82 APRIL 6-12, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | style ’cue. The relaunched joint also has an expanded market, where you can stock up on grab-and-go options, including frozen barbecue for easy at- home meals. Best Southern/Soul Restaurant Blazing Chicken Shack II 5560 East 33rd Avenue 720-596-4501 blazingchickenshackii.com In Northeast Park Hill, one block off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Blazing Chicken Shack II may look unassuming from the outside, but it’s pure Southern-style hos- pitality when you walk in the door. Since 2015, Blazing Chicken has been serving up a menu fi lled with down-home staples, from fried chicken, catfi sh and gumbo to mac and cheese, collard greens and black- eyed peas. One must-order, though, is the perfectly seasoned oxtail-and-rice special, which is only available on Thursdays, Fri- days and Saturdays. Best Collard Greens Lucile’s Creole Cafe Multiple metro locations luciles.com This local New Orleans-inspired brunch chain does a lot of things right. Its beignets are piled high with powdered sugar, the mimosas are made with fresh-squeezed orange juice, and the menu is fi lled with hits whether you opt for giant fl aky bis- cuits with sausage gravy or shrimp and grits. Whatever you choose, add on a side of the slow-braised collard greens studded with shreds of smoked ham hock, then douse the whole thing in Lucile’s own brand of hot-pepper vinegar for a true taste of Southern cooking. Best Steakhouse A5 1600 15th Street 303-623-0534 a5denver.com We could talk about A5’s thoughtful sourc- ing of some seriously high-quality beef that’s always cooked just right. Or about the fact that you don’t even have to order steak at all to have an indulgent, memorable meal here, with options like oysters, the beef tartare katsu sandwich and the French dip (which is available only at the bar). But what we really love about this restaurant, which joined the scene in 2021, is that it’s downright fun, bringing fresh energy to the classic steakhouse concept that was once the darling of the Denver dining scene. Best Pork Chop Major Tom 2845 Larimer Street 303-848-9777 majortomdenver.com The team behind upscale tasting-menu concept Beckon added the à la carte Ma- jor Tom — the name is inspired by David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” — in February, and it’s already making a big impression, thanks in large part to one substantial entree: the 25-ounce heritage pork chop, with its ex- pertly rendered fat and drizzle of brown butter and red wine vinegar on top. It’s pure pork perfection, plain and simple. Best Seafood Restaurant Fish N Beer 3510 Larimer Street 303-248-3497 fi shnbeerdenver.com Bigger may be better for some things, but smaller and louder are no-brainers when it comes to instant ambience — and Fish N Beer, from Kevin Morrison of Tacos Tequila Whiskey fame, has Food and Drink continued from page 80 continued on page 84 GETT Y IMAGES
