5280's top 25 Denver area restaurants

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by brown_dog_us

I'll have to give it a try.

Love the write up it nails it:

How do Olav Peterson and Melissa Severson, Bittersweet’s co-owners and chefs (he savory, she sweet), not have more of a following? Why is their gem of a restaurant not consistently packed with Patagonia-wearing Denverites and the occasional lost Boulderite? Why doesn’t every chef in town plate food with their finesse and Michelin-star-worthy artistry? (And how many pairs of tweezers are there in the kitchen?) Finally, how do they continue, six years in, to cook in that delicious space between sophistication and simplicity, where short ingredient rosters and spot-on seasoning translate to perfection on the plate? Please eat at Bittersweet, and tell me if you figure it

[davebarnes]

The list ignored https://www.yelp.com/biz/avelina-denver
I am ignoring the list.

[Zeppelin0129]

The selection criteria for the list is very interesting. Restaurants that win the "Top of the Town" designation earlier in the year are left off and other restaurants in the same category are elevated. I have had multiple poor meals at several of the restaurants listed here.

I take the "Top 25" designation with a grain of salt. A lot of the selection criteria comes down to politics and favoritism in the restaurant community.

[N610DL]

Originally Posted by Zeppelin0129

The selection criteria for the list is very interesting. Restaurants that win the "Top of the Town" designation earlier in the year are left off and other restaurants in the same category are elevated. I have had multiple poor meals at several of the restaurants listed here.

I take the "Top 25" designation with a grain of salt. A lot of the selection criteria comes down to politics and favoritism in the restaurant community.

I agree. Likely a "pay for play" type list - I really get a kick out of all these awful names.

It's a shame, because I know some excellent restaurants and should be on this list and aren't.

[JrzDefector]

I've never been to any of those restaurants. I gotta get out more....

[ALStafford]

Jrz, if you're looking for a good place to start, I strongly recommend Departures, especially for happy hour. Great specials, the pork belly is AMAZING, they have an incredibly deft touch with a protein I've had elsewhere in Denver that proves not everyone knows how to prepare it, creative cocktails, beautiful setting. I especially like the sculpture above the bar; spent an evening trying to decide if its the starship Enterprise, or the tail of an airplane.

But really, the food here is out of this world, and I strongly recommend.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by N610DL

I agree. Likely a "pay for play" type list - I really get a kick out of all these awful names.

It's a shame, because I know some excellent restaurants and should be on this list and aren't.

I disagree. 5280 lists are not pay to play. I haven’t seen any of these restaurants advertising in the magazine.

[Brianmedia]

Interestingly I’ve only lived here 7 months, but have been to 6 of these.

I can highly recommend Concourse in Stapleton. Glad to see they made the cover of the magazine as well.

[SkyDog77]

Going outside of my bubble and trying Annette later this week.