21 August 2022
Blog by: Maelynn Le
All photos were taken by Maelynn (unless noted)
Photo: Denver, CO
I’m heading Mile High y’all as I got to check out Denver, CO! I always love to explore new scenery and new food cultures in each state. I went to Denver, CO towards the beginning of August and it has been one of the best trips I ever done. Denver, CO is known for its high elevation, the Denver Bronco’s, many mountains, the Red Rocks and Amphitheater, and of course, the food. I would describe Denver’s food scene as healthy because Colorado is one of the healthiest state in the United States. I also will describe it as a hidden gem food city with great small and local restaurants with great diversity becasue I don‘t hear a lot of people talking about the food scene in Denver too much and I always wanted to visit Denver and check out what Denver has to offer. Denver is definitely evolving into becoming an amazing food city and I feel that it’s starting to get more recognition from other people outside of Denver and in Colorado. I was able to visit some great local businesses and restaurants so here are the top food places you MUST check out in Denver, otherwise, you are missing out!
Whole Sol Blend Bar
Photo: Rise and Grind Bowl, White Truffle avocado toast, Primal bowl, and Beauty Elixir
Whole Sol Blend Bar was my first food place I went to and I immediately went there when my train stopped. It’s about a 7 min walk from the Union station so it was super close for me to eat there. I really love this place because of the variety of healthy food options they have on their menu like açaí bowls, smoothies, juices, hot bowls, and even toasts. My absolute favorite item on the menu was their avocado toast! It’s been one of my favorite avocado toasts I ever had in my life. The toast had a great amount of saturated fat with some great sprouts and it had the perfect amount of acidity to make the avocados stand out. If you go to Whole Sol, I really recommend trying their avocado toast! I also loved their acai bowl because of the powerful amount of flavors that in the bowl. Personally, I don’t like coffee and yes there was coffee in the rise and grind however, the nuttiness of the peanut butter and the fresh fruit made me forget about the bitter taste of coffee. I only tasted a bit of coffee but it was not to the extreme.
2. Adobo
Photo: Spread goals from Adobo
Adobo restaurant is a MUST when you go to Denver. This restaurant is mainly known for serving up a fusion of Filipino and New Mexican cuisine. Personally, I never been to New Mexico nor tried New Mexican cuisine but I heard it’s similar to Mexican cuisine. The main difference between the two comes down to ingredients one of them being from green chilie is more showcased in New Mexican dishes like in sauces. Another difference is New Mexican cooking is typically influenced by Native Americans and the Spanish so some of the cooking techniques and ingredients are different versus if you go to Mexico. One of my favorite dishes was the chicken adobo because the chicken was juicy and grilled perfectly. The egg on top created a nice rich sauce that spreader out through the adobo. The dirty rice was super delicious and the dish had a nice salty taste as well. Another dish I loved was their veggie avocado bowl because it was a nice healthy bowl that had a nice sweet and earthy mix with a great creamy component. The white sauce in the middle was a nice savory touch because that was the sauce that blended everything together. The dish really scream New Mexican and Filipino fusion so whenever you come to Denver, you must check out Adobo.
3. Milk Tea People
Photo: Strawberry matcha, Creamy lemonade Teaki, Lavender matcha and
Coconut Thai fresca
The BEST Milk tea shop you will find in Denver, CO! I can’t express this enough on how Milk Tea people is like legit the BEST milk tea shop in Denver! I had great ones in California but this one really is a winner! Their menu is small, but the quality of ingredients are there an you can taste how authentic each drink is. For example, their matcha is imported from Japan and they use the finest matcha from Japan. With their ube drinks, it takes 2 hours for them to prepare the ube because they actually make and pure ube from scratch and don’t use ube flavoring. All of their ingredients are made with love and care. My favorite drink was the strawberry matcha because the mix with the sweet, fruit, and bitter is all presentable in the drink. I really love how you get a variety of sweet and bitter and how it’s not just a ”one note” drink. I love this drink and would totally order it again. Another item you should definitely try is their coconut ube wafchi. It’s basically a coconut ube mochi waffle with a coconut vanilla gelato on top of the waffle. You can taste how authenic the ube wafchi is as it’s a nice bouncy texture with great nutty flavor. The ice cream really tops it off since it was so refreshing. The perfect snack for the perfect weather since it’s practically 90 degrees in Denver
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4. Nickel Restaurant
Photo: Spread goals from Nickel restaurant
If I had a NICKEL for every time I post spread goals and delicious food like this, I think I would be a millionaire. Nickel Restaurant is located inside Hotel Teatro and is known for serving up New American Bistro cuisine. When I posted my hotel review, I said previously I describe the hotel as a modern, vintage, and historic hotel with tons of character. That is pretty much how I describe the Nickel restaurant. I saw lots a historic features and wood character that I am just in love with. It’s a really beautiful modern and rustic with tons of charm. Even the food carries the same theme of having a rustic feel but still has modern vibes. One of the dishes I love was the strawberry bruschetta because it’s more like a sweet bruschetta verses a savory one and I thought it was unique. I like the drizzle of balsamic vinegar because it helped enhance the rich and sweetness more and the basil on top gave the bruschetta a nice earthy flavor. I also really like the watermelon and rhubarb gazpacho and it was my favorite. I personally don’t like rhubarb by itself because it’s supper bitter and sour however, when it’s a delicious cold soup with watermelons, that is when I’m in love with rhubarb again. The watermelon sweetness tones down the rhubarb‘s sour flavor but you can still taste it. Now it’s more of a subtle taste that blends well together. Rhubarb and watermelon go great together so make sure you order this soup.
5. Playa Bowls
Photo: Pura vida and Half Pitaya half coconut
One of the BEST açaí bowl places in Denver. Colorado is known for being one of the most healthiest states in the US so I had to get some açaí bowls for a perfect workout. Playa serves up great smoothies, juices, and açaí bowls and trust me, these bowls are heaven. If you don’t know what base to get, you can always split the bases in half and get the toppings of any other açaí bowl. For example, I got their pitaya (dragon fruit) and coconut bases while getting the toppings for the Pink Flamingo bowl which has granola, banana, and honey. This was has to be my all-time favorite combination because the sweet and nutty coconut flavor with the subtle dragon fruit taste is a match made in heaven. When you mix pitaya and coconut together, it’s like the açaí bowl is in heaven. I also love their booster bowl (photo not shown) and I heard this bowl helps you with your digestive system. The base looks blue with the toppings of granola, banana, chia seeds, and peanut butter and it really BOOSTS your digestive system. They do not skimp out of huge flavors of each bowl and definitely, this place has been one of my favorites to get a pretty looking and amazing tasting açaí bowl.
6. Gateaux Bakery
Photo: Passion Fruit Strawberry and Vanilla Custard Tart
Nothing can get more French than stopping by a french patisserie. Want to go to Paris but don’t have time, stop by Gateaux in Denver to feel like you are in Paris. I got their mini pastries and just look how cute they are. They are so adorable and mini as well. You can also order their cakes as well as they are very Instagramable and probably delicious as well. Their passion fruit strawberry was delicate and devine. I love the tartness of the passion fruit and the sweetness of the strawberries is absolutely a beautiful bite. It’s definitely not too sweet and will not overwhelm your palette. I also loved their mini vanilla custard tart because of the creamy and milky taste and the fruits are a nice added touch to the tart as well. That one-bite tart was a splendid bite to take and it was absolutely devine as well. Check out their other pastries and cakes as well as they have the cutest and mouthwatering pastries.
7. 54 Thirty
Photo: Rocky Mountain (alcoholic) and blackberry lemonade (mocktail)
If you want stunning drinks with stunning food and with a stunning view, than 54 Thirty is perfect for you! Located inside the Le Meridien Hotel on the 20th floor, 54 Thirty is a rooftop bar that everyone loves and enjoys. The view is one of the main selling points of this hotel as it overlooks the mountains of Colorado. This bar also sells drinks and bar food but it isn‘t just your average bar food, the bar food here is above average and exceptional. My favorite bar food item that is a must is their meza plate. The dips are hummus noir, roasted eggplant, and spicy cucumber raita and I got to say, the spicy cucumber dip was the spiciest but my favorite because of the nice kick I got. The other dips were super flavorful as well as they make their bar food with the best quality ingredients to showcase. Want to go to a bar that has outstanding bar food with a million dollar view, come to 54 Thirty. It’s a first come, first serve basis and they do NOT take any reservations.
8. Corinne
Photo: Roasted carrots, buffalo cauliflower, Wild mushroom Bolognese
and Step 13 (non-alcoholic)
Located inside the gorgeous Le Merdien hotel on the first floor, Corinne is a beautiful restaurant that is known for serving up Upscale New American cuisine. I’m getting hungry right now just by staring at all of these dishes because they look so tasty. I got their fixed price menu and that includes an appetizer (yes I got two but you can only choose 1). And entree, and a dessert. For my appetizer, I chose their roasted carrots and I got to say, the carrots were broiled and baked beautifully. There was a nice charred flavor and the carrots were tender as well. I loved the addition to the variations of nuts as that added a nice nutty flavor and texture to the carrots. I wanted to get the buffalo cauliflower as well because they were so tempting to get (not on the fixed price menu). They taste like real buffalo wings except better since it’s cauliflower. The tangy and spicy flavor of the cauliflower is absolutely perfect and each bite keeps getting better and better. I am flyer addicted to these buffalo cauliflowers. For my entree, I got their wild mushroom bolognese and the pasta was tender and the sauce was very decadent and light. Nice addition to the cheese and great seasoning to the pasta as well. For dessert, I got their key lime pie and it’s been one of the BEST pies I ever had. The torched meringue made the pie have a great smokey flavor and had really great sweetness in the pie as well. Definitely a guilty pleasure to enjoy after a long day. Each of their ingredients are made with great quality.
9. The Urban Cookie
Photo: Snickerdoodle Cookie Cake
Are you tired of eating healthy sometimes? Do you just crave something sweet? Are you a fan of cookies? If so, Urban Cookie is the spot to go to! Located in the Colfax area, Urban Cookie serves up the most giant cookies and cookie cakes you will find in Denver. My all-time favorite flavor would be their iced lemon cookie. The cookie texture was just right and the flavor of the lemon sinks into my soul. I love that acidity sweet flavor the cookie has and it’s just the perfect bite. I also love their own cookie recipe, Grandma’s Mistfit which is a sprits cookie recipe the owner makes every year as tradition. I think the meaning of the cookie and why she sells it is truly amazing. That cookie tasted nice and butter with that almond flavor that punches you is absolutely delicious! You got to try this family recipe cookie out. The snickerdoodle is a great classic. It has a punchy cinnamon flavor and the cookie is soft. If you don’t know what to get, start with their snickerdoodle because that’s the cookie that will help you get started and then try some of the flavors as well. The portions are huge and they make their cookies freshly baked everyday. They even ship NATIONWIDE so make sure you try their cookies!
10. Tameyo
Photo: Veggie Tacos
My last food stop of the Denver food tour! I hope you all had a blast reading my food guide of Denver. Tameyo is locate at Laminer Square where all of the hidden gems and shops are located. Tameyo is known for serving modern Mexican food that is very pretty and tastes outstanding. I only go their veggie tacos since I wasn’t super hungry but these veggie tacos were very delicious. They sautéed the veggies very well and the seasoning was yummy. There was even a spicy kick to the tacos as well. The tortillas are soft shell ones and were great for these veggie tacos. When I come back to Denver, I wilol definitely try more items on the menu.
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