Social Sightings: Redeemer Adds Hoagies, Mexico City Lounge Has a New Happy Hour and More

Monday mornings are tough, but this series isn’t. Social Sightings is a quick taste of recent food tidbits that goes down as easy as your first cup of coffee, and should whet your appetite for the week ahead.

There’s yet another reason to visit Redeemer in RiNo, one of our picks for the ten best places to get pizza in Denver. After testing out a sandwich program for months, it’s officially added these creations built on housemade bread to its lunch lineup. Rotating options like a fried artichoke sandwich on focaccia and a Buffalo chicken cutlet will be available from the slice window (accessed through the back alley) every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – or until they sell out.
Instagram: @redeemerpizza

Another pick from our best pizza list, Hops & Pie on Tennyson Street, shuttered its popular morning concept, Berkeley Donuts, last month. But while that left a hole in many of its fans’ hearts, the move was for a good reason: The restaurant needed time to focus on bringing its expansive new patio to life. The 3,000-square-foot parking-lot-turned-outdoor-oasis officially debuted on March 28 and “is game, baby, pizza and beer-friendly,” says Hops & Pie.
Instagram: @hopsandpiedenver

Also on Tennyson Street is Wendell’s, a diner that nearly closed for good when the pandemic shut down indoor dining in 2020. But rather than completely scrap the place, co-founder Kade Gianinetti sold it to restaurant-industry vets Casey Keller and her husband, Roy Benoit. Now the two are expanding the hours at Wendell’s, adding dinner service on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 9 p.m. Menu options include country-fried chicken and steak, bone-in pork chops, a barbecue brisket sandwich and more.
Instagram: @wendellsdenver

Fried tacos with melty American cheese are a Den-Mex original, and if you’ve never had the pleasure of biting into one at Mexico City Lounge, now is the time. The family-owned joint that’s been a staple on Larimer Street near Coors Field for over half a decade recently launched a new happy hour, available from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday (but not on April 6, Rockies Opening Day). Deals include $5 Tecate micheladas, house margaritas and shot specials, plus the best bargain of all: BOGO tacos with the purchase of an alcoholic drink.
Instagram: @mexicocitylounge

Camp Pickle, the pickleball-focused eatertainment concept from Punch Bowl Social founder Robert Thompson, which is slated to open two locations in the Denver metro area over the next two years, has brought on a talented chef to head up the food program. Manny Barella spearheaded the Acorn team’s transition to Bellota, a Mexican concept at the Source, in late 2020. Last year was big for the chef: He was named a 2022 James Beard Award semi-finalist in the national Emerging Chef category, was one of StarChefs’ Rising Stars, and was a central part of the newly established Hispanic Chefs Association. Now he’ll be designing a menu inspired by Mexican fare with a focus on camp-inspired cooking for Camp Pickle, as well as Mexican/American South fusion options for another Thompson project, Jaguar Bolera, which is opening in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Instagram: @playcamppickle