Renowned equally for its intricate Friulian cuisine, a wine program created by partner and master sommelier Bobby Stuckey, and above-and-beyond service, this longtime Boulder destination creates the kind of experiences that make many a Coloradan’s bucket list. Multicourse tasting menus abound in seasonal intricacies that might at any given time include game such as rabbit and guinea fowl; unusual pastas such as balanzoni or cjalsons; luxuries like foie gras and truffles; and unexpected juxtapositions — caviar and snap-pea gelato, eel and pine-bud syrup — while pairings are curated by some of the best in the business.

With a newly expanded butcher shop and deli, Hosea Rosenberg’s combination market and contemporary American restaurant somehow just keeps getting better. The meat of the matter here is, well, meat itself, be it a charcuterie board, the signature steak tartare, or a market cut of lamb, pork, or beef. But the contemporary American kitchen treats seasonal produce with equal respect: Take, for example, charred Mokum carrots with carrot-top salsa verde and ricotta salata or grilled purple sprouting broccoli in anchovy vinaigrette with red chile flakes. By day, the takeout-only breakfast burritos have earned themselves a cult following — and the muffuletta deserves to.

Co-owner Ben Jacobs, a member of the Osage Nation, opened this fast-casual showcase of indigenous ingredients and recipes in 2008, and it’s been a Berkeley neighborhood fixture ever since. Fry bread, Indian tacos, and bowls based on native grains like wild rice and wheatberries form the core of a menu that’s as soulful as it is stick-to-your-ribs (speaking of which, the menu also features richly seasoned bison ribs that are not to be missed).

Part coffeehouse, part sandwich shop, part day-drinkers’ delight, this Sunnyside smash hit is above all more than the sum of its parts. Bangers like the Boujee (scrambled egg, whipped herbed feta, arugula, muhammara, za’atar on focaccia), the lamb birria French dip, and the mixed bag of fries make fast regulars of first-timers, who return again and again to hang out on the patio over, say, green chile Bloodies or Kool-Aid margaritas and the weekend-only Chicken Cordon Bodegga (fried chicken, pork belly, Swiss, arugula, honey mustard, and ham gravy on brioche). Here’s a slice of neighborhood life.

The shining star of the Source Hotel in RiNo is a showcase for chef Alon Shaya’s brand of modern Israeli cuisine. No meal here would be complete without an order of the wood-fired pita with hummus and an array of salatim, or small plates, such as baba ghanoush and squash tzatziki with pink peppercorns; from there, go for the duck matzo ball soup, the crispy eggplant layered with tomato and herbed goat cheese, and the pomegranate-braised lamb shank — signature dishes all.

Tommy Lee’s enduring RiNo favorite puts an exuberant modern spin on regional Chinese staples in an equally high-energy dining room. While all first-timers (if there are any left) should try the Chongqing-style fried chicken with chiles, Beijing duck roll, and bone marrow–fried rice, abundant seasonal and daily specials keep regulars coming back — whether for razor clams with rice noodles in black vinegar and barrel-aged fish sauce, garlicky wok-tossed pea tendrils and sour mustard greens, or salt-and-pepper softshell crabs with charred-lime aioli. The bar team is more than up to the pairing challenge the menu presents, known as they are for cocktails infused with Asian ingredients as well as a geeky selection of wines and ciders.

Though it’s a counter-service operation in a small, simple RiNo space, Spencer White and Alex Figura’s wildly popular pasta shop has proven itself far more vital to the neighborhood than any mere fast-casual joint could ever be (in fact, it has earned itself a sibling in the form of Redeemer Pizza a few blocks away). The compact menu over-delivers on intrigue for its size: While spaghetti and meatballs or cacio e pepe are always soothing options, it’s seasonal creations like cavatelli with charred corn, shishito puree, and smoked cotija cheese or shrimp cannelloni with fontina béchamel and blackened chimichurri, not to mention bold starters such as black butter-marinated artichoke hearts with oranges in olive sauce, that have earned Dio Mio its stripes. (The beverage list is equally stylish.)

The energy of the namesake Village reverberates throughout the high-ceilinged, artsy space of this RiNo hot spot, where chef Justin Freeman — himself a native New Yorker — excels at the art of deceptive simplicity. Seasonal pizzas are elevated by the likes of mushroom conserva and crescenza cheese, zucchini and burrata, lamb and honey labneh; silky-textured roast chicken zings with salsa macha cooled by celtuce and pea shoots; and even your basic side of potatoes comes thrice-cooked with Meyer lemon–olive tapenade. In addition, don’t miss the roasted clams or the cheesecake — or the opportunity to ask owner Delores Tronco for a wine recommendation.

At once chic and slyly quaint, the dining room of Tim and Lillian Lu’s LoHi sensation sets the tone for a seasonal French menu that’s likewise sophisticated and soothing by turns — from vichyssoise brightened by green garlic and bouillabaisse with langoustines and eel to pork chops with chanterelle conserva and coriander berries in sauce charcutière. Dessert is de rigueur, as are croissants and cannelés from the adjoining daytime bakery.

Spuntino is a special place. Chef Cindhura Reddy’s cooking is at once polished and deeply soulful, as revealed by her modern Italian menu subtly strewn with Indian influences: elk tartare with toasted masala aioli and ajwain seed crisps here, aglio e olio with garlic pickle there (and whatever the pasta dish featuring goat may be, get it). Her husband Elliot Strathmann, meanwhile, oversees one of the city’s most exciting beverage programs, painstakingly sourcing uncommon wines from small producers while making his own amari and liqueurs. And the couple’s passion for cuisine extends to their — and their dedicated staff’s — warm and genuine approach to hospitality.

Run by Frasca alums Duncan Holmes and Allison Anderson, this tiny reservation-only chef’s counter in an old RiNo bungalow makes magic before guests’ very eyes, combining beautifully plated, market-driven tasting menus with consummate hospitality for fine dining experiences that are more than the sum of their parts. Expect to be pampered and plied with luxuries, whether inside or out on the picture-perfect patio, over the course of two-plus hours.

Though certainly known for pies topped with clam and pancetta, sausage and kale, or lamb and chimichurri, the cozy LoHi location of Cart-Driver is no mere pizza parlor. Rather, it’s become an indispensable neighborhood haunt from happy hour onward: Bring on the oysters, chicken-liver mousse with focaccia, and fresh seasonal pastas like goat cheese–hazelnut agnolotti with kumquats in carrot-coriander cream. (The tiny original RiNo location, meanwhile, packs in the party people until midnight daily.)

Just as Work & Class makes frequent appearances among the Denver 38, its sibling across the street in RiNo has become a regular contender for the originality of its menu and the verve of its execution. Pan-Latin small plates meet dim sum–style service on carts laden with chorizo-enriched patatas bravas, arepas with poblano-pepita pesto and achiote crema, ropa vieja with olive tapenade, and more; chef-partner Dana Rodriguez’s large-format dishes, meanwhile, are always parties on a platter — think seafood paella or brisket braised in green chile and accompanied by steamed buns and slaw — alongside glasses of rum-spiked chicha morada or classic piña coladas.

Jose Avila is single-handedly changing the Mexican-food game in Denver: Not only does he run El Borrego Negro — a Sunday-only pop-up for real-deal barbacoa — but in 2021 he also opened the city’s first pozolería to instant buzz, making the stew as he does with house-nixtamalized hominy in a variety of broths based on pork from his own herd. In a dimly lit, cantina-like setting, diners can also find guisados featuring ingredients like bone marrow, chayote squash, and even pork chop served on tacos, pambazos, and more alongside equally tempting tequila and mezcal cocktails.

Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch’s Union Station homage to Spanish and Portuguese cuisine is nothing if not a stone-cold stunner. The wraparound mural and terrazzo flooring in the two-story dining room, the colorfully tiled tabletops and fountain on the patio — it all sets the stage for tapas as classic as pan con tomate and as modern as blue corn–crusted artichokes in pea tahini with whey-poached spring onions and pistachio dukkah, not to mention occasional paella parties and brunch service featuring dishes like olive oil pancakes with dried apricots and almonds. The bar chimes in with an all-Iberian wine list on the one hand, inventive G&Ts infused with blueberry and lime or lavender and lemon on the other.

While Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder (see above) may well be Colorado’s most famous dining destination, its Denver sibling is every inch as notable. Set on the Union Station platform in full view of the trains, the sleek restaurant and lounge takes a broader regional approach to Italian cuisine than its Friuli-focused sibling, proffering a seasonal menu that might find Piedmontese bagna cauda with ciabatta and veggies next to Sardinian-style gnocchetti with fennel sausage, spigarello, and smoked ricotta next to Neapolitan-inspired acqua pazza with whole grilled branzino; the splurge-worthy wine list naturally follows suit. And the service, of course, is as polished as the tableware.

Chef Caroline Glover hasn’t let stardom go to her head: After all, her renown — cemented by a 2022 James Beard Award for best chef, Mountain region — is predicated on the down-to-earth, heartfelt approach to both cooking and hospitality she takes at Annette, located in Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace. Guests feel well cared for as they tuck into signatures like grilled beef tongue and marrow toast or roast chicken with dandelion greens and PX sherry vinegar alongside seasonal dishes such as spring onion gratin with taleggio; tahini-grilled carrots with fried chickpeas and aquafaba aioli; and ice cream sandwiches in ever-changing flavors (think salted buckwheat, white chocolate chip, and cinnamon). Knockout cocktails and a boutique wine list enhance the feel-good experience.

What separates this steakhouse from the pack is a sense of playfulness that speaks to the moment. Against a backdrop that defies genre stereotypes in lively shades of green, the kitchen likewise upends expectations through the diversity of its influences, deftly supplementing those exquisite cuts of beef with, say, mussels in escabeche, Niçoise salad with tuna crudo, and bacon-and-kimchi fried rice. The bar, meanwhile, gets into the groove with a focus on rums rather than whiskeys. A rocking happy hour seals the deal.

It’s a nightly fiesta in here, thanks not least to a pan-Latin menu that’s tailor-made for sharing with friends, with dishes like ropa vieja–stuffed empanadas and yuca frita with aji verde aioli to the mojo pork chop and weekend paella. But the vibe also points to the colorful, come-as-you-are culture cultivated by partners Erasmo Casiano, Diego Coconati, and Michelle Nguyen. Of course, the bar plays its part in the party too as it whips up kicky cocktails like the frozen, coconut- and passion fruit–infused Verano Vicios.

Making its own flour tortillas and frying its eggs and potatoes in duck fat, this tiny daytime cafe in Uptown has built a cult following on the strength of its signature breakfast tacos, congee with duck confit, and fried rice with Chinese sausage as well as recurring items like loco moco and pozole — all ideally paired with iced Vietnamese coffee or an old-school tequila sunrise. If that sounds like an unusual mix of influences, well, it is, and Onefold is all the better for it — not to mention all the more popular. No surprise to Denverites that it now has a second location at Union Station.

The words “Eastern European food” and “sexy” rarely appear in the same sentence, but this snug East Colfax charmer may change that. Babka and borscht, dumplings galore, and even humble herring get the gourmet treatment from endlessly creative chef-owner Bo Porytko and his team, who pair them all with horilka-based cocktails and wines from, say, Slovenia and Serbia. Book seats at their counter for the ultimate intimate experience.

Located in the food court of Aurora refugee community center Mango House, this Burmese stall run by Siri and Martin Tan has built a large and loyal fan base on the strength of hearty, homey noodles and curries like the weh da nah with pork and pickled mango, as well as such intriguing stuff as pae paratha — a sort of flatbread rolled up with yellow peas and fried onions — and the funky, crunchy tea leaf salad (the latter being just one of many items that are vegan and/or gluten-free).

Though an avatar of fine dining — white tablecloths, book-length wine list, prix fixe pricing, and all — this Northern Italian destination in Cherry Creek is hardly old school: Longtime chef Darrel Truett keeps the tasting menu fresh and engaging through seasonal creations like insalata caprese reimagined with burrata, basil gelée, and balsamic pearls or milk-braised veal cheek in bagna cauda with roasted baby beets and grilled scallions. A la carte dining is an option on weekdays, while shaved truffles are an option always.

This cheery little stop on West Alameda sits at the top of Denver’s taqueria heap. Numerous taco options include an array of delicious off-cuts like cueritos (pig skin) and cabeza (beef cheek) as well as electrifying salsas — tomatillo, avocado, and habañero among them. On those rare occasions when regulars aren’t in the mood for tacos, they might go for spot-on menudo or birria de chivo, a savory goat stew.

The menu at this veritable Vietnamese banquet hall (it used to house dim sum parlor King’s Land) is long, covering everything from rice paper wraps and noodle bowls to fire pots and seafood dishes of all kinds — each more satisfying than the last. So skip the pho and go for the bo luc lac (“shaking beef”), squid sauteed with lemongrass in fermented shrimp paste, or spare ribs caramelized in fish sauce.