Exploring is always fun, but there’s always something new and different to try when you go back somewhere as an older and [hopefully] wiser person. I definitely saw a different side of Denver during this trip than I did when I used to visit my grandparents as a kid.
Eats!
The first thing we did after dropping off our bags was head to Snooze. After people repeatedly recommended this place, I decided it was worth a shot and I’m so glad I did. It was so delicious. We got a pancake flight to start [duh] and then I had a breakfast burrito with green chiles, of course. There are multiple locations so there’s no excuse to miss out on this yummy spot.
Los Chingones [RiNo] is a great spot for lunch or dinner especially if it’s warm enough to enjoy the rooftop patio. They have great drinks and even better food. Must try: Badass Fundido with charred seasonal vegetables [cheesy goodness], but you can also try it with rattlesnake chorizo if you’re feeling adventurous. You can’t go wrong from there so enjoy the food and the atmosphere here, I certainly did.
Denver Central Market is another hit. I have an affinity for food halls and this one definitely made me happy. This new Market is a great place to grab a bite [or two] because there are so many options. I went with an amazingly fresh pizza, but there’s seafood, charcuterie, ice cream, baked good, the list goes on. There’s a killer bar and a very hip feel to this old warehouse that I’m sure would appeal to every personality and craving.
Being from the South, I wasn’t sure how Denver Biscuit Company would compare to my [obvious] thoughts on how biscuits should taste. I was pleasantly surprised because their biscuit sandwiches are no joke. I’ve never had to ask the waitress how she recommended I dive into my food before, but I definitely did here because the sandwich was so massively tall. I got cornmeal PBR fried catfish on a biscuit and it was probably one of the best breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever had. If catfish isn’t your thing, you can try fried chicken or almost anything else you can think of. So worth the wait.
Alright, here’s a two-for-one tip, if you like ice cream and rooftop happy hours… check out Linger and Little Man Ice Cream. They’re so close that you can see one while at the other. My advice is to grab an ice cream before or after you go to Linger because who says you can’t eat ice cream whenever you want? Happy hour is from 4-6:30pm M-F and has $5.00 everything [make sure you go to the roof]. Linger used to be home to a mortuary, which was transformed into an awesome eatery. I’m not kidding. The happy hour food is seriously mouthwatering and the ice cream downstairs is drool-worthy.
Brunch before you leave town? Jelly is a quirky breakfast joint with great food. This hipster spot is home to the best salmon eggs benedict I’ve ever had. It’s also home to some old school breakfast foods as decor. There are various types of old cereal boxes and other things that you can’t find now used to decorate this funky space. You can also grab some mini filled donuts for the road, which make for the perfect snack.
Drinks!
What do you do when you visit a city that’s known for its breweries? Drink beer. There are breweries and brewpubs all over this city, I’m not joking. We stopped at a few that I knew about before and then hit some more that were recommended by people we met in the others. There were even some places we didn’t have time to check out that were recommended to us so you basically can’t go wrong drinking here. Of course, we balanced all of the drinking with eating and strolling.
[Click on the image to see where each was taken]
Sees!
Not only is there plenty to do and see in Denver, but there’s so much to check out that’s a short drive away. We rented a car one morning and slowly made our way to Boulder. The first stop was Red Rocks Amphitheater [must see]. Then we drove through Golden before deciding to hike North Table Mountain, which has a great view of Denver in the distance. After this, we stopped again at Dry Creek Trail before making our way to Celestial Seasonings. If you like tea then this is a great place to stop because there’s a free one-hour tour of the factory and plenty of free tea to taste. In Boulder, we grabbed lunch at Mountain Sun, which a friend recommended we try. There’s a lot to see and do in and around Boulder so you won’t be disappointed no matter what you do.
*We stayed in the RiNo neighborhood, which was walking distance to all of the places I listed. However, we did take Uber/Lyft somewhat to help our tired feet
