More often than not, tipsters, readers, friends and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? Restaurant obsessives want to know what's new, what's hot, which favorite chef just launched a sophomore effort that is worth dropping everything for and running to as fast as we can. And while the Eater 38 is a crucial resource covering classic standbys and neighborhood essentials across the city, it is not a chronicle of the 'it' places of the moment.
Thus, we offer theEater Heatmap, which changes on a monthly basis to highlight where the food-loving crowds are flocking to at the moment. This month Call, The Family Jones, Ultreia, Candela, White Pie, and Bamboo Sushi join the list. See something missing? Add it to the comments or drop us a note at denver@eater.com.
The Tuscan menu at Marcella's in LoHi features dishes such as a braised veal meatball with tomato sauce; a Margherita D.O.C. pizza; lasagne alla Bolognese with a sausage ragu and marinara; and a chocolate almond cake.
This was the first of two exciting restaurant openings last fall at Union Station's Kimpton Hotel Born, and it's a throwback hotel bar perfect for happy hour. Find friendly bartenders serving up standard cocktails, double drink combos (see rose and mezcal, or saison and amaro), and small plates, such as hickory braised oxtail.
This Boulder "neo-bistro" brings a cafe, bar, and classy community dining room to the Pearl Street Mall. Go for pasta du jour in the cafe for lunch, or lamb tartare and marinated broccoli stems with pickled sunchokes for dinner. Save room for the malted barley pavlova and other adventurous desserts.
This upscale cafeteria offers an ambitious day-to-night concept for LoHi. Celebrity chef Linda Hampsten Fox has created a coffee shop, bakery, cafe, catering business, dried and jarred goods market, and restaurant all in one — in a space that also boasts a full bar and an enviable (for cooks) open kitchen.
Denver's newest modern steakhouse is at the Oxford Hotel. It rocks both tartan and neon on the walls, it butchers whole animals, and it grows its own vegetables in a basement greenhouse. Go for table-side tartare, vegetables en papillote, and a steak tasting with three types (grass-fed, grain-finished, and dry-aged) of New York steaks.
Popular Denver restaurateur Troy Guard has opened his latest endeavor in the Highlands, and it's a full-on flashback to the 1970s, with Harvey Wallbanger cocktails and all manner of meat pies. Take the whole family or go on a casual date, and don't leave without ordering a slice of pie.
Izakaya Ronin is a brand new addition to the RiNo neighborhood, and it brings a basement Japanese whisky bar or "moguri" to the Denver scene. Go for expert whisky and soju cocktails, fresh fish, and late-night ramen bowls.
Santo is one of Boulder's newest restaurants and one of its most exciting openings of the year. Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg brings his native New Mexican cuisine to the region in this modern but casual strip mall spot with top-notch traditional plates and cocktails.
This latest concept by the award-winning Frasca Food & Wine team in Boulder brings high-level Italian food and wine and attentive service to Union Station in Denver. Go for a quick cocktail and cicchetti (small snacks) or a memorable sit-down dinner in a serene setting.
This Pacific Northwest transplant is bustling in LoHi, and for good reason. Fish here is not only fresh but ethical (see humanely raised and sustainably caught), and chefs and servers are happy to explain their menu choices of wild coho, bigeye tuna, and ora king salmon. Sit at the sushi counter and bring a date for this sexy Scandinavia-meets-Japan ambiance.
An adorable new breakfast and lunch counter in RiNo, Call is helmed by a former Frasca executive chef and bar manager, which means high-quality but casual food and drink. (We're looking forward to the coming bar program.) For now, go for morning coffee, breads, and pastries, and lunchtime salads and open-faced sandwiches. Think L.A.'s Gjusta in a Denver bungalow, with a Scandinavian bent to the design and ingredients.
In August, this five-year-old LoHi restaurant completely revamped and reopened as a pan-Latin hot spot, paying tribute to its owners' Mexican and Puerto Rican roots, respectively. Try Jesse Vega's leche de tigre shrimp ceviche, the crispy pescaditos, and a fresh take on guacamole with citrus and pistachio mojo and fried plantains for dipping.
The culinary and cocktail combinations at this new LoHi spot make it a destination not just for distiller Rob Masters' spirits but also for elevated cocktails paired with appetizers and dinner plates. Gather 'round the sunken centerpiece bar (with a view of the imposing copper still) and let chef Tim Dotson and barman Nick touch help select a few pairings, from the pumpkin cheese fondue to sea bream crudo (pictured) with a Jones Park Swizzle or Gin Blossom.
Tucked away in a corner of the frenetic Union Station, Ultreia is a true escape in all the senses. Diners and drinkers here will be transported to Spain with an exciting list of gin tonics and tapas from jamón ibérico to trucha curada (cured trout). The power team behind Denver staples Rioja, Euclid Hall, Bistro Vendome, and Stoic & Genuine have outdone themselves with this latest project.
The Wallenta family behind Denver sister restaurant Dos Santos is getting back to its roots with White Pie, a tribute to New Haven pizzas and all things East Coast Italian. In this surprisingly pretty parlor, the oven is the focal point. Go for oak-fired egg- and bacon-topped white pie, a sweet and spicy burrata, and squid ink chitarra puttanesca. Any diner who has spent any amount of time "back east" will recognize this spot's specific warmth and hospitality.
The Tuscan menu at Marcella's in LoHi features dishes such as a braised veal meatball with tomato sauce; a Margherita D.O.C. pizza; lasagne alla Bolognese with a sausage ragu and marinara; and a chocolate almond cake.
This was the first of two exciting restaurant openings last fall at Union Station's Kimpton Hotel Born, and it's a throwback hotel bar perfect for happy hour. Find friendly bartenders serving up standard cocktails, double drink combos (see rose and mezcal, or saison and amaro), and small plates, such as hickory braised oxtail.
This Boulder "neo-bistro" brings a cafe, bar, and classy community dining room to the Pearl Street Mall. Go for pasta du jour in the cafe for lunch, or lamb tartare and marinated broccoli stems with pickled sunchokes for dinner. Save room for the malted barley pavlova and other adventurous desserts.
This upscale cafeteria offers an ambitious day-to-night concept for LoHi. Celebrity chef Linda Hampsten Fox has created a coffee shop, bakery, cafe, catering business, dried and jarred goods market, and restaurant all in one — in a space that also boasts a full bar and an enviable (for cooks) open kitchen.
Denver's newest modern steakhouse is at the Oxford Hotel. It rocks both tartan and neon on the walls, it butchers whole animals, and it grows its own vegetables in a basement greenhouse. Go for table-side tartare, vegetables en papillote, and a steak tasting with three types (grass-fed, grain-finished, and dry-aged) of New York steaks.
Popular Denver restaurateur Troy Guard has opened his latest endeavor in the Highlands, and it's a full-on flashback to the 1970s, with Harvey Wallbanger cocktails and all manner of meat pies. Take the whole family or go on a casual date, and don't leave without ordering a slice of pie.
Izakaya Ronin is a brand new addition to the RiNo neighborhood, and it brings a basement Japanese whisky bar or "moguri" to the Denver scene. Go for expert whisky and soju cocktails, fresh fish, and late-night ramen bowls.
Santo is one of Boulder's newest restaurants and one of its most exciting openings of the year. Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg brings his native New Mexican cuisine to the region in this modern but casual strip mall spot with top-notch traditional plates and cocktails.
This latest concept by the award-winning Frasca Food & Wine team in Boulder brings high-level Italian food and wine and attentive service to Union Station in Denver. Go for a quick cocktail and cicchetti (small snacks) or a memorable sit-down dinner in a serene setting.
This Pacific Northwest transplant is bustling in LoHi, and for good reason. Fish here is not only fresh but ethical (see humanely raised and sustainably caught), and chefs and servers are happy to explain their menu choices of wild coho, bigeye tuna, and ora king salmon. Sit at the sushi counter and bring a date for this sexy Scandinavia-meets-Japan ambiance.
An adorable new breakfast and lunch counter in RiNo, Call is helmed by a former Frasca executive chef and bar manager, which means high-quality but casual food and drink. (We're looking forward to the coming bar program.) For now, go for morning coffee, breads, and pastries, and lunchtime salads and open-faced sandwiches. Think L.A.'s Gjusta in a Denver bungalow, with a Scandinavian bent to the design and ingredients.
In August, this five-year-old LoHi restaurant completely revamped and reopened as a pan-Latin hot spot, paying tribute to its owners' Mexican and Puerto Rican roots, respectively. Try Jesse Vega's leche de tigre shrimp ceviche, the crispy pescaditos, and a fresh take on guacamole with citrus and pistachio mojo and fried plantains for dipping.
The culinary and cocktail combinations at this new LoHi spot make it a destination not just for distiller Rob Masters' spirits but also for elevated cocktails paired with appetizers and dinner plates. Gather 'round the sunken centerpiece bar (with a view of the imposing copper still) and let chef Tim Dotson and barman Nick touch help select a few pairings, from the pumpkin cheese fondue to sea bream crudo (pictured) with a Jones Park Swizzle or Gin Blossom.
Tucked away in a corner of the frenetic Union Station, Ultreia is a true escape in all the senses. Diners and drinkers here will be transported to Spain with an exciting list of gin tonics and tapas from jamón ibérico to trucha curada (cured trout). The power team behind Denver staples Rioja, Euclid Hall, Bistro Vendome, and Stoic & Genuine have outdone themselves with this latest project.
The Wallenta family behind Denver sister restaurant Dos Santos is getting back to its roots with White Pie, a tribute to New Haven pizzas and all things East Coast Italian. In this surprisingly pretty parlor, the oven is the focal point. Go for oak-fired egg- and bacon-topped white pie, a sweet and spicy burrata, and squid ink chitarra puttanesca. Any diner who has spent any amount of time "back east" will recognize this spot's specific warmth and hospitality.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58573351/Avanti_Pho_king_Shoot_5.7.2023__47__Amber_Boutwell.163.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72660838/Frasca_023.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60386615/Dandy_Lion.25.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58206653/white_pie_30.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462117/Marcellas_0029e.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462118/17352429_215038648972785_4170903706823052435_n.0.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462119/Emmerson_8832e.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462120/Bindery_0137.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462121/10298782_10152283295121459_7032024149632085888_n.0.0.0.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462122/FnG_024.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65702124/Safta_pies_1_credit_Robby_Travis.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462123/Izakaya_Ronin_002.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59754985/BambooSushi_OceanTrout_Denver.13.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59122725/lucybeaugard_11.1547575248.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462124/JTP_4297.0.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462125/Tavernetta_0075e.0.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462126/BambooSushi3.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462127/Call_013.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58425995/Lucy_Beaugard_3.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62893932/piada.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462128/Candela_Latin_Kitchen_Lomo.0.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462129/FamilyJones_2745.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462130/Ultreia_UnionStation_004.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59342595/La_Diabla_1.72.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61403165/Guard___Grace_Bone_in_Ribeye_2.25.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62462131/WhitePie_9740e.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59381971/Bar_Dough_Salsiccia.21.jpeg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63865589/Tupelo_Honey_frose_.0.jpg)