Best Southern Comfort 2002 | Cafe Evangeline | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Southern Comfort

Cafe Evangeline

Owner Marilyn LeBlanc is so gracious, Cafe Evangeline feels more like a Louisiana home than a storefront on South Broadway. And a bit of the food at this small Cajun and Creole eatery is enough to transport you straight to the Bayou. The kitchen at Evangeline puts out a mean jambalaya and étouffée, and the catfish and frog's legs are pretty good, too. But what really sends us south is the red beans 'n' rice, a dish filled with spicy, smoky sausage that releases its good grease down into the rice. It's just the thing to warm the coldest days and send us sweatin' in the summer. Y'all come back now, ya hear?

Best Cold Comforts

Rocky Mountain Fruit Shake
Tabor Center

Forget those cooler-than-thou chain spots: Rocky Mountain Fruit Shake knows how to make a liquid lunch a stirring experience. Fresh fruits and juices mix with frozen yogurt or ice for healthy, refreshing shakes; for an extra boost, add protein powder, ginseng, lecithin or spirulina. Take the invigorating brew back to the office or sit in the food court where you can feel truly comforted by the fact that your life is less miserable than those of the lonely souls who hang out here. And if your day has been so tough that even that doesn't help, the only option is one of their dreamy floats, which add a big blob of creamy frozen yogurt to the top of the glass.

Best Comfy Seats in a Restaurant

Citrus

Everything at Citrus seems a bit overblown, from the cocktail waitresses clad in little black dresses to the copious amounts of Champagne consumed on any given night. And there's something about the velvety booths against the restaurant's far wall that takes even the cozy concept of "comfy" over the top. High-backed and banquette-style, these seats feel isolated from each other and the rest of the dining area; the plush,

touch-me upholstery just begs for skin contact. Sitting in one of these booths is sinfully delicious.

Best Comfy Place to Sit While Waiting for a Table

Mateo

So many restaurants have stopped taking reservations, it's becoming commonplace for would-be diners to stand awkwardly in a foyer the size of a broom closet or resort to paying extra in order to drink overpriced liquor at an overcrowded bar until a table comes open. But Mateo, a charmingly hip Provençal spot in Boulder, makes the wait a worthwhile part of the whole dining experience. You get to pass the time in a plush, velvety alcove next to the front window, settled against soft pillows, enjoying a clear view of the dining scene and the twinkling lights of Pearl Street. There's plenty of leg room, plus a well-positioned table in case you'd like to enjoy a glass of wine, and the area seats two or three small parties comfortably. And if the waiting room's full, there's still the oval bar, another comfy space that's popular with local singles.

Best Service

Mizuna

The team at Mizuna works like a well-oiled machine. It helps that many of the staffers have been at this spot since it was Aubergine and were so happy there that when chef/owner Frank Bonanno and his partner, Doug Fleischmann, took over the space, they stuck around. But Bonanno and Fleisch-mann quickly gave them even more reason to be happy at this charming Mediterranean room: food that never fails to please. So from the second diners walk through the door, they're made to feel welcome, promptly greeted and seated, then properly wined and dined. The service is seamless, and no need is left unmet. It serves us right to eat at Mizuna.

Best Valet Service

Boulder ChopHouse & Tavern

Last fall, Boulder City Council approved the Boulder ChopHouse's valet service on one condition: The restaurant had to supply free valet parking for anyone who wanted to use the service, whether or not they were planning to eat at the restaurant. For reasons unknown, the ChopHouse agreed. As a result, folks hungry for a parking place in this congested part of town between Wednesday and Saturday nights (when the service is offered) now consider the ChopHouse a must-stop.

Best Pooch-Friendly Restaurant

Poggio's

No, you can't bring Bear or Baldo inside; that wouldn't be sanitary. But Poggio's, a fresh-faced addition to the eateries of Highlands Square, provides a water dispenser for thirsty mutts outside; posts photos of pet-owning customers inside; and serves free doggie treats for canines who wait while their handlers pick up breakfast bagels stuffed with eggs and roasted peppers, panini or some of the best gelato in town. Woof!

Best Family Restaurant

Rosa Linda Mexican Cafe

A great family restaurant begins with a great family, and you won't find a better one than the family behind Rosa Linda Mexican Cafe. As their northwest Denver eatery grew -- from a little walk-up burrito window to a series of colorful storefronts -- the children of Virgil and Rosa Linda Aguirre grew, too, from polite kids who used to hang out after grade school to chefs in their own right. But you'll still find the entire crew here, hanging out with Destiny, the first grandchild (her baby paraphernalia overflows from a front booth), pitching in wherever they're needed. And when Virgil and Rosa Linda aren't in the kitchen, mixing up that fiery green chile that goes so well over a shredded-beef burrito, they're keeping things cooking in the community, offering free feeds on holidays for the homeless and pushing for greater parental participation in the schools.

Best Ice Cream in a Restaurant

Pesce Fresco

As Pesce Fresco's name implies, the specialty at this stylish restaurant is fresh fish; the seafood dishes, particularly any involving pasta, are superb. (So is the Gorgonzola cheesecake appetizer.) But don't sell dessert short. Owners Joel and Merrilee Diner have trained their staff to always go the extra mile, and they model that behavior by making their own gelato-style ice creams -- rich, creamy stuff that they whip up in a small-batch ice-cream maker. Pesce Fresco always has two sorbets on hand, along with a vanilla and some form of chocolate ice cream; more creative flavor mixes range from white chocolate pistachio to raspberry daiquiri sorbet. Cool.

Best Cakes

The Cream Puffery

If the movie Chocolat had been about pastries instead of chocolate, the Cream Puffery could have played the part of the sensuous shop. Partners Amy DeWitt, a pastry chef and cake designer, and Cuban-born Lourdes Sanchez have created a dessert-lover's paradise. Although the Puffery also serves commendable authentic Cuban sandwiches and espresso, the cream of the crop are the cakes and tortes: luxurious concoctions made from European chocolate, marzipan, buttercream, ganache, mangos and passion fruit, as well as liqueurs and japonaise (almond meringue). The wedding cakes are unique and gorgeous, and the cuatro leches cake milks vanilla, caramel, chantilly and heavy creams for all they're worth. Meanwhile, women on the verge of something, anything, should check out the PMS torte, a soothing mixture of frangipane (almond pound cake, the richest, moistest version imaginable) layered with chocolate chiffon cake, soaked with a brandy-spiked simple syrup and coated in ganache.

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