Best Kosher Goodies 2003 | Kosher Konfections | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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If it isn't K, it's not okay: That's the rule in Denver's kosher households. And that's not always an easy rule to comply with, as anyone up against it can tell you. (You know the ones -- those poor folks often spotted studying labels at the grocery store for the oft-hidden symbol announcing that the food is, indeed, prepared according to ancient Jewish law.) But at Lynn Zwerdlinger's Kosher Konfections, tucked away in a southeast Denver strip mall, you never have to look before you leap for the holiday goodies: All of the candies are certified locally by Scroll K -- Vaad Hakashrus. And, oy, has she got candy: tried-and-true chocolates from Bartons and Barricini, lollipops, mints, nuts and every other sort of sweet imaginable, including a few errant cookies. The place is a veritable nosh pit!


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.
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.


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.
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.


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.
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.


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.
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.
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.

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