Metro Denver’s food scene has never been as vibrant as it is today, something The Denver Post’s food writers and the rest of the staff of The Know understand. That’s 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 tried over the previous weeks. Want to hear about them early? Subscribe to the Stuffed newsletter, where we introduce one of these dishes every Wednesday.
Mama Jo’s Biscuits and BBQ
Certainly some recency bias here, as Mama Jo’s Biscuits and BBQ opened just over Valentine’s Day weekend in an iconic building on 3525 E. Colfax Ave. This was the longtime home of Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs, a much-loved, quick-serve joint that fit the vibe of the former gas station. The new tenants bring a major facelift to the space and a spectacular barbecue plate. I opted for the quarter rack of hickory-smoked spare ribs ($13), served with sweet pickles and coleslaw ($4). Ben Polson, who opened and runs the restaurant with his wife Jodi (a former chef at Coperta), was rightfully excited about the apple-flavored barbecue sauce that day. The ribs were a (pit)masterpiece.
3525 E. Colfax Ave., Denver; mamajos.toast.site
Hudson Hill
Long a no-frills favorite in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Hudson Hill is known for its coffee drinks in the mornings and cocktails in the afternoons and evenings. (They are also one of the few bars I know of in the city that carry pisco, popular in Peru and Chile.) My year of eating offal continued there last week with their smoked bacon paté ($12), served with a sliced baguette and a spread of spicy mustard. See also: their list of non-alcoholic drinks, three of which are mixed at the bar.
619 E. 13th Ave., Denver; hudsonhilldenver.com
Press
Press opened in Union Station last summer following the $11 million restoration of the historic depot’s Great Hall. With 20 minutes left in the meter after a recent jaunt downtown, I dashed inside for a quick lunch. The stand advertises “tacos and tortas”, though that seems reductive given the many Latin American cuisines its menu pulls from. I ordered a Cubano ($12) and a bottle of lime Jarritos ($3.50). The sandwich consists of citrus-braised pork, ham, Swiss cheese and dill pickles, all pressed between ciabatta bread. I ate indoors and admired the pedestrian traffic. Even better, there were no tickets on the dash when I got back to my car.
Inside of Union Station at 1701 Wynkoop St., Denver; pressdenverunionstation.com
Vesper Lounge
Vesper Lounge is listed on Google Maps as a “Middle Eastern restaurant,” which is highly inaccurate. At the Bonnano Concepts pub — which does veer toward Mediterranean dishes like gyros, hummus and baba ganoush with pita bread — the lights are dim, the music is synced to a TouchTunes jukebox and the cheeseburgers ($12) come with a free draft beer on Sundays. The fries are tossed with harissa spice to zest this respectable burger deal.
233 E. 7th Ave. Denver; bonannoconcepts.com/restaurant/vesper-lounge/