Comali Foods

How to Spend a Big Fat Weekend in Denver | Bon Appétit

"My friend Luis basically force-fed everyone at our table the creamy arroz con leche we ordered. “This reminds me of my grandma,” he said giddly. That’s the magic of this lunch-only counter that’s literally across the South Platte River from Reunion. The food atComal Heritage Food Incubatoris equal parts soulful and satisfying, whether you grew up with it or not. Out of a portable-classroom-like space, women from Mexico, El Salvador, Syria, Iraq, and Ethiopia learn the basics of running a restaurant (health code rules, purchasing) and cook lunch for all the office workers that swarm the restaurant around 11 a.m. We happened to be there for “Middle Eastern Fridays,” which meant fall-apart-tender stewed lamb with buttery saffron rice, super-tart and crunchy fattoush that made all of my senses go off, and a dips platter with the smoothest hummus and pillowy pita. Not sure how the arroz con leche made it on the menu, but zero complaints from us." - ByElyse Inamine