Best Here's-the-Beef Service 2003 | Jerky of the Month Club | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Here's-the-Beef Service

Jerky of the Month Club

You've got mail! And what mail it is -- teeth-tearing, sodium-sucking, protein-packing jerky. Sign up with Rick Spencer's Steamboat Springs-based Jerky of the Month Club and you'll get a four-ounce portion of a specialty jerky every month for six months, all for the low, low price of $58. Or try a sampler pack for just $28. (Okay, there's some shipping and handling involved in both.) Don't calculate the cost per pound; instead, imagine your delight at finding such delectable snack items in your mailbox each month. Where's the beef? As close as your next postal delivery.

Best Meat Market

Oliver's Meat Market

No, not that kind. Oliver's Meat Market is probably not the place to go when you're looking for love, but it's the spot we think of when meat is on our minds. The same family has been running this same market at this same location since 1939, and in all those years, they've only gotten better at doing what they do. High-quality meats, dry-aged in-house, are Oliver's specialty, but the shop also offers an array of deli selections and a small dry-goods market for the discriminating gourmet. Don't see what you want? The counter is backed by real butchers who know their business and will cut to order depending on your needs. If you're after something weird like veal cheeks, trotters or oxtails, Oliver's should always be your first stop. It's like having a friend in the meat business.

Best Meat Market

Oliver's Meat Market

No, not that kind. Oliver's Meat Market is probably not the place to go when you're looking for love, but it's the spot we think of when meat is on our minds. The same family has been running this same market at this same location since 1939, and in all those years, they've only gotten better at doing what they do. High-quality meats, dry-aged in-house, are Oliver's specialty, but the shop also offers an array of deli selections and a small dry-goods market for the discriminating gourmet. Don't see what you want? The counter is backed by real butchers who know their business and will cut to order depending on your needs. If you're after something weird like veal cheeks, trotters or oxtails, Oliver's should always be your first stop. It's like having a friend in the meat business.

Best Fish Fry

Pierre's World Famous Baking & Frying Spicy Mix
Pierre's Supper Club

Lawrence Pierre recently sold his namesake supper club, but his packaged fish treatment means you can continue to savor his magic not only at Pierre's Supper Club (which is continuing business as usual), but at your own supper table, too. Pierre's secret blend -- available at Pierre's and select grocers -- is lean on the cornmeal and heavy on the red pepper, spices and flavor, creating a piquant, savory coat for any slab of swimmer.

Best Fish Fry

Pierre's World Famous Baking & Frying Spicy Mix
Pierre's Supper Club

Lawrence Pierre recently sold his namesake supper club, but his packaged fish treatment means you can continue to savor his magic not only at Pierre's Supper Club (which is continuing business as usual), but at your own supper table, too. Pierre's secret blend -- available at Pierre's and select grocers -- is lean on the cornmeal and heavy on the red pepper, spices and flavor, creating a piquant, savory coat for any slab of swimmer.

Best Bakery for Bread

Paradise Bakery

Most people are a little hesitant when they walk into Paradise Bakery for the first time. It's missing all those little things that people identify with the retail buying experience: bakery cases, counters, a cash register. All there is on the other side of the door is a working bakery full of bread ovens, stainless work tables and Michael Bortz -- head baker and one of the most knowledgeable bread guys we've ever met. But trust us: You can walk right in. Bortz wants you to. He wants you to get flour on your shoes and the smell of yeast in your nose. He wants you to have a personal connection with your bread, to see where it comes from and who's making it. Whether you're just after a couple of his powerfully fragrant rosemary boules, a dozen crusty baguettes or one of Bortz's specialty breads (like his decadent, dark and sinfully sweet sour cherry and chocolate loaves), Paradise has real flour power.

Best Bakery for Bread

Paradise Bakery

Most people are a little hesitant when they walk into Paradise Bakery for the first time. It's missing all those little things that people identify with the retail buying experience: bakery cases, counters, a cash register. All there is on the other side of the door is a working bakery full of bread ovens, stainless work tables and Michael Bortz -- head baker and one of the most knowledgeable bread guys we've ever met. But trust us: You can walk right in. Bortz wants you to. He wants you to get flour on your shoes and the smell of yeast in your nose. He wants you to have a personal connection with your bread, to see where it comes from and who's making it. Whether you're just after a couple of his powerfully fragrant rosemary boules, a dozen crusty baguettes or one of Bortz's specialty breads (like his decadent, dark and sinfully sweet sour cherry and chocolate loaves), Paradise has real flour power.

Best Bakery for Everything Else

California Bakery

Easily overlooked in the Russian Plaza strip mall, the oddly named, unassuming California Bakery does things with pastry that should probably be illegal, they're so good. Operating primarily for the benefit of the local ex-pat Eastern European community, this bakery stocks many baked goods you'll never see at your run-of-the-mill neighborhood spot. Fortunately, since all of the wares are right there staring you in the face, all you have to do is pick something that looks good and point. Among the don't-miss items: little horns filled with light-as-air pastry cream, dark and powerful tiramisu, flaky, layered squares of dough and sweet sabayon, and the absolute best piroshkis we've ever tasted.

Best Bakery for Everything Else

California Bakery

Easily overlooked in the Russian Plaza strip mall, the oddly named, unassuming California Bakery does things with pastry that should probably be illegal, they're so good. Operating primarily for the benefit of the local ex-pat Eastern European community, this bakery stocks many baked goods you'll never see at your run-of-the-mill neighborhood spot. Fortunately, since all of the wares are right there staring you in the face, all you have to do is pick something that looks good and point. Among the don't-miss items: little horns filled with light-as-air pastry cream, dark and powerful tiramisu, flaky, layered squares of dough and sweet sabayon, and the absolute best piroshkis we've ever tasted.

Best Place to Watch TV While Waiting in the Checkout Line

Avanza

Yes, reading is an important and entertaining activity. The written word helps to remind us of the complexity of our fascinating world, even when we're bored out of our gourds. And yet there are many instances when reading is inappropriate. You should never read while driving, swimming, lovemaking or (dare we suggest it) standing in the checkout line of a grocery store. Sure, we've all tried it, what with all those magazines teasing with their headlines and maddening lack of numbered pages -- and then comes the frantic flipping to find the desired story (about the paralyzed office worker who commutes by hand dolly), the frustrated failure and the hurried stuffing into the wrong slot of the display rack because suddenly it's time to check out. Save yourself the torture by shopping at Avanza, where checkout-line boredom is chased away with America's favorite pastime: TV! Depending on your preferred shopping hours, you can enjoy fine broadcast programs that range from deportes (weekends), to Sala de Parejas (weekdays), to Primer Impacto (weekday evenings). Save the People to read at work.

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