I’ll fight you to the death on this one: Colorado’s dining scene is hotter than a habanero. 

A land-locked state within spitting distance of the culinary vacuum that is the Midwest (sorry, Chicago) might not spring to mind for its food scene. But nods from the Michelin guide prove the Mile High City and wider Colorado have a story to tell, minted in September 2023.

I hopped in the Subaru and sampled a smattering of them, from Denver’s farm-to-table outposts, to whimsical epicurean adventures in Aspen, via stylish Italian brunches in Boulder.

Denver

Glo Noodle House

4450 W 38th Ave, Denver, CO 80212

As a tourist, you’ve got to hit Denver Biscuit Company for brunch, once. But if your hangover calls for low lighting, sharp cocktails and turning the volume all the way up, book this joint.

It’s a playful sort of place, filled with bearded thirty-something udon lovers wearing T-shirts emblazoned with droll captions like “Send noods” — but don’t roll your eyes. Neon signage, check, dark corners, check, “immaculate vibes”… well, yeah, actually. Check. These “noods” were exquisite, and gladly received.

We went for kimchi Shoyu ramen, a silky pork and kimchi broth flavored with dashi, shoyu, confit bacon, ground pork, an onsen egg, green onion, bean sprouts, black garlic oil and crispy shallots. A side of bok choy delivered a vitamin hit, with toasted sesame vinaigrette and almond chili crunch. Hokkaido scallops with green onion and curried squash butter were fantastic. 

And the headache? Gone in minutes. Could have been the spices. Could have been the saké. Doesn’t matter, everything was excellent.

Order this: Cucumber tempura with yuzu aioli, and spicy tuna crispy rice cake — not dishes you see every day.

Read the menu: Glonoodlehouse.com

Bring along: Someone you don’t feel awkward unironically drinking cocktails out of juice cartons with (that trend is still lost on me). Preferably not a stranger from Tinder, whose preferred — and only — topic of conversation is aliens. 

Smok

3330 Brighton Blvd #202, Denver, CO 80216

There is something unsexy about the Source hotel’s echoing building, which Smok sits within, alongside a handful of RiNo’s best vendors (shout out to Reunion Bread Co). But look past it, because this barbecue is good. Like, really good. Denver’s barbecue scene is growing and Smok is at the forefront.

Chef Bill Espiricueta hails from Austin, preferring a first come, first serve counter service taking no reservations — so you’ve no need to dress up. Throw on a paper napkin and dig into brisket, ribs, chicken, sausage, wings and pork butt; gargantuan trays are piled high by enthusiastic staff while sports plays on big screens and draft beers are poured.

We couldn’t resist ordering the devilled eggs with elote spice and pickled jalapenos, though regretted the extra protein when expertly smoked pounds of meat started sailing to our table. Smoked jalapeño cheddar sausage is sold by the link — fantastic if that’s your thing. Smoked brisket was up there with the best I’ve had, not too fatty and full of flavor.

Order this: The Fried Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich has developed somewhat of a cult following, and it’s pretty much perfect.

Read the menu: Denversmok.com

Bring along: Very little. You’ll need both hands for a very large doggy bag.

Olivia

290 S Downing St, Denver, CO 80209

Handmade pasta. Just… never not a good idea. Everything about cozy Olivia feels modern yet homespun, in all the best ways. Expect quietly sumptuous ingredients, deft service, short menus and knowledgeable staff who know when to leave you be, and when to appear out of thin air with a very good bottle of natural wine.

Standout entrées included a juicy eggplant parmesan, with spaghetti squash, sauce pomodoro, mozzarella and giardiniera (at $29, it was a juicy price tag, too). I’m still thinking about the ravioli — my favorite melded caramelized onion, gruyère fondue and crispy parmesan, but the Gemelli, with Umbrian sausage, is not forgotten.

Dancing after dinner? Pick up the Negroni menu. The “Negroni On Holiday” revived us after a long day (and much pasta), a jaunty mix of rum, Noilly Prat (French Vermouth), coconut and banana. House cocktails are just as fun, the Tiramisu Old Fashioned making a perfect dessert, muddling single barrel bourbon, amaretto, vanilla, coffee and cocoa bitters.

Order this: Garganelli, with duck confit, sundried tomato and romanesco. Bold and delicious.

Read the menu: Oliviadenver.com

Bring along: A friend who loves to share, so you can taste as many dishes as possible.

Potager

1109 N Ogden St, Denver, CO 80218

I travel the world looking for neighborhood restaurants like Capitol Hill’s Potager, taken over by Paul and Eileen Warthen in 2019. A short, very seasonal menu of small plates, large plates and life-changing desserts depends on what’s in season, what local farmers bring over and how brilliant the chef is feeling that day (very brilliant, as it turns out). Think dim lighting, and walls decorated with wine bottles colored burnt orange after 100 days of skin contact on terracotta in Greece. My kind of place. In many dishes, vegetables are the star of the show.

 “I did not know parsnips could be so exciting; that was fucking thrilling,” came my comrade’s review.

Our server nodded. “We say here, ‘Respect the veg.’”

Specials might include braised lamb leg with confit carrot, bluefin tuna crudo with fried onion macha, or corned beef, served with gnocchi parisienne and charred cauliflower. 

Order this: Start with the flatbread. Expect inventive sauces to mop up, like herb ricotta, mushroom, olive, butternut ribbon and apple balsamic. Next you might try a wood oven beet with roasted pine nut butter, orange and pickled shallot, or a larger portion of herb-roasted chicken with black garlic aioli.

Read the menu: Potagerrestaurant.com

Bring along: Your reading glasses — weekly dishes are scrawled on a chalkboard up high, and you’re going to want to study it.

Boulder

Blackbelly Market & Restaurant

4324 W 41st Ave, Denver, CO 80212

A butcher, a baker, a Michelin-nod maker. Butchering in-house following a whole animal butchery program, this meat-focused outfit is run by Chef Hosea Rosenberg with scientific precision. 

Braised pork belly was served with apple, chicory, kohlrabi and a kick of Caribbean fish eye chili — excellent. Happy hour includes food here; from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., enjoy a beer and a shot for $9, wines at $8 a glass and cocktails including a French 77 or an Old Fashioned for a tidy $10. Charsiu skewers with charred scallion aioli, rotating homemade sausage links and four inch roasted bone marrow make perfect accompaniments. 

Order this: Go all-in on the meat theme: crispy pigs ears with red pepper jelly and a sunny side egg, followed by a butcher cut. Buckner Family Ranch lamb is a crowd pleaser, jazzed up with sunchoke soubise, nettles, preserved lemon and mint jus.

Read the menu: Blackbelly.com

Bring along: The GPS. There are two locations, Denver and Boulder — make sure you’ve got the right one before you set off (like we almost didn’t).

Stella’s Cucina

1123 Walnut St, Boulder, CO 80302

Sophisticated and sultry, the vibe is “modern speakeasy.” We picked a low, round table at brunch time, settling in for Stella’s Bloody Marys while a DJ spun upbeat house music. Wheatley vodka, Real Dill Bloody Mary mix, and a medley of accompaniments had just enough tang (and for $13, I should think so, too).

Chef Filippo Piccini balances tradition and flair. Take his Ragù al Tartufo, straight out of Emilia-Romagna. Deep, rustic ragù flavors are brought bang up to date with freshly-foraged Aestivum truffle. 

Fluffy Italian-style omelet with golden onion and fresh tomato went beautifully with house-made bread, a love note to the simple pleasures of Italian baking. There’s an option to add Prosciutto di Parma — take it.

Order this: Gnocchi Senesi: Classic Tuscan potato dumplings with white veal and pork ragú, sage, rosemary, fennel pollen. On the side, the Pomodoro Arrosto; a roasted heirloom tomato with Sicilian oregano, thyme, lemon zest and local honey.

Read the menu: Stellascucina.com

Bring along: A designated driver. It’s a long way back to Denver if you hit traffic. Much more fun as the passenger princess, half cut on espresso martinis.

Vail

Sweet Basil

193 Gore Creek Dr, Vail, CO 81657

I’d make a detour just for Sweet Basil’s whipped feta dish, served with persimmon and ginger honey. The presentation is wonderful, a puffed up carta di musica lending a theatrical air to the meal without being over the top.

Venison tartare with bone marrow and bonito custard is unusual in all the right ways, while Ahi tuna sashimi is light and flavorful. For lunch, the Korean pork belly sandwich with fresh cabbage kimchi and guanciale is excellent washed down with a Rocky Mountain Root Beer. At dinner time it has to be the Alaskan black cod with cauliflower puree and smoked cod chicharrones and lemon caper powder.

Order this: The Raviolo “Carbonara” is something special, an extremely rich concoction of egg yolk, egg jam and guanciale that diners muddle themselves, mixing in lashings of parmesan fonduta. Heavy. Worth it. 

Read the menu: Sweetbasilvail.com

Bring along: Warm layers. Walking through Vail’s pedestrian village is rather pleasant, and you’ll want to stop to peer through the shop windows.

Aspen

Element 47

675 E Durant Ave, Aspen, CO 81611

“We were just awarded the best wine list.” 

“Where?”

“The world. We have 22,000.”

Things got off to a great start at the Little Nell’s Element 47. House-made pastas and seasonal produce aren’t the only reason to try this silver service stalwart, now-Michelin recommended.

Service is world-class, but you can wear what you like, and the atmosphere is relaxed. Wagyu beef is locally raised at Cross Creek Farms, pork is nitrate-free, and dairy products are derived from local sources. We started the evening with a a romantic glass of Brut rosé, a blend of Chardonnay, Meunier and Pinot Noir, bright pink in color.

For starters we tried the Japanese snow trout with hibiscus and citrus. Sourdough rigatoni with lobster and cauliflower was memorable, the team making the starter in-house. From the “Farm & Fowl” menu, we went for dry-aged duck breast with salsify and Swiss Chard perfectly cooked and garnished with blood orange. I’m still thinking about the warmed winter squashes covered in ricotta and whey caramel.

Order this: Don’t miss the alium butter with shallots and garlic, or the beautiful house-made preserves. For dessert, Valrhona chocolate, flavored with bourbon, is worth the calories.

Read the menu: Thelittlenell.com

Bring along: Your dog. Pets are welcome, at a maximum weight of 100 lbs (we saw a very happy Bernese Mountain dog definitely pushing ninety-five). A ridiculously special pet menu is prepped with high quality ingredients such as Wagyu beef and smoked salmon.

Prospect

330 E Main St, Aspen, CO 81611

Chef Ross Kilkenny shows confidence and flair at this legendary Old West-style Aspen venue, with one particularly special menu covering expansive terrain. The Journey Menu ($225) traverses the ranches, rivers and farmland of Colorado, telling a story with locally-foraged and sourced ingredients — pinto beans, pine, leek and trout roe. Four or seven “expressions” cover the diverse microclimates of the area.

Our meal began with fresh madelines, blue corn spread and a selection of beautiful cow, sheep and goat butters, lightly flavored with the likes of hay and chokecherry (no bread baskets here). Porcini mushrooms were pitch perfect, served with rustic country ham. Potatoes with leek and alpine herbs were homely and comforting, yet refined.

Paonia Valley chicken was a stand-out dish, morels and candy onion creating depth and sweetness. Cheese course “the Creamery” showcased local bees and happy cows; delicate, nuanced flavors enhanced with Carbondale honey and honeycomb.

Order this: The optional beverage pairing kicks things up a notch — and be sure to stick around for a nightcap at the J-Bar, once used as Hunter S. Thompson’s de facto office while he ran for sheriff.

Read the menu: Aubergeresorts.com

Bring along: Somebody with a special occasion to celebrate.

Amy was a guest of the restaurants visited.