Food and Drink continued from page 58 Best French Fries Street Feud 5410 East Colfax Avenue 303-388-3383 streetfeud.com Chef Merlin Verrier has experience in Mi- chelin-star fi ne dining, but when it came time to open his own concept, he opted to create a funky, vibrant spot that specializes in the world’s street food. Street Feud got its start at Avanti and later moved into Number Thirty Eight in RiNo, but in late 2021, Verrier fi nally found the right spot to open his own place, covering the walls in DIY collages and street art. Like a mixtape, the menu is loaded with hits, but the French fries stand out thanks to an extra coating of potato starch that makes them extra crispy (while remaining gluten- free) — even when you opt for toppings like braised lamb and curry aioli or crispy pork belly, kimchi and cheese sauce. Best Corn(fl ake) Dog Ginger Pig 4262 Lowell Boulevard 720-324-8416 gingerpig.com There are a lot of reasons to visit Ginger Pig. With no background in the food industry (and prior careers in both sportscasting and law), Natascha Hess started the business as a food truck with the guidance of mentor and Top Chef alum Carrie Baird. In 2020, Hess debuted her brick-and-mortar loca- tion, where she cooks food inspired by her time living in China, including menu hits like arancini-like Bangkok Balls, sous-vide char siu and the Korean cornfl ake dog — real street food-style snacking. A Nathan’s all- beef frank (the top dog of hot dog brands) is coated in a yeasty dough, crispy panko breadcrumbs and cornfl akes. Served on a stick with a drizzle of ketchup and mustard plus sesame seeds and scallions, it may not be traditional, but it sure is fun to eat. Best Hamburger Split Lip 3560 Chestnut Place splitlipeatplace.com How many pickles is too many pickles? At Split Lip, which has found a home inside Number Thirty Eight in RiNo, the limit does not exist. This venture started as a series of pandemic pop-ups from longtime hospitality pros who’ve now turned to creating a menu of crave-worthy, hyper-regional dishes full- time. While Split Lip offers several burger options, the Mississippi Slug Burger was the OG fan favorite from its pop-up days and remains a lesson in cheeseburger perfec- tion, dressed simply with American cheese, “sawse” and, yes, a fuck-ton of housemade pickles on a soft sesame seed bun. Best Juicy Lucy Lucy’s Burger Bar 4018 Tennyson Street 720-379-6311 lucysburgerbar.com Owner Michelle “Meesh” McGlone and her business partner, Nate Collis, are both from Minnesota (the birthplace of the molten- cheese-stuffed Juicy Lucy), and both have a background in touring — McGlone as an aer- ialist and Collis as the longtime guitar player for hip-hop group Atmosphere. Now they’re putting their energy into this small burger joint that opened in August 2021. Here the cheese spills out in a satisfying river of or- ange American mixed with beefy juice from the cooked-to-a-perfect-medium-well patty. Red ketchup bottles and baskets of yellow mustard packets are readily available for those who want to add a condiment — but try it without fi rst, in order to get the full impact of the simple yet supremely tasty combination of fl avors. Just remember to take one bite, then put it down and nosh on some fries or sip your drink while the hot interior cools to a palatable temperature. Best Veggie Burger So Radish 5711 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada 303-632-8681 soradish.com A great veggie burger doesn’t have to pretend to be meat (we’re looking at you, Impossible and Beyond patties). At So Radish, a plant- based eatery with an ’80s video-game theme, the house burger is a quarter-pound house- made black-bean patty served on a wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, red onion, dairy-free American cheese and barbecue sauce. It’s tasty enough on its own without any mock- meat gimmicks. So Radish also has a rotating “burger” of the month, so even if you visit often, you can expect fresh fl avor options. Best Vegan Restaurant Somebody People 1165 South Broadway 720-502-5681 60 somebodypeople.com You won’t fi nd the words “vegan” or even “plant-based” anywhere at Tricia and Sam Maher’s Mediterranean-style eatery (named for lyrics in a Davie Bowie song), which opened in 2019. Instead, you’ll fi nd what they call a “vegetable-forward dining experience,” with housemade pastas and small plates built without meat, dairy or eggs. In fact, there are no animal products in the building; even the barstools are up- holstered with a pineapple-based textile that emulates leather. A solid list of creative cocktails and biodynamic wines, along with a beachy decor, make Somebody People a welcome stop for continued on page 64 APRIL 7-13, 2022 WESTWORD | BACKBEAT | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | westword.com
