78 APRIL 4-10, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | Best Oaxacan Food Truck La Reyna Del Sur lareynadenver.com If you spot a silver Airstream parked in front of a bar or beer joint in the metro area, get hungry. What Chef Ruben Hernandez is serving inside his shiny trademark trailer is a long list of Oaxacan classics straight from his home state’s famed food culture in southern Mexico. One of those is the tla- yuda: a crispy corn masa tostada the size of a steering wheel slathered with a black bean spread and topped with shredded quesillo, sizzling carne asada and chorizo sausage, pickled red onions and fresh avo- cado, with a side of dazzling orange haba- nero salsa. Exquisite banana-leaf chicken tamales, barbacoa street tacos, grilled no- pales (cactus) and chile-roasted chapulines (similar to grasshoppers) are also perfectly prepared at La Reyna. Best New Food Truck Doublewide instagram.com/doublewide.co Chefs Nathan Madson and Kevin Clay met each other several years ago while work- ing in the kitchen at Mercantile Dining and Provision. After bopping around a few other Denver establishments, the two friends decided to venture out on their own and launched Doublewide last sum- mer. Since then, the truck has managed to make a splash thanks to its crispy, lacy- edged smashburgers, but we also love its killer vegetarian mushroom sandwich that highlights the team’s ability to turn simple ingredients into tasty creations. This year, Madson and Clay are planning to up the stakes with inventive tasting dinners and new dishes, and we can’t wait to see what they’ve got cooking. Best Restaurant for a First Date Point Easy 2000 East 28th Avenue 303-233-5656 pointeasydenver.com Cozy but bright. Upscale but not fancy. Stylish but not overly trendy. Point Easy is a place that puts you at ease, which is exactly what you want when meeting someone for the fi rst time. A pair of seats at the bar is the ideal setting for getting to know someone, with the buffer of friendly bartenders in case the conversation gets stale. Both the drinks and the food offer a little something for everyone, whether your date prefers a glass of wine and a plate of pasta, a cocktail and some fries for snacking or a spirit-free beverage with some shareable small plates. If you fi nd yourself on a date with someone who can’t enjoy a meal here, best move on to the next. Best Cheap Date Redeemer Pizza 2705 Larimer Street 720-780-1379 redeemerpizza.com Dating in Denver is expensive, especially if you’re on the apps, but a rendezvous at Redeemer will show your date you’re hip and cool while showing your wallet some love, too. The team behind Dio Mio opened this pizzeria in 2021, and it delivers on its promise of serving “New York 2.0”-style pizza. It’s thin and perfectly speckled from the cook with “no fl op,” as Dave Portnoy attested when he visited. The naturally leavened sourdough crust adds depth of fl avor without being overly tangy. Expect classic pies and creative takes as well as seasonal creations. You can grab slices on the back patio, split a hoagie at lunch or, if you go on a Wednesday, enjoy 50 percent off bottles of wine. Best Restaurant for a Breakup Brasserie Brixton 3701 Williams Street 303-593-0951 brasseriebrixton.com We love this spot’s eclectic riffs on French bistro fare, but it also happens to be an ideal spot to break off your current rela- tionship, with a serving of beef tartare or steak frites for good measure. Take Brix- ton’s thumping hip-hop soundtrack in a space fi lled with boisterous diners and pair it with dinner at the bar, which puts you close to the exit. You can rest a little easier knowing you’ve left your date with the sympathetic ear of some of the city’s best bartenders while you escape to the adjacent Yacht Club for a hot dog, a shot... and the possibility of meeting up with a new number one. Best Restaurant for Late-Night Munchies Gaia Masala & Burger Multiple locations It’s true that the city’s late-night dining scene took a big hit during the pandemic and has been slow to come back, but there are still options, and this one is a favorite no matter what time you’re visiting. Gaia Masala started in Boulder, satisfying the nocturnal cravings of college students. Now it’s doing the same for all of Denver, with a location in Capitol Hill that’s open until 3 a.m. and one in the Union Station neighbor- hood that closes at 2 a.m. The mix of Indian and American fare on offer is wide-ranging, but our favorites include the cheesy lamb masala fries and the chicken tikka masala cheesesteak. Food and Drink continued from page 76 continued on page 80
