A good bet for dining in LoDo is Vesta, which operates on a quirky
premise: you choose three sauces (perhaps pistachio-mint or grilled
onion jam) for dipping with whatever entree you choose, from grilled
venison to harissa-roasted half chicken. You'll find simpler fare at
Dixon's Downtown Grill, a nice choice for fish-and-chips and blue-cheese
burgers, and the festive Wynkoop Brewing Company, which serves the best
green chile stew in town, plus a wide range of handcrafted beers. Near
Larimer Square, chic Rioja serves creative, world-beat cuisine, such as
Dungeness crab-and-shiso spring rolls, and grilled maple-cured pork
chops with Calvados sauce.
Favorite restaurants on Capitol Hill include Il Vicino, which turns out
creative pizzas and salads along with microbrewed ales, and Sparrow, a
convivial neighborhood spot serving such inventive regional American
fare as pumpkin-chicken served with pancetta risotto, sage, and cider.
The local java chain Diedrich's Coffee has a particularly gay-popular
branch in Capitol Hill, too.
The city has some great places for breakfast fare, including the gay
fave Racine's, which is open late and serves three meals daily. For
amazingly tasty pancakes, head to Snooze, an offbeat storefront space
near Coors Field where you might start the morning off with
pineapple-upside-down pancakes or vanilla-almond oatmeal brulee. On
weekend mornings, don't miss the legendary drag brunch, called Petticoat
Bruncheon, held at Bump & Grind, a colorful bakery and cafe.
One of city's great strengths is its cultural scene, with many of the
top events held at the esteemed, high-tech Denver Center for the
Performing Arts (DCPA), the second-largest such space in the nation
(trailing only New York City's Lincoln Center). It comprises several
performance venues and hosts everything from nationally touring musicals
to acclaimed opera. Before a performance, plan to have dinner at DCPA's
top restaurant, Kevin Taylor's. In this elegant basement space, sample
such creative fare as Black Angus carpaccio with white-truffle oil, or
charbroiled Colorado lamb chops with braised lentils and black olive
jus.
Denver has a friendly, eclectic gay nightlife, with a pleasing mix of
hip cocktail lounges, pulsing dance clubs, and friendly neighborhood
bars. One of the most popular hangouts is J.R.'s, an upscale, bi-level
video bar in Capitol Hill that hosts such entertaining events as gong
show karaoke and Broadway musical sing-alongs. Nearby Charlie's is a
famously fun country-western club with line-dancing and two-stepping,
plus a restaurant serving decent American fare. Continue to page
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The Hunk
