Best Pastry Chef 2015 | Lonne Cunningham | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Pastry Chef

Lonne Cunningham

Danielle Lirette

Thanks to his work at Fruition and the love heaped on him by local and national press, Alex Seidel was already a household name — at least among food-lovers — when Mercantile Dining & Provision opened in Union Station last September. Lonne Cunningham, his pastry chef, was not. But that's about to change, as more and more people are exposed to Cunningham's work. With a pedigree that includes stages at Gramercy Tavern and Le Bernardin in New York and a pastry mindset influenced by years as a cook, he plays with flavors like a veteran, finishing crème caramel with pistachio cakes, candied kumquats and pistachio dust, for example, or adding a hint of cardamom to a chocolate pot de crème. Cunningham's plated desserts are only available at dinner, but you don't have to wait until then to indulge: Mercantile's market is open all day, so there's always a good time to stop in for a chocolate croissant or an Oreo-like LCO cookie.

Best Ice Cream/Gelato Shop

High Point Creamery

Lori Midson

For years, ice cream has been the domain of kids, with their birthday parties and messy sundae bars. Now High Point Creamery seems intent on taking back frozen desserts, one cone at a time. From the confines of this mod ice cream shop, which opened in Hilltop last summer, you can savor flavors that appeal to adults, with names that sound more like truffles than ice creams: basil with blackberry swirl, dark-chocolate orange with marshmallows, mint with chocolate bark. Even cookie-based flavors one-up the standard, blending shortbread with an aromatic, Earl Grey-flavored base. Prices run high, but with ice cream this good, just grin — er, lick — and bear it.

Readers' choice: Little Man Ice Cream

Best Iced Coffee

Vinh Xuong Bakery II

Molly Martin

Nothing jump-starts productivity quicker than the combination of coffee and condensed milk. For those in search of the perfect iced coffee, all roads lead to Vinh Xuong Bakery in the Alameda Square Shopping Center. Owner Duc Huynh makes sure that everyone on his staff knows his recipe for the perfect caffeine concoction; Vinh Xuong slow-brews Novo coffee before mixing it with sweet milk. Even though Federal Boulevard is lined with great Vietnamese restaurants offering similar treats, Vinh Xuong is king of the road when it comes to iced coffee.

Best European-Style Coffee Shop

Cafe Max

The atmosphere at Cafe Max is relaxing and calm — a stark contrast to the stretch of East Colfax just outside the coffee shop, which sits across from East High School. Co-owners Maxwell Hopewell-Arizmendi and Yukihiko Koyama envisioned Cafe Max as a European-style coffee shop where you could order a cappuccino and a friend could get a glass of wine, and you could sit over both for hours, talking, in low (but not dim) light. The evolving food menu reflects a European sensibility as well; the refinement is obvious but never overt. Since this is Denver, though, when you order a latte, you have your choice of not just cow's milk, but also goat, almond or soy. Cafe Max can feel both exotic and welcoming at the same time; why not stop by and sip into something comfortable?

Best Cortado

Aviano Coffee

Photo by Johnny Molfetta
 

Microfoam meets the crema of a perfectly pulled espresso shot to form tight striations in the shape of a rosetta: Welcome to cortado heaven. Presented with a smile by the coffee gurus at Aviano, these little four-ounce servings of productivity keep you buzzing and the place packed at just about every hour. That's because Aviano is a great place to work or study, with abundant seating at both small, personal tables and a large community table. The owners had to move a year or so ago, and given the quality of their coffee, it's no surprise that they totally nailed the remodel, too, right down to the big garage door that opens up to the patio on nice days.

Best Coffeehouse for Getting Work Done

Bardo Coffee House

Courtesy The Bardo Coffeehouse on South Broadway Facebook

Just past the hustle and bustle of the usual hangs in Baker is the quaint, quiet Bardo Coffee House. It’s painted yellow, a color louder than the space itself, because people come here to get coffee — and then get down to work. You won’t be distracted by any unmet needs, because Bardo has just the right amount of everything: right hours (early to super-late), right selection of drinks, right selection of eats, right number of tables, chairs and couches, cushions with the right level of cush. The hours will fly by as you focus on your project, fueled by a caffeine buzz.

Best Coffee Pourers

Breakfast King

This famous breakfast institution is packing four decades of history, and some of the women who proudly wear the spot's white-and-orange uniforms have been here almost that long. These are no-nonsense ladies who keep things even when the place is packed (which it usually is), fighting with the kitchen to make sure your toast is exactly the shade of brown you want, pouring cup after endless cup of coffee. Act curt or weird, and your service will be a fly-by "Hon." But if you become a regular, these wonder women will learn your name and make you feel right at home while they deliver hot java with a side of hot gossip — no sugar needed.

Best New Coffeehouse

Huckleberry Roasters

Even though Denver is awash in coffee shops, a visit to this Huckleberry Roasters can be a stirring experience. The small cafe — the second Roasters location — opened last year in the front of a reclaimed shipping-container building on Larimer Street. The simple, modern interior and preponderance of open MacBooks might give the impression that it's a place for worker bees, but watch both the baristas and the guests for a few minutes, and you'll realize that this is a community spot where nearly everyone knows each other. Owners Koan Goedman and Mark Mann know how to focus on that community; after all, they met at a cafe. And the coffee is good without being pretentious — or at least not too much so, since it's hard to order a pour-over without some pretension.

Readers' choice: Huckleberry Roasters

Best Mystery Brunch Item

Monkey Brains

Since this is the only dish on the Beatrice & Woodsley menu with no description whatsoever, you wouldn't blink if the kitchen actually did serve up monkey brains for brunch, given the restaurant's inclination to surprise customers with interesting combinations and its penchant for storytelling. But the appetizer is actually a pedestrian yet delicious floral-shaped pecan roll — a sweet, syrupy starter that's perfectly portioned to divide into four pieces. And if one of your brunch bunch goes ape over the ooey, gooey Brains, you'd be smart to order a second round.

Best Banana-Bread French Toast

Root Down

Root Down Instagram

While Root Down updates its brunch menu seasonally, one of the tried-and-true mainstays is the oh-so-delectable banana-bread French toast. Topped with a chicory crème fraîche, cocoa nibs, citrus syrup and salted peanuts that give it an almost tempura-like texture, this is one sinful breakfast plate. If you'd rather not feel guilty starting your day off with dessert, the smaller portion makes a perfect appetizer for the table. But if you have a sweet tooth, go forth and sin some more. You can thank us later.

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