Best Mashed Potatoes 2001 | Emma's Restaurant | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Mashed Potatoes

Emma's Restaurant

Very good things come in small packages. Tiny, charming Emma's has big ideas when it comes to food, and there's no finer example of this than the finger-lickin'-good spuds. These taters have an ideal texture -- light but not overwhipped, with teeny lumps to prove they're real -- and just the right amount of flavor from garlic that's been cooked enough to get the rawness out but not so much that it's bitter. What really boosts these potatoes to top-of-the-town status, though, is the addition of cream cheese, which gives them a rich, creamy, slightly sweet quality. Order them with the sirloin, so the spuds get a good dose of Jack Daniel's sauce, and they're simply irresistible.

Best Mashed Potatoes

Emma's Restaurant

Very good things come in small packages. Tiny, charming Emma's has big ideas when it comes to food, and there's no finer example of this than the finger-lickin'-good spuds. These taters have an ideal texture -- light but not overwhipped, with teeny lumps to prove they're real -- and just the right amount of flavor from garlic that's been cooked enough to get the rawness out but not so much that it's bitter. What really boosts these potatoes to top-of-the-town status, though, is the addition of cream cheese, which gives them a rich, creamy, slightly sweet quality. Order them with the sirloin, so the spuds get a good dose of Jack Daniel's sauce, and they're simply irresistible.

Best Pancakes

Peppers

You'll flip for the flapjacks at Peppers. Light and fluffy but still substantial enough that a stack of two makes a full meal, these slightly sweet, slightly malty hotcakes are the diner pancakes of your dreams. A ball of butter and a pitcher of warm syrup complete the picture. Of course, Peppers makes everything from scratch (the pies are marvelous, too), and owner George Strompoulos keeps checking in with customers to see if everything's okay. It always is.

Best Pancakes

Peppers

You'll flip for the flapjacks at Peppers. Light and fluffy but still substantial enough that a stack of two makes a full meal, these slightly sweet, slightly malty hotcakes are the diner pancakes of your dreams. A ball of butter and a pitcher of warm syrup complete the picture. Of course, Peppers makes everything from scratch (the pies are marvelous, too), and owner George Strompoulos keeps checking in with customers to see if everything's okay. It always is.

Best Place to Score With a Sixty-Something Who Loves the King as Much as You Do

Lookin' Good Lounge & Restaurant

Uhh, huh, huh, oh, yeah, this is a shrine to Elvis, and the folks who frequent the Lookin' Good love the King almost as much as they love the Greek, Mexican and American fare that this kitchen has been cookin' up for 23 years. Lookin' Good's owners, Tim and Angela Melisaratos, love the King even more: They've filled their place with all manner of Elvis memorabilia, including plates, clocks, singing mannequins, dolls, posters, even custom-made miniature couches with guitars and record albums sewn on. Single men and women of a certain age gather here for both the bargain fare and the free-flowing conversation, which often carries over into the attached lounge. Food of choice: homemade pies or prime rib, which is quite tasty. Love it tender.

Best Place to Score With a Sixty-Something Who Loves the King as Much as You Do

Lookin' Good Lounge & Restaurant

Uhh, huh, huh, oh, yeah, this is a shrine to Elvis, and the folks who frequent the Lookin' Good love the King almost as much as they love the Greek, Mexican and American fare that this kitchen has been cookin' up for 23 years. Lookin' Good's owners, Tim and Angela Melisaratos, love the King even more: They've filled their place with all manner of Elvis memorabilia, including plates, clocks, singing mannequins, dolls, posters, even custom-made miniature couches with guitars and record albums sewn on. Single men and women of a certain age gather here for both the bargain fare and the free-flowing conversation, which often carries over into the attached lounge. Food of choice: homemade pies or prime rib, which is quite tasty. Love it tender.

Best Cheap Steak

Columbine Steak House & Lounge

Erik Rangel
Columbine is less about the steaks and more about the scene -- one of the most interesting you'll find in this town. People from all walks of life pass through the forty-year-old joint, and some even order the steak. Which means that group, at least, will go away happy, because when the grill guy is in a good mood, the twenty-ounce porterhouse, which costs less than half of what it would at a big-name steakhouse, arrives juicy and tender, with a nicely charred edge and a big pile of twice-fried French fries on the side. When the grill guy's not in a good mood, order a beer and pick up a burger on your way home.

Best Cheap Steak

Columbine Steak House & Lounge

Columbine is less about the steaks and more about the scene -- one of the most interesting you'll find in this town. People from all walks of life pass through the forty-year-old joint, and some even order the steak. Which means that group, at least, will go away happy, because when the grill guy is in a good mood, the twenty-ounce porterhouse, which costs less than half of what it would at a big-name steakhouse, arrives juicy and tender, with a nicely charred edge and a big pile of twice-fried French fries on the side. When the grill guy's not in a good mood, order a beer and pick up a burger on your way home.

Best Tequila Bar at the Airport

Que Bueno!

Need a shot of liquid courage before you check to see if that United flight is leaving anywhere near on time? Stop by Que Bueno!, which also happens to serve the best food you'll find at the airport -- big, fat burritos filled with your choice of commendable fillings and topped by salsas that range from mild to so fuerte that nothing will put out the fire. But the real surprise here is the sizable selection of tequilas tucked into a nook in the little eatery -- just the thing to jet-propel the rest of your trip.

Best Tequila Bar at the Airport

Que Bueno!

Need a shot of liquid courage before you check to see if that United flight is leaving anywhere near on time? Stop by Que Bueno!, which also happens to serve the best food you'll find at the airport -- big, fat burritos filled with your choice of commendable fillings and topped by salsas that range from mild to so fuerte that nothing will put out the fire. But the real surprise here is the sizable selection of tequilas tucked into a nook in the little eatery -- just the thing to jet-propel the rest of your trip.

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