empanadas, tartas, alfajores, and more are not only mind-bendingly delicious, they’re drop-dead gorgeous— and with three locations to date, she’s building an empire on them to boot.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The empanada

gallega as well as the three cheese– mushroom, spinach-béchamel, and steak-and-egg versions

LEVEN DELI CO

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LOS CHINGONES

“ P E O P L E W H O L O V E TO E AT A R E A LWAY S . . .

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MARIO’S OCEAN CLUB

MASTERPIECE DELICATESSEN

560 SOUTH BROADWAY, 303 777 3474; MARIOSOCEANCLUB.COM

1575 CENTRAL STREET, 303 561 3354; MASTERPIECEDELI.COM

Tin ceilings, blue walls, and nautical bric-a-brac lend this South Broadway newcomer loads of quaint, sea-breezy character; the food, of course, only enhances it. Oysters on the half-shell, clam fritters, shrimp scampi, crab cakes, catch-of-the-day platters, and all make it quite the coastal oasis.

At 10 years and counting, Justin Brunson’s daytime sandwich shop is practically a piece of LoHi history—yet it marks itself present every single day with comehither specials like meatloaf on rye with mushrooms and onions or carne asada with chicken cracklings, cheddar, salsa verde, and a fried egg (whew) on ciabatta.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Chowder and the

SIGNATURE DISHES: The white-truffled

lobster roll

egg-salad sandwich and the ahi-tuna muffin

MOUNTAIN SUN PUB & BREWERY

1535 PEARL STREET, BOULDER, 303 546 0886; MOUNTAINSUNPUB.COM

Boulder’s hippie roots still proudly sprout at this quirky old brewpub, as beloved for its vegetarian-friendly grub as it is for its beer—particularly the Colorado Kind Ale and rotating stouts.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Boom boom

sandwich, black-bean chili, basil-blue cheeseburger MOXIE EATERY

70 BROADWAY, SUITE 150, 303 524 9236; MOXIEEATERY.COM

Big things come in small packages. This adorably mod little cafe in Baker packs a whole rainbow of bright colors and fresh flavors into its compact menu of salads and sandwiches—take the cauliflower, lentil, and quinoa bowl, brimming with red peppers, almonds, scallions, and cilantro in curry vinaigrette and cumin yogurt.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Acorn squash–

black bean sandwich, Green Giant salad, falafel waffle MY BROTHER’S BAR

2376 15TH STREET, 303 455 9991; MYBROTHERSB AR.COM

In business since 1873, this wonderfully creaky LoHi tavern amounts to a rite of passage for Denverites. Until you’ve come for a beer and an old-school burger, charred yet glistening on a sesame-seed bun; savored the soothing sounds of piped-in classical music; and discovered the leafy, sun-dappled secret back patio, you can’t really call yourself a local.

...THE BEST PEOPLE.” —JULIA CHILD

SIGNATURE DISHES: The JCB

(jalapeño–cream cheese burger) NEW SAIGON 630 SOUTH FEDERAL BOULEVARD, 303 936 4954; NEWSAIGON.COM

Over the years, we’ve spied our share of chefs hunkering down over piles of softshell crab, duck soup, and other staples of the enormous menu at this bustling, no-fuss Vietnamese institution. Skip the pho for once in favor of jellyfish salad, garlic-butter snails, curried frog’s legs, or beef-stuffed grape leaves.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Rice-paper wrap

platters, fire pots OHANA ISLAND KITCHEN 2563 15TH STREET, 303 718 6580; OHANADENVER.COM

Denver’s first poke parlor is still its most darling, a pastel-washed LoHi lunch counter that sticks to the essentials—raw-tuna bowls, kalua pork, macaroni salad, guava cake if you’re lucky, and not much else.

Which happens to be more than enough.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Shoyu poke,

Spam musubi

OLIVE & FINCH EATERY AND BAKERY 1552 EAST 17TH AVENUE, 303 832 8663; 3390 EAST 1ST AVENUE, 303 955 0455; OLIVEANDFINCHEATERY.COM

The City Park West flagship’s cute and cozy; the Cherry Creek branch is bigger and sleeker. But both of Mary Nguyen’s all-day cafes radiate good cheer in keeping with their vibrant, wholesome skillets, sandwiches, salads, fresh juices, and pastries. (At least we keep telling ourselves those mini-birthday cakes are wholesome.)

SIGNATURE DISHES: The Sonoma

hash; the City French with eggs, ham, and Brie; the Nico with carne asada and Swiss ONEFOLD 1420 EAST 18TH AVENUE, 303 954 0877; ONEFOLDDENVER.COM

It’s simply the quaintest, quirkiest little storefront cafe around, where pairing bacon-and-egg fried rice with a Screwdriver makes as much delightful sense as washing a burrito in a housemade organic tortilla down with bone broth or a Vietnamese coffee.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Breakfast tacos,

duck-confit congee OSAKA RAMEN 2611 WALNUT STREET, 303 955 7938; OSAKARAMENDENVER.COM

In an industrial subterranean space marked by a mural of Godzilla menacing a city in silhouette, RiNo’s funky bunch gathers to slurp up sake, beer, and Jeff Osaka’s noodle soup in all the classic styles, supplemented by a

few spot-on snacks like panko-crusted oysters with yuzu tartar sauce and sugar-dusted mochi doughnuts.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Besides the

obvious, chicken karaage and okonomiyaki fries PARISI 4401 TENNYSON STREET, 303 561 0234; PARISIDENVER.COM

Despite the fact that it started doing the fast-casual thing before it was cool in the Berkeley neighborhood before it was hot, no one thinks of this Italian longtimer as a trendsetter. Perhaps that’s because the fare itself is just such a comfort—gorgonzola-walnut gnocchi, plate-spanning calzones, daily specials like eggplant parm, molto vino, and all.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Butternut-squash

ravioli, prosciutto-arugula pizza PHO 95 1401 SOUTH FEDERAL BOULEVARD, 303 936 3322; 6879 SOUTH VINE STREET, CENTENNIAL, 303 797 9535; PHO95NOODLEHOUSE.COM

According to Mile High math, 95 is number one, at least when it comes to Vietnamese noodle soup—a comfyas-could-be home away from home for locals whose cravings for giant, steaming bowls of pho heaped with meat and brimming with fresh veggies and herbs cannot be denied. Bun, beer, and boba smoothies—it all adds up to a classic.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Filet mignon

pho, spring rolls, bo kho (beef stew)

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“ C O O K I N G I S L I K E L O V E .

IT SHOULD BE ENTERED I N TO W I T H A B A N D O N . . .

PHOENICIAN KABOB

5709 EAST COLFAX AVENUE, 303 355 7213; PKABOB.COM

Though this East Colfax fixture does all your Middle Eastern must-haves admirably—shawarma, skewers, falafel, and so on—its claim to fame is a hard-working oven that yields warm, fresh pita alongside spreads like foul mudammas, beef- and spinach-stuffed pastries, and za’atar-dusted flatbreads.

Sometimes those baked goods are all we order, followed by the intoxicating Lebanese coffee.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Garlic dip, kibbi,

fatayer, kafta kabob PIZZERIA LUI

5380 WEST MISSISSIPI AVENUE, LAKEWOOD, 303 922 3202; PIZZERIALUI.COM

Pizzaiolo Zach Parini’s acclaimed outlier is a true labor of love, with a hand-built oven that yields perfectly imperfect pies featuring black-bubbled

...OR NOT AT ALL.” — H A R R I E T VA N HORNE

194

crusts and unimpeachable seasonal toppings—prosciutto, local peaches, pistachios, and honey on the one hand, housemade chorizo, fresh corn, and tomatillo salsa on the other.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The Lui with

mozzarella, pecorino, salami, and rosemary PUNCH BOWL SOCIAL

65 BROADWAY, 303 765 2695; 3120 NORTH UINTA STREET, 720 500 3788; PUNCHBOWLSOCIAL.COM

A bowling alley. A video-game arcade.

Karaoke rooms. A VR parlor in Baker and a massive patio with bocce ball and cornhole in Stapleton. Multiple bars. And comfort food galore, day and night. Never was the question “what more could you ask for?” so rhetorical.

simmered meat, legume, and rootveggie stews, salads, and spongy injera, come straight from the heart.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Kitfo, combo

platters RACINES 650 SHERMAN STREET, 303 595 0418; RACINESRESTAURANT.COM

At 35 years old and counting, this Speer stalwart may not be a diner, but it’s come to play the part of one for countless locals who’ve hung out here morning, noon, and night over the decades. Chalk its longevity up to an American menu that goes on for pages, a bar that takes up half the room, and furnishings so comfy you can practically fall asleep in them.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Nutty cheese

fries, the knockoff burger, fried chicken

salad, Mile High nachos, brownie à la mode

QUEEN OF SHEBA

ROAMING BUFFALO BAR-B-QUE

SIGNATURE DISHES: Sriracha-peanut

7225 EAST COLFAX AVENUE, 303 399 9442

Strip-mall storefront notwithstanding, you’ll feel like a guest in the home of the Ethiopian family who runs this gem the instant you open the door. The space is quaint, filled with masks, woven textiles, and other folk art; the pace of service is nothing if not leisurely—and the deeply earthy, richly spiced platters, laden with long-

2387 SOUTH DOWNING STREET, 303 722 2226; ROAMINGBUFFALOBBQ.COM

Coy and Rachael Webb’s Harvard Gulch smokehouse is putting Colorado ’cue on the map one superbly smoked bison rib, lamb shank, and deer sausage at a time.

SIGNATURE DISHES: All of the above,

plus The Real McCoy sandwich and the poblano-cheddar mac

PARISI

PHOTO BY MARLA KEOWN PHOTOGRAPHY

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PHOTO BY RUTH TOBIAS

PUNCH BOWL SOCIAL

FOOD IS THE I N G R E D I E N T. . .

ROSENBERG’S BAGELS & DELICATESSEN 725 EAST 26TH AVENUE, 720 440 9880; 2501 DALLAS STREET, AURORA, 303 955 0466; ROSENBERGSB AGELS.COM

bagels and bialys, not just housesmoked fish and cream cheese galore, but also chopped liver, corned beef, pastrami, matzo-ball soup, knishes, kugel, black-and-white cookies, and more. It’s a little slice of the Big Apple in the Mile High City.

Bringing a tear to homesick East Coast

SIGNATURE DISHES: The Standard

transplants’ eye, Joshua Pollack’s real-

with cream cheese, house-cured gravlax, and all the trimmings

deal deli does it all—not just killer 196

RYE SOCIETY

SAM’S NO. 3

3090 NORTH LARIMER STREET, 303 875 5516; RYESOCIETY.COM

1500 CURTIS STREET, 303 534 1927; SAMSNO3.COM

Amusingly enough, Jerrod Rosen gets the bagels for his own retro-hip RiNo deli from Rosenberg’s, and his pastrami from New York’s iconic Carnegie Deli.

But he and his crew bake their own rye bread and rugelach, make a mean pickle, and sneak kale, wheatberries, sweet potatoes, and such into the menu mix for a whole new, just-healthyenough take on Jewish tradition.

Pies fill the display case, chrome stools line the counter, regulars pack the booths, and all in all this nearly 100-year-old landmark is everything a classic diner should be—complete with an enormous menu of heaping American, Greek, and Mexican platters and a full bar that keeps the Bloody Marys coming all day long.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The #18 + 1

smothered in pork green chile, toro pot, souvlaki

sandwich

SIGNATURE DISHES: Burritos

2637 WEST 26TH AVENUE, 303 433 0080; 320 EAST COLFAX AVENUE, 303 831 6233; SASSAFRASAMERICANEATERY.COM

The Jefferson Park flagship resembles your grandmother’s old Victorian home; the Colfax branch evokes Bourbon Street. (There’s also a Golden location.) Choose your vibe, then go hog wild on this Southern daytime joint’s beignets and boudin balls, po’ boys and Benedicts—not to mention eight flavored mimosas and 11 different Bloody Marys.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Everything, but

SIGNATURE DISHES: Steubie snacks,

especially the brisket and the breakfast burrito

meatloaf, truck-stop chocolate cake

SNOOZE, AN A.M. EATERY MULTIPLE LOC ATIONS; SNOOZEEATERY.COM

The Ballpark neo-diner that launched a regional chain is as much sunnyside-up fun today as it was when it opened in 2006. Rise and shine with a flapjack flight or loaded hash browns, an espresso-splashed Manhattan or a beermosa—then lie down and conk out. Meals like this were made for napping afterward.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Chicken-fried

SIGNATURE DISHES: Pineapple upside-

eggs and buffalo hash, BBQ macand-cheese

down pancakes, breakfast pot pie, the Bella! Bella! Benny

SILLA KOREAN BBQ

SPICE ROOM

3005 SOUTH PEORIA STREET, AURORA, 303 338 5070; SILLABBQ.COM

3157 WEST 38TH AVENUE, 303 455 3127; DENVERSPICEROOM.COM

SIGNATURE DISHES: Kimchi

Indian food has never been one of Denver’s strengths, so we’re rooting for this Berkeley haven of both northern and Nepalese staples, prepared with care and supplemented by dishes you don’t see every day like pani puri, sweet-potato masala, and bhatura (a puffy fried bread).

dumplings, cold buckwheat noodles

SIGNATURE DISHES: Shrimp aachari,

Though Korean barbecue’s the centerpiece of this modest yet comfy strip-mall longtimer, we’re partial to just about everything else on the menu, including the bibimbop and the tteokbokki (rice-cake casserole).

SMŌK 3330 BRIGHTON BOULEVARD, 720 452 2487; DENVERSMOK.COM

Rising-star chef Bill Espiricueta (exAcorn) brings both his fine-dining chops and his ardor for barbecue to bear on this mod smokeshack in The Source Hotel; you can taste both in every last bite of the burnt ends and pork belly, hot chicken and hush puppies, cornbread and hand pies.

T H AT BINDS US TO G E T H E R .

SIGNATURE DISHES: Beyond dim sum,

the hot pot with beef rib and eggplant and the house-special lobster STEUBEN’S 523 EAST 17TH AVENUE, 303 830 1001; 7355 RALSTON ROAD, ARVADA, 303 830 0096; STEUBENS.COM

Bringing the roadside diner into the 21st century, this permanent hot spot has earned a whole city’s goodwill with its earnest takes on regional classics, from egg creams and lobster rolls to pot roast and French toast, paired with old-school cocktails to put hair on your chest— boilermakers and tiki drinks included.

chicken shahenshah, excellent desserts STAR KITCHEN 2917 WEST MISSISSIPPI AVENUE, 303 936 0089; STARKITCHENSEAFOODDIMSUM.COM

For years, two Denver institutions have been locked in the battle for dim sum supremacy; both, aptly, have the word “star” in their name (see also Super Star, below). Here, we never pass up the rice-noodle rolls, deep-fried taro cakes, or pan-fried leek dumplings.

STOWAWAY KITCHEN 2528 WALNUT STREET, 720 583 5481; STOWAWAYDENVER.COM

There’s something for everyone—or at least every hipster—at this artsy RiNo cafe: local roasts and loaded toasts, craft beer and creative doughnuts, cool cocktails and an even-cooler supper club three nights a week. Here’s where waffles meet falafel and tagines meet tonkatsu.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Dukkah eggs

and trout, ham and eggs with salt-andvinegar hash SUPER STAR ASIAN CUISINE 2200 WEST ALAMEDA AVENUE, 303 727 9889; SUPER-STAR-ASIAN.COM

At Star Kitchen’s rival for Denver’s dim sum affections, we’re all about the textbook congee, pan-fried turnip cake, and lotus leaf–wrapped sticky rice—but every last item is solid, right down to the pig’s blood curd.

PHOTO BY ASHLEY DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY

SASSAFRAS AMERICAN EATERY

SNOOZE

C H E A P, CA S UA L & C ULT E AT S // 197

STEUBEN’S

L I V E . L O V E . E AT.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Dim sum aside,

the Peking duck, crispy pork belly with preserved cabbage, and salted jumbo prawns SUVIPA THAI FOOD

1015 SOUTH FEDERAL BOULEVARD, 720 379 6038

The twin pillars of Thai food are balance and freshness—bright herbs as well as fiery chiles, a touch of sweetness and a dose of umami. They stand tall at this bare-bones cubbyhole, where the glass-noodle salad with shrimp and pork practically sparkles and the curries shimmer with complex spice.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Curry puffs,

three-flavor fish SZECHUAN TASTY HOUSE

1000 WEST EVANS AVENUE, 303 955 0069; SZECHUANTASTYHOUSE.NET

Never mind the rundown façade, and just say no to the takeout staples. You’re here for now-soulful, now hyper-spicy regional Chinese specialties like preserved egg and tofu, chongqing chicken, and, if you’re lucky, lion’s head meatballs.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Fish in hot chile

margaritas. Non-GMO tortillas graced with toppings like braised duck, spaghetti squash, and rainbow chard.

This stylish, lively Pearl Street magnet redefines the taqueria in true Boulder fashion—complete with a happy hour that seems, magically, to be in effect as often as not.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Pork-belly and

snapper tacos TACOS TEQUILA WHISKEY MULTIPLE LOC ATIONS; TACOSTEQUILAWHISKEY.COM

Upmarket tacos weren’t a thing in Denver until Kevin Morrison came along—and Pinche, as this trio of cantinas is unofficially and affectionately known, still does them with the Spanishlanguage equivalent of chutzpah. Get the beer-braised short-rib taco with bluecheese crema and the one with grilled mushrooms and creamed corn and you’ll see what we mean.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Queso fundido

con chorizo, pork-belly agridulce taco, churros with chocolate TARASCO’S NEW LATINO CUISINE

T/ACO

470 SOUTH FEDERAL BOULEVARD, 303 922 2387; TARASCOSRESTAURANTDENVER.COM

Beetlekill pine furnishings. Craft

On a blustery winter’s day, there’s nowhere we’d rather go than this haven of Michoacán home cooking, where

oil, cumin lamb 1175 WALNUT STREET, BOULDER, 303 443 9468; TACOCOLORADO.COM

the morisqueta, huarache de nopales, and champurrado can cure whatever ails you physically or spiritually. (That Tarasco’s is vegan- and celiac-friendly is just a bonus.)

SIGNATURE DISHES: Mole siete chiles,

tamales de elote TOCABE 3536 WEST 44TH AVENUE, 720 524 8282; 8181 EAST ARAPAHOE ROAD, 720 485 6738; TOC ABE.COM

Frybread’s the puffy, golden-brown vehicle for all manner of toppings and fillings at these Native American fastcasual eateries: Start with your choice of meat (we’re partial to the shredded bison), then pile on the beans, cheeses, and garnishes, including housemade salsas and dressings.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Beyond (or with)

that you’ll start craving all over again the second you polish them off.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Colorado striped

bass and ancient-grain poke US THAI CAFE 5228 WEST 25TH AVENUE, EDGEWATER, 303 233 3345

One of metro Denver’s longest-running Thai joints is still among its most reliable, especially for the heat-seeking set. When they say their curries, stirfries, noodles, and other staples are hot, they mean tear-inducing, sinussearing, and napkin-rending; get the spring rolls and steamed dumplings too, if only to soothe your savaged palate.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Thai-style wings,

green curry, drunken noodles VERT KITCHEN

the frybread, don’t miss the wojapi, a sort of berry compote

704 SOUTH PEARL STREET, 303 997 5941; VERTKITCHEN.COM

TURTLE BOAT

Loyalists happily cram themselves into this veritable cubbyhole of an organic cafe (with a charming back patio) for a lift in the form of seasonal daytime fare that ranges from bisques and frittatas to prosciutto-squash salad with apples and gorgonzola to grilled steak en baguette with parmesan, arugula, and walnut mustard.

2231 SOUTH BROADWAY; THETURTLEBOAT.COM

Among Denver’s thick pack of interchangeable poke shops, this South Broadway innovator sticks its neck out.

Sustainably sourced seafood, ample vegan and vegetarian alternatives, and myriad housemade mix-ins and sides make for build-your-own creations—think noridusted cuttlefish over brown rice with wasabi guacamole in yuzu vinaigrette—

SIGNATURE DISHES: The tortilla

española and lemon-tuna sandwiches C H E A P, CA S UA L & C ULT E AT S // 199

VIÀLE PIZZA & KITCHEN

200

“ F O O D I S O U R C O M M O N G R O U N D. . .

VIÀLE PIZZA & KITCHEN 1390 SOUTH COLORADO BOULEVARD, #190, 303 405 3065; VPKDENVER.COM

Never mind the strip-mall setting—this Virginia Village surprise transcends it with ease, adding constant specials like chorizo-stuffed oysters, king crab mezzelune in shallot cream, and filet mignon in parsley butter to its primo slate of pies and pastas.

SIGNATURE DISHES: The Truffle

Shuffle pie, bison ravioli VINH XUONG BAKERY 375 SOUTH FEDERAL BOULEVARD, UNIT 112, 303 922 4968; 2370 WEST ALAMEDA, UNIT 15, 303 922 0999

The city’s best bánh mì bar none await at this family-run duo (there’s also a stall inside Zeppelin Station), supplemented by all manner of Vietnamese snacks, savory and sweet pastries, coffee drinks, and milk teas.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Besides the

sandwiches, stock up on sesame balls VITAL ROOT 3915 TENNYSON STREET, 303 474 4131; VITALROOTDENVER.COM

Boasting one of the snazziest back patios around, Edible Beats’ fast-casual cafe expands the health-food horizon with its freewheeling vegetarian takes on global staples. Wash down edamame-

seaweed salad in black-sesame pesto, Indian-inspired lentil-and-rice bowls, and cashew-soyrizo queso fundido with cacao smoothies and cold-pressed juices by day, organic wine and gin-celery rickeys by night.

T/ACO

WOODY’S WINGS N THINGS 6817 LOWELL BOULEVARD, WESTMINSTER, 303 427 0302

SIGNATURE DISHES: Sunflower risotto,

bánh mì tacos, vegetarian Cobb salad WEST FLANDERS BREWING CO.

1125 PEARL STREET, BOULDER, 303 447 2739; WFBREWS.COM

Warm woods and filtered sunlight, copper tanks and aging barrels give this Belgian-inspired brewpub an Old World feel—but seasonal releases such as the peach witbier or cranberry sour, plus trendy grub like green-chile poutine and chicken-pretzel pot pie, make it a here-and-now hub.

VIÀLE PIZZA & KITCHEN

larb, pork lort ZOE MA MA 2010 10TH STREET, BOULDER, 303 545 6262; 1625 WYNKOOP STREET, 303 545 6262; ZOEMAMA.COM

WHITE PIE

1702 HUMBOLDT STREET, 303 862 5323; WHITEPIE.COM

SIGNATURE DISHES: Puffed bread

Surprise: Wings are just the tip of the iceberg of things this suburban strip-mall gem does with aplomb. Much of the huge menu is devoted to Southeast Asian, particularly Laotian and Cambodian, specialties—whole fried fish, hot pots, stirfries like loc lac, and more make for a feast you’d best bring your most adventurous friends to join you in.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Laos soup, duck

SIGNATURE DISHES: Burgers galore

Inspired by the owners’ Connecticut upbringing, this stylishly rustic Dos Santos sibling does a remarkable gourmet impression of an East Coast– style pizza parlor—complete with Manila clam pies, 10-layer lasagna Bolognese, and a saucy little wine, beer, and cocktail list that turns a weeknight pit stop into a sudden celebration.

with garlic-rosemary butter, the Porky Porkorino and namesake white pies

...A UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE.” —JAMES BEARD

Anna Zoe, Edwin Zoe’s Taiwan-born mama, is the eponymous muse and head chef of these Boulder and Union Station counter-service charmers, where weekly specials like lion’s head meatballs and roast duck–wonton soup supplement the dim sum staples and steaming noodle bowls.

SIGNATURE DISHES: Potstickers,

za jiang mian (pork noodles), CPR (chicken, potatoes, and rice)

C H E A P, CA S UA L & C ULT E AT S // 201

HAPPY DINING!

DI N I NG OU T M AG A Z I N E P R E S E N T S

G A B B Y G O U R M E T ’ S TA S T E O F

Denver / Boulder 2 019 E D I T I O N

$39.95 ISBN 978-1-7329977-0-7

53995

9 781732 997707