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Best Throwback Grocery Store

Boulder Co-op Market

Some would say Only in Boulder, but we say About time! The old populist/hippie notion of mixing business and community is back at the Boulder Co-op Market, where members, who pitch in by paying an annual fee (after ten years, you're eligible for a lifetime membership), run the show and have a say in both how the store is run and what items it stocks. The emphasis, though, is on bulk foods and locally produced items, from fresh produce to soaps; the co-op also features a vegetarian cafe and serves as community hub by offering yoga classes, film nights, poetry readings and other activities.

Best Throwback Grocery Store

Boulder Co-op Market

Some would say Only in Boulder, but we say About time! The old populist/hippie notion of mixing business and community is back at the Boulder Co-op Market, where members, who pitch in by paying an annual fee (after ten years, you're eligible for a lifetime membership), run the show and have a say in both how the store is run and what items it stocks. The emphasis, though, is on bulk foods and locally produced items, from fresh produce to soaps; the co-op also features a vegetarian cafe and serves as community hub by offering yoga classes, film nights, poetry readings and other activities.

Best Old-Time Soda Fountain

Lyons Soda Fountain and Bakery

There was a time in Rockwellian America when things were simpler, when reality TV was The Ed Sullivan Show, when the bad guys were all Russians and screenwriters, and when the soda fountain was the focal point of wholesome teenage activity. Those halcyon days may have gone the way of Ovaltine, hula hoops and the living wage, but you can still find a genuine soda fountain in downtown Lyons. The Lyons Soda Fountain and Bakery has been in operation since 1921, and current owner David Chilson keeps tradition alive by offering old-time malts, shakes and fountain drinks, as well as more contemporary espresso drinks. The food (sandwiches, pizza and pies) is fine, but it's the nostalgia of the soda fountain drinks that makes this a required stop on the road to Estes Park.

Best Old-Time Soda Fountain

Lyons Soda Fountain and Bakery

There was a time in Rockwellian America when things were simpler, when reality TV was The Ed Sullivan Show, when the bad guys were all Russians and screenwriters, and when the soda fountain was the focal point of wholesome teenage activity. Those halcyon days may have gone the way of Ovaltine, hula hoops and the living wage, but you can still find a genuine soda fountain in downtown Lyons. The Lyons Soda Fountain and Bakery has been in operation since 1921, and current owner David Chilson keeps tradition alive by offering old-time malts, shakes and fountain drinks, as well as more contemporary espresso drinks. The food (sandwiches, pizza and pies) is fine, but it's the nostalgia of the soda fountain drinks that makes this a required stop on the road to Estes Park.

Best Wine Shop for Amateurs

Marczyk Fine Foods and Wine

No one in Denver has a wine palate quite like Pete Marczyk who, along with wife Barbara MacFarlane, has made Marczyk Fine Foods and Wine one of the great additions to the Denver landscape last year. Humbly claiming to be a wine neophyte himself, Marczyk personally samples every vintage that comes into his store, bravely tasting all the good, the bad and the ugly that the wine world has to offer before deciding whether it deserves a space on his shelves. This means that you could walk into Marczyk's wine shop blindfolded, pick a bottle at random and still be confident that you'll walk out with something good. What's more, Marczyk has arranged his shelves not by grape or growing region, but by what food each bottle would go best with, so you never have to worry again about embarrassing yourself by bringing a Zinfandel to a wienie roast or a spicy Shiraz to a tea party. And even if, after all of this, you still can't decide? Just ask: The only thing Marczyk likes more than tasting his stock is talking about it, and all humility aside, this guy really knows his grapes.

Best Wine Shop for Amateurs

Marczyk Fine Foods and Wine

No one in Denver has a wine palate quite like Pete Marczyk who, along with wife Barbara MacFarlane, has made Marczyk Fine Foods and Wine one of the great additions to the Denver landscape last year. Humbly claiming to be a wine neophyte himself, Marczyk personally samples every vintage that comes into his store, bravely tasting all the good, the bad and the ugly that the wine world has to offer before deciding whether it deserves a space on his shelves. This means that you could walk into Marczyk's wine shop blindfolded, pick a bottle at random and still be confident that you'll walk out with something good. What's more, Marczyk has arranged his shelves not by grape or growing region, but by what food each bottle would go best with, so you never have to worry again about embarrassing yourself by bringing a Zinfandel to a wienie roast or a spicy Shiraz to a tea party. And even if, after all of this, you still can't decide? Just ask: The only thing Marczyk likes more than tasting his stock is talking about it, and all humility aside, this guy really knows his grapes.

Best Wine List

Adega Restaurant + WIne Bar

With a list including thousands upon thousands of bottles covering just about every grape, vintage, brand and growing area available, it's hard to imagine anyone not finding something drinkable on Adega's racks. But you know what they say: Size isn't everything. In Adega's case, we're talking quality as well as quantity in the green-tinted aboveground wine room (called an adega in Portugal), originally filled by master sommelier Ken Fredrickson and now ably tended by Chris Farnem. Whether you're looking for a rough and ready Burgundy, a boutique South African Cab or a pricey bottle of Château Lafitte-Rothschild to celebrate with, odds are good that Adega will have what you're looking for.

Best Wine List

Adega Restaurant + WIne Bar

With a list including thousands upon thousands of bottles covering just about every grape, vintage, brand and growing area available, it's hard to imagine anyone not finding something drinkable on Adega's racks. But you know what they say: Size isn't everything. In Adega's case, we're talking quality as well as quantity in the green-tinted aboveground wine room (called an adega in Portugal), originally filled by master sommelier Ken Fredrickson and now ably tended by Chris Farnem. Whether you're looking for a rough and ready Burgundy, a boutique South African Cab or a pricey bottle of Château Lafitte-Rothschild to celebrate with, odds are good that Adega will have what you're looking for.

Best Wine List -- Artisan

Clair de Lune

Karin Lawler, who handles the stock for Clair de Lune's small, perfectly paired list, has turned away more grape-juice salesmen than she's talked to. Working closely with chef/owner Sean Kelly, Lawler keeps on board only those bottles that will blend elegantly with the ever-changing roster of plates coming out of Kelly's kitchen. Worried about not finding something drinkable? Don't be. The selections are well-chosen and interesting -- and if you have any questions at all, the waitstaff at Clair de Lune is always ready with a smart suggestion. In a pinch, they have bomber bottles of Chimay Red or Grand Reserve on hand -- and those go with everything.

Best Wine List -- Artisan

Clair de Lune

Karin Lawler, who handles the stock for Clair de Lune's small, perfectly paired list, has turned away more grape-juice salesmen than she's talked to. Working closely with chef/owner Sean Kelly, Lawler keeps on board only those bottles that will blend elegantly with the ever-changing roster of plates coming out of Kelly's kitchen. Worried about not finding something drinkable? Don't be. The selections are well-chosen and interesting -- and if you have any questions at all, the waitstaff at Clair de Lune is always ready with a smart suggestion. In a pinch, they have bomber bottles of Chimay Red or Grand Reserve on hand -- and those go with everything.

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