You might recognize the name "Tacos D.F." It was painted on the side of a great lonchera that once prowled the streets of Denver. Now all the pleaures of that taco truck can be found in the same spot night after night, in a little joint in the middle of a strip mall along Parker Road. The space is warm and comfortable, with one wall covered floor to ceiling with black-marker graffiti scrawled by legions of satisfied customers. Service is exceptionally quick, incredibly friendly and eager to please. There are specials written out longhand on construction paper -- but anything from the regular offerings of pork and asada tacos, tacos cabeza, sopes de bistec and a short list of tortas is bound to be good. It helps to speak a little Spanish here, but you can usually get by with some phonetics, a little mime and a lot of pointing at the menu hung above the window where orders are taken, paid for and delivered.

Going to the library has never felt so naughty. Walk into the Ross-Cherry Creek Branch Library and you'll be greeted at the door by DVDs -- rows and rows of them. The bookshelves here are a mere backdrop; the establishment has long since embraced that which draws in its patrons. And the movie selection -- oh, the selection. New releases like Borat. Season after full season of Six Feet Under. B-movies with no hint of literary value, such as American Pie: Band Camp. Grab two, grab four -- hell, grab seven, the maximum you're allowed (the librarians get that all the time). And when you check out, the only plastic you'll need to flash is your library card. This being a library, everything is gloriously, scandalously free. Melvil Dewey may be turning in his grave, but we movie buffs wouldn't have it any other way.

If Miles, that weird horse-head guy who trots the field during Broncos games, was sent to the glue factory, and Dinger, the Rockies' pathetic faux Barney, sank into a tar pit, many sports lovers in these parts would cheer. But were Rocky, the Nuggets' coolest cat, to head for the hills, all of Denver would go into mourning, and rightfully so. For years, Rocky was pretty much the only reason to attend a Nuggets game, thanks to his athletic stunts, crowd-rousing antics and wicked sense of humor -- and even though the team has been playing better recently, on a night-in, night-out basis, Rocky's performance is still more consistent than that of the hottest players. When he shoots, he scores -- even if the ball doesn't go through the hoop.

Rockbar could inspire a confirmed teetotaler to do a swan dive off the wagon within ten minutes of walking through the door. Conjuring the bygone decadence left behind by Perry's -- as the joint was known during the last days of disco -- Rockbar is the ideal place to relive your wasted youth. The decor in this late-'70s time-capsule remains pristinely intact, with exposed rock walls, patterned carpet, foil wallpaper and vintage lighting fixtures. There's also a notable kitsch factor about the place -- the trashy menu, the lowbrow drink selection (Mad Dog and brands of beer you swore you'd never drink again), the neon band-logo signage and the retro tuneage -- that has prompted some detractors to grumble that the brashness is a little too calculated. These people are completely missing the point. For those about to Rock, we salute you.

The day started at the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, site of this year's Best Souvenirs by a Gravesite, where the view is so spectacular you can easily believe the story that world traveler William Cody pronounced it precisely the spot where he'd like to be laid to rest for all eternity.

Fourteen hours later, the day ended with another spectacular view from the patios of two more award winners, Vita and Lola, restaurants that didn't even exist at this time last year but are now such a part of the Denver dining scene that it's hard to imagine the town without them. They also happen to be located in the old Olinger Mortuary, where Buffalo Bill's body was stored — on the rocks, as it were — for a few months in the winter of 1917, until the ground on top of Lookout Mountain had thawed enough to dig a grave.

Synchronicity. It's everywhere in this city. But at the same time links to the past are tugging at the present, you can see the future of Denver around the next corner, over the next hill, up in the next block.

The city is changing, changing rapidly, which means there are always discoveries to be made, old standbys to say goodbye to, new superlatives to be lavished, more Best of Denver awards to be given. And after months of snacking and shopping, drinking and dialing, our top-secret Best of Denver 2007 team produced the paper now in your hands, our 24th annual celebration of the city. We all love Denver for different reasons — from the town's buffalo herd to its buffalo chicken wings — and there are more than 500 of them in this issue.

Enjoy.

If it's good enough for Colorado's second official state song, "Rocky Mountain High" should work just fine as a slogan for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Not only is it inclusive of the entire region -- and planners are touting this as a convention not just in Denver, not just in newly blue Colorado, but in the pivotal Rocky Mountain West, where the next presidential election could well be decided -- but it would remind people both inside and outside of the convention to relax, mellow out and recall that the Democratic Party is the party of inclusivity. And drugs.

Tonti's is an enigma. It's a tiny strip-mall joint, almost always empty except for a couple of employees hanging disconsolately around the counter. And while about half the time what we get off the short, predictable menu (pizzas, calzones, stromboli, meatball sandwiches) is completely forgettable, the other half it's
fantastic beyond any rational explanation. At its best, Tonti's makes the kind of stromboli you just can't stop eating, the kind of New York-style pizzas that wake you up in the middle of the night -- calling you from inside the refrigerator, demanding that you eat a leftover slice cold, standing there in your socks and boxers. So, yes, sometimes Tonti's makes the best strip-mall Italian food in the city and sometimes it doesn't. Just ask yourself one question before you go in: Do you feel lucky?

If you wanted to give people a true taste of Denver, where would you send them? For us, Elway's -- Big John's eponymous temple of meat -- comes out on top every time. For the scene, the service, the staff and the sly humor implicit in the menu's design, Elway's is that single restaurant that defines what it is to eat in Denver today. There's money here, but there are also plenty of people in blue jeans. Although the restaurant is in Cherry Creek, it could be picked up whole and successfully transplanted to almost any other neighborhood in the city (as proven by the recently announced expansion into the new downtown Ritz-Carlton). And while chef Tyler Wiard and everyone in Elway's kitchen certainly know how to handle a piece of meat, the little flourishes and big hospitality are what set this place apart. Oh, yes, and then there's that connection to a certain quarterback...

Thousands of readers sent in their answers to our Best of Denver 2007 Readers' Poll -- via the web, through the U.S. Postal Service and on scrawled napkin notes shoved under the door of the Westword office. No matter what delivery system they used, though, readers displayed an incredible affection for this town -- if not strong geography or spelling skills.

According to our readers, Jake Cutler is the third-best Bronco, behind Champ Bailey and Joe Sakic (or is it Sackic?). George Carl coaches the Nuggets, whose mascot is Allen Iverson and whose best player is anyone not in jail. The Rapids, the Rockies, the Mammoth and the Crush should be consolidated into one team and renamed the Colorado Nobody Cares About Us But We Have Great Asses.

The best free entertainment in Denver is "Tara drunk," according to Becky, or "Becky drunk," according to Tara. The best skatepark is that one by Coors Field, and the best pool hall is Washing Park. The best ski deal is the 5 Nut Puss Baby! I think you can get it at Colorado Ski and Sport, or Colorado Golf and Ski, or whatever that place is called.

That exhibit at that one place, you know, Body something or other, Bodyworks maybe, or Bodyworld. Yeah, that left a real impression on people.

Andrew Romanoff could be Colorado's only legislator, veteran or not, and the best local newscaster is anyone except The Hair at 9News. Readers can never remember newscasters' last names, but that's not really important -- they're on a first-name basis. Alan. Heidi. Kathy. And Molly, oh, that Molly. She's a crazy one, and she's got fabulous hair, but certainly not the best hair on a local TV personality. No, that award belongs to Denver's own Angelina Jolie, as do most of our hearts.

If Kathy Sabine ran for the U.S. Senate, she'd win in a walk. Republicans should be dialing her at 9News right now. And if she held her campaign kickoff at the incredibly reader-friendly Steuben's? She could be president.

Besides Steuben's, readers think the four best steakhouses in town are Del Frisco, Del Fresco, Del Frescos, and Del Friscos. And the best ingredient in everyone's two favorite foods -- barbecue and pizza -- is alliteration. Just ask Big Hoss Grill, Breckenridge Brewery, Brothers BBQ, Brown Sugar Burgers and Bones, Parisi, Pasquini's, Pasta's, Pizza Hut, Proto's and Pudge Brothers.

Qudoba makes a great burrito, but not great enough to truly rank among the best local chains like Chili's, Red Lobster, Quizno's and the Cheesecake Factory. Those chain operations have Denver written all over their incredibly localized dishes.

And for the 24th year running, McDonald's is the readers' pick for Best French Fries. Readers, we love you -- but democracy makes for a dull Best of Denver.

Ballot-stuffing does not, however. And without the owners and fans of health spas, doggie daycares, custom guitar shops, Indian restaurants, Italian restaurants, auto-body repair shops, coffee shops and nail salons across this fine city, tallying the Best of Denver 2007 Readers' Poll would have been a very dull process that might have knocked me out of a job.

But I guess I could take some snaps for the Broncos now that Jay Plummer is retiring.

-- Rick White, Best of Denver Election Commissioner

First Friday is one of Denver's most reliable monthly happenings. Thanks to Matthew Morris Salon, a chic beauty spot on South Broadway, culture-consuming Denverites can look their best while scoping the city's hot spots for high and low art. During Friday Night Blow Outs, held the first Friday of every month, Matthew Morris offers free polish changes and blow dries in a chatty setting filled with beautiful people. Cocktails are always on the menu, as are a wide array of services and sensual spa treatments -- for a price. And though their work is not the stuff of ARTForum, Morris's talented staff can certainly count themselves among the city's creative class. Just ask anyone who's ever popped in for an updo.