Best Fish and Chips 2001 | Hemingway's Key West Grille | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Fish and Chips

Hemingway's Key West Grille

Papa would be proud of the way Hemingway's Key West Grille has come into its own. These days the kitchen consistently cooks up some of the best seafood in town, serving it in a fun, casual nautical setting that captures some of Key West's appeal. But we doubt the author ever reeled in a catch as tasty as his namesake's fish and chips. Fresh pieces of cod are thickly coated in a beer batter that turns into wavy crests of crunch as soon as it hits hot oil; inside, the fish stays tender, so juicy it squirts at first bite. Write on!

Best Cheap Breakfast

Miguel's Breakfast Club

There's no Miguel at Miguel's Breakfast Club anymore -- he was the manager who up and left not long after this modest spot opened -- but the movie poster for The Breakfast Club still hangs behind the pool tables as a reminder of where the rest of the name came from. More important, owner Mary Ramirez is still here. Ramirez does the cooking at this breakfast-all-day joint, and that includes the $2.99 special of one egg your way, a plate-sized pancake and either spicy sausage or thick-cut bacon that tastes like well-cured ham. Eat your breakfast in the quiet, booth-lined area back behind the bar, the ideal place for viewing the Price Is Right on the overhead TV or the local art hanging for sale on the walls. Coffee refills come quickly, in mismatched mugs that Ramirez has collected over the years, and chances are the server will bring a little taste of that day's lunch special.

Best Cheap Breakfast

Miguel's Breakfast Club

There's no Miguel at Miguel's Breakfast Club anymore -- he was the manager who up and left not long after this modest spot opened -- but the movie poster for The Breakfast Club still hangs behind the pool tables as a reminder of where the rest of the name came from. More important, owner Mary Ramirez is still here. Ramirez does the cooking at this breakfast-all-day joint, and that includes the $2.99 special of one egg your way, a plate-sized pancake and either spicy sausage or thick-cut bacon that tastes like well-cured ham. Eat your breakfast in the quiet, booth-lined area back behind the bar, the ideal place for viewing the Price Is Right on the overhead TV or the local art hanging for sale on the walls. Coffee refills come quickly, in mismatched mugs that Ramirez has collected over the years, and chances are the server will bring a little taste of that day's lunch special.

Best Martini

Blue 67

You'd think that with 67 martinis to choose from, we'd find one that we like. But the problem is, we like them all. In fact, we like everything about Blue 67, a hip, inviting spot with jazz in the background and decor that appears to be a Japanese decorator's take on the swinging '60s. The drink roster includes some martinis from that era, too: the .007, with Bombay Sapphire Gin and dry vermouth -- shaken, not stirred, and garnished with olives; the Presidential, clean and neat with Belvedere vodka and an olive. But as we go back to the future, Blue 67 gets a little kinky, so we pucker up for the Lemon Drop's citrus vodka, lime juice and Cointreau, or we wrap ourselves in a Black Tie, with Smirnoff Black and a splash of Chambord. Swallow two and call us in the morning...for a ride home.

Best Martini

Blue 67

You'd think that with 67 martinis to choose from, we'd find one that we like. But the problem is, we like them all. In fact, we like everything about Blue 67, a hip, inviting spot with jazz in the background and decor that appears to be a Japanese decorator's take on the swinging '60s. The drink roster includes some martinis from that era, too: the .007, with Bombay Sapphire Gin and dry vermouth -- shaken, not stirred, and garnished with olives; the Presidential, clean and neat with Belvedere vodka and an olive. But as we go back to the future, Blue 67 gets a little kinky, so we pucker up for the Lemon Drop's citrus vodka, lime juice and Cointreau, or we wrap ourselves in a Black Tie, with Smirnoff Black and a splash of Chambord. Swallow two and call us in the morning...for a ride home.

Best Chicken-Fried Steak

20th Street Cafe

The 20th Street Cafe bills itself as a "working man's cafe," but this increasingly upscale area doesn't have many working men these days -- not the sort the café was originally designed to serve, at any rate. But everyone from day laborers to high-paid attorneys can appreciate the down-home cooking served in this storefront, including a great chicken-fried steak, pounded to perfection, battered, fried golden and smothered in a soothing gravy for the ultimate comfort food.

Best Chicken-Fried Steak

20th Street Cafe

The 20th Street Cafe bills itself as a "working man's cafe," but this increasingly upscale area doesn't have many working men these days -- not the sort the café was originally designed to serve, at any rate. But everyone from day laborers to high-paid attorneys can appreciate the down-home cooking served in this storefront, including a great chicken-fried steak, pounded to perfection, battered, fried golden and smothered in a soothing gravy for the ultimate comfort food.

Best Place to Nurse a Hangover

Jamba Juice

If the night was too long and you were too easy, head to this healthy juice joint for a quick pick-me-up. Order a Vitamin C-packed smoothie (Jamba Juice offers dozens of variations, including Berry Lime Sublime and Orange Berry Blitz) or straight juice (wheatgrass, carrot, ginger and the standard orange are among the choices), then add such boosters as echinacea, ginseng and ginkgo biloba. After a morning of seeing pink elephants, you'll soon be back in the pink. The next time you get juiced, remember Jamba Juice.

Best Place to Nurse a Hangover

Jamba Juice

If the night was too long and you were too easy, head to this healthy juice joint for a quick pick-me-up. Order a Vitamin C-packed smoothie (Jamba Juice offers dozens of variations, including Berry Lime Sublime and Orange Berry Blitz) or straight juice (wheatgrass, carrot, ginger and the standard orange are among the choices), then add such boosters as echinacea, ginseng and ginkgo biloba. After a morning of seeing pink elephants, you'll soon be back in the pink. The next time you get juiced, remember Jamba Juice.

Best Original Big Burrito

El Taco de Mexico

Molly Martin
Long before those new Mexican grills started popping up on almost every corner, featuring big, big burritos the size and weight of bricks, stuffed with quality meats and drapped with an assortment of nuevo salsas, there was El Taco de Mexico. At this very down-home, very authentic Mexican joint, the friendly servers take big, fresh flour tortillas and wrap them around a mound of rice, beans and your choice from some of the most exotic meats in town. The winner and still the chomp.

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