14 DECEMBER 8-14, 2022 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | and barred door, but you’ll fi nd warm hos- pitality inside Blazing Chicken, along with a menu full of homestyle Southern classics. From the fried chicken to the gumbo to sides like mac and cheese and collard greens stud- ded with shredded ham hock and bolstered with cabbage, this is comfort food done right. Blue Pan Pizza 3934 West 32nd Avenue, 720-456-7666 3509 East 12th Avenue, 720-519-0944 bluepandenver.com Denver embraced Detroit-style pizza when Blue Pan Pizza debuted in 2015 in West Highland. Chef Jeff “Smoke” Smokevitch and partner Giles Flanagin now run two Blue Pan locations, serving rectangular pies built on an airy, crackly crust with Wisconsin brick cheese and a thick, tangy sauce. And while the pizza competition — Detroit-style and otherwise — continues to grow in the Mile High, Blue Pan remains a slice above the rest. Bodega 2651 West 38th Avenue bodega-denver.com Chef/owner Cliff Blauvelt (who grew up on the Northside) opened this neighbor- hood sandwich shop with a focus on fun in August 2022. Swing by early for the basic breakfast sandwich loaded with bacon, eggs and cheese plus crispy tater tots on a squishy kaiser roll, or opt for daytime items that have become fast favorites, such as the Double Bodega Burger and the fried chicken sand- wich that packs a spicy chile crunch punch. Bourbon Grill 571 East Colfax Avenue 303-355-3821 bourbongrilltogo.com Colfax Avenue is the ideal place for a budget lunch counter that’s as adept at turning out char-grilled chicken and mac and cheese as it is egg rolls and barbecue sandwiches. A native of Vietnam, founder and chef Lien Vo has lived and cooked in New Orleans, Los Angeles and elsewhere — and it shows on the eclectic menu where the signature bourbon chicken, sweet with soy and smoke, is the star. In 2017, Bourbon Grill graduated from its original walk-up window to a larger spot complete with a dining room, where Vo continues to dish up big portions at low prices for Colfax denizens looking for good value and good food. Brasserie Brixton 3701 Williams Street 720-617-7911 brasseriebrixton.com “Relaxed,” “fun” and “unpretentious” are not words typically associated with French fare, but they defi nitely describe Brasserie Brixton. Housed in a building that’s over 130 years old and used to be a neighborhood market, the eatery is decidedly unstuffy and boasts an impressive wine list as well as a strong selection of cocktails, beer, cider and sake. Stop in for a bowl of French onion soup, or eat your way through a selection of dishes that change with the seasons and offer play- ful touches, all at the kind of spot we wish every neighborhood had. Cantina Loca 2890 Zuni Street 303-284-6738 cantinaloca.com The fi rst solo project from chef Dana Rodri- guez (the eponymous “Loca” and co-owner of Work & Class and Super Mega Bien) shines a spotlight on her Mexican heritage. The menu includes tacos, of course, along with plenty of other options, from fajitas to honey chipotle pork ribs. While you’re scarfi ng Mexico City-inspired snacks and street food, sip brightly fl avored and col- ored cocktails, or opt for copitas of tequila or mezcal from Rodriguez’s own brand, Doña Loca. Carm & Gia Metropolitan 9598 East Montview Boulevard, Aurora 303-747-4008 carmandgiametropolitan.com This mid-mod joint opened in February 2020 in a refurbished beauty parlor, where it offers an expansive menu that includes juicy burgers, hot dogs, breakfast burritos and much more. The eatery pays homage to the things that owner Razz Cortes-Maceda cherishes, including Chicago, her home- town, and Denver, her adopted hometown for over 25 years. Its fi rst two years were fraught, though, as it weathered the height of the COVID pandemic only to fall victim to a fi re in June 2021 that resulted in a seven- month closure. Carm & Gia reopened in March 2022 with the same high-quality food and friendly service we fell for at fi rst bite. Carmine Lonardo’s 7585 West Florida Avenue, Lakewood 303-985-3555 carminelonardosmeatmarket.com This cozy, family-owned Italian market and deli has been around since 1976, and it’s way more than a sandwich shop. The shelves are lined with imported pasta of all shapes and sizes, olive oil, canned goods, frozen foods like housemade sausages, and so much more. Still, the sandwiches — huge, messy masterpieces loaded onto freshly baked rolls, which you can custom-order with that Italian sausage and a variety of other meats in hot and cold varieties — are unbeatable, and reason enough to visit. Carrera’s Tacos 7939 East Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village 720-689-8035 carrerastacos.com Brothers Joshua and Ryan Carrera started Carrera’s Tacos as a catering business in 2019, and soon added a food truck. Their brick- and-mortar location debuted in April 2022 and specializes in California-style Mexican eats, including French fry-fi lled California burritos, fully loaded street fries, and queso tacos with extra-crispy griddled Oaxaca cheese. Cart-Driver 2500 Larimer Street, 303-292-3553 2239 West 30th Avenue, 720-501-2264 cart-driver.com The 2014 opening of Cart-Driver ushered in a wave of Neapolitan pizza in Denver. These perfectly charred wood-fired pies shine whether you opt for a simple margherita (called the Daisy here) or a seasonal cre- ation. A meal in the tiny, original shipping- container location in RiNo is an intimate yet lively experience, while the newer outpost in LoHi is a little more spacious and low-key. At either location, Cart-Driver’s selection of oysters and tinned fi sh are a great way to start any pizza party. Cattivella 10195 East 29th Drive 303-645-3779 cattivelladenver.com Chef Elise Wiggins opened her dream res- taurant, Cattivella (“naughty girl” in Italian), on the eastern edge of Denver in 2017, creat- ing a place that refl ects her many experiences traveling, working and eating in Italy. The wood-fi red pizza oven is used for far more than pizzas, and an adjustable charcoal grill gives meats (many of them brought in whole and butchered on site) and vegetables a rus- tic, old-world depth of fl avor. Housemade breads and pastas separate Cattivella from the standard bistro or trattoria, too, making for a sensuous experience — whether you’re naughty or nice. The Cherry Cricket 2641 East Second Avenue 303-322-7666 cherrycricket.com Over nearly eight decades, the Cherry Cricket has morphed from smoky bar into burger institution, even as Cherry Creek has gentrifi ed around it. The Cricket is be- loved by chefs, musicians, Creekers, night creatures and neighbors for its smoky, char-grilled patties and the lengthy list of toppings with which you can personalize them, from sauerkraut and salsa to rasp- berry jam and peanut butter. (We prefer standards such as green chiles and cheese.) This is also a great place to grab wings, hefty sandwiches, enchiladas and some of the best green chile in town; you’ll fi nd the same food (but not quite the same old-school atmosphere) at a second location in the Ballpark neighborhood. Columbine Steak House & Lounge 300 Federal Boulevard 303-936-9110 columbinesteakhouseandlounge.com At night, the low-slung roof and garish yellow sign of the Columbine Steak House beckon like an Edward Hopper painting. Through the window, passersby on Federal Boulevard can witness a throng of waiting diners, queued up to order a simple and cheap steak, kissed by fi re, leaking fat and blood and fl ecked with a touch of salt and pepper. Columbine has been serving steaks for more than a half-century, and what you’ll get on your plate is exactly what your parents and grandparents would have got- ten here. Bring cash and leave the coat and tie at home. Comal Heritage Food Incubator 3455 Ringsby Court 720-500-3455 comaldenver.com Comal is a restaurant on a quest: The RiNo lunch spot opened in late 2016 with the goal of training low-income women (many from Mexico, El Salvador, Syria, Ethiopia and Iraq) in restaurant and business skills; some of its graduates have moved on to open their own food endeavors. Stopping here for a meal, which varies from Mexican to Syrian to other regional specialties depending on the day, is the best thing you can do to lift your spirits — and fi ll your belly. Coperta 400 East 20th Avenue 720-749-4666 copertadenver.com Coperta, an Italian eatery from brother-and- sister team Paul and Aileen Reilly, offers knock- out dishes culled from little-known regions and towns in Italy, an enticing bar program built on Italian spirits, and warm hospitality. Begin with spuzzulia, a smattering of small plates that change with the seasons, end with a scoop of olive oil gelato, and relax knowing that you can’t go wrong no matter what you order in between. El Taco de Mexico has been open since 1985. BRANDON JOHNSON (@BJOHNSONXAR) Eat Here continued from page 12 continued on page 16