Restaurants are listed alphabetically.
AMERICAN
Interstate Kitchen + Bar
901 W. 10th Ave., 720-479-8829,
(Good/Very Good) Entrees $11-$16; sandwiches-salads $6-$9, snacks $4-$5. Part roadhouse, part supper club, Interstate’s progressive comfort food and Santa Fe Drive location make it a haven for Denver’s hipster scene. On the menu: Meatloaf, sloppy joes and craft cocktails. Last reviewed September 2010.
Jonesy’s EatBar
400 E. 20th Ave., 303-863-7473,
(Very Good) Plates: $12-18. This corner room in Denver’s burgeoning upper Uptown features dozens of craft beers, supported by substantial gastropub fare like gnocchi with torn lamb and “mac-and-cheese” fries. Jeans and T-shirts are de rigeur. Last reviewed December 2009.
Salt the Bistro
1047 Pearl St., Boulder. 303-444-7258
(Very Good/Great) Small plates $9-$15; entrees $12-$28. Bare brick walls and a pressed-tin ceiling house this storefront bistro, where elevated comfort food (pork-belly BLT, lamb-stuffed canneloni) feed a lively crowd. Bespoke cocktails (tell them what you like, they’ll concoct a drink just for you) flow vigorously. Last reviewed September 2010.
Uptown Brothers Brewing Co.
320 E. Colfax Ave., 303-839-8000,
(Very Good) Entrees $9-$15; sandwiches-salads $8-$12; sides $4-$9. Southern favorites (fried green tomatoes, pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, grits) ground this restaurant; a massive selection of beers, ales and ciders give it life. Colfax location ensures a busy room. Last reviewed September 2010.
EUROPEAN
Cracovia
8121 W. 94th Ave., Westminster, 303-484-9388,
(Very good) Most entrees around $13-$15, nothing over $20. Serving substantial Polish favorites — sausages, stews and potatoes — in a lively atmosphere. Come for the stuffed cabbage, stay for the polka (live music on Saturday nights). A Westminster gem, worth the drive. Last reviewed May 2010.
Village Cork
1300 S. Pearl St, Denver 303-282-8399,
(Great) Very small menu, changes frequently, most under $20. A wine bar at heart, with an excellently executed (and blessedly tiny) French- inflected menu. Neighborhoodies stroll over on weeknights for nibbles and sips; more strident foodies come for the excellent roasted chicken. Last reviewed May 2010.
Ya Ya’s
8310 E. Belleview Ave., Greenwood Village, 303- 741-1110;
(Very Good) Appetizers $5-$14; main plates $19-$32. The menu is a little more exotic (if Mediterranean qualifies) than most Tech Center bills, with more boundary-pushing dishes like a delicious artichoke and crab barigoule and risotto arancini. Jam-packed happy hour.
Last reviewed August 2010.
ASIAN
Jai Ho
3055 S. Parker Road, Aurora, 303-751-5151,
(Very Good) Starters $3.95-$6.95; entrees $8.95-$13.95. Dosas, curries and tandoori breads fuel this lively Aurora restaurant housed in an old Lone Star Steakhouse. Bring the family and spread out underneath television sets playing Bollywood movies. Last reviewed November 2010.
Japoix
975 Lincoln St., 303-861-2345,
(Very Good) $8-$45, with most entrees in the $10-$26 range. This happy mix of contemporary Japanese and classic French influences yields such quirky fare as tempura frog’s legs, sushi, and rich duck ramen. Creative cocktails, too. Last reviewed November 2010.
MEXICAN/SOUTHWESTERN
El Diablo
101 Broadway, 303-954-0324,
(Very Good) Starters $6-$7; entrees $9.95-$16.95. Impresario Jesse Morreale and chef Sean Yontz bring contemporary Mexican food inspired by Jalisco, Oaxaca and Yucatán to South Broadway. Tacos anchor the menu, which also features duck mole and a generous pecho de res, a slow-cooked brisket. Margaritas too.
Last reviewed December 2010.
Zocalo
12 E. 11th Ave., 720-382-1940
(Good/Very Good) Most entrees around $10. Usual suspects populate the menu at this simple Mexican kitchen: smothered burritos, eggs scrambled with chorizo, carnitas, combo plates, margaritas. Club kids love it; many favorite watering holes are in walking distance. Last reviewed August 2010.
Our star system:
: Exceptional
: Great
: Very good
: Good
