Metro Denver’s food scene has never been as vibrant as it is today, something The Denver Postap food writers understand. Thatap why we’re out on the town as much as possible. Each month, we’ll provide you with recommendations about a few of the dishes we’ve tried. Want to hear about them early? Subscribe to the Stuffed newsletter, where we introduce one each Wednesday.
Joy Hill
I stumbled upon Joy Hill, a pizza restaurant on South Broadway, intrigued by its lunch menu of 8-inch “pizzettes.” The specials ranged from $9 for a margherita pizza to $14 for one topped with prosciutto and gobs of burrata cheese, pictured above. It was a great size for one, and a substantial lunch. An employee there let me know about its happy-hour special, too, a 12-inch margarita pizza for $10.
1229 S. Broadway, Denver;
Mici Italian
Here’s another lunch deal: At Mici Italian, a Colorado-based pizza and pasta chain, the “Pick 2” option lets you combine two entrees from the menu. The options were delightful. My plate of marinara penne pasta, two slices of “Giardino” veggie pizza and garlic bread, which came to $14.40 without tip, was hot and filling. The marinara sauce in the pasta was fragrant. The cheese stretched as I bit into the pizza, and the crust was crisp and delicious on its own.
Multiple locations across Front Range;
Chook
The Chook on South Pearl Street looks discreet from the outside — a flat, black entry — though its interior is warm and open-air, and the rotisserie that spins in the back of the room makes the place smell heavenly. The Chook for You ($12.99) is an easy choice for a single person and includes your choice of white or dark meat, side and dipping sauce. I opted for the dark meat, macaroni and cheese and Big A’s BBQ Sauce, carving the chicken and marinated skin off the bone with a flat-bladed knife and dipping it straight into the tangy sauce. It’s an engaging eating experience.
1300 S. Pearl St., Denver;
Hong Kong Station 3
The Denver Post’s Beth Rankin has already written about Hong Kong Station 3, which opened along East Colfax late last year, praising it as an ideal place for Cantonese, Szechuan and American-Chinese takeout. I’ll let you in on another deal available there and at the other locations in Centennial and southeast Denver’s Hampden neighborhood. The lunch special, which runs from 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., consists of a prepared beef, chicken, shrimp or vegetable entree with fried or steamed rice, a fried egg roll and wonton. The options listed online run between $12 and $13. It’s a lot of food, even if it’s nothing fancy, and still a foot in the door to the rest of the massive laminated menu.
2205 E. Colfax Ave., Denver;
