We boast about Boulder County’s culinary wonders more than almost anyone, but diners cannot thrive on local tastes alone. The solution for taste buds bored to death with the same old pad Thai and Buddha bowls is to take them (and the rest of your senses) on a road trip. Just down Colorado’s highways are some seriously cool food experiences.
The following spots are not the noisy, high-profile destinations like Casa Bonita, but rather places I’ve visited and enjoyed as a food writer for various Colorado publications. This summer, upgrade your road trip meals with this alphabetical list:
54thirty
1475 California St., Denver
The cure for the doldrums is to live the high life temporarily on Downtown Denver’s loftiest patio bar. Nibble pricey small bites and sip upscale cocktails while soaking in a panoramic sunset on the 20th floor of Le Méridien hotel.
AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q
2180 S. Delaware St., Denver
Among barbecue devotees, this cabin-style industrial eatery is on their bucket list. The Texas-style pork ribs, brisket, spice-rubbed tri tip and candied burnt beef ends are so delicious that AJ’s is a Michelin-recommended restaurant.
Balistreri Vineyards
1946 E. 66th Ave., Denver
Situated near a power plant in an industrial neighborhood off I-270, this unexpectedly lush winery patio and comfy tasting room offers Balistreri’s award-winning wines paired with a menu of elaborate meat and cheese boards and Italian-inspired plates.
British Bulldog
2052 Stout St., Denver
Whether you call it soccer or “football,” classic urban pubs are the placeto watch Premier League games immersively on weekend mornings. Expect lots of cursing at the telly as you enjoy pints and fill up on bangers, rashers, Scotch eggs, black pudding and chips with curry sauce.
Chowsun
830 S. Buckley Road, Aurora
Filipino fare is a rarity in Colorado, but Chowsun dishes a great introduction to a complex cuisine. Try shrimp sautéed in crab fat, pork adobo, pancit noodles or crispy sisig in tart calamansi juice with chilies. Don’t miss the cool, Instagram-ready halo-halo dessert, a colorful combination of tropical fruits with shaved ice, condensed milk, ube ice cream and coconut jelly.
Domo
1365 Osage St., Denver
Can you chill for a while? Tucked away near the busy, noisy intersection of Colfax Avenue and Speer Boulevard is Domo’s walled-in Zen garden with manicured flowering bushes. The Japanese eatery offers lunch and dinner favorites ranging from teriyaki salmon to udon noodles in curry sauce. For summer, meditate over hiyashi chūka: chilled noodles tumbled with chicken, cucumber and egg with a sesame dressing.
Gagliano’s Italian Market & Deli
1220 Elm St., Pueblo
Opened in 1921, newly renovated Gagliano’s is the closest thing Colorado has to the classic East Coast-style Italian market. The shelves are packed with Italian groceries, fresh sausages and a menu of treats including stromboli-like bada bing, Pueblo chile-infused sausage sandwiches and Mama-approved baked goods.
Ginger and Baker
359 Linden St., Fort Collins
A restored historic grain mill houses Ginger Graham’s charming cafe, bakery and cooking school. It’s worth the drive simply to be blissed-out by a slice of nearly perfect quadruple coconut cream pie in a coconut crust.
Heinie’s Market
11801 W 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge
If you are passionate about Colorado’s bounty of fresh summer fruits and vegetables, Heinie’s is well worth a pilgrimage. The market’s long-time relationships with farmers and growers means it will offer multiple ripe varieties of Rocky Ford melons and Palisade peaches at the same time.
House of Bread
2020 S. Parker Road, Denver
Make a beeline to this wonderful family-owned Armenian bakery/eatery for ajarski, one of the world’s great breakfast creations. This baked-to-order joy boasts eggs, feta and mozzarella inside an oval-shaped yeasted dough. Other choices include mante (meat-filled dumplings), fritter-like perashki, pizza-like lahmajun, and beet salad with pomegranate and walnuts.
The Inventing Room
4433 W. 29th Ave., Denver
The coolest Colorado summer escape is a Sugar Science session at Ian Kleinman’s Wonka-inspired shop. The chef-led interactive demos feature tastings of futuristic freeze-dried, compressed and otherwise transformed sweets. The grand finale is a brain-freezing, over-the-top liquid nitrogen ice cream sundae.
Isla Verde
19757 Pikes Peak Ave., Parker
Dining in this charming eatery set inside a sunny renovated home truly feels like an escape to Puerto Rico. Your day at the beach boasts rum-based cocktails and hard-to-find island specialties like tostones, bacalaitos, lechon asado and guava-filled pastries.
Showboat’s Drive-by Pie
54 1st St., Granby
The spectacular trek to Granby is only topped by sweet treats at a quirky food spot served by a walk-up or drive-thru window. Sherry Kent’s elevated butter-crusted fruit pies include Montmorency tart cherry, green chile apple and wild Maine blueberry pies. Savor them nearby Rocky Mountain National Park.
Read more from BW food editor John Lehndorff
