"Marcella’s sausages are the best in Denver," the former mayor declared on Thursday, August 17, as he made his long-awaited return to Armas, who posts up at the corner of 14th Avenue and Cherokee Street.
The last time Hickenlooper got to scarf down an Armas sausage was in 2011, when he left city office after serving two terms and went on to become governor. Now he says it's time for Mayor Mike Johnston to indulge, if he hasn't already. "He obviously works out, he obviously takes care of himself, but the occasional bratwurst isn't going to hurt anybody," said Hickenlooper, no stranger to exercise himself.
"Sometimes you need those little luxuries, especially when you're going through a big blizzard or some rough patch," he added. "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon — so you have to take care of yourself. That requires certain guilty pleasures."
Armas has been a staple in downtown Denver for decades and has served many of the city's top dogs. She started slinging franks thirty years ago, when Hickenlooper was still selling beers at the Wynkoop Brewing Company.
Careful not to make enemies in D.C., the longtime politician declined to name any hot dogs in Congress. He admits the Capitol does have its "expanded personalities," like Texas Senator Ted Cruz, "but I don't know — would you call that a hot dog?
Careful not to make enemies in D.C., the longtime politician declined to name any hot dogs in Congress. He admits the Capitol does have its "expanded personalities," like Texas Senator Ted Cruz, "but I don't know — would you call that a hot dog?
"I guess if you're going to make it a political metaphor, you'd want to look for the Polish sausage — the hardworking hot dog, the dog of the people," Hickenlooper continued. "Lots of truly hardworking politicians are out there."
A couple of names came to mind when he thought about who fit the type: Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota (Klobuchar and Hickenlooper both ran in the 2020 presidential primaries).
Hickenlooper says "a surprising percentage of all Republicans and Democrats" are Polish sausages. He admires Republican senators Bill Cassidy from Louisiana and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. "These are people not trying to get into headlines; they're trying to get stuff done," he tells Westword.
A couple of names came to mind when he thought about who fit the type: Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota (Klobuchar and Hickenlooper both ran in the 2020 presidential primaries).
Hickenlooper says "a surprising percentage of all Republicans and Democrats" are Polish sausages. He admires Republican senators Bill Cassidy from Louisiana and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. "These are people not trying to get into headlines; they're trying to get stuff done," he tells Westword.
When the political veteran got to "Marcella's Cart" on Thursday, Armas was lounging in a lawn chair under an umbrella. She recognized the former mayor in an instant.
"Hey! How's it going?!" she asked.
"Good!" Hickenlooper said. "Nice to see ya!"
"Nice to see you, too!" Armas replied.
"Nice to see you, too!" Armas replied.
Back when he was mayor, Hickenlooper used to send staff members down to pick up Italian sausages for his cabinet meetings, which "go on an hour to two, an hour and a half, and you need fuel," he said.
"She kept us fueled for many a meeting when I was mayor," Hickenlooper recalled.
"She kept us fueled for many a meeting when I was mayor," Hickenlooper recalled.
Denver's elected officials often look to the people outside their offices to learn what their constituents need and how they're doing, according to Hickenlooper, which is how he stumbled upon Armas's cart.
"This area has always been a place for people, the public, voters, citizens to talk to their city council, to talk to their mayor," he said. "You learn pretty quickly when you're the mayor, everyone is part of your team. It doesn't matter if they voted for you or voted for your opponent. You're trying to figure out: What do they need? How can I help them?"
Armas serves hot dogs, nachos, Italian sausages and bratwursts at her cart most days, in addition to cold beverages. She still remembers former mayor Michael Hancock's order: jumbo dogs and a Mountain Dew.
Hickenlooper talked with Armas as he thought about how to top his bratwurst, in the end going for mustard, ketchup, relish and sauerkraut.
Bennito L. Kelty
"I can't complain," she said. "How are you doing?"
Hickenlooper responded, "You know, I could use more sleep and less grief."
Since the last time they saw each other, in 2011, the senator and his wife, Robin, have had a son, Jack, who was born in December 2022. "Congratulations!" Armas said.
Although Hickenlooper is a fan of Italian sausages, he asked Armas about a different option this time: the bratwurst, which is the favorite choice of fellow Colorado senator Michael Bennett.
"The bratwurst is a Guinness beer brat," Armas told him. "They're delicious."
Hickenlooper was immediately sold: "Let me try that, after all this time."
As he considered what toppings to put on the brat, Armas took out a bun and started preparing the food on her Weber grill. She asked if Hickenlooper was living in D.C. now.
"I come home every weekend," he said. "I have a little apartment in D.C."
Hickenlooper initially turned down the classic option of sauerkraut and instead went with a couple thin lines of ketchup and mustard and a smattering of relish before changing his mind.
"Maybe just a touch of sauerkraut," he said.
After grabbing his order from Armas's cart, Denver's former mayor said his goodbyes before going on his way.
"It was nice seeing you, I'm glad business is going very well," he said.
"Yeah, I can't complain. One day I'll retire," Armas told him. "Every time I think I'm going to retire, I feel young again."
"The very fact that you say you're going to retire, that makes you say, 'Oh, I'm not that old!'" Hickenlooper said, laughing.
"Well I don't know if you're going to retire, with the new baby," she joked.
"I'll retire someday," Hickenlooper mused. "There's a lot of stuff to do."
As he ate his bratwurst next to Armas's cart, he shared some personal thoughts on the guy who's in his old office now.
"Michael Johnston, even before he got into politics, has been gifted at reaching out to people and bringing people together and listening," he said. "He's probably better than me, he's probably better than Michael Hancock. I suspect once he gets everyone hired and everyone squared away, you'll see him out, wandering around here from time to time, getting a sausage."
"Michael Johnston, even before he got into politics, has been gifted at reaching out to people and bringing people together and listening," he said. "He's probably better than me, he's probably better than Michael Hancock. I suspect once he gets everyone hired and everyone squared away, you'll see him out, wandering around here from time to time, getting a sausage."
