Best Cortado 2015 | Aviano Coffee | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
Navigation
Support Us
Search

Best Cortado

Aviano Coffee

Photo by Johnny Molfetta
 

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

Best Coffeehouse for Getting Work Done

Bardo Coffee House

Courtesy The Bardo Coffeehouse on South Broadway Facebook

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

Best Coffee Pourers

Breakfast King

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

Best New Coffeehouse

Huckleberry Roasters

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

Readers' choice: Huckleberry Roasters

Best Mystery Brunch Item

Monkey Brains

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

Best Banana-Bread French Toast

Root Down

Root Down Instagram

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

Best Eggs Benedict

Duo

Scott Lentz

You wouldn't think that the secret to the perfect plate of eggs Benedict would be mustard, but head to Duo and you might be convinced otherwise. The cider-glazed pork Benedict is a runny, creamy mess of all things delicious, but it's the delicate, whole-grain-mustard Hollandaise that ties it all together, lending a bit of tang to the thinly sliced, tender, slow-roasted pulled pork. Served with a grilled ciabatta to sop up any remaining mustard-cider mixture with, this dreamy dish is really good to the last drop — and just might be the first thing you think about when you wake up.

Readers' choice: Lucile's Creole Cafe

Best Pho Restaurant

Wonderbowl

The family that operates Pho Duy opened Wonderbowl on Federal Boulevard last year with a larger menu of Vietnamese fare than most pho joints offer (including the original Pho Duy, right next door). But the family stamp is apparent from the first spoonful of broth. Deep, rich beef flavor predominates, with subtle hints of ginger and star anise in the background. Rather than an intensely spiced or sweet broth, this one is delicate and sophisticated. What makes Wonderbowl so wonderful, though, is not just the broth, but the generous portions of meats mounded onto each order. The #1 bowl, for example, comes with so much rare steak, flank, brisket, tripe and beef tendon that the thin slices rise up from the broth like the tip of an iceberg. Somewhere beneath all of that is a tangle of tender rice noodles; the entire bowl is packed so full that you'll have trouble stirring in the ultra-fresh basil, bean sprouts and jalapeño slices that come on the side. Other, less common noodle soups give added depth to the menu for those who want to stray from straight-up pho into pork- or seafood-based broths with a whole new range of flavors.

Readers' choice: Pho 95
  • 925 S. Federal Blvd., Denver, 80219 Map

Best Brunch

Providence Tavern

Teal Nipp

It's no fluke that Providence Tavern's address and its phone number both end in 5280, because brunch here epitomizes everything that's right about Mile High dining: cheap drinks, amazing Benedicts, a view of the game from every seat in the house...and no waits. Somehow this upscale neighborhood bar has flown under the radar, even though it serves up anything but average bar food. The smoked pork benefit (no, that's not a typo, and, yes, you benefit if you order this) is one of the best Benedicts in town, smothered in a chile-rojo Hollandaise that will set your mouth on fire. Then there's the truffled grilled cheese, made breakfasty with a bacon and egg on top, a foodgasm-inducing sandwich. Digest it all in the comfortable, all-seasons room; it's the perfect place to drink away the day with $8 bottomless mimosas or manmosas and $5 Bloodys.

Readers' choice: Snooze

Best Brunch Expansion

The Buff

A Boulder institution since the mid-'90s, the Buff finally admitted it had outgrown its original location last year and moved up the block, adding 700 square feet of space and some much-needed parking. While the wait times are no shorter at the new spot, this remains a University of Colorado hangout worth hanging around for. Despite its shiny new facade and some modernization, the Buff maintains much of the look and feel of the original, with wood from the old restaurant repurposed for the walls and booths. And the breakfasts are as good as ever. Go, Buff!

Best Of Denver®

Best Of

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy Westword may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2024 Denver Westword, LLC. All rights reserved.
Do Not Sell or Share My Information
Powered By Foundation