Mexican fare isn't difficult to find on Federal Boulevard, especially if you're looking for street tacos, fat tortas or foil-wrapped breakfast burritos oozing with Denver-style green chile. But despite its name, you won't find the gravy-thick pork stew on the menu at Chili Verde, which instead specializes in the lesser-known cuisine of Puebla, Mexico. Pork and chicken come robed in rich, dark mole poblano, complex and zingy mole verde or smoky salsa morita. Chiles en nogada — the picadillo-stuffed poblano peppers topped with creamy walnut sauce and bejeweled with pomegranate seeds — are available year-round rather than just during Mexican Independence Day, as is traditional for the tri-colored dish, which represents the Mexican flag. Apart from the menu, Chili Verde also stands out for stellar service from a gracious and knowledgeable staff who are genuinely enthusiastic when it comes to answering questions about the food and drinks coming from the well-stocked and creative bar.
Readers' choice: New Saigon