The Seven Best Bites We Had in January

This year started off strong in the food scene as January brought a lot of notable openings — and a lot of tasty meals, including another savory hit from Right Cream.

Owner David Right launched Right Cream during the pandemic and moved the business into a small space (with a good-sized kitchen) next door to Denver Beer Co.’s South Downing Street location in 2023. Last year, it was our Best of Denver editor’s pick for Best Savory Food at an Ice Cream Shop, in large part for its excellent smashburgers, which were once only available on Saturdays but are now served every day that the shop is open — and cost just $9.75 for a double patty.

Recently, Right Cream brought back another former hit: its fish sandwich, which is currently on offer every Friday for the foreseeable future (though it won’t be around forever). This ode to the classic McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish is priced at $13.50 and includes beer-battered cod, lettuce, American cheese, dilly tartar sauce, crispy fried capers and housemade pickles on a brioche bun, and it’s a messy treat. Don’t skip the beef tallow fries ($4) on the side — they’re quite tasty dipped in that tartar sauce.

You can also get a taste of Right’s savory cooking skills via Starboard Supper Club, his collaborative pop-up with Darren and Jeremy Song, the owners of now-closed poke eatery Turtle Boat. Its next two dinners will be hosted at Right Cream’s neighbor, barbecue joint Roaming Buffalo, on February 10 and 17. Reservations can be made by direct messaging Starboard Supper Club on Instagram. (I attended one of the dinners last year and can confirm that this crew is dishing up some truly creative and delicious eats.)

Our latest edition of the Top 50 Restaurants in metro Denver right now includes a spot in Longmont, which offers one of the best dining experiences in the state. In late 2024, chef Eric Skokan introduced year-round farm dinners at his Black Cat Farmstead, hosted in private cabanas that he hand-built. On a recent visit, I was happy to find that the team has really settled into the cadence of these dinners, which makes the experience even more relaxing.

After being welcomed with warm apple cider, guests are brought to their cabanas, where a spread of starters is waiting on the table. The meal unfolds at your own pace over the next three or so hours as a flickering fire creates a cozy warmth. While every part of the meal has special touches, the standout course this time was tender slices of lightly smoked pork (from the pigs raised by Skokan and his family) paired with creamy ajo blanco, a savory sauce cooked down from the pork jus, and a Spanish tortilla-inspired preparation of the Jerusalum artichokes that grow just feet from where dinner guests park their cars.

If you’re going to splurge on a meal this year (the price is $165 per person plus tax, service charge and optional wine that is pre-ordered by the bottle), it should be at Black Cat.

Another memorable pork dish was served at one of the three new Italian spots that have opened in the last couple of months. Dear Emilia is a new concept from the owners of Restaurant Olivia, which pays homage to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy but with locally-sourced ingredients. At a preview before its January 29 debut in RiNo, co-owner and chef Ty Leon described it as a “love letter to Parmesan,” and it does, indeed, do dishes featuring that iconic cheese very well — the lasagna verde with Parm-heavy mornay is a must-order, and will likely be a hit on social media thanks to its colorful presentation.

But a sleeper hit on the opening menu is the maiale al latte ($36), a twist on the traditional pork braised in milk made with pork shoulder from Rugby Scott, who braises it in whey and pairs the pork with creamy polenta and West Elk peach preserves canned by sustainability director Paula Thomas last fall.

Johnny Bechamel’s is a new Wash Park Italian joint from Mamas & Papas Hospitality (Dio Mio, Redeemer Pizza and Little Johnny B’s inside Urban Cowboy) that opened in December. It’s a modern spin on American Italian with some fun dishes, and I can’t stop thinking about the savory doughnuts ($10), made with a pâte à choux pastry filled with Parmesan cream and topped with aged balsamic and covered in thinly sliced prosciutto. What a way to start a meal!

Rounding out the new Italian spots is Florence Supper Club, a cozy red-sauce joint that debuted just before the new year, next door to Candlelight Tavern, that comes from Odel’ls Bagel owner and chef Miles Odell and partner Paul Lysek. Like a Denver-style Carbone, it’s crushing classics like chicken parm and rigatoni alla vodka, but don’t skip the starters.

Bread service is rarely free these days, but chefs are also putting a lot of effort into their take on carbs to begin a meal. While various forms of sourdough are the most prevalent bread option, I’ve also eaten a whole lot of focaccia variations in the last year, and the one at Florence ($7) is hands-down my favorite. It’s everything you want focaccia to be — light and airy with a bit of crispness and a lot of olive oil, plus more on the side for dipping. It’s no surprise that Odell says the recipe became an obsession for him and went through as much rigorous testing as his bagels.

Pair it with the scapece (an array of pickled veggies topped with slices of Parmesan) and a meatball or two for an optimal start to your meal.

Chef Johnny Curiel’s latest is Mar Bella Boqueria in Cherry Creek, which is his first foray beyond the Mexican cuisine he serves at his four other spots (Alma Fonda Fina, Cozobi Fonda Fina, Mezcaleria Alma and Mar Bella’s neighbor, Alteño).

This Spanish neo-bistro that opened last month offers both a chef’s counter experience as well as a la carte dining, which would be my recommendation for a first visit so that you can set your own pace instead of committing to a large tasting. The croquetas stuffed with Maine blue crab and Mahón cheese with piquillo mayo and a slice of otoro on top ($24) have quickly become the most popular item, and are definitely a great place to start. Follow that with the underrated endive and melon salad ($21) with creamy sheep’s milk cheese, and a bright citrus dressing.

Then go for the decadent solomillo de res ($56), a tender Certified Angus Beef filet served over a hash brown and topped with a generous slice of seared foie gras. The whole dish is completely bathed in a rich demi glace reminiscent of mole, a nod to chef Curiel’s heritage and his other hit eateries.

Jordan’s Deli recently opened in the former Melita’s space on Lincoln Street — not far from the Capitol and Westword‘s office. Owner Jordan Spence has worked in the hospitality industry his whole life, but this is his first venture as an owner. Though he’s from Florida, his family is from New York, and he’s bringing some no frills, East Coast-style to downtown with this spot.

My first order was a BEC on a Kaiser roll ($10) that, like everything at Jordan’s, is made to order and served up quickly. It hit the spot, and just a few days later, I was back for lunch. The Italian hero ($13) is loaded with Boar’s Head meats and is reminiscent of the only thing I miss about my time living in Florida, Publix subs. I also appreciate that all the sandwiches here can be customized with whatever toppings (and cheese choices, and egg styles) you prefer.

The beer-battered chicken tenders ($13) were juicy with a light coating, though the onion rings or tots are definitely the way to go over fries. Other staffers have sampled sandwiches, too, including the $13 chicken Parm, and we all agree: We’re stoked to have this new deli as a breakfast and lunch option on the edge of downtown.