Go Now: Tifamade Cantine

As if there were any doubt about Americans’ lunchtime preferences, Technomic, a food service research and consulting firm, recently confirmed 95 percent of Americans eat a sandwich at least once a week (43 percent choose the lunch staple four times a week). That’s a whole lot of turkey and cheese, ham and Swiss, and egg salad—in short, that’s a whole lot of boring.

But a sandwich doesn’t have to be ho-hum, in fact, it can be the pinnacle of creativity. Discover Tifamade Cantine in LoHi and you’ll know what I mean. The two-week-old shop is really just a pick-up window to the right of the Truffle Table‘s doors. There, Tiffany Iung (aka sandwich extraordinaire) uses the restaurant’s kitchen to prepare a small menu of ingenious lunch items. When I stopped by last week, the board included a manchego with spicy mango butter and avocado (served with or without prosciutto); a beet combo with herbed goat cheese, raw and roasted beets, candied walnuts, and greens; and a prosciutto with pistachio butter, blue cheese, and greens. All are served on Iung’s house-made focaccia bread. Iung spends a considerable amount of time pairing ingredients that offer variations of texture, flavor, and visual appeal.

Clearly, these are no ordinary sandwiches. They’re meant to be enjoyed slowly, not taken straight back to your desk and scarfed down between meetings and emails. Instead, order one (or two, as I did) and perch on Tifamade’s outdoor bench, the small bistro table, or even on the surrounding grass and enjoy Denver’s most thoughtful midday meal.

Tip: Tifamade’s menu changes weekly but the beet sandwich is Iung’s favorite and has a good chance of making a regular appearance.

2556 15th St.

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