Vote in the top 16 of our food bracket challenge

After some spicy voting, we’ve now entered the Sweet 16 division of The Denver Post’s annual food bracket challenge, and the stakes are getting higher.

The dish this year is ramen, and there are plenty of worthwhile contenders. Last week, we presented the initial 32 players, which we gathered together based on hundreds and hundreds of reader votes, along with our own analysis of the metro Denver ramen scene.

Now, it’s down to 16 — and a few notable restaurants were knocked out early, including: Uncle, which has two incredibly popular spots in LoHi and Washington Park; Katsu Ramen, an Aurora mainstay; and Ototo, owned by the Sushi Den/Izakaya Den family of restaurants.

But some other players are on the rise, like Neko Ramen & Rice, which opened just last year on Colorado Boulevard, and Chi-Lin Asian Eatery, which is relatively new at Stanley Marketplace.

Voting in the Sweet 16 round is now live (see below) and you have until 9 a.m. on Monday, March 11, to cast your votes and narrow things down to the Elite Eight. Play fair, and may the best ramen win!