76 APRIL 4-10, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | You’ve just popped into this neighbor- hood cafe for a jolt of joe when you notice something in the glass-front pastry case. It’s big, it’s puffy, it’s golden-brown from the oven. A strange place to encounter a calzone, perhaps, but it only gets stranger when you sink your teeth into the soft, slightly bready shell. This is a chicken masala calzone, overloaded with bites of chicken in a cheezy, creamy, spicy sauce that threatens to spill down your chin on the fi rst bite. Mostly, though, it’s just too addictive, and the whole thing’s gone in a heartbeat, leaving you to wonder how soon you can hustle back in to explore the rest of Lil Coffea’s menu, from familiar break- fast burritos to the bharta makhani pizza topped with eggplant. Best Noodles in a Tea Shop One More Noodle 2781 South Parker Road, Aurora 720-536-5656 onemorenoodle.com Volcano Tea House, shoehorned into a row of shops alongside the Aurora H Mart, started out as a delightfully cheery place to quench your thirst for Taiwanese milk teas and fruity concoctions. It has since changed its name and evolved into a full-on noo- dle house, where you can slurp your way through a mix-and-match menu of hand- shaved and hand-pulled noodles put to de- licious use in soups and stir-fries. Not to be missed is One More Noodle’s beef noodle soup, with impossibly long strands expertly pulled to the perfect width for joyous, noisy slurping. The broth is rich, the beef tender, and the bok choy simmered to just the right crunch. Pair it with dumplings or popcorn chicken, then grab a sweet and slushy drink loaded with popping boba or coffee jelly to double down on the slurping action. Best Bubble Tea in a Bag Die Die Must Try Beverage Co. 250 Steele Street diediedenver.com The Chow family lived in Singapore for two decades before opening Die Die Must Try in Cherry Creek North late last year. The multi-generational owners hope to inspire others to experience new things — includ- ing bubble tea served in a da bao bag, which they say is the authentic Singapore style of enjoying your drink on the go. Certain offerings like soursop and calamansi fruit tea further highlight the family’s roots, as do bottled beverages and imported snacks. Classic options like oolong and taro milk tea also appear on the menu, along with various add-ins including boba, red bean and grass jelly. Best Food Truck After a Night Out Amore Pizza instagram.com/amorepizzaco When last call sends you stumbling out of a downtown bar at 2 a.m., your stomach fi lled with one too many vodka Red Bulls (and little else), Amore Pizza is there with a warm, comforting slice. This food truck, which also has a brick-and-mortar on Santa Fe Drive, dishes out New York-style pizza whole or by the slice — not to mention cal- zones, cannoli, cheesecake and more to sat- isfy any late-night craving. It spends most weekends parked at the corner of 20th and Market streets, within a two-block radius of over a dozen bars including ViewHouse, Jackson’s, Whiskey Row and Beer Hall. But while tipsy patrons fi rst come for the prime location, they return for the delicious food even after they’ve sobered up. Best Fried Chicken Biscuit on Wheels Mama Jo’s Biscuits and BBQ mamajobiscuits.com Ben Polson and his wife, Jodi, who runs the pastry program at Coperta, debuted their Mama Jo’s food truck in 2021. The venture seamlessly blends Ben’s passion for exceptional barbecue with Jodi’s mastery of pastries and her perfected biscuit recipe. While the ’cue is delicious, the showstop- per is the team’s Nashville hot chicken biscuit. This culinary marvel begins with the truck’s signature, fl aky smoked Gouda biscuit, which serves as the canvas for a succulent lemon-brined chicken thigh that is delicately coated, fried and immersed in Nashville hot oil. A drizzle of Alabama white sauce, housemade bread-and-butter pickles and a dollop of creamy coleslaw complete the combo. This is one order that leaves patrons a little sweaty — and hungry for more. Best Pizza on Wheels Outside Pizza outsidepizza.com Ashley Knotek and Ryan Grillaert launched Outside Pizza in August 2021, inspired by their passion for outdoor ex- ploration and the gratifying indulgence of post-hike pizza. From their refurbished vintage camper-turned-mobile pizzeria, they craft everything from scratch, fi sh- ing out their interpretation of Neapolitan- style pies and occasionally experimenting with unconventional toppings. Among their innovative creations, the pickle pizza with roasted garlic cream sauce, mozza- rella, provolone, homemade pickles and a sprinkle of fresh dill reigns supreme. But even when that isn’t available, every pie boasts a light, crispy crust sure to satisfy any afi cionado. Food and Drink continued from page 74 continued on page 78 After calling Tennyson Street home for more than 10 years, we’ve switched to a strictly sourdough pizza menu and have transformed our parking lot into a 3,000- square-foot patio. Come on by for pizza and beer on the patio this spring and summer! Berkeley’s Favorite Artisan Pizzeria & Craft Beer Taproom CHECK OUT OUR MENU ................................................................
