Though this Lakewood pizza joint doesn't have many bells and whistles, what's coming out of the oven makes you want to celebrate. Choose between Pizzeria Lui's red and white pies; offerings range from the kale — a red pie with kale, homemade sausage, red onion, fresh mozzarella, mushroom, garlic and parmesan — to the potato, a white pizza with Colorado-grown Yukon golds, homemade chorizo, roasted red pepper, mozzarella, garlic, green onion and a farm-fresh egg. Each pizza is cooked in a 900-degree wood-burning oven, which does the job quickly and very well. The thin crust emerges with a slight char and bubbling cheese so alluring that you'll want to take a bite even when it's still molten. Avoid the urge: There's plenty to savor here, and you don't want to singe your tastebuds before you have a chance to do so.

Readers' Choice: Blue Pan Pizza

Owner Charlie Calogero Puma opened Enzo's End back in 1996, when this part of Colfax Avenue was still sketchy. It's been around so long, it's often overshadowed by the new pizza spots that have popped up. And that's a shame, because Enzo's End is really the living end when it comes to thin-crust pies. On top of that crust, you add your choice of homemade red sauce or a garlic-and-olive-oil white sauce, then layer on any of the thirty-plus toppings, ranging from pepperoni, meatballs and prosciutto to Sicilian green olives, green chiles and feta. (You can also pick from one of the many combos suggested on the menu.) Delivery in a select zone is free, though you can always dine in and enjoy the passing parade on Colfax along with your pizza.

Readers' Choice: Pizzeria Locale

Detroit and Denver may not have much in common, but Blue Pan has built a friendship bridge paved with pepperoni between the two cities. Detroit-style pie, as executed at these two saucy outposts, is rectangular, high-sided and overflowing with sauce and cheese. Tangy Wisconsin brick cheese snuggles against the steel pan as the pizza cooks, creating a crusty, caramelized edge. Classic cupping pepperoni is a wise choice for a topping, but Blue Pan furthers the Michigan-Colorado connection with the Prospector, a bold combo of Italian sausage, green chiles, mushrooms and fresh garlic. One bite will leave you with deep feelings for the Motor City.

Readers' Choice: Blue Pan Pizza

We've never been to New Haven, Connecticut, but folks from that neck of the wood-fired woods swear by the super-thin crusts, the sauceless clam pies and the slightly charred edges that give New Haven-style pizzas their distinct look and flavor. Thankfully, brothers Kris and Jason Wallenta, the owners of White Pie, are a little more familiar with New Haven than we are; in fact, they grew up there eating the Italian-American creations of Sally's Apizza, famous for its enormous, misshapen pies. The brothers' version of the obscure style is a little more manageable for one or two diners, coming in classic combinations of spicy cured meats, fennel-imbued sausage, fresh vegetables and authentic cheeses — whether slathered in thick red sauce or not. White Pie gives us one more reason to celebrate the diverse realm of American pizza.

There are two sure bets at this downtown Mexican eatery: The joint will always be packed, and the green chile will always be rich, hearty and satisfying. D'Corazon makes its chile the way God intended, at least here in Colorado: brownish-orange, thick like gravy, and hot enough to grab your attention. Newcomers to Denver are likely to be confused and New Mexicans will be outraged, but after a spoonful or two, all will be converted. The pork-laden original gets top billing, but vegetarians won't be disappointed by the meatless version. Not only do ravenous lunch-goers queue up daily for a taste of this green chile, but burritos and rellenos await the privilege of being anointed in the delicious sauce, as well.

Readers' Choice: Santiago's

Great tacos start with the meat, and you know you're getting great meat at Beltran's because the butcher counter is right next to the grill. Whether quick-grilled specialties like carne asada, beef fajitas or alambres (beef with bacon and vegetables) or slow-roasted pastor and barbacoa, the tacos come out with the perfect flavor and texture. Several house salsas add a blast of chile heat, and corn tortillas come from a nearby tortilleria run by a family friend. Beltran's kitchen cooks up a wide range of Mexican specialties, so you can explore the menu of burritos, tortas and soups at breakfast, lunch and dinner; just make sure any meal includes an order of tacos.

Readers' Choice: Tacos Tequila Whiskey

Rather than rely on pork in his green chile, New Mexico native Hosea Rosenberg builds layers of flavor by oven-roasting all of his vegetables before they go in the pot. Still, Hatch green chiles — which the chef brings up from New Mexico every fall — are the star of the sauce at this Boulder cantina devoted to all things Southwestern. You can get a bowl of Santo's green chile on its own, try it in a stew augmented with pork and potatoes or have it slathered over stacked blue-corn enchiladas. Better yet, swing by in the morning for a weighty breakfast burrito charged with chile: It's guaranteed to awaken both you and your tastebuds.

Readers' Choice: Adelitas Cocina y Cantina

Federal Boulevard is a taco hunter's dreamscape, but it's rare to find a good, old-fashioned smothered burrito made in true Den-Mex style. Cafe Chihuahua knows what this city wants, though, and it delivers a beast on a platter: the pregnant burrito, which is really two meals in one. On the outside, there's a fluffy flour tortilla drenched in the house green chile, which comes in mild, hot or half-and-half (trust us and get it hot for extra green-chile flavor). Studded with plenty of pork, the chile could be a meal in itself, but what makes this burrito pregnant is a beef enchilada soaked in red sauce and surrounded by a layer of refried beans — all hidden inside the flour-tortilla blanket. Each component is worthy of praise on its own, but taken together, this is one delicious burrito, baby.

Tacos are first and foremost street food, so carts, trucks and trailers are obvious candidates for where to seek out the amazing antojitos. But in the Athmar Park neighborhood, people are beginning to figure out that a brightly painted shipping container festooned with sparkling lights is home to some of the best tacos around. TacoBlock sits solidly in a warehouse parking lot, where owners Brenda and Adrian Bonilla cook up beef, pork and chicken tacos along with Mexican burgers and — surprisingly — Brazilian fare courtesy of a new chef/partner. When you go, be sure to ask for your tacos "mamalones style," which will land you a mountain of grilled onions, nopales, pineapple and corn.

At the massive Que Bueno Suerte!, tamales don't come by the dozen — and they don't come wrapped in corn husks. Instead, the tender pillows of corn masa are served Yucatán-style, swaddled and steamed in a banana leaf, which adds a unique vegetal flavor. Stuffed with shredded pork in warming adobo sauce and served with chile verde and epazote-infused black beans, this dish captures a more tropical side of tamales, making them worthy of starring on an entree-priced platter.

Readers' Choice: Tamale Kitchen