When Joel Appel bought Zaidy’s Deli & Bakery, he didn’t expect it to be this hard. At the time he reopened the Jewish joint’s doors in 2022, Denver’s minimum wage was $15.87. On Jan. 1, that number will be $18.81. According to a survey from The Colorado Restaurant Association, the hike will cost Denver restaurants … Read more
Denver’s ever-changing dining scene grew and changed in 2024 faster than the menu at a farm-to-table restaurant at the end of summer. Bagels, dumplings, and sandwiches remained sizzling hot, while the city’s Mexican restaurant scene fully embraced a new era of upscale, heritage-focused cooking. Asian restaurateurs continued to find a powerful voice, while hotels looked … Read more
Those of us in the admittedly absurd position of eating for a living come to learn, after some time on the job, that, on balance, most food tends to be pretty good. Of the hundreds of restaurant dishes I’ve had in the past twelve months, the vast majority were quite enjoyable, a portion were forgettably … Read more
Modern Mexican restaurant Tamayo will start a two-month renovation in January to its longtime Larimer Square location. The two-story restaurant, 1400 Larimer St., will close its doors on New Year’s Day and reopen on March 4. “When I first opened Tamayo on Larimer Square in 2001, I wanted to introduce modern Mexican cuisine to Denver,” … Read more
Expectations for holiday entertaining run high. Whether it’s a giddily glittery cocktail bash or a more serenely elegant sit-down dinner, hosting any kind of gathering this time of the year can be extremely stressful. But there’s one festive loophole that I plan to exploit all December long: inviting people over for drinks. A “come by … Read more
Denver-area restaurants are busy prepping festive dine-in options for Christmas meals. Eating out gives families and friends opportunities to come together and enjoy delicious feasts without the hassle of cooking. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, restaurants serve special holiday meal options, including seafood, prime rib, pozole, and spiral-cut ham. There’s something to delight every palate, … Read more
Denver has six of the best Chinese food restaurants in the country, according to Yelp, which released a list of its reviewers’ 100 favorites on Wednesday. The “Top 100 Chinese Restaurants of 2024,” which excludes national chains, used “a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews.” The top 30 restaurants are … Read more
Mortadella, a silken, fat-speckled salume from Italy, has found a place on more menus in the United States in recent years. But in Colorado, mortadella has taken a Western turn. “We ordered local pork, but not enough came in,” recalled chef Ty Leon, co-owner of Michelin-recommended Restaurant Olivia and the upcoming Emilia. “We had bison … Read more
Orrapan Botthaisong lives 8,000 miles away from her parents in Thailand. She moved to Denver by herself 14 years ago to get her MBA from the University of Denver, and decided afterward that because she loves food, the business she wanted to open was a restaurant. That happened in 2022 with La Mai Thai Kitchen, … Read more
Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems). It was probably hard to imagine playgrounds, breweries and an ice cream shop on … Read more
