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Rest in peace, Stella Cordova

Stella Cordova celebrated her hundredth birthday on April 20. But she's the one who gave Denver the gift: Chubby's, the old drive-in at 1231 West 38th Avenue that she turned it into a neighborhood icon, as well as a purveyor of the town's hottest, meanest green chile.Stella kept an eye...
By Patricia CalhounJune 12, 2009
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Stella Cordova celebrated her hundredth birthday on April 20. But she’s the one who gave Denver the gift: Chubby’s, the old drive-in at 1231 West 38th Avenue that she turned it into a neighborhood icon, as well as a purveyor of the town’s hottest, meanest green chile.

Stella kept an eye on that green chile and all the other Mexican dishes she introduced at the drive-in she bought forty years ago, stopping in almost every day even as she passed the century mark.

But now that run is over: Stella Cordova passed away yesterday. Via con dios.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor emeritus of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She was editor-in-chief from 1977-2026. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame (probably for her bar tab). She’s received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists, and is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS12’s public affairs roundtable.

patricia.calhoun@westword.com

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