6 DECEMBER 12-18, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ropean tastes, but in the case of Chopstix, which opened in May, it’s simply an indica- tion that you’ll fi nd a smattering of Thai dishes on a menu that otherwise offers a deep taste of Hong Kong — a real rarity in Denver. The smart move is to hit the tiny restaurant on the weekend to chat with owner Wendy Tong about house special- ties like sizzling clay pots, tempting scal- lion pancakes and vivid greens in fl avorful sauces, plus off-menu surprises such as pillowy cubes of fried tofu. Tong also cre- ates beautiful baked goods, so save room for a slice of multi-layered crepe cake. Dan Da 9945 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora 720-476-7183 dandavn.com Dân Dã has deep roots in Denver’s Viet- namese restaurant scene: Chef-owner An Nguyen is the sister of Thoa Nguyen, who owns next-door sandwich shop and bakery Banh & Butter; their parents were the origi- nal owners of the late, lamented New Saigon restaurant. Now An, who shuttered her last restaurant, Savory Vietnam, in late 2023, is serving the greatest hits from that menu in a more intimate, modern dining room. Go with a group and dig into make-your-own spring roll towers, comforting clay pots, whole deep-fried fi sh and more. Farm & Market 2401 Larimer Street 303-927-6652 thefarmandmarket.com Vertical farm, restaurant and market combo Farm & Market opened its doors in RiNo in September 2023, when it started slinging soups and salads with produce grown on its 1,100 hydroponic towers. The effort, which is fully wind-powered, comprises a farm; a market stand where consumers can buy produce like orange thyme, Black Magic kale and Pomegranate Crunch romaine harvested the same day; and a restaurant with a menu packed with the freshest produce around. Gusto 1691 Raleigh Street 303-284-0932 cholonconcepts.com/locations/gusto Chef/restaurateur Lon Symensma is best known as the person behind one of the city’s most beloved dishes, ChoLon’s French onion soup dumplings. But in March 2024, he proved he still has plenty of culinary curiosity with the introduction of Gusto, his fi rst Italian eatery. This sleek spot near Sloan’s Lake has a smartly concise menu that’s heavy on pizza and pasta, but don’t skip the housemade focaccia and Caesar with candied lemon to start before going all in on the carbs. Jacques 3200 Tejon Street jacqueslohi.com In September 2023, Brasserie Brixton co- founder chef Nick Dalton and friends Wil- liam Steck and Simon Rochez debuted their take on a neighborhood French bistro in LoHi. The space is decked out with luxurious deep-green booths, marble-topped tables and plenty of gold accents. While it feels upscale enough for a special occasion, any reason is a good one to settle into a cozy booth for favor- ites like mussels, duck confi t, French onion soup, and maybe even a caviar bump or two. Kawa Ni 1900 West 32nd Avenue 303-455-2984 kawanidenver.com Inspired by Japanese izakayas, chef/res- taurateur Bill Taibe founded the original Kawa Ni in Westport, Connecticut, in 2014. Nearly a decade — and many dumplings, bao buns and inventive plates — later, he debuted the second Kawa Ni in LoHi after falling in love with the neighborhood, which has embraced it right back. The buzzy dining room is a high-energy place to dig into options such as the aptly named Ad- dictive Cabbage, red curry coconut onigiri and spicy lamb dan dan noodles. La Forêt 38 South Broadway 303-351-7938 laforetdenver.com La Forêt, which opened in March 2024 inside the former home of iconic Denver spot Beatrice & Woodsley, honors the previ- ous tenant in a way that’s part homage and part fresh start — and 100 percent gorgeous. Dining here is like entering a real-life en- chanted forest, complete with (yes, they’re real) aspen tree trunks. The alpine-inspired French fare is reason enough to visit, but the beverage program is a stunner, too, from pastis hour to the signature La Forêt complete with oolong mist — not surpris- ing, since the owners are also behind two top cocktail spots, Union Lodge No. 1 and the Tatarian. Little Arthur’s 205 East Seventh Avenue littlearthurs.com Denver diners fi rst got a taste of AJ Shref- fl er’s Philly-inspired eats via his popular hoagie pop-up, but since moving his opera- tion into a permanent home inside Out of the Barrel Taproom in August 2024, he’s proven that his culinary prowess goes far beyond sandwiches. Although the hoagies on housemade sesame-seeded rolls are still a menu staple (and a must-order), we’ve fallen hard for this spot’s fl op-free gigantic pizzas, piles of crispy fries, salads covered in mountains of cheese, and sweet endings like hefty slices of chocolate cake. Luchador Taco & More 2030 East 28th Avenue 303-954-0672 luchadortacoandmore.com Chef Zuri Resendiz is a Chopped champion who trained under chef Elise Wiggins at Panzano and Cattivella before a brief stint heading up the kitchen at a high-end steak- house. After realizing he wanted to focus on sharing the cuisine of Latin America, he struck out on his own, launching a food truck before debuting his fi rst brick-and- mortar place in August 2024. As the name implies, you’ll fi nd tacos alongside plenty more, including dishes inspired by his wife’s Peruvian heritage. MAKfam 39 West First Avenue makfam.co Chef Kenneth Wan grew up as a restau- rant kid — his parents are from Hong Kong and opened a Chinese American joint after immigrating to the U.S. He and his wife, Doris Yuen, started slinging Hong Kong- style French toast in NYC before moving to Colorado and opening Meta Asian Kitchen inside Avanti in 2019. In October 2023, they introduced the next iteration and their fi rst standalone brick-and-mortar, MAKfam, a fi ne-casual spot that’s become a fast favor- ite for Cantonese street food-inspired eats like deep-fried málà-spiced chicken wings and chicken-and-chive-fi lled Chinatown dumplings. Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings 3316 Tejon Street 720-769-4051 nanasdimsumanddumplings.com Denver’s currently on a hot dumpling streak, and Nana’s has stood out among the new op- tions since opening in the former longtime home of Old Major in LoHi in October 2023. It’s since added offshoots in Boulder and Aurora, but we love the bustling energy of the Tejon Street spot. You may have to wait for a taste of these dumplings, but it’s well worth it once you’re noshing on options like jumbo crab rangoons, Red Sea chile won- tons, hot and sour dumpling soup, decadent truffl e soup buns and bite-sized pan-fried thumblings. O Lien Kitchen 781 South Federal Boulevard 303-386-3254 This Vietnamese spot got its start inside the Viet Hoa supermarket before moving to a brick-and-mortar space in late 2023. While it has standards like pho and rice and noodle bowls, O Lien is also dishing specialties from Hue, including banh khoai, a fried crepe made of rice fl our that has a yellow hue from turmeric. It comes stuffed with pork, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts and veggies, and is an ideal starter before the main event: a large, piping-hot bowl of bun bo Hue. Samosa Shop at Honor Farm 1526 Blake Street samosashopco.com Chef Dave Hadley launched Samosa Shop in September 2020 and has been popping up at various farmers’ markets ever since, gaining a following for his modern spin on Indian classics, including creative samosas. In December 2023, he opened up inside downtown’s Honor Farm, and now, in ad- dition to samosas, he serves such dishes as the walking taco-style Magic Masala Pie; a Kerala fried chicken sandwich; and vindaloo chicken birria tacos. Wok Spicy 3021 South Broadway, Englewood 303-226-0145 wokspicy.com Before it closed in 2023, Twin Dragon was a staple for Chinese eats in Englewood for nearly fi fty years. The space sat empty for just over a year before another locally owned Chinese restaurant debuted — but this one specializing in Szechuan fare along- side American Chinese classics. Opt for the enormous cumin-lamb bao buns, crunchy lotus root dry wok and a delicious, mouth- numbing mapo tofu. Xiquita Restaurante y Bar 500 East 19th Avenue 720-287-2701 xiquita.co The highly anticipated Xiquita opened in August 2024, helmed by the team from Park Hill favorite Lucina. Its menu fea- tures familiar Mexican classics like cevi- che and carne asada, but the kitchen dives deeper with its focus on the nixtamal- ized corn used to make masa, one of the foundational ingredients of the country’s cuisine. Xiquita’s tetelas, tlacoyos, tortillas and tamales — along Eat Here continued from page 5 continued on page 8 Chef Johnny Curiel in the kitchen at Alma Fonda Fina. SHAWN CAMPBELL
