13 DECEMBER 12-18, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | bacon, egg and cheese on a Kaiser roll, the list of rotating sandwiches that are always hits, and one of the best burgers in town. Coming soon from Blauvelt and his team: a second Odie B’s in RiNo and an evening pasta joint next store to the original dubbed Boombots. Sonny’s Mediterranean 2622 West 32nd Avenue 720-479-8813 sonnysmed.com Former Safta chef David Schloss opened Sonny’s in 2023 after what seemed like an interminable wait (but was actually two years after he signed the lease for the for- mer music store). With a simple menu built around three main categories — giant pita sandwiches heaped with toppings, salads and mains centered on falafel, mezze and whole roasted chicken — it’s a fast-casual winner with bold fl avors in the Highland neighborhood. Spice Room 3100 East Colfax Avenue 303-558-0992 denverspiceroom.com Owner Kal Pent opened the original outpost of Spice Room in a strip mall in the High- land neighborhood in 2017. Since then, it’s expanded twice, adding a location in the for- mer Steuben’s in Arvada and another in the former Annie’s Cafe in the Bluebird district, which is three times larger than the OG spot. We’re partial to the East Colfax joint because there’s plenty of room to cater to the many fans who have followed the intoxicating scent of Indian spices that now waft down the block, but all three offer a wide variety of both familiar and less common dishes alongside plenty of fun lunch and happy hour specials. Split Lip 3560 Chestnut Place splitlipeatplace.com After getting its start during the pandemic as a patio pop-up and gaining fans who craved its Mississippi slug burger with “too many pickles,” Split Lip moved into RiNo’s Number Thirty Eight in 2021. The team, made up of longtime fine-dining pros, serves a menu fi lled with fun takes on comfort food and hyper-regional culinary creations, from the bison chopped cheese to the shawarma cart-inspired salad and the North Shore Beef. Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery 3536 West 44th Avenue 720-524-8282 tocabe.com Matt Chandra and Ben Jacobs are behind Denver’s only American Indian-owned and -operated restaurant. They were in- spired to open the fast-casual restaurant by Grayhorse: An American Indian Eatery, which was established in 1989 by the Jacobs family. Tocabe made its debut in 2008 and since then has continued to serve an af- fordable menu of salads, fry bread tacos, bison ribs and more, all while supporting the Native and Indigenous producers that supply the restaurant and sell products directly to the public through Tocabe’s online marketplace. Vinh Xuong Bakery 2370 West Alameda Avenue 303-922-0999 instagram.com/vinhxuongbakery There are a lot of options for banh mi in the metro area 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 cof- fee drinks to take out with your moon cakes, sesame balls and other delights. NEIGHBORHOOD FAVORITES The everyday go-to’s for a satisfying meal. Abejas 807 13th Street, Golden 303-952-9745 abejasgolden.com Since Abejas opened in downtown Golden in 2015, the intimate eatery has become a standout for fi ne dining in the western suburbs. The name is Spanish for “bees,” after founders Brandon Bortles and Barry Dobesh, who were called “the Bs” by their friends — and it’s still buzz-worthy, thanks to its eclectic, seasonal roster of clever yet grounded dishes incorporating global infl u- ences and bolstered by playful cocktails and a succinct but smart list of wines by the glass. Ace Eat Serve 501 East 17th Avenue 303-800-7705 aceeatserve.com Ace owners Josh and Jen Wolkon, who also run Steuben’s, had a fast hit on their hands when they opened their ping-pong hall and pan-Asian eatery in 2012. The menu at Ace Eat Serve has just gotten better over the years, and in 2024, it continued its evolution under new executive chef Khamla Vongsa- koun. While he kept some staples, like the crispy beef and broccoli, Peking duck carved tableside and the spot’s popular wings, he’s also leaned more into snackable, shareable dim sum-style fare such as pork hot and sour xiao long bao and Sichuan lamb dumplings. African Grill and Bar 955 South Kipling Parkway, Lakewood 303-985-4497 africangrilllakewood.com The menu isn’t limited to a specifi c African region at this restaurant owned and run by Sylvester Osei-Fordwuo and his wife, Theodora. Instead, it offers a variety of foods from across the continent. If dishes like fufu, South African pap and chakalaka sound unfamiliar, don’t worry: The knowledgeable staff is happy to help guide you, delivering plenty of warm hospitality along the way. Benzina 4839 East Colfax Avenue 303-399-2352 benzinadenver.com Brad Anderson has made quite an impact on the Denver dining scene over the past few decades, running the Rocky Mountain Diner, Rick’s Cafe, Chopper’s Sports Grill, the Castle Cafe and the Next Door Bar with partners Tom Walls and Jerry Good. A project three years in the making fi nally came to fruition in 2021 when he opened the Italian restaurant Benzina in a former Phillips 66 gas station on East Colfax. Since then, it’s become a neighborhood go-to for wood-fi red Neapolitan pizzas, thoughtful small plates and spritzes, and games of bocce ball and live music on the patio. The Bindery 1817 Central Street 303-993-2364 thebinderydenver.com Linda Hampsten Fox opened her LoHi eatery — part market, part all-day dining destination — in 2017. Seven years later, the menu continues to show off her passion for highlighting seasonal ingredients in unexpected ways as she composes dishes inspired by memories from her childhood, her travels and a thirty-year-plus career in restaurants. Cart-Driver 2500 Larimer Street 303-292-3553 cart-driver.com For a decade, the original Cart-Driver in RiNo has been a destination for perfectly bubbly, charred, wood-fi red Neapolitan pizza that remains some of the best in town. Oysters and tinned fi sh are also served from the small space made from a shipping container. While its larger LoHi outpost has been closed for repairs since December 2023, its reopening is imminent, and we can’t wait to welcome it back. Coperta 400 East 20th Avenue 720-749-4666 copertadenver.com In 2016, Paul and Aileen Reilly, the brother-and-sister duo behind the be- loved, now-closed Beast + Bottle, opened this cozy restaurant that pays homage to the food of Southern Italy. Under chef de cuisine Kenny Minton, it continues to offer some of the fi nest pasta in town, as well as dreamy, house-baked focaccia and longtime customer go-to’s like pollo alla diavola, a spicy dish that’s best followed by a scoop of olive oil gelato. Another new go-to: Coperta’s ongoing Little Italy Night series, complete with red checkered table cloths, chianti and Italian American favorites. Duo Restaurant 2413 West 32nd Avenue 303-477-4141 duorestaurants.com A lot of buzzy new places have opened in LoHi in recent years, but Duo, one of the city’s pioneering farm-to-table restaurants, has been holding down its corner of the neighborhood for nearly two decades. In 2023, longtime owners Keith Arnold and Stephanie Bonin passed the reins to long- time chef Tyler Skrivanek, who is excited to guide Duo into the next era — not with any sweeping changes, but by staying true to its culinary roots while taking smart steps to keep things fresh. Fish N Beer 3510 Larimer Street 303-248-3497 fi shnbeerdenver.com Over a decade ago, Kevin Morrison launched a food truck that became Tacos, Tequila, Whiskey (aka Pinche Tacos). In 2016, he added a new concept in a small, lively space in RiNo, where oysters are cooked over an open fi re and other wood- fired and crowd-pleasing entrees like beer-battered cod and fries are cooked in the open kitchen. Whether you’re munch- ing on ceviche and PEI mussels at the counter or going big with a whole Alamosa striped bass, you’ll never leave this spot feeling salty. continued on page 14 Tom kha soup dumplings from Ace’s new menu. MOLLY MARTIN
