Food & Drink >>

• Best restaurant when you're in the Zone
  Mercury Cafe
  The Mercury Cafe is the ultimate Zone zone -- not just because it offers nutritious dishes that pull from all of the food groups in ways you can easily regroup to fit your ideal zone, but because after you eat, you'll likely be pulled into some swing dancing that will take you straight to your... More >>
• Best restaurant when you're on the Atkins Diet
  Denver Buffalo Company
  Tired of living off the fat of the land? Need more meat in your diet? Get yer sloppy carcass over to the Denver Buffalo Company, which has been hooking hungry cowpokes up with buffalo for eleven years now. The Western-themed eatery has seventeen ways to eat the ornery creature at high noon, and... More >>
• Best long john
  Henderson's
  Sometimes a plain doughnut just won't do -- and that's when Henderson's Long Johns go a long way toward filling any craving. Instead of forcing sugar fiends to dig through two inches of dough before they get to the creamy center, Henderson's makes all of its Johns plain. After you order one --... More >>
• Best lasagne
  The Cherry Tomato
  Some of the Cherry Tomato's neighbors put up a fight when the restaurant wanted to open in Park Hill; now no one can imagine the neighborhood without this adorable, welcoming spot. Pasta is the specialty here, and the lasagne is truly something special. This is one of the densest, heartiest... More >>
• Best pasta restaurant
  Cucina Colóre
  Any Italian restaurant that offers more than the standard spaghetti, linguine and fettuccine is using its noodle -- but Cucina Colóre, a casual Cherry Creek joint, really displays some smarts. Not only does it serve up fusilli, tagliatelle and conchiglie, but it does so in the best way... More >>
• Best pizza
  Parisi
  Want the real thing? Go to the source. Or as close as we get in Denver, which is the restaurant run by Florence native Simone Parisi and his wife, Christine, who's originally from Boulder. Christine met Simone in Italy, they fell in love, and she convinced him that Denver needed a really good... More >>
• Best late-night pizza
  Two-Fisted Mario's
  It's 1 a.m. on Saturday, and after all that Friday night drinking, you're hankering for a slice. Time to head to Two-Fisted Mario's for a one-two punch of pizza. Run by two guys, John Skogstad and Kevin Delk, who feel your pain, Mario's is the kind of place that truly wants to be there for you... More >>
• Best wine-tasting parties
  Cook Street School of Fine Cooking
  One Friday every month, Cook Street, a culinary college, opens its doors to downtrodden commuters for an after-work sampling of fine wines. Not only is the party reasonably priced at $25 per person, but it comes with various hors d'oeuvre prepared on the premises by a master chef. Best of all,... More >>
• Best Colorado wine
  Canyon Wind Cabernet Sauvignon, 1996
  Colorado's once-obscure Western Slope vineyards are gaining quality and stature with each new vintage. Witness the sublime Cabernet Sauvignon made by Canyon Wind, a young winery owned by Norman and Ellen Christianson and overseen by the well-respected Napa Valley winemaker Robert Pepi. Intense... More >>
• Best wine list -- price
  240 Union
  Most of the wines at 240 Union come in between $20 and $30, and many cost even less, making this comfortably chic eatery even more of a good thing. The savvy cooking of chef/part-owner Matthew Franklin is fine on its own, but it's even better paired with fine wines. Select from such interesting... More >>
• Best wine list -- selection
  Flagstaff House
  If you can't find a wine among the thousands offered by the Flagstaff House, then it's time to start growing your own grapes. Consistently voted one of the nation's best wine lists, the vino roster at Flagstaff is 30,000 bottles strong, with something for every palate and price range. The staff... More >>
• Best wine list -- by the glass
  The Fourth Story
  We raise a glass to the Fourth Story, whose excellent roster of by-the-glass wines just keeps getting better. This chic, comfortable restaurant atop the Tattered Cover boasts a cozy bar for tasting and nearly forty opportunities to try a vino you've never sampled before. The selection changes... More >>
• Best wine list -- Californian
  California Cafe
  The California Cafe is a link in a chain out of -- you guessed it -- California, but each outlet can tailor its menu and wine list to the area. The California Cafe at Park Meadows draws its inspiration regionally, with daily specials that highlight the area's indigenous ingredients and fresh... More >>
• Best reason to go to the john
  Bruno's Italian Bistro
  At Bruno's, we rarely take our eyes off the plates filled with marvelous, reasonably priced Italian food. But then one day we ventured into the men's room, and there on the walls were some of the sexiest shots of Sophia Loren ever taken -- old Saturday Evening Post covers and Life magazine... More >>
• Best wine list -- South American
  Sabor Latino
  When Sabor Latino moved, it expanded not just its dining space but also its wine list. As a result, there are now more than two dozen wines from Chile and Argentina to choose from; not surprisingly, they all go well with the racy, spicy flavors coming out of the kitchen. The Concha y Toro "Don... More >>
• Best wine list -- French
  Le Central
  Not only is Le Central's impressive selection of French wines the best in town -- filled with interesting bottles from across France that you won't find elsewhere -- it's also one of the best-priced, with remarkably low markups and most bottles coming in at the $20-to-$30 range. This affordable... More >>
• Best wine list -- Italian
  Barolo Grill
  Blair Taylor spends so much time in Italy, we're surprised he hasn't been made an honorary Italian -- or at least had his estimable Barolo Grill given embassy status. Every summer Taylor takes Barolo staffers to Italy so they can taste the food and wine, and he can check out trends that might be... More >>
• Best new bar
  Sacre Bleu
  Mon dieu! The moment this hip, French-inspired restaurant opened, the beautiful people started flocking to the dining room. From there, though, they got a good look at the bar, a cozy yet chic enclave that sports six-foot-high chairs covered in plush fabric with a tilt to the seat, offering... More >>
• Best old bar (2 Comments)
  My Brother's Bar
  Not only is this a bar where everyone knows your name, but the bar itself is so secure in its identity that it doesn't bother to announce its name outside. You don't need a sign to find your way to My Brother's Bar, however; anyone and everyone who appreciates a good drink -- with or without... More >>
• Best brewpub
  Great Northern Tavern
  After a shaky start, the railway-themed Great Northern Tavern has arrived. Not only has the kitchen gotten its act together -- it now puts out such inspired fare as seared sea scallops in a lemon-Riesling sauce with fennel mashed potatoes and wild-rice-dusted walleye in a port beurre rouge --... More >>
• Best bartender
  Doug Hollaran
  Talk about a return to the scene of the crime. Bartender Doug Hollaran, who has the fastest hands and the quickest wit in the business, held forth in the '80s and early '90s at such infamous Cherry Creek boîtes as Rodney's and the late, lamented Bay Wolf. Now he's back on familiar ground... More >>
• Best martini
  The Avenue Grill
  Rough day at the office? The Avenue Grill's martinis will shake it right out of you. The bar offers about a dozen ways to stir things up, each one a well-balanced concoction that's sure to please. Gin or vodka, vermouth or not, two olives or six -- whatever your poison, the Avenue's got the... More >>
• Best piano bar
  janleone
  Every corner of janleone, a Mediterranean eatery located in an old East Colfax mansion, is warm and inviting -- from the charming garden patio to the lovely main dining room. But there's something about the cozy Col-Mar bar area -- named after the intersection of Colfax and Marion, where the... More >>
• Best sake lounge
  Mori Japanese Restaurant
  The original bar at Nisei Post 185 was a dark, smoky lounge, a room frequented by artists and working men and craggy-bearded World War II veterans back in the days when the post catered to downtown's burgeoning Japanese population and the term "LoDo" would have been laughed at. But now there's a... More >>
• Best meal to test your intestinal fortitude
  The Fort's Awful Offal Dinner
  Boo! Sam Arnold, culinary cutup and owner of The Fort, has been scaring diners for several years now with his annual Awful Offal dinner, a Halloween feast whose multiple courses feature many of the byproducts of butchering an animal. Talk about frightening: The lineup includes buffalo tongue,... More >>
• Best sock-it-to-ya drinks
  Twin Dragon
  You might see triple dragons if you imbibe too many drinks at this longtime Denver institution, but the next time you have a hankering for Chinese, what's the harm of washing down that lo mein with a Zombie or two? Since 1976, Twin Dragon -- an otherwise tasteful place -- has been trotting out... More >>
• Best make-me-overs
  Skylark Lounge
  A few months ago, a skinny Texan walked into the Skylark Lounge and ordered a round of Make-Me-Overs. "Make me wha'?" the bartender replied. Since the newly transplanted Longhorn lived just a penny-tossin' distance away from the watering hole, he figured he'd better teach the bartenders how to... More >>
• Best margarita
  Dixons Downtown Grill, Racines, Goodfriends
  All three of the eponymously named joints owned variously by partners Lee Goodfriend, David Racine and Dixon Staples serve marvelous margs, elixirs that make it worth holding out until the end of the day. You'll start enjoying the night as you nip into a margarita, twelve ounces of a well-melded... More >>
• Best chips and salsa
  La Fabula
  The innovative, jauntily decorated La Fabula has many things going for it, first and foremost a basket of warm, freshly fried, tri-color corn tortilla chips that comes with a trio of salsas, each interesting and addictive in its own right. There's the crunchy, cilantro-speckled salsa fresca,... More >>
• Best breakfast burrito
  Amigos Cafe
  In the cold, gray light of dawn, when it seems nothing could make the cruel world look better, remember your friends. The Amigos Cafe cooks up wonderful breakfast burritos that are guaranteed to make you rise and shine. Well, rise and get the hell out of the house, anyway. Owners Laura and... More >>
• Best taco
  El Seņor Sol, Villa Del Sol
  Felipe Duran, who moved to Denver from Chihuahua when he was thirteen, brought the secret to great tacos along with him: It's the meat of the matter. At his three restaurants -- two Seņor Sols and one Villa Del Sol -- the tacos all feature top-quality cuts of meat. Instead of fatty steak or dry... More >>
• Best late-night taco
  Taco Express
  It's 3 a.m., and you have enough beer sloshing around inside you to throw a kegger out of your belly. You need food, and not just any old diner food, but something greasy and filling, preferably cheap. Taco Express to the rescue! Swing by this little drive-thru spot -- you can eat in, too, but... More >>
• Best make-your-own taco
  The Hornet
  Have it your way at the Hornet, one of Denver's favorite neighborhood eateries and a buzzing happy-hour spot. One of the tastiest ways to claim yours is the make-your-own soft tacos, a plate packed with all the items necessary to create the taco of your dreams. There are four main-component... More >>
• Best burrito
  Chez José
  There are some Mexican meals you'd never want to see in bright lights. But at Chez José, you can see clearly -- and everything's clearly good. Best is the gourmet fajita burrito, an appealing combination of charbroiled steak, cheese, guac and fresh salsa cruda. The beef is moist and... More >>
• Best burrito the size of a Volkswagen
  Piney Creek Grill
  If you can eat the whole thing at Piney Creek, a vaguely cantina-like eatery and bar, they'll take a Polaroid shot of you and stick it on their Wall of Fame. But be warned: Although nearly a thousand have tried, fewer than a hundred have been able to eat an entire Piney Creek Burrito Majestic.... More >>
• Best dessert menu
  Palettes
  A haven for ladies who lunch, lawyers who linger (and drive up that billing) and bohemian types with lots of Daddy's money, Palettes makes a fine art of fancy food -- as well it should, since it's connected to the Denver Art Museum. But nothing on exhibit next door is more elaborate than... More >>
• Best vegetarian burrito
  Wahoo's Fish Taco
  At most burrito places, the meat-filled versions are preferable because they keep the package from turning into a bean-and-rice blowout -- and you know what we mean. But Wahoo's keeps its vegetarian friends in mind, offering up the Banzai Fajita Burrito, a massive mound of food wrapped in a... More >>
• Best chicharrones burrito
  Bandido's
  There's not much charm at Bandido's, which looks like your basic Mexican dive, but the kitchen more than makes up for the lack of ambience with an abundance of good food. The taquitos are fine, the tacos al carbon better, and the chicharrones burritos best of all. Deep-fried pork skins -- big,... More >>
• Best store-bought pork rinds
  La Popular
  To hell with rice cakes. Dr. Atkins says: Pass the pork. Which means you won't want to pass up La Popular, which fries curly bits of hog fat into zero-carb, unadulterated artery-clogging bliss. Although the freeze-dried pork pellets hail from Chicago, the cooks in this Mexican kitchen work magic... More >>
• Best barbacoa burrito
  Chipotle Mexican Grill
  Chipotle got its start in Colorado, and although this homegrown chain is now running with the big dogs, it still serves up one massive puppy of a barbacoa burrito. To create the classic, Chipotle braises beef in a liquid rife with chipotles, cumin, cloves and garlic until it softens and shreds... More >>
• Best fajitas
  Alamos Verdes
  Alamos Verdes, a big, charmingly decorated Mexican eatery, has been serving up combo plates and big burritos for decades. But there's another menu item, a relative newcomer to the Tex-mix-and-Mex standards, that's the real standout here: fajitas. Alamos Verdes sends out a heaping helping of... More >>
• Best upscale tamales
  The Painted Bench
  At the Painted Bench, chef Steve Rohs's duck tamales are such a marvel, with tender duck meat playing off the sweetness of the corn, that you immediately wonder why someone didn't think of the combination before. But then, you also wonder why it took so long for Denver to get a restaurant as... More >>
• Best chile relleno
  Chelo's
  For proof that beauty is more than chile-skin deep, stop by Chelo's, a teeny little bakery that's open only until 6 p.m. each day. But that's plenty of time to score a plate of chiles rellenos, gooey, greasy and oh-so-good, served in a gritty setting that only enhances their flavor. Order your... More >>
• Best green chile
  La Casa de Manuel
  It's not easy being green. When Manuel Silva was forced to close down his original Casa de Manuel at 2010 Larimer -- an address he'd occupied for forty years -- the town worried that we'd never see his green chile again. But then he found another spot eleven blocks to the north, and while it's... More >>
• Best gringo green chile
  CityGrille
  If there's one thing that Colorado lobbyists, legislators and lawyers alike can agree on, it's the mean green at CityGrille. Last year former Bay Wolf owner Richard Salturelli and his partner/chef, onetime Beacon Grill chef David Minty, took over the old home of J. Beatty's, turning it into not... More >>
• Best green chile at the 19th hole
  El Curso Viejo
  Ah, the nineteenth hole. It comes on like a refreshing oasis after four hours of frustration spent hitting, then chasing, a little white ball. From the final tee box, the nineteenth hole rises in the distance like an ice-cold beer in the desert -- or, in the case of the public City Park Golf... More >>
• Best late-night desserts
  Cafe Cero
  Satisfy that sweet tooth before you get too long in the tooth. Cafe Cero, which is open until 2 a.m. every night but Monday, is just the spot for curbing post-theater munchies or relaxing after a tough night of bar-hopping, full of fun, groovy spaces that invite kicking back and grabbing a... More >>
• Best red chile
  Armida's
  It's only fitting that one of the town's friendliest Mexican eateries also serves its most mellow chile. Fauso and Armida Corral own Armida's, a cute, unassuming spot with an upstairs for pool players, a dining room for diners and a patio for those who just want to enjoy the view and a few... More >>
• Best all-purpose chile, ristra and piñon stand
  Hatch New Mexico Chile
  When harvest season hits and you start craving roasted pine nuts, Hatch extra-hot chile and abuse from the vendors along Federal Boulevard, head straight for the tent of Roger Sanchez. From August through October, this prince of pods has one thing in mind: "Move it out." And move it he does.... More >>
• Best southwestern restaurant
  Table Mountain Inn Restaurant
  The tastes of the Southwest have become such a caricature of themselves that it's hard to know what's really Southwestern anymore. But a stop at the Table Mountain Inn, a quaintly decorated getaway that's eye-catching without being kitschy, will quickly help clarify things. The restaurant is a... More >>
• Best new American restaurant
  Potager
  If any one place in town captures the essence of New American cooking, it's Potager. Chef/owner Teri Rippeto shops local farms, puts the ingredients together in interesting and often daring ways, and when they don't work, she moves on. If that isn't the American way, new or old, what is? Try her... More >>
• Best all-American restaurant
  Sam's No. 3
  Sam's No. 3 is the American dream come true. Just ask Sam, Alex and Patrick Armatas, who own the place. The three brothers are the grandsons of Sam Armatas, who started the town's infamous -- and now long-gone -- Coney Island eateries in the 1920s; Sam's son, Spero, still runs the... More >>
• Best regional American restaurant
  Hugh's Bistro
  At his ultra-funky, relaxing bistro, chef/owner Hugh O'Neill has always been committed to locally grown produce and regionally raised meats. But in the last year, O'Neill has upped his efforts to secure all-organic ingredients from the major growers in the north Boulder area. He then takes those... More >>
• Best South American restaurant
  Café Brazil
  Since Tony and Marla Zarlenga opened Café Brazil a decade ago, a few other South American eateries have appeared in the Denver area. But none have come close to duplicating the intense flavors that Marla cooks up in the kitchen or the warm hospitality that emanates from your host, Tony.... More >>
• Best Caribbean restaurant
  Rhumba
  Fans of the vibrant cuisine of the Caribbean finally have reason to jump up and dance. Rhumba is a fun, noisy restaurant, popular not just for its rum-soaked drinks -- the wicked mojito, a blend of rum, mint, lime, powdered sugar and soda, will put a spring in your step -- but also for its... More >>
• Best seafood restaurant
  Roy's Cherry Creek
  Be here. Aloha. When Denver netted a link in a first-rate restaurant chain out of Hawaii, we knew the fish was bound to be good. But this good? Roy's Cherry Creek, the sixth in chef Roy Yamaguchi's group, made a big splash when it opened this year inside the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, and it... More >>
• Best sushi restaurant
  Sushi Den
  Now you have a friend in the diving business. Make that several friends. As Sushi Den shows, it's not enough to have fresh, exotic fish -- although this longtime winner has that in abundance -- you also need a staff that knows what to do with it. This jazzy, cool, see-and-be-seen scene has the... More >>
• Best milk pudding
  Seņorita's Cantina
  Got three milks? Then you have the makings of pastel con tres leches, a three-milk cake popular in Mexico that's a cross between a rustic custard and a sopping wet bread pudding, only so much sweeter and better. Fortunately, Seņorita's Cantina, an up-and-coming Tex-Mex cafe in LoDo, has imported... More >>
• Best sushi rolls (3 Comments)
  Banzai Restaurant
  Banzai offers many types of sushi, all of good quality, all expertly prepared, but it really gets on a roll when it contemplates sushi-roll possibilities. The restaurant offers more than a hundred types, divided into nine categories: no fish on the outside; seaweed outside (traditional roll... More >>
• Best Japanese restaurant
  Sushi Wave
  Yoshi Yoshida, who runs Sushi Wave with his wife, Cindy, is a veteran of some of Denver's best sushi bars, and his experience shows. Careful attention to detail, well-crafted sushi, expertly prepared cooked dishes and a warm welcome make this snazzy spot the best overall Japanese restaurant in... More >>
• Best Chinese restaurant
  La Chine
  From the gracious service and elegant, flower-filled setting to the sea scallops in a spicy garlic sauce and honey-glazed apples, La Chine is everything Chinese dining should be. No gloppy sauces or made-in-Taiwan knickknacks here -- the dining room is as classy and evocative of Asian... More >>
• Best noodle house
  Oshima Ramen
  As anyone who's seen the movie Tampopo knows, properly cooked ramen involves more than just dropping the dried noodle square into two cups of water and adding the flavor packet three minutes later. The noodle house is religiously revered in Japan, and noodle chefs take care to make sure their... More >>
• Best Thai restaurant
  Thai Bistro
  If at first you don't succeed at finding a great Thai restaurant, Thai, Thai again -- until you stumble upon Thai Bistro. This is a humble, unassuming space, located in a strip mall with no fanfare, but what savvy chef/owner Noi Phromthong cooks up deserves to be billboarded around town. Once... More >>
• Best Vietnamese restaurant
  New Saigon
  Denver has a number of decent Vietnamese restaurants, but New Saigon outshines them all. Although service remains a crapshoot and the tidy, simply adorned place isn't going to win any awards for innovative decor, the Vietnamese dishes that come out of the kitchen are unsurpassed. Choose from... More >>
• Best Indian restaurant
  Star of India
  What makes an Indian restaurant good isn't just the quality of the spices it uses or the touch of its tandoori -- although those things are very, very important indeed -- but also the way the proprietors welcome diners, treating them as if they were a significant part of the transaction. That... More >>
• Best Middle Eastern restaurant
  Phoenicia Grill
  Since taking over the Phoenicia Grill, a small but cheerful Middle Eastern eatery, earlier this year, owner Jim Kher has done nothing but improve upon what was already a distinctive spot. In the hip, streamlined space, Kher's chef, Mustafa Awada, displays his extensive culinary-school background... More >>
• Best Greek restaurant
  South Central II
  Although the sign out front promises "Aegean Dining in the Venus Room," there's nothing about this dark, divey eatery that indicates the dining inside is going to be anything but mediocre. But get ready to take the plunge, because South Central II serves the best gyros, the best avgolemono soup,... More >>
• Best Mediterranean restaurant
  Aubergine Cafe
  Sean Kelly knows his way around the Mediterranean, and his Aubergine Cafe navigates a delicious course through the region's varied cuisines. Aubergine's menu not only hits on all of the major cooking styles found in that part of the world, but it does so using local ingredients -- a philosophy... More >>
• Best bread pudding
  Radex Bistro
  Now that bread puddings have become as ubiquitous on dessert menus as crème brûlée and cheesecake, it's tough to find one that stands out -- but Radex's does. Not surprisingly, the pastry chef at this hip spot offers a hip variation on the standard, taking a sour... More >>
• Best Italian restaurant
  Carmine's on Penn
  We've got an offer -- and a restaurant -- you can't refuse. After six years and a few management changes, Carmine's on Penn has finally hit its stride. Not only is this one of the best family-style eateries around, it's also the best Italian, any style. The atmosphere is welcoming, the servers... More >>
• Best French restaurant
  Tante Louise
  Tante Louise is romantic, it's charming, and the food is a francophile's dream. What more could you want from a French restaurant? Everyone's favorite aunt is about to turn thirty, and while she hasn't aged a bit, her experience shows. Duy Pham has more than filled former chef Michael... More >>
• Best restaurant when someone else is paying
  Papillon Cafe
  It's not so much that Papillon is an outrageously priced restaurant -- in fact, the entree portion of the menu is broken down into some manageable payment plans that range from $14 to $26 -- as it is that we want to try all of the courses. We'd like to start with the decadent foie gras and the... More >>
• Best romantic restaurant
  The Penrose at the Broadmoor
  The Penrose, inside the eighty-year-old Broadmoor hotel, exemplifies old-fashioned, romantic dining. The glittery, chandelier-lit space harks back to a more refined, less harried time, with gorgeous views of Colorado Springs and the outline of Cheyenne Mountain at night (the dining room sits in... More >>
• Best resurrected restaurant
  Zenith
  When Brasserie Z failed to live up to its potential, owner Kevin Taylor made a smart move: He resurrected longtime favorite Zenith, which had introduced Denver to the joys of Southwestern cooking in the late '80s and finally closed in 1997. Since that time, many savvy diners had clamored for its... More >>
• Best new restaurant
  The Biscuit
  Sure, anyone with a few million or a bunch of sports figures as backers can open a fancy-schmancy restaurant that's the guaranteed Hot Spot -- until the next Hot Spot comes along, and business quickly cools. Denver's seen dozens of such restaurants come and go over the past two decades. But it... More >>
• Best breads
  Tasteez Market & Bakery
  When the Palmetto Grille closed, chef Michael Bortz -- a noted chocolatier -- turned his talents toward making some dough. After a stint at the Corner Bakery, he hooked up with Tasteez owner Scott Wagner, who challenged Bortz to come up with artisan breads that would complement the market/deli's... More >>
• Best bakery
  Bluepoint Bakery
  If you've eaten in any of the better restaurants around town, chances are you've already had Bluepoint's desserts, pastries and breads. For nearly a decade, the husband-and-wife team of Mary Clark and Fred Bramhall has been supplying Denver's finest with some of their own finery: luscious cakes,... More >>
• Best bakery for folks who don't like desserts
  Vinh Xuong Bakery
  In general, Asian cuisines aren't known for their desserts -- and when they do go the sweet route, most of their creations tend to avoid the usual Western trappings of chocolate and refined sugar. As a result, the toothsome tidbits at Vinh Xuong, where no one speaks much English but everyone... More >>
• Best restaurant when you're sugar-bustin'
  Petra's
  Since gourmet meal plans were developed for the revolutionary! groundbreaking! Sugar Busters! diet by twelve of New Orleans's top restaurants, Denverites looking to "determine which glycemic levels work for them" and "discover which foods to eat at what time of the day" should head straight to... More >>
• Best pâtisserie
  La Pâtisserie Française
  Tired of waiting for gâteaux? Check out the display cases at La Pâtisserie Française. This little spot tucked into an Arvada shopping center does big things with butter, sugar, flour and chocolate. From tarte Tatin to langues du chat, or cat's tongues (long, narrow cookies... More >>
• Best panadería
  El Alamo Bakery
  Once an Italian bakery, El Alamo still features a few Italian specialties, such as cookies, rum cakes and an excellent Italian bread. But it's the Mexican baked goods that really grab us: The raspberry-filled flautas are crunchy tubes of delight, and the polvorones wedding cookies are the best... More >>
• Best wedding cakes
  Barkley Eberline, Eat Dessert First
  "Let them eat cake!" says pastry chef Barkley Eberline. In truth, though, his custom, one-of-a-kind cakes aren't just cakes: They're certified works of edible art, from a topsy-turvy, four-story Alice in Wonderland model to a traditional bell-topped tower festooned with frosting leaves and... More >>
• Best Greek bakery
  Omonoia Bakery
  For nearly two decades, the Omonoia Bakery has been a Sunday must-stop for the area's Greek Orthodox practitioners, who pick up a traditional church cake to share with other members after services. And who are we to argue with tradition? But once a week is not enough for enjoying all of... More >>
• Best après-ski coffee shop
  Inxpot
  After a long, hard day on the slopes -- or an even harder day hitting the Silverthorne outlet shops -- the Inxpot is the perfect place to relax. Located in the middle of Keystone's River Run "neighborhood" at the base of the gondola, the coffee shop is filled with cushy couches and other... More >>
• Best place to drink a latte while eavesdropping on state legislators
  Penn Street Perk
  Just two blocks from the State Capitol, Penn Street Perk is the perfect place to get the inside scoop on upcoming legislation. It's where Democratic representative Tom Plant goes to read bills when he wants to escape the bustle of the Statehouse, and it's across the street from Hays Hays &... More >>
• Best coffeehouse
  St. Mark's Coffeehouse
  Once upon a time, the coffeehouse was where you went to drink your fill of an authentic, big-city experience. You might be served by someone sporting a nose ring and tattoos, and you could eavesdrop on the couple with matching purple hair sitting near you or brood in the corner and write poetry... More >>
• Best teahouse
  Gemini Tea Emporium
  Tea-drinking turns over a new leaf at Gemini Tea Emporium. Owners Brad Cavender and Abdulkadir Omar get extra credit for opening their ultra-hip shop in the heart of Five Points on Welton Street. Gemini is a sign of faith in the neighborhood's capacity for revival, but this shop would be equally... More >>
• Best authentic English tea
  The Gift Box
  Along with cards, ceramic figures, earrings and ornaments, the Gift Box has always boasted several shelves lined with English jams, biscuits, chocolates, condiments and even cleaning supplies, along with a freezer crammed with crumpets, sausage rolls, pasties and bangers; homesick Britishers... More >>
• Best chai
  Common Grounds
  What's a coffeehouse doing making such a great cup o' tea? That's what we wanted to know, and here's the answer: Mary and Lisa Rogers, the owners of the two Common Grounds coffeeshops, are tea lovers at heart. After doing some research on the origins of chai, an Indian and Middle Eastern drink... More >>
• Best restaurant when you're on the see-food-and-eat-it diet
  World Buffet
  World Buffet won't go belly up as long as it keeps putting out a spread like this one. For $5.49 at lunch and $7.99 at dinner, diners can stuff themselves with no fewer than a hundred items. There's a staggering collection of Asian dishes -- everything from egg rolls to sweet-and-sour pork,... More >>
• Best cheap breakfast
  Breakfast Palace
  The waitresses wear Sturgis T-shirts, the customers are gossiping about who owes whom money at Broadway's dirtier businesses, and no one takes any crap. We'd be willing to pay extra for such atmosphere, but Breakfast Palace serves it up free, along with the cheapest, heartiest breakfasts in... More >>
• Best Sunday brunch buffet
  Garden Terrace at the Inverness Hotel
  Other places may do it bigger, and some may even offer a few better individual dishes, but for price and quality, no Sunday brunch beats the blowout at Garden Terrace. At $21.95 for adults and $10.95 for kids (those under four eat free), this could be the deal of a lifetime. In addition to the... More >>
• Best a la carte brunch
  Strings
  The dining areas are bright and cheerful and so is the staff, which makes for a happy way to start off a leisurely Saturday. For brunch, Strings keeps it simple -- a pasta dish or two, a half-dozen egg items and a smartly assembled smoked-salmon salad -- but it's all simply delicious. The shrimp... More >>
• Best French toast
  jou jou at the Teatro Hotel
  There's no better way to start a downtown workday than with breakfast at jou jou, the more casual but still classy Kevin Taylor eatery in the Teatro (the higher-priced spread, Restaurant Kevin Taylor, is but a doorway away). The lighting is soft, but the classic breakfast menu is a real... More >>
• Best crêpes
  Trattoria Stella
  On weekend mornings, the three chefs at Trattoria Stella, a groovy little bistro in northwest Denver, take a look at what's fresh in the fruit market that day, then stir up some highly desirable crêpe combinations. First they pour fresh egg batter into a crêpe pan and fry it golden,... More >>
• Best steak-and-eggs breakfast
  McCoys Restaurant
  If you don't haul the morning to the mat, it leg-whips you. McCoys helps you grapple with each new day by keeping the steak and eggs an eternal special. Just $4.89 buys you two eggs, an ample slab of quality beef, decent hash browns and toast, prepared just the way you want it and served by... More >>
• Best power breakfast
  Village Inn Cherry Creek
  Remember, time is money -- and the truly powerful don't like to waste either. They don't have time to dawdle at some chi-chi breakfast place, and even though they've got plenty of cash, they don't want to waste it on a frou-frou repast. That's why the smart money is on the Village Inn in Cherry... More >>
• Best power lunch
  Bistro Adde Brewster
  If you're on a power trip, chances are you've found your way to Bistro Adde Brewster. But be warned: You'd better plan on doing your business in person, because if that cell phone rings, owner Adde Bjorklund may take it away from you. ("Behave and you'll get it back at the end of lunch," he... More >>
• Best power lunch -- non-power-trip division
  La Fiesta Supper Club
  Those truly in the know realize that there's no supper at La Fiesta. The place is open for weekday lunch only -- but that's okay, because most diners will have made their dime before the close of the business day. For decades, the town's true power brokers -- everyone from lawyers to cops to... More >>
• Best place for a nooner
  Sambuca Jazz Café
  Dinner at Sambuca Jazz Café is sexy enough, but there's something about the low-lit dining rooms filled with faux-leopard cushions and soft, pillowy ceiling fabrics that makes us want to be here when we shouldn't be -- and with someone we shouldn't be with. Say, at lunch, with the boss's... More >>
• Best restaurant when you're on the doughnut diet
  Chuck's Do-Nuts
  What goes round comes round. "Quality Donuts Since 1948," the sign promises, and Chuck's Do-Nuts delivers. Each and every day, Chuck's bakers cook up two dozen kinds of doughnuts, and then charismatic owner Dan Imo presides over the day's purchases. He gets a little help from his peanut gallery... More >>
• Best lunch wagon
  O'Brien's Wings & Things
  Lunch doesn't have to be the time to fill your moaning stomach with mediocre, artery-clogging food designed to fortify you for the horrors ahead (or kill you before you return to the boardroom). It can be a time to retreat, to return to simpler times and simpler pleasures. After all, that's what... More >>
• Best lunch buffet
  Santino's
  Tired of the typical Asian lunch deal, where a buck a scoop nets you nothing but dried-out rice and sesame chicken that tastes like candy-coated cardboard? Then head over to Santino's, where chef/owner Sonny Rando puts out an Italian spread that gives new meaning to the word abbondanza. For... More >>
• Best place to hear the Cubs lose
  Chicago
  Luanne and Joe Margotte, proprietors of the Chicago sandwich shop on West Colfax, are displaced Chicagoans in thought, word and deed. As such, they serve up the authentic comfort food of their hometown --Vienna beef hot dogs piled with yellow mustard, relish, chopped onions, tomatoes, pickles... More >>
• Best power dinner
  Meritage at the Omni Interlocken Resort
  Why are some of the country's most influential business types hanging out in Broomfield? They're wining and dining at the Omni Interlocken, one of Colorado's newest and swankiest hotels, which boasts not only a swell (read: powerful and majestic) view of the mountains, but also a big-deal golf... More >>
• Best dinner under $5
  Yan-Kee Noodle
  Billy Lam has been cooking up great, inexpensive food at his Chef's Noodle House in Aurora for six years now, and a few months ago, he decided to use his noodle on the other side of town. The result is Yan-Kee Noodle, which turns out killer noodle and rice bowls, many of which sell for under... More >>
• Best place to eat dinner after 10 p.m.
  Sacre Bleu
  When the beautiful people want to eat beautiful food, they head to Sacre Bleu. This new see-and-be-scene restaurant initially served dinner until 11 p.m. But the demand for late-night dining was so high that it's since extended its kitchen hours beyond midnight. At any time of the evening, chef... More >>
• Best place to eat dinner after 1 a.m.
  Breakfast King
  At this point, your stomach -- and probably your soul -- needs some soothing. How about an open-faced roast beef sandwich on white bread with real mashed potatoes and enough rich, dark-brown gravy to float a boat? Or a plate of hash browns smothered in a mellow gringo green? When it comes to... More >>
• Best spot for grazing
  Mel's Bar and Grill
  Any meal is wonderful at Mel's Bar and Grill, but the appetizer menu alone is enough to make you get down on one hoof and start grazing. Risotto, a blue-crab cake, seared foie gras, an ahi tuna Napoleon and house-smoked salmon are some of the dozen-plus possibilities, with every starter wildly... More >>
• Best spot for gazing
  The Beehive
  How apropos that a restaurant that has chic customers swarming around it like, well, like bees around a hive, is actually named The Beehive. And the place is always buzzing, with well-dressed, disposable-income types jostling for position inside a tightly packed dining room that offers an ideal... More >>
• Best Monday-night special
  Rodney's
  Nothing at Rodney's, one of the last fern-bar holdouts, is ever expensive, but on Monday nights, its spaghetti special is as cheap as cheap gets. A bottomless plate of pasta covered with Rodney's heavy marinara and sided by a fat Italian sausage costs just $4.95 -- and that includes a nonstop... More >>
• Best cinnamon rolls
  Racines
  A popular breakfast, lunch and dinner spot, Racines has long been known for its baked goods, especially the brownies. But lately we've become addicted to its big, fluffy cinnamon rolls, a quintessential version of the old favorite: light, soft, swirled with cinnamon, and with just the right... More >>
• Best Tuesday-night special
  The Fourth Story
  Since good food goes great with fine wine, how do you think it might go with a fine car? The Fourth Story gives folks an enticement to dine upscale with its "Tuesday Night Taste Drive." In order to get in gear, all you have to do is book a table, throw away the menu, describe how much you'd like... More >>
• Best Wednesday-night special
  Swanky's
  The Swanky Spank Me, a lethal combination of Everclear, triple sec, blue Curaçao, pineapple and orange juices, and margarita mix, is something special any night of the week; its sole reason for existence appears to be offering the server a chance to ask, "Do you wanna Spank Me?" On... More >>
• Best Thursday-night special
  Wazoos
  Although Wazoos offers specials every weekday night, the taco-and-a-marg deal really puts a wahoo! in our Thursdays. The margaritas are $2.50 -- that's for Cuervo and fresh lime juice in a good-sized glass -- and the tacos are only a buck apiece. On their own, the tacos are something special:... More >>
• Best Friday-night special
  Sabor Latino
  When this popular South American restaurant moved from its longtime location on West 32nd Avenue to West 35th, it also improved its wine list and expanded its menu. Most important, it instituted paella nights on Friday and Saturday. On those days, $44.95 buys you a bottle of Chilean wine plus... More >>
• Best Saturday-night special
  D.C. Deli Cafe
  The D.C. Deli specializes in good food for a reasonable price, but their Saturday night special comes loaded: It's a spaghetti dinner for two -- and we're talking a huge pile of perfectly cooked pasta, topped by a thick, meaty sauce filled with fresh herbs -- that also includes a hefty salad of... More >>
• Best Sunday-night special
  Hemingway's Key West Grille
  Although Hemingway's Key West Grille serves up crab legs every day of the week, on Sundays it really gives you a leg up -- offering Alaskan king crab legs that normally run $31.95 for a pound and a half at $29.95 for all you can eat. And it's not just all you can eat of the succulent crabmeat,... More >>
• Best Sunday happy hour
  Andrews' Pub & Lounge
  Andrews' Pub, which took over the space once occupied by City Spirit, has been making a name for itself as a good happy-hour stop and a hoppin' weekend joint. Our favorite time to visit Andrews' is on Sunday afternoons, when the normally raucous crowd is home nursing a hangover. It's the ideal... More >>
• Best happy-hour shrimp
  Anita's Crab Company
  Work has just ended, and your energy is flagging: A quick bite and a beer should help you regroup. Between 5 and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, Anita's Crab Company delivers a half-pound of fresh shrimp and a zingy cocktail sauce, which comes with a dollop of horseradish in the center, to your... More >>
• Best happy-hour oyster bar
  Willie G's
  Craving oysters in Denver is like needing a tomato in Siberia. Although the freshness will always be suspect, sometimes there's nothing you can do about an oyster urge but take a chance and eat one -- or a dozen. As LoDo has grown, plenty of oyster eateries have sprung up, but none offers the... More >>
• Best 16th Street Mall vendor
  The Philadelphia Filly
  Vendors come and go quickly on the 16th Street Mall as they discover that rents outweigh earnings. Sure, there's a hot dog stand every other block, two popcorn purveyors, a baked-goods venue and a bento-box spot -- but the pickings often seem very slim. That's when it's time to head over to the... More >>
• Best scones
  Devil's Food The Bakery
  Although baker/owner Gerald Shorey has been making a name for himself as a pastry chef for several restaurants around town, his true talents are on display at Devil's Food, his little bake shop on South Gaylord. In the wrong hands, the humble scone can be a hockey puck from hell; when Shorey's... More >>
• Best food-court vendor
  Falafel King
  When Schlomo Ravid opened the first Falafel King on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall in 1981, he couldn't have known that subsequent owners Avner and Amon Gilady would turn it into a food-court staple across town. Now Falafel King offers four ways to get good food fast: at the original Boulder site,... More >>
• Best outdoor patio -- rural
  Chautauqua Dining Hall
  At the foot of the Boulder Flatirons sits a restaurant with a lot of room and a view. The Chautauqua Dining Hall occupies a historic 1898 building that once was open only in the summer but now serves breakfast, lunch and dinner year-round. And in the kitchen of that building is Bradford Heap, a... More >>
• Best outdoor patio -- urban
  Highland's Garden Cafe
  Avid gardeners will tell you that the average garden requires at least three years to take hold, and even more if the plan is elaborate. Well, it's been about five years since Pat and Chuck Perry planted a garden outside their lovely Highlands Garden Cafe, and in that time, their restaurant has... More >>
• Best food at Six Flags Elitch Gardens
  Pizza Alley
  If you left it up to your children, their entire college savings plan would fund a dozen outings to Elitch's. And once inside, they'd feel no remorse about begging -- no, demanding -- that you devote your retirement nest egg to purchasing an endless parade of toxic snacks. Don't despair: A... More >>
• Best gourmet to go
  Tom's Home Cookin'
  Tom Unterwagner strives to make food that tastes just as good as Mom's used to -- and since these days Mom is as likely to be turning on the computer as she is the stove, that's a laudable goal. And Tom's Home Cookin' delivers (although not in the strict sense of the word, since you have to pick... More >>
• Best salad
  California Pizza Kitchen
  Yes, with a name like California Pizza Kitchen, the pizza is one good reason to go to this popular new eatery in Cherry Creek. But there are so many more things to love than just the unique barbecued-chicken 'za. There's the fast service (which makes up for the long wait). And then there's the... More >>
• Best Caesar salad
  Piatti
  This warm, upscale but casual eatery may be a link in a California-based chain, but it knows a thing or two about Italian food. The pastas come covered with well-executed sauces; the wine list focuses on vino from the boot and is well-priced, to boot. But it's the Caesar that we truly hail. This... More >>
• Best sides
  Restaurant Rue Cler
  Chef Michael Degenhart has clearly mastered the art of French cooking, as evidenced at his own restaurant, Rue Cler. While much of the menu consists of what Degenhart describes as "American with a world view," the sides have the spirit of French cuisine, in which every detail counts. And so Rue... More >>
• Best vegetarian restaurant
  WaterCourse Foods
  By now, Denver diners -- meat-eaters and veg-heads alike -- accept as a matter of course that WaterCourse Foods serves the town's best vegetarian meals (sadly, it's still only open for breakfast and lunch). Not content to stick with the dry, lifeless ingredients that have become such a hallmark... More >>
• Best vegetarian dish in a non-vegetarian restaurant
  Tante Louise
  The ultra-polished, romantic and enchanting Tante Louise offers up a spectacular array of French-inspired dishes that are as artfully presented as they are drop-dead delicious. There's so much to choose from that most diners never make it to the end of the menu's roster, much less order the... More >>
• Best chocolate cake
  Pasquini's Pizzeria
  Man does not live by pizza alone, although he could give it a good try at Pasquini's. In fact, the fat, cheese-blanketed pies are so good that most Pasquini's diners don't make it to dessert. And that's a shame, because Pasquini's serves the best chocolate cake in town -- an enormous wedge... More >>
• Best kids' menu
  Roy's Cherry Creek
  Tired of stuffing your kids with the same old hot dogs, chicken planks, pizza bites and mac and cheese? Not as tired as they are of being stuffed with the stuff. Treat them like big people and take them to Roy's, where the kids' meals are just as special as the adults', and all ages are treated... More >>
• Best kids' menu for divorced parents
  Govnr's Park
  When a divorced parent decides to dine out with the kids, it's important to do so in an atmosphere as comfortable for the little ones as it is for Mom or Dad. At Govnr's Park, a longtime central Denver hangout, the scene is relaxed and casual (unless, that is, you met your future ex- over a big... More >>
• Best sandwiches
  TreeHouse Cafe
  Although its sandwiches top any others in town, the TreeHouse Cafe -- a repeat winner in this category -- remains one of Denver's best-kept secrets. Less than seven bucks buys you a sandwich big enough for two, a massive, jam-packed meal made of top-notch meats, cheeses and other fixin's, all... More >>
• Best panini
  Panini Grill
  Although every sandwich shop and cafe thinks it wants to offer panini, what they usually cook up is a far cry from the way these grilled Italian sandwiches are supposed to turn out. For panini done right, head to Panini Grill, a teeny Italian bistro that not only grills a mean panini, but boasts... More >>
• Best tuna melt
  Ambrosia Bistro
  Comfort food never tasted this haute cuisine. The lowly tuna melt goes upscale at Ambrosia Cafe, the eatery created last year in the old Firefly Space by chef Mark Gordon and his partner, John Barocas. They've created a simple yet trendy neighborhood spot complete with landscaped patio and... More >>
• Best chicken noodle soup
  The Soup Kitchen
  What's in a name? For starters, this little spot just off the 16th Street Mall looks better than your average soup kitchen, although it's not exactly the Taj Mahal: Little bits of information are handwritten on scraps of paper and stuck to the display cases, pots and pans; baker's pallets are... More >>
• Best cream of mushroom soup
  Diane's Good-to-Go
  Don't worry if many of the dishes at Diane's Good-to-Go seem half-baked -- that's by design, since these two gourmet-to-go outlets assume that you'll get the goods, then take them home and reheat them in the oven or microwave. So Diane's plans ahead, labeling each item with instructions for how... More >>
• Best soup kitchen
  Attivo Pizza and Italian Deli
  One of the last places you'd expect to get a stellar cup of soup would be a pizzeria, but last year Tony Velasquez, owner of Attivo Pizza and Italian Deli, and his kitchen manager, Jeff Carstens, decided to start experimenting with homemade soups. The result was fifteen flavor-packed soups, some... More >>
• Best burger
  Bang!
  While this bustling north Denver joint continues to attract new customers drawn by its downhome cooking and refreshingly simple concept, a base of regulars comes for one thing, and one thing only: Bang!'s incredible hamburger. It's hard to say which is more amazing, the roll or the meat, but... More >>
• Best late-night burger
  Pint's Pub
  If there's anything better than a bloody good Wimpy burger, it's a bloody good Wimpy for half the price. Monday through Thursday from 10 to 11 p.m., that's exactly what Pint's Pub, a veddy, veddy laid-back British brewpub, offers for just $2.50. To rate that price, though, you have to also shell... More >>
• Best pie
  Papa Frank's
  A lot of folks go to Papa Frank's religiously on Sundays for the $5.95 all-you-can-eat spaghetti-and-meatballs deal. But this casual storefront run by the Rizzi family is also the final destination on another spiritual quest: the search for the perfect homemade pie. Although the selection... More >>
• Best bar burger
  Dazzle
  We're dazzled by many things at Dazzle -- its ultra-cool dining room, its collection of martini shakers, its excellent vodka cocktails, its ambitious menu -- but our favorite is the $4 "mini-burger," or "bar burger," as Dazzle denizens order it. Although this is supposedly half the size of the... More >>
• Best french fries
  Piscos
  McDonald's may think it invented the French fry as we know it, and the French are just snooty enough to claim pommes frites as their own, but the fact is that potatoes were grown in South America long before they ever made it to Europe. As a result, our friends south of the border know a thing... More >>
• Best fish 'n' chips
  Clancy's Irish Pub
  Let the chips fall where they may, and they're likely to land at Clancy's Irish Pub. There's nothing fishy about this honest-to-goodness pub in the heart of Wheat Ridge, which serves the best fish 'n chips in town. Big planks of beer-battered cod are deep-fried until the crust bubbles and the... More >>
• Best lamb
  Ilios
  Since Ilios is a Mediterranean restaurant, it's no surprise that it does lamb well; the surprise is that it does it well in so many ways. Start with the spicy barbecued lamb ribs, available as a tapas or an entree. The best way to eat these succulent, fat-dripping bones is with your hands, which... More >>
• Best ham
  NoNo's Cafe
  It's a big yes, yes to NoNo's, a whimsically decorated eatery that focuses on Southern-style cooking, with a special emphasis on New Orleans dishes. The menu changes every two weeks, and we go hog wild whenever we hear that the ham steak is available. Pig out on a thick-cut slice of smoked pork,... More >>
• Best spam
  Yoko's Express
  We've never managed to find anyone at Yoko's, a cute, mostly takeout place in Sakura Square, who can explain why a Spam roll is part of the bento repertoire -- but some things are better left a mystery. It's true that the pressed-pork product is popular in Japan -- again, for reasons that remain... More >>
• Best steakhouse
  Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House
  A great steakhouse is about more than great steak -- although that's certainly the prime consideration. Second comes the service, which must be knowledgeable and a tad snooty for all the important people who want to eat big meat, but not so snooty that the common man feels out of place. Third is... More >>
• Best prime rib
  El Rancho
  Although El Rancho opened fifty years and several owners ago, it's still in its prime. And so is the beef, a well-marbled rib roast dry-aged three weeks and cut off the bone in pieces ranging from eight ounces ($18.95) to sixteen ($30.95), tender as a baby's butt and served au jus. Every time... More >>
• Best roast duck
  Vesta Dipping Grill
  Cooking duck isn't all it's quacked up to be: Keeping the flesh moist and the skin non-greasy takes some know-how, and complementing the duck's sweet, faintly gamey flavor without overpowering it or turning the bird into a meaty dessert is trickier still. But at Vesta Dipping Grill, chef Matt... More >>
• Best roast chicken
  Mountain View Cafe
  The Mountain View Cafe may look like an unlikely spot -- it's a bright-white, houselike structure tucked into a yard filled with statuary and lush foliage -- but its roast chicken is downright unbelievable. This bird is big, both in taste and portion. For $6.95, you get soup or salad (if you're... More >>
• Best pre-ski pastries
  Butterhorn Bakery and Cafe
  After a stop at the Butterhorn Bakery, it's all downhill. This Frisco cafe is always packed with people fueling up for the slopes on everything from the Frisco skillet to biscuits and gravy to the best baked goods that side of the Continental Divide. In defiance of high-altitude cooking hazards,... More >>
• Best fried chicken
  Caldonia's Bar-B-Que
  You wouldn't think a sports bar would have a sporting chance of serving the town's best fried chicken -- but Caldonia's scores with one high-flying bird. And this kitchen does more than chicken right; it's been serving up respectable, Oklahoma-style barbecue for over two decades. The fried... More >>
• Best chicken wings
  Calypso
  The folks at Calypso are pulling their fun Caribbean nightclub/jerk joint together on a wing and a prayer -- but what a wing! Four bucks buys ten of the flash-fried little appendages, which come plain or slicked with your choice of jerk seasonings or hot sauce, or a combination of the three. The... More >>
• Best chicken little
  Little India
  The elegant, aptly named Little India does many things well, including a goodies-packed $5.95 lunch buffet and the saag paneer, a sophisticated take on creamed spinach. But the tandoori Cornish game hen is really something to crow about. Each little hen is marinated in yogurt that's been infused... More >>
• Best chicken a la king
  The Blue House
  The Denver Dry Tea Room is just a memory, the top-floor space where for decades businessmen chewed each other up while ladies serenely lunched now a hip, $1.5 million loft. Assuming that its new owner, Rutt Bridges, doesn't plan to throw a citywide open house anytime soon, though, it's still... More >>
• Best fried calamari
  Seven 30 South
  In the space once occupied by Pour La France! sits Seven 30 South, a revamped concept from PLF's owners that shifts the focus away from breakfast and lunch and toward a more sophisticated dining experience. Chef Kip Wotanowicz has created a menu that matches the tony new interior, one that... More >>
• Best barbecued ribs
  Brothers BBQ
  Oh, brother! We have no bones to pick with the O'Sullivans, who continue to turn out the best ribs in town at their Brothers BBQ. They came to Denver from England via the South, working on their barbecue along the way. For example, they took the peppery, vinegary Memphis sauce and refined it... More >>
• Best barbecued brisket
  Blest Bar-B-Que of the Rockies
  When Pastor Gene Washington got the call to take his family to an old soda fountain in Littleton and start serving up great barbecue, he answered -- and as a result, we're blessed with Blest Bar-B-Que of the Rockies. From Grandma Sharon down to granddaughter Jasmine, everyone puts their hands... More >>
• Best barbecued buffalo
  Buffalo Corral
  When third-generation rancher George Harral and his wife, Georgia, left Texas behind, they knew they wanted to set up a smoke shop somewhere. Lucky for us, they picked a great site: Lookout Mountain, in a hundred-year-old building that reeks of history. The Harrals then set out to smoke... More >>
• Best burnt barbecue
  We're Smokin' BBQ
  In Kansas City, the smoky tips of brisket that can't be sliced off and sold are called burnt ends or brownies. Some KC eateries have made a name for themselves with these tidbits, and with good reason: The extra smoke makes for concentrated barbecue flavor. And after trying for some time to get... More >>
• Best plate of spaghetti
  The Saucy Noodle
  The Saucy Noodle may be down -- this spring a fire gutted its storefront location along with the space next door, where the Noodle had just expanded -- but don't count it out yet. When owners Erin and Nathan Markham (who've been running the place since before Sam Badis, the original owner and... More >>