Don't use a metaphor.
Articles by Mark Antonation
Kimbal Musk’s Kitchen Restaurants Have a New Local Owner
Restaurateur Bryan Dayton’s Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality group just got a little bigger. Dayton, who opened his first restaurant, Oak at Fourteenth, in 2010, is taking over another iconic Boulder eatery. “We’re acquiring the Kitchen [American Bistro] in Boulder and Denver,” Dayton tells 5280. Dayton has been in talks with the Kitchen’s founders Kimbal Musk and Hugo Matheson for several months and finalized the deal last week. “I’ve known Kimbal and Hugo for years.
How Going Sober Made These Denver Bar Professionals Better at Their Jobs
The first time I heard the term “sober bar professional,” I thought it sounded like an oxymoron.
Denver James Beard Award–Winning Chef Takes to the Air on United Airlines
The next time you fly overseas from Denver International Airport, you’ll be able to take a taste of the Mile High City with you—if you’re flying business class, that is. On August 1, United Airlines unveiled a new partnership with Netflix docuseries Chef’s Table to bring menus created by 11 chefs, representing 10 cities, to United Polaris business class customers flying on specific international routes.
The 12 Best Barbecue Restaurants in Denver and Beyond
Barbecue isn’t easy. The long hours, the procurement of hardwood for fuel, the unpredictability of the process, and the cost of meat mean that the best smokehouses are run by passionate souls dedicated to perfecting an imperfect craft. Even when the smoking’s done, pitmasters still have to please the picky palates of Denver transplants craving a taste of home. Is the brisket sliced or chopped, and is it offered in both lean or fatty cuts?
10 of the Best Mountain Town Brunch Spots
From Kittredge to Crested Butte, we rounded up 10 great places to grab a table for the tastiest brunches in the Rocky Mountains. Blackbird Cafe, Kittredge Bread & Salt, Frisco El Perro Negro, Breckenridge Gessner Colorado Mountain Grill, Vail Tavernetta, Vail Creekside Cafe & Grill, Steamboat Springs Poppycocks, Aspen Rupert’s, Durango Butte Bagels, Crested Butte The Butcher & the Baker, Telluride Blackbird Cafe Eggs Benedict at the Blackbird Cafe.
Telluride Mushroom Festival Honors the Legacy of Wild Foods and Lands Advocate Katrina Blair
In 2015, when I first learned of the Telluride Mushroom Festival, the event was already in its 35th year. I was in my first year at 5280—an eager intern in the magazine’s food and drink department hoping to land a position as a full-time staff editor. I had a budding interest in mycology (the study of fungi) and foraging and a deep desire to prove myself as a real journalist capable of exploring the food beat beyond obvious restaurant openings.
Rễ Tre Puts Down Roots in Former New Saigon Space
An Nguyen, chef and co-owner of Aurora’s Dân Dã, had no intention of opening a second restaurant. Although her parents, Ha Pham and Thai Nguyen, closed their 40-year old neighborhood staple New Saigon in early 2024 and wanted her to take over the South Federal Boulevard space, An didn’t think it meshed with her own culinary vision. But driving down Federal and visiting the empty dining room last winter made her think twice.
Sushi Den’s History in Rice: From Short Swords to Single Grains
The ways in which Yasu and Toshi Kizaki have fundamentally shaped Denver’s dining scene are incalculable. Largely credited with introducing the city to Japanese cuisine upon the opening of Sushi Den in 1984, the natives of Tamana, on Japan’s southern Kyushu Island, were the first locally, and among the first in the United States, to source seafood directly from Japan—some of which they were also dry-aging many years before the tradition became a showy stateside trend.
Is the Front Range Ready for the Sherry Revival? Casa Juani Thinks So
“Fino sherry is my secret weapon,” says Max Gellmann, lead bartender of the recently opened Casa Juani on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. “Instead of MSG or saline solution, which some bartenders rely on to liven up their cocktails, I use fino, which is made from grapes that are grown by the sea. The salty sea air flavors the grapes; it seeps into the barrel as the wine ages.” We are both admiring the drink he has set before me: the Spanish martini, Casa Juani’s signature cocktail.
Where to Find the Best Dim Sum in Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley
This year’s snowmelt may not deliver heart-pumping whitewater rafting conditions, but plenty of us are still heading to the mountains to spend weekends on the Arkansas River—the most commercially rafted section of whitewater in the nation. And if the rafting and kayaking don’t look promising, the wilderness around Salida and Buena Vista still offers lots of hiking, biking, and other alpine activities.
Move Over, Cronuts: This Denver Pastry Chef Is Making Baonuts
Over the past 21 years, lavender sourdough rolls and biscuits have become iconic as complementary starters at Larimer Square’s Rioja, and executive pastry chef Eric Dale’s beignets, tarts, and sorbets have punctuated many a celebratory meal at the James Beard Award–winning Mediterranean eatery. But one thing has escaped the pastry chef, who started at Rioja just three months out of culinary school: a brunchtime doughnut that he was happy with and that his team could execute consistently.
Mall Food Is Back: New Mexican Eatery Ash & Agave Debuts in Cherry Creek
Big changes are afoot in Cherry Creek. Crews have begun demolishing several of the shopping center’s freestanding buildings on the west side to make way for a sprawling mixed-use neighborhood, Cherry Creek West. Locals were forced to say goodbye to Elway’s, an upscale steak house that operated in one of the now-demolished spaces for more than 20 years. And developers say the first building of this new project likely won’t be completed until 2029.
11 Denver-Area Food and Drink Festivals To Help You Make the Most of Summer
Colorado summers are made for enjoying great eats and drinks outdoors, whether you’re trying tacos or sipping suds. Food festivals in metro Denver’s parks and on scenic old-town streets are a great way to dive into global culture, sample the best bites from local chefs, and hang out with your friends and neighbors. Here, the summer festivals—many of which include music, art, shopping, and folklore—we’re looking forward to most.
Colorado’s Delta County Orchard Crop Is Lost After a Devastating Spring Frost
Steve Ela has been growing peaches and other fruit in Delta County for 36 years; he’s the fourth generation of his family to work the orchards at Ela Family Farms. He and his wife and orchard co-manager, Regan Choi, have seen their share of bad weather—it’s just part of the job. But the devastating frost that descended on their orchard on April 17 was something else. “It was unique, as far as we know,” Choi says.
The Best Farmers’ Markets in Metro Denver and Beyond
This summer could be a tough one for Colorado as the statewide drought continues. But rest assured that growers are doing their best to get high-quality fruits and vegetables to farmers’ markets along the Front Range for your cooking needs. Denverites know, though, that local outdoor markets are also a great place for pantry items, prepared foods, meats, dairy, eggs, and crafts—especially in the early growing season.
12 Mile High Asian Food Week Specials You Don’t Want to Miss
We’re always here to help you navigate your way through the best noodles, dumplings, rice bowls, and other Asian dishes in Denver and beyond. Mile High Asian Food Week, founded in 2023 to help support the Colorado Asian Culture & Education Network, dives deep into longstanding culinary traditions and new ideas in Colorado’s Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
Where to Watch the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Playoffs
Being a sports fan is so much more satisfying when an annual playoff berth becomes the norm for your team.
Denver Whiskey Legend Jake Norris Debuts New Bourbon Ahead of Arvada Distillery Launch
In 2018, nobody had heard of COVID-19 and ChatGPT was still in the realm of science fiction. But that February, Denver distiller Jake Norris was brewing up a project that is only now coming to fruition. Norris gained renown as the head distiller at both Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey (when it launched in 2004 as the first distillery to open in Colorado since Prohibition) and Overland’s Laws Whiskey House a decade later.
New Harvey Park Farmers’ Market Brings Fresh Food to Southwest Denver
Allie Bronston and Corey Sampson moved to the Harvey Park neighborhood 11 years ago and they’ve since fallen in love with the community, the quiet streets, and the proximity to green spaces. But one thing they’ve found frustrating is having to leave their southwest Denver neighborhood, which lacks its own grocery stores, to stock up on produce, meats, and pantry items. “Access to local food has been a struggle,” Bronston says.
The Best Italian Restaurants in Denver and Beyond
Denver has never had a shortage of great Italian restaurants. Classics that have withstood the test of time for more than 50 years laid a strong foundation, and every decade has seen great additions, keeping tradition alive while adding their own style of marinara, pesto, and pasta. But a new wave of eateries has introduced a wider variety of regional dishes from Tuscany to Campagna, with pasta shapes coming from Sardinia, Sicily, and Puglia, to name just a few.
5 Ways to Enjoy Cherry Creek’s Uchiko
James Beard Award–winning chef Tyson Cole made a splash when he brought his Austin, Texas, sushi restaurant, Uchi, to a hip new LoHi spot in 2018. Eight years later, Cole’s Hai Hospitality has chosen Cherry Creek to introduce another of its concepts, Uchiko (which means “child of Uchi”), to the Mile High City.
These Will Be Denver’s Top Dining Trends in 2026—According to 6 Local Chefs
It’s always fun to speculate about the future of dining in Denver and beyond: Could Chilean or Ghanaian food be the next big thing? Is this the year baijiu finally breaks it big? How long before a robot-run restaurant receives a Michelin star? Since the prudent move is to leave the prognosticating to the culinary pros, we asked six local chefs for their insights into the trends they’re tracking this year.
This Highland Sushi Speakeasy Lures Guests Underground
I’m standing on the sidewalk outside of Sushi Hai in West Highland, wondering if I should walk in the front entrance and ask the host how to get into their basement. Then I see a side door tucked into an alcove between the sushi restaurant and the adjacent Chipotle. I swing open the door and head down the stairs, unsure of what I’ll find at the bottom. No, I’m not planning to pilfer a case of takeout containers.
The 52 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but brunch is the most important happening of every weekend—and often a great idea for weekdays, too. We know Denver loves rounds of mimosas, Bloody Marys, espresso drinks, and fresh-pressed juices to go with their fancy Benedicts, pudgy green chile burritos, and waffles topped with all things sweet and savory. So we’re not holding back. Here, 52 (that’s one for every weekend of the year) top brunch destinations in Denver and beyond.
Colfax Thai Eatery Lucky Noodles Finds a New Home Off Broadway
Kamolrat “Ploy” Limpapath opened Lucky Noodles onEast Colfax Avenue in early 2020—just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic shut restaurants down. But even though the Thailand native endured the hardships of mandatory business closures and social distancing rules, her business couldn’t survive the extensive Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) construction currently taking place on Colfax. “The bus construction started in October [2024],” she says. “By November, sales dropped 10 to 15 percent.
Alma Fonda Fina Owners Keep the Hits Coming With Mar Bella Boqueria
Denver may not be familiar with the word “boqueria,” but the eatery’s own “Spanish neo-bistro and wine bar” description clarifies things a little. Think of it as a tiny version of Barcelona’s famous public market, La Boqueria. At Mar Bella, you’ll find equal parts pantry and luxury in a vast variety of traditional foods, distilled down into a space that was previously a bakery and cafe before a brief stint as Bar Amorina. What does that mean for Mar Bella guests?
15 of the Best Valentine’s Day Dinner Deals in Denver
Broncos fans know that the most romantic day in February is when the team makes it to the Super Bowl, but since that’s sadly off the table for at least another year, take solace with your sweetie on the more traditional day of love. Here, 15 ways to kindle a new romance, fan the flames of long-lasting love, or simply enjoy food and drinks for two with a galentine or palentine—and even a few options for procrastinators. American Elm Valentine’s Day offerings at American Elm.
How a Former Coloradan Launched the Chipotle of Panama
When Coloradan Carlos Henriquez moved from Evergreen to Panama City, Panama, two decades ago, he did so with a dream: to open a fish taco restaurant. Like most big ambitions, it took a few years to come to fruition. But Maagoo Fish Tacos—inspired by the word one of his sons used for his bottle as a baby—finally opened its doors seven years ago.
Books, Magazines, DVDs-and Pupusas? Yes, This Thornton Library's Catalog is Officially Epic
Hidden among the stacks and self-checkout machines at Thornton’s Anythink Wright Farms Library, something unexpected is heating up. No, it’s not a plot twist in a thriller, but pupusas in the oven. LatinA Flavor Café, a food counter that opened inside the public library last September, is the kind of surprise that makes you do a double take. Yes, that smell of Salvadoran-style pupusas is real. Yes, you’re still in a library.
No Bull: Corrida Owner Plans Steak House at National Western Center
Bryan Dayton is accustomed to taking risks in the restaurant business. In 2013, he and business partner Steven Redzikowski—owners of acclaimed Boulder eateries Oak at Fourteenth and Corrida—launched Acorn inside the Source, a former 19th century foundry turned hotel and market hall. Far from the trendy end of RiNo at the time, Acorn drew local and national praise for seven years before closing in September 2020, a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Where to Eat During the National Western Stock Show
Ten-gallon hats off to Denver’s National Western Stock Show, which celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. Cowgirls and cowboys catching the rodeos, auctions, livestock displays, and other ranch-centered events will work up a mighty hunger traipsing around the dusty acres of the National Western Complex. While the food and drink vendors at the venue have improved over the years, you might want to set your sights on nearby watering holes and eateries for a heartier meal.
15 of the Best Places to Order Mocktails and Low-ABV Drinks in Denver
When Alex Jump started bartending 13 years ago, a customer asking for a nonalcoholic (NA) option usually sent her scrambling to dust off an expired bottle of O’Doul’s. In fact, she didn’t work for an establishment with NA drinks on the menu until she was hired to open the Denver location of illustrious NYC cocktail bar Death & Co in 2018.
Road-Trip Restaurant: Threefold Bakery in Breckenridge
Breckenridge hometown culinary hero Matt Vawter has done it again. The James Beard Award–nabbing owner of Rootstalk and Radicato opened his third concept in four years on December 28. Threefold Bakery is a collaboration between Vawter and two of his former colleagues, Sean and Melissa McGaughey, owners of Quail & Condor and Michelin-recognized Troubadour Bread & Bistro, both in Healdsburg, California.
Road Trip Dining: Crested Butte’s Two Twelve Offers Smoke-Tinged Colorado Cuisine
When chef Anthony Nelson talks about fire, he doesn’t mean it metaphorically. Each afternoon around 2 p.m., he starts adding wood to the hearth at Two Twelve, which has quickly become one of Crested Butte’s trickiest reservations. By 3, the flames are crackling; by 5, the embers are glowing; and by service, every carrot, filet, and stalk of broccolini has touched fire and carries a whisper of smoke. “It’s a living thing,” Nelson says.
Celebrity Chef Lidia Bastianich Features SAME Café in PBS Series
Millions of home cooks and foodies know the name Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, the chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author whose cooking shows have guided us through the intricacies of Italian cuisine since 1998. Her PBS series, Lidia Celebrates America, winner of three James Beard awards, has been turning the camera toward the country’s diverse culinary landscape for the past 14 years.
The Best Food and Drink at Denver International Airport
Many of us will be catching a plane to visit family or get in some vacation time this fall and winter—even knowing that flight delays are an unfortunate reality with modern air travel. Whether you’re stuck at Denver International Airport because your outbound flight is late or you just like giving yourself some extra time before boarding, know that you’ll at least be well fed while you wait.
20 Delicious Dine-Out and Take-Home Options for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be filled with stress and endless rounds of cleanup, especially when there are so many great restaurants in the Mile High City going the extra step to feed you and your friends and family on Turkey Day. Where To Dine Out for Thanksgiving in Denver Location: 2626 E. 12th Ave., Denver (Congress Park) Price: $18.95 per person Chef’s Zorba’s is one of Denver’s oldest and most welcoming family diners, where Greek and American dishes are inexpensive, filling, and comforting.
Two Top Denver Chefs Team Up for Cool New Aurora Taqueria
“Our marketing team calls it polished grit,” says Hop Alley and Uncle founder Tommy Lee as he and his business partner, chef Michael Diaz de Leon—who earned a Michelin star in 2023 as executive chef of Brutø—walk through their recently opened taqueria, Molino Chido, in Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace.
Move Over, Mezcal: Alma Fonda Fina Ups the Ante With New Wine Program
The Michelin Guide. North America’s 50 Best Restaurants. Bon Appétit. Esquire. The New York Times. The national and international recognition that Alma Fonda Fina has amassed in less than two years (it opened in December 2023) is arguably unmatched by any other Colorado restaurant in recent history.
Pig and Tiger Brings a Taste of Taiwan to Five Points
When a Taiwanese guest at Five Points’ new Chinese eatery, Pig and Tiger, ordered shaved ice for dessert, she had no idea that she’d be overcome with nostalgia. Afterward, she called chefs Darren Chang and Travis Masar over to her table to share that it sparked memories of her favorite childhood snack. The pineapple and Thai basil flavors of that shaved ice captured tradition, while twists added by the chefs—like almond panna cotta and almond crunch sprinkled on top—introduced something new.
What To Eat (and Drink) at Ball Arena This Basketball and Hockey Season
The folks at Ball Arena get it, so they’ve freshened up the food options for fans this season, just in time for tip off. Now game-goers can nosh on grub from local staples like Redeemer Pizza, Illegal Burger, Nola Jane, and more. If you’re ballin’ on a budget, feast on the new $5 Fan Friendly menu, which features classic concessions (popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, boxed candy) for a Lincoln, and wash it all down with a $10 20-ounce domestic draft.
100 Years of Sausage: Polidori by the Numbers
How many current Denver companies can you think of that were doing business before the advent of television or the first parking meter? Polidori Sausage has been grinding it out for five generations—longer than either of those have been around. Anna Polidori founded the company as a butcher shop and neighborhood grocery store in 1925 to support her family after her husband, a coal miner named Rocco, became too ill to work full time.
Get to Know Denver’s Immigrant Chefs in Cocina Libre’s New Cookbook
Byron Gomez arrived in the United States from Costa Rica when he was eight. As a teenager in New York City, he discovered a passion for cooking and steadily climbed the ranks of the finest kitchens, including Cafe Bouloud and Eleven Madison Park. He came to Colorado in 2019 and eventually became executive chef of Denver’s Michelin-starred Brutø in 2024.
The 5 Best Restaurants for Tableside Drink Service Near Denver
Everything’s more fun on wheels, which might be why we’re seeing drink carts rolling through restaurants. From martinis to amari, sparkling wine to gin and tonics, Front Range restaurants are going beyond ho-hum printed drink menus and presenting the liquid goods in showier ways. A nod to classic fine dining, tableside drink service feels like old-school luxury without the stuffiness of white tablecloths and bowtied waiters. Here, five spots where the good times are definitely rolling.
The 10 Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants in Denver and Beyond
Every parent has war stories from the dining-out trenches: the baby who let loose a banshee wail 15 minutes in, the toddler who would rather climb the host stand than sit at a table, the kid who loudly announces they hate spaghetti as you order. It’s enough to make you resign yourself to takeout forever. But dining out with little ones doesn’t have to mean defaulting to the Chick-fil-A drive-through.
Oea Bakery Delivers the Sweet Taste of Libyan Baklava
Nour Ben Hmieida has been perfecting her Libyan-style baklava since 2019, when she began baking the flaky pastry in her college dormitory in Hillsdale, Michigan. The layered phyllo treats, based on her family’s recipe, proved so popular among her classmates that she started selling them later that year for her international club’s fundraisers and to the Hillsdale community to help fund her other entrepreneurial ventures (which ranged from beauty products to indoor plants).
A Complete List of Every Michelin Award–Winning Restaurant in Colorado
Since 2023, Colorado Michelin Restaurant Guide has been recommending restaurants in Denver, Boulder County, Aspen, Snowmass Village, Vail, and Beaver Creek each September. This year, the venerated French organization expanded its reach to the entire Centennial State, allowing opportunities for promising eateries from the Denver suburbs to the far-flung mountain towns.
New YouTube Series Brings Colorado’s Best Chefs Into Your Home Kitchen
If you’re longing for your favorite deli-style chopped cheese sandwich or fine-dining venison dish but your wallet might protest another meal out, you can learn to cook some of your favorite Front Range restaurant meals at home thanks to Chef’n It, a new YouTube series that premiered on September 10. “We’re asking chefs to teach how to make a modified version of one of their restaurant dishes,” Chef’n It co-creator and host Tarah Runco says.
Two La Loma Locations Are Now Called Savina’s Mexican Kitchen. Is the Green Chile Changing, Too?
La Loma has been through plenty of evolutions since founder Savina Mendoza started serving her distinctive pea-soup-hued green chile in a Victorian cottage in Jefferson Park in 1973. La Loma—or rather, Savina’s Mexican Kitchen, as of today—now sits in the pantheon of Denver’s most venerable Mexican restaurants, having survived an ownership change, two moves, and, most recently, a divorce.
Jazz Club Nocturne Celebrates 10 Years in RiNo
In a dimly lit space just off clamorous Larimer Street in RiNo, the clinking of wine glasses and low murmur of conversation mingle with the velvet hum of tenor sax and the crescendo of cymbals. Time seems to slow in this space where the alchemy of live jazz and fine dining merge—and that was always the dream. “It’s been especially rewarding to help younger audiences understand and appreciate jazz,” Scott says today. “Our median age now is probably around 35 or 36.
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