Front Range foodies should feel grateful for Raquela “Rocky” Serber. After all, the 35-year-old chef-owner of Elita Specialty Market & Kitchen is here to help you cook Thanksgiving dinner. Community means everything to Serber, who grew up in Mexico and overcame more tragedy than most: Her mother died when she was seven; her father was murdered when she was nine; and she’d lived in 11 homes by age 10. At Elita, her six-month-old butcher shop and cafe inside Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace, the Johnson & Wales graduate marries the cooking of her childhood with the Mediterranean flavors she grew to love through her Tunisian aunt and her six years of living and catering in Israel. Her butchers case is filled with local and sustainable meats (turkeys start at $8.50 per pound); every dip, pickle, sauce, and sausage is made from scratch. On the cafe menu, Peruvian cheese steaks and al pastor hummus bowls are beautifully spiced. But when your family or quaran-team arrives peckish on November 26, it’s Serber’s holiday appetizers (starting at $45 for 10 to 12 people) you’ll be most thankful for.

This article was originally published in 5280 November 2020.
Denise Mickelsen
Denise Mickelsen
Denise Mickelsen is 5280’s former food editor. She oversaw all of 5280’s food-related coverage from October 2016 to March 2021.