122 MARCH 26-APRIL 1, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | FOOD & DRINK | MUSIC & VENUES | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | SPORTS & RECREATION | CONTENTS | you try the pan de elote at Alteño, you will think about it for the rest of your life, and no other cornbread will ever compare. Served at yet another hit from chef Johnny Curiel, this dish elevates the humble staple with jalapeños, fl ecks of cheddar and smoked honey, serving it alongside a huitlacoche butter sprinkled with black truffl e that sends it into an- other stratosphere. The fragrant, earthy butter melting into the soft crumb and charred edges of the cornbread creates an umami-rich experience that will lin- ger in your mind (and mouth) long after the last bite. Best Birria Tacos Venalonzo’s Tacos Multiple locations venalonzostacos.com Suburban Centennial may seem like an unlikely spot to fi nd some of the area’s best tacos, but Venalonzo’s Tacos arrived on the scene with a vengeance in 2022 and has attracted crowds ever since. The tip of this taco spear is the slow-braised birria that’s stuffed into a cheesy tortilla, dipped in chile-rich consommé (which also comes on the side), and grilled to bronzed perfection. You can also get a taste in the form of pizza-birria, birria ramen, or even a birria burger. The fam- ily recently added locations in Parker and Lone Tree, as well. Best Botanas Selection Botanas Lokas 2271 South Peoria Street, Aurora botanasloasco.com One of the most common sights in Mexi- can parks and plazas is a vendor pushing around a cart stocked with chips, candy, fruit, hot sauce and lime – the key in- gredients for the sweet, savory and spicy confections known as botanas. Gringos might recoil at apples, watermelon and cucumbers doused in Chamoy and Tajin, or Doritos covered in mango, lime and Valen- tina salsa, or corn drowning in cheese and mayo. But for Mexicanos, it’s childhood happiness. Botanas Lokas offers Dorilokos, elotes and the best variety of snacks that Mexicans might miss and others should try, like magoneada (spicy mango sorbet), Chilindrina (pork rinds or corn chips with salsa and cream) and agua fresca (juice made from fresh fruit). Best New Taco Joint Molino Chido 2501 Dallas Street, Aurora molinochido.com Uncle and Hop Alley owner Tommy Lee teamed up with chef Michael Diaz de Leon (who helmed Bruto when it was fi rst awarded its Michelin star and is a competi- tor on the debut season of Padma Lakshmi’s new cooking competition, America’s Cu- linary Cup) on this recent addition to the Stanley Marketplace. A windowed room at the entrance is where the star of the menu is made: carefully crafted corn tortillas that form the base of tacos such as bison len- gua and carnitas, served in a space inspired by the energy of Mexico City taco stands, complete with green folding chairs sourced from a third-generation Guadalajara-based fabricator. Best Dessert With Salmon Roe Malinche Audiobar 1541 Platte Street instagram.com/malincheaudiobar While the mezcal drinks, vintage records and moody atmosphere might be the draw at Malinche Audiobar, its Nicuatole des- sert is the real sleeper hit. Chef Jose Avila transforms this traditional Oaxacan treat into a deceptively layered dish with creamy Nixtamal custard, piloncillo-yuzu glaze, fresh pear and shoyu-cured salmon roe that pops in your mouth, adding a surprise burst of brininess to each bite. It’s a bold expression of the bar’s thesis, seamlessly blending Mexican and Japanese fl avors in one boundary-blurring experience. Best Chocolatier Bibamba Artisan Chocolate 5505 West 20th Avenue, Edgewater bibamba.com Patrick and Mara Tcheunou, the hus- band-and-wife duo behind Bibamba, are not your regular chocolatiers. For one, their shop at Edgewater Public Market sells artisan goods like handmade truffl es, ganache-fi lled bonbons and single-ori- gin chocolate barks that are borderline addictive. But beyond the decadent se- lection, its sourcing is transparent and entirely ethical — something that is not the norm in an industry long linked with child labor. This company’s cacao farm in Cameroon, Patrick’s native country, allows you to enjoy a sweet treat with a clear conscience. Best Soft-Serve Ice Cream Power Cone 8295 Ralston Road, Arvada powercone.love Pete and Joey Castleberry — a modern Good Humor couple — started dishing out soft-serve cones from a food truck in 2023 and moved into a brick-and-mortar location near Olde Town Arvada in 2025. Power Cone sticks to basic fl avors, but the soft service is delicious, dreamy-creamy and not overly Food and Drink continued from page 120 continued on page 124
