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FOR A QUICK LUNCH: Tacos Tequila Whiskey
Beloved Denver food truck turned-restaurant Tacos Tequila Whiskey opened its third location in Governors Park last month. While the food menu offers the same fare as the restaurant’s City Park and Highlands spots, a revamped cocktail menu should debut any day now. If the cocktail menu is still in the works, it’s easy to fall back on classics like the serrano and house coin margaritas.
FOR DINNER: Rebel Restaurant
This restaurant with a storied past executes thoughtful, evolving dishes while managing to remain a neighborhood watering hole. Housed in a former biker bar, it was one of the first food destinations to open along the once barren Brighton Boulevard. Diners looking to avoid the RiNo bubble can still head there today. An eclectic dining room and bar is filled with communal tables, and the changing lineup of shared plates is always exciting. One recent menu included a play on poutine with fried tripe. Anything made with pork is encouraged.
FOR DRINKS: American Bonded
American Bonded opened in RiNo on Thursday. This latest Larimer street bar comes from the owners of Williams & Graham and Matchbox — and it’s invigorated by a new commitment to Americana classics. Cocktails are priced under $10 (a rarity in RiNo). To create the food menu, chef Jason Bray borrowed from his food truck but focuses on the Americana aspect with dishes like shrimp and grits, fried chicken and waffles, and green chili mac and cheese covered in potato chips.
FOR BRUNCH: Gary Lee’s Motor Club and Grub
WIth an expansive outside patio, endless $9 carafes, $3 bloody marys, and an 11 a.m. opening time, Gary Lee’s Motor Club and Grub is an excellent option for mornings with a slow start and perpetually late friends. With sun-soaked benches and fire pits hidden in the shade, Gary Lee’s patio can withstand the unpredictability of Denver’s spring weather and balance weekend rushes with ease. Diners will find a few twists on standard brunch with the bacon-stuffed waffles and prosciutto Benedict, though staple breakfast dishes still dominate the menu.
ALL DAY: High Point Creamery
Who says ice cream can’t be breakfast, lunch, or dinner? High Point Creamery opens a third location in Berkeley Friday at 4 p.m. Visitors can expect the same flavors of its companions, including cookies (three ways) and cream, salted caramel, and Tin Cup whiskey and pistachio brittle. With the same moderate prices and heaping scoops of its predecessors, the Berkeley High Point Creamery also provides a quiet bench in front of the shop to watch the hubbub of Tennyson street.