Food and Drink continued from page 57 Little Arthur’s many other creations, these hoagies are 100 percent legit. Best Reuben Zaidy’s Deli & Bakery 600 South Holly Street 303-333-5336 zaidysdeli.com When Beth Ginsberg and her partner bought the 35-year-old Zaidy’s and res- urrected it in the Virginia Vale neighbor- hood in 2021, they brought along most of the menu, including the Jewish deli’s classic Reuben. For $16.50, you get a huge sandwich laden with corned beef, Rus- sian dressing, Swiss cheese and sauer- kraut, all grilled together on homemade seeded rye bread. It’s the perfect bal- ance of tangy, sweet, meaty and cheesy; get the dish with a side of potato salad, chips or fries laced with Zaidy’s own se- cret spice mix. Although at fi rst glance this sandwich may look like enough for two meals, after a couple of bites, you’ll know the whole thing will be devoured in one sitting. Best Chicken Sandwich Lunchboxx 2669 Larimer Street 720-420-0853 lunchboxxdenver.com The fi rst new spot at Denver Central Mar- ket since its debut fi ve years ago, Lunch- boxx opened in August 2021 with a slew of (mostly) healthy options that are ideal for lunch breaks. Among the offerings from chef Zach Spott (who also runs GreenSeed at the market and was formerly chef at now-closed LoDo cocktail bar Brass Tacks) is a must-eat sandwich with craggy, crunchy buttermilk fried chicken glazed with gochujang honey. It’s served on a sesame brioche bun and gets a hit of brightness from cherry pepper slaw and chile lime mayo for a balanced yet fl avor-packed experience. Best Hot Chicken Music City Hot Chicken 227 Broadway 303-357-1141 mchcco.com Sure, hot chicken is everywhere right now. But back in 2016, when the original Music City Hot Chicken opened in Fort Collins, there were no other restaurants special- izing in this regional dish from Nashville. Even though the competition has heated up, MCHC’s big, juicy sandwiches, crispy tenders, vegan versions, stellar sides and varying heat levels (including a green chile-spiked option) make this the hot- test ticket in town — especially since it opened a Denver outpost inside TRVE Brewing in 2021. Argonaut Has It! WINNER OF: 2021: Best Liquor Store; Reader’s Choice: Best Liquor Store, Best Store on Colfax 2020: Reader’s Choice: Best Liquor Store – Selection, Best Liquor Store – Price, Best Wine Store, and Best Store on Colfax 2019: Reader’s Choice: Best Liquor Store – Selection, Best Store on Colfax DELIVER! WE Best Chicken Wings Wing Hut 15473 East Hampden Avenue, Aurora 303-699-9464 winghutaurora.com This small, family-owned spot has been specializing in wings for two decades, and the experience shows. The wings are on the smaller side, but with tender meat, a nice, crisp bite and a whopping 46 killer sauce and dry-rub options, size really doesn’t matter. Not sure where to start? The garlic parmesan is a customer favorite, while the hot honey mustard offers a sweet and tangy experience with a kick. Orders are placed at the counter, and you can go half-and- half on fl avors when getting wings by the pound — an essential move if you’re look- ing for variety. Wing Hut also has a lineup of Cajun items, including po’boys, gumbo and fried okra, but our favorite wing side remains the classic curly fries. Best Wishes for a Speedy Recovery King of Wings 7741 West 44th Avenue, Wheat Ridge 303-424-3489 king-of-wings.com The slow-cooked, grilled wings at King of Wings defi nitely live up to the name of the place, but the business itself has had a rough go. Two friends with no prior restau- rant experience started it as a food truck before opening a brick-and-mortar loca- tion in June 2020, in the midst of pandemic uncertainty. Then, as it was gaining mo- mentum, a December kitchen fi re forced King of Wings to close. The restaurant is planning a comeback, but in the meantime, owners Eddie Renshaw and Evan Pierce have let other small businesses hold pop- ups in the space. Over 15,000 items to chose from 40,000 sq. feet of fun Follow Us SHOP ONLINE AT WWW.ARGONAUTLIQUOR.COM 58 Best Fried Chicken Blazing Chicken Shack II 5560 East 33rd Avenue 720-596-4501 blazingchickenshackii.com This soul-food spot is a hidden gem tucked a block off Martin Luther King Jr. Boule- vard. The outside may not look particularly welcoming, with its caged-in windows and barred door, but you’ll fi nd a comforting vibe (and a bar) inside, along with a menu full of comfort-food classics including — as the name suggests — chicken. And, oh, what glorious chicken it is, fried to order and seasoned to perfection, with a thin but crispy coating giving way to moist meat underneath. Pair it with sides like mac and cheese or slow-cooked collards with shreds of ham hock for a home-style South- ern feast with plenty of friendly hospitality thrown in. continued on page 60 APRIL 7-13, 2022 WESTWORD | BACKBEAT | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | westword.com
