is finally open in the Denver Puppet Theater, the bright-yellow institution at 3156 West 38th Avenue. And just like the puppets that have long called the theater home, Zook's is colorful, fun and designed for kids of all ages.

"It took forever," theater owner Annie Zook reports, "but now we are serving soups, sandwiches, coffee drinks with Coda Coffee and ice cream treats with Little Man Ice Cream."

Brands like Coda and Little Man should make coffee and food snobs happy, and the hours should do the same for early birds: Zook's is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.

But the best time of all to visit Zook's could be in conjunction with one of the theater's regular puppet shows. Caffeine and marionettes sound like a great combination.