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Culture & Nightlife
Top Author: Rebecca Yarros
Before May 2, 2023, Rebecca Yarros was living a quiet life in Colorado Springs—well, as quiet a life as an author of 20 moderately successful romance books and mother of six can have. Then Fourth Wing, her 512-page romantasy debut that follows a 20-year-old woman who enters a cutthroat dragon-riding school, was released. In the swiftly rising genre, the elaborate world-building of fantasy and science fiction is combined with romantic tropes and steamy sex scenes. Yarros excels at both, and readers responded to her self-assured, sex-positive female heroine and inclusive supporting cast.
In fantasy, a literary realm long dominated by straight white men, more diverse representation is, apparently, welcome. Fourth Wing has sold more than two million copies globally and spent three months atop the New York Times’ hardcover fiction bestseller list. Fans flocked to release parties for the series’ second book (of an anticipated five), Iron Flame, this past November, and the next installment is due in January 2025. The surest sign that Yarros’ life won’t be calming down any time soon? An Amazon TV adaptation of the series is in the works. —Jessica LaRusso
Top Bar: Emerald Eye
Much like making a great cocktail, crafting a great bar requires combining the correct ingredients in just the right amounts. Thanks to its flawless recipe, year-old Emerald Eye—opened by California-based Pouring With Heart, which also owns Seven Grand and American Bonded—is well balanced and well worth a visit. —Lindsey B. King
One Part Vibe: Emerald Eye’s palm frond wallpaper, green and yellow ochre color scheme, dim lighting, and roomy, circular booths set the tone for a good time. But like any superb watering hole, Emerald Eye can shift its mood to match the time of day and the disposition of its customers. On weekdays around quittin’ time, the garden-level bar’s soft tunes and stiff drinks welcome what-a-day vent sessions. On Friday and Saturday nights, though, a movable wall slides away to reveal a dance floor. The Larimer Square address only burnishes the bar’s allure.
One Part Menu: Assistant general manager Nick Zerance describes the bar’s beverage bent as “dark tropical” because, he says, tiki can feel hokey: “We don’t play on the Polynesian theme, and there are no fire drinks.” Instead, Emerald Eye focuses on less ostentatious sippers made with rum, agave, tequila, and mezcal. The two most popular tipples are the Whoa Blackberry—made with gin, St-Germain, house-made cranberry liqueur, rosemary tincture, lemon juice, blackberry and raspberry syrups, and dusted blackberry on the rim—and the vegan milk punch, a cocktail Zerance spent three weeks perfecting, made with coconut and rice milks, four rums, cinnamon syrup, and lime juice.
One Part Staff: Every apron-bedecked barkeep knows how to mix a good libation. But it’s not all about shaken or stirred; it’s about good service, reading the room, and being jazzed about the job. “We all get excited about using different flavor profiles and giving people a taste of something they’ve never heard of,” Zerance says.
Read More: The 23 Best Bars in Denver
Top Brewery: Westbound & Down Brewing Company
Until a few years ago, if you were enjoying Westbound & Down’s suds on draft, you had likely pulled off I-70 in Idaho Springs to wait out traffic at the historical downtown taproom. The brewery opened in 2015, quietly made very good beer, and even won the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) award for midsize brewpub of the year in 2019. But Westbound had bigger dreams, which it realized with the purchase of the former Endo Brewing space in Lafayette. Opened at the end of 2021, 4,000-square-foot Westbound & Down Mill (a nod to the on-site silo and the fact that most of the brewery’s production and canning now happens there) offers scratch-made pizza and 10 beers on tap.
Then, in late 2023, Westbound debuted a small, stylish tasting room off an alley in LoDo’s Free Market, making it even easier for Denverites to swill its latest creations—which is good, because three of them took home medals at this past year’s GABF, the most of any Colorado brewery. —JL
The Medal: Gold, West Coast–Style India Pale Ale
The Beer: Westbound Select
Tasting Notes: A product of the Idaho Springs brewery, Westbound Select is rarely available at the Denver-area locales. So if you come across the 6.7 percent ABV IPA—whose “explosive aromas of tangerine, peach, strawberry, and melon give way to a light dankness,” according to Westbound—order it.
The Medal: Silver, New Zealand India Pale Ale
The Beer: The Spirit of the West
Tasting Notes: Also a 2023 World Beer Cup winner (silver, international IPA), the Spirit of the West is an easy-drinking, 6.8 percent ABV dry-hopped IPA. Bold citrus flavors work to soften the bitterness associated with the style, making it a great starter IPA for people who don’t think they like IPAs.
The Medal: Bronze, American Cream Ale
The Beer: The Coloradan
Tasting Notes: This 4.9 percent ABV Mexican lager brewed with flaked maize may have brought home some hardware, but it’s not too fancy to come in a mug with a wedge of lime. Squeeze it in, close your eyes, and pretend your toes are in the sand of your favorite beach instead of perched on a bar stool.
Top Cocktail Menu: Desert Social
We’re not always down with trendy ingredients in our cocktails. Fat-washed spirits are weird. Absinthe tastes like Good & Plenty. Seafoam isn’t awful, but is it an improvement over the salted rim? In contrast, aloe liqueur—a low-calorie spirit made most famous by an 11-year-old California brand called Chareau—tastes fresh, is only slightly sweet, and has a velvety mouthfeel. That’s partially why we love the cocktail menu at Desert Social, which opened in late summer 2023 along South Broadway.
A member of the family-run food-and-beverage empire behind Ni Tuyo, Adelitas, and La Doña, the former dive bar (you might remember Bowman’s) is now a breezy hangout with a Southwestern desert vibe that deploys aloe liberally. The spirit shines in the hibiscus-hued aloe margarita, but ordering the agua de casa, a ranch-water-style beverage with Derrumbes San Luis Potosí mezcal, Chareau, lime, and Topo Chico, is the pro move. —LBK
Top Happy Hour: Cochino Taco
Cochino Taco doesn’t have happy hour or even happy hours: The local Mexican chain dubs its daily discount drink period “Happy Time.” It’s a fitting moniker because, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., patrons can snag a medley of drink specials, including $4 drafts, $6 margaritas, and a variety of playful cocktails—such as the Ahoy Chamoy, a boozy take on the savory-sweet fermented fruit sauce often found in Mexican street food—ranging from $5 to $7. Pair Cochino’s creative drinks with its equally ambitious small plates, such as the Doritos nachos (which are exactly what the name suggests). Warning: By small plates, we mean small. But at $5.50 to $6 each, you can afford a second helping.
The only downside is that with seven hours of cheap drinks and locations in Englewood, Edgewater, and Arvada, there’s plenty of opportunity for your boss to catch you playing hooky when she walks in to do the same. —Nicholas Hunt
Top Kid-Focused Entertainment: The Museum for Black Girls
Charlie Billingsley celebrated her 31st birthday in 2019 by setting up a selfie museum honoring Black women at her friend’s clothing boutique in Aurora. Billingsley and her aunt Von Russ then took the experience on the road to Houston and Washington, D.C., but it wasn’t until last year that the duo found a home in their hometown. Thanks to a Downtown Denver Partnership initiative that provides temporary rent-free space on the 16th Street Mall, the museum brought its whimsical fusion of gallery chic and Instagram cool to the Denver Pavilions in October 2023.
Inside the 6,000-square-foot venue, portraits of Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou, and local dance legend Cleo Parker Robinson sit next to works from local artists such as Shakerra Monét. The pieces rotate every three months or so, but one permanent element is Billingsley’s “Grandma’s Kitchen,” an immersive set designed to look like, well, her grandmother’s kitchen. “This is a place for inspiration and celebration,” Billingsley says. “We like to say that we want guests to come in feeling loved and leaving with love.” —Barbara O’Neil
Top Place To Go Dancing: Stay Tuned
On a recent Sunday at 6 p.m., Stay Tuned was packed with dozens of gyrating dancers bobbing their heads and bouncing to beats by Derek Plaslaiko, a techno DJ based in the Pacific Northwest who’s known for his marathon sets. (This one would last only six hours.) That the scene is popping off when most normies are winding down their weekends might seem strange to the uninformed. But reimagining the local dance scene is exactly what club owners Sam and Tricia Maher and creative director Alex Whittier envisioned when they opened the Ballpark hot spot this past December.
Whittier, a longtime Front Range electronic music show producer, says Denver has become too used to loud-but-bad sound systems, aggressive alcohol culture, and a VIP mentality that inhibits community-building. So he and the Mahers made their space with dancers in mind. The term “high fidelity,” for example, may have fallen out of favor since the 1970s, but that’s how Whittier describes the sound system at Stay Tuned. “Hi-fi means you can both feel the bass and still have a conversation with someone next to you,” he says of the 22,000-watt speaker system from Void Acoustics, a favorite supplier for top clubs in Ibiza.
Stay Tuned isn’t huge. Whittier estimates the 2,158-square-foot space can fit 175 people comfortably (it helps that there’s no VIP section). The intimate setting makes a four-foot-diameter disco ball, previously owned by the band Cake, a statement piece. Elsewhere, suspended orbs cast colored hues on wall-hugging benches, where revelers can take a breather, and across a cement dance floor that Whittier says is perfect for doing the Dougie or the Bernie, thanks to its slick but not-too-slippery finish.
While alcohol is the only refreshment on tap at many clubs, the Mahers, who also own the Overland vegan restaurant Somebody People, commissioned a Mediterranean-themed pop-up called Pickpocket for Stay Tuned that includes such items as a beer-battered tofu “fish” sandwich. Dancers place orders along a curvy bar top and can pair their bites with Champagne-spritzed cocktails or mocktails such as the ginger berry fizz. Perhaps the most obvious nod to dancing’s pre-eminence here? One of the first things patrons encounter when they enter the venue is a hydration station. —Chris Walker
Top Theater Company: Theatre Artibus
In 2018, Meghan Frank’s family purchased the Savoy Denver, an 1889 red-brick building in Five Points. The former social hall became the home of Theatre Artibus, a company founded by Frank and her husband, Buba Basishvili (pictured), that delivers physical theater at its most piquant, precise, and poignant. “The story lives in their bodies and faces,” says Jeff Campbell, the founder and executive director of Denver’s Emancipation Theater Co., “and it takes a lot of talent to convey a narrative with that approach.” But as stewards of the Savoy, Frank and Basishvili are eager to share its stage with other companies from around the region.
As a result, the theater has become a secret gem for witnessing some of the most compelling and diverse art in the city, including this trio of shows that shined at the Savoy. —Lisa Kennedy
The Bluebird: Basishvili packed a lifetime of quandaries about dreams, belonging, and immigration into April’s The Bluebird, based on a poem by Charles Bukowski. Full of captivating pantomime, the one-person Theatre Artibus show soared under Frank’s direction and sailed on original music by the Walsenburg-based band Homospouses.
In the Pocket: The Ballad of Bobby Trombone: Set at the Rossinian Hotel in Five Points during the Jazz Age, this February 2023 play by Emancipation Theater Co. captured the history of a storied place even as the piece touched upon a decision facing so many contemporary artists as their cities become too expensive: Should I stay, or should I go?
Undone: The Lady M Project: In March 2023, Boulder’s Local Theater Company put on a Lady Macbeth–worthy show, posing fresh questions about power and privilege. But audiences were perhaps most affected by the opening pantomime of a hanging actor, an indelible image that could only have been achieved in a space built for physical theater.
Dining
Top New Restaurant: Alma Fonda Fina
Johnny Curiel wants to be seen and heard. That’s why an eight-seat chef’s counter is the centerpiece of his first restaurant, Alma Fonda Fina, which opened in LoHi in December 2023. “If I’m going to do traditional Mexican food that is my heart, my story, my everything,” he says, “I have to be able to see the guests, and I have to be able to tell the story of why we’re here.”
That story starts in Curiel’s native Guadalajara, Mexico, where he fell in love with the culinary traditions of his homeland while working at his father’s restaurant. Although Curiel grew up in a household of chefs, he isn’t serving family recipes at Alma Fonda Fina. Instead, he draws inspiration from those recipes and uses techniques from his tenures with TAG Restaurant Group and Richard Sandoval Hospitality—which led him to cook in dozens of restaurants in Colorado and across the United States—to craft elevated variations of the food he grew up eating.
For instance, Curiel raises the bar on birria, a comforting stewed meat served at the eateries his family frequented after church every Sunday, by using a tender braised Colorado lamb shank—instead of the more typical goat or beef—nestled in a pool of adobo-pepper-zinged broth. And the restaurant’s frijoles puercos, a dish of refried beans and chorizo, customarily, that Curiel’s mother makes for him in Mexico, features house-made Mexican chorizo, creamy white bean purée, and smoky-tangy chile de árbol salsa verde. “I just wanted something that was super close to me to be part of the menu,” he says. Snag a reservation for a bar stool at Alma Fonda Fina’s chef’s counter and you can be super close to the sights, sounds, and smells of Curiel’s cooking, too. —Patricia Kaowthumrong
Read More: Alma Fonda Fina Is Modern Mexican Cuisine at Its Finest
Top Chef: Carolina Zubiate
Carolina Zubiate has had quite a year. Besides winning the Hispanic Restaurant Association’s Hispanic Top Chef competition and working as a line cook at North Park Hill’s Yuan Wonton, one of Denver’s hottest spots for Asian dumplings, Zubiate hosts in-demand pop-ups featuring her native Peruvian cooking. We caught up with the busy chef to talk about overcoming trauma and about chifa nights, aka the reservation you didn’t know you needed. —Allyson Reedy
5280: You’re Peruvian, but you’re known for making dumplings at Yuan Wonton. How’d you get into Asian food?
Carolina Zubiate: I worked at a Peruvian restaurant in D.C., and [the food] involves a lot of different fusions—Japanese, Latin American, African—so I was always intrigued by different cuisines. I never went to culinary school, so I wanted to learn different cuisines so when the day comes that I’m able to open something, I can go back to the creativity and things I’ve learned from different chefs.
What brought you to Denver?
Something traumatic happened to me [in the kitchen] in D.C. Moving to Denver, where I had friends, was my way of staying in the restaurant industry. I didn’t want to become a victim. But moving—that doesn’t happen in Hispanic cultures. You stay with your family or you move together. So that was very hard for me. You have to put yourself first at some point.
How did you meet Penelope Wong, owner of Yuan Wonton?
I did an all-women dinner with her and Ngoc [Nguyen, Wong’s sous chef], where we were paired with women sommeliers. That was my first time working with them, and Chef P is so talented, so we stayed in touch.
Can you tell me about Yuan Wonton’s chifa nights?
Chifa is a Chinese-Peruvian dinner. It’s mainly Cantonese Chinese food, because there’s a huge population of Chinese people in Peru. I shared that with Chef Penelope, and it was her listening to me. Before we knew it, I shared one or two dishes, and the rest was her cooking her family’s food. The best way I could describe it is it was our ancestors meeting for a meal, and it was so special.
What’s next? More chifa?
I would love my own space. I want to find something where I can do a ceviche bar pop-up a few nights a week. There’s nothing like that in Denver. I want to share that here, and a chifa night is one step closer.
Top Coffeeshop: LaTinto Café
There are few countries with richer coffee cultures than Colombia, which is almost always one of the top three producers of the world’s favorite beverage. That caffeinated way of life is on full display at South Broadway’s LaTinto Café, a mural-bedecked, exposed-brick retreat that opened in spring 2023. In owners Jorge and Carmen Aguirre’s homeland, tinto refers to black coffee, but to Denverites, the word is now synonymous with specialty coffee beans imported from independent Colombian farms and roasted fresh in Colorado.
The Aguirres don’t just serve liquid pick-me-ups, though. Their pastry case is full of South American treats: The pastel Gloria, filled with caramel sauce and guava; the pan de achira, bread that tastes a little like cornbread without the crumbly consistency; and acemas, wheat rolls made with panela (unrefined whole cane sugar) all go great with a strong cup of drip. —LBK
Read More: 25 of Denver’s Best Coffeeshops
Top Deli: Blackbelly Market
Denverites, rejoice: Blackbelly took over the former home of Il Porcellino Salumi this past March, bringing an outpost of chef Hosea Rosenberg’s 10-year-old meat-centric market and restaurant in Boulder to the Mile High City’s Berkeley neighborhood. While the original Blackbelly location will continue to focus on using whole animal butchery to yield chops, steaks, and other cuts, the Denver iteration will center on curing salumi for both locations. The Berkeley shop has a fast-casual eatery serving breakfast and lunch and a deli stocked with fresh and cured meats, cheeses, and pantry items. We suggest curating a charcuterie and cheese board using this advice from head butcher Kelly Kawachi. —PK
Meats: Blackbelly offers 20 to 30 types of house-made salumi, including earthy coppa and well-marbled soppressata. Kawachi suggests choosing two whole-muscle varieties, such as gently sweet bresaola and prosciutto, and one option with a kick, such as nduja or chorizo. “The whole-muscle meats are good, but they’re not spicy, so I like to choose a spicy one,” she says.
Cheeses: Complement your charcuterie with three cheeses that have different textures and flavors. Kawachi’s picks include a three-year-aged Gouda (firm and nutty) and a Swiss Chällerhocker (creamy and salty). “I also like to put a soft cheese in there for variety, like some kind of Brie or Camembert,” she says.
Add-Ons: Pile on the sweet and salty accoutrements and round out your board with sliced bread or crackers. “I like to have some kind of nut, a jam or fresh fruit, a pickled vegetable, and mustard,” Kawachi says. Blackbelly stocks Primo, a locally made line of jarred preserves with flavors such as raspberry habanero designed to partner with charcuterie.
Pairing: When buying wine, get a bottle with the same origin as the meats or cheeses on your spread. “I don’t like sweet [wines], so I tend to go for something dry and acidic,” Kawachi says. “But it really depends on what you’re feeling.”
Top Dessert: The Cake Bar
Angie Wells is changing how people think about vegan and plant-based food, one cake cup at a time at the Cake Bar. After her in-home cake operation exploded during the pandemic, Wells saw the former Make Believe Bakery space for rent and knew it was time to get a brick-and-mortar shop of her own. Not only was she jazzed about the 625-square-foot space—located next to vegan/vegetarian restaurant City, O’ City in Capitol Hill—but she also couldn’t wait to send the hundreds of people picking up her strawberry crunch cakes to a location that wasn’t her house. Wells moved in this past August and sells the custom cakes that first encouraged a line out her front door, along with vegan croissants, cookies, kouign-amann, and macarons from 20 Colorado vendors.
But it’s those cake cups—filled on the spot with a choose-your-own-adventure-style combination of cake, frosting, and toppings—that sell like, well, hot cakes. Think crumbled funfetti cake layered with maple-vanilla frosting, fresh strawberries, and caramel drizzle. The dessert is always plant-based and nut-free, but Wells offers a gluten-free option, too. “There’s no reason to pay into factory farming anymore,” Wells says. “You can have perfect cakes and croissants and be cruelty-free. At the Cake Bar, as long as you can have sugar, we can accommodate you.” —AR
Top Chinese: Meet & Eat Bistro
Don’t wear white to this southeast Denver strip mall joint; the seriously fiery, scarlet-hued Sichuan dishes coming out of its kitchen deserve to be eaten with gusto. The owners behind Aurora’s Dating Yumy took over the restaurant in March, but the meals at Meet & Eat Bistro still sing with spice and heat, a result of the liberal use of red chiles and Sichuan peppercorns.
What to Order: The dry-pot cauliflower is as satisfying as any meaty main: Chunky florets of the humble vegetable are tossed in a smoky, garlicky sauce with lotus root, onions, carrots, and green peppers. Served over a gas flame, the dish pairs well with the spicy, vinegar-spiked shredded potatoes, which remain a little crunchy after being stir-fried, and plain white rice. —LBK, Ethan Pan & Geoff Van Dyke
Read More: 20 of Denver’s Best Chinese Restaurants
Top French: Jacques
LoHi’s Jacques is a bistro in the truest sense of the word: bustling, loud, vibrant, and very, very French. The menu leans into traditional bistro fare such as escargots, pâté, and mussels. Pair your bites with a glass of Chablis, and revel in Jacques’ ability to transport you from the South Platte to the Seine.
What to Order: Jacques’ menu changes every few months, but you’re sure to find mainstays such as baguettes with butter, French onion soup, simply but well-prepared steak, and, of course, frites. In fact, one could do much worse than making a meal out of those dishes. If seafood is your thing, try the buttery mussels. —LBK, EP & GVD
Top Indian: Samosa Shop
David Hadley got an early culinary education from his grandma, who taught him the basics of Indian cuisine. After cooking school, working in Colorado eateries, and winning the Food Network’s Chopped, he opened the Samosa Shop as a pop-up. In January, the concept moved into LoDo’s Honor Farm, where Hadley now serves his flavorful Indian American cuisine.
What to Order: The OG Samosa with potato, peas, and dried fruit will deliver exactly what you’re looking for if you want traditional Indian flavors, but don’t miss the Secret Samosa, which Hadley fills with a rotating array of ingredients, including a killer caprese with balsamic reduction. The Kerala fried chicken sandwich and the vindaloo chicken birria tacos are the epitome of fusion food. —LBK, EP & GVD
Read More: Chef Dave Hadley’s $5 Samosa Is Worth Every Penny
Top Middle Eastern: Urban Cafe & Restaurant
Iranian sisters Elnaz and Elhahe Azizi and their cousin, Ferydoon Asgari, opened this cozy Lincoln Park cafe in December. There they combine the fruity, floral, and nutty notes of Persian cuisine with Lebanese and Italian influences in a bouquet of dishes that range from rice plates to sandwiches.
What to Order: For lunch at Urban Cafe & Restaurant, try the spicy eggplant sandwich: slices of aubergine slicked with a chile-spiked tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella, walnuts, and basil, all tucked between focaccia. For dinner, the zereshk polo—a saffron-infused pilaf topped with pistachios and dried barberries—comes with a tasty chicken stew. —LBK, EP & GVD
Top Vietnamese: Sap Sua
At Congress Park’s Sap Sua, co-owner Ni Nguyen transforms the flavors of his childhood—he grew up in Orange County, California, as the son of Vietnamese immigrants—into upscale savory plates, while his wife and Longmont native, Anna, spearheads pastry creation.
What to Order: The ever-changing menu takes advantage of in-season ingredients, but you can always count on the bap cai luoc (charred cabbage served with anchovy breadcrumbs and a swoop of egg yolk sauce) and the ca kho (grilled hamachi collar lacquered with coconut caramel) to be delicious. —LBK, EP & GVD
Read More: Meet the Couple Behind Sap Sua, Denver’s Newest Modern Vietnamese Restaurant
Top Barbecue: G-Que Barbeque
Denverites can’t get enough of G-Que Barbeque. Case in point: Since the restaurant opened in Westminster in 2015, its footprint has expanded to include seven locations across the Front Range, including a new concession stand at Coors Field that started serving wings, ribs, and pulled pork to hungry baseball fans in the spring. Don’t miss founder/maestro of meat Jason Ganahl’s brisket, which is smoked to perfection over hickory, or his popular crispy chicken wings tossed in a different sauce each week (we like the Thai chile basil). —PK
Top Burger: Bodega Denver
The inventive sandwiches at Sunnyside’s Bodega Denver draw lines of locals, who flock to the two-year-old breakfast and lunch spot for menu items like banana bread French toast with peanut butter mousse and toast stacked with fried chicken thighs and deviled egg spread. But Bodega’s smashburger stands out for its comforting simplicity: The juicy double-beef-patty masterpiece has a squishy potato bun and is layered with melty American and cheddar cheeses, dill pickled onions, and Colorado Fancy Sauce, a Thousand Island–like condiment with green chiles. Order the messy two-hander with the mixed bag of fries starter and look for a new RiNo location this fall. —PK
Read More: The Best Burgers in Denver and Beyond
Top Pizza: Dough Counter
Brought to you by the team that made Marco’s Coal-Fired pizza a Denver icon, University Hills’ casual Dough Counter specializes in New York–style pies and slices (whereas Marco’s serves Neapolitan pizzas). In much the same way that it’s difficult to make bagels like they do in the Big Apple, getting New York–style pizza just right isn’t easy. Dough Counter’s thin-crust pizzas, however, are about as close a facsimile as you’ll get to the real thing this side of the Mississippi. The key, of course, is the crust: Dough Counter lets its dough rise for five full days. The result is a crispy, chewy foundation for sweet/tart tomato sauce, mozzarella, and whatever else you might want on top. —GVD
Read More: Where to Find Denver’s Best Pizza
Services
Top Barber: R&R Head Labs
It would be easy to make Sweeney Todd jokes about R&R Head Labs, but it takes more nuance to appreciate the mission behind the five-month-old barbershop on East Colfax Avenue. As the text on the sleek space’s windows reads: “We are not a conventional barbershop.” Indeed, the staff at R&R is made up of formerly incarcerated individuals—the shop’s website describes them as “justice-impacted expert barbers and other returning community members”—who are invested in giving you more than a sharp haircut.
On a blustery weekend this past spring, I sat down in a chair, described in detail the kind of cut I wanted, and then spent the next 45 minutes chatting with my barber about his past (including 14 years in prison); his present (not only cutting hair at R&R but also providing cuts at sober-living homes); and his future (continuing to stay clean and put smiles on the faces of his clients). My barber’s story was so raw and so honest that it was impossible not to be taken in by his candor and the arc of his life.
You don’t go to a barber for a story, though. I can only vouch for one barber at R&R—which has high ceilings and a welcoming atmosphere—but he was excellent. He listened closely to what I asked for and responded with questions. He was careful and fastidious. He washed and conditioned my hair after draping a hot towel on my face and used a straight blade to clean up the back of my neck. And the cost, before tip, was just $40. The result was a fantastic haircut that came with an equally poignant and inspiring conversation. —GVD
Top Spa: Pure Elevations Spa & Garden
Rebecca Marroquin wants to dispel the common misconception that THC massages will get you stoned. They won’t. They will, however, tranquilize the trickiest aches by reducing pain and increasing serotonin, “which helps to aid in things like depression and lack of sleep,” she says. For Marroquin, THC- and CBD-infused topicals did even more than that, easing her pain from a broken neck. The relief she experienced inspired her to open Colorado’s first cannabis-friendly spa last month in Baker, where customers can enjoy a 30-, 60-, or 90-minute massage. After your back rub, stop by the on-site hair salon for a glam sesh, the coffee shop for a (ganja-free) latte, or the mini-dispensary for one of the THC or CBD ointments that just pacified your muscles. —BO
Shopping
Top Bookstore: Petals & Pages
Dylah Ray left a career in politics to cultivate a space where LGBTQ+ Denverites feel safe to pursue their passions, connect with the community, and explore their identities. How did Ray pull off such a lofty goal? By founding a bookstore that’s packed with more than prose. Inside this Art District on Santa Fe spot, which opened in October 2023, you’ll find a flower shop, a writer’s corner, shelves brimming with bestsellers, and a robust inventory of queer and feminist literature. But Petals & Pages also hosts free and ticketed events nearly every night of the week, at least one of which is sure to appeal to the person you are—or want to be. Below, a sampling of the monthly soirées (check the website for exact dates and pricing). —Jessica Giles
1. Cozy Read-A-Thon: Pack your pillow, a blanket, and your read and stave off the Sunday scaries with a morning of leisurely page-flipping with other bookworms. Your $10 ticket includes a beverage and snacks.
2. Bookstore Burlesque: If you need a little help honing your “come hither” eyes—and rereading all the steamy sections of A Court of Thorns and Roses isn’t helping—let dancer Sophia Eliana lead you in a beginner-friendly burlesque class. No matter your gender identity, body type, or skill level, Eliana will ensure you leave feeling feisty and free.
3. Trans+ Community Game Night: Take a seat at the table with other trans folks for a communal night of bonding and board games. Bonus points if you bring something that everyone can play.
4. Social Justice Book Club: Instead of doomscrolling at home, read up on current issues, such as the Israel-Hamas war, with other aspiring changemakers. The club votes on a book each month and meets to discuss the selection with a local expert on the topic.
5. Paint & Sip: Art director EmmaMay Beers will help you tap into your inner Bob Ross during this BYOB bash. (Beers painted the floral trim on the shop’s walls and curates the local art scattered among the shelves, so it’s safe to say you’re in good hands.) Each session has a different theme—stacks of books, bouquets of flowers, etc.—which means you’ll have a new creation to hang in your home every time.
Read More: The 10 Best Indie Bookstores On the Front Range
Top Florist: Rowdy Poppy
After running her eco-conscious floral business out of her home in Whittier for six years, Kim Zimmerman signed a lease on a brick-and-mortar shop in RiNo. The location, which was slated to open in June, will provide more space for creating her organic arrangements—for events, restaurants, and Rowdy Poppy’s flower subscription service—while also allowing her to host hands-on workshops that teach the fundamentals of sustainable floral design. As a primer, Zimmerman provided a quick tutorial for crafting a modern, personality-filled arrangement that’s easy on the environment at home. —Michelle Johnson
Ditch the Plastic: When it comes to eco-friendliness, not all floral mechanics—the materials that hold stems in place—are created equal. Instead of single-use plastic floral foam, Zimmerman employs recyclable and compostable materials in arrangements, noting that chicken wire is a tried-and-true mechanic.
Get Weird: To create visual movement, incorporate what Zimmerman calls “the weirdos.” A curly branch or a curved flower adds extra personality, especially if you surround it with negative space to accentuate its form. Zimmerman also recommends playing with asymmetrical shapes and a variety of different textures.
Forget Flower Food: The packets of powder attached to store-bought bouquets often include harsh chemicals. Zimmerman keeps blooms perky by giving flowers fresh, clean water each day, trimming stems every few days, and making sure no leaves or petals become submerged below the waterline, which encourages bacterial growth.
Waste Not: Instead of sending your wilted arrangement to the dump, consider drying or pressing blooms, Zimmerman says. She recommends drying and flattening flowers beneath the weight of, say, a heavy book or a wooden block and then using them for arts and crafts projects or for mixing with essential oils and dried citrus to create DIY potpourri.
Read More: Meet the Denver Florist Who Is Saving the Planet, One Flower at a Time
Top Local Jewelry Designer: Young in the Mountains
Although Mariele Ivy’s work is anchored in the West—she was born in Montana, lives in Boulder, and learned stone cutting in New Mexico—she used to source inlay materials from Afghanistan. Until 2017, that is, when she learned that the Taliban controls the supply of lapis lazuli, a popular inlay stone. Ivy immediately switched to domestic inlays, most of them coming from the West, instantly making Young in the Mountains more humane, not to mention more colorful and dynamic. Her Colorado collection, for example, pairs Centennial State stones—including topaz, aquamarine, smoky quartz, and Cripple Creek turquoise—with Ivy’s signature geometric and crownlike silver and gold settings. At its RiNo studio, which opened in 2019, Young in the Mountains will even switch in stones that customers collect in the wild—perfect for those who believe nature’s most enduring beauties are found in their backyards. —MJ
Sports, Outdoors & Fitness
Top Bike Shop: Treehouse Cyclery
To understand the story of this teeny, blue-painted bike shop in the northeast corner of Five Points, you first need to know the numbers. Like three: how many years co-owner and founder Alyssa Gonzalez has been riding bikes. And one: the percentage of bike shops in the country owned and operated by women. Also, less than one: the percentage of those that are owned by women from marginalized communities.
Gonzalez, who is half Asian and half Hispanic and queer, didn’t own a bike when she landed in Boulder for a master’s program in 2016. But like most transplants, she wanted to explore her new digs. There were a couple of problems with that, though, such as the sheer cost to get started cycling, rock climbing, backpacking, or skiing. The other big one: Gonzalez didn’t see anyone who looked like her participating.
So Gonzalez, now 30, took to social media, posting about the barriers to the outdoors she noticed. Gonzalez slowly built an Instagram following of roughly 10,000 people, who watched in real time as she started mountain biking (May 2021), gravel biking (July 2021), and talking about opening her shop “to get people on bikes in a way that feels good to them,” she says.
That idea became reality in September 2023, when Gonzalez and her business partner, Kolby Clements, debuted Treehouse (pictured above). A full-service bike shop, Treehouse offers a complete menu of repairs, diagnostics, and custom-build (no off-the-rack) options. But Gonzalez also keeps an events calendar filled with introductory classes on topics like mechanics and bikepacking and schedules monthly group rides around Five Points.
In short, Treehouse’s owners do everything they can to get more folks in the saddle. “A bike shop doesn’t have to be an intimidating place,” Gonzalez says. “It can be a catalyst for community—where there is stuff to learn and a place to meet other people and everyone is welcome.” —Maren Horjus
Top Fitness Studio/Gym: Viv Cycle
I tried my first spin class in 2019 when, following a bad breakup, I hoped to ride my way to a revenge body. While the six-pack is still pending, I did discover sanctuary in the choreography-laced cardio workout. So when the first pangs of loneliness hit shortly after I moved to Denver in July 2023, I turned to my time-tested coping mechanism.
To be clear: I didn’t think riding bikes in the dark with bass so loud it rattled my kidneys would lead me to my besties. I just didn’t want to spend another night wallowing in solitude. I expected to slip into the Monday night class, claim my bike in the corner, and pedal anonymously until the lights came on. Viv Cycle had other ideas.
Since opening in July 2019, the beat-based indoor cycling, strength, yoga, and Pilates studio in RiNo has been cultivating connections through events such as member happy hours, speed friend dating, book clubs, and karaoke nights. But Viv’s instructors also inject vulnerability and intentionality into every one of its roughly 50 weekly classes. “To start to encourage people to be that way too has really helped that vibe of being authentic,” says Sophia Mar, a lead instructor and the chief marketing officer at Viv Cycle.
I felt that vibe almost immediately. Before the lights dimmed on my first class, chief operating officer Nadine Potter, also a lead instructor, welcomed me by name, and 40 people cheered like I’d just won a marathon. My cheeks flushed the same color as my hot pink Lululemon top—but not from embarrassment. Moving to a new city can be isolating. This was the first time in weeks I had been noticed by someone other than my dog.
What followed was roughly an hour of coordinated chaos. We tackled long intervals out of the saddle and resistance drills so hard that sweat turned my top an unseemly shade of rouge. But I also belly laughed when Potter made us shimmy like Shakira, belted the Killers’ “When You Were Young,” and screamed like I was at a Jonas Brothers concert. Despite having logged more than 300 spin classes, I had never experienced such an electric environment.
The following week, we celebrated a fellow rider’s 300th class with glow sticks and hard seltzers. We cheered for a member who’d passed her nurse practitioner boards the week after that. At Viv, you have no choice but to be seen and celebrated. After my first class, Potter flipped on the lights and asked, “Jess, where have you been all my life?” It didn’t matter. I was never leaving. —JG
Top Fly Shop: Anglers All Fly Shops & Boathouse
Chris Keeley still remembers how intimidating it was walking into a fly shop for the first time. “They didn’t want to pay attention to me because I didn’t know what I was doing,” he says. “I never forgot that.” So when he bought beloved Littleton fly shop Anglers All in 2009, he vowed to focus on customer service. It’s been a winning strategy: Not only is the business celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, but under Keeley’s stewardship, Anglers All has expanded, first in 2023 with the Boathouse, a separate showroom at the Littleton fly shop for oversize gear like fishing kayaks, and then with a second shop, on Sixth Avenue in Denver, in April. To put Keeley’s service-first approach to the test, we asked him to name his favorite Colorado gear at every price point. —NH
$50 & Under: Whiting Farms 1/2 Rooster Cape – Bronze Grade
“Fly tyers know that the most premium feathers come from Whiting Farms,” Keeley says of the Delta hackle producer renowned for its flock bred specifically for their feathers. “They set the standard worldwide.”$50
$150 & Under: Fishpond Nomad Canyon Net
What makes this net from Denver’s Fishpond worth a Benjamin and a half? The carbon fiber/fiberglass construction is as light as it is tough; it features a long, flared handle for extra grip and reach; and if you do drop it, the Nomad Canyon floats. $150
$500 & Under: Ross Reels Evolution LTX Fly Reel
Keeley offers high praise for the reels made by Montrose-based Mayfly Outdoors’ sister brands Ross Reels and Able. And he’s not alone. Fly Fusion magazine bestowed an editor’s choice award on Ross’ Evolution LTX, praising its powerful, ultra-smooth drag. $475
$1,000 & Under: Scott G Series Fly Rod
Scott, another Montrose outfit, introduced its G Series rod in 1976 and has been improving it ever since. The current version is stronger, more flexible, and lighter than the previous iterations thanks to redesigned ferrules (the joints that connect each piece of the rod). $895
Top Hiking Trail: Denver Orbital Trail
When he moved to Golden in summer 2023, Michael Tormey felt overwhelmed by his options. The Denver area teemed with so many trails—rural and urban—that the Maine-bred 26-year-old had no idea where to begin. A transportation engineer working in public lands, Tormey set his analytical mind to work connecting existing trails until he assembled a network that circled the Denver area. Called the Denver Orbital Trail (DOT), Tormey’s 177-mile creation comprises 28 segments, some you’ve likely tread before (Red Rocks Park in Segment Two) and some you haven’t (the riparian woodlands of Aurora’s Morrison Nature Center in Segment 16).
A project independent of any agency or nonprofit, DOT’s specific routes debuted in April at denverorbital.org. Local striders are already flocking to the website. “Someone sent me a TikTok of them hiking Segment Eight the other day,” Tormey says. “He lives locally to the segment but mentioned that he’d never been on those trails before and never been to that park. That’s what I love to hear: That people are getting out and discovering new things.” —Spencer Campbell
Readers’ Choice Winners
Culture & Nightlife
- Artist: Cristina Rutter
- Author: Debra Fine
- Bar: Town Hall Collaborative
- Brewery: Barquentine Brewing Company
- Cocktail Menu: Olive & Finch
- Dispensary: Police & Thieves
- Festival: Cherry Creek Arts Festival
- Happy Hour: Zig Zag Smokin’ Burger
- Kid-Focused Entertainment: Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
- Late-Night Entertainment: Denver Improv Comedy Club & Dinner Theater
- Patio: Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse
- Place To Go Dancing: Tracks
- Place To See a Show (That’s Not Red Rocks): Mission Ballroom
- Place To See Art: The Art Hotel
- Place To Watch the Game: McGregor Square
- Theater Company: Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Dining
- Bakery: Olive & Finch
- Barbecue: Post Oak Barbecue
- Breakfast Burrito: Santiago’s
- Brunch: Olive & Finch
- Chef: Mary Nguyen
- Chinese: MAKfam
- Coffeeshop: Little Finch
- Deli: Curtis Park Delicatessen
- Dessert: D Bar
- Doughnuts: Voodoo Doughnut
- Ethiopian: HiRa Cafe & Patisserie
- Food Hall: Edgewater Public Market
- Food Truck: The Easy Vegan
- French: Bistro Vendôme
- Fried Chicken: The Post Chicken & Beer
- Greek: Chef Zorba’s
- Ice Cream: Liks Ice Cream
- Indian: Spice Room
- Italian: Meatball Eatery & Libations
- Japanese: Domo Japanese Country Restaurant
- Korean: The Ginger Pig
- Latin American: Lucina Eatery & Bar
- Mexican: Brewery Bar II
- Middle Eastern: Jerusalem Restaurant
- New Restaurant: Sap Sua
- Pizza: Blue Pan Pizza
- Ramen: Osaka Ramen
- Seafood: Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar
- Soul Food: Welton Street Cafe
- Steak: Bastien’s Restaurant
- Tacos: Wild Taco
- Tamales: Que Bueno Suerte!
- Tapas: Barcelona Wine Bar
- Thai: Daughter Thai Kitchen & Bar
- Vegan/Vegetarian: The Easy Vegan
- Vietnamese: Pho & Bar
- Wings: Fire on the Mountain
Services
- Barber: The Rosemont Barbers
- Bike Shop: Specialized Denver
- Florist: Buckley House of Flowers
- Fly Shop: Anglers All Fly Shop & Boathouse
- Hair Salon: The Blake Denver
- Interior Designer: Ejay Interiors
- Manicure: Étoile Salon
- Massage: Renew Massage Studio
- New Hotel: Limelight Hotel Denver
- Pedicure: Étoile Salon
- Pet Store/Services: Goodheart Animal Health Center
- Running Store: Runners Roost
- Ski Shop: Ski & Boot Lab
- Spa: Étoile Salon
Shopping
- Accessories: Nora’s Retro
- Antiques: Rare Finds Warehouse
- Baby/Kids’ Boutique: Broomtail
- Books: Tattered Cover Book Store
- Gifts: Truong An Gifts
- Home Accessories/Furniture: 5280 Custom Framing
- Houseplants: Tigerlily Goods
- Jewelry: Sarah O. Jewelry
- Kitchenware: Element Knife Company
- Local Jewelry Designer: Universal Deco
- Local Men’s Boutique: Aktiv
- Local Women’s Boutique: Nora’s Retro
- Thrifting: Arc Thrift
- Wedding Gowns: Runaway Bridal
Sports, Outdoors & Fitness
- Fitness Studio/Gym: Spring House Pilates
- Golf Course: City Park Golf Course
- Hike Within 90 Minutes of Denver: Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre
- Local Outdoor Gear Store: Feral
- Park: City Park
- Ski Resort: Breckenridge Ski Resort
- Yoga Studio: Better Buzz Yoga
