94 APRIL 4-10, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | thin and crispy — not the thicker, cake- like ones used by some restaurants in town. If you’re having trouble choosing which fi lling to go with, don’t worry: There’s so much tortilla real estate to work with, you can get yours half-and-half. Best Carnitas Mi Tierra Caliente 5350 West 64th Avenue, Arvada 720-968-4634 mitierracaliente.net Since opening last May, Mi Tierra Cali- ente has amassed a loyal following that spreads far beyond its Arvada address. Many diners come specifi cally for the car- nitas, delectable slow-cooked pork that’s simmered in oil for hours. This delicacy hails from the Mexican state of Micho- acán, the home of co-owners Ayax Silva and two longtime friends, sisters Sandra and Fernanda Calderon. For years, they sold their carnitas directly to friends out of Sandra’s garage, but both demand and ambitions grew, leading them to open their fi rst restaurant, where they continue to serve up the specialty — just with more space and a lot more clients. Whether you get the carnitas in a taco for lunch or by the kilo to go on Sundays, it doesn’t get any better than this. Best Take-Home Flour Tortillas Panaderia San Antonio 2007 South Federal Boulevard 303-936-0323 facebook.com/panaderiasanantonio If you’re rolling out of bed for Mexican pastries or stocking up on telera bread for a feast of homemade tortas, Panaderia San Antonio is a solid bet in southwest Denver. Fruit-fi lled empanadas, pig-shaped marra- nito cookies and brightly colored conchas fi ll shelf after shelf for shoppers armed with plastic trays and metal tongs. But a stop at the crowded little shop isn’t com- plete without a bag or two of fresh-made fl our tortillas, tinted pale amarillo from lard and dotted with dark blisters from the hot comal. These are soft and chewy, but not puffy like supermarket tortillas, and they’re perfect warmed and slathered in butter or rolled into a breakfast burrito awaiting its bath of green chile. Best Place to Buy Small- Batch Mezcal Destilados de Agave at Golden Liquor 601 13th Street, Golden 720-328-2987 golden-liquors.com After working as a bartender for years, Nate Austin wanted a career change, so he and his wife, Briana, bought Golden Liquors, a small shop located across from Coors Brewery. When Proposition 125 passed, allowing the sale of wine in grocery stores, many shops like Golden Liquor were wor- ried about its impact on sales. The Austins worried, too, so they decided to revamp the store as an agave spirits destination, inspired by their travels to Oaxaca and stocked with many hard-to-fi nd labels. A visit to Destilados de Agave will yield not only a great bottle section, but also stories behind the spirits. And yes, you can still buy Coors here, too. Best Rotating Weekly Margarita Fellow Traveler 3487 South Broadway, Englewood 303-635-6621 ftbar.com Every Tuesday, this Food and Drink continued from page 92 continued on page 96 GETT Y IMAGES/ TABITAZN
