Horny Purple People Eater Margarita

A change will do you good — and the changes taking place in Denver are amazing. Fifteen years ago, La Fiesta tried to expand from its weekday, lunch-only schedule into the evening hours, but it just didn't work. Back then, the Curtis Park neighborhood was not even approaching a transitional state, much less attracting people who were buying into a brand-new building across the parking lot filled with condos ranging from $375,000 to $780,000. La Fiesta was filled with regulars who worked downtown and were willing to trek into a questionable area for lunch — specifically, crispy chiles rellenos smothered in green chile — but were unlikely to show up there at night. So, like many things introduced before their time, those La Fiesta evenings failed to catch on. But now, finally, the neighborhood is as hot as La Fiesta's salsa, and earlier this month the restaurant started staying open on Fridays, and Fridays only, until 8 p.m. FAC Friday here makes for a very happy happy hour. The outdoor patio along Champa Street has enough action and entertainment to be engaging without an overwhelming level of street noise. And a few sips of Ron's Horny Purple People Eater Margarita ($6), made with the house margarita mix, Patrón Añejo tequila, Cointreau and Chambord Liqueur, will make you feel right at home in this (or any) neighborhood. Change may have finally hit Curtis Park, but the more things change, the more La Fiesta stays the same. And that's very, very good.