Food & Drink Editor Molly Martin Is Back at the Table

Being Westword's food & drink editor is a fast-paced and delicious job that had kept me bouncing all over town since I took the role in May 2021.

But all that came to a screeching halt in March, when I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes. Suddenly, instead of reading piles of menus, I was taking a self-taught crash course in all things cancer.

My treatment plan began with chemotherapy, which brought a slew of side effects including severe fatigue, bone pain and, much to my dismay, a big hit to both my appetite and ability to taste.

It became clear quickly that I would need to take an extended leave from work to focus on my health, and I owe a big thank you (and probably at least a dozen beers) to Gil Asakawa, a Westword OG who stepped in as interim food editor, serving up stories on Colorado corn, the best sushi in town and much more.
As of today, I'm five weeks out from my last chemo treatment and waiting patiently for my hair to start growing back. Just over a week ago, I had surgery (a lumpectomy and removal of three lymph nodes) and in a few weeks, I'll begin the last step of what's called active treatment: radiation, followed by hormone therapy medication, which I'll be on for five to ten years.

But even though I'm not quite done fighting this cancer yet, I'm excited to be back at my desk and hungry to cover the local food scene again. Like, really hungry — my appetite and taste buds are back in full force and I've been taking advantage.

Just before I got my diagnosis, I'd been planning to return to Hawaii's Big Island. While that adventure was put on hold, Ohana Island Kitchen is my go-to for a taste of Hawaii and it delivered just that. It's well known for having the best poke in town, but don't sleep on the kalua pork — I love the hefty and filling mix plate box which includes a scoop of top notch mac salad, two scoops of furikake-topped rice, mango lime kale salad and corn salsa.
Poke was among the foods I couldn't eat while on chemo. "No raw fish," my oncologist told me before my first treatment. So of course, after getting the okay from my doctor following the final treatment, one of my first stops was Fish N Beer in RiNo for round after round of raw oysters during happy hour.
With a little extra time on my hands, I was able to escape the house for a mini-mountain adventure recently that started with a stop at one of the best burger joints around, Bud's in Sedalia. This cash-only spot offers only burgers, served with a side of Lay's — never fries! The key here is the steamed buns and those crisp but hefty patties cooked on a grill top that's been seasoned for decades. I hope this spot never changes.
From Bud's, I looped through some back roads to another classic that recently made a comeback. The Bucksnort Saloon is the kind of Colorado mountain bar where legends are made and re-told over and over. After a long hiatus that included an uncertain future, a new owner managed to get the place back to its original glory, ceiling full of dollar bills and all. It's serving burgers again, too, along with a few other menu items that hit the spot before you hit the road.

While comfort food favorites have been my go-to's lately — the Tex-Mex Chili from Sam's No. 3, the lemon chicken rice soup from Chef Zorba's and delivery from Pepper on Colfax in particular — I'm ready to dig into the 125-or-so new additions that have opened over the last five months. I'm looking at you, Bear Leek, Rougarou and Pig & Tiger!