Food & Drink

Regardless of whether you have a dog, the patio at Subculture — a Capitol Hill sub shop famous for its seemingly endless variety of well-made sandwiches, including many vegan and vegetarian options as well as gluten-free breads — is a wonderful place to kick back and people-watch. But the fact that dogs are allowed on the spacious patio, which features fencing around the picnic tables that’s perfect for attaching a leash down low, makes this a great go-to spot when you and the canine are out for a stroll. Water bowls are kept full, and staffers have been known to come out to pet pooches and slip them some meat scraps.

Readers’ choice: Denver Beer Co.

Avanti Food & Beverage, which opened in Highland last year, is certainly a cool concept: seven shipping containers turned into professional kitchens and crammed under one roof, where they serve an international variety of street eats to hungry customers. It might look like little more than a boozy food court inside, but head upstairs on a sunny day for a rooftop patio with stunning views of downtown, the Rocky Mountains and the surrounding LoHi neighborhood. What better way to enjoy arepas, pizza, Japanese noodle bowls or farm-to-table fare than while sitting on a cushy lounge chair built from repurposed shipping pallets? Or grab a beer and a bleacher seat facing Coors Field and pretend that you’re hanging out in the Rockpile, only with far better food and a winning team — Avanti’s team of skilled bartenders, that is.

Readers’ choice: Linger

Life would be pleasant indeed if you had a pizza oven in your own back yard — complete with a skilled pie baker, of course, because nobody wants to get hot and sweaty when patio drinks beckon. The next best thing is Kaos Pizzeria, where you can relax among friends, surrounded by flowers, trees and the delicate aroma of potted basil. Kaos is built into a vintage Victorian on Old South Pearl Street, with a tiny dining room inside, but the best seats are on the expansive patio, which wraps around the side and back yard of what was once someone’s cozy home. The sunlight is always dappled and the beers are always cold in this neighborhood spot. And the pizza comes with crisp, charred edges wafting with the aroma of wood coals — just right for a summer night.

As you walk along the southeast side of Larimer Square, head through the archway that reads “Kettle Arcade.” At the far end of the vaulted passageway you’ll find Bistro Vendôme, whose secluded, often sunny little patio seems airlifted directly from the streets of Paris. A seat at a wrought-iron cafe table with an aperitif in hand and the noonday sun shining off the brick walls of turn-of-the-last-century buildings provides an instant escape from the pressures of everyday life; it’s also a lovely spot for a romantic summer evening. All your favorites from that memorable French vacation are available on Bistro Vendôme’s menu, too: escargot, crepes, bouillabaisse and duck confit. But since you’re still in Denver, no one will make fun of you for testing out your rusty high-school French — so let your “Oui!” and “D’accord!” echo off the courtyard walls as you call for another round.

Readers’ choice: Avanti Food & Beverage

Over the course of a year, chef/restaurateur Lon Symensma’s take on a Southeast Asian market stall on South Broadway has trotted out a range of traditional Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Indonesian dishes that burst with exotic flavors without ever becoming intimidating. Grab a seat at the bar and dive into Thai coconut curry, steaming pho or potent stir-fries from searing-hot woks just a few feet away. Standout dishes in the past twelve months have ranged from a playful bacon-egg-and-cheese ramen to Indonesian octopus laksa to bao-mi buns, a clever mashup of Chinese and Vietnamese sandwiches. You’re always in for something fun from the ever-shifting menu.

Readers’ choice: Beatrice & Woodsley

Denver goes crazy for a good patio, no matter where or what season it is. But a good patio — one that gets a lot of sun, has enough seating and is quiet — can sometimes be hard to find in a busy city. Escape to the land of people who don’t work and drink coffee all day in Cherry Creek North, and you’ll discover the relaxing patio at Aviano. There’s not a lot of traffic noise here, and a giant tree provides lovely shade warmer weather. Bonus: A giant garage door opens to the outside, so when it’s nice out, you can still catch a breeze without the UV damage.

Only something special could have filled the void left when Highland’s Garden Café departed after twenty years, and the stylish Solitaire is exactly that. Chef/owner Mark Ferguson — who chose the name to honor his great-great-grandfather’s brand of canned goods sold in Denver in the early 1900s — and his business partner and wife, Andrea Faulisi Ferguson, have created a sumptuous retreat of a restaurant, remodeling the conjoined Victorian houses to enhance the intimate spaces, adding a cozy, enclosed wraparound porch and installing a fire pit in the lushed-up gardens. The food is just as richly conceived, and while the menu of reasonably priced small plates changes with the seasons, combinations such as crispy quail with waffles paired with fruit, wasabi mayo and black caviar on ahi tartare, and lamb shank atop a feta-garbanzo mash make for some heady eating on a street that is no stranger to inventive fare. As a simultaneously sophisticated destination restaurant and affordable low-key neighborhood eatery, Solitaire is singular, indeed.

Readers’ choice: Highland Tap & Burger

We’ve hardly ever thought of a bathroom stop as a memorable experience — but then we made a visit to the unisex loos at Black Eye Cap Hill. Along with glowing neon signs that read “Forever is composed of nows” and “I dwell in possibility,” the rooms entertain visitors with poetry on tape. How many times has the calm cadence of Walt Whitman’s verse eased your nerves while you’re relieving yourself? Located at the start of Poet’s Row, Black Eye has taken up the theme, with poetry-oriented cocktails on its menu. Why not have it playing in the restrooms, too?

Flames dance in the front window at Columbine Steak House, backlighting silhouetted customers who wait in line for no-frills steaks and burgers. From the street, it has all the appearance of a primitive fire dance, one that’s been happening every night since 1961, when the Columbine first lit up its grill on Federal Boulevard. And even after all these years, the spartan dining room and divey adjoining lounge are packed nightly with carnivores cutting into enormous T-bones, juicy New York strips and bargain-priced filets. Pay for a steak and you also get Texas toast, a baked potato buried in butter and sour cream and an unadorned bowl of iceberg — but for a couple bucks more, you can surf-and-turf it with breaded shrimp sold in singles. A seat at the bar is a workingman’s dream: a fat steak and a mug of beer in front of the big game, with change left over from a twenty.

Readers’ choice: New Saigon

If you’ve never been to one, go. If you have a favorite barista, he or she will be there. It’s the most energetic coffee-slinging event you’ve never heard of. Open to the public, latte-art throwdowns are well known in the coffee community, but wildly undiscovered by lesser humans (aka non-baristas). Structured with a bracket system, baristas go head-to-head, facing off to see who can pour a better heart, rosette or some other form of latte art. Winners move on to the next level, and in the end there is only one latte-art champion. People yell and jump and talk mad shit, and it’s wonderful. Nobody takes it very seriously, but there are seriously talented people competing. Held at coffee shops around the city; keep your eye out for a flier at your favorite java joint.

In the coffee world, there’s little difference between a guy with a mustache and a barista — and there are a lot of great caffeinated ‘staches out there. But veteran barista Andrew Norman takes the cake this year for the best barista mustache. He’s pulled shots at both Aviano and Thump in the past, but is currently at Lula Rose General Store on East Colfax Avenue. Stop by to see the mustache you thought could only grace the likes of Ron Swanson and Alex Trebek, then stay for a cup of wonderfully crafted cup of coffee.

There’s a feeling that you get when you walk into a coffee shop and see your favorite barista working: You know your drink is going to be perfect. At Aviano, an expertly trained staff means a high-quality experience every time. Denver has one of the fastest-growing coffee scenes in the country right now, and that means that coffee quality is improving everywhere. But while you may be able to find a good cortado across the city, Aviano has the most consistently perfect pours in town. That’s guaranteed no matter who’s behind the bar.

Sure, grilling your own marinated pork or beef is a big draw at this top-notch Korean barbecue, and you certainly can’t go wrong with the kalbi, bulgogi or thin pork-belly slices that sizzle and pop at the center of your table while you sample your way through the numerous saucers of banchan (appetizers) that come with every meal. But if you’re not in the mood to cook, let the kitchen do the work for you with funky kimchi pancakes, a four-alarm plate of snails in a fire-engine red sauce, or bubbling soups served in miniature stone cauldrons. Seoul BBQ is Havana Street’s number-one stop for lovers of both bold seasonings and robust, warming fare. Start with a cold beer and work your way through a banquet that’s equal parts backyard cookout and whirlwind street-food tour.

Readers’ choice: Sam’s No. 3

Cheerful, bright and comfortably modern, Japango is one of the most inviting Japanese joints around, partly because the fifteen-year-old eatery has been on the Pearl Street Mall long enough to get it right. The staff could not be more accommodating (for instance, if you have a food allergy, no one makes you feel like a criminal), and if you’re not a sushi fan, the eatery has a large enough selection of non-fish foods (including a beautifully grilled eight-ounce filet served with yuzu asparagus and a toothsome teriyaki chicken) that a variety of palates feel welcome. The sushi is always expertly carved and presented, and our favorite of the tapas-style appetizers here is the miso-marinated black cod, one lushly textured and intensely flavored snack. Also, Japango is all about the bargain. Tuesdays are all-you-can-eat sushi for $29.95 from 5 to 10 p.m., while lunchtime finds discounted nigiri and sashimi as well as an $8.50 bento box, and two happy hours —  from 3 to 6 p.m. daily and from 10 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday  — offer deep discounts on hand rolls, sushi rolls (including specialty ones) and sake. In addition, the restaurant hosts a DJ on those weekend nights, which just adds to the fun. Domo, Japango.

Readers’ choice: Oak at Fourteenth

Nicole and Scott Mattson opened Nocturne last year, adding an elegant destination supper club to the mix of fun and funky bars and eateries in River North. While the restaurant’s creative cuisine, featuring tasting menus inspired by specific jazz tracks, stands out as some of the best food in the neighborhood, the service is what elevates Nocturne above the competition. You’ll see both Nicole and Scott working the floor to ensure that guests get just what they need, whether it’s a simple smile of welcome or a wine suggestion from Scott, who’s also the house sommelier. The Mattsons’ grace and charm flows down to the rest of the staff, who see to it that every piece of silverware is properly in place, that meals are paced appropriately, and that drink orders from the bar — itself a model of efficiency and energy — come promptly. Nocturne is a return to the Jazz Age in both ambience and old-school customer service.

Not content to reside in the shadow of its more famous neighbor, Highland, hipster haven Berkeley is finally coming into its own, with dozens of new restaurants to feed the dog-walking locals and increasing numbers of eaters from around the city who have made it a dining destination. Long the core of this northwest Denver neighborhood, Tennyson Street not only survived an interminable and frustrating multi-year streetscaping project that forced many businesses to close, but also managed to come back with vigor, adding more than a dozen new eateries in a six-block section. From the early morning to the wee hours, a vast variety of cuisines can be had at both originals and outposts: biscuits and gravy or pizza at Atomic Cowboy; butchered-in-house meats at casual chophouse Block & Larder; coffee with cats at the Denver Cat Company; elaborately topped burgers at the Royal; superb sushi at Okinawa. And that’s just on Tennyson. Elsewhere — along Lowell Boulevard, on West 38th Avenue — spots such as Brazen Neighborhood Eatery, Bacon Social House and Ragin’ Hog BBQ also offer well-above-average fare. And more are coming: The eagerly anticipated second location of Biju’s Little Curry Shop should open any minute. In Berkeley these days, the only problem is deciding where to go.

Readers’ choice: RiNo

It’s the superpower of coffee: more caffeine, less acidity. Cold brew has been gracing the palates of coffee lovers for years, but its popularity has increased of late, and it’s popping up at coffee shops all over. In Denver, you can find it bottled and you can find it on tap, but at Corvus you can find the best. Offering a classic single-origin and a hopped version, Corvus serves up a glass of cold brew on location (it’s also available at Whole Foods). We just wish they would sell it by the gallon.

Ending an indulgent dining experience with a proper cup of coffee or espresso is an experience that’s harder to find than it should be. Last year, Mercantile had us smitten with a menu and atmosphere that snagged the Best New Restaurant award. This year, we discovered the restaurant’s noteworthy coffee program, which includes a walk-up counter where Union Station browsers are welcome to grab a cup. Meanwhile, lucky diners at the restaurant can complement their meal with a precisely poured cortado, pour-over or other coffee product.

What neighborhood wouldn’t want a Sean Kelly restaurant as its local spot? Lucky Park Hill is home to chef Kelly’s latest offering, a spacious and inviting neighborhood eatery that feels like it’s been here all along — especially welcome in an area seriously lacking in food options. Park Hill resident Kelly — long ago the opening chef for Barolo Grill, followed by stints at his own Aubergine Cafe, Clair de Lune, Somethin’ Else and LoHi SteakBar — has always been particularly adept at Mediterranean fare, and at Desmond he takes longtime favorites from the region and turns them up a notch: hummus made tangy and aromatic with the Middle Eastern spice blend za’atar; rich, mustardy potted salmon balanced by peppery radishes; soft-centered falafel broken into pieces and tossed in a tahini-drizzled salad. The shared plates can be paired with an interesting wine from the short but globally inspired list — nearly all of the bottles are available by the glass — and are served in a dining room of dark woods and exposed brick. In other words, it sports the Kelly decor hallmarks of simple, warm and comfortable, reflecting a slight reworking of the former tenant (the short-lived Table Top tap room) in a residential plaza space, complete with a delightful fireplace and nearly twenty craft beers on draft. What really makes this an ideal neighborhood joint, though, is that diners looking for more standard fare — a cheeseburger with fried potatoes, say, or Buffalo-style chicken wings — get the best possible versions, made from well-sourced ingredients. So, folks in other ‘hoods, eat your hearts out — or head to Park Hill.

Readers’ choice: Bar Dough

Some people have a way of talking that makes you feel like you’re the only one in the room. Mark Ferguson, chef/owner at Solitaire, cooks this way. Everything about his sprawling restaurant makes you feel special, from the garden-side setting that offers some of the most romantic tables in town to the menu that he so masterfully crafts. Plates come together confidently, gracefully, thoughtfully — with an eye to presentation that reflects Ferguson’s twenty years with Wolfgang Puck. Ferguson is far from the only chef in town who’s attuned to seasonality, but his dishes are refreshingly original, so full of cleverly united ingredients that you’ll find yourself nodding in appreciation, even for foods you heretofore might not have liked. Octopus, for example, dotted with chorizo, roasted grapes and black garlic, or bread pudding with figs, maple syrup and foie gras. Never content to rest on his laurels, Ferguson is always trying new things, experimenting with a dash of hazelnut pistou here, a dab of Chinese black-bean sauce there — and as a result, Solitaire’s menu changes like the wind. In some restaurants, you’d be annoyed to find that the dish you relished last time has been replaced. Here, however, you’re pleased — no, delighted — to go in whatever culinary direction Ferguson takes you.

Readers’ choice: Troy Guard

No new restaurant captured the zeitgeist of Denver’s dining scene quite like Hop Alley, the second eatery from Tommy Lee, whose noodle bar Uncle was no less of a hit when it opened in 2012. How did Lee repeat the success of his first go-around? With a slate of rare, regional Chinese dishes — many borrowed from his childhood visits to Hong Kong — tied to tradition by wood-fire cooking and amplified by the funky flavors of vegetables fermented and pickled in-house. The name Hop Alley honors Denver’s original Chinatown, but the cuisine wanders far from standard Chinese-American fare, with cumin-tinged lamb sandwiches called rou jia mo from Shaanxi province; tongue-buzzing spices from Sichuan; and alternating cooling and warming elements to keep the palate stimulated — from jiggly chilled tofu to earthy char-siu pork belly with braised mustard greens. The eatery’s instant success when it opened at the end of 2015 was proof that Denver diners are ready to be challenged, titillated and rewarded with a whole new world of gustatory experience. And Hop Alley also pushed the boundaries of Denver’s dining scene into fresh new territory, taking fine dining further north than it had ever gone before in the booming River North neighborhood.

Readers’ choice: Avanti Food & Beverage

There are plenty of coffee joints in this town that sling your favorite cup of joe and provide a clean table to work on and a hot wi-fi connection, but too many of them have either been absorbed by corporate entities pushing their gift cards and branded CDs, or overrun by harried college students taking over every table and laptop plug-in. Rooster & Moon seems to sidestep those elements, despite its proximity to downtown workers and the Auraria campus. Fair-trade coffee, delicious made-to-order bites and even a full bar for when those spreadsheets threaten to spread your brain too thin are available here, with plenty of room for you and a study buddy to work, gossip and fill up.

From weekly Ethiopian coffee ceremonies to its calendar of eclectic community events, there’s no place quite like Whittier Cafe. An expansive lineup of fresh-roasted coffees, along with teas, ice cream and sandwich options, all come out of the small but mighty kitchen at this neighborhood hangout. More than a coffee shop, Whittier Cafe is a true gathering place, hosting chili cook-offs, art shows, fresh-baked-cookie exchanges and story hours throughout the year. While the space inside is quaint and inviting, it’s the outdoor experience that really takes the cake: Whittier’s massive patio offers plenty of room for all to enjoy Colorado’s famous sunny days.

Many coffee shops opened their doors in 2015, but Black Eye Cap Hill is decidedly different, thanks to the atmosphere, the scene and, of course, the coffee. Enter the shop and be transported back in time, to a place laced with subtle attention to detail. Conveniently open about twenty hours a day, Black Eye makes it possible to get your fix — for coffee, food or booze — at nearly any hour. The beans here are roasted in-house; be sure to try one of the shop’s pour-overs (with alcohol or not).

Readers’ choice: Black Eye Cap Hill

Somewhere between a coffee clutch and fancy high tea sits the world of Denver-based Platform T, which turns the coffee-shop idea on its head by serving up piping hot or even ice-cold cups of tea, coffee’s fancy cousin from the city. The T shops are homey and artistic — the Baker stop made creative use of the former science store it inhabits — and serve a colorful variety of teas, from bagged to loose leaf, along with good ol’ joe and wine and spirits. Give yourself over to the relaxing scents of this leafy respite.

With changing seasons come changing coffee cocktails, which means a stop by Corvus for its seasonal “coffee cocktail” menu. You’ll find refreshing drinks like the grapefruit cold-brew julep, a collaboration from the talented team of Corvus baristas. And while the shop has traditional coffee and espresso dialed in, the roasters take a much more creative approach with the cocktail-inspired line of coffee. Many of the drinks are served shaken and cold, but a few, like the Alpine Retreat (applewood-smoked cascara, housemade rosemary simple syrup and a twist of lemon), are perfect on a cold day. The booze-less cocktails change seasonally, so make it a habit to try them all before they’re gone.

In 2015, tea started showing up on a lot of cocktail menus in Denver. This trend was helped along by the rise of punches, which must, according to the traditional recipe, contain some form of tea. From Kyle West’s cocktails at Metroboom to the punch service at Golden Moon Distillery, the Black Tea Old Fashioned at the Arvada Tavern and the slew of tea-based concoctions at Union Lodge No.1, bartenders have proved that tea is strong enough to stand up to spirits — and that it brings a lot of flavor, as well. Coffee also percolated its way into cocktail recipes, most likely due to the rise of coffee shops that added booze to their offerings. Drinks like the Superhero at Carbon Beverage Cafe, Amethyst Coffee’s No Sleep Till Denver and Black Eye Coffee’s series of boozy pour-overs proved that coffee isn’t just for breakfast anymore.

Distiller Todd Leopold hit the bull’s-eye last summer — yet again — with his version of a bitter Italian liqueur that he named, simply, Aperitivo. The 22nd spirit in the Leopold Bros. lineup is an astringent, scarlet-hued aperitif that finds a rightful place on back bars next to Campari and Aperol, its cousins by nature. Aperitivo’s base spirit is vodka, which Leopold re-distills in two separate batches — one with grapefruit peel, the other with coriander, saving only the best parts of each of those distillations. In a mixing tank, the grapefruit and coriander distillates are blended, then allowed to macerate for two to three weeks with cane sugar and a blend of botanicals: hyssop, petite wormwood, gentian root, vanilla and sarsaparilla root. The result is an earthy, floral and slightly bitter spirit that is perfect in a Negroni (or its whiskey variation, the Boulevardier) — or simply on the rocks. Notes Leopold, “There’s a floral overlay, with the grapefruit dancing above it.”

Specialty doughnuts, the kind that cost five bucks apiece and are as stylized as plated desserts, have taken the city by storm. We get the appeal; we’re doughnut fans. But whether you’re with your kid on a Sunday morning or taking a few dozen to work, sometimes you just want the classics. And when you do, look no farther than City Donuts, which got its start in Aurora and conveniently opened a second location on East Colfax this fall. These are doughnuts that will take you back to your childhood, with scores of cake, raised and so-called fancy offerings (think bear claws and cream-filled bars) to please everyone. Don’t miss the old-fashioned or the chocolate with chocolate frosting.

Readers’ choice: Voodoo Doughnut

Ky Belk is a man with his eyes on what the world is drinking. As bar manager at Linger, he’s charged with synching his bar program with the kitchen’s ambitiously diverse, globally inspired menu. He does that by creating drink recipes that represent every corner of the world, from sangrias to Scotch punches. Belk even offers global twists on classics, such as the Thai Old Fashioned, with peanut-infused whiskey, tamarind and bitters. But while noticing the rise of gin bars in Spain, Belk was quick to design his own Spanish-style gin and tonic, which captures the botanical essence of gin. He stuffs a large wine glass with thyme, juniper berries and grapefruit bitters, relying on the tapered sides of the glass to capture those aromas. After adding ice, he pours in gin and grapefruit juice, topping it with an herbaceous, fizzy tonic water from Spain. It’s delicious and refreshing, and pretty, too: When people see one from across the dining room, they order the Spanish Gin-Tonic in droves.

Larimer Square, once considered an unsafe part of town, was slowly gentrified into the downtown core’s most glamorous block. But the glitz of the resulting restaurants and retail spaces has slowly spread northward twenty blocks, peppering Larimer Street with places to eat and drink. Work & Class, Cart-Driver and Los Chingones were the pioneers that first broke dirt at 25th Street, and that movement took over every block up to 35th, where Hop Alley and Metroboom are surrounded by fresh construction sites, promising even more watering holes. In between are a winery, two breweries, and a handful of Denver’s hottest restaurants, including the Populist, Bar Fausto and Finn’s Manor. Side streets include two cideries, more breweries, and even more bars and restaurants, making this part of town an easy night of bar-hopping and boozing — all within walking distance of each other.

What’s a restaurant to do when it’s without a full liquor license but still wants to appease the thirsty brunch crowd? Fake it. Table 6 uses sake as a substitute for vodka in the house Bloody, resulting in a tasty morning pick-me-up that would have even the most seasoned imbiber fooled. An eclectic twist on the classic morning cocktail, the drink goes perfectly with the venue’s fresh and unconventional aesthetic.

We hesitate to share this winner, for fear that Beet Box Bakery & Cafe will sell out of our favorite doughnuts before we get there. But this vegan bakery’s goodies are simply too good to keep to ourselves. And by ourselves, we don’t mean folks who eschew the milk and eggs that typically go into these breakfast treats. We mean everyone with a soft spot for morning dessert. Baked, not fried, with coconut milk and applesauce for extra moistness, Beet Box’s doughnuts are healthier than average. But trust us, you won’t be thinking about what is and isn’t in your doughnut when you order a dozen vanilla, chocolate, pumpkin and apple-cake creations, frosted and modestly topped with nuts or coconut. As a bonus, the bakery offers a solid selection of gluten-free options, too.

Ah, the apple fritter. What a glorious creation, full of plump, sugary nubs concealing sweet nuggets of America’s favorite fruit. But too many versions aren’t worth ordering — so pale and soft you wish you’d just ordered a regular doughnut. At Brider, though, the fritters are always light and crisp, thanks to an extra-long stint in the fryer. Pastry chef Michael Conti finishes them off with an apple-cider glaze that drips over very whorl and ridge, making them mandatory a.m. eating. Move over, apple pie: There’s a new kid in town.

Acorn serves some of the best food in Denver. But across from the bustling kitchen is Chris Clewell, shaking up some of Denver’s best cocktails behind the bar. Clewell has always been relentless in his pursuit of excellence — a challenging goal in a restaurant with meticulously high standards. But his dedication is paying off: His recipes started showing up on Acorn’s cocktail menu, and he now helps to run the bar program there. Clewell seemed to be everywhere in 2015 — participating in local and national cocktail competitions, bartending events and any educational opportunity that could further his knowledge of his craft. But his talents go way beyond mere technique: Sitting at his bar, you’re as charmed by his humility and empathy as you are delighted by his drinks.

Readers’ choice: Brittany Wangsness

Filled doughnuts are a thing of beauty. But Dos Santos’s filled churros? Talk about a flash of brilliance. This Uptown taqueria gussies up the classic Mexican treats, dusting them with cinnamon and sugar, plumping them with rich chocolate ganache, and sprinkling them with spicy, honey-glazed bacon. If they sound a little too hedonistic for brunch, maybe this will seal the deal: They come with fresh fruit. That makes them sort of healthy, right?

The sign on the outside of Gaetano’s promises the “Biggest Bloody Mary Bar in Town,” and we have yet to find one bigger. Or better. The longtime north Denver Italian eatery — once owned by a famous Mob family, then by the Wynkoop group and now an independent — puts out a Bloody Mary spread with so many options that you could make your drink a meal in itself for just $6 a glass. Bartender Caitlyn Smith is responsible for the selection, and she can be found early every Sunday slicing cheese into sticks to add to the vast array of veggies — including an extensive selection of pickled ones — as well as such ideal add-ons as olives, bacon and beef jerky. Three different tomato blends are offered for the base — a house mix that’s heavy with Italian seasonings, a Clamato version, and one made using V8 — all of which can be spiced up even further with any of 75 hot sauces in a variety of strengths, and eight seasoning mixes. Be sure to try the homemade infused vodka with pickled cucumber and garlic for an extra kick.

Readers’ choice: Lou’s Food Bar

These sweet, deep-fried nuggets at Osaka Ramen have broken a lot of stereotypes. First, they’ve convinced us that doughnuts aren’t just for breakfast anymore. They’ve also taught us to push back our bowls of lush tonkotsu and spicy miso ramen long before we normally would, if only to save room for the mochi-filled doughnut holes to come. A cross between doughnuts and candy, these addictive fried dough balls boast chewy centers, thanks to the glutinous rice cakes known as mochi tucked inside. And did we mention the over-the-top salted-butter smear? Apparently, culinary director/owner Jeff Osaka’s wife has a thing for both mochi and doughnuts (hence the name). And after an order of My Wife’s Donuts, so will you.

In the cocktail world, there’s a lot of focus on Prohibition this and Prohibition that, but Union Lodge No.1 delves even deeper into America’s past, resurrecting recipes and techniques from the glorious barroom days of the late nineteenth century. The cocktail is an American invention, and owners Mike Huggins and Lenka Juchelkova open a window onto history with a menu that’s chock-full of cobblers, flips, fizzes, sours, smashes and juleps. They essentially created a museum of bygone cocktails, keeping alive recipes like the Ramos gin fizz, the Saratoga, the Knickerbocker and the Blue Blazer. The back bar is limited to products that were available around 1880 (no vodka here, and no Coke or Pepsi, either). Bar manager Alex Daniluk trains his bartenders to carefully craft each drink in the traditional way of the period.

Readers’ choice: Bar Fausto

The gelato at the modest but colorful and cheerful Amore is made fresh daily and tastes as close to the Italian original as you can get — and on the 16th Street Mall, no less. Made with half the air of American ice creams and whole milk rather than heavy cream, Amore’s gelato is dense but still creamy, and while its dairy products are local, many other ingredients are brought in from Italy. The offerings change daily, but our favorite is sea-salt Oreo; we’re also smitten with the addictively spicy white chocolate-habanero. And the stracciatella — inspired by the soup of the same name, a broth studded with egg and cheese — is a not-too-sweet but rich vanilla rife with bits of high-quality imported chocolate. For those who crave the gelato experience but are lactose-intolerant, Amore features several dairy-free options each day. Love it!

Readers’ choice: Sweet Action

The cocktail menu at the Squeaky Bean is filled with fresh ingredients that arrive daily from the restaurant’s nearby two-acre farm, falling right into the hands of bar manager Jack Bethel. Those ingredients become the foundation for an exquisite array of delicious drinks. But Bethel is inventive with any ingredient, which is evident in his redesign of the classic rock and rye: he infuses rye whiskey with apricots, then again with the faintly peppery cubeb berry, grains of paradise, cloves, cardamom and citrus peels in a process called nitrogen cavitation, which breaks down an ingredient’s cell walls to produce fresher flavors. Bethel’s strategy is to pack as much flavor as he can into a single ingredient, allowing him to make complex cocktails with only a few components. His cocktail program is a fun one, executed by a team of bartenders that pride themselves on being affable and offbeat.

Those who like to consume non-alcoholic beverages in adult settings often get the shaft when it comes to choices beyond the soda gun. But Syntax Physic Opera gets everything for the non-drinker right — starting with its calm and smooth beet lemonade, made in-house. For the sweeter tooth, Syntax carries Rocky Mountain Soda’s all-natural Evergreen Elderberry soda and its spicy Golden Ginger Beer. But where the innovative, old-timey saloon of the future really shines? Its fascinating and fancy cocktail menu, stacked with a variety of uniquely formulated drinks layered with muddled mints, citrus zests and bitters — many of which can be made with soda in place of alcohol. During certain times of the year, Syntax also offers housemade shrubs — a fruit syrup preserved with vinegar that can be mixed with water or alcohol for a tangy take on refreshment. To top it off, the venue’s service is constant and kind; regardless of how much booze you aren’t consuming, these mixologists are happy to serve you.

Part carefree-hipster hangout and part smartly conceived classic-cool hotspot, Bar Fausto is the kind of easygoing cocktail bar that makes everyone feel welcome. Calculatedly unpolished, the sleek-yet-simple Fausto — the name comes from legendary cyclist Fausto Coppi — is the creation of friends Jonathan Power of the Populist and Koan Goedman of Huckleberry Roasters, who have pooled their talents to offer a clever cocktail program and savvy small plates. The ten rotating specialty cocktails are numbered, so you don’t have to rattle off five ingredients to get the right drink, and the “classics” (think Manhattan, French 75, sidecar) are well crafted. A short-but-sweet list of wines by the glass — Hungary’s Bull’s Blood and the lovely Carpineto sangiovese among them — and a well-rounded roster of beers means there’s something for everyone, and salumi, crudo, bruschetta and other tasty snack items could have you stopping for the night. Happy hour (4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday) brings $2 “Dad’s Beers” — including Genesee lager and Schlitz — and two oysters for $5.

What’s old is new again at the Cooper Lounge, the stunning cocktail bar that opened last year on the mezzanine of the reborn Denver Union Station. The setting is elegant and intimate, with the kind of furniture you might find in your grandmother’s fancy living room, surprisingly comfy here; servers roll by with upscale snacks courtesy of ChoLon’s Lon Symensma, designed to recall menus from the great days when everyone would follow the advice on Union Station sign and travel by train. Still, we prefer to grab a seat at the long, expansive bar — with 28-foot-high cast-iron windows offering a stunning view of downtown — where you can chat with a fellow traveler or the friendly bartender who pours cocktails as classic, and classy, as the setting. The prices may be steep, but the drinks are stiff. And on the night of a full moon, when all of 17th Street is suddenly aglow, the view is priceless. All aboard!

Readers’ choice: Williams & Graham

Sure, brain freeze can be had by quickly indulging in ice cream or a smoothie — or even a 7-Eleven Slurpee — but why go for lowbrow sweets when you can achieve cranium frostbite with the ultimate in frozen desserts? We’re talking about the crazy concoctions coming out of the Inventing Room, chef Ian Kleinman’s new brick-and-mortar version of the catering company he runs. Start with a simple s’mores ice cream sandwich, and as the cold starts to seep in, move on to one of Kleinman’s wilder creations, like the frozen cherry-vanilla mousse with chocolate cotton candy. This dessert shop also whips out one of the city’s most intense sundaes, a treat guests can design and get topped with homemade caramel pop rocks and exploding whipped cream. While all of these delights prove worth the trip themselves, part of the fun is visiting the Ballpark neighborhood shop and watching the magic the staff works with liquid nitrogen, sugar and cream.

Star Bar will surprise you. The scruffy, wood-paneled bar in the Ballpark neighborhood often gets rowdy with karaoke and baseball fans and country music, but it shines unexpectedly when it comes to cocktails. A lot of that has to do with a back bar stocked with carefully selected spirits — with a strong emphasis on Colorado products — that includes rare Japanese whiskeys, more than a dozen Italian amari, and an entire barrel of bourbon. But it really comes down to the bartenders: Star Bar’s staff is composed of a variety of local talent, whose brilliance is evident in their capacity to serve anything from a Coors Light to a caipirinha. Bartender Les Baker’s smoked Manhattan, for example, is made with bourbon, artichoke liqueur, sweet vermouth and whiskey-barrel-aged bitters, served in a tobacco-smoked glass. In a twist on the usual, Star Bar is a dive bar for cocktail connoisseurs.

Several of Denver’s best dive bars disappeared this year: The Rocky Flats Lounge suffered a devastating fire; the owner of the Rustic Tavern sold the spot, which is now a bakery and breakfast joint; the Filling Station will soon be wiped off the map by a big RiNo development. Other longtime dives have been renovated into shiny shadows of their former selves, often transformed into hangouts for hipsters. Well, we’re betting you won’t find a single hipster at Sam’s Bar & Lounge, a watering hole that opened on Leetsdale Drive 62 years ago. You won’t find any wi-fi, either; as one message on the bar’s chalkboard urges, “Talk to each other and get drunk.” That’s not hard, especially if you sit at the big, four-sided bar — there are a few comfy booths, too — and chat it up with the bartender, who pours stiff, inexpensive drinks. As so much of old Denver dries up, the neon sign of Sam’s shines like a beacon. Drink up!

Readers’ choice: hi-dive

If you want a taste of authentic Den-Mex, get to Phil’s Place — fast. Phil’s has only held down this corner since 2002, when Phil Garcia bought the former home of Our Place (and a drugstore before that), but in this rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, the dive bar looks like it’s been here forever. And the recipes in the kitchen stretch back much further: Junie Garcia brought them over when she left the late, lamented Bamboo Hut for the establishment run by her son. If you need a morning eye-opener (the kitchen at Phil’s opens at 7 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday), you can’t beat the hefty breakfast burrito, packed with potatoes, eggs and meaty possibilities, and smothered with Junie’s spicy, pork-laden green chile, which is based on a family recipe created at the Brighton farm where the Garcias grew chiles that rivaled those in Hatch for power and pungency. This is one mean green.

Readers’ choice: Santiago’s

Sitting in the dining room downstairs at the Arvada Tavern, you’d never know that the upstairs houses one of the most authentic and fun speakeasy experiences in the area. Slip into the old-fashioned phone booth in the back and head up a long flight of stairs that takes you into the modestly sized but cozy and warmly lit Bernard Ballroom, where you can order one of the Tavern’s beautifully crafted cocktails — the bar makes a mean French 75, as well as a delightfully orange-flavored take on the old-fashioned called an Olde Town Fashioned — and kick back at one of the well-worn wooden tables. On Friday and Saturday nights, the ballroom hosts free live music, usually jazz or bluegrass — perfect for the made-for-dancing wood floor under your feet.

The edible offerings of the 16th Street Mall are a blur when merely glimpsed from the MallRide. Step off and take a sniff, and the reward will be a fleet of fantastic Mediterranean street-food purveyors, from Saffron Grill to Shondiz. But WikiPita, in the shadow of the Daniels & Fisher clock tower, stands out. The operation recently expanded from a mobile cart to a kiosk, bringing more Mideast goodness to the concrete jungle. Run by Leah Gal and her Israeli-born husband, Itay, WikiPita serves handheld Mediterranean fare, with gyros, falafel, chicken skewers and more, all stuffed into warm, fluffy bread pockets imported from the motherland. For a small fee, WikiPita will even stuff fries into your sandwich, which might be all you need to hear, but there’s more: Open at 9:15 a.m. Monday through Saturday, WikiPita also offers Mediterranean-style breakfast pitas and platters with hot sauce and Israeli spices, to help burn away anything you might have done on this very same street last night.

South African cuisine is such a rarity in Denver that the names of the dishes cause nothing but looks of bewilderment. Jozi’s started out as a semi-permanent food shack (called a shebeen in Johannesburg’s townships) at TheBigWonderful, serving delicious, homey food influenced by waves of South African settlers — Dutch, British, Indian — as well as indigenous traditions. Now on the streets in a bright-red mobile kitchen, Jozi’s introduces Denver to bunny chow (beef or vegetarian curry ladled into a hollowed-out bread loaf), borewors and pap (farm-style sausage served over polenta-like cornmeal), and spiced kebabs called sosatie sided with saffron rice. The names may be hard to pronounce, but every bite reads as simply delicious.

Readers’ choice: Steuben’s

Denver’s first full-service salumeria, with everything from pâté to pig-stamped chocolates made in-house, opened in Berkeley last fall with a deli case full of pork products and plenty of slow-agers curing in the back. But before you load up with salami, coppa, chorizo, country ham and other expertly made meats to go, hang out for a while with a sandwich so good you may never want to leave. There are several to choose from, and they’re all stuffed with Il Porcellino’s housemade meats. Perhaps the best is called simply the Bacon, with layers of thin-sliced bacon (cooked soft, not crunchy), tomato, apple butter and a heady fondue made from Italian cacio pecora cheese, all swaddled between slices of jalapeño-cheddar bread from the Grateful Bread Company. For a more traditional grinder, order the Hoggie, piled thick with coppa cotta, ham and Genoa salami cotta. Go ahead: You have our permission to pig out.

Readers’ choice: Snarf’s

Sugar rushes come in many forms, but the high quality of the goods popping out of Shauna Lott’s oven push this bakery over the top. Lott has been making pies since she was five years old, and you can taste that experience in all of the creations peddled under the moniker Long I Pie. For years she sold her infamous salted-honey lavender pie and a decadent bourbon-chocolate pecan pie online and out of a 1966 Airstream trailer named Stella. Now you can find Lott delivering sweets through Temple Bakery, the storefront and bake shop she started with Eden Myles (of Black Sheep Bagels and Five Points Pizza) in Curtis Park. While you should definitely go for the seasonal and year-round pies, sweets such as the chocolate-laden monster cookies are worth a try, too.

Readers’ choice: Wooden Spoon

2400 Curtis St.

thelongipie.com

New to craft beer? Want to try an ounce or two of several different styles — from the standard to the exotic — without committing to an entire glass? First Draft offers the freedom to do all of that. The place works like this: Walk in and lay down a credit card and your ID in exchange for a card or bracelet that operates the taps. Then walk over to the wall of forty taps, swipe your card and pour a little, or a lot, of any beer into your glass; you’ll be charged by the ounce. Then clean your glass and try something else. Want to sample the latest Portland pale ale, a new sour, an obscure beer from a Colorado mountain town? Do it here.

The buttery goodness of the croissants and the tangy chewiness of the bread at Babette’s Artisan Bread make this bakery rise above the rest. Owners Steve and Catherine Scott opened their spot inside the Source in the fall of 2013, and since then it has become a must-stop for RiNo residents and visitors alike. What makes the bread here so good? For starters, Steve has seventeen years of experience in the industry. And he and his wife stay true to a classic French style of baking, which is evident in the dark, almost burnt-looking coloring of the loaves, which comes from a special caramelizing technique introduced in France over 200 years ago. They also use King Arthur T65 flour, ferment with low amounts of levain, hand-knead and keep the dough at a high hydration level. All of these details add up to a superior product.

Readers’ choice: Grateful Bread Company

You say potato, I say po-tah-to. Or in the case of Brider, the mod fast-casual from all-stars Steven Redzikowski and Bryan Dayton, you say Bride-r, and I say Bree-day. But whether you pronounce the restaurant’s name the English or the French way — “brider” means to truss in French — all you’ll really want to say is “Yum.” Longtime fans of the duo’s highly acclaimed full-service ventures (Oak at Fourteenth, Acorn) will recognize elements that run like swoon-worthy motifs across their menus. Yes, that means the meatballs we know and love, this time snuggled on ciabatta in the best meatball sandwich you’ll ever eat, plus the signature kale-apple salad and Dayton’s cocktails on tap. But it also means a deep roster of hearty, seasonal salads like roasted carrots with cumin, chickpeas and pomegranate seeds; sandwiches like porchetta with kimchi; and dinnertime plates featuring rotisserie meats that tilt American, Korean, Middle Eastern or Indian, depending on the sides. This isn’t a poor man’s Acorn; it’s exquisite (fan)fare for the common man, dished up three times a day.

Readers’ choice: Illegal Pete’s

In the past few years, kids’ menus have seen a shift right along with our society’s obsession with the culinary arts. While you can find plenty of restaurants offering a bevy of fried fare for dinner, some establishments really up the ante and create a list of good-for-you food that kids will actually eat. The Royal in Berkeley is one such place, and although burgers are the focus of husband-and-wife team Josh Epps and Christina Smith’s year-old eatery, the owners recognize that sometimes you need more than just a patty and fries. That’s why children can pick from a veggie burger, turkey burger or chicken fingers, as well as the American classic. Sides include sweet-potato fries, edamame, a salad and french fries, and tots can get a soda, milk or lemonade to drink. All that for $7.50, though if you want to splurge for Junior, opt for dessert in the form of a Pink Cow, a beverage made with strawberry soda and vanilla ice cream. With choices like these, dining out is fun for all ages.

303-862-9394

theroyalburger.com

Teetering mounds of audacious ingredients may capture the attention of some burger thrill-seekers, but a mastery of the basics is still required. Steuben’s forgoes fanciful fabrications and instead sticks with regional tradition in its green-chile cheeseburger. A juicy six-ounce patty gets crowned with good old American cheese and a mound of pure diced chiles that glow with the warm desert heat of the Southwest. A cushy challah bun and the standard trappings (lettuce, onion, tomato — you’ve known the drill since you were old enough to grip a burger with two hands) help bring it all together, flooding your mind with the memories of every great burger you’ve ever had. Trends come and go, but perfect execution wins every time.

Readers’ choice: Cherry Cricket

Watercourse is a veteran when it comes to veggie food, but the restaurant has seen some noticeable changes in the past year. Celebrating a full year as a vegan restaurant, welcoming new owners and perking up the menu and decor, Watercourse is better than ever, and so is the veggie burger. What makes it so great is a new recipe that gives it a firm, toothsome texture from seitan along with a multitude of ingredients and flavors that add depth and pizzazz — from garlic and onion to beet and walnut. A topping of roasted mushrooms adds a final umami touch.

Readers’ choice: Park Burger

Even though Biker Jim’s has only graced Larimer Street for a short five years, it seems as if Denver wouldn’t be Denver without owner Jim Pittenger’s outlandish arsenal of tube steaks topped with his signature Coke-braised onions. What started out as a simple cart on the 16th Street Mall ballooned into a citywide obsession — for sausages of Alaskan reindeer, wild boar and duck (just to name a few), grilled just right and topped just the way we like them, with a choice of seven different killer combos as well as a lengthy create-your-own roster. Such is Biker Jim’s reputation for weirdness that when he added the BAT (bacon, avocado and tomato) dog to the menu, concerned citizens called in, thinking there was actual bat in the grind. But even if you prefer your proteins on the traditional end of the spectrum, the all-American dogs here are a ballpark-style home run.

Readers’ choice: Biker Jim’s

The best breakfast burritos come from roadside shacks, street vendors and hole-in-the wall Mexican joints, right? Well, not this year. Instead, an Italian eatery with a hip Larimer Street address (one that once belonged to the Bamboo Hut, cited above!) is delivering the goods. Americatus chef/owner Iain Chisholm has branched out into burritos with a bang, offering takeout and delivery options in five flavors: bacon, Hatch chile-chicken sausage, chorizo, carnitas and vegetarian black bean, each fattened up with crispy potatoes, scrambled eggs, shredded cheese and vegetarian green chile. Chisholm knows a thing or two about pork, so all of the sausage is ground in-house. The quality of the fillings makes all the difference; these aren’t your standard two-buck bombs. But if you dig your burrito a little more street, ask for yours deep-fried. Torpedoes away!

2449 Larimer St.

303-862-9850

coloradotaco.com

Readers’ choice: Santiago’s

At first glance, Biker Jim’s menu appears to be a vegan’s worst nightmare. Featuring meats like reindeer, boar and rattlesnake, it doesn’t appear to cater to the more compassionate consumer. However, tucked among all that exotic carnage is the vegan dog, which can be served either “herby” or “spicy” (gotta go with spicy). The dog does not try to mimic its menu mates, nor is it “meaty”-tasting, but rather crisp and lightly fried. To make your vegan experience that much more satisfying, order a mountain of fries or chips (both housemade) and get a side of Biker Jim’s excellent charred tahini cauliflower or “biker” baked beans — all vegan. With a full condiment bar that includes spears of dill pickles, the eatery delivers a full and hearty meal that provides true vegans with plenty of energy to hold their own against the carnivores.

Baur’s excels at seafood, owing to chef/owner Dory Ford’s connection to Monterey Bay, where his restaurant and catering kingdom began. But the downtown eatery’s charcuterie program proves that the kitchen really knows how to grind. A rustic and earthy rabbit cassoulet shines thanks to housemade lamb sausage that holds up beautifully in the slow-cooked dish. For an unadulterated array of pure sausage goodness, the charcuterie menu (itself a butcher’s bounty of terrines, pâtés and mousses) offers zingy Italian, rich boudin noir, street-style currywurst and lamb merguez scented like a warm breeze from Morocco. Each choice yields a toothsome blend of just the right ratio of fat to lean and a pleasing pop from the casing.

Readers’ choice: Biker Jim’s

Rebel Restaurant’s iconoclastic style, with metal anthems rattling the glassware inside the DIY-decorated former dive bar, extends to a menu of ever-changing, offal-heavy creations, from tripe poutine to revamped shit on a shingle. While those dishes often rotate out, chef/owners Dan Lasiy and Bo Porytko make sure that customers can always get some head — roasted cow, pig or lamb head, that is. Accompaniments change with the season, but the skulls are always slow-cooked so that tender chunks of meat, bathed in a marinade or glaze, pull easily from the bone, ready to be scooped up with housemade flatbread and paired with pickled vegetables, dips and other sides. While the restaurant’s environs are far from sexy — unless you have a thing for warehouses, train yards, truck traffic and factories — inside Rebel is a miniature pleasure palace where you can indulge in this most carnal of delights.

On occasion, chef /owner Mark Reggiannini’s menu at Cafe Marmotte may stray from tradition — as with a light and airy French onion soup that gracefully shoves aside the heavy, cheese-capped original. But his coq au vin captures the soul of France. Bacon-studded whipped potatoes form a solid base to support braised, bone-in chicken and red cabbage, both deeply imbued with the herbal essence of the accompanying wine-red sauce; pearl onions balance on top as a playful crown for a seriously delicious dish. Cafe Marmotte may be a newcomer in the neighborhood, but with chicken this good, Reggiannini has something to be cocky about.

Given the resurgence of the mid-century-modern aesthetic, you might think that everything old is cool again. Not so, of course: Some recipes are better left in the past (jiggly Jello-O salad, we’re talking to you). Fortunately, when the crew at Rebel Restaurant dipped into the archives, they chose a much better dish to resurrect: shit on a shingle. In appearance, the dish looks much the same as the original — creamed beef slathered over bread. But that’s where the similarities end. In lieu of jarred, heavily salted chipped beef, the kitchen subs beef heart for a deeply beefy, far-less-salty smother, and swaps white bread for brioche. For a bit of 21st-century bling, the dish is garnished with — we kid you not — sparkly gold leaf.

Not content to offer just excellent regular french fries — which are medium-thick, crunchy and golden, and sport a sprinkling of sea salt — the Corner Bar in the Hotel Boulderado also sends out spot-on sweet-potato fries that are soft inside, crispy outside, and not greasy or soggy. It also does terrific truffle fries, which come dusted with Manchego cheese and a nice shake of sea salt, plus a side of truffle-scented aioli. The twenty-year-old bar space was recently renovated and looks so very vintage, with an antique bar back topped by a moose head and other trappings from the hotel’s circa 1909 history; the decor makes a lovely backdrop for snacking on fries, possibly accompanied by one of the bar’s well-made cocktails.

Readers’ choice: Park Burger

When the Rackhouse Pub finally reopened in its new location in RiNo at the end of 2015, we cheered. Not only did that mean C Squared Ciders on tap, but it also marked the return of the best mac and cheese in town. Not surprisingly for an eatery that sports a huge red sign that reads “Beer,” an amber lager is one of the keys to this version’s success. Of course, ample amounts of Brie, cream cheese, Gorgonzola, parmesan and half-and-half don’t hurt, either, nor does the thin layer of golden-browned panko breadcrumbs that help hold the dish’s penne pasta together in rich clumps. The resulting gooey goodness, served to overflowing in a long-handled one-cup measuring cup, comes four ways under the banner of “Mac Attack”: the original (aka O.G.); topped with the weekly veggie or meat selection; or topped with even more cheese. We’ll have one of each, please.

Readers’ choice: Steuben’s

The humble chicken wing, once a castoff from the kitchen or, at most, a paltry poultry scrap destined for the stock pot, now commands attention on nearly every starter menu in town. Standard flappers doused in Buffalo sauce predominate, but you can also anoint your chin in barbecue, teriyaki, chipotle or any number of other sauces from tame to terrifying. But one bite of Cho77’s grilled wings in Vietnamese caramel sauce will convince you that the other contenders are just playing chicken. Pungent fish sauce, Asian spices, burnt sugar and just a touch of heat come together in a sticky sauce lacquered on thickly over juicy, chewy wings. There’s no polite way to polish these off, so just go for it — not that you’ll be able to slow yourself down — and worry about cleanup later.

Readers’ choice: Fire on the Mountain

Tucked into a 640-square-foot shipping container, Cart-Driver’s space may be small, but the flavors it delivers are anything but. If you’re a fan of pâtés and terrines, the chicken liver is a must. A sensuous spread as smooth as peanut butter and just as rich, the nutty, spreadable side — listed under the “etc.” portion of the pizza-based menu — is good to the last drop (and leaves us jonesing for more). Creamy and decadent, it’s an ideal way to treat yourself.

It’s listed under “Everyday Plates” at the casual CoraFaye’s Cafe, but the Southern-style fried chicken is anything but routine. The chicken parts that come out of the tiny kitchen are prepared simply, with a light dusting of flour and a hefty dose of black pepper, then fried until the crispy skin — not greasy, but tasting faintly of the frying oil — holds in remarkably moist and tender white or dark meat. You can have it your way here: one piece, three pieces, wing, leg or thigh, or add a few bucks to get a miraculously juicy breast. Have the chicken on its own or paired with the daily sides — maybe the long-cooked collard greens or the dense, cheese-laden mac and cheese. Wash it all down with Kool-Aid from a big metal pitcher — sweet tea is an obvious option, too — and give thanks for owner Priscilla Smith’s mom, Cora, who handed down the recipe.

Readers’ choice: White Fence Farm

Until a few years ago, the only way to take home beer from your favorite non-packaging brewery was if it sold growlers — typically 64-ounce glass containers filled at the tap. But these vessels are too big and unwieldy, and they often leave beer flat after a day or two. More recently, breweries began offering smaller containers made of different materials, which helped. But last year, Oskar Blues revolutionized carryout beer with the Crowler machine. These allow bartenders to force oxygen out and then seal a 32-ounce can of any beer a brewery has on tap — and although they aren’t reusable, Crowler cans are easier to carry and recyclable, and keep beer fresher longer. Oskar Blues has now sold hundreds of the machines to breweries all over the country; in the Denver area, you can find them at Cerebral, Lost Highway, Black Shirt, Dry Dock, Wonderland, Grist, and Great Divide’s Barrel Bar, among others. Look for more soon.

It’s brunch every day at the Universal, a sleek and austerely decorated breakfast-and-lunch hot spot in Sunnyside. Although the weekend specials tend to be more elaborate, we’re just fine with the standard menu of Southern-inspired dishes: thick, creamy grits (heirloom from Anson Mills) offered on the side and as an always-changing “grits of the day” item on their own; biscuits smothered in a medium-spicy pork-sausage gravy; a fried-egg sandwich with Tender Belly meats; and custard toast, one of the best things to happen to bread. The huge pancakes and several scrambles are also good choices; the sheer variety of flavorful ingredients in the latter, like wild-boar sausage or goat cheese and smoked tomatoes, make them stand out. But the cornbread rancheros are truly distinctive, the moist and crumbly cornbread layered with black beans and roasted-tomato salsa, all smothered with cheese. And the Bloody Mary, a bold brew augmented by a mini-salad of celery, cucumber, olive and pepperoncini, with spicy salt on the glass rim, makes getting up on the weekends worth your while.

Readers’ choice: Lucile’s Creole Cafe

The Curtis Club’s bottomless mimosas aren’t the cheapest in town ($13 per person), but we toast the presentation at this eclectic spot, which serves things like a fat, juicy wagyu burger on a brioche bun and caramel-apple French toast that tastes more like a decadent bread pudding during the restaurant’s weekend brunch. The decor is funky but appealing, with cedar-lined walls surrounding a space filled with random old and new furniture and featuring a lake mural and a creepy deer bust. But there’s nothing weird or wacky about the beakers of cranberry juice and fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juices that come on a tray with any mimosa order, and once they arrive, the staff does the best bubbly thing ever: They leave the bottle on the table for you to pour — and when it’s empty, they bring another one. That means no stingy pours, no waiting to beg a server for another. You’re in total control. Cheers!

God gave the pig fifteen of ’em, but sometimes you only want one. Russell’s Smokehouse is the classiest barbecue pit in town, with craft cocktails, grilled naan and bone marrow alongside smoked pulled pork. But it’s also the kind of place that will gladly serve you a single rib at happy hour, your choice of baby back ($1), pork or beef ($2 each). No mother of humanity will spring from these ribs, but Russell’s treats each one with care, smoked strong with a crispy, spicy rub. Nabbing just a few also lets you experiment with Russell’s sauces, from a safety-orange mustard/vinegar barnburner to the thick Kansas City standard. Grab your fraction of a rack from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, but don’t come begging for a handful of soda.

Last year was a big one for barbecue in Denver, with a whole new crew of pit masters smoking up ribs, shoulder and brisket in nearly every Southern style. Roaming Buffalo was an early addition to the 2015 smokehouse scene, opening last January near the University of Denver and holding our attention with what can only be called Colorado-style barbecue, featuring lamb shoulder or shank and bison short ribs in addition to housemade jalapeño-cheddar sausage. You’ll also find the usual suspects — beef brisket, chicken wings and pork ribs — seasoned lightly and smoked gently so that the meaty flavors come to the forefront. Sides are worth celebrating, too, with kicked-up versions of classics, like honey-lime slaw and poblano mac and cheese. And a feast wouldn’t be complete without a cup of the kitchen’s luscious caramelized banana pudding. It’s all enough to trigger a stampede.

Readers’ choice: Moe’s Original BBQ

Technically a New American restaurant (and an excellent one, at that), Blackbelly Market nonetheless features one of the most thorough in-house, whole-animal butchery programs around, and that makes it the best steakhouse, too. In addition to generating fresh, hormone- and antibiotic-free sausages, salumi and charcuterie from a variety of livestock from Colorado-owned farms, the comfortable and rustic-chic east Boulder eatery also carves up beautiful steaks, with cuts that vary from night to night. You can buy the steaks from the display case in the internal market to cook up at home or — and this is the hot ticket — ask for anything in the case to be prepared to your specs right then and there. That means that the kitchen, helmed by chef/owner Hosea Rosenberg, will send out an impeccably seared, flavor-packed slab of meat at the temperature you requested. The list of sides goes well beyond the typical steakhouse’s boring butter bombs, too, instead offering grilled broccoli drizzled with anchovy vinaigrette, roasted cauliflower with romesco and toasted almonds, and confit fingerling potatoes sprinkled with shallots and garlic. You can’t go wrong with the fork-tender Angus flatiron on the regular menu, either, and the fact that you can add foie gras butter to anything for $4 makes us want to meat there right now.

Readers’ choice: Guard and Grace

When the lights came back on at the Denver Diner, it could very well have been a considered a city holiday. After a fire ravaged the iconic greasy spoon, the fate of the beloved diner seemed shaky — but nearly one year and $1.4 million in renovations later, it lives! Keeping with the same style of bright lights and squeaky booths but upgrading the kitchen and adding some modern aesthetics to the dining area, the born-again Denver Diner shines like a beacon. Day or night, it delivers consistently gooey and delicious biscuits and gravy, thick slices of pie, piles-of-meat sandwiches and some of the best people-watching on Colfax Avenue, just as it has for the past quarter of a century. Whether you’re out for an early lunch with the boss on a Monday or a drunken, post-let-out meal with fellow clubbers on a Saturday night, Denver Diner is ready to serve, 24/7.

Readers’ choice: Pete’s Kitchen

Chef Bradford Heap has always been a stickler for details, a quality that comes in handy when dealing with the fragile and persnickety nature of seafood. At Heap’s latest venture, Wild Standard — which sits next door to Salt, one of the other eateries that Heap runs with his wife, Carol Vilate — the big things that make a seafood restaurant shine are as nailed down as dock cleats at a yacht club: a varied selection of super-fresh fish, lobsters, crabs and mussels, all paired with intriguing ingredients. But it’s the little things that make the difference here: Starting with the raw bar, where oysters are helpfully described according to their brininess and finish, the menu at Wild Standard playfully bobs back and forth between traditional seafood fare — including a sweet, creamy new England clam chowder and a simple but spectacular pan-seared grouper — and innovative creations, such as seared-mussel sliders and panko-crusted Colorado trout with bacon and Hollandaise.

Readers’ choice: Jax Fish House

Justin Cucci has done it again. When Ophelia’s opened last spring, it was somewhat of a surprise to find a brothel-themed restaurant coming from the owner of Root Down and Linger — and yet it was no surprise at all. The menu, which caters to all eaters, is a delight for vegetarians, who have far more than the typical two sides to choose from. Don’t miss the arepas — Venezuelan maize patties that have been grilled and stuffed with queso fresco — the roasted-beet salad or the mushroom-and-truffle flatbread.

Readers’ choice: Root Down

It’s easy enough to find places that cater to vegetarians in Denver, but a little harder to find a full-service restaurant that can accommodate true vegans, as well. Happily, Ace’s menu has a number of satisfying — and delicious — options. The Asian-oriented roster includes a number of items that are free of both meat and dairy, including the veggie bibimbap, one of the best versions in town. And the mushroom bao buns and spicy bean sprouts with crispy tofu are must-tries for everyone. A little secret: Ace has a separate veggie-based menu, provided on request.

Readers choice: Root Down

City, O’ City has become synonymous with “vegetarian restaurant” in Denver, so popular is its appeal among herbivores and omnivores alike, who lust for the eatery’s seitan wings, top-quality pizzas, and savory waffles smothered in vegetable ragu and Taleggio cheese sauce. The Cap Hill hangout serves as a coffeehouse, full bar with requisite craft beers and cocktails, and happy-hour favorite for denizens of the neighborhood, with everyone from punk-rock kids to politicos to Macbook-toting hipsters calling it a second home. City, O’ City has everything that Denver loves — except bacon. But with so much good stuff to choose from, bacon won’t be missed.

Readers’ choice: City, O’ City

Restaurant breakfasts can be tough to navigate for those who must avoid gluten; even something as simple as a plate of eggs and bacon generally comes with a side of toast, biscuits, muffins or pancakes. Of course, you can skip the baked goods, but then you’re missing out on some of the best morning delights. Revelry Kitchen solves the problem by not only offering all of its dishes with a gluten-free option, but by making many of its items gluten-free to start. So go ahead and plow into a pumpkin cinnamon roll with impunity, chomp on churros or breakfast on biscuits smothered in chorizo gravy: They’re all made gluten-free, which means you can relax and enjoy this sunny West Highland spot worry-free.

Readers’ choice: Vesta Dipping Grill

Upon receiving a delightful, fragrant bowl of Bones’s carbonara ramen, you may notice that it doesn’t look much different from a normal serving of tonkotsu ramen. But looks can be deceiving when it comes to Asian-Italian fusion, because instead of pork stock, this ramen consists of a rich parmesan-and-black-truffle broth filled with pork belly, broccoli, a poached egg and, of course, expertly prepared noodles. It’s the ultimate in comfort-food fusion, and it also speaks to owner Frank Bonanno’s Italian background and love for ramen and noodles as a whole.

One doesn’t normally think of Asian food and Southern cuisine as being compatible, but at Uncle, chef Tommy Lee has created the perfect pairing of the two cultures with its Fried Green Tomato Bao Bun. It’s a classic cornmeal-crusted green tomato stuffed into a fluffy, sweet Chinese bao bun, then spruced up with miso-infused mayonnaise, Thai basil and tangy pimento. Chances are that neither a Southern grandmother nor a Chinese lao lao would approve of the creation, but for those looking to add a little culinary adventure to their plate, this appetizer is a winner. Lee has also offered Louisiana-style ramen, composed of gumbo broth, crawfish, smoked andouille, okra, pasilla chiles and spicy sour cream, at the restaurant. It’s all a reflection of the Chinese-American chef’s continued interest in marrying tastes for the ultimate sensation. Pair these two dishes together, and you have the ultimate in Asian-Southern fusion.

If you’re looking for a new party trick, sabering at Sarto’s just might be the coolest brunch-time activity ever. Sabering is the art of opening a bottle of champagne with a sword, and at Sarto’s it starts with the purchase of a bottle of bubbly. Next you’ll be treated to a private lesson from owner Taylor Swallows (or a member of his staff), who loves sharing his mad swashbuckling skills with the world. And while sabering is typically saved for ceremonial occasions, we think Sunday brunch is as good a reason as any to celebrate.

Zengo chef/owner Richard Sandoval knows his Mexican food, given that he owns more than thirty establishments across the country. So it stands to reason that he’s earned the right to start playing with the cuisine, as he does with his Latin-Asian eatery in LoDo. One dish that showcases this experimentation well is the bulgogi ribeye tacos, a set of corn tortillas stuffed with cucumber kimchi, sesame and, of course, bulgogi — Korean-style marinated meat. When ingredients are paired this way, it’s easy to see the similarities between Mexican and Korean cooking. Both use a lot of spice and heat, they tend to feature beef and pork, and each highlights a specific chile-based sauce. Next time you go, be sure to try these delicate and hearty bites, as well as Sandoval’s other fusiony delights.

If you were asked to seamlessly blend East and West, Asian and Cajun would probably not be the first combination to come to mind, but it’s exactly that element of surprise that makes this oddball fusion cuisine so great. Really two restaurants in one offering year-round seafood boils, Korean plates, Cajun favorites and hybrid creations, Asian Cajun makes your biggest obstacle narrowing down the choices (hint: bring friends).

It’s hard to find a good lunch special that’s a true bang for your buck, but Vinh Xuong Bakery manages to leave customers with a full belly and a still-full wallet. For just $4.50, expert banh mi artists will slice a full loaf of French bread in half and fill it with pickled vegetables and your choice of grilled pork, barbecued pork, chicken, ham, pork meatball or a combination thereof, all to make the perfect Vietnamese sandwich. On weekends and special occasions, duck, tofu and brisket make the menu, too. Vietnamese iced coffee pairs perfectly with the banh mi; the sweet concoction is only $3 for a regular size, or it can be super-sized for $5 for people looking for an instant energy boost. Stretch your dollar and your appetite at Vinh Xuong, located in the northwest corner of Alameda Square Shopping Center.

Year after year, Sushi Den owners Yasu and Toshi Kizaki not only rise to the challenge of serving the freshest fish in town, but they also continue to innovate to exceed customers’ already high expectations. That means serving in-season seafood from coastal and international waters, whether it’s scallops shipped live from Boston, the best wild salmon from Alaska and Scotland, or glistening specimens still pristine from the cold waters off Japan. Beyond the simplicity of carefully sliced sushi and sashimi, there are also smart creations and reimaginings, like a wild yellowtail roll topped with black truffle, or kara-age (Japanese fried chicken) made with monkfish instead of the standard poultry. Each visit to the South Pearl shrine of sushi reaffirms that the Kizaki brothers still know how to put the Den in Denver.

Readers’ choice: Sushi Den

Like bone marrow and foie gras, octopus divides people into two camps: those who hate it, and those who can’t get enough. Regardless of which category you’re in, run, don’t walk, to Bar Dough, where Max MacKissock’s Sicilian-inspired preparation will have everyone singing this cephalopod’s praises. True, you might never get over the look of those creepy arms, but trust us, you’ll still love the octopus itself, which arrives tender, not rubbery, with a hint of char from mesquite and a cheery dose of lemon. Accented with charred eggplant, caponata and a pistachio-celery salad that does wonders for the plate’s overall texture, the dish is a natural lead-in to whatever follows, be it braised lamb shank or pizza.

A fresh, ice-cold oyster served with nothing but its own liquor is a wondrous treat, somehow both elegant and primitive from the moment you tip the shell to your lips. Union Station’s bivalve boutique teems with life and energy like a tropical reef, even if the star of the platter comes from chillier waters to the north. Sample the house specials: the bright and briny Stoic from Long Island, or the lush Genuine from Totten Inlet, Washington — each raised especially for the restaurant. Other varieties come and go like the tides, but they’re all impeccably presented. Even an oyster can be dressed up for a night out, as the kitchen proves with fancy toppings, from frozen Aperol or lychee-sake granitas to a classic champagne mignonette.

Readers’ choice: Jax Fish House

Oysters don’t really need anything, but when a good one shows up adorned with just the right flavors, it can be a beautiful thing. The oyster dish at Nocturne, the new jazz and supper club in RiNo, hits just the right notes. Its light cornmeal coating melds nicely with the accompanying slightly sweet and dense sorghum cake, which in turn balances out the savory elements in a drizzle of parsley purée, a tangy remoulade and a sweet-tart smoked-tomato jam. The better-than-the-sum-of-its-parts dish is currently being offered as part of the “Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five” tasting menu at this creative and vibrant spot, but Nocturne will let you order it separately. Either way, it’s a shell of a good idea.

It almost seems unfair, after successes with Sushi Den and Izakaya Den on South Pearl Street, that the Kizaki brothers could score another hit with the resurrected Ototo, which returned last year after a three-year hiatus and a conceptual update that impresses with its traditional, well-defined menu of small plates and robatoyaki — skewers grilled over oak and mesquite coals. Start with simple grilled vegetables and move on to skewered chicken wings, wagyu beef or short ribs. For the more adventurous, there’s whole grilled squid, a choice of chicken hearts or duck gizzards, and ichayaboshi — semi-dried fish that receives a flavorful char from the white-hot coals. Raw-bar selections show the expected masterful Den touch, and a list of rare sakes provides a perfect sip for each bite. This Platt Park corner stop has become a launch point for a journey into Japanese cuisine.

Readers’ choice: Domo

Super Star is a beacon in west Denver for those seeking a weekend dim sum banquet, and the endless parade of rattling carts stacked with dumplings, pastries and other nibbles certainly won’t disappoint. While the kitchen shines with shumai and turns out tempting turnip cakes during daytime hours, a visit during dinner proves that its ability to impress doesn’t end when the carts stop circling. Instead, things just get better. You can’t go wrong with anything from the sea, including what might be the city’s most complete list of abalone preparations, as well as the live-tank specials and a beautiful lobster in XO sauce. Bubbling clay pots filled with complex stews and family dinners featuring whole Peking duck and steamed fish — among many other traditional preparations — mean that you can share a quiet dinner for two or head over with the whole clan for a blow-out celebration. Ask for the Chinese menu for even more options; the staff is happy to translate.

Readers’ choice: Star Kitchen

West Alameda Avenue near South Federal Boulevard is the Promised Land for seekers of dim sum. Among the many options, King’s Land stands out for variety, quality and efficiency. The cavernous space can easily hold 300 people, so even a busy Saturday service runs smoothly, with plenty of food for all on the train of carts emerging from the kitchen and winding between tables. Beyond the standard har gao, shumai and pork buns — all of which are impeccable — top choices include sticky rice steamed in lotus leaves, savory taro-root croquettes and unctuous chicken feet in black-bean sauce. Go with a big group so you can experience a wide range of flavors and styles, and give in to wave after wave of food. And if something you were looking for doesn’t make its way to your table, all you have to do is ask.

Readers’ choice: Star Kitchen

More than thirty years after it first opened on Bannock Street, Racines just keeps powering on. At breakfast any day of the week, you’ll find newscasters, professors, politicians, developers, brokers and just about every other kind of suit in this town strategizing over Eggs Mazatlan, bacon pancakes and Farmers Breakfasts. The restaurant’s spacious corner booths in its current home are perfect for negotiating, and if there are bumps in the discussion, Racines features a full bar with strong Bloody Marys, craft brews and a wonderful selection of original cocktail recipes to help smooth things over. Those liquid assets also appeal to folks who come in later in the day to power up, a crowd that ranges from eighty-year-olds who’ve been coming here for decades to disaffected eighteen-year-olds who think they just discovered the place. For all of Denver, Racines remains the place to get down to business…even if it’s monkey business.

Nearly thirty years of serving a vast selection of dishes from a phone book-sized menu can take its toll on a restaurant, so in 2014, husband-and-wife owners Thai Nguyen and Ha Pham sold their beloved Vietnamese eatery, with plans to enjoy retirement. But they missed the daily bustle of the South Federal spot so much that they bought the place back last year and gave both the dining room and the menu an overhaul. Their renewed vigor can be tasted in Pham’s cooking, in old favorites like the build-your-own rice-paper platters mounded with grilled pork, beef, shrimp and fresh, verdant greens, and in newer dishes on the specials chalkboard for fans of traditional Vietnamese cooking. Renewed attention to service was also a part of the reboot, meaning dinner comes with professional courtesy, patience and attentiveness worthy of the stellar food. An old favorite is back again and better than ever.

Readers’ choice: New Saigon

Pho joints have mushroomed up across the metro area with a frequency that even the Starbucks corporate crew would find dizzying. But more doesn’t necessarily mean better, as many kitchens take shortcuts that result in bland, boring broth. That’s not the case at the venerable Pho Duy, which found bigger digs last year next door to its original strip-mall spot. The time and effort required to produce a rich, complex broth are evident in the finished product, and the steady stream of noodle slurpers means that herbs and other accoutrements are always fresh. Whether you choose beefy add-ins like brisket, flank and rare steak or an equally well-rounded meatless, spicy broth bobbing with veggies, one spoonful is enough to convince you that Pho Duy still ladles up the best — pho real.

Readers’ choice: Pho 95

Ramen has never been more popular in Denver than it was last year, with restaurateur Jeff Osaka’s two tidy noodle taverns — one in RiNo and one in Cherry Creek — leading the charge. No matter which of the two you visit, you’ll be greeted by rich, steaming bowls loaded with springy noodles (courtesy of the illustrious Sun Noodle Company) in a variety of traditional styles. Choose from two lighter chicken broths, a meatless version based on Thai green curry, or something a little more porky, like the milky tonkotsu, loaded with so much meaty depth that it’s almost like a liquid pork chop. And while ramen is the ringleader here, small plates of sesame green beans, okonomiyaki French fries and mochi doughnuts might stop your slurping long enough for you to sample the non-noodle noshes.

Readers’ choice: Uncle

Everything sizzles, bubbles and pops at this well-appointed Aurora eatery that got its start in 1962 in the So Gong Dong neighborhood of Seoul. Rice is delivered in searing-hot stone bowls, with a crunchy crust perfect for mixing into miniature cauldrons of soups so hot they continue to boil for minutes after the server drops off your order. Soft-tofu soups are the house specialty — from the original 1962 recipe bobbing with oysters and clams to more modern creations thick with everything from beef to fat dumplings to sliced Spam. If grilled meats are more your thing, cast-iron platters shaped like cows come mounded with marinated beef or pork, still cooking as they arrive. And Tofu House’s array of banchan appetizers can’t be beat, with kimchi, pickled vegetables and salty fish snacks that up the bold and powerful flavors of every dish.

Readers’ choice: Dae Gee

Two things stand out on Taste of Thailand’s culinary résumé: Owners Noy and Rick Farrell maintain a vegetable garden to augment their menu with seasonal produce, and they regularly travel to Noy’s home town in Thailand — along with other regions of the country — to scout recipes and bring back ingredients. The results show in bright, fresh bursts of flavor and a well-rounded roster of curries, noodle dishes and rice plates that range from classics like tom yum goong and massaman curry to newer dishes and weekend specials, such as yum mamuang (a spicy shrimp and mango dish served with sticky rice) and khao soi (a northern Thai chicken curry topped with crispy noodles). A move to South Broadway after more than twenty years in a tiny Englewood spot means more space for a new generation of fans of Thai food to find out what makes Taste of Thailand so special.

Readers’ choice: Thai Monkey Club

India has been perfecting vegetarian cuisine for hundreds of years, to the point that even diehard carnivores can luxuriate in rich lentil stews, zingy rice plates perfumed with spices and giant, crispy dosas stuffed with everything from stewed potatoes to Indo-Chinese Szechuan noodles — all of which can be found on Masalaa’s meat-free menu. And going well beyond the standard curries found in nearly every Indian eatery in town, Masalaa draws from the culinary traditions of South India as well as the beachfront food stalls of Mumbai, making for a fun street-food journey. Despite its age, Masalaa shows no signs of growing tired, proving that good cooking makes good food — even if meat’s not in the mix.

Readers’ choice: Little India

Megenagna is an Ethiopian market, coffeehouse and restaurant all in one, with cozy, palm-sheltered tables where guests enjoy platters of spongy injera bread (made at Megenagna’s bakery just down the street) mounded with deeply spiced lentil and vegetable stews. House blends of berbere and mitmita chile powders give a variety of kitfos (raw or cooked ground beef mixed with seasoned clarified butter) a blast of heat, followed by a mélange of exotic spices. What makes this Aurora gem stand out from Denver’s other excellent Ethiopian restaurants is the liberal use of those spices: Each bite is alive with a heavy dose of the flavors of Megenagna’s homeland.

Readers’ choice: Queen of Sheba

Morocco isn’t technically within the geographical region we call the Middle East, but there’s a culinary continuum that links the food of northwest Africa with the Levant and points farther east. That continuum encompasses hummus, baba ghanouj, falafel and pita stuffed with grilled meats, all of which Sahara Restaurant on East Arapahoe Road handles with aplomb (the kitchen, after all, represents Lebanese fare, too). But for something special, the Moroccan tajines (served on Friday and Saturday nights only) and couscous dishes can’t be beat. Make it lamb for a true taste of the Mediterranean, with bone-in lamb shank over saffron rice or roasted in a clay tajine with dried fruits. For more variety, try the mashwi combination, with beef, chicken and kafta kabobs along with shaved gyros all piled onto one platter. Beneath tented tapestries in the glow of flickering candlelight, you’ll forget for a night that you’re in a suburban strip mall.

Readers’ choice: Jerusalem

Restaurateur Frank Bonanno’s first foray into the restaurant business, now going on twelve years , doesn’t come across as overtly French; this is not your standard polished-brass bistro with crocks of onion soup or cassoulet. Instead, Bonanno’s inspiration is the cutting-edge cuisine of modern Paris, tempered with just enough Gallic charm to ground the menu for traditionalists, who will still find escargot, sweetbreads and côte de bœuf to warm their Francophile hearts. But the French have always prided themselves on culinary innovation, which Mizuna displays with subtle savoir faire, in an appetizer that lets you speak the words “foie gras” three times (pan-roasted and infused into ice cream and maple syrup), and in entrees that incorporate international ingredients — like hoisin broth over dry-aged duck breast — and modernist technique, as with the salsa verde espuma that accompanies a cut of white sturgeon. Also unerringly French is Mizuna’s dedication to great wines to accompany great food, with a breathtaking cellar overseen by sommelier Kelly Wooldridge.

Readers’ choice: Bistro Vendôme

When it comes to dining on schnitzel, sausage and sauerkraut, a modern setting is somehow a distraction. What’s called for is old-world decor and the bucolic trappings of rural Bavaria, Austria or the Czech Republic. Golden Europe delivers, with raft-sized cutlets of chicken, pork or veal awash in lakes of sauce and surrounded by mountains of mashed potatoes — all in a quaint dining room peppered with cuckoo clocks and other Teutonic trinkets. Squeeze into a booth and order beer by the liter to wash down homestyle cooking from liver-dumpling soup to the half roasted duck, all served with good cheer by the Palla family, who have kept the place running for more than twenty years. Prost!

Readers’ choice: Euclid Hall

The duck confit Benedict at Lou’s Food Bar is cozy comfort food that lands in just the right spot. A buttery biscuit holds a nest of crispy kale topped with the confit and a pair of poached eggs so delicate they could be mistaken for duck eggs, and the whole thing is lightly drizzled with citrus Hollandaise. And if bird is the word, the perfect pairing for this tasty dish is the fried chicken that just so happens to be a topping at the extravagant Bloody Mary bar.

Readers’ choice: Snooze

The best Italian restaurants offer many of the same things that any excellent restaurant does — gracious and efficient service, the highest-quality ingredients, well-cooked and presented food — with one crucial exception: They also have to serve the best Italian food, right? Spuntino, a charming and cozy eatery in Highland, does just that, combining old favorites and new ideas in that quintessentially Italian way. Owners Cindhura Reddy (the chef) and her husband, Elliott Strathmann (the general manager), bought the restaurant in 2014 after spending some time as employees; they nail down the classics, such as butternut squash risotto with crispy prosciutto and goat-cheese-filled agnolotti (all of their pastas are homemade), while also offering unexpected and updated takes on other old favorites, including a gussied-up tartare pairing Colorado elk with preserved lemon, ginger and garlic, and a house-smoked lamb sausage sweetened on the side with cranberries. The small but cozy space also manages to feature a remarkable roster of wines, including an “Off-List List,” a selection of hard-to-find bottles in a wide price range, all recommended by the staff. Speaking of which, the service here is welcoming and knowledgable, which makes the experience all the more eccellènte.

Readers’ choice: Osteria Marco

Much like politics, the road to great pizza is long and fraught with controversy, a lot of dueling options and the quest for quality. At Racca’s Pizzeria Napoletana in LoDo, there’s no debate about the restaurant’s ability to continually churn out superb wood-fired pies. This comes after seven-plus years in the business, the majority of those under the name Marco’s Coal-Fired Pizza. Owners Mark and Kristy Dym changed the name late last year, but while that got tweaked along with the space and the menu, the goods have remained excellent. Each pie is cooked in a legitimate Italian pizza oven and sold under a regional designation, be it Sicily, Tuscany, Campania or one of the many pizza-filled New York City neighborhoods. While the pies remain thin and chewy, the heavier-sounding toppings — such as roasted zucchini, lemoncello chicken and artichoke — never seem to weigh the slice down, which helps make this the best Neapolitan pizza in the area.

Readers’ choice: Hops & Pie

To make a New York-style pizza, you need to hand-toss the dough, which the staff does with gusto at this two-location pie joint. Then the dough gets stretched into a large circle, just right for holding a layer of spiced tomato sauce, fresh cheese and whatever toppings you might desire. At SliceWorks, they get this — not surprising, given that owner Lou Scileppi hails from Long Island and grew up in the restaurant world. The result is a thin-crust pizza that can either hold its massive triangle or crisp nicely in half when folded, arguably the proper way to eat New York-style pizza. You can get traditional toppings like Italian sausage and pepperoni, as well some of the classic combinations found on the East Coast, including margherita, white spinach and clam. There are also have a few unique creations, such as jalapeño popper, Buffalo chicken and, in true Colorado fashion, a pizza singing with green chile.

Readers’ choice: Fat Sully’s

Detroit has seen its share of troubles lately, but here’s a bit of good news for the Motor City: It spawned one kick-ass style of pie. And here’s even better news: You don’t have to hop on a plane to get it. At Blue Pan Pizza, Detroit transplant Jeff Smokevitch geeks out over details like hydration levels and dough proofing, resulting in a pizza that defines the category. Baked in a pan for a deep crust, with sauce ladled over, not under, the cheese, and addictively crisp edges thanks to a blend of caramelized cheeses (including the oh-so-authentic brick), the result will make you question why New York-style pizza ever became the American default.

What was once nothing more than a takeout window at the back of the Bar Car on Colorado Boulevard became a full-fledged restaurant a year ago. While sandwiches, wings and other bar food can be had, the specialty is Chicago-style pizza built on a buttery, tender crust with high sides to contain the mountain of toppings. Unlike many of the Windy City’s notorious pies, those at Denver Deep Dish aren’t overblown, soupy messes, but rather well-balanced constructions that layer sauce, cheese and toppings in harmony so that the tomato doesn’t dominate. Traditional ingredients like spicy Polidori sausage, spinach and mushrooms share space with Southwestern concoctions like the 505, kicked up with green chiles, chicken and Mark Schlereth’s Stinkin’ Good green-chile sauce. Lunch and dinner aren’t the only options for Chicago-style goodness, either: Weekend brunch includes an outstanding egg pie loaded with roasted potatoes, salsas and breakfast meats.

Readers’ choice: Patxi’s Pizza

There’s a common misconception, usually among non-vegans, that vegan food is tasteless and dull. The Munchy Mango Pie at the Baker neighborhood’s Pie Hole blows that theory completely out of the water — and chances are you’ll need water after sinking your teeth into this spicy, animal-free pie. With a base of tangy Thai peanut sauce, the pie also features mango, green onions and sugar-roasted jalapeños, which supply the pie’s real kick. Pie Hole has other vegan options, as well, including a Vegan Delight and “sticks” (breadsticks). Pie Hole’s vegan options succeed where so many others fail because no cheese substitute — which often comes off as overly processed in taste — is used. Instead, the flavor is supplemented with tasty sauces like the Thai peanut and a special vegan roux sauce. With a multitude of options for non-vegans, a 2 a.m. closing time (3 a.m. on weekends), and several local-beer options, Pie Hole has something for everyone with an affinity for tasty, “undull” pizza.

When you start putting taco filling, fried chicken and mashed potatoes on pizza, things are bound to get a little crazy. Since opening the place over five years ago, Hops & Pie owner Drew Watson has gotten very creative when coming up with the Slice of the Day. Luckily, the skilled chef manages to find the balance of all-out weird and darn good pizza. “I try and take things that I love to eat and figure out a way to put it on a pizza,” says Watson. “I try and save the crazy stuff for Fridays and Saturdays, when people come in for hours and try all the different beers with the pizza.” Recent special slices have included chicken pot pie and street taco with queso fresco, jalapeños, ground beef seasoned with garlic, cumin and onion and, just before serving, a pile of shredded lettuce and chipotle crema. You won’t find the same pie on the menu two days in a row, but some favorites do reappear.

We have dreams filled entirely with the savory little Argentinean pastries from Maria Empanada, and then we wake up and make a beeline for the sunny corner cafe on South Broadway. The dream becomes a blissful reality with a strong espresso and a basket filled with delicate baked pillows bulging with spiced beef, cheesy corn, mild shredded chicken or ham and cheese, each with its own shape as a visual code for the contents within. An afternoon daydream leads to a return trip for wedge-shaped tartas and Spanish-style tortillas (masonry-like constructions of thin-sliced potato) and an accompanying pinguino of malbec — and, yes, that’s an adorable penguin-shaped pitcher of wine. Maybe it’s a dream after all, populated with edible pastry clouds and fat penguins that keep your wine glass filled. If you’re wearing pants, it’s not a dream — it’s simply a South American slice of heaven in Denver.

Readers’ choice: Cuba Cuba

Given the array of festive drinks at North County — boozy, house-bottled sodas, mojitos and a hundred tequilas — it’s easy to chat and drink, and chat and drink, until you discover the hard way that you should’ve ordered some food. Never fear: That’s where North County’s mucho macho nachos come in. Unlike most chips-and-cheese plates hawked around town, this gargantuan platter is big enough for the table, with Mexican cheeses, olives, guacamole, jalapeños, pico and black beans lavished on top of and underneath the pile, so that every chip has its share of goodies. Proteins can be added for an additional charge, but even without them, this app more than holds its own.

New owners took over El Tejado last year, giving the space a facelift that makes it look like something out of The Flintstones. And that’s appropriate, because El Tejado’s green chile remains rock solid. This is a classic Colorado green chile, gravy-like and studded with pork, sometimes tinged a little more orange than green. While it’s good smothering just about anything that comes out of the El Tejado kitchen, it’s just as good on its own with a side of tortillas. And if you’re feeling particularly brave, order the hot green chile. To create this fiendish concoction, the kitchen doesn’t just drop some hot sauce in the kettle. Instead, it concocts a deeply layered, flavorful brew that’s downright addictive — that is, if you don’t singe your mouth on the first slurp.

Readers’ choice: Santiago’s

The New American menu at Brazen lends itself to unique takes on the tried and true, which is a good thing for the diners who have turned this folksy spot into a Denver destination. Where innovation has really paid off, though, is in the non-traditional eggs Benedict served during the Saturday and Sunday brunch. Called a Peanut Butter & Fresno Benedict, the concoction marries — naturally — peanut butter and Fresno pepper jam with cheddar, bacon, poached eggs and Hollandaise, all served atop lightly toasted ciabatta. It’s sort of reminiscent of Elvis’s peanut butter sandwich, but made classier with the addition of cheese, and spicier because of the jam. It sounds weird, we know, but trust us: You’ll start craving another order soon after you finish the first.

It might seem odd that an upscale, nose-to-tail dining room known for charcuterie, aged steaks and even housemade hot dogs could also excel at a rustic dish like green chile — especially a meatless version. But chef-owner Hosea Rosenberg is a New Mexico native with a serious Hatch habit, so each year he makes the pilgrimage to green chile hallowed ground and returns to Boulder to roast and peel his haul for a season’s worth of breakfast burritos. Rosenberg’s recipe is tangy, hot and so redolent of the fire-roasted pods that pork would only be a distraction. But Blackbelly does pork with panache, too, so if you need a little meat in your stew, you can get a bowl of smoked-shoulder posole made from the same great green-chile base. Stop by for a breakfast burrito in the a.m., grab a quart of the green to go at lunch and then head back for some smoky posole come dinner hour.

Readers’ choice: Illegal Pete’s

El Trompito’s Denver taquerias offer a wide range of the standards found at most Front Range taco shops, but to experience the house specialties, you must sample the slow-braised meats, which balance deep, cooked-down flavors with toothsome texture. Not to be missed is the barbacoa de borrego, shredded lamb so juicy you’ll have to hold your elbows high to keep your wrists clean. But the beef cabeza, lengua and barbacoa are standouts, too, as are the tacos toñitas, stewed meat and veggies on a corn tortilla. Of course, a good taqueria is not complete without a salsa bar — and El Trompito doesn’t disappoint, with tubs of chile blends ranging from tongue-warming to face-melting.

Readers’ choice: Pinche Tacos

For more than sixty years, La Popular has been defining Den-Mex, with thick green chile, smothered burrito torpedoes, and — most important — perfect tamales that somehow manage to be simultaneously fluffy and dense inside their corn-husk wrappers. Choose either red chile with moderate heat or green chile to please peppier palates, but don’t be content with just two or three served à la carte; tamales this good should be ordered by the dozen. Mix and match for a colorful combo and grab a tub of green chile while you’re there. In fact, make it a banquet, with housemade tortilla chips, salsa and fruit-filled empanadas for dessert. La Popular still assembles one of Denver’s cheapest — and most satisfying — moveable feasts.

Readers’ choice: Tamale Kitchen

The third time’s a charm for Adelitas. We’ve been fans of the house margarita — a generous pour of Cimarron tequila mixed with fresh-squeezed lime juice, agave syrup and triple sec — since our first sip, shortly after the casual Colorado cantina opened on South Broadway. Over the past three years, we’ve forced ourselves to swallow house margs all over town — some syrupy-sweet, some sickeningly sour — and have yet to find one as good as the marg at Adelitas. At $5, it’s a bargain — and the bargain gets even better during the two daily happy hours (from 3 to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close), when the margs are $4. And on Monday nights, the deal gets better yet: House margs are two-for-one.

Readers’ choice: Rio Grande

Happy-hour lovers can stop bar-hopping and doing endless Yelp searches for the best happy hours throughout the city, because the best all-day happy hour lives at Historians Ale House. The daylong happy hour repeats Monday through Friday and includes $2.50 select drafts, $3 wells and house wines for $4. Wash down the booze with $6 appetizers throughout the day, or pause for the $5.95 cheeseburger and soda/beer lunch special in the middle of it. Historians bartenders know better than to overserve you, and it’s unlikely you’d be able to withstand the 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. happy hour even if they didn’t cut you off. But if you happen to have a weekday off, make the most of it with a handful of beers and a few baskets of pizza sliders.

The Bannock Street Garage is a dark dive bar that oozes character and happens to have the best all-day-every-day drink deal in Denver, the Billy Jack. For $5, you get a holy trinity of vices — a shot of whiskey, a PBR, and the cherry on top: an extra-long Pyramid cigarette. Besides the Billy Jack, there’s plenty to keep you occupied at the Garage — old-fashioned ring-toss, a pool table that can be converted to play ping-pong, a vintage popcorn machine to cure the munchies, a music stage, and a few TVs for good measure. It’s all housed in what used to be an actual body shop, and it retains that gritty, oily feel. Throw down your shot, grab your PBR and cigarette, and head to the bare-bones patio out back for some soul-searching. Act like a regular and prop the door with a rock; it locks from the outside.

It took a renovation and a menu revamp to make LoHi SteakBar into a happy-hour all-timer, but folks up north are sure glad it did. And whether the streets are boisterous or still after dark, SteakBar has happy hour covered. From 10 p.m. ’til last call at midnight (or 1-ish on the weekends), the grill is still fired up and tossing around top-quality meats. Almost everything at happy hour is deep-fried or riven with sinew and fat, all the better to accompany two-for-one drafts, wells and house wines. One exception: lovely buck-a-shuck oysters, serving as a fine entry into late-night gluttony. Green-chile cheese fries ($8) throw you right into the deep end with a savory serving of Southwest-style poutine. Mini Blue Smoke burgers ($3 each) offer a high-quality grind topped with blue cheese and bacon. But the standout is the mini steak sandwich with Gruyère and onions ($4), a simply prepared treat that brings the goods from SteakBar’s meat locker for a bite-sized price.

Readers’ choice: Highland Tap & Burger

With every visit to the Squeaky Bean, there’s an ever-present lightness of being, an unspoken invitation to relax and let the serious world pass by. This atmosphere is especially appealing in the early-evening hours, when the 4-to-6 p.m. cocktail hour brings accessible prices and choices. The Bean just reinvented itself yet again, putting the emphasis on seasonal offerings from the restaurant’s farm rather than kitchen theatrics. Local beets dashed with hazelnuts, crushed raspberries and sorrel ($8) present the bounty of Bean Acres with comely simplicity. Crispy cauliflower ($7) is brought to life with a soft smothering of sunflower seed-mint pesto. Meat gets its due in the complex Szechuan-style chicken wings ($6) and the all-American burger special ($15), complete with special sauce, fries and a 7Up. All of this complements a stellar cocktail list with retro recipes and modern ingredients for $5 apiece. The Squeaky Bean’s happy hour changes with the seasons but remains one of the greats.

Readers’ choice: Highland Tap & Burger

While sampling the finest sushi and omakase in Denver, you might not come across many generous happy hours. Ototo, dipping into the tradition of its Pearl Street sisters Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, is a surprising exception. Roaring back from the dead in mid-2015, Ototo immediately released a kaiju-sized happy-hour menu that shows off the restaurant’s eclectic and cozy fare, served Wednesday and Thursday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 to 10 p.m. (both end one hour later on weekends). Scallops and enoki mushrooms from the charcoal-fired robata grill ($5 each) are wrapped in bacon and simply skewered, paired with $4 draft beers, half-price wines and hot sakes to keep the vibe lively. Crisply seared gyoza ($4) represent Ototo’s classic roots, while sublime Japanese fried chicken expands on a very welcome trend. It’s a happy hour that’s true to the communal robata spirit, and a refreshing successor to the Den lineage.

Since longtime Denver chef Matt Selby — known for his cutting-edge kitchen work at Vesta Dipping Grill, Ace and Steuben’s — came on board as a consultant in November 2015, Brik on York has been hitting its stride. With Selby’s help, owner and level-two certified sommelier Travis Gee revamped the erratic menu, and the result is a lineup of delectable dishes — chile-spiked sizzling garlic shrimp, wood-fired Brussels sprouts, truffle-scented popcorn dusted with pecorino — that pair beautifully with wine. And what a wine list it is: eight pages of old- and new-world choices, available from the half-glass on up to a full bottle and poured using either the Enomatic or Coravin systems to maintain quality and prevent oxidation, with insider info on the regions providing context and Gee himself often stopping by to share his take. The wine bar and pizzeria (all of the pies are wood-fired, with scissors provided to cut your own pieces) sits in a 1905 building in the Wyman Historic District, and its motley past — including time as a matinee theater and a watch-repair shop — imbues the setting with a sense of bygone times that enhances the wine experience. Those who aren’t into wine can enjoy the dozen or so beers available or a well-made cocktail, and late-night live music from local bands is a nice touch.

Readers’ choice: Lala’s Wine Bar & Pizzeria

It’s no surprise that a farm-to-table restaurant devoted to deliberate sourcing would also offer wines — from a 27-page list, by the way — that have been carefully and individually chosen for their ability to pair properly with the elegant Boulder bistro’s imaginative menu. But Black Cat’s wine collection, usually comprising between 300 and 400 options from around the globe and chosen by general manager and beverage director Dev Ranjan, goes beyond a mere gathering of good and great wines. Ranjan seeks out exceptionally rare and older-vintage examples, and the restaurant’s Coravin system allows unique wines — say, the 2011 Mauro Molino Barolo “Gallinotto,” or La Follette’s 2012 Sangiacomo Vineyard chardonnay — to be offered by the glass. Black Cat also features an unusually long list of grower Champagnes by the half and full bottle, and the bistro’s commitment to farmers even extends to a namesake wine from Colorado: Black Cat has co-developed a full-bodied meritage with Boulder-based Bookcliff Vineyards. Without being pretentious or overly scientific, the wine list is sprinkled with truly helpful explanations of things like what natural wine really is and why biodynamics are important and how terroir affects outcomes. Drink and learn.

Readers’ choice: Mizuna

Sometimes the mood strikes for bottomless mimosas on, say, Thursday at mid-day — but most places offer the deal only on weekends. Time to head to Breakfast on Broadway. You want bottomless mimosas at noon on Monday? Done. How about 9 a.m. on Friday? Yep. You get the picture: Whenever BOB is open (breakfast and lunch only, 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily), it features an $8.50 bottomless-mimosa deal. The drinks are nothing fancy — just J. Roget and regular OJ — but the proportions are generous, as are the portions, because this joint takes bottomless seriously. The staffers do ask that you eat something, but that’s easy, because BOB cooks up some eggs-cellent dishes: pick-your-ingredients scrambles, French toast stuffed with Cointreau cream cheese, and a killer Reuben. No reservations at this popular diner, but you can call thirty minutes ahead to get on the list. Not a mimosa fan? The “nightshift” Bloody Mary is two-for-one from 7 to 9 a.m. weekdays.

Readers’ choice: Root Down

To find a by-the-glass wine list that features forty-some options — including such interesting and uncommon selections as the Hemanos Torrontes from Salta, Argentina, or Oregon’s Angela Estate Pinot Noir, as well as better-known vintages, like Pennywise’s cabernet sauvignon from California or Shingleback’s Red Knot shiraz from Australia — is always a treat. To find it in the congenial and homey locale that is Neighbors is nothing short of wonderful. In the four years since this Park Hill cafe opened, not only has the neighborhood embraced the eclectic eatery, but diners seeking tapas-style snacks paired with the smartly chosen wine list have made it a destination, as well. The wine flights are especially fun, offering tastes of Spain or “juicy reds” in three two-ounce pours. Prices are spot-on for the selections and the setting, and whether you opt for a cheese or meat plate or one of the small shared plates, the staff will know exactly which glass of wine will hit the spot.

Readers’ choice: Lala’s Wine Bar & Pizzeria

As any whiskey snob knows, “single malt” is a bit of a misnomer. Wood’s Tenderfoot Whiskey is actually a combination of three barley malts, with a pinch of rye malt and wheat malt — but all blended at a single distillery, aged in American oak and bottled at 90 proof. Since that distillery is in Salida, “local” is admittedly a term of art, too. But since you can get this distinctive, smooth-but-smoky high-country libation at a number of local liquor stores, there’s no need to drive 140 miles to the tasting room for a sampler of Wood’s whiskey, rye and gin — although that does sound like a tasty idea.

In the early 2000s, distiller Stephen Gould became fascinated with absinthe. When the U.S. government allowed the infamous herbal spirit to be made and sold in America, in 2007, he began to distill it on antique stills that he had accumulated in his garage. That hobby distilling business eventually turned into Golden Moon Distillery, founded in 2008, and its current line of eighteen spirits, including the original absinthe. Those spirits represent an eclectic family — Golden Moon distills products that most distillers don’t, such as crème de violette, amer dit picon and grappa. All of Golden Moon’s spirits are made with Gould’s skillful hand, with no artificial ingredients and a painstaking adherence to traditional distilling methods, often dating back to the 1800s. Gould cleverly planned his production so that his entire line of spirits would make up a complete backbar, which is exactly how they’re used to make craft cocktails across town at the Golden Moon Speakeasy.

Readers’ choice: Leopold Bros.

Opening in brewery-hot River North in February 2015, Ratio Beerworks combined all the right elements in just the right way. The owners started off with a big twenty-barrel brewhouse, an ethos steeped in music, and a mod interior design featuring retro-diner bar stools, a striking wall covering, copper pendant lights and neon touches. Topping it off is a beer menu that looks like a concert-venue marquee. Since then, they’ve only built on their success, adding a carefully detailed patio, live music, bottle releases and an electric vibe. But the beer is the glue that holds Ratio together; the tap list includes a mix of solidly produced classics, like Dear You (a French saison) and Hold Steady (a Scotch ale), along with a variety of specialties, like Genius Wizard (a Russian imperial stout) and One Great City (a Belgian-style quadrupel) that show both good brewing technique and creative flair.

Readers’ choice: Fiction Beer Company

Station 26 opened strong in December 2013 in an old firehouse in northeast Park Hill with a tap list that ranged widely across styles and ingredients, but with a consistent quality and reliability that made the brewery seem like it had been around for years. Since then, owner Justin Baccary and head brewer Wayne Waananen have scored hit after hit, whether with one-off collaboration beers, their Dark Star Imperial Stout, or seemingly endless variations on pale ales, IPAs and double IPAs — each one better than the last. In 2015, the brewery debuted the first two in what will be a series of canned single-hop IPAs, Citra and Chinook, and both deserve to be mentioned with the best IPAs made in Colorado.

Readers’ choice: Ratio Beerworks

To consider why the atmosphere at Spangalang Brewery is so good, one must first consider how far the building in which it is located has come: Until last year, it was a busy, busy Division of Motor Vehicles office where people from all over the city gathered to wait in long lines, argue with beleaguered DMV employees and cough on one another. But the ambience at Spangalang is truly the result of careful work by its owners, who invested a jazz theme into the brewery as an homage to the history of Five Points. And although that history also includes several recent decades of neglect, that’s changing in a big way as developers pour into the old neighborhood to redirect its future. Spangalang, with its long bar, excellent beer and recognition of its surroundings, will be a big part of that future.

Readers’ choice: Ratio Beerworks

Rob Kevwitch opened Grist Brewing in Highlands Ranch for two reasons: “I grew up here,” he says, and “this neighborhood needed a brewery.” With a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, Kevwitch studied “photodegradable dendrimer/polymeric systems” under a guy who studied under a Nobel Prize winner. Now he runs a brewery. Overqualified? Hardly. Making beer, especially good beer, takes a balance of science and creativity, and Kevwitch pours his heart into both — something symbolized by an actual balance (his grandfather’s) that hangs on the wall. And speaking of creative decor, Grist is packed with charm. A huge rectangular bar sits as the centerpiece of a tap room that includes flat-screen TVs, a multi-colored neon sign, a counter-pressure growler filler, a Crowler machine and fermentation tanks that sit so close to customers that they can touch them — but please don’t. Drink at Grist: You’ll feel smarter.

Sometimes less is more, and Black Shirt Brewing has done the most with the least, turning what could have been a gritty blacktop into a hidden oasis out back. The owners of Black Shirt have always embraced the workaday industrial feel of River North, and the patio reflects that — with a view (for now) of nearby railyards. But the space — loaded with picnic tables, sun shades and hop bines that rise from planters made of reclaimed boxcar planks — is cozy and cool, boasting a stage made entirely of old wooden pallets. Enjoy it now, though: With construction slated to take place all around Black Shirt, reality could soon intrude into this oasis.

For nearly seventy years, a brewery operated inside the historic building that now serves as the Tivoli Student Union on the Auraria campus. The beer kept flowing until 1969, when the Tivoli Beer Company closed, leaving just the old equipment behind. But history has a way of repeating itself, and in 2012, Corey and Debbie Marshall bought up several historic Denver beer trademarks, like Tivoli, Zang’s and Neef’s, and began contract-brewing updated versions of their German-style lagers. In 2014, they announced that they’d struck a deal with the Auraria Higher Education Center to build a new version of Tivoli — now Tivoli Brewing — right next to the old one. The reborn brewery has since installed its thirty-barrel brewhouse beside and below the two original 250-barrel, copper-plated brew kettles that the old Tivoli used and opened its own restaurant and tap house. The brewery is also being used to train the next generation of brewery operators as part of Metropolitan State University of Denver’s hospitality program, making sure that Denver’s history is poured into its future.

Brewery tap rooms have gotten innovative when it comes to food. Most of them welcome the ubiquitous food trucks, while others have co-located in buildings with eatery options. A few offer popcorn machines, pretzels or candy. But Finkel & Garf goes way beyond that. The brewery contains a massive snack wall, with cubbies for enough options to make just about anyone happy. You can find chips, pretzels, peanuts, Chex mix, beef jerky, corn nuts, Goldfish crackers, Twinkies, sunflower seeds and Spam — yes, Spam. Oh, and if it’s just beer you want, grab a six-pack from the wall of snacks and take it to go.