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Best Vietnamese Restaurant

New Saigon

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...

Best Starters

Potager

Potager
Lindsey Bartlett
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.

Best Starters

Potager

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.

Best Chocolate Cake

Manhattan Grill

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.

Best Chocolate Cake

Manhattan Grill

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.

Best Old Grocery-Store Amenity

Penny horse rides

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.

Best Old Grocery-Store Amenity

Penny horse rides

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.

Best Outdoor Patio -- Urban

Highlands Garden Cafe

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!

Best Outdoor Patio -- Urban

Highlands Garden Cafe

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!

Best Beer List

Falling Rock Tap House

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.

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