Denver, Colorado - 5,280 is Hot, Hot, Hot!
On a recent visit back to the ever growing and hot, hot, hot city of Denver, we witnessed the burgeoning food and restaurant scene which has come with the population growth. Colorado as a whole continues to have an endless stream of new residents moving to the state and restaurants are helping to keep them well fed and libated.
One such neighborhood is the RiNo (River North), which is adjacent to downtown, but was a former warehouse district. It continues to grow and develop with a range of restaurants, bars, breweries, a winery (yes, really!) and so much more. The Denver Central Market is the Food Hall for this neighborhood with a variety of restaurants for diners enjoyment, a bakery, a chocolatier, local coffee shop and more. They are doing a wonderful job acting as the Living Room for the local community.
From the owners of the extremely popular Work & Class, is the just opened SuperMegaBien at The Ramble Hotel. Yes, that's really the name of this funky Latin Dim Sum concept that is vibrant, fun and a restaurant who just wants to welcome you to the dining experience. It's casual, but sophisticated while providing really great service with a welcoming feel - definitely worth going by!
There are also many Quick Serve restaurant concepts that have been developed in Denver over the recent few years, one of which is Modern Market. This restaurant just gets in it in the Quick-Serve niche, offering healthy and local food (when possible), supporting farmers and vendors, providing calorie counts and ingredients on their menus and receipts, while making tasty and flavorful food. We tip our hats to them as they continue to grow and develop.
Further South towards the suburbs of Denver, in the Centennial/Littleton area at the Denver Tech Center, there is a new development off of Holly and the I-25 that is bringing local restaurants from the city to the suburban diner. Included in that is Los Chingones by the TAG Restaurant Group (original location was in the RiNo) which is a Modern Mexican Cantina with graffiti on the walls, a great soundtrack and a wonderful selection of salsas.
And, we can't forget about the local area restaurant feel that has been brought to Denver International Airport over the last few years. One of our favorites is Root Down, which is all about local ingredients when possible, worldly and creative food, and a very well curated beverage program. If you have at least 30 minutes before flying out of the airport, make sure you stop by and enjoy at least a cocktail, glass of wine or a snack!
If you haven't been to Denver lately or have never ventured to the city at 5,280 - go now! It's on a tremendous high (pun intended) and well worth checking it out for a long weekend or adventure.