Food & Drink

Remember, time is money — which is why so many businesspeople bank on the lunchtime buffet at 1876. The spread is a real deal: $10.99 buys all you can eat of whatever cuisine is featured that day (sometimes an assortment of Mexican dishes, sometimes Italian), as well as a pass by the make-your-own sandwich board and two soups. But the true marvel is the array of salads: inventive (try chunks of marinated ham with green peppers and onions), absolutely fresh (crisp leaves of grass-green romaine) and downright luxurious (hearts of palm). Although the attentive servers are careful to keep glasses full and dishes clear, there’s no need to wait for a waiter to outline the specials or bring the check — or to worry about that same waiter eavesdropping on your talk while you power munch. A favorite for moguls on the go.

Sometimes you don’t feel like getting all gussied up and heading out for a Sunday brunch that’s going to require loosening your belt just to finish the meal and then downing seven Tums afterward. Sometimes it’s enough to go somewhere that’s easy on the eyes, heart and pocketbook. And those are the times we head to the newly remodeled 35th Avenue Grill at the Park Hill Golf Club. Get a table by the window for a view of the golf course, then amble over to the made-to-order stations, which offer omelettes and Belgian waffles. Add some fresh fruit, bacon and eggs, homemade pastries, and biscuits and gravy — and don’t forget the honey-baked ham or fried chicken. After you’ve hoovered through that, finish things off with a slice of made-from-scratch pie. The cost for all of this all-you-can-eat extravagance? A mere $9.95. For another three bucks, you can take advantage of the make-your-own Bloody Mary bar, which offers all the mixes and veggies you need to make an eye-opener — if your eyes haven’t already been opened wide by this unbelievable brunch deal.

In honor of the new century and the ever-improving ballpark neighborhood, Mexico City Lounge has done a thorough house-cleaning — right down to remodeled bathrooms and a tiny expansion that put two tables in the former kitchen — and moved the kitchen to the back of the old Larimer Square storefront. The change in kitchen locations apparently necessitated an oil change, too, because everything coming out of that kitchen tastes much brighter and fresher — even the notoriously greasy and great steak tacos. But the real health food here is an order of bean tostados: three crisp, oil-free corn tortillas topped by just-mashed refried beans, along with shredded cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Squirt on some of Mexico City’s special salsa, and olé!

Long before those new Mexican grills started popping up on almost every corner, featuring big, big burritos the size and weight of bricks, stuffed with quality meats and drapped with an assortment of nuevo salsas, there was El Taco de Mexico. At this very down-home, very authentic Mexican joint, the friendly servers take big, fresh flour tortillas and wrap them around a mound of rice, beans and your choice from some of the most exotic meats in town. The winner and still the chomp.

If the night was too long and you were too easy, head to this healthy juice joint for a quick pick-me-up. Order a Vitamin C-packed smoothie (Jamba Juice offers dozens of variations, including Berry Lime Sublime and Orange Berry Blitz) or straight juice (wheatgrass, carrot, ginger and the standard orange are among the choices), then add such boosters as echinacea, ginseng and ginkgo biloba. After a morning of seeing pink elephants, you’ll soon be back in the pink. The next time you get juiced, remember Jamba Juice.

The 20th Street Cafe bills itself as a “working man’s cafe,” but this increasingly upscale area doesn’t have many working men these days — not the sort the café was originally designed to serve, at any rate. But everyone from day laborers to high-paid attorneys can appreciate the down-home cooking served in this storefront, including a great chicken-fried steak, pounded to perfection, battered, fried golden and smothered in a soothing gravy for the ultimate comfort food.

You’d think that with 67 martinis to choose from, we’d find one that we like. But the problem is, we like them all. In fact, we like everything about Blue 67, a hip, inviting spot with jazz in the background and decor that appears to be a Japanese decorator’s take on the swinging ’60s. The drink roster includes some martinis from that era, too: the .007, with Bombay Sapphire Gin and dry vermouth — shaken, not stirred, and garnished with olives; the Presidential, clean and neat with Belvedere vodka and an olive. But as we go back to the future, Blue 67 gets a little kinky, so we pucker up for the Lemon Drop’s citrus vodka, lime juice and Cointreau, or we wrap ourselves in a Black Tie, with Smirnoff Black and a splash of Chambord. Swallow two and call us in the morning…for a ride home.

There’s no Miguel at Miguel’s Breakfast Club anymore — he was the manager who up and left not long after this modest spot opened — but the movie poster for The Breakfast Club still hangs behind the pool tables as a reminder of where the rest of the name came from. More important, owner Mary Ramirez is still here. Ramirez does the cooking at this breakfast-all-day joint, and that includes the $2.99 special of one egg your way, a plate-sized pancake and either spicy sausage or thick-cut bacon that tastes like well-cured ham. Eat your breakfast in the quiet, booth-lined area back behind the bar, the ideal place for viewing the Price Is Right on the overhead TV or the local art hanging for sale on the walls. Coffee refills come quickly, in mismatched mugs that Ramirez has collected over the years, and chances are the server will bring a little taste of that day’s lunch special.

Papa would be proud of the way Hemingway’s Key West Grille has come into its own. These days the kitchen consistently cooks up some of the best seafood in town, serving it in a fun, casual nautical setting that captures some of Key West’s appeal. But we doubt the author ever reeled in a catch as tasty as his namesake’s fish and chips. Fresh pieces of cod are thickly coated in a beer batter that turns into wavy crests of crunch as soon as it hits hot oil; inside, the fish stays tender, so juicy it squirts at first bite. Write on!

When this simple, inviting bakery opened, it seemed like we’d been waiting for Gateaux our entire lives. From moist, hearty muffins and fruit-filled scones to chocolate-coated petits fours, oversized cookies and cinnamon rolls coated in crunchy sugar and topped with a rich cream-cheese icing, Gateaux takes the cake — which is only fitting, since its name means “cake” in French. And cakes are a real specialty here, from a dense German chocolate to wedding cakes so stylish they could sit in a museum. But these confections not only look fabulous, they taste great.

Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling — calling for you to get your buns up to the Stockyards Inn for the town’s best patty melt. But because the Stockyards’ owners are Irish — very — their version is known as a “paddy” melt. Except for the spelling change, though, this is a quintessential take on the classic sandwich: a sizable, quality beef patty (the restaurant’s located in Denver’s stockyards, after all) paired with American cheese between two pieces of rye and then grilled to gooey greatness.

All those Kremey-come-lately doughnut joints keep coming to town, but Dutch Boy Donuts stubbornly hangs on. It’s been frying up terrific doughnuts for 52 years, and a recent facelift should make the place good for another 52. Fortunately, nothing’s been changed about the applesauce doughnuts; they’re still a sweet way to start the day.

The side business of a flower shop tucked away on a dusty stretch of south Broadway, the Country Gardens Tea House isn’t fancy — which makes it the perfect place for an adult tea party with little girls Monday through Saturday (Sunday is reserved for parties). At the top tea price of $9.99 per customer, no matter the customer’s size, you get all the tea you can drink in charming mismatched cups and saucers, a tray of finger sandwiches (cucumber, egg salad and turkey on marble rye might be included), scones with potted cream and jam, cakes and a red rose. The service can be a tad slow, but everyone’s so charming that your tots are bound to feel like little princesses.

Coney Island is known for its thrills, and its most thrilling accomplishment may have been the invention of frozen custard back in 1919, a confection that later reached its peak popularity in the Midwest. Neighbors Cathy Haug and Joy Gunderson so missed the frozen custard of their youth that they decided to open CJ’s Frozen Custard, in the process giving all of Denver a sweet treat. The main difference between frozen custard and regular ice cream is the butterfat content (10 percent for custard, as opposed to ice cream’s 35 to 50 percent) and the amount of air (up to 90 percent less in custard). That makes for a creamy, creamy texture and a rich eggy quality; since the confection is only frozen to 23 degrees, it’s also softer eating. Compared to this frozen custard, that stuff spouting off at Dairy Queen might as well be chilled milk. CJ’s offers chocolate and vanilla every day, along with a third flavor that rotates (the root beer float is weird and wonderful). Cool!

After a hard day of shopping at the Gap, world-weary twenty-year-olds with more disposable income than the average office worker head to the CPK, as the California Pizza Kitchen is known by those in the know, to bond over barbecued-chicken-covered pizza and chopped salads. Look for them in groups of giggly blondes (at the tables) or Goth wannabes of either gender (at the counter), and then watch as they pick up their valet-parked used Audis and drive off in search of meaning. Food of choice: anything with cheese.

When your water glass has been empty for an hour and you’re eating steak with a spoon, when your second course arrives a half hour after the first and your check is set down before dessert, remember this: You could be sitting in the elegant Briarwood Inn, sipping champagne and celebrating the kind of ser-vice this town hasn’t seen on a consistent basis since servers started getting 401(k) plans. At this 21-year-old bastion of good taste, many of the staffers have been here from the start — where else would they want to be? — and the veterans train the new hires. As a result, everyone understands that genuine cheerfulness, efficiency and decorum — rather than condescension, laziness and eye-rolling — are essential service elements, and warmth and professionalism permeate the Briarwood experience. Until the economy tanks completely and people start begging for service jobs, diners can take heart in the knowledge that they’ll be treated well at the Briarwood.

The Over-the-Top Burger at 3rd Ave. Eclectic Burgers and Cuisine is off the charts in more ways than one. If you have too many, your bank account may seize up even before your heart: This burger will set you back a fast $22. But it’s worth experiencing at least once if you’re intrigued by the thought of a half-pound of juicy, hand-ground beef topped with seared foie gras, sautéed chanterelles, caramelized onion, a thick slice of beefsteak tomato and peppery arugula — all soaked with a red-wine-spiked butter. Rich, rich, rich.

Over there — isn’t that the city’s top attorney having someone for lunch? And over there — a greedy developer eyeing his companion’s steak the same way he’d eye an empty plot in the Platte Valley! Take note of all the action on your special Palm Restaurant notepaper, thoughtfully provided by the management of a steakhouse known as much for its deals as its meals. Just be careful not to drip any grease on those notes — you may need them in court.

Is that a pickle in your pocket, or are you just happy to see the best sandwiches in town? Both Spicy Pickle outlets specialize in friendly, efficient service that quickly crafts sandwiches out of top-notch ingredients. The breads provide the base: They’re made by Il Fornaio and prove the ideal foundations for subs (thick, chewy Italian loaf) and panini (a soft focaccia). Then pile on any Boar’s Head meat (we like the rosemary ham), cheese (the goat gets us), topping (check out the corn relish) and spread (harissa mayo is a zinger) in any combination you can think of. The kitchen remembers to pay attention to details: The lettuce is shredded extra-thin and then mixed with the mayo for super-gloppicity; if you get your sandwich to go, each half will be wrapped snug in butcher paper for easier eating. And everything, of course, comes with the Spicy Pickle’s signature snappy, housemade pickle. Is everybody happy?

While recent Census Bureau statistics enlightened some locals to the fact that Denver is becoming an increasingly diverse city, patrons of Charlie Brown’s Bar & Grill have known it all along. On any given night (or late morning, or mid-afternoon), the deliciously dilapidated interior crawls with the young, the old, the hip and the downtrodden — all united under a common appreciation for cheap drinks, friendly service and getting blotto in comfortable surroundings. Nestled in the lobby of the historic Colburn Hotel — a sociological study in and of itself — Charlie Brown’s may be the only place in town where you can order a double Bloody Mary with a side of eggs at 8 a.m. and not be looked at sideways by your server. Charlie’s is best experienced during happy hour, on the patio, in the summertime, when the first round is two for one and the people-watching is prime. But this 75-year-old gem is always a divey treat, right down to the collection of nautical gear decorating the island bar (eat your heart out, Ship Tavern!) and the Tin Pan Alley-era soundtrack provided by pianist Pauly Lopez. And now, a toast!

When it comes to Caesar salad, Bravo! plays a different tune. Not content to offer the usual romaine pile topped with Caesar dressing, croutons and parmesan, this elegant Italian eatery hails Caesar by adding endive and radicchio, which boosts the bitterness and also inserts color, and then tosses the greens with crisp romaine in a well-balanced blend of garlic, anchovies, oil and vinegar. More saltiness — the real appeal of Caesar, wouldn’t you say? — is provided by unexpected olives, and a crunchy slice of Gorgonzola-topped crostini adds texture and extra flavor. Encore!

The barrio in Sevilla, Spain, called Triana is colorful and lively, the birthplace of famous bullfighters, a mecca for poets and folksingers, and quite possibly the original home of tapas. The restaurant in Boulder called Triana is colorful and lively, a mecca for foodies, the birthplace of Boulder’s most well-rounded Latin scene and quite possibly the purveyor of the most authentic tapas this area has ever seen. Running the show at Colorado’s Triana is James Mazzio, one of Food & Wine‘s top ten up-and-coming chefs in 1999 and a marvel at all things Mediterranean. Not only does his new restaurant offer an extensive roster of tapas — crispy clam strips sprinkled with sugar and salt and served in a brown paper cone, a tequila-spiked salmon “margarita,” almond-stuffed dates wrapped in smoked bacon — but it also features a heavenly array of Spanish dishes that stimulate the senses and soothe the soul (try the Mallorcan vegetable curry with cinnamon-flavored, golden-raisin-studded rice). All of this goodness is served amid concrete-topped tables, bullfighting-inspired wall art and the colors of Spain: blood red, midnight-sky blue, harvest-sun yellow. Add interesting Spanish wines and live flamenco music on the weekends, and all we can say is Olé!

Denver’s never been overrun with Southwestern eateries, but we’d gladly surrender to this one. Everything in Julia Blackbird’s pays homage to the Southwest, from the bright, colorful art and knickknacks — the decor duplicates the owners’ home — to the chile-infused food made by chef/part owner Julia Siegfried-Garrison. The menu is basic, there’s no liquor license (although we hope that may be coming), and on weekends, it’s standing room only. But the place is packed for a reason: Siegfried-Garrison makes food that hits the soul, from complex chiles to Navajo stew, blue corn-coated chiles rellenos to zippy salsas. Creamy queso fresco adds richness to her enchiladas, the hearty posole will cure anything that ails you, and the pine-nut-packed chocolate cake is a perfect finale to any meal. It’s the shortest distance between here and Sante Fe as the blackbird flies.

It would be annoying that chef/owner Sam Kraydie keeps announcing that Pita Jungle is the best Middle Eastern restaurant around — if it didn’t also happen to be true. This vibrantly decorated, fern-draped eatery boasts the town’s top baba ghanouj — the eggplant charbroiled for extra flavor and mashed with lots of lemon — as well as killer kabobs, homemade lebni (the creamy Middle Eastern yogurt) and heavenly hummus. And when he wasn’t boasting, Kraydie was out procuring a pizza oven where he could make his own pitas. They come out of that oven fresh, hot and delicious, just ready to scoop up some well-seasoned shawarma.

The Funky Buddha may be named for a chubby Eastern avatar, but what’s really worshiped inside this happening club is the martini. The cocktail menu boasts a dizzying number of variations on the ol’ James Bond standby; deciding between “shaken” and “stirred” is the least of your worries. Whatever you choose, you’ll be able to sip your drink in style. The Buddha’s glamorous but comfy vibe is a welcome combination of downtown chic and youthful kitsch. The bar is hip, to be sure, but not to a fault; the urbanite clientele is stylish, not snobbish, and often beautiful. Just remember this one noble truth: Don’t forget to tip your bartender.

You’ve got the whole world in your hand when you’re holding a bottle at Mondo Vino, a new wine shop whose contents span the globe. Every major wine-producing country is represented here, and owner Duey Kratzer, a member of the Guild of Master Sommeliers, is more than happy to spend a few minutes — or a few hours, if you really get him going — chatting about the wines he’s chosen for his beautiful store. There aren’t any stickers or hang tags proclaiming Wine Spectator awards or Robert Parker adjectives, but then, none are needed, because Kratzer and his staff selected every single bottle personally. Feel free to browse amid the Australian-pine wine racks on the smooth hardwood floors; the warm, open space has been set up like an old library, and there’s no need to fear that you’re going to knock a hundred bottles down with a single butt shot. Mondo Vino delivers, too, and consults on restaurant wine lists around town. If it’s good enough for Denver’s top tables, Mondo Vino’s certainly good enough for you. What a glass act!

There was a time when fortune cookies contained messages imparting ancient Chinese wisdom, little snippets of philosophy to digest along with the food. But as times change, so do our concerns for the future — which Dragon Cafe recognizes with fortunes that are right on the money. And so when you break open a cookie here, you’ll get the message loud and clear: “You’ll have more money than you can spend,” “Your fortune will come from scratch,” “Your forgotten collection will bring you a great fortune,” “The experts at Wall St. will be shocked by your financial success,” and, finally, “A large sum of money will be deposited in your account weekly.” We can live with that.

Every Saturday morning beginning April 7 and every Wednesday afternoon beginning May 9, latte sippers mingle with Boulder and Denver chefs, serious home cooks with chatty socializers, at the Boulder County Farmers’ Market, the largest farmers’ market in the state. It begins the season with flats of seedlings — tomato, pepper and eggplant, to be nurtured inside, as well as cabbage, broccoli and cold-resistant herbs ready to be set out in the garden. While you wait for those to grow, you can feast off tender leaves of spinach and baby lettuce, blue cornmeal and dried black beans also sold at the market. Later there will be hothouse tomatoes and, still later, brilliant, warm-fleshed specimens ripened by the sun. Then peaches, apricots, plums and, as summer begins to merge with fall, locally grown corn picked the same morning, huge black-purple eggplants and others white as eggs, several kinds of garlic, and long strings of shallots. And at every market, you can take your pick of herb vinegars, mushrooms, turnips and apples, ostrich eggs, melons, honey, armloads of wildflowers, and delectables cooked up by local vendors.

Caterer Tammy Davis, who first tempted us at a little diner called Divine Temptations, is back — in a new space, but still up to her old tricks. Although Sweet Rockin’ is an adorable bakery on its own, with an excellent coffee bar and breakfast and lunch items that satisfy both a hungry stomach and a sweet tooth, the real temptations here are Davis’s homemade chocolates. These are enchanting little confections made with good-quality chocolate — Davis uses the domestic Merckens, a favorite of the home candymaker because of its low working temperature, high flexibility and rich, cocoa-heavy flavor — and oozing enticing fillings, including peanut butter, coconut cream, lemon, maple and vanilla with macadamia nuts. Chocolates come in both milk and dark versions, and one bestseller is a white chocolate filled with coffee cream (coffee and cream, get it?). Davis also cooks up cherry cordials and seven types of truffles (the English toffee rules), and her bittersweet-dipped dried apricots put gorp to shame. Although offerings vary from day to day, the $19-per-pound price is a constant — and a bargain, considering how these chocolates rock!

Don’t hold this inviting eatery’s location against it — once you’re inside the patchouli-scented space that is India’s Rang Mahal, you’ll forget all about the strip mall outside. Rang Mahal, which means “color palace,” lives up to its name: The restaurant is full of sensual delights, from the perfumey smells of incense to the rich fabrics that decorate the space to the food itself. One bite buys you passage to India, where spices are used to take ordinary meats and vegetables to a higher plane. Chef Vinod Malhopra likes to play with flavors to see what he can coax out of them; sometimes he pan-fries fennel seeds to bring out the taste at their center, and sometimes he roasts them to bring oils to the forefront. The vegetarian dishes are out of this world, and the lamb dishes are also sublime — particularly the rogan josh, a North Indian specialty that puts the meat in an almond-based sauce.

This is some dim sum. King’s Land, a cavernous Chinese restaurant at the edge of a parking lot that’s surrounded by Asian markets and eateries, puts on the most authentic dim sum spread in town. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends, the kitchen sends out carts in rapid succession bearing an assortment of steaming buns, fragrant barbecued ribs, ground shrimp in its many guises, semi-sweet custard tarts and cakes, sticky rice balls and meat-packed dumplings. Choose quickly and eat up, because the next cart will be around before you know it. Dim sum translates to “little heart’s delights” in Cantonese, and King’s Land has certainly won ours. Dim sum here is a real afternoon delight.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll no doubt say it again: Sushi Den slices up the best sushi in town. The setting is stylish, the fish spanking fresh, and the owners adventurous enough to import their own from Japan so that Denverites can get a rare, raw look at what sushi should really be.

The crust on Parisi’s pizza isn’t the thick, thick Sicilian-style, but it’s not crackly-thin, either. Let’s split the difference and agree that this crust is simply delicious, thick enough to hold a ton of toppings, but not so thick that you’re done for after a single slice. Simone Parisi, a native of Florence, Italy, and his wife, Christine, a native of Boulder, Colorado, always wanted to open an authentic pizzeria in Denver, and that’s exactly what they did a few years ago. Since then, they’ve gained plenty of fans, and with good reason. Their pizzas are divided by theme, such as rustica and vegetariana, and come loaded with fresh and imported ingredients, including Simone’s own house-smoked scamorze cheese. And even after all the toppings are gone, along with the pie’s chewy center, the oven-charred, crispy edge of the crust makes for great post-pizza snacking.

You’ll be bowled over by the bargain that is Kokoro. Since the Colorado Boulevard location opened in 1985, Kokoro has been serving healthy food for a very slim price, and the deal is the same at the newer site in Arvada. The regular-sized rice bowls and noodle bowls all come in at under $4 and are plenty for a meal, filled with such heart-happy ingredients as lean beef, skinless chicken breast, fresh snow peas, broccoli, bamboo shoots, Asian cabbage, bean sprouts and carrots. If you’re really hungry, a “super” version still costs less than $6, tax included. Sit at the counter and get to know your neighbor, or grab your dinner to go — either way, the food is fast, cheap and delicious.

The Piper Inn isn’t tough to spot: It’s the small, low bar on Parker Road that’s hiding behind that wall of gleaming Harleys. Inexplicably named after the venerable airplane line, the Piper Inn is smoky and noisy and can be a great place to watch two grown men fight over a gal wearing not much more than thigh-high boots and an American-flag bandanna. But the real draw here are the wings, available in mild, medium and hot, and done in the classic Buffalo style: crispy-skinned and saturated with Tabasco-spiked butter. Order them in multiples of five, and order twice as many as you think you’ll need, because these wings fly off the plate. And if the crowd looks especially cranky, order them to go.

It’s noon. Do you know where your legislator is? Chances are she’s wolfing down one of Denver’s best burgers at CityGrille, the gathering place/watering hole for anyone who’s anyone at the State Capitol — not to mention anyone who lobbies anyone there or across the street at city hall. But CityGrille isn’t just for the power elite; if these walls could talk, they’d have the scoop on everyone from contributors and aides to secretaries and janitors, all of whom take advantage both of this casual, divey eatery’s proximity to the Capitol and of its fabulous green chile. The three-martini lunch is alive and well here, as is strict, power-lunch protocol: If you’re talking in low, hushed tones, everyone looks away. For a minute, anyway.

Get stuffed at Playo de Oro, a quiet, corner eatery that’s half takeout, half eat-in — and all about delicious, soft chiles rellenos. While many Denver diners are fans of the egg roll type of relleno, that’s probably because they’ve eaten one too many disappointing soft versions, which too often go wrong in the cooking process. But Playa de Oro knows how to avoid all those grease pitfalls. It packs long, skinny poblanos with Monterey Jack, dunks them in a thick egg soufflé of a batter, and then fries them until just the thinnest, crispiest, golden-brown shell forms around the chile. That means no soggy goo that turns to lead in your stomach, and no fast-cooling cheese that turns to lead outside of your stomach. This relleno is the stuff of dreams, a crunchy beauty until the very last bite.

When most people in this town talk about great Mexican food, they’re talking about the kind of burrito you find at El Ranchito. Don’t bother telling them that the burrito was invented by Mexicans working in California, not Tijuana; and don’t dare suggest that this style of burrito was designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. In fact, since you can’t beat them, you might as well join them in digging into an overstuffed, cheese-covered tortilla smothered with Denver’s take on green chile. El Ranchito’s burrito supreme is an exemplary version of this quasi-Mex mainstay, bursting with well-seasoned meats mixed with diced tomatoes, and topped by thick, heavy guacamole, lots of sour cream, a quilt of melted yellowish-orange cheese and a sweet, gravylike green.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Man does not live by bread puddings alone, although one bite of Trattoria Stella’s creations might suggest otherwise. Pastry queen Marna Freeman often has two or three puddings on the menu: The fruit-filled puddings vary depending on what’s in season — the occasional combo of blackberries, cherries and lemon is to die for — and the others usually involve either chocolate or mascarpone for extra richness. Every slice is sure to be stunning, with a unique cakelike texture that makes for less heavy and more heavenly eating. And the portion is more than enough for two — if you’re willing to share. Stel-l-l-la!

I scream, you scream, we all screamed when the Dolly Madison dairy stores closed this year, after giving the scoop to local ice cream lovers for over half a century. But you can take cold comfort in the fact that one outlet of the Dolly Madison chain is still serving: The shop inside the Dolly Madison plant is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If it’s not quite to grandmother’s house you go, the Oak & Berries Tea Room is the next best thing. Better, in fact, if your relatives didn’t live in the elegant, high-Victorian style of the lovely Holiday Chalet, a B&B as well as the best place in town for tea. Roxanne Mays, former manager of afternoon teas at the Brown Palace, is in charge here, and she sets out a lovely spread from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. The tea runs $17 a head and includes not only scones (want seconds? just ask) and savory tea sandwiches and pastries, but also your choice of two homemade soups. And then, of course, there’s the tea — which often includes a few interesting, international selections that Mays has discovered. Take your tea at one of the tables in the dining room, with its mismatched antique china, in a private room or, when the weather is nice, in the Holiday Chalet’s beautiful garden, where Mays also offers tea parties for children.

There’s nothing cheesy about serving yourself, not when you get to cozy up to a warm pot of fondue at the Melting Pot. You get your choice of seasoned broths or oils, as well as your pick from a variety of meat-and-veggie combos; after the raw ingredients arrive, you fire up the table and get cooking, plunging the cut-to-order tenderloin and chicken, or shrimp and lobster, or mushrooms, potato slices and broccoli, into the hot liquid. When the tidbit’s done to your specs, take it out, dip it into one of the Melting Pot’s creative sauces, and enjoy. Repeat the process as often as you want for a full meal. But be sure to save room for dessert, because the reward for all your hard work is a superb chocolate fondue.

Mamma mia! Stepping into Buca di Beppo is like walking into the greatest Little Italy flea market ever — the place overflows with old photographs of Italian starlets and tacky souvenirs from the Vatican. So you’ll understand why your companion might spend an inordinate amount of time in the basement bathroom: Retiring areas for both sexes are full of hilarious vintage items — cautionary health advisories, ads for sanitary products — arrayed amid classic ’50s decor items. From Joe’s mouth to ours.

At the Night Shift Saloon, the hamburger is as God intended when he first conceived of this most amazing creation. In the beginning, there’s a huge slab of ground beef, which is charbroiled until it boasts craggy bits of grill-blackened meat and drips with juices; then it’s covered with a thick, thick blanket of Velveeta-like cheese that melts to create a permanent bond with a bun that’s quintessential burger bread: medium-thick, with a Wonder Bread texture that’s ideal for soaking up grease. And that’s it. No fancy filet mignon, no imported cheese, no bakery-baked bun, no frou-frou toppings. Just you, the Night Shift’s busy dive-bar ambience, and big beef. You’re welcome.

The hippest hangouts go against the flow. While restaurants across the country are banning those irritating cell phones, Vesta Dipping Grill welcomes them. And if you’re sitting at the bar, the bartender will even provide a handy adapter so that you can recharge the sucker. Vesta has your number.

Think metro Denver has a growth problem? Over the past decade, a certain appetizer has sprawled across menus from Castle Rock to Longmont, clogging major arteries with gluey, mayo-heavy artichoke goo. But Patsy’s, a venerable red-sauce joint in the heart of northwest Denver, promotes smart growth with its artichoke-and-ricotta dip, a sweeter, lighter version of the ubiquitous starter.

Although Vesta Dipping Grill digs deep to create some of the most flavorful meat and fish dishes in town, we like to dive into the three salads on the menu at this groovy hangout. Like every other course here, the salads show how paying close attention to details can result in big taste dividends. And so a Thai-beef version features seared slips of tenderloin soaked with a ginger-cilantro vinaigrette over red oak-leaf greens, and a Bibb lettuce salad with Gorgonzola and candied walnuts comes tossed in a roasted-pear vinaigrette, topped by red onions that have been marinated in some sort of nutmeggy liquid. But our favorite, greens down, is the baby arugula with roasted-fig vinaigrette, shaved Romano, and a brilliant grind of fresh black pepper that brings out the fig’s sweetness and echoes the peppery greens.

If it was good enough for Clark Gable, the 128-year-old Cliff House is good enough for us — but we don’t know what Clark would make of that @ that’s been added to the name. Never mind; such pesky thoughts will disappear the minute you step into the cream puff of a dining room, all Victorian splendor with its custard colors and pillowy-soft furnishings. The Cliff House’s expert staff takes such good care of you that the service also seems to date from that gilded era, and the food makes it clear that your entire time at this meal, in this intimate room, in this delightful era, is intended to accentuate the sensual. (You hope she’ll love you as much as she does the lobster-topped wild mushroom risotto.) But as gorgeous as the newly restored dining room looks — particularly with that nineteenth-century stone fireplace — it’s nothing compared to the stunning, panoramic views of the Rockies outside. After dinner and star-gazing, slip into one of the Cliff House’s plush suites and make plans for breakfast, which should include the kitchen’s sumptuous steak — that’s filet mignon, of course — and eggs, and for a post-prandial stop at one of the local hot springs. Frankly, my dear, you won’t give a damn if you ever make it

Call it New American, call it contemporary, call it fusion. Whatever you choose to call it, the food at Mel’s Bar and Grill is undeniably delicious. Owners Mel and Janey Masters juggle international ingredients with domestic tastes, and somehow their dishes all work. Looking for an upscale meatloaf? Try the buffalo. Looking for an Asian fish dish? Try the seared ahi with soba noodles. And if you’re looking for anything from around the Mediterranean, Mel’s your man, offering everything from rabbit risotto and grilled eggplant polenta to fennel sausage tagliatelle and grilled lamb. Pair your meal with wines that make sense — check out the ever-changing “Mel’s Special Wine Picks” for the real bargains — and relax in the quirky but comfy atmosphere of this Cherry Creek institution (the happenin’ bar area is also an option). Still don’t know what to call it? Doesn’t matter. Eat at Mel’s.

Ignore the grape-friendly name and the odd strip-mall location: The Wine Company boasts the city’s best boutique beer selection, and its coolers hold treasures that aren’t sold anywhere else in Colorado. The hundreds of American and imported craft and microbrews available here are kept under refrigeration and tended by savvy staffers who drink what they sell. And if by chance they don’t have that dream beer you’re craving, they’ll track it down for you.

Talk about vroom service: Perched beside a major commuter airport, the Perfect Landing offers an unbroken view of the Rockies, from Pikes Peak to Longs Peak — unbroken, that is, except for the private jets that take off and land every few minutes. Although you can see all the action from the big picture windows, a seat on the second-floor patio puts you in the thick of things. In the morning, watch the sun hit the mountains as you dig into a four-egg omelette; come back in the late afternoon for a plate of chiles rellenos that are almost as ogle-worthy as the sunset. The scene is so impressive that even the pilots who just flew through it drop by for a look and a cocktail (post-flight, of course).

When a store is as huge as the Castle Rock Safeway — which is 50 percent larger than your average Safeway — you have to fill it with something. But after stocking the typical meat-and-potatoes supermarket fare, as well as fresh sushi, Chinese takeout, a pizza bar and a Starbucks counter, the store still had room, so it added a special “store within a store” that features 8,000 natural foods, including organic produce and a hundred items derived from tofu. Soy far, soy good.

A specialty of New York delis, black-and-white cookies got some extra attention a few years ago when they were featured on an episode of Seinfeld (“Look to the cookie!” Jerry shouted). But these unusual delights have long been a culinary curiosity. Also known as half-moons, the cookies are made using the basics: flour, butter, sugar, eggs, milk, baking powder, salt, and a touch of vanilla and lemon. Then they’re covered with sweet frosting, chocolate on one side and vanilla on the other — thus the simple, descriptive name. (Seinfeld suggested that the proper way to eat one was to munch up the middle so that both colors were included in every bite.) Although Denver has always had problems getting authentic New York food, the New York Deli News delivers: These homemade black-and-whites are authentic six-inch, melt-in-your-mouth monsters. At $2.75 apiece, the cookie’s large enough to split with a friend; the only problem is deciding who gets which color.

Want to really ruffle some feathers? Don’t just serve a holiday bird — catch it yourself. At Four Direction Farm, Charlie and Merrilee Gilman raise then release several thousand pheasants into the wild population, which makes their land outside of Hotchkiss a great place to catch your own holiday dinner. For $300 per person, you get a hunting dog, a guide and a dog-handler who’ll help you bag your limit of four birds. BYO firepower.

There isn’t a dud anywhere on the menu at Jan Leone’s self-titled janleone: The Brie baked with brown sugar and walnuts and the escargot with Gorgonzola are splendid starters, and the carbonara pappardelle and seafood-stuffed lasagne are inspired entrees. Still, we confess to a certain soft spot for the desserts by Leone’s daughter, Mara. Although the closing lineup changes periodically, highlights usually include a toasted pistachio cake with mascarpone cheese and a rich and unusual coffee-flavored panna cotta. Mara also does a semifreddo, a chilled dessert that involves frozen mousse with copious amounts of whipped cream thrown in to add air pockets, making the dessert the perfect light but luscious finale for Jan’s rich food. It tastes extra sweet when eaten in the attached Col-Mar bar while a local songstress belts out “Hello, Dolly.”

Granted, Isle of Singapore Cafe may be Denver’s only Indonesian restaurant at the moment. Still, this modest storefront deserves kudos for its authentic Asian fare, which includes unusual dishes from Singapore and Malaysia as well as Indonesia. (Skip the Chinese offerings.) The seafood and chicken dishes are out of this world (or close enough), and downing a durian smoothie, made from the world’s stinkiest fruit, earns you major bragging rights. Isle be seeing you…

Golden Plate’s hot-and-sour dumpling soup more than lives up to its name. Tender, pork-filled pasta pockets come swimming in a pungent, fiery liquid laced with fresh cilantro, green onion and five-alarm red peppers. The soup is a perfect blend of spicy and tart, and the dumplings add a dash of salt — as well as doughy relief — to balance the dangerously addictive broth. If you can’t stand the heat…no soup for you!

While Roy’s Cherry Creek landed in Denver just over a year ago, it’s definitely a keeper. Owner Roy Yamaguchi, an internationally renowned chef whose chain is based in Hawaii, knows how to combine exceptional service, sleek but luscious surroundings and imaginative, well-executed seafood dishes made with the freshest specimens available (try the oily, deeply flavored monchong or the cornmeal-rubbed dorado) for an extraordinary catch. We’re hooked.

From the heady aroma of medium-rare prime rib that greets you each Wednesday through Saturday, to the USDA prime steaks laid out like Tiffany flatware, to the astounding jumble of delicacies in the freezer — ostrich cutlet, anyone? Elk medallion? Colossal prawn? — Timberline Meats is a carnivore’s dream. But anyone can sell meat: What sets Timberline apart is the love. Everyone who works at this tiny yet alluring meat market is not just interested in, not just obsessed with, but head over heels in love with edible animal parts. Buyers are sent off with a comforting “Oh, you’ll think you died and went to heaven” from the owners, who used to run the Shriner’s Temple kitchen.

Who’d think that a tiny Italian eatery in Parker would offer the area’s best version of New York-style pizza? There’s no question, though, that Tonti’s makes the real thing: a drippy pie with a sweet, sweet sauce, thin, crackery crust and enough cheese that each bite creates a string that could stretch from one end of the restaurant to the other. It’s tempting to order this pizza by the slice, so that you can eat it the way New Yorkers do: folding it in half and letting orange-colored oil run down your hand. But instead, we recommend that you order the whole pie, since we know you’ll want to eat that much and more. Tonti’s is a real bite of the Big Apple.

Don’t be crabby: Join the downtown club that’s already found the best place to get happy — and fed — as the weekend swings into action. When you buy two drinks during Friday’s 4-6 p.m. happy hour at Del Mar Crab House, the feed is free — and it’s a real catch, including shrimp-filled quesadillas, peel-your-own shrimp, hot wings, pepper poppers, and tri-color chips with salsa. If your ship came in at work this week, treat your newfound friends by shelling out for some oysters at reduced prices from the raw bar. This place is a pearl.

Smacks Cafe is a very small eatery that sits in a strip mall and looks like the sandwich shop it used to be. In short, you’d never expect the place to fry up the best chicken this side of the Mississippi, but that’s exactly what Smacks does. Deep-fried to order, the fried chicken can take anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes, depending on how busy this rib joint is — but it’s always worth the wait. Each piece (a half-bird’s worth to an order) has been lightly salted, barely dusted with flour and then fried until the skin turns into a crisp shell barely holding in all the juicy, salty, lightly greasy flesh beneath. Add a side of homemade cornbread, macaroni blanketed with freshly grated cheese, and Smacks’ down-home collard and mustard greens, as well as a slice of white cake, and your mouth’s gone south for the winter.

At night, the Rialto Cafe is one of the snazziest restaurants around, offering both live jazz and some of the most decadent desserts imaginable. But in the morning, starting at an eye-popping 5:30 a.m., the Rialto gets down to business — serious business. This discreet, dimly lit space is just the place for the solo salesman to get his thoughts together for that big meeting, or for local power-mongers to lay out their plans for taking over the world — or at least that block out by Lowry. The Rialto’s kitchen does its bit by serving up serious power food: omelettes made from smoked salmon; roasted-red-pepper cream cheese and artichoke hearts; chorizo-stuffed breakfast burritos; and, for the heavy-hitters going light, fresh juice and homemade pastries.

Julia Blackbird’s, a charming little eatery that stands in northwest Denver but has its heart in New Mexico, makes a red sauce that’s as multi-layered, deeply colored and earthy as red-rock country. Made from chiles grown in Chimayo, a town about 25 miles north of Santa Fe, this sauce benefits mightily from the chiles’ rich flavor and slight heat. Try it as part of the “three sisters” entree: three enchiladas accompanied by Julia’s trio of chiles.

Paul Sandoval is the masa of his domains, since his two spots — La Casita and La Casa de Tamales — still serve up the best tamales in town. These little corn-husk-covered delicacies — at once soft, moist, mealy and chewy — come red (chile mixed with pork), green (chile with cheese) and vegetarian (with jalapeos, tomatoes, corn and onions). A dozen will set you back less than $8 and fill you up for days.

If you have a big hunger and not much time, head for the Burrito Co. All day long, people keep pulling up to this takeout-only spot on Santa Fe. They get in line, choose from dozens of possible orders (our favorites all involve the succulent shredded beef), wait about two minutes — and then collect their orders at the handy service window. Each burrito comes individually, and tightly, wrapped in foil, letting off a puff of steam when it’s undone and consumed — often in the parking lot, usually within seconds. Remember to pack out your garbage.

Although it seems like Benny Armas, owner of Benny’s Restaurante & Cantina, has been around forever (he started in the kitchen at the late, great Oak Alley Inn twenty years ago, and today his namesake place has lines out the door), his chips are always fresh and his salsa always sassy. A second after you reply “yes” to what are often the server’s only words of English — “chips and salsa?” — a basket lands on your table, full of freshly fried and lightly salted tortilla chips, accompanied by a bowl of tongue-tinglingly spicy salsa. We’d willingly pay for this starter — and, in fact, Benny’s used to charge $1.50 for chips and salsa — but today it’s given out gratis. Gracias.

Man does not live by tortilla alone. For example, there’s also tequila. Tequila that’s twenty years old, tequila that’s a hundred years old, tequila that comes in that familiar Jose Cuervo bottle, tequila that comes in containers worthy of museum status. The tequila just keeps coming to La Cueva, a 27-year-old restaurant on East Colfax that welcomed in the millennium by adding a trendy tequila-and-margarita bar to its already substantial lineup of authentic Mexican fare. The dishes come from Norma Nuez, and she’s justifiably proud of them — so much so that she’s produced a book of her recipes.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle is still the meat to beat. At this classy steakhouse, the prime, dry-aged, cut-to-order beef is inevitably what’s for dinner. To go with it, order one of the substantial sides — the skillet potatoes and onions will put hair on your chest — along with a bottle of wine from Del Frisco’s well-stocked cellar and a knock-out dessert. Your steak will arrive perfectly cooked and impeccably served in an atmosphere that’s at once elegant and amiable. And if you get to watch a Bronco pulling up steaks at the next table, so much the better.

There they sit, mostly at Deja Vu’s bar, well-manicured and well-lubed, looking for someone with whom to lament their lot in life and talk tax shelters. Their purses (or their money clips) match their shoes (or their bolo ties), and they look longingly at the bar menu before announcing that the Atkins diet has been a godsend. Food of choice: martini, dry, with many olives to relieve sexual tension.

Anyone can take a slice of bread, soak it in an egg batter, fry it and call it French toast. But chef/owner Dan Landes pays attention to the details at his vegetarian-focused WaterCourse Foods, and so he uses sweet, nutmeg-flecked banana bread, sliced thick and fried until golden, for his French toast. You can skip the syrup (although it’s available); the toast is always moist, and honey-roasted walnuts on top add a deep sweetness that goes well with the bread. There’s no bacon, of course, but fresh fruit rounds out the plate nicely. Add a tall, expertly poured latte and get ready to go with the flow at WaterCourse.

There are many theories as to how it happened, but the most popular one goes like this: A while back, a cook was standing behind the counter at the Chubby Burger Drive-In enjoying his favorite snack — a plate of French fries (a hangover menu item from the previous owner) drowned in cheddar cheese and green chile (a speciality of the new owner) — when a few customers asked what he was eating. “Smothered fries,” he replied. The customers ordered a plate, wolfed down the fries, and later returned for more. Word spread, one thing led to another, and smothered fries became the hottest-selling item on a roster of of hot-selling items. Now practically everything at this 33-year-old, family-owned burrito stand comes drowned in green chile and cheese. There have been many imitators, but there is only one original plate of smothered fries. And there’s only one place to find it: the original Chubby Burger.

Hey — nice buns! John Stamper, owner of Full Measures, has the bottom line on baking. He knows how to pack all the butter and sugar that will fit into a ball of dough, then makes it even sweeter and richer by coating the outside with butter and sugar, too. The result is the sugar addict’s drug of choice, a chewy, super-sweet bun that’ll have you licking your fingers long after the last bite.

The Flagstaff House has been a special-occasion destination for three decades now, and its coffee service goes the extra distance for diners who’ve made it up the mountain — and must still find their way back down. Rather than the usual stuffy coffee presentation, the Flagstaff offers a fun “Sugar Tray,” its compartments filled with colorful, squeal-inducing tidbits used to flavor a cup of java that tasted pretty good to start with. Choose from licorice or mint “lentils”; butterscotch, chocolate or white-chocolate chips; raw, regular or brown sugar (loose or cubed); and orange-flavored sugar and candied limes. Then top it off with a blob of unsweetened whipped cream. We guarantee one cup will be a stirring experience.

Although the career waiter has gone the way of the Studebaker and the eight-track, that sad fact doesn’t slow John Carl one bit. After fifteen years as the most graceful, attentive server at one of the town’s most graceful, attentive restaurants, Carl still loves his job at Tante Louise. “It’s not what I went to college for,” admits the Iowa native, whose first job in Denver was at Top of the Rockies in the early ’70s. “But I do like to say I’m in the business of marketing escargot.” First, though, he sizes up the mood and sensibilities of the diners at a table, then suggests just the right dishes — escargot or no. After that, he goes about serving the meal with seamless, invisible efficiency; items appear and disappear from the table with barely a movement of air. You won’t realize that Carl’s at work unless you make it a point to watch him — and then you’ll be rewarded with quite a show. Watch Carl handle a difficult table with the greatest of ease. Watch Carl float like a butterfly without stinging like a bee. He’s pure poetry in motion. “I was pretty green when I got to Tante Louise,” Carl admits. “So I guess I’ve come a long way.” And how, baby.

Busara deserves praise for its dedication to authentic, spicy food. But it should also be commended for its open-mindedness when it comes to more personal matters. This trendy Thai restaurant in LoDo features three privies — one for men, one for women, and one for men and/or women. So if you’re part of a couple that enjoys doing everything together, or you can’t wait, or you simply can’t decide whether to sit or stand, Busara has the loo for you.

The menu at Luigi’s Bent Noodle issues a challenge: “If this isn’t the best minestrone recipe you’ve ever tasted, we want your recipe.” Hey, we surrender — we know we don’t have any-

thing to beat this minestrone, and we doubt anyone else this side of Italy does, either. Luigi’s minestrone is a thick, hearty tomato-based stew of vegetables, super-soft beans, melt-in-your-mouth bits of pasta, and sausage that’s just spicy enough to bring it all together, but not so spicy that it takes over. This bewitching brew is available by the cup, the bowl and the really big bowl. Bigger is better.

At too many sports bars, the chef is a former high school quarterback who thinks he should be in the kitchen because of his great touchdown pass of ’76 — a glorious moment he re-creates every time he turns out another imitation pigskin burger. But Lazy Dog Sports Bar and Grill has a real star in front of the stove: Bill Clifford, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who turns out winning fare that’s long on flavor and short on price. Clifford scores with appetizers ranging from crispy, cheese-gooey potato skins to warm, sweet crabcakes with homemade tartar sauce; he scores with entrees that include meat-dripping baby-back ribs and crackly crusted pizza; and he scores again in the end zone with housemade apple crisp and banana cream pie. Lazy Dog isn’t just a one-man show, however: All of the staffers here go the extra distance to make sure diners get a great meal.

When we eschew meat, we like to sink our teeth into the sun-dried-tomato polenta at Chinook Tavern. Sharply flavored tomatoes fill the creamy-centered, crunchy-crusted polenta; a garlic-packed pesto and velvety housemade mozzarella add depth; and roasted red bell peppers and sautéed mushrooms bring sweetness and earthiness into the mix. The dish is so big, it’s almost enough for two very healthy meals; it’s so tasty, you won’t even miss the meat.

When owners Cissy Yin and Jeff and Chris Oakley closed the original Bang! last fall, their faithful customers hardly knew what to do with themselves. Fortunately, the popular Highland eatery reopened less than a month later in a space across the street, this time with a liquor license, table service and a bit more space. Now serving dinner only, the charming eatery — yeah, it’s a little strange going down the alley and in through the back door, but you’ll get used to it — has expanded its menu to offer even more wonderful down-home cooking. The spicy peppered shrimp with mango habanero salsa is a must, but so is the celebrated meatloaf; the wine list is short but sweet (and well-priced). All in all, Bang! is one of Denver’s best — by a long shot.

Tante Louise has been around for forty years, but everyone’s favorite relative is as spry as ever. For classic French fare with a contemporary twist, for gracious service, for Old World elegance and an unbeatable wine list, Aunt Louise is the lady.

There’s a reason that beer geeks from around the globe fall into Falling Rock when they come to town. More than seventy reasons, to be precise. Falling Rock Tap House has over six dozen taps that pour some of the world’s best beers (and no supermarket swill) — everything from local draft gems and national craft treasures to rare imports, some of them available nowhere else in the country. And an equally expansive list of bottled beers guarantees that an evening spent here will be a beer-soaked descent into bliss.

Martha Stewart, eat your heart out. The Highlands Garden Cafe is not only a wonder of a restaurant, but its garden comes close to heaven on earth. When owners Pat and Chuck Perry expanded their eatery into the Victorian house next door, they added to their outside patio as well as their inside dining area. And when Pat wasn’t in the kitchen (Chuck runs the front of the house), she was out in the yard, filling the exterior space with as many flowers and plants as it would hold. The result is miraculous: a calming, serene setting that looks like something out of a frou-frou gardening magazine and serves as the perfect place to truly enjoy the fruits of Pat’s labors. Soak up the scented air while gazing at wildflowers and tasting the fresh herbs in the seasonally influenced fare before you. Pat’s talents with food are as impressive as her way with plants; what she does with animals such as salmon and chicken, all awash in delectable cream sauces, will give you glimpses of a whole new luxurious way of eating. What a way to grow!

Here’s proof for your kids that a penny hasn’t lost its value: One cent still buys ninety seconds of bucking, rocking, vibrating thrills for the pre-kindergarten set. The mechanical steeds stand ready near the checkout counters at all metro King Soopers locations, and while one ride doesn’t buy a frazzled parent quite enough time to run back and pick up that one forgotten item, it’s still a winner at the finish line.

The Manhattan Grill is full of unexpected finds: a drop-dead-gorgeous porterhouse, killer crab cakes and a marvelous Manhat-

tan (well, perhaps that’s not so unexpected). Now it turns out the chocolate cake is a sleeper, too. A super-sized confection thick and dense enough to lay the foundation for a Cherry Creek townhome but so moist it has the texture of mousse, this ganache-slicked wedge also comes with a floor show courtesy of the server, who sets off an avalanche of freshly whipped cream and then ceremoniously pours thick, rich hot-fudge sauce over the top. We’ll take Manhattan, all right.

Potager knows how to get a meal off to a great start. This “kitchen garden” offers an ever-changing roster based on what’s in season, and the appetizers are an ideal way to sample as much as possible, in realistic portions for a good price. From the always-stunning soufflé of the month to unique salads, homemade pâtés and innovative crostinis, Potager’s starters not only whet your appetite, but they tease it, tickle it, and get it so darned aroused you can’t wait to see what’s next.

At long last, we found a better Vietnamese restaurant than New Saigon, one with even more than the hundreds of dishes this place offers, one with even more deeply flavored sauces, one with an even more welcoming attitude. To get there, hop on a plane bound for Saigon. Get off and start walking…

Since Charlie Huang opened his Little Ollie’s in Denver (the original is in Aspen), the eatery’s gone through a few growing pains. But today Little Ollie is all grown up and serving the cleanest-tasting Chinese food in town. This is flavor-filled fare that showcases natural ingredients and puts a fresh spin on traditional favorites. The steamed whole sea bass, for example, is a delight to the senses — the ginger and seafood scents start wafting toward your table the second the dish comes out of the kitchen — and the curried chicken and stir-fried lobster are wonderfully novel approaches to classics. After a lengthy fight with the city, the patio is an officially great place to eat in the winter (it’s heated) or summer (excellent people-watching). And finally, Little Ollie’s boasts a well-chosen wine list that would be appealing in any restaurant, let alone a Chinese one. Little Ollie wins this award on a wok.

Something’s in the air, and it smells like cream spirit. From cow’s milk bleu to well-aged goat, Dave and Kate Kaufman have their knives on the pulse of imported cheeses, and they sell the best of them at The Truffle. Let the government confiscate what it will: This duo is determined to make sure Denver gets the raw goods, be it Boerenkaas or Taleggio, Bleu d’Auvergne or crottin de Chavignol. Feel free to ask for a taste (although chances are one of the Kaufmans will have already offered it), then buy your favorites. But don’t cut out yet: Linger a while and peruse some of the other gourmet goodies in this charming shop, including obscure olive oils, bulk cornichons, quince jam and, of course, its namesake fungi. Pass the crackers, please.

It’s 3 a.m. You’re tired and you’re hungry. You don’t want a Grand Slam — you want some home cooking that’ll calm your frazzled nerves. You want the real McCoys. Open 24-7 and operating diner-style, McCoys specializes in good, inexpensive comfort food: country-style fried chicken and mashed potatoes covered with pepper-speckled white gravy, a remarkably tasty plate of spaghetti with meatballs, and, of course, breakfast anytime, including big, fat cinnamon rolls with an icing roof. Really in need of comfort? Try the pot roast, drowning in dense, salty brown gravy and so cooked down it’s like baby food for adults. As you spoon up some sustenance, you can watch big people working on their late-night relationship issues.

The Saucy Noodle is back, and it’s better than ever. Neither rain nor snow nor last spring’s restaurant-gutting fire could put an end to this Denver institution. Today the Saucy Noodle is run by Erin and Nathan Markham — original owner Sam Badis, Erin’s dad, passed away five years ago — and it has both an expanded space and a snazzy new look. But one thing remains a constant: the red sauce, the same quintessential version the kitchen’s been cooking up since 1964. Sweet and smooth, with a faintly tart undertone and a rich, simmered-all-day consistency, the red goes with anything, but we particularly like it ladled over a plate of homemade spaghetti noodles, thick, chewy and al dente all the way, with a coupla fat meatballs on the side and a basket of bread. Is that Italian? You bet your noodle.

Spread the word: From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, Thai Landing offers the best lunch buffet in town. Just $4.60 buys this all-you-can-eat feast, which always includes at least one of Thai Landing’s complex curries, along with pad Thai, chicken wings, egg rolls, several vegetable dishes, fried and steamed rice, a salad bar and a soup (hope for the sweet-and-spicy coconut). Load up a plate, grab a seat in one of the comfy booths, and pray you can squeeze your stuffed self back out when you’re done.

No one’s crying fowl over DeLorenzo’s. This gourmet takeout shop knows how to do chicken right: Drench it in lemon juice, sprinkle it with fresh parsley and a smattering of pepper, and then slow-roast it in a rotisserie oven until the skin is crackly crisp and soaked with juices. When you bite into this bird (a half per order), more juices squirt out, revealing oh-so-tender breast and thigh meat within. Paired with a pile of buttery skin-on potatoes mashed until light and fluffy, this dish really flies.

For whatever sins you committed Saturday night, the Old Stone Church offers the easiest penance going: a warm, cozy Sunday brunch complete with innovative dishes and fresh-squeezed OJ. Start with a mimosa and an exploration of the bread basket, whose contents include such homemade delights as focaccia, icing-gooey cinnamon rolls, mini poppyseed muffins, cranberry-filled scones and homemade croissants. But you’ll want to save plenty of space for the enormous entrees — such temptations as corned beef hash with sweet potatoes, snow crab au gratin, and huevos rancheros with a chipotle cream sauce. The restaurant’s soothing atmosphere is conducive to a relaxing repast, and service comes with a smile. Amen to that.

Go south, young man, for the wildest, woolliest green chile in the West. Bill “Wild Willy” Miller has parlayed his extensive line of commercial salsas and chiles into Wild Willy’s Capsicum Cantina, a colorful little eatery that puts his products to a real taste test. The menu is short and spicy: just a few wraps, a couple of tacos, chips and salsa and some sides. The important thing to know is that any of these dishes can be smothered in Wild Willy’s chiles, which include a sirloin-primed red and an unusual green, in which chicken and white beans add flavor and texture. But we really go hog-wild over the chile verde con puerco, a classic New Mexico-style green that’s packed with pork loin and kickass chiles. This is one hot green, with enough chile punch to knock you out of yer boots. Yee-haw!

From her place of honor on the wall, Our Lady of Guadalupe has her eye on everyone who enters this bright storefront — and we think she likes what she sees coming out as well. Taquería Pérez makes the most wonderful tacos in town: flat, round, soft corn tortillas are mounted with meats that tickle your tastebuds. Look up when you get to the order window: The posted menu explains the options — lengua is tongue, carefully diced and pepper-rubbed; cesos is brain; tripas is tripe, barbacoa is “bar-b-que,” spicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender. What the menu doesn’t tell you is that each version — you get four for five bucks, lettuce, tomato, onion and cilantro included — is something special. We dare you to eat just one.

After a brief, dark period during which it dropped its burritos and went upscale, Barricuda’s — formerly the Ogden Cafe — is back in the swim. Its breakfast burrito is still a killer: stuffed with scrambled eggs, salty home-fried spuds and your choice of ham, sausage or bacon, and smothered in a gringo green chile of the gods. (Despite its name, it’s also offered all day.) At $3.95, this isn’t the cheapest breakfast burrito in town, but it’s large enough to get you through the day. Wash it down with a darned good two-buck Bloody Mary or two, and you may not have much of a day left to get through. Good morning to you, too.

The third time’s a charm for the margaritas served at Dixons, Racines and Goodfriends, a trio of local eateries owned by Lee Goodfriend, David Racine and Dixon Staples. Try as we might, and we’ve tried them all (it’s a dirty job but we’re urp to the task), we have yet to find a better margarita. The devilishly good drink is in the details: For the hand-shaken house margarita, an icy, twelve-ounce shaker is filled with Sauza Gold, blue agave, lime and triple sec (so austere, so sincere); the Greyhound adds a grapefruit bite for more adventurous drinkers. Or pair your favorite mixers with one of their dozens of tequilas. Conveniently, it just so happens that these elixirs go remarkably well with the Southwestern food at Dixons, the upscale sandwiches at Racines, and the just-in-for-a-quick-bite snacks at Goodfriends. Too many of these potions, though, and you’ll need more than the hair of the dog to recover the next morning. Might we suggest a hearty breakfast at Racines or Dixons?

Next stop, Kansas! But before you leave the state, stop off at Rip Griffin’s and refuel with “The Fill-up,” a giant omelette stuffed with chopped chicken-fried steak and American cheese that’s glued together with white gravy — the same white gravy that’s poured all over the top. That should hold you till Topeka.

Campo de Fiori, a recent Italian transplant from Aspen and Vail, makes a lot of things from scratch, but it’s the thought of Campo’s super-sweet, lemon-blendy Lemoncello that really gets our mouths watering. To make this intoxicating elixir, the staff fills a vat with 100-proof liquor — vodka, grappa, whatever’s lying around — chokes it with lemon peels and then lets everything sit for about a month, until the rinds have softened, sweetened and started to ferment. After a good straining, the lemoncello is sent to the freezer. When it’s nice and cold, it’s doled out in little grappa glasses. Trust us: That’s all you’ll need.

Chef Mark Gordon, late of Coos Bay and Mo-dena, has fine-tuned his adventurous menu at Ambrosia, a handsome east Denver bistro featuring a lovely patio. But he has made no changes in his matchless rendition of osso buco, the classic Italian dish of sautéed veal shanks, veal stock, white wine, a touch of tomato, vegetables and herbs. Simmered for five hours, Gordon’s masterpiece is fragrant with mingled scents of red pepper and orange zest, and it all but falls from the bone at the touch of a fork. To find a better version, you’ll have to go to Italy.

Now that the wife is gone and the kids are around only half the time, these guys can spend time — and money — on whatever they want. And what they want is to take themselves out to the ballgame, then over to Fadó for a pint o’ Guinness and other belly-enhancing carbos such as mashed potatoes in gravy and fat, greasy sausages. After day games, Fadó’s deck is the perfect place to let that belly hang out while ogling twenty-somethings in skimpy attire. Food of choice: the Ceili spuds, basically Tater Tots for grownups. Well, almost-grown grownups.

Tasteez is a very well-bread market. Pastry chef/chocolatier Michael Bortz creates artisan loaves with crackly, chewy crusts and soft, textured interiors that hold the scents of hearth and home. Every day, Bortz sets out boules, baguettes, ciabatta and brioche — a sweet, raisin-studded bread that makes first-rate French toast — along with specials that include stollen, the German Christmas yeast bread that’s filled with dried fruit and encrusted in sugar. This bread is a real slice of life.

The “Shoestrings and Romesco” tapas offering at Triana, a snazzy restaurant named for a barrio in Spain, sounds more like a singing group than the area’s most fabulous French fries. And, in fact, these are actually Spanish fries: long, thin-cut, skin-on potatoes that have been deep-fried and then liberally sprinkled with salt and — get this — sugar, so that the sugar caramelizes just slightly and both heightens and is heightened by the salt. Served in a paper cone set jauntily in a wire hanger, the fries also come with a small ramekin of romesco, a Spanish dipping sauce made from almonds and roasted red peppers. But these spuds don’t really need any augmentation: They sing all on their own.

Talk about rolling in dough: Moe’s Broadway Bagels, creator of one of the town’s top bagels, has the best cinnamon-roll recipe, too. We’re sweet on these jumbo rolls, which are dense but not too heavy, swirled with just the right amount of cinnamon and slicked with plenty of ultra-smooth, sugary icing. Paired with a cup of Moe’s Dazbog coffee, this is all the breakfast you need to get your day off to a delicious start. Show up early, because the rolls are usually snatched up by mid-morning from their post on a covered plate next to the cash register. Ka-ching!

At first glance, the intersection of Wadsworth and Alameda seems like just another busy corner — but look again. This place has a certain regal quality that can’t be denied. Perhaps that’s because it’s overseen by King Donut and Dairy Queen, which both rule on the northwest corner. If only Denver still had a Jack in the Box, the royal family might be complete.

This restaurant supply house was once wholesale only, but now that it’s open to the public, it’s become the Restaurant Source for household cooks as well. Just about anything you’ve ever coveted at a local restaurant — creamers, crumbers, squeeze bottles, cheese shakers, serving trays, booster seats, whisks, chafing pans, dishes, glasses, linens, tongs, baking molds, syrup pitchers and another 8,000 or so items — is stocked here. Loved that china pattern? The Restaurant Source probably has it. Always wanted a professional-quality sieve? The Restaurant Source definitely has it. And the price on that stainless service for forty is so low that you’ll be embarrassed that you ever even thought about pocketing a spoon at your local diner.

If you can’t imagine that the star server at a serious steakhouse such as Del Frisco’s Double Eagle could be a grandmother, then you’ve never encountered the magnificent Wendy Berve. Five minutes after she’s started working your table, you’ll feel as though you’re in the most capable hands in town; ten minutes more and you’ll want her to be your grandmother, too. But make no mistake: Berve isn’t your typical diner waitress sporting support hose and a bouffant hairdo. She’s stylish while still oozing sweetness, and her decades of work as a restaurant manager — from Josephina’s in the late ’60s to stints at Dudley’s, Marlowe’s, the Brokers and the Baywolf, among others — shows. “I guess part of the deal is that I still really like it,” she says. “I left for a while and did financial planning and real estate and sold computers, but I missed this. It still matters to me that people walk out happy.” We do.

Their hair is perfect, their clothes are perfect, their cell phones are always on, and their IPOs are on hold. So in the meantime, why not gather around the bar at Tommy Tsunami’s on weekend nights to suck down some sushi? Inspired by the funky setting, or maybe the seeming New York late-nightness of it all, these young urban pros look like they’re ready to revive the Nasdaq once they’ve closed the raw bar, which stays open even after the kitchen shuts down at midnight. Food of choice: tiger rolls.

Sure, plenty of those chain operations now offer signing bonuses, health insurance and other benefits of membership in the organization. But do they serve mamu? At Barolo Grill, Blair Taylor’s elegant, intimate eatery, the staffers all share in a free, post-business meal known as mamu, named in honor of “someone’s grandmother’s favorite meal,” according to Taylor. The mamu offerings vary depending on what’s left over that night, but whatever’s on the employee menu, it’s always washed down with remnants of wine and full-bodied talk — some of which no doubt centers on another Barolo amenity, the annual summer trip to Italy.

On a cold, wintry day, there’s nothing more gratifying than wrapping your mittened hands around a steaming bowl of soup. Particularly if that soup’s from the Philadelphia Filly, an old-fashioned quilted-metal cart that keeps things cooking on the 16th Street Mall right at Broadway. The recipes come from Sally Rock and Dale Goin, who long ago shut their restaurant of the same name in order to take their soups and gourmet cheesesteak

sandwiches on the road. Rock believes that any casserole or down-home dish can be made into a soup, and she proves it by offering such favorites as red beans and rice, chicken cordon bleu and tuna-cheese casserole in liquid form. These concoctions are so rich and flavorful, you’d swear you were eating the real thing. And flu sufferers, take note: The Filly’s version of chicken noodle contains curry and cayenne, which clear out the throat, and cream, which soothes it. Hurry and eat your fill now, though, because as soon as the days get as warm as these bowls, they’ll disappear until next winter — but you can get the Filly’s cheesesteaks year-round.

Every dog has his day, and now it’s Flying Dog’s turn to howl. After losing its Broadway Brewing space last year (the old Silver State Laundry building is now scheduled to become lofts, natch), the brewery/pub had to battle to get this new place — a space long ago abandoned by the Mile High Brewing Co. — up and running. But now the brewery’s back and better than ever, with a new name and the same great canine-themed brews, including the ever-popular Doggy-Style Pale Ale. And the kitchen in this laid-back tavern turns out dishes large enough to feed a horse — or at least a great Dane. The salads are made to order (our favorite is the blackened chicken), and the calzones wrap good, homemade pizza crust around copious fillings for major mealage. Good beer, good food: We’re going to the dogs.

Admittedly, Sunflower isn’t totally vegetarian: This sunny Boulder eatery does offer free-range poultry, wild game and fresh seafood. But the many dishes that it bills as vegetarian are indeed animal-free (they can come with raw-milk cheeses, but that’s optional) and absolutely delish. Start with a tofu-filled nori roll, fried in a tempura batter and served with a soy-sake dipping sauce, or the pesto-stuffed portobello, oven-roasted until the ‘shroom turns soft and steamy and infused with garlic. Then move on to a bamboo steamer filled with organic vegetables, udon noodles and marinated tofu, or a Szechuan stir-fry of Asian veggies tossed in sesame oil and pepper sauce. The organic basmati rice is orgasmic, and no animals were hurt in the production of the oh-so-moist vegan cranberry-orange walnut cake. The bloom is on this one.

If someone says they like you, make them prove it by taking you to the Flagstaff House. A meal in this beautiful old building high in the foothills is a pampering treat from start to finish. The staff is accommodating, the wine list overwhelming, and the entire menu absolutely luxurious. Of course, it’s going to cost your friend — and we all know what a bitch payback can be.back home.

The menu says that “only grandma could make it better,” but we don’t see how even she could improve on the food at Santino’s on Downing. Chef/owner Santino “Sonny” Rando’s marinara, for example, is the red sauce of dreams, slow-simmered until the fresh, herb-enhanced tomatoes cook down into a thick, rich liquid. It’s just the right consistency for ladling over Rando’s cheese-packed shells; throw in a few of his wickedly salty, oil-slicked, garlic-packed rolls and a glass of top-shelf Italian wine from his well-chosen list and you have the most comforting of Italian meals. But don’t think Rando can’t see beyond red: Other items on the menu offer a grand tour of his prowess with sauces, from mushroom-imbued creams to Sicilian-inspired lemon-based dreams. Forget grandma’s house — it’s to Santino’s we go for impressive Italian fare in an intimate, inviting setting.

We were looking for a well-rounded roster of wines, one with enough offered by the glass to give us plenty of sampling opportunities; with some international favorites mixed with a rarity here and there; with reasonable prices that could stretch from a casual meal to a big splurge; with a choice of a few bubblies; with some interesting domestics; and, oh, yes, maybe with some “other fun stuff.” Simple, really — as long as you’re looking at the wine list at the Fourth Story Restaurant & Bar. This classy, book-filled restaurant atop the Tattered Cover has something for everyone, in every price range: low-priced Germans, mid-range Oregon pinot noirs, upscale Rhones, Merlots to fit every budget, big-legged Italians and a few Spanish and Australian options. The by-the-glass list runs the red-and-white gamut, and the sparkling section features selections from all over the map. There’s even “other fun stuff,” too, listed under just that title and starring such oddities as Chenin Blanc and Semillon. Salut!

When spring hits, the Wildflower opens up its gorgeous patio, known as The Terrace. Situated on the backside of Gore Creek and at the base of Vail Mountain — which means you’re protected from the wind — the enormous wooden deck offers wildflower-framed views of the mountains, with huge yellow and white umbrellas providing shelter from the sun. This is where locals gather to nibble on the Wildflower’s sublime salads and to-die-for desserts — the strawberry-rhubarb cake with kiwi sauce is a charmer — and sip champagne while dreaming of the ski season to come.

King Soopers scored a real coup when it bagged an outlet of the Imperial Chinese Restaurant for its remodeled Greenwood Village Store. Call anytime between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., and your food will be ready when you are. Or stop by while shopping for staples and order a real necessity: great sesame chicken, egg rolls and many other Imperial favorites, made right on the premises.

If you love Lucy, you’ll love the chocolates that the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory turns out in her honor. The brainchild of Lucille Ball’s children, Lucie and Desi Arnaz, Lucy’s Chocolate Factory was inspired by that all-time favorite I Love Lucy episode in which Lucy and Ethel try to keep up with a speeding conveyor belt covered with chocolate. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, the exclusive manufacturer and distributor for the sweet treats, which includes lollipops, too, rolled out the Lucy line nationwide last Mother’s Day; a section of its Web site is devoted to Lucy, where both edible and inedible memorabilia are offered for sale.

It’s easy to have Thai restaurant ties in a town with so many good Asian eateries. One might have a superb pad Thai, another ambitious curries. But Thai Bistro has something that none of Denver’s other Thai restaurants do: chef/owner Noi Phromthong. His cooking is all about the Thai philosophy of balance: sweet coconut milk, spicy chiles, sour limes, bitter herbs, all combined in ways that make the tongue sit up and take notice. And he doesn’t curry favor just with his rich, complex concoctions; his modest strip-mall spot is always warm and welcoming.

While some Japanese restaurants focus on sushi and others concentrate on cooked dishes, Domo offers the entire Japanese experience — from the folk-art museum that depicts daily life to the Zen garden and aikido dojo to the fabulous, country-style foods. The latter includes nabemono, with many ingredients cooked together in a clay pot; yakimono, with a choice of meats or seafood in one of three sauces; and tojimono, dishes made from meats with shiitakes and seaweed, all sautéed in soy or miso broth before being steamed in an egg custard. The country-style sushi, or wankosushi, is chef/owner Gaku Homma’s take on the sushi of his youth: raw seafood topped with special seasonings and served alongside little wooden bowls of rice. Domo also has an extensive sake selection; try one or two or three while sitting in the attractive dining area, which is filled with flagstone-covered tables, tree-trunk stools and delicate Japanese knickknacks.

Pete’s Pizza makes a righteous pie — and that’s even more impressive since all of the pizzas that come out of this kitchen are completely kosher, right down to the meat toppings. For anyone who keeps kosher but still craves America’s favorite food, Pete’s is a real garden of eatin’.

You’ll be dazzled by the late-night look of Dazzle. Even after the funky dining room closes, the intimate, elegant lounge keeps things cooking, serving up down-home favorites with an upscale twist. Stumble in at midnight on a Friday or Saturday night, and you can still snag a dazzling bar burger: a quarter-pounder on focaccia with your choice of Stilton or smoked Gouda, along with exceptional thin-cut French fries. If your night’s been a rough one, add some iron via a soothing salad of spinach with candied walnuts and blue cheese. Better to eat late than never at Dazzle. (Fair warning: On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the kitchen closes at 10 p.m., and Dazzle is closed entirely on Sundays and Mondays.)

As fans of the unbelievably good ribs at Brothers BBQ on Leetsdale since it opened three years ago, we didn’t think the British-born O’Sullivan brothers could get any better. But then they opened a second location in an old convenience store in central Denver — a spot where they can serve cold beer alongside their hot ‘cue — and Brothers is now a real double threat. The dry-rubbed, slow-smoked, St. Louis-cut ribs are so tasty, so tender, we could eat a rack plain, but we also love the peppery, vinegary Memphis-style sauce and the sweet, smoky Kansas City-style sauce. Dem bones, dem bones.

Remember, time is money — which is why so many businesspeople bank on the lunchtime buffet at 1876. The spread is a real deal: $10.99 buys all you can eat of whatever cuisine is featured that day (sometimes an assortment of Mexican dishes, sometimes Italian), as well as a pass by the make-your-own sandwich board and two soups. But the true marvel is the array of salads: inventive (try chunks of marinated ham with green peppers and onions), absolutely fresh (crisp leaves of grass-green romaine) and downright luxurious (hearts of palm). Although the attentive servers are careful to keep glasses full and dishes clear, there’s no need to wait for a waiter to outline the specials or bring the check — or to worry about that same waiter eavesdropping on your talk while you power munch. A favorite for moguls on the go.

Sometimes you don’t feel like getting all gussied up and heading out for a Sunday brunch that’s going to require loosening your belt just to finish the meal and then downing seven Tums afterward. Sometimes it’s enough to go somewhere that’s easy on the eyes, heart and pocketbook. And those are the times we head to the newly remodeled 35th Avenue Grill at the Park Hill Golf Club. Get a table by the window for a view of the golf course, then amble over to the made-to-order stations, which offer omelettes and Belgian waffles. Add some fresh fruit, bacon and eggs, homemade pastries, and biscuits and gravy — and don’t forget the honey-baked ham or fried chicken. After you’ve hoovered through that, finish things off with a slice of made-from-scratch pie. The cost for all of this all-you-can-eat extravagance? A mere $9.95. For another three bucks, you can take advantage of the make-your-own Bloody Mary bar, which offers all the mixes and veggies you need to make an eye-opener — if your eyes haven’t already been opened wide by this unbelievable brunch deal.

In honor of the new century and the ever-improving ballpark neighborhood, Mexico City Lounge has done a thorough house-cleaning — right down to remodeled bathrooms and a tiny expansion that put two tables in the former kitchen — and moved the kitchen to the back of the old Larimer Square storefront. The change in kitchen locations apparently necessitated an oil change, too, because everything coming out of that kitchen tastes much brighter and fresher — even the notoriously greasy and great steak tacos. But the real health food here is an order of bean tostados: three crisp, oil-free corn tortillas topped by just-mashed refried beans, along with shredded cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Squirt on some of Mexico City’s special salsa, and olé!

Long before those new Mexican grills started popping up on almost every corner, featuring big, big burritos the size and weight of bricks, stuffed with quality meats and drapped with an assortment of nuevo salsas, there was El Taco de Mexico. At this very down-home, very authentic Mexican joint, the friendly servers take big, fresh flour tortillas and wrap them around a mound of rice, beans and your choice from some of the most exotic meats in town. The winner and still the chomp.

If the night was too long and you were too easy, head to this healthy juice joint for a quick pick-me-up. Order a Vitamin C-packed smoothie (Jamba Juice offers dozens of variations, including Berry Lime Sublime and Orange Berry Blitz) or straight juice (wheatgrass, carrot, ginger and the standard orange are among the choices), then add such boosters as echinacea, ginseng and ginkgo biloba. After a morning of seeing pink elephants, you’ll soon be back in the pink. The next time you get juiced, remember Jamba Juice.

The 20th Street Cafe bills itself as a “working man’s cafe,” but this increasingly upscale area doesn’t have many working men these days — not the sort the café was originally designed to serve, at any rate. But everyone from day laborers to high-paid attorneys can appreciate the down-home cooking served in this storefront, including a great chicken-fried steak, pounded to perfection, battered, fried golden and smothered in a soothing gravy for the ultimate comfort food.

You’d think that with 67 martinis to choose from, we’d find one that we like. But the problem is, we like them all. In fact, we like everything about Blue 67, a hip, inviting spot with jazz in the background and decor that appears to be a Japanese decorator’s take on the swinging ’60s. The drink roster includes some martinis from that era, too: the .007, with Bombay Sapphire Gin and dry vermouth — shaken, not stirred, and garnished with olives; the Presidential, clean and neat with Belvedere vodka and an olive. But as we go back to the future, Blue 67 gets a little kinky, so we pucker up for the Lemon Drop’s citrus vodka, lime juice and Cointreau, or we wrap ourselves in a Black Tie, with Smirnoff Black and a splash of Chambord. Swallow two and call us in the morning…for a ride home.

There’s no Miguel at Miguel’s Breakfast Club anymore — he was the manager who up and left not long after this modest spot opened — but the movie poster for The Breakfast Club still hangs behind the pool tables as a reminder of where the rest of the name came from. More important, owner Mary Ramirez is still here. Ramirez does the cooking at this breakfast-all-day joint, and that includes the $2.99 special of one egg your way, a plate-sized pancake and either spicy sausage or thick-cut bacon that tastes like well-cured ham. Eat your breakfast in the quiet, booth-lined area back behind the bar, the ideal place for viewing the Price Is Right on the overhead TV or the local art hanging for sale on the walls. Coffee refills come quickly, in mismatched mugs that Ramirez has collected over the years, and chances are the server will bring a little taste of that day’s lunch special.

Papa would be proud of the way Hemingway’s Key West Grille has come into its own. These days the kitchen consistently cooks up some of the best seafood in town, serving it in a fun, casual nautical setting that captures some of Key West’s appeal. But we doubt the author ever reeled in a catch as tasty as his namesake’s fish and chips. Fresh pieces of cod are thickly coated in a beer batter that turns into wavy crests of crunch as soon as it hits hot oil; inside, the fish stays tender, so juicy it squirts at first bite. Write on!

When this simple, inviting bakery opened, it seemed like we’d been waiting for Gateaux our entire lives. From moist, hearty muffins and fruit-filled scones to chocolate-coated petits fours, oversized cookies and cinnamon rolls coated in crunchy sugar and topped with a rich cream-cheese icing, Gateaux takes the cake — which is only fitting, since its name means “cake” in French. And cakes are a real specialty here, from a dense German chocolate to wedding cakes so stylish they could sit in a museum. But these confections not only look fabulous, they taste great.

Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling — calling for you to get your buns up to the Stockyards Inn for the town’s best patty melt. But because the Stockyards’ owners are Irish — very — their version is known as a “paddy” melt. Except for the spelling change, though, this is a quintessential take on the classic sandwich: a sizable, quality beef patty (the restaurant’s located in Denver’s stockyards, after all) paired with American cheese between two pieces of rye and then grilled to gooey greatness.

All those Kremey-come-lately doughnut joints keep coming to town, but Dutch Boy Donuts stubbornly hangs on. It’s been frying up terrific doughnuts for 52 years, and a recent facelift should make the place good for another 52. Fortunately, nothing’s been changed about the applesauce doughnuts; they’re still a sweet way to start the day.

The side business of a flower shop tucked away on a dusty stretch of south Broadway, the Country Gardens Tea House isn’t fancy — which makes it the perfect place for an adult tea party with little girls Monday through Saturday (Sunday is reserved for parties). At the top tea price of $9.99 per customer, no matter the customer’s size, you get all the tea you can drink in charming mismatched cups and saucers, a tray of finger sandwiches (cucumber, egg salad and turkey on marble rye might be included), scones with potted cream and jam, cakes and a red rose. The service can be a tad slow, but everyone’s so charming that your tots are bound to feel like little princesses.

Coney Island is known for its thrills, and its most thrilling accomplishment may have been the invention of frozen custard back in 1919, a confection that later reached its peak popularity in the Midwest. Neighbors Cathy Haug and Joy Gunderson so missed the frozen custard of their youth that they decided to open CJ’s Frozen Custard, in the process giving all of Denver a sweet treat. The main difference between frozen custard and regular ice cream is the butterfat content (10 percent for custard, as opposed to ice cream’s 35 to 50 percent) and the amount of air (up to 90 percent less in custard). That makes for a creamy, creamy texture and a rich eggy quality; since the confection is only frozen to 23 degrees, it’s also softer eating. Compared to this frozen custard, that stuff spouting off at Dairy Queen might as well be chilled milk. CJ’s offers chocolate and vanilla every day, along with a third flavor that rotates (the root beer float is weird and wonderful). Cool!

After a hard day of shopping at the Gap, world-weary twenty-year-olds with more disposable income than the average office worker head to the CPK, as the California Pizza Kitchen is known by those in the know, to bond over barbecued-chicken-covered pizza and chopped salads. Look for them in groups of giggly blondes (at the tables) or Goth wannabes of either gender (at the counter), and then watch as they pick up their valet-parked used Audis and drive off in search of meaning. Food of choice: anything with cheese.

When your water glass has been empty for an hour and you’re eating steak with a spoon, when your second course arrives a half hour after the first and your check is set down before dessert, remember this: You could be sitting in the elegant Briarwood Inn, sipping champagne and celebrating the kind of ser-vice this town hasn’t seen on a consistent basis since servers started getting 401(k) plans. At this 21-year-old bastion of good taste, many of the staffers have been here from the start — where else would they want to be? — and the veterans train the new hires. As a result, everyone understands that genuine cheerfulness, efficiency and decorum — rather than condescension, laziness and eye-rolling — are essential service elements, and warmth and professionalism permeate the Briarwood experience. Until the economy tanks completely and people start begging for service jobs, diners can take heart in the knowledge that they’ll be treated well at the Briarwood.

The Over-the-Top Burger at 3rd Ave. Eclectic Burgers and Cuisine is off the charts in more ways than one. If you have too many, your bank account may seize up even before your heart: This burger will set you back a fast $22. But it’s worth experiencing at least once if you’re intrigued by the thought of a half-pound of juicy, hand-ground beef topped with seared foie gras, sautéed chanterelles, caramelized onion, a thick slice of beefsteak tomato and peppery arugula — all soaked with a red-wine-spiked butter. Rich, rich, rich.

Over there — isn’t that the city’s top attorney having someone for lunch? And over there — a greedy developer eyeing his companion’s steak the same way he’d eye an empty plot in the Platte Valley! Take note of all the action on your special Palm Restaurant notepaper, thoughtfully provided by the management of a steakhouse known as much for its deals as its meals. Just be careful not to drip any grease on those notes — you may need them in court.

Is that a pickle in your pocket, or are you just happy to see the best sandwiches in town? Both Spicy Pickle outlets specialize in friendly, efficient service that quickly crafts sandwiches out of top-notch ingredients. The breads provide the base: They’re made by Il Fornaio and prove the ideal foundations for subs (thick, chewy Italian loaf) and panini (a soft focaccia). Then pile on any Boar’s Head meat (we like the rosemary ham), cheese (the goat gets us), topping (check out the corn relish) and spread (harissa mayo is a zinger) in any combination you can think of. The kitchen remembers to pay attention to details: The lettuce is shredded extra-thin and then mixed with the mayo for super-gloppicity; if you get your sandwich to go, each half will be wrapped snug in butcher paper for easier eating. And everything, of course, comes with the Spicy Pickle’s signature snappy, housemade pickle. Is everybody happy?

While recent Census Bureau statistics enlightened some locals to the fact that Denver is becoming an increasingly diverse city, patrons of Charlie Brown’s Bar & Grill have known it all along. On any given night (or late morning, or mid-afternoon), the deliciously dilapidated interior crawls with the young, the old, the hip and the downtrodden — all united under a common appreciation for cheap drinks, friendly service and getting blotto in comfortable surroundings. Nestled in the lobby of the historic Colburn Hotel — a sociological study in and of itself — Charlie Brown’s may be the only place in town where you can order a double Bloody Mary with a side of eggs at 8 a.m. and not be looked at sideways by your server. Charlie’s is best experienced during happy hour, on the patio, in the summertime, when the first round is two for one and the people-watching is prime. But this 75-year-old gem is always a divey treat, right down to the collection of nautical gear decorating the island bar (eat your heart out, Ship Tavern!) and the Tin Pan Alley-era soundtrack provided by pianist Pauly Lopez. And now, a toast!

When it comes to Caesar salad, Bravo! plays a different tune. Not content to offer the usual romaine pile topped with Caesar dressing, croutons and parmesan, this elegant Italian eatery hails Caesar by adding endive and radicchio, which boosts the bitterness and also inserts color, and then tosses the greens with crisp romaine in a well-balanced blend of garlic, anchovies, oil and vinegar. More saltiness — the real appeal of Caesar, wouldn’t you say? — is provided by unexpected olives, and a crunchy slice of Gorgonzola-topped crostini adds texture and extra flavor. Encore!

The barrio in Sevilla, Spain, called Triana is colorful and lively, the birthplace of famous bullfighters, a mecca for poets and folksingers, and quite possibly the original home of tapas. The restaurant in Boulder called Triana is colorful and lively, a mecca for foodies, the birthplace of Boulder’s most well-rounded Latin scene and quite possibly the purveyor of the most authentic tapas this area has ever seen. Running the show at Colorado’s Triana is James Mazzio, one of Food & Wine‘s top ten up-and-coming chefs in 1999 and a marvel at all things Mediterranean. Not only does his new restaurant offer an extensive roster of tapas — crispy clam strips sprinkled with sugar and salt and served in a brown paper cone, a tequila-spiked salmon “margarita,” almond-stuffed dates wrapped in smoked bacon — but it also features a heavenly array of Spanish dishes that stimulate the senses and soothe the soul (try the Mallorcan vegetable curry with cinnamon-flavored, golden-raisin-studded rice). All of this goodness is served amid concrete-topped tables, bullfighting-inspired wall art and the colors of Spain: blood red, midnight-sky blue, harvest-sun yellow. Add interesting Spanish wines and live flamenco music on the weekends, and all we can say is Olé!

Denver’s never been overrun with Southwestern eateries, but we’d gladly surrender to this one. Everything in Julia Blackbird’s pays homage to the Southwest, from the bright, colorful art and knickknacks — the decor duplicates the owners’ home — to the chile-infused food made by chef/part owner Julia Siegfried-Garrison. The menu is basic, there’s no liquor license (although we hope that may be coming), and on weekends, it’s standing room only. But the place is packed for a reason: Siegfried-Garrison makes food that hits the soul, from complex chiles to Navajo stew, blue corn-coated chiles rellenos to zippy salsas. Creamy queso fresco adds richness to her enchiladas, the hearty posole will cure anything that ails you, and the pine-nut-packed chocolate cake is a perfect finale to any meal. It’s the shortest distance between here and Sante Fe as the blackbird flies.

It would be annoying that chef/owner Sam Kraydie keeps announcing that Pita Jungle is the best Middle Eastern restaurant around — if it didn’t also happen to be true. This vibrantly decorated, fern-draped eatery boasts the town’s top baba ghanouj — the eggplant charbroiled for extra flavor and mashed with lots of lemon — as well as killer kabobs, homemade lebni (the creamy Middle Eastern yogurt) and heavenly hummus. And when he wasn’t boasting, Kraydie was out procuring a pizza oven where he could make his own pitas. They come out of that oven fresh, hot and delicious, just ready to scoop up some well-seasoned shawarma.

The Funky Buddha may be named for a chubby Eastern avatar, but what’s really worshiped inside this happening club is the martini. The cocktail menu boasts a dizzying number of variations on the ol’ James Bond standby; deciding between “shaken” and “stirred” is the least of your worries. Whatever you choose, you’ll be able to sip your drink in style. The Buddha’s glamorous but comfy vibe is a welcome combination of downtown chic and youthful kitsch. The bar is hip, to be sure, but not to a fault; the urbanite clientele is stylish, not snobbish, and often beautiful. Just remember this one noble truth: Don’t forget to tip your bartender.

You’ve got the whole world in your hand when you’re holding a bottle at Mondo Vino, a new wine shop whose contents span the globe. Every major wine-producing country is represented here, and owner Duey Kratzer, a member of the Guild of Master Sommeliers, is more than happy to spend a few minutes — or a few hours, if you really get him going — chatting about the wines he’s chosen for his beautiful store. There aren’t any stickers or hang tags proclaiming Wine Spectator awards or Robert Parker adjectives, but then, none are needed, because Kratzer and his staff selected every single bottle personally. Feel free to browse amid the Australian-pine wine racks on the smooth hardwood floors; the warm, open space has been set up like an old library, and there’s no need to fear that you’re going to knock a hundred bottles down with a single butt shot. Mondo Vino delivers, too, and consults on restaurant wine lists around town. If it’s good enough for Denver’s top tables, Mondo Vino’s certainly good enough for you. What a glass act!

There was a time when fortune cookies contained messages imparting ancient Chinese wisdom, little snippets of philosophy to digest along with the food. But as times change, so do our concerns for the future — which Dragon Cafe recognizes with fortunes that are right on the money. And so when you break open a cookie here, you’ll get the message loud and clear: “You’ll have more money than you can spend,” “Your fortune will come from scratch,” “Your forgotten collection will bring you a great fortune,” “The experts at Wall St. will be shocked by your financial success,” and, finally, “A large sum of money will be deposited in your account weekly.” We can live with that.

Every Saturday morning beginning April 7 and every Wednesday afternoon beginning May 9, latte sippers mingle with Boulder and Denver chefs, serious home cooks with chatty socializers, at the Boulder County Farmers’ Market, the largest farmers’ market in the state. It begins the season with flats of seedlings — tomato, pepper and eggplant, to be nurtured inside, as well as cabbage, broccoli and cold-resistant herbs ready to be set out in the garden. While you wait for those to grow, you can feast off tender leaves of spinach and baby lettuce, blue cornmeal and dried black beans also sold at the market. Later there will be hothouse tomatoes and, still later, brilliant, warm-fleshed specimens ripened by the sun. Then peaches, apricots, plums and, as summer begins to merge with fall, locally grown corn picked the same morning, huge black-purple eggplants and others white as eggs, several kinds of garlic, and long strings of shallots. And at every market, you can take your pick of herb vinegars, mushrooms, turnips and apples, ostrich eggs, melons, honey, armloads of wildflowers, and delectables cooked up by local vendors.

Caterer Tammy Davis, who first tempted us at a little diner called Divine Temptations, is back — in a new space, but still up to her old tricks. Although Sweet Rockin’ is an adorable bakery on its own, with an excellent coffee bar and breakfast and lunch items that satisfy both a hungry stomach and a sweet tooth, the real temptations here are Davis’s homemade chocolates. These are enchanting little confections made with good-quality chocolate — Davis uses the domestic Merckens, a favorite of the home candymaker because of its low working temperature, high flexibility and rich, cocoa-heavy flavor — and oozing enticing fillings, including peanut butter, coconut cream, lemon, maple and vanilla with macadamia nuts. Chocolates come in both milk and dark versions, and one bestseller is a white chocolate filled with coffee cream (coffee and cream, get it?). Davis also cooks up cherry cordials and seven types of truffles (the English toffee rules), and her bittersweet-dipped dried apricots put gorp to shame. Although offerings vary from day to day, the $19-per-pound price is a constant — and a bargain, considering how these chocolates rock!

Don’t hold this inviting eatery’s location against it — once you’re inside the patchouli-scented space that is India’s Rang Mahal, you’ll forget all about the strip mall outside. Rang Mahal, which means “color palace,” lives up to its name: The restaurant is full of sensual delights, from the perfumey smells of incense to the rich fabrics that decorate the space to the food itself. One bite buys you passage to India, where spices are used to take ordinary meats and vegetables to a higher plane. Chef Vinod Malhopra likes to play with flavors to see what he can coax out of them; sometimes he pan-fries fennel seeds to bring out the taste at their center, and sometimes he roasts them to bring oils to the forefront. The vegetarian dishes are out of this world, and the lamb dishes are also sublime — particularly the rogan josh, a North Indian specialty that puts the meat in an almond-based sauce.

This is some dim sum. King’s Land, a cavernous Chinese restaurant at the edge of a parking lot that’s surrounded by Asian markets and eateries, puts on the most authentic dim sum spread in town. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends, the kitchen sends out carts in rapid succession bearing an assortment of steaming buns, fragrant barbecued ribs, ground shrimp in its many guises, semi-sweet custard tarts and cakes, sticky rice balls and meat-packed dumplings. Choose quickly and eat up, because the next cart will be around before you know it. Dim sum translates to “little heart’s delights” in Cantonese, and King’s Land has certainly won ours. Dim sum here is a real afternoon delight.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll no doubt say it again: Sushi Den slices up the best sushi in town. The setting is stylish, the fish spanking fresh, and the owners adventurous enough to import their own from Japan so that Denverites can get a rare, raw look at what sushi should really be.

The crust on Parisi’s pizza isn’t the thick, thick Sicilian-style, but it’s not crackly-thin, either. Let’s split the difference and agree that this crust is simply delicious, thick enough to hold a ton of toppings, but not so thick that you’re done for after a single slice. Simone Parisi, a native of Florence, Italy, and his wife, Christine, a native of Boulder, Colorado, always wanted to open an authentic pizzeria in Denver, and that’s exactly what they did a few years ago. Since then, they’ve gained plenty of fans, and with good reason. Their pizzas are divided by theme, such as rustica and vegetariana, and come loaded with fresh and imported ingredients, including Simone’s own house-smoked scamorze cheese. And even after all the toppings are gone, along with the pie’s chewy center, the oven-charred, crispy edge of the crust makes for great post-pizza snacking.

You’ll be bowled over by the bargain that is Kokoro. Since the Colorado Boulevard location opened in 1985, Kokoro has been serving healthy food for a very slim price, and the deal is the same at the newer site in Arvada. The regular-sized rice bowls and noodle bowls all come in at under $4 and are plenty for a meal, filled with such heart-happy ingredients as lean beef, skinless chicken breast, fresh snow peas, broccoli, bamboo shoots, Asian cabbage, bean sprouts and carrots. If you’re really hungry, a “super” version still costs less than $6, tax included. Sit at the counter and get to know your neighbor, or grab your dinner to go — either way, the food is fast, cheap and delicious.

The Piper Inn isn’t tough to spot: It’s the small, low bar on Parker Road that’s hiding behind that wall of gleaming Harleys. Inexplicably named after the venerable airplane line, the Piper Inn is smoky and noisy and can be a great place to watch two grown men fight over a gal wearing not much more than thigh-high boots and an American-flag bandanna. But the real draw here are the wings, available in mild, medium and hot, and done in the classic Buffalo style: crispy-skinned and saturated with Tabasco-spiked butter. Order them in multiples of five, and order twice as many as you think you’ll need, because these wings fly off the plate. And if the crowd looks especially cranky, order them to go.

It’s noon. Do you know where your legislator is? Chances are she’s wolfing down one of Denver’s best burgers at CityGrille, the gathering place/watering hole for anyone who’s anyone at the State Capitol — not to mention anyone who lobbies anyone there or across the street at city hall. But CityGrille isn’t just for the power elite; if these walls could talk, they’d have the scoop on everyone from contributors and aides to secretaries and janitors, all of whom take advantage both of this casual, divey eatery’s proximity to the Capitol and of its fabulous green chile. The three-martini lunch is alive and well here, as is strict, power-lunch protocol: If you’re talking in low, hushed tones, everyone looks away. For a minute, anyway.

Get stuffed at Playo de Oro, a quiet, corner eatery that’s half takeout, half eat-in — and all about delicious, soft chiles rellenos. While many Denver diners are fans of the egg roll type of relleno, that’s probably because they’ve eaten one too many disappointing soft versions, which too often go wrong in the cooking process. But Playa de Oro knows how to avoid all those grease pitfalls. It packs long, skinny poblanos with Monterey Jack, dunks them in a thick egg soufflé of a batter, and then fries them until just the thinnest, crispiest, golden-brown shell forms around the chile. That means no soggy goo that turns to lead in your stomach, and no fast-cooling cheese that turns to lead outside of your stomach. This relleno is the stuff of dreams, a crunchy beauty until the very last bite.

When most people in this town talk about great Mexican food, they’re talking about the kind of burrito you find at El Ranchito. Don’t bother telling them that the burrito was invented by Mexicans working in California, not Tijuana; and don’t dare suggest that this style of burrito was designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. In fact, since you can’t beat them, you might as well join them in digging into an overstuffed, cheese-covered tortilla smothered with Denver’s take on green chile. El Ranchito’s burrito supreme is an exemplary version of this quasi-Mex mainstay, bursting with well-seasoned meats mixed with diced tomatoes, and topped by thick, heavy guacamole, lots of sour cream, a quilt of melted yellowish-orange cheese and a sweet, gravylike green.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Man does not live by bread puddings alone, although one bite of Trattoria Stella’s creations might suggest otherwise. Pastry queen Marna Freeman often has two or three puddings on the menu: The fruit-filled puddings vary depending on what’s in season — the occasional combo of blackberries, cherries and lemon is to die for — and the others usually involve either chocolate or mascarpone for extra richness. Every slice is sure to be stunning, with a unique cakelike texture that makes for less heavy and more heavenly eating. And the portion is more than enough for two — if you’re willing to share. Stel-l-l-la!

I scream, you scream, we all screamed when the Dolly Madison dairy stores closed this year, after giving the scoop to local ice cream lovers for over half a century. But you can take cold comfort in the fact that one outlet of the Dolly Madison chain is still serving: The shop inside the Dolly Madison plant is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If it’s not quite to grandmother’s house you go, the Oak & Berries Tea Room is the next best thing. Better, in fact, if your relatives didn’t live in the elegant, high-Victorian style of the lovely Holiday Chalet, a B&B as well as the best place in town for tea. Roxanne Mays, former manager of afternoon teas at the Brown Palace, is in charge here, and she sets out a lovely spread from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. The tea runs $17 a head and includes not only scones (want seconds? just ask) and savory tea sandwiches and pastries, but also your choice of two homemade soups. And then, of course, there’s the tea — which often includes a few interesting, international selections that Mays has discovered. Take your tea at one of the tables in the dining room, with its mismatched antique china, in a private room or, when the weather is nice, in the Holiday Chalet’s beautiful garden, where Mays also offers tea parties for children.

There’s nothing cheesy about serving yourself, not when you get to cozy up to a warm pot of fondue at the Melting Pot. You get your choice of seasoned broths or oils, as well as your pick from a variety of meat-and-veggie combos; after the raw ingredients arrive, you fire up the table and get cooking, plunging the cut-to-order tenderloin and chicken, or shrimp and lobster, or mushrooms, potato slices and broccoli, into the hot liquid. When the tidbit’s done to your specs, take it out, dip it into one of the Melting Pot’s creative sauces, and enjoy. Repeat the process as often as you want for a full meal. But be sure to save room for dessert, because the reward for all your hard work is a superb chocolate fondue.

Mamma mia! Stepping into Buca di Beppo is like walking into the greatest Little Italy flea market ever — the place overflows with old photographs of Italian starlets and tacky souvenirs from the Vatican. So you’ll understand why your companion might spend an inordinate amount of time in the basement bathroom: Retiring areas for both sexes are full of hilarious vintage items — cautionary health advisories, ads for sanitary products — arrayed amid classic ’50s decor items. From Joe’s mouth to ours.

At the Night Shift Saloon, the hamburger is as God intended when he first conceived of this most amazing creation. In the beginning, there’s a huge slab of ground beef, which is charbroiled until it boasts craggy bits of grill-blackened meat and drips with juices; then it’s covered with a thick, thick blanket of Velveeta-like cheese that melts to create a permanent bond with a bun that’s quintessential burger bread: medium-thick, with a Wonder Bread texture that’s ideal for soaking up grease. And that’s it. No fancy filet mignon, no imported cheese, no bakery-baked bun, no frou-frou toppings. Just you, the Night Shift’s busy dive-bar ambience, and big beef. You’re welcome.

The hippest hangouts go against the flow. While restaurants across the country are banning those irritating cell phones, Vesta Dipping Grill welcomes them. And if you’re sitting at the bar, the bartender will even provide a handy adapter so that you can recharge the sucker. Vesta has your number.

Think metro Denver has a growth problem? Over the past decade, a certain appetizer has sprawled across menus from Castle Rock to Longmont, clogging major arteries with gluey, mayo-heavy artichoke goo. But Patsy’s, a venerable red-sauce joint in the heart of northwest Denver, promotes smart growth with its artichoke-and-ricotta dip, a sweeter, lighter version of the ubiquitous starter.

Although Vesta Dipping Grill digs deep to create some of the most flavorful meat and fish dishes in town, we like to dive into the three salads on the menu at this groovy hangout. Like every other course here, the salads show how paying close attention to details can result in big taste dividends. And so a Thai-beef version features seared slips of tenderloin soaked with a ginger-cilantro vinaigrette over red oak-leaf greens, and a Bibb lettuce salad with Gorgonzola and candied walnuts comes tossed in a roasted-pear vinaigrette, topped by red onions that have been marinated in some sort of nutmeggy liquid. But our favorite, greens down, is the baby arugula with roasted-fig vinaigrette, shaved Romano, and a brilliant grind of fresh black pepper that brings out the fig’s sweetness and echoes the peppery greens.

If it was good enough for Clark Gable, the 128-year-old Cliff House is good enough for us — but we don’t know what Clark would make of that @ that’s been added to the name. Never mind; such pesky thoughts will disappear the minute you step into the cream puff of a dining room, all Victorian splendor with its custard colors and pillowy-soft furnishings. The Cliff House’s expert staff takes such good care of you that the service also seems to date from that gilded era, and the food makes it clear that your entire time at this meal, in this intimate room, in this delightful era, is intended to accentuate the sensual. (You hope she’ll love you as much as she does the lobster-topped wild mushroom risotto.) But as gorgeous as the newly restored dining room looks — particularly with that nineteenth-century stone fireplace — it’s nothing compared to the stunning, panoramic views of the Rockies outside. After dinner and star-gazing, slip into one of the Cliff House’s plush suites and make plans for breakfast, which should include the kitchen’s sumptuous steak — that’s filet mignon, of course — and eggs, and for a post-prandial stop at one of the local hot springs. Frankly, my dear, you won’t give a damn if you ever make it

Call it New American, call it contemporary, call it fusion. Whatever you choose to call it, the food at Mel’s Bar and Grill is undeniably delicious. Owners Mel and Janey Masters juggle international ingredients with domestic tastes, and somehow their dishes all work. Looking for an upscale meatloaf? Try the buffalo. Looking for an Asian fish dish? Try the seared ahi with soba noodles. And if you’re looking for anything from around the Mediterranean, Mel’s your man, offering everything from rabbit risotto and grilled eggplant polenta to fennel sausage tagliatelle and grilled lamb. Pair your meal with wines that make sense — check out the ever-changing “Mel’s Special Wine Picks” for the real bargains — and relax in the quirky but comfy atmosphere of this Cherry Creek institution (the happenin’ bar area is also an option). Still don’t know what to call it? Doesn’t matter. Eat at Mel’s.

Ignore the grape-friendly name and the odd strip-mall location: The Wine Company boasts the city’s best boutique beer selection, and its coolers hold treasures that aren’t sold anywhere else in Colorado. The hundreds of American and imported craft and microbrews available here are kept under refrigeration and tended by savvy staffers who drink what they sell. And if by chance they don’t have that dream beer you’re craving, they’ll track it down for you.

Talk about vroom service: Perched beside a major commuter airport, the Perfect Landing offers an unbroken view of the Rockies, from Pikes Peak to Longs Peak — unbroken, that is, except for the private jets that take off and land every few minutes. Although you can see all the action from the big picture windows, a seat on the second-floor patio puts you in the thick of things. In the morning, watch the sun hit the mountains as you dig into a four-egg omelette; come back in the late afternoon for a plate of chiles rellenos that are almost as ogle-worthy as the sunset. The scene is so impressive that even the pilots who just flew through it drop by for a look and a cocktail (post-flight, of course).

When a store is as huge as the Castle Rock Safeway — which is 50 percent larger than your average Safeway — you have to fill it with something. But after stocking the typical meat-and-potatoes supermarket fare, as well as fresh sushi, Chinese takeout, a pizza bar and a Starbucks counter, the store still had room, so it added a special “store within a store” that features 8,000 natural foods, including organic produce and a hundred items derived from tofu. Soy far, soy good.

A specialty of New York delis, black-and-white cookies got some extra attention a few years ago when they were featured on an episode of Seinfeld (“Look to the cookie!” Jerry shouted). But these unusual delights have long been a culinary curiosity. Also known as half-moons, the cookies are made using the basics: flour, butter, sugar, eggs, milk, baking powder, salt, and a touch of vanilla and lemon. Then they’re covered with sweet frosting, chocolate on one side and vanilla on the other — thus the simple, descriptive name. (Seinfeld suggested that the proper way to eat one was to munch up the middle so that both colors were included in every bite.) Although Denver has always had problems getting authentic New York food, the New York Deli News delivers: These homemade black-and-whites are authentic six-inch, melt-in-your-mouth monsters. At $2.75 apiece, the cookie’s large enough to split with a friend; the only problem is deciding who gets which color.

Want to really ruffle some feathers? Don’t just serve a holiday bird — catch it yourself. At Four Direction Farm, Charlie and Merrilee Gilman raise then release several thousand pheasants into the wild population, which makes their land outside of Hotchkiss a great place to catch your own holiday dinner. For $300 per person, you get a hunting dog, a guide and a dog-handler who’ll help you bag your limit of four birds. BYO firepower.

There isn’t a dud anywhere on the menu at Jan Leone’s self-titled janleone: The Brie baked with brown sugar and walnuts and the escargot with Gorgonzola are splendid starters, and the carbonara pappardelle and seafood-stuffed lasagne are inspired entrees. Still, we confess to a certain soft spot for the desserts by Leone’s daughter, Mara. Although the closing lineup changes periodically, highlights usually include a toasted pistachio cake with mascarpone cheese and a rich and unusual coffee-flavored panna cotta. Mara also does a semifreddo, a chilled dessert that involves frozen mousse with copious amounts of whipped cream thrown in to add air pockets, making the dessert the perfect light but luscious finale for Jan’s rich food. It tastes extra sweet when eaten in the attached Col-Mar bar while a local songstress belts out “Hello, Dolly.”

Granted, Isle of Singapore Cafe may be Denver’s only Indonesian restaurant at the moment. Still, this modest storefront deserves kudos for its authentic Asian fare, which includes unusual dishes from Singapore and Malaysia as well as Indonesia. (Skip the Chinese offerings.) The seafood and chicken dishes are out of this world (or close enough), and downing a durian smoothie, made from the world’s stinkiest fruit, earns you major bragging rights. Isle be seeing you…

Golden Plate’s hot-and-sour dumpling soup more than lives up to its name. Tender, pork-filled pasta pockets come swimming in a pungent, fiery liquid laced with fresh cilantro, green onion and five-alarm red peppers. The soup is a perfect blend of spicy and tart, and the dumplings add a dash of salt — as well as doughy relief — to balance the dangerously addictive broth. If you can’t stand the heat…no soup for you!

While Roy’s Cherry Creek landed in Denver just over a year ago, it’s definitely a keeper. Owner Roy Yamaguchi, an internationally renowned chef whose chain is based in Hawaii, knows how to combine exceptional service, sleek but luscious surroundings and imaginative, well-executed seafood dishes made with the freshest specimens available (try the oily, deeply flavored monchong or the cornmeal-rubbed dorado) for an extraordinary catch. We’re hooked.

From the heady aroma of medium-rare prime rib that greets you each Wednesday through Saturday, to the USDA prime steaks laid out like Tiffany flatware, to the astounding jumble of delicacies in the freezer — ostrich cutlet, anyone? Elk medallion? Colossal prawn? — Timberline Meats is a carnivore’s dream. But anyone can sell meat: What sets Timberline apart is the love. Everyone who works at this tiny yet alluring meat market is not just interested in, not just obsessed with, but head over heels in love with edible animal parts. Buyers are sent off with a comforting “Oh, you’ll think you died and went to heaven” from the owners, who used to run the Shriner’s Temple kitchen.

Who’d think that a tiny Italian eatery in Parker would offer the area’s best version of New York-style pizza? There’s no question, though, that Tonti’s makes the real thing: a drippy pie with a sweet, sweet sauce, thin, crackery crust and enough cheese that each bite creates a string that could stretch from one end of the restaurant to the other. It’s tempting to order this pizza by the slice, so that you can eat it the way New Yorkers do: folding it in half and letting orange-colored oil run down your hand. But instead, we recommend that you order the whole pie, since we know you’ll want to eat that much and more. Tonti’s is a real bite of the Big Apple.

Don’t be crabby: Join the downtown club that’s already found the best place to get happy — and fed — as the weekend swings into action. When you buy two drinks during Friday’s 4-6 p.m. happy hour at Del Mar Crab House, the feed is free — and it’s a real catch, including shrimp-filled quesadillas, peel-your-own shrimp, hot wings, pepper poppers, and tri-color chips with salsa. If your ship came in at work this week, treat your newfound friends by shelling out for some oysters at reduced prices from the raw bar. This place is a pearl.

Smacks Cafe is a very small eatery that sits in a strip mall and looks like the sandwich shop it used to be. In short, you’d never expect the place to fry up the best chicken this side of the Mississippi, but that’s exactly what Smacks does. Deep-fried to order, the fried chicken can take anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes, depending on how busy this rib joint is — but it’s always worth the wait. Each piece (a half-bird’s worth to an order) has been lightly salted, barely dusted with flour and then fried until the skin turns into a crisp shell barely holding in all the juicy, salty, lightly greasy flesh beneath. Add a side of homemade cornbread, macaroni blanketed with freshly grated cheese, and Smacks’ down-home collard and mustard greens, as well as a slice of white cake, and your mouth’s gone south for the winter.

At night, the Rialto Cafe is one of the snazziest restaurants around, offering both live jazz and some of the most decadent desserts imaginable. But in the morning, starting at an eye-popping 5:30 a.m., the Rialto gets down to business — serious business. This discreet, dimly lit space is just the place for the solo salesman to get his thoughts together for that big meeting, or for local power-mongers to lay out their plans for taking over the world — or at least that block out by Lowry. The Rialto’s kitchen does its bit by serving up serious power food: omelettes made from smoked salmon; roasted-red-pepper cream cheese and artichoke hearts; chorizo-stuffed breakfast burritos; and, for the heavy-hitters going light, fresh juice and homemade pastries.

Julia Blackbird’s, a charming little eatery that stands in northwest Denver but has its heart in New Mexico, makes a red sauce that’s as multi-layered, deeply colored and earthy as red-rock country. Made from chiles grown in Chimayo, a town about 25 miles north of Santa Fe, this sauce benefits mightily from the chiles’ rich flavor and slight heat. Try it as part of the “three sisters” entree: three enchiladas accompanied by Julia’s trio of chiles.

Paul Sandoval is the masa of his domains, since his two spots — La Casita and La Casa de Tamales — still serve up the best tamales in town. These little corn-husk-covered delicacies — at once soft, moist, mealy and chewy — come red (chile mixed with pork), green (chile with cheese) and vegetarian (with jalapeños, tomatoes, corn and onions). A dozen will set you back less than $8 and fill you up for days.

If you have a big hunger and not much time, head for the Burrito Co. All day long, people keep pulling up to this takeout-only spot on Santa Fe. They get in line, choose from dozens of possible orders (our favorites all involve the succulent shredded beef), wait about two minutes — and then collect their orders at the handy service window. Each burrito comes individually, and tightly, wrapped in foil, letting off a puff of steam when it’s undone and consumed — often in the parking lot, usually within seconds. Remember to pack out your garbage.

Although it seems like Benny Armas, owner of Benny’s Restaurante & Cantina, has been around forever (he started in the kitchen at the late, great Oak Alley Inn twenty years ago, and today his namesake place has lines out the door), his chips are always fresh and his salsa always sassy. A second after you reply “yes” to what are often the server’s only words of English — “chips and salsa?” — a basket lands on your table, full of freshly fried and lightly salted tortilla chips, accompanied by a bowl of tongue-tinglingly spicy salsa. We’d willingly pay for this starter — and, in fact, Benny’s used to charge $1.50 for chips and salsa — but today it’s given out gratis. Gracias.

Man does not live by tortilla alone. For example, there’s also tequila. Tequila that’s twenty years old, tequila that’s a hundred years old, tequila that comes in that familiar Jose Cuervo bottle, tequila that comes in containers worthy of museum status. The tequila just keeps coming to La Cueva, a 27-year-old restaurant on East Colfax that welcomed in the millennium by adding a trendy tequila-and-margarita bar to its already substantial lineup of authentic Mexican fare. The dishes come from Norma Nuñez, and she’s justifiably proud of them — so much so that she’s produced a book of her recipes.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle is still the meat to beat. At this classy steakhouse, the prime, dry-aged, cut-to-order beef is inevitably what’s for dinner. To go with it, order one of the substantial sides — the skillet potatoes and onions will put hair on your chest — along with a bottle of wine from Del Frisco’s well-stocked cellar and a knock-out dessert. Your steak will arrive perfectly cooked and impeccably served in an atmosphere that’s at once elegant and amiable. And if you get to watch a Bronco pulling up steaks at the next table, so much the better.

There they sit, mostly at Deja Vu’s bar, well-manicured and well-lubed, looking for someone with whom to lament their lot in life and talk tax shelters. Their purses (or their money clips) match their shoes (or their bolo ties), and they look longingly at the bar menu before announcing that the Atkins diet has been a godsend. Food of choice: martini, dry, with many olives to relieve sexual tension.

Anyone can take a slice of bread, soak it in an egg batter, fry it and call it French toast. But chef/owner Dan Landes pays attention to the details at his vegetarian-focused WaterCourse Foods, and so he uses sweet, nutmeg-flecked banana bread, sliced thick and fried until golden, for his French toast. You can skip the syrup (although it’s available); the toast is always moist, and honey-roasted walnuts on top add a deep sweetness that goes well with the bread. There’s no bacon, of course, but fresh fruit rounds out the plate nicely. Add a tall, expertly poured latte and get ready to go with the flow at WaterCourse.

There are many theories as to how it happened, but the most popular one goes like this: A while back, a cook was standing behind the counter at the Chubby Burger Drive-In enjoying his favorite snack — a plate of French fries (a hangover menu item from the previous owner) drowned in cheddar cheese and green chile (a speciality of the new owner) — when a few customers asked what he was eating. “Smothered fries,” he replied. The customers ordered a plate, wolfed down the fries, and later returned for more. Word spread, one thing led to another, and smothered fries became the hottest-selling item on a roster of of hot-selling items. Now practically everything at this 33-year-old, family-owned burrito stand comes drowned in green chile and cheese. There have been many imitators, but there is only one original plate of smothered fries. And there’s only one place to find it: the original Chubby Burger.

Hey — nice buns! John Stamper, owner of Full Measures, has the bottom line on baking. He knows how to pack all the butter and sugar that will fit into a ball of dough, then makes it even sweeter and richer by coating the outside with butter and sugar, too. The result is the sugar addict’s drug of choice, a chewy, super-sweet bun that’ll have you licking your fingers long after the last bite.

The Flagstaff House has been a special-occasion destination for three decades now, and its coffee service goes the extra distance for diners who’ve made it up the mountain — and must still find their way back down. Rather than the usual stuffy coffee presentation, the Flagstaff offers a fun “Sugar Tray,” its compartments filled with colorful, squeal-inducing tidbits used to flavor a cup of java that tasted pretty good to start with. Choose from licorice or mint “lentils”; butterscotch, chocolate or white-chocolate chips; raw, regular or brown sugar (loose or cubed); and orange-flavored sugar and candied limes. Then top it off with a blob of unsweetened whipped cream. We guarantee one cup will be a stirring experience.

Although the career waiter has gone the way of the Studebaker and the eight-track, that sad fact doesn’t slow John Carl one bit. After fifteen years as the most graceful, attentive server at one of the town’s most graceful, attentive restaurants, Carl still loves his job at Tante Louise. “It’s not what I went to college for,” admits the Iowa native, whose first job in Denver was at Top of the Rockies in the early ’70s. “But I do like to say I’m in the business of marketing escargot.” First, though, he sizes up the mood and sensibilities of the diners at a table, then suggests just the right dishes — escargot or no. After that, he goes about serving the meal with seamless, invisible efficiency; items appear and disappear from the table with barely a movement of air. You won’t realize that Carl’s at work unless you make it a point to watch him — and then you’ll be rewarded with quite a show. Watch Carl handle a difficult table with the greatest of ease. Watch Carl float like a butterfly without stinging like a bee. He’s pure poetry in motion. “I was pretty green when I got to Tante Louise,” Carl admits. “So I guess I’ve come a long way.” And how, baby.

Busara deserves praise for its dedication to authentic, spicy food. But it should also be commended for its open-mindedness when it comes to more personal matters. This trendy Thai restaurant in LoDo features three privies — one for men, one for women, and one for men and/or women. So if you’re part of a couple that enjoys doing everything together, or you can’t wait, or you simply can’t decide whether to sit or stand, Busara has the loo for you.

The menu at Luigi’s Bent Noodle issues a challenge: “If this isn’t the best minestrone recipe you’ve ever tasted, we want your recipe.” Hey, we surrender — we know we don’t have any-

thing to beat this minestrone, and we doubt anyone else this side of Italy does, either. Luigi’s minestrone is a thick, hearty tomato-based stew of vegetables, super-soft beans, melt-in-your-mouth bits of pasta, and sausage that’s just spicy enough to bring it all together, but not so spicy that it takes over. This bewitching brew is available by the cup, the bowl and the really big bowl. Bigger is better.

At too many sports bars, the chef is a former high school quarterback who thinks he should be in the kitchen because of his great touchdown pass of ’76 — a glorious moment he re-creates every time he turns out another imitation pigskin burger. But Lazy Dog Sports Bar and Grill has a real star in front of the stove: Bill Clifford, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who turns out winning fare that’s long on flavor and short on price. Clifford scores with appetizers ranging from crispy, cheese-gooey potato skins to warm, sweet crabcakes with homemade tartar sauce; he scores with entrees that include meat-dripping baby-back ribs and crackly crusted pizza; and he scores again in the end zone with housemade apple crisp and banana cream pie. Lazy Dog isn’t just a one-man show, however: All of the staffers here go the extra distance to make sure diners get a great meal.

When we eschew meat, we like to sink our teeth into the sun-dried-tomato polenta at Chinook Tavern. Sharply flavored tomatoes fill the creamy-centered, crunchy-crusted polenta; a garlic-packed pesto and velvety housemade mozzarella add depth; and roasted red bell peppers and sautéed mushrooms bring sweetness and earthiness into the mix. The dish is so big, it’s almost enough for two very healthy meals; it’s so tasty, you won’t even miss the meat.

When owners Cissy Yin and Jeff and Chris Oakley closed the original Bang! last fall, their faithful customers hardly knew what to do with themselves. Fortunately, the popular Highland eatery reopened less than a month later in a space across the street, this time with a liquor license, table service and a bit more space. Now serving dinner only, the charming eatery — yeah, it’s a little strange going down the alley and in through the back door, but you’ll get used to it — has expanded its menu to offer even more wonderful down-home cooking. The spicy peppered shrimp with mango habanero salsa is a must, but so is the celebrated meatloaf; the wine list is short but sweet (and well-priced). All in all, Bang! is one of Denver’s best — by a long shot.

Tante Louise has been around for forty years, but everyone’s favorite relative is as spry as ever. For classic French fare with a contemporary twist, for gracious service, for Old World elegance and an unbeatable wine list, Aunt Louise is the lady.

There’s a reason that beer geeks from around the globe fall into Falling Rock when they come to town. More than seventy reasons, to be precise. Falling Rock Tap House has over six dozen taps that pour some of the world’s best beers (and no supermarket swill) — everything from local draft gems and national craft treasures to rare imports, some of them available nowhere else in the country. And an equally expansive list of bottled beers guarantees that an evening spent here will be a beer-soaked descent into bliss.

Martha Stewart, eat your heart out. The Highlands Garden Cafe is not only a wonder of a restaurant, but its garden comes close to heaven on earth. When owners Pat and Chuck Perry expanded their eatery into the Victorian house next door, they added to their outside patio as well as their inside dining area. And when Pat wasn’t in the kitchen (Chuck runs the front of the house), she was out in the yard, filling the exterior space with as many flowers and plants as it would hold. The result is miraculous: a calming, serene setting that looks like something out of a frou-frou gardening magazine and serves as the perfect place to truly enjoy the fruits of Pat’s labors. Soak up the scented air while gazing at wildflowers and tasting the fresh herbs in the seasonally influenced fare before you. Pat’s talents with food are as impressive as her way with plants; what she does with animals such as salmon and chicken, all awash in delectable cream sauces, will give you glimpses of a whole new luxurious way of eating. What a way to grow!

Here’s proof for your kids that a penny hasn’t lost its value: One cent still buys ninety seconds of bucking, rocking, vibrating thrills for the pre-kindergarten set. The mechanical steeds stand ready near the checkout counters at all metro King Soopers locations, and while one ride doesn’t buy a frazzled parent quite enough time to run back and pick up that one forgotten item, it’s still a winner at the finish line.

The Manhattan Grill is full of unexpected finds: a drop-dead-gorgeous porterhouse, killer crab cakes and a marvelous Manhat-

tan (well, perhaps that’s not so unexpected). Now it turns out the chocolate cake is a sleeper, too. A super-sized confection thick and dense enough to lay the foundation for a Cherry Creek townhome but so moist it has the texture of mousse, this ganache-slicked wedge also comes with a floor show courtesy of the server, who sets off an avalanche of freshly whipped cream and then ceremoniously pours thick, rich hot-fudge sauce over the top. We’ll take Manhattan, all right.

Potager knows how to get a meal off to a great start. This “kitchen garden” offers an ever-changing roster based on what’s in season, and the appetizers are an ideal way to sample as much as possible, in realistic portions for a good price. From the always-stunning soufflé of the month to unique salads, homemade pâtés and innovative crostinis, Potager’s starters not only whet your appetite, but they tease it, tickle it, and get it so darned aroused you can’t wait to see what’s next.