Food and Drink continued from page 76 Best Old-School Steakhouse Bastien’s 3503 East Colfax Avenue 303-322-0363 bastiensrestaurant.com With its iconic sign, sunken bar and mid- century aesthetic, Bastien’s is a holdover from times past — and we wouldn’t have it any other way. The family-run business dates back to the 1930s, but the current incarnation was constructed in 1958. That sign touts its famed sugar steak, but there are twelve preparations to choose from. And whether or not you splurge on a full steak dinner, nothing beats sipping Colfax dirty martinis delivered by friendly servers who’ve been working at this classic for years. Best Low-End Steakhouse Columbine Steak House & Lounge 300 Federal Boulevard 303-936-9110 columbinesteakhouseandlounge.com When Columbine Steak House won Best Steak House — Low End in the very fi rst edition of Best of Denver in 1984, the joint was already 23 years old. And after 61 years in business, not much has changed, thank- fully. The dining room is packed at lunch and dinner with people noshing on steaks cooked to order and served up with a side salad, a slice of Texas toast and a buttered baked potato — which you can get for under $20 if you opt for the sirloin or New York strip. Nothing on the menu is over $30, but don’t forget to bring cash: Credit cards are no good here (though there is an ATM on site). Best Ice Cream/Gelato Shop Right Cream 3047 Larimer Street rightcream.com A pandemic success story, Right Cream got its start when David Right began making and delivering ice cream via Instagram with his business partner, Josh Siegel. The idea quickly gained popularity thanks to Right’s creative flavors and commitment to qual- ity — he makes his own ice cream base and loads up his pints with mix-ins, all of which he makes from scratch. An ever-rotating array of fl avors with fun names like Jason Mochamoa (coffee-steeped ice cream with coconut fudge gooey buttercake “chonks” and caramel swirls) and Clark W. Griswold (cream cheese vanilla bean ice cream with Ritz cracker toffee, strawberry jalapeño jam and candied pecans) keeps customers guess- ing as to what’s coming next. 78 Best Value Ice Cream Shop Magill’s World of Ice Cream 8016 West Jewell Avenue, Lakewood 303-986-9968 magillsicecream.com Ice cream can be so overpriced these days; what was once an affordable post-soccer game treat for kids has become the culi- nary equivalent of cold gold. But Magill’s is the exception. With a nostalgic vibe from decades ago, Magill’s offers a heck of a lot of ice cream that won’t require that you break the bank or fork over lots of cold, hard cash. For added fun, go on a summer day and enjoy your ice cream outside on the benches, licking up the Magill’s experience. Best Interactive Menu The Inventing Room 4433 West 29th Avenue 303-960-6656 tirdenver.com (by reservation only) There’s ordering from a menu, and then there’s interacting with the menu — which is what Ian Kleinman’s dessert bar is all about. Inspired by the 1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory fi lm, the chef has incorporated a slew of science tricks to make ice cream freeze right before your eyes, candy dry out and become light as air, and liquid chocolate transform into edible modern art. All of this happens by using liquid nitrogen, compression and freeze-drying technology and applying the techniques to sugar. Here, a sweet is never just something you pick from a menu; rather, it’s a full experience for the senses. Currently the shop is open by reservation only, and dates and times for the Inventing Room’s “Sugar Sci- ence” demonstrations can be found online. Best Hotel Restaurant Apple Blossom 822 18th Street 303-301-8999 appleblossomdenver.com A great hotel restaurant not only serves guests of the venue, but it becomes a destination for lo- cal and visiting diners, as well. Such is the case with chef Paul C. Reilly’s latest venture, Apple Blossom, which he runs with his sister, Aileen Reilly, and her wine-expert husband, J.P. Taylor Jr., in the Hyatt Centric Down- town Denver. The restaurant is a culmination of chef de cuisine Russ Fox’s work at the team’s other spot, Coperta, as well as the recently shuttered Beast + Bottle. The food on the Apple Blossom menu is approachable but with an elevated twist, which is refl ected in dishes such as the chicken-fried duck livers and handmade pasta laced with uni. Best Bowling Alley Eats Holiday Lanes 10350 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood 303-238-0407 holidaylanesco.com When you’re bowling, sometimes French fries and a slice of frozen pizza will have to do. But at Holiday Lanes, a Lakewood bowling alley and billiard room since the ’50s, the in-house Elbow Room offers not only the usual suspects, such as mozzarella sticks and onion rings, but also calzones, patty melts, country skillets and even weekend breakfast. Our favorite part of the lineup, however, is the Tex-Mex lineup. Crispy chiles rellenos, hearty green chile Best Green Chile El Taco de Mexico 714 Santa Fe Drive 303-623-3926 el-taco-de-mexico.business.site El Taco de Mexico is a beloved institution that has been serving Mexican eats in Den- ver for 36 years, a fact that was honored in 2020 when it won a James Beard Founda- tion America’s Classics Award. Much of that success can be attributed to its green chile, which stands out in a city saturated with the stuff. Fans fl ock here from break- fast through dinner for burritos, huevos rancheros and chilaquiles all smothered in the deeply fl avored, dark-greenish-brown- and chimichangas the size of Paul Bunyan’s forearm are popular enough to bring in hungry visitors who have no intention of hitting pins. With a menu this deep, there’s no way you can strike out. Best Tex-Mex Chili Sam’s No. 3 Multiple locations samsno3.com While green chile may rule in Denver, the Tex-Mex chili reigns supreme at Sam’s #3, a local chain of diners with a pages-long menu of Greek, American and Mexican staples. The origins of Sam’s date back almost a century, and while the original closed over fi fty years ago, the Armatas family opened another downtown eatery on the same block in 2003, with additional outposts in Aurora and Glendale. All of them serve the Tex-Mex chili, a combo of Sam’s pork green chile and its red, Coney- style chili, ladled in a cup or bowl over pinto beans, topped with cheese and diced onions, and served with a large, warm fl our tortilla. Though green chile purists may bemoan this move, one bite and you’ll un- derstand the crossover appeal. hued chile verde. A carnitas burrito blan- keted in it is a must, but you should also get a large side order on its own, served up in a Styrofoam cup with or without pork, to stash away for a fi x long after your burrito has been devoured. Best Chile Relleno La Fiesta 2340 Champa Street 303-292-2800 orderlafi esta.com While the traditional chile relleno is soft, decades ago Denver came up with a unique variation: the egg roll-style relleno. And you’ll fi nd the city’s best example of that version at La Fiesta, which has per- fected it during the sixty years that the Herrera family has run this spot in an old Safeway in Curtis Park. The relleno starts out with an Anaheim pepper stuffed with cheese — not Velveeta, we’ve been assured — and is then wrapped in a wonton wrap- per, dried until the exterior is crisp and the interior molten, and fi nally smothered with a sense-searing green chile. It’s deli- cious — and unique to this city, according to Gustavo Arellano, author of Taco USA. “In my travels across the U.S., the only place I’ve found them is in Denver,” he says. “Next to the Mexican hamburger, Den- Mex at its fi nest.” Of course, La Fiesta has a pretty good Mexi- can hamburger, too. Be aware that hours here are limited to weekday lunches, Fridays until 9 p.m., and Saturday evenings, when the restaurant resurrects its old supper/salsa club feel. Best Tamales Pochitos Tortilla Factory 4421 Tejon Street 303-433-2358 pochitos-tortilla-factory. business.site For 25 years, Pochitos has been a staple in Sunnyside. Not only does it make tortillas that are served in dozens of Denver eat- eries, but it’s a destination for tamales. At Christmas, there’s often a line out the door with people queueing up for this specialty, but you don’t have to wait for the holidays to enjoy them. In fact, the smart move is to buy them by the dozen and keep them frozen for a quick and fl avorful snack or meal anytime. Best Carnitas El Tepehuan 3495 South Broadway, Englewood 303-781-0243 eltepdenver.com Known to regulars simply as El Tep, this En- glewood staple has been serving the neigh- borhood since 1978. In 2015, the original location closed, with plans to reopen a few blocks farther south. Cravings grew nearly out of control as nearly two years passed be- fore El Tep fi nally debuted in its new home, in a large space with colorful walls and tables, wooden chairs that bear the restaurant’s name and piñatas continued on page 80 APRIL 7-13, 2022 WESTWORD | BACKBEAT | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | westword.com GETTY IMAGES
