26 DECEMBER 8-14, 2022 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | dok noodles and occasional mohinga, a catfi sh noodle soup considered the national dish of Myanmar, are all made with love and care. Vinh Xuong Bakery 2370 West Alameda Avenue 303-922-0999 facebook.com/vinhxuongbakery Banh mi are big these days, but the Huynh family that founded Vinh Xuong Bakery served the sandwiches decades before son Duc Huynh opened his stylish and sunny cafe in 2011. He’s continued his family’s banh mi tradition of using baguettes baked in the shop every morning, then loading them with barbecued pork and chicken, pâté, meatballs and other housemade meats. Vinh Xuong is also a full Vietnamese bakery cafe, so you can grab coffee drinks to take out with your moon cakes, sesame balls and other delights. Vinnola’s Italian Market 7750 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge 303-421-3955 vinnolasitalianmarket.com This nearly fi fty-year-old spot has a crew of friendly staffers ready to greet you like a family member they just met. The small menu board lists a variety of options, but most people come for one thing: the Italian sausage sandwich. Don’t expect a huge, messy, red-sauce-soaked situation here. Instead, Vinnola’s serves a housemade, fl at Italian sausage patty on a super-soft yeasty roll baked on site. It comes topped with peppers and onions and a large side of red sauce for dipping or smothering, as well as a bag of Lay’s. Pair it with an Italian soda, and plan to spend some time post-meal checking out the selection of Italian goodies, from pasta to pizzelles. The Wolf’s Tailor 4058 Tejon Street 720-456-6705 thewolfstailor.com A zero-waste mission with an emphasis on grain drives this tasting-menu restaurant from Kelly Whitaker’s Id Est Hospitality group, which includes its own milling opera- tion, Dry Storage. In the fall and winter, the menu is spurred by a focus on fermentation and other preservation methods inspired by centuries-old techniques from around the world, while fresh, local produce is the highlight in the spring and summer. But no matter when you go, expect visually stun- ning dishes rooted in a larger purpose of strengthening local food systems. Woody’s Wings N Things 6817 Lowell Boulevard, Westminster 303-427-0302 This sparsely decorated strip-mall joint in Westminster (which is not affi liated with the Aurora or Arvada locations of Woody’s) sees a steady fl ow of diners who fi ll the booths and long tables. They fl ock here not for wings (though there are a couple of varieties avail- able), but for the binder full of dishes with their roots in the Indochina peninsula. Much of the Woody’s staff hails from Cambodia, the source of many of these dishes, but there are also items whose origins lie in Thailand, Vietnam, China and Laos. Zaidy’s Deli & Bakery 600 South Holly Street 303-333-5336 zaidysdeli.com Zaidy’s is a classic Jewish deli that was founded in 1985, but in 2020, its Cherry Creek location shuttered, leaving fans hun- gry for the memories. Thanks to a trio of new owners — Max Appel, his son Joel and Beth Ginsberg, owner of Trompeau Bakery — it was resurrected in August 2021 with the blessing of original owner Gerald Rudofsky. Its new Hilltop home is spacious, with cozy booths and a patio with extra seating out front; the menu has all the classics, from pastrami on rye and matzoh ball soup to black-and-white cookies. Miss one of your favorites? Check “Drink Here,” our list of the 100 metro Denver bars we can’t live without, at westword.com/ guide/best-denver-bars. Fried tacos are a must-order at Mexico City Lounge. DANIELLE LIRETTE Eat Here continued from page 24