Best Margarita 2003 | Lola | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Margarita

Lola

With its vast collection of tequila and its hipper-than-thou setting, Lola has elevated the lowly margarita to an art form. Although even the house version is acceptable, by skipping the sweet-and-sour for fresh juice and choosing your own tequila -- from the more than eighty that Lola has on hand -- you can make yourself a margarita masterpiece. The drinks aren't cheap, and unless you're out partying like a rock star, this is not the place to come if you simply want to tie one on. But if you're curious about all the blends of cactus juice available these days and want to see what a capable mixologist can do with them, Lola is the place for you.

Best Margarita

Lola

With its vast collection of tequila and its hipper-than-thou setting, Lola has elevated the lowly margarita to an art form. Although even the house version is acceptable, by skipping the sweet-and-sour for fresh juice and choosing your own tequila -- from the more than eighty that Lola has on hand -- you can make yourself a margarita masterpiece. The drinks aren't cheap, and unless you're out partying like a rock star, this is not the place to come if you simply want to tie one on. But if you're curious about all the blends of cactus juice available these days and want to see what a capable mixologist can do with them, Lola is the place for you.

Best Tequila Selection

Aztec Sol

We know what you're thinking. The world was a much simpler place when tequila came in only three varieties: yellow, clear and embalming fluid. But guess what, amigo? Now that tequila is hip, we've discovered that it comes in more varieties than there are colors in the big box of Crayolas. The best place to indulge in a liquid voyage of discovery is Aztec Sol, a cavernous, cement-floored bar at the edge of Highland, where Sol man Jose Lara serves a grande selection of 200-plus perception-shattering tequilas that will make you swear off Cuervo for good. The list includes wood-aged brands and boutique breeds that rival the best single-malt scotches. Looking to expand your drinking horizons south of the border? Here's the place.

Best Tequila Selection

Aztec Sol

We know what you're thinking. The world was a much simpler place when tequila came in only three varieties: yellow, clear and embalming fluid. But guess what, amigo? Now that tequila is hip, we've discovered that it comes in more varieties than there are colors in the big box of Crayolas. The best place to indulge in a liquid voyage of discovery is Aztec Sol, a cavernous, cement-floored bar at the edge of Highland, where Sol man Jose Lara serves a grande selection of 200-plus perception-shattering tequilas that will make you swear off Cuervo for good. The list includes wood-aged brands and boutique breeds that rival the best single-malt scotches. Looking to expand your drinking horizons south of the border? Here's the place.

Best Vodka Selection

Russian Cafe

While the very first day of 2003 saw the venerable Little Russian Cafe rolling up its carpets after two decades in Larimer Square, owner Eugene Valershteyn's newer Russian Cafe in Littleton is still going strong. It serves plenty of the simple fare that Valershteyn grew up with, but we really love this spot for its comprehensive list of chilled vodkas available by the shot. In addition to all of the usual high-octane suspects, both foreign and domestic, the Russian Cafe also stocks an impressive spread of artisan vodkas in flavors like black currant, lemon, pepper and cranberry.

Best Vodka Selection

Russian Cafe

While the very first day of 2003 saw the venerable Little Russian Cafe rolling up its carpets after two decades in Larimer Square, owner Eugene Valershteyn's newer Russian Cafe in Littleton is still going strong. It serves plenty of the simple fare that Valershteyn grew up with, but we really love this spot for its comprehensive list of chilled vodkas available by the shot. In addition to all of the usual high-octane suspects, both foreign and domestic, the Russian Cafe also stocks an impressive spread of artisan vodkas in flavors like black currant, lemon, pepper and cranberry.

Best Place to Get a Whiskey, Up, With No Bullshit

The Thin Man

Here's the straight skinny: When you arrive at the Thin Man, you may have this narrow bar to yourself. But sit awhile, and other people are bound to show up. We've found ourselves sharing the bar with bikers and think-tank types, drunken poets, the young and the restless, the old and the restless, and at least one professional bounty hunter on the mend. The one thing all these disparate characters had in common: a serious interest in just drinking. No one goes here for a fashion show; it's not a meat market, and no one cares what you just had pierced. But if you want to kill a couple of hours (and a few of those weaker brain cells) with some long-pour highballs and a little adult conversation, the Thin Man is where it's at.

Best Place to Get a Whiskey, Up, With No Bullshit

The Thin Man

Tony White
Here's the straight skinny: When you arrive at the Thin Man, you may have this narrow bar to yourself. But sit awhile, and other people are bound to show up. We've found ourselves sharing the bar with bikers and think-tank types, drunken poets, the young and the restless, the old and the restless, and at least one professional bounty hunter on the mend. The one thing all these disparate characters had in common: a serious interest in just drinking. No one goes here for a fashion show; it's not a meat market, and no one cares what you just had pierced. But if you want to kill a couple of hours (and a few of those weaker brain cells) with some long-pour highballs and a little adult conversation, the Thin Man is where it's at.

Best Comfort Food

Sam's No. 3

We know: The world can be a scary place sometimes. And whether you're eating to

dull the pain of a broken heart, your vanishing 401K or just the sorry state of the world in general, Sam's No. 3 is sure to have something in the kitchen that'll fill you up right. The menu is the size of a dimestore romance novel, and it's filled with comforting chow from places as disparate as Coney Island and the Baja Strait. Sam's does chili dogs, breakfast burritos, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, sloppy burgers, root beer floats and Mile-Hi banana splits -- all cheap and deeply satisfying. Plus, they whip up a thick caramel milkshake so good you should be able to charge it to your health insurance as a form of therapy.

Best Comfort Food

Sam's No. 3

We know: The world can be a scary place sometimes. And whether you're eating to

dull the pain of a broken heart, your vanishing 401K or just the sorry state of the world in general, Sam's No. 3 is sure to have something in the kitchen that'll fill you up right. The menu is the size of a dimestore romance novel, and it's filled with comforting chow from places as disparate as Coney Island and the Baja Strait. Sam's does chili dogs, breakfast burritos, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, sloppy burgers, root beer floats and Mile-Hi banana splits -- all cheap and deeply satisfying. Plus, they whip up a thick caramel milkshake so good you should be able to charge it to your health insurance as a form of therapy.

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