44 APRIL 4-10, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | end of the economic spectrum, valuing even the most modest culinary tools as if they were encrusted with diamonds. But not Peppercorn, whose two fl oors of mer- chandise space display excellent items ac- cessible to those on limited budgets as well as state-of-the-art gadgets designed for folks who don’t even bother to look at the price tags. Also available: a mouthwatering array of cookbooks, plus a great collection of puzzles and other pop-culture products that make browsing at Peppercorn divert- ing even for those who can’t tell a spatula from an egg beater. Best Cooking Classes Create Kitchen & Bar 2501 Dallas Street, #128, Aurora 720-573-9949 createkitchenbar.co Becoming a good cook takes wise guidance — and that’s precisely what the instructors at Create Kitchen & Bar provide. They stage classes in nearly every cuisine imaginable: turning out Italian pasta, picking up the ba- sics of Korean barbecue, mastering sushi, even making the perfect empanada. The Create experts empathetically oversee each step in the process, allowing students to learn by doing. The results are typically complete meals that are not only delectable, but can be reproduced without supervision. Best Pottery Classes Ceramics in the City 5214 East Colfax Avenue 303-200-0461 ceramicsinthecity.com Making pottery was sensual long before a certain scene in the movie Ghost under- scored the point, and dying isn’t a prerequi- site to getting a feel for the art. Ceramics in the City puts on parties for adults and kids alike, teaching pottery painting, building clay by hand and other skills. But couples are apt to gravitate to the pottery wheel, where they’re seated opposite each other and taught the essentials of the craft be- fore being set loose to create multiple ob- jets d’art. Afterward, you can choose the masterpiece of your choice to fi re and take home as a memento of your trip to Ceram- ics in the City. Best Santa Fe Shopping Experience Old Santa Fe Pottery 2485 South Santa Fe Drive 303-871-9434 santafe-pottery.com Can’t spare the time to get to Santa Fe? Head to Old Santa Fe Pottery instead. Since 1988, this family-owned and -operated adobe complex has offered an expansive selection of Southwestern-style furniture, furnish- ings, Mexican tiles, jewelry, soap, piñon in- cense and salsas. During the summer, shop the courtyard for a huge selection of out- door pots; during the winter holidays, this is the place to go for chile-pepper ristras and wreaths. Best Place to Buy Timeless Home Furnishings Modern Bungalow 1028 South Gaylord Street 303-300-3332 modernbungalow.com Tired of buying your furniture from a smartphone? Modern Bungalow offers a relaxed, no-pressure retail experience. It specializes in Amish-built, customizable furniture using hardwood from respon- sibly managed forests, and even ships it with reusable blankets. Browse William Morris fabrics and wallpaper, Motawi art tiles and handmade wool rugs, with everything meant to be handed down to the next generation. Best Time Saver Gold & Time kiosk 16th Street Mall between Wazee and Wynkoop streets 303-447-2888 gold-and-time.com If we could turn back the clock, it would be to an era when we didn’t just toss broken stuff in the trash but instead got it fi xed as good as new — and also to when the 16th Street Mall didn’t look like a giant concrete tossed salad. So when the rebar started fl ying, we panicked that our favorite little repair shop would go the way of the town crier. But Gold & Time is still on our side, because Mr. Ming, who had been replacing batteries and repairing eyeglasses at 16th and Tremont for offi ce workers on their lunch breaks for more than a decade, was able to move to the Shopping and Services continued from page 42 continued on page 46 GETT Y IMAGES/ ANNA GUDIMOVA
