114 APRIL 6-12, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | cigarette and booze ads from LIFE magazine, the spacious back patio is decked out with booze brand signs, and a chalkboard wall is fi lled with scrawled messages from Trash BBs — the term of endearment that Hom- burger has bestowed upon the bar’s regulars. Best Use of a Leopard Speedo Hell or High Water Tiki 1526 Blake Street hellorhighwatertiki.com Hell brings fi re, Tiki brings tropical, and Doug Frank brings his leopard-print Speedo. It’s part of his job as the fi re-breathing, lap- dancing, cocktail-serving man of leisure at Hell or High Water, the “haunted gay pirate tiki bar” that’s been a LoDo hot spot since opening in the summer of 2022. With a killer list of tiki drinks, boozy drag brunches and Curse of the Cocktail happy hours, your vi- sion tends to get blurry inside the tiny bar’s bamboo jungle decor. But remember, your old pal is always nearby when you need an- other cocktail: He‘s the one with “Dammit Doug” written across the ass of said Speedo. Best New Restaurant-and- Bar Combo Hey Kiddo/Ok Yeah 4337 Tennyson Street 720-778-2977 hk-oy.com Food and drink. Server and guest. These are the simple combinations that create our most enjoyable experiences as both diners and service-industry workers. Hey Kiddo premiered in early 2023, serving up a sleek yet casual atmosphere, excellent service and an array of indulgent offerings with light- hearted twists, like chicken liver mousse on Texas toast and “bling bling” market-price caviar. Ok Yeah, concealed behind an un- marked door in the restaurant’s rear hallway, serves an impressively diverse list of cock- tails at a slick, three-sided low-lit bar. These two unique spaces describe themselves as “good and fun,” and we couldn’t agree more. Best New Bar Yacht Club 3701 Williams Street yachtclubbar.com Bar pros Mary Allison Wright and McLain Hedges resurrected Yacht Club — once lo- cated inside the Source — next door to Bras- serie Brixton in late 2021. The bar effortlessly mixes high and low with a killer wine list and cocktails alongside a menu of hot dogs, all paired with an easygoing vibe that’s still cool enough for a fi rst date. In 2022, their efforts were rewarded when Yacht Club was named one of four U.S. fi nalists for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2022 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. While it didn’t take the top spot in the country, it’s the kind of club every Denverite is lucky to have as an option. Best New Restaurant Noisette 3254 Navajo Street 720-769-8103 noisettedenver.com An elegant French eatery could easily feel out of place in Denver, a city that happily embraces a decidedly laid-back lifestyle. But Noisette fi ts right in while also rais- ing the bar when it comes to ambience, service and fine-dining fare. Tim and Lillian Lu, who both graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York, opened the restaurant in August 2022 in a revamped space that’s defi nitely upscale, but not in a stiff, white-tablecloth kind of way. The white decor with pops of pastel and a mix of modern and vintage is invit- ing and transportive. Small vases of fl ow- ers on each table add a romantic touch, as do the mismatched fl atware and fl oral an- tique plates. The menu is an elevated take on cuisine bourgeoise, or French home cooking, with entrees like braised beef shank and crispy duck breast along with decadent, showstopping desserts. You can also swing by during the day, when the bakery cafe is open, offering a selection of pastries, sandwiches, coffee and other noshes in a more casual setting. Best Revival El Rancho 29260 U.S. 40, Evergreen 303-670-2739 elrancho-colorado.com Meanwhile, back at El Rancho… Sev- enty years ago, a couple from Wisconsin bought a roadhouse that stood alone on the road leading to Evergreen, turned it into a bakery/eatery, and fi ve years later passed it on to their daughter, Donna, and her husband, Paul McEncroe. To- gether they transformed it into such a classic Colorado destination restaurant that when Interstate 70 was built right outside, El Rancho got its own exit. In the 35 years since the McEncroes sold the place, it has gone through many owners and incarnations, but the current revival looks like a winner: Bonanno Concepts is running the operation, treating tourists and locals alike to updated versions of traditional Western dishes as envisioned by chef/entrepreneur Frank Bonanno and his wife, Jacqueline. Best Wishes for a Smooth Opening Casa Bonita 6715 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood 303-232-5115 casabonitadenver.com No opening, restaurant or otherwise, is as highly anticipated as the upcoming reboot of the iconic pink palace under new owners Trey Parker and Matt Stone. That means the pressure is on for one of the main characters in this South Park episode-in-the-making, chef Dana Rodriguez — though the fi ery and talented Loca, as she’s known, is well equipped to handle the heat. She’s risen through the ranks, from Casa Bonita castoff (she was denied a job there back in 1998) to owner of Work & Class, Super Mega Bien and Cantina Loca, and now executive chef behind the buzziest debut of the year. So far, all we know about her plans for overhauling the famously bad food at Casa Bonita is that the famed sopaipillas will be on the menu. But we’re confi dent that Rodriguez is poised to impress the masses when Casa Bonita fi nally welcomes fans again come May. 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