Despite the city's distance from either coast, fresh oysters make their way to the Mile High via Denver International Airport — often arriving faster here than they reach coastal cities by truck. But while there are a lot of places to slurp these briny bivalves in Denver, one Maine native is stepping up the oyster game. You may have spotted Ben Wolven, the man behind Oyster Wulff, shucking at Forget Me Not in Cherry Creek, or caught his oysters on the menu at A5. He has the goods shipped to him directly from Maine, and is not only an actual championship shucker, but also a pro at talking oysters and sustainability, spreading the word about the positive impact that oysters have on the environment — which makes eating them even sweeter.

Of course we love Cart-Driver for its wood-fired pizzas, but the dining experience is elevated when you order a tray of whatever oysters are on offer on a given day, served raw with a tiny fork for the bivalves and a tiny spoon for the mignonette. But to reach true Cart-Driver pro status, you need to dig into the restaurant's selection of tinned fish. At the newer, larger LoHi location, that means sardines, but the RiNo original also has a selection, including smoked trout, codfish and stuffed baby squid. Whatever you choose will arrive on a tray with charred, fluffy piada bread, black olive butter, sambal pepper relish...and even more tiny silverware.

Denver has spent years trying to shed its cowtown reputation — which includes trending away from steakhouses toward a much more diverse culinary scene. But A5, which opened in 2021 in the former home of Morin, takes the classic steakhouse and infuses it with a modern sourcing ethos as well as fun, retro vibes. The result is a spot that feels anything but stuffy, thanks in large part to a menu from chef Max MacKissock that includes not only high-quality steaks — including the must-order Japanese wagyu striploin — but also updated takes on such classic steakhouse fare as a wedge salad with crispy guanciale and a crunchy seed mixture, and a beef tartare katsu sandwich with a perfectly soft-boiled quail egg tucked inside.

With its iconic sign, sunken bar and mid-century aesthetic, Bastien's is a holdover from times past — and we wouldn't have it any other way. The family-run business dates back to the 1930s, but the current incarnation was constructed in 1958. That sign touts its famed sugar steak, but there are twelve preparations to choose from. And whether or not you splurge on a full steak dinner, nothing beats sipping Colfax dirty martinis delivered by friendly servers who've been working at this classic for years.

When Columbine Steak House won Best Steak House — Low End in the very first edition of Best of Denver in 1984, the joint was already 23 years old. And after 61 years in business, not much has changed, thankfully. The dining room is packed at lunch and dinner with people noshing on steaks cooked to order and served up with a side salad, a slice of Texas toast and a buttered baked potato — which you can get for under $20 if you opt for the sirloin or New York strip. Nothing on the menu is over $30, but don't forget to bring cash: Credit cards are no good here (though there is an ATM on site).

A pandemic success story, Right Cream got its start when David Right began making and delivering ice cream via Instagram with his business partner, Josh Siegel. The idea quickly gained popularity thanks to Right's creative flavors and commitment to quality — he makes his own ice cream base and loads up his pints with mix-ins, all of which he makes from scratch. An ever-rotating array of flavors with fun names like Jason Mochamoa (coffee-steeped ice cream with coconut fudge gooey buttercake "chonks" and caramel swirls) and Clark W. Griswold (cream cheese vanilla bean ice cream with Ritz cracker toffee, strawberry jalapeño jam and candied pecans) keeps customers guessing as to what's coming next.

Ice cream can be so overpriced these days; what was once an affordable post-soccer game treat for kids has become the culinary equivalent of cold gold. But Magill's is the exception. With a nostalgic vibe from decades ago, Magill's offers a heck of a lot of ice cream that won't require that you break the bank or fork over lots of cold, hard cash. For added fun, go on a summer day and enjoy your ice cream outside on the benches, licking up the Magill's experience.

There's ordering from a menu, and then there's interacting with the menu — which is what Ian Kleinman's dessert bar is all about. Inspired by the 1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory film, the chef has incorporated a slew of science tricks to make ice cream freeze right before your eyes, candy dry out and become light as air, and liquid chocolate transform into edible modern art. All of this happens by using liquid nitrogen, compression and freeze-drying technology and applying the techniques to sugar. Here, a sweet is never just something you pick from a menu; rather, it's a full experience for the senses. Currently the shop is open by reservation only, and dates and times for the Inventing Room's "Sugar Science" demonstrations can be found online.

A great hotel restaurant not only serves guests of the venue, but it becomes a destination for local and visiting diners, as well. Such is the case with chef Paul C. Reilly's latest venture, Apple Blossom, which he runs with his sister, Aileen Reilly, and her wine-expert husband, J.P. Taylor Jr., in the Hyatt Centric Downtown Denver. The restaurant is a culmination of chef de cuisine Russ Fox's work at the team's other spot, Coperta, as well as the recently shuttered Beast + Bottle. The food on the Apple Blossom menu is approachable but with an elevated twist, which is reflected in dishes such as the chicken-fried duck livers and handmade pasta laced with uni.

When you're bowling, sometimes French fries and a slice of frozen pizza will have to do. But at Holiday Lanes, a Lakewood bowling alley and billiard room since the '50s, the in-house Elbow Room offers not only the usual suspects, such as mozzarella sticks and onion rings, but also calzones, patty melts, country skillets and even weekend breakfast. Our favorite part of the lineup, however, is the Tex-Mex lineup. Crispy chiles rellenos, hearty green chile and chimichangas the size of Paul Bunyan's forearm are popular enough to bring in hungry visitors who have no intention of hitting pins. With a menu this deep, there's no way you can strike out.