RiNo was already making headlines as one of the nation’s hottest food and drink neighborhoods in 2018 when it scored not one, not two, but three coups in the form of James Beard Award–winning arrivals: Texas’ Tyson Cole (see: Uchi), New York–based partners David Kaplan and Alex Day (see: Death & Co.), and New Orleans mega-star Alon Shaya. Famed for his modern take on the cuisines of the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, the Israeli-born Shaya opened Safta at The Source Hotel last summer to instant acclaim, and its following has only grown larger and more fervent since. Rightly so: Safta, which means “grandmother” in Hebrew, turns out Shaya's famous wood-fired pita bread and impossibly creamy hummus topped with your choice of options like curried cauliflower and onions or lamb ragu as a prelude to a whole menu evocative of the land of milk and honey.

Located in Union Station, this is the literal definition of destination dining in Denver, buzzing from open to close since its launch by James Beard Award–winning chef Alex Seidel in 2014 as a high-flying market and café by day and New American hot spot by night. Due to the multiple trials the restaurant industry is currently facing, market operations have ceased for the time being, but otherwise Mercantile continues to run like marvelous clockwork, executing service with as much panache—and as much constant buzz—as ever. At lunch, the crowds pour in for lovely salads and sandwiches as handsomely composed as the compact selection of small plates and entrees; come dinnertime, they return for a fancier, and more fanciful, seasonal menu laced with global flourishes. No wonder Seidel remains one of Denver’s brightest stars.

It looks like any other taqueria—stucco façade, counter lined with stools, a few booths. The menu, too, looks nothing out of the ordinary: tacos, burritos, tortas. There’s no liquor license. So what makes El Taco de Mexico, a 30-plus-year-old institution, so special—like James Beard America's Classics Award special? That’s a delicious secret. Despite the fact that its longtime cooks do their thing in an open kitchen, day in and day out, in full view of the tiny dining room, they’re notoriously tight-lipped about—well, everything, but especially their recipes. The chile-relleno burrito turns every first-timer into a future long-timer; it's stuffed with tender beans, spiced rice, and a pepper that’s itself stuffed with cheese. Get it smothered in El Tac’s green chile, which represents the gold standard of the Southwestern staple. As for the tacos, they're served on ever-so-lightly griddled tortillas; you can’t go wrong with carnitas and lengua—both as crisp as they are velvety.

At this cozy but upbeat Bluebird District sensation, chef-owner Christopher Lin draws on his Taiwanese roots to create a repertoire of dishes that seem familiar at a glance but taste wholly original: Take the barbecued spare ribs, fried and coated in a sauce that make for next-level finger-licking, or the unexpectedly addictive fingerlings and cauliflower tossed with black-bean vinaigrette. And the cocktails are just as kicky as the food, infused with lemongrass or sesame oil and garnished with bonito or shiso leaf.

Making its own flour tortillas and frying its eggs and potatoes in duck fat, this tiny daytime cafe in Uptown has built a cult following on the strength of its breakfast tacos, congee with duck confit, and fried rice with Chinese sausage as well as sometime specials like loco moco and pozole, all paired with iced Vietnamese coffee or old-school Screwdrivers. If that sounds like an unusual mix of influences, well, it is, and Onefold is all the better for it — not to mention all the more popular. (No wonder it now has a second location at Union Station.)

Tommy Lee’s enduring RiNo favorite puts an exuberant modern spin on regional Chinese staples in an equally high-energy dining room. While all first-timers (if there are any left) should try the Chongqing-style fried chicken with chilies, Beijing duck roll, and bone marrow–fried rice, abundant seasonal and daily specials keep regulars coming back — whether for clams with fermented black beans and mustard greens, sweet-and-sour parsnips topped with crispy noodles, or turnip cake with shrimp and sausage in black garlic sauce. The bar team is more than up to the pairing challenge the menu presents, known as they are for cocktails infused with Asian ingredients as well as a geeky selection of wines and ciders.

Upscale Mexican fare doesn’t get better than at this spot in The Source, where Monterrey native Manny Barella turns out not only unusually mouthwatering tacos (don’t miss the costra de ribeye or the trumpet mushroom al pastor) but also sumptuous regional specialties like the pumpkin-seed spread called sikil pak; pork chops in mole verde; and brunchtime treats such as molletes. Every last salsa is special. I don't know what this picture is.

Going to see Chromeo.

Very good bagels.

Streetwear.

Acne, Brain Dead, Rik, etc. I don't know any of the people in the picture but they seem nice.