10 WESTWORD FOOD & DRINK 2023 On the Town WHEN MIKE JOHNSTON WANTS TO SHOW OFF DENVER, WHERE SHOULD HE TAKE VISITORS? At the September 12 ceremony celebrat- ing the restaurants honored by the fi rst Michelin Guide Colorado, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, not even two months into his fi rst term, offered the most energetic, engaging speech of the evening. Off the stage, he was equally enthusiastic when asked for his list of go-to spots in Denver. Tops on that roster: ChoLon, El Taco de Mexico, Tommy’s Thai, Brothers BBQ, Little India, Esters Oneida Park and Dang!, the soft-serve ice cream spot near his Park Hill Home. He’s also a fan of Annette, the restaurant in Stanley Marketplace that wasn’t eligible for Michelin consideration because Aurora boosters chose not to par- ticipate (read: pay) in the project’s fi rst year. Johnston’s date, his daughter Ava, is a big fan of the options at Stanley Marketplace, too. Neither mentioned Casa Bonita, two words that were not offi cially uttered the entire night. But Johnston did have a question for us: As mayor, he frequently has to host guests of the city. Where would you take out-of-town visitors to Denver? Here’s a starter set, all geared to offer a taste of both this city’s cuisine and its history (they’re listed in order of age, sort of): My Brother’s Bar, 2376 15th Street. My Brother’s occupies a building that marked its 150th anniversary this year and has housed a bar through that entire span. My Brother’s has been there just over fi fty, but it feels like forever; today it has the patina of age and legends, but no sign outside and no TVs inside. Beat icon Neal Cassady hung out here when it was Paul’s Place; today you’ll fi nd regulars chowing down on great bar burgers from morning through late night. Buckhorn Exchange, 1000 Osage Street. Henry H. “Shorty Scout” Zietz founded the Buckhorn in 1893, making it a relative newcomer — but it boasts Colorado Liquor License #1, thanks to some fast work after Prohibition was repealed. Teddy Roosevelt hung out here, as did Dwight Eisenhower; the upstairs bar is the best spot to get a taste of how it might have looked over a century ago, though if you eat downstairs, the taxi- dermied ancestor of your entree might be hanging overhead. Sushi Den, 1487 South Pearl Street. It may seem odd that this landlocked state has boasted one of the best sushi restaurants in the country for four decades, but you can thank Yasu and Toshi Kizaki for that. A third brother back in Japan makes sure he sends the freshest possible shipments of fi sh to Denver, where it’s served in a series of restaurants that the brothers have opened in the charming Old South Pearl neighbor- hood. Veterans of their empire have gone on to open their own spots, and Denver is swimming in great sushi as a result. El Taco de Mexico, 714 Santa Fe Drive. This favorite of Mike Johnston’s might be a little casual for some visitors, but if you want to serve them an authentic taste of Den-Mex, it’s hard to beat the green chile at El Taco de Mexico, an exemplary version of a uniquely Denver dish. El Taco got its start in a trailer in 1985, then moved to Santa Fe Drive, in the heart of the city’s historic La Alma Lin- coln Park neighborhood (Su Teatro is right across the street); in 2020, it received an America’s Classics award from the James Beard Foundation. Rioja, in Larimer Square. Denver’s oldest retail block is going through a major ren- ovation right now, and although many of the storefronts are not only scaffolded, but empty, you can see the bones of what one day could again be a thriving retail and restaurant destination. And in the meantime, you can enjoy the delicious Mediterranean-inspired eats served up by James Beard Award-win- ning chef Jennifer Jasinski for over two decades. A5 Steakhouse, 1600 15th Street. This long- time LoDo storefront was once home to the Wazee Lounge and Supper Club, the sibling to My Brother’s Bar. (The upstairs was also once Westword’s offi ce.) But af- ter the Karagas brothers passed on, the restaurant space went through a couple of incarnations before it wound up with a winner: A5 Steakhouse, which would give the mayor’s guests a real feel for this part of Denver’s warehouse past, as well as a true taste of a smart revisioning of a steakhouse for the future. Forget Me Not, 227 Clayton Street. Some of Johnston’s visitors will no doubt be stay- ing in Cherry Creek, which is booming these days, with new retail and residential complexes popping up all over. So are restaurants, many of them links in national chains, but Forget Me Not is an offshoot of the local Culinary Creative Group, which also brought us A5. The food and drink menus are not just creative, but contemporary, and in a town full of great patios, it’s hard to beat this one. When you have visitors to Denver, where do you take them? Send suggestions to [email protected]. DANG Soft-serve spot Dang is one of Mayor Mike Johnston’s favorites.
