Social Sightings: Our Food Editor's Favorite Recent Bites

Monday mornings are tough, but this series isn't. Social Sightings is a quick taste of recent food tidbits that goes down as easy as your first cup of coffee, and should whet your appetite for the week ahead.

With the start of spring last Monday, I've already started thinking ahead to summer, and the annual update of our list of the ten best burgers in Denver. Bodega Denver, which opened in Sunnyside last year, is serving a top contender. The double smashburger-style patties come on a potato brioche roll with both American and cheddar cheese, as well as pickles and what Bodega calls "the fanciest sauce." Bonus shout-out for the fried chicken sandwich doused in chile oil!
While on assignment in Golden, I grabbed another great burger — because it's basically a crime not to stop at Bob's Atomic when you're in the vicinity. Here, you pick your toppings by filling out a form on a brown paper bag before taking that to the counter, where you're given the name of a notable person or character that's called out when your order is up. I got Dennis the Menace, along with a perfectly charred patty on a toasted bun with American cheese, grilled onion, tomato and extra pickle.
I also doubled up on two outstanding French dips, which might knock off some of the selections on our current top-ten list for this classic sandwich. The first was at Poppie's, an old-school strip-mall spot on South Colorado Boulevard. This is a traditional version through and through — just thin sliced prime rib (a specialty here) on a soft baguette with a big side of rich jus, crispy fries and creamy horseradish sauce.
Over at Apple Blossom, inside the Hyatt Centric Downtown Denver, chef/owner Paul Reilly and chef de cuisine Russ Fox have created a super-decadent take on the French dip, with duck leg confit in place of the beef, as well as buffalo milk Taleggio cheese, caramelized onions, duck jus and fries.
Fries are the star at Adobo's brick-and-mortar location on Federal Boulevard, where owner Blaine Baggao serves a mashup of New Mexican and Filipino fare. The cheese fries come with your choice of red or green chile, both of which are vegetarian — request "Christmas style" for a bit of each — plus the option of adding smoked carnitas, a must if you're a meat-eater. Baggao is putting the finishing touches on a new back patio, so you'll soon be able to feast here al fresco.
I ate a lot of pasta as I finalized our recent list of the ten best Italian restaurants in the city. Over forty eateries were in the mix, and a lot of favorites didn't make the final cut, including the family-owned Romano's in Littleton, which has been open since 1967. It deserves plenty of love for a lot of reasons, though, including its truly excellent eggplant parm, topped with your choice of meatballs or sausage.
Popular pop-up Little Arthur's Hoagies, which serves East Coast-style sandwiches on bread freshly baked by owner AJ Shreffler, is working on launching a food truck. But in the meantime, Shreffler is doing regular pop-ups out of breakfast spot Sunny's, at 2339 West 44th Avenue (watch his Instagram for details on when to reserve a time slot). I recently snagged one, and it was a banger, loaded with smashed meatballs, cheese, broccoli rabe and a generous slathering of Little Arthur's garlic mayo that, yes, will give you garlic breath for days. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
On March 24, I wrote about the truly stellar meal I had at Lucina as it celebrated its one-year anniversary. Everything I tried was a winner, but I'm still dreaming about these mussels and chorizo. Order extra bread to soak up all that broth.
A martini lover, I've had versions of the cocktail all around town, including Annette, chef Caroline Glover's Stanley Marketplace eatery. I usually hit up this spot early for happy hour, when I opt for a standard martini, dirty, because it's one of the seven classic cocktails on special for $10. But after my meal at Lucina, I popped by for a nightcap and went for a shooter of Underberg, a digestif that's ideal after a big meal, and the Annette Martini. Now there's no going back. It's the perfect balance of flavors, made with Leopold Bros. Navy Gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Salers aperitif, Rhine Hall Pear Brandy and lemon oil, plus a Castelvetrano garnish.

Cheers!