5280 Magazine July 2022

THE DENVER MAGAZINE

SIX MONTHS LATER: MARSHALL FIRE SURVIVORS SHARE THEIR STORIES PAGE 78

THE UNTOLD TALE BEHIND THE GREAT COLORADO BICYCLE HEISTS PAGE 94

JULY 2022 |

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FEATURES 60

Top Of The Town After a two-year hiatus, Top of the Town is back with the best places to eat, drink, play, and shop. We dispatched our reporters across the region to find business owners, creatives, and other local luminaries who deserve extra attention.

The result is a curated list of editors’ choice selections that elevate our 80 readers’ choice winners.

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EDITED BY SPENCER CAMPBELL

T H E

M A R S H A LL

F I R E

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The Fire Next Door Six months after the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history ripped through the Boulder suburbs, we checked in with those who experienced the tragedy. They told us what they’ve learned—and what they think other Centennial Staters should know.

BY LINDSEY B. KING

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The Remains Of The Day When you’ve lost everything, how do you reclaim your past while building your future?

BY ROBERT SANCHEZ

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An international organized crime ring allegedly stole nearly $1 million worth of mountain bikes from local shops. We go inside “Operation Vicious Cycle,” the scheme that rocked Front Range retailers.

BY JOE LINDSEY

The strawberry daiquiri at Yacht Club, this year’s editors’ choice for top bar

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Courtesy of Shawn Campbell

Bicycle Thieves Inc.

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D I N I N G G U I D E 102

COMPASS 19 BUSINESS

A Denver family honors its Indigenous ancestry—and grows its business.

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20 CULTURE

From iconic national artists to talented locals, Denver’s art scene zooms in on photography with three captivating exhibits this month.

EAT & DRINK

22 HEALTH

29 SWEET TREATS

A new downtown facility is providing people experiencing homelessness with a safe place to convalesce—while cutting down on health care costs.

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24 GEAR

32 SIPS

How Death & Co. transforms the ingredients for a classic Thai soup into a take on the piña colada.

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Amid the global bike shortage, we asked a local expert how you can upgrade your old two-wheeler to make it feel like new again.

Five of our favorite new spots to cool off with ice cream, fruity paletas, and boozy shakes.

34 BUSINESS

26 OUTDOORS

Grand County braces for the 50th anniversary of the Rainbow Gathering.

COLUMNS 36 MENTAL HEALTH

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Each year, hundreds of Colorado teenagers end up in wilderness therapy programs, many located in Utah. But will calls for reform give Centennial State parents pause?

BY KENNEAL PATTERSON

50 ESSAY

A rented camper van, 2,500 miles, and 10 days exploring the abyss between Instagram fantasies and open-road reality.

ON THE COVER

Illustration by Mark Caneso

BY MARTIN J. SMITH

BACKSTORY 148 HUNTING BIGFOOT

Tips for finding signs of Sasquatch in Colorado’s backcountry.

36 5280 (ISSN 10826815) is published monthly by 5280 Publishing, Inc., 1675 Larimer St., Suite 675, Denver, CO 80202. Subscriptions are $16 for one year (12 issues). Back issues are available for $5.99 plus tax and shipping by visiting shop.5280.com. Periodical postage paid at Denver, CO, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS (see DMM 707.4.12.5). NONPOSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to 5280 Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 3000, Denville, NJ 07834. Canadian Post Publications Mail Agreement No. #40065056 Canadian Return Address: DP Global Mail, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3. 5280® is a federally registered trademark owned by 5280 Publishing, Inc. 5280 also owns trademark registrations for TOP OF THE TOWN, DENVER’S TOP DOCTORS, DENVER MAGAZINE, and COUTURE COLORADO. © 2022 5280 Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

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BEHIND THE STORIES SPOTLIGHT

FROM THE EDITOR

The first issue of 5280 I ever held in my hands was the June/July 2001 “Top Of The Town” edition, in which editors and readers selected everything from Denver’s best burger to its most superlative sporting goods store. A bright bouquet of summery flowers graced the cover, and a veritable explosion of must-try restaurants, must-do adventures, and mustvisit shops greeted 22-year-old, new-to-Denver me on the pages inside. Those were the pre-Yelp days, of course, so the insights delivered by not only 5280’s editors but also by readers’ paper survey responses—the original crowd-sourcing—were especially illuminating. I wanted to patronize every local company I read about and very nearly did.

As I edited this issue, I was reminded of that sensation of impending discovery I had all those years ago. The pandemic forced us to put “Top Of The Town” on hiatus in 2020 and 2021, and during those two years the small-business landscape of the Mile High City transformed. Yes, far too many restaurants and boutiques and bars and music venues were lost to the global calamity; however, based on what our reporters and writers (and readers) found, I think it’s fair to say that COVID-19 did not dispatch the city’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Don’t believe me? On page 60 begins a nine-spread extravaganza celebrating 111 reasons we can all be proud to live in—and get excited to explore—Denver. From the Ethiopian food you must try to the hippest places to find new kicks to the only spots you should get your nails done, we’ve got Yelp beat with an insider’s guide to the most happening, most interesting, most exceptional businesses around, all of which you gotta get back out there to experience.

LINDSEY B. KING Email: lindsey@5280.com Twitter: @linzbking

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Owen Freeman Freelance Illustrator

This month’s “Bicycle Thieves Inc.” (page 94) opens with an illustration

by Freeman, a Los Angeles–based artist who has experience depicting villains, including for Marvel Studios.

CAPTURING THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT

”Unexpected details tend to be the most interesting, and the nontraditional nature of bad guys tends to tip more toward the unexpected.”

FACT VS. FICTION

”Narrative illustration is about distilling a moment down to its core, so the process tends to be the same whether it’s fiction or true crime. The latter just requires more research.”

COMMON GROUND

“I don’t cycle often, but when I have, it shared a similar sense of freedom and fatigue management with illustration.”

CALENDAR

Toast 2022’s Top Of The Town Winners After two long years, 5280’s iconic celebration of Denver returns.

Join us on Thursday, July 21, for creative cocktails, giveaways, photo booths, live music, delectable bites from Denver’s best restaurants, and more at Broadway’s Sports Castle. Get your tickets at 5280scene.com.

Clockwise from top left: Sarah Banks; Courtesy of Owen Freeman; From the Hip Photo; Dave McKenna

Back On Top

The original Las Vegas.

VisitLasVegasNM.com

Downtown Boulder is a spot where everyone can find their very own moment of magic.

It’s a special place filled with quirk and wonder that suspends the demands of the real world for just a bit. Whether it’s food, shopping, adventure, music, culture, or even some magic tricks on the Pearl Street Mall — many people have found Boulder to be just what they were looking for and exactly the right spot to fill them with excitement, joy, calm, creativity or ambition. Whatever kind of happy place you’re seeking, you can find it here.

Find your Happy Place at VisitDowntownBoulder.com

CULTURE HEALTH GEAR OUTDOORS 

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From left: Corn Maiden Designs founder Akalei Brown with collaborating artists Cheyleen Julian and Sunshine Sweetwater

Maiden Voyage

A Denver family honors its Indigenous ancestry— and grows its business.

P H O T O G R A P H BY J A S O N S I N N

CoMPASS

Akalei Brown believes Native American culture is experiencing a renaissance. As evidence, the Denver designer points to this year’s Met Gala, where Indigenous supermodel Quannah Chasinghorse wore custom jewelry made by a Blackfeet and Cree artist. Then again, Brown doesn’t have to look further than her own family to see how interest in Native fashion and beauty is growing: In 2021, her now 10-year-old daughter, Haleakala Brown, and husband, Nick Ohitika Najin, a member of the Mni Coujou Lakota tribe, launched Lakota Body Care, which sells natural soaps inspired by Native fragrances. The family’s first batch sold out in less than an hour and their second in 30 minutes. A Native Hawaiian and Taos Puebloan, Akalei has been sewing custom Native pieces, such as kokum skirts, and selling them through Etsy for years under her Corn Maiden Designs label. This month, she’s launching a new website, which will eventually offer ready-to-wear clothing featuring Southwestern aesthetics. “Walmart and other big chains sell ‘Native-inspired’ designs on clothing,” Brown says. “Our brand is going to be authentic—made by Native people for everyone.” —SPENCER CAMPBELL J U LY 2 0 2 2

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CULTURE

SHUTTERBUG SUMMER

GEORGIA O’KEEFFE, PHOTOGRAPHER July 3 to November 6 | Denver Art Museum

From iconic national artists to talented locals, Denver’s art scene zooms in on photography with three captivating exhibits this month. —PHILIP CLAPHAM

COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER 59TH ANNUAL JURIED MEMBERS SHOW July 1 to August 6 | CPAC Nearly 150 Colorado Photographic Arts Center (CPAC) members, both amateur and professional, submitted more than 800 images—representing an array of capturing, processing, and printing techniques—for consideration in the annual competition. This year’s judge, Gregory Harris, the Donald and Marilyn Keough Family Curator of Photography at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, then whittled that mass down to about 30 works, including the Moving Pictures series from Manitou Springs’ Brenda Biondo. But there can only be one Best in Show. Find out who wins the top prize on Saturday, July 9, during the free opening reception and award ceremony at CPAC’s gallery in the Golden Triangle neighborhood.

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OUTTAKES Through July 23 | Rule Gallery Massachusetts-born Sandy Skoglund is best known for her conceptual art, most notably her elaborate dreamlike sets that are massive in scale—sometimes taking up an entire apartment or warehouse space. The installations were temporary, so photography became an essential part of recording the scenes. Part retrospective, part re-examination, Outtakes seeks to reframe Skoglund’s work by exhibiting previously unseen photos of her installations. Take, for instance, Skoglund’s 1981 masterpiece, “Revenge of the Goldfish” (pictured). The Getty Center in Los Angeles owns the photographs of the work that were originally exhibited; Outtakes scrutinizes unpublished pictures, providing new insights into the celebrated artist.

Clockwise from top: Courtesy of Denver Art Museum (“Ladder against Studio Wall with Black Chow (Bo-Bo)” by Georgia O’Keeffe, 1959–60); Courtesy of Rule Gallery (“Early Morning” by Sandy Skoglund, 2021/1981); Courtesy of Brenda Biondo (“Moving Picture No. 3,” 2015)

If you were unaware Georgia O’Keeffe was a photographer, you’re not alone. Even the folks at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, didn’t know whether an archive of 400 photographs belonged to the modernist painter or her husband, the photographer and art critic Alfred Stieglitz.

But in 2016, a curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston was finally able to credit some of the works to O’Keeffe’s nature-obsessed eye. The resulting traveling exhibit, Georgia O’Keeffe, Photographer, opens at the Denver Art Museum this month. More than 100 photos will hang alongside 15 paintings and drawings by the late master, showcasing O’Keeffe’s attention to detail: She would take several images of the same pastoral desert scenes at different times of day, creating timelapses of light she could then study when creating her art.

HEALTH

Room To Recover A new downtown facility is providing those without homes a safe place to convalesce while cutting down on health care costs.

Your home may be your castle, but when you’re dealing with an illness or injury, it’s much more valuable as your infirmary: a safe, clean space where you can get better. Unfortunately, individuals experiencing homelessness don’t have access to permanent shelter where they can recover or receive consistent respite care. Upon being discharged from hospitals, they often return to the streets, where their afflictions can worsen and force them back into emergency rooms. “They end up staying in the hospital for longer than they need to at great cost to the hospital, to the health care system, and Medicaid and Medicare,” says Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) president and CEO John Parvensky. “And their outcomes don’t necessarily get better.”

CCH wants to change that reality. This summer, the nonprofit is unveiling its newest project: the Stout Street Recuperative Care Facility and Renaissance Legacy Lofts, a first-of-its-kind, $46.5 million development designed to help end the hospital-to-street-to-hospital cycle. The solution begins at Stout Street, which holds 75 beds where individuals who are chronically homeless can recover from surgery or other ailments, such as frostbite or cancer treatments, with the help of on-site nurses, social workers, and behavioral health staff.

Although respite care has been shown to lead to better health outcomes, shorter hospital stays, and decreased medical costs, Denver previously had only 20 such beds for individuals experiencing homelessness within its borders, all at CCH’s Beacon Place, a transitional housing community. The supply wasn’t close to meeting demand: The nonprofit received 20 referrals per week from various hospitals. (At the height of the pandemic, the city did pay for 1,000 hotel rooms in which individuals experiencing homelessness who tested positive for COVID-19 and those at high risk for severe symptoms could isolate.) “It’s always been a goal to be able to get to the point where we could meet that need,” Parvensky says.

A rendering of Located in downtown’s Arapahoe Square, Stout Street nearly quadruples Beacon the new Stout Street facility Place’s stock, which will continue operating. Patients will remain in Stout Street’s

semiprivate rooms for an average of 30 to 45 days and have access to laundry and meals. At discharge, staff can connect them to continuing clinical care, for free, at CCH’s adjacent Stout Street Health Center. “This is a legacy project,” says Britta Fisher, chief housing officer for the city and county of Denver, which helped fund the development. “The goal is for someone to get healthy and then transition to a housed environment.”

That is where Legacy Lofts comes in. In 2016, the city, in partnership with CCH, started offering a housing-first model to people who were chronically homeless and frequently connected with the criminal justice system and emergency rooms. (The housing-first template posits that stable housing is necessary in order for people to address other challenges, such as substance use issues or finding a job.) After three years, 77 percent of individuals remained housed, and there was a 40 percent reduction in arrests. Legacy Lofts’ 98 units of supportive

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housing directly above the Stout Street Recuperative Care Facility will offer the same kind of arrangement to people who use the health care system at high rates.

Depending on availability, Stout Street clients may be referred upstairs. “We have the ability,” Parvensky says, “to help them get to a better place.” —DALIAH SINGER

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Courtesy of Carvell Architects

Respite care beds available for people experiencing homelessness at the Stout Street Recuperative Care Facility

GEAR

Hoping to buy a bike this summer? Don’t count on it, warns Boulder-based frame builder and former U.S. national team rider Lennard Zinn. Pandemic-induced factory closures, a clogged supply chain, and increased consumer demand have combined to create a global bike shortage that shows no signs of abating. That’s why we asked Zinn, who literally wrote the books on bike repair (his Zinn and the Art of Bike Maintenance guides cover everything from mountain to road to triathlon rides), for tips on how to upgrade your old two-wheeler to make it feel like new again. —COURTNEY HOLDEN

BOOST YOUR BIKE PEDALS

SADDLE

TUBELESS TIRES

BETTER FIT

If you’re ready for clip-ins, which are more common for road cyclists but are also beneficial to mountain bikers, you’ll reap significant gains.

“With a flat pedal, you can only push down,” Zinn says, whereas clip-ins enable you to “pull back, pull up, and push forward” for more power.

Over more than four decades in the bike industry, Zinn has heard one complaint rear up more than any other: “Their butts hurt.” That’s because stock saddles on bikes don’t fit their perinea.

Making the transition to tubeless (adding a latex-based sealant to the tire to eliminate the inner tube) greatly reduces the chances of a puncturecaused flat, because the sealant plugs the hole.

Upgrade: Specialized brand dealers, such as Wheat Ridge Cyclery, receive a gadget called (unofficially) the “asso-meter.” Plop your behind down, and the tool guides you toward the best saddle for your body, based on the width of your sit bones and personal riding style.

Upgrade: Zinn’s guides provide details about how to install tubeless tires, and Colorado-based Goat Head Bike Co sells an eco-friendly sealant for only $5. But, honestly, the transition can be a real pain in the perineum; novices should let professional mechanics handle this one.

A personalized bike fit—during which a specialist ​​adjusts multiple components of your ride, such as handlebar height and stem length—will not only make for more enjoyable outings, but it will also help prevent back, knee, and forearm issues from materializing.

$50–$200

$50–$200

Upgrade: Local shops, such as University Bicycles in Boulder, will outfit you with the best pedals for your specific riding style; Shimano, Look, and Crankbrothers are all Zinn-approved brands.

$60

STARTING POINT

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PRICE RANGE

PRICE RANGE

Upgrade: Retül, which started 15 years ago in Boulder and now has studios around the world, begins with a physical assessment and then uses 3D technology to measure your on-bike movements down to the millimeter.

$250–$500 PRICE RANGE

Clockwise from top left: Brad Kaminski/Courtesy of Lennard Zinn; Visual Spectrum/Stocksy; Kody Kohlman/Courtesy of Retül; Getty Images (2); Courtesy of Crankbrothers

RE-CYCLING

Peace? Love? Nope Grand County braces for the 50th anniversary of the Rainbow Gathering.

One night this past spring, a dozen or so people across the country “passed the feather” on a Zoom video conference, taking turns talking about whatever was on their minds. One man said he was grateful for the moon and for the trees. A woman said she was thankful for the lilacs she’d planted a few hours earlier.

Everyone was appreciative of the cat that kept walking in front of someone’s computer camera.

It was a meeting of the Rainbow Family of Living Light—the alleged band of villains that authorities warn could wreak destruction on U.S. Forest Service land in Colorado this month.

Every year, thousands of free spirits meet on public land across the country for the group’s Rainbow Gathering, a weekslong campout and communal prayer for world peace that started in 1972 and has described itself as “the largest, best-coordinated, nonpolitical, nondenominational, nonorganization of like-minded individuals on the planet.” Per the Rainbows, the 50th anniversary event will be held in a national forest in Colorado, but the group hadn’t announced a specific site at press time. Many believe, however, that they will congregate in Grand County, near the location of the first meetup on private land in Granby. An estimated 15,000 people showed up at the inaugural event, which Rolling Stone jokingly referred to as “the greatest natural disaster since the locusts ate Utah.”

Not much has changed. Reports of murders, drug overdoses, stabbings, and destruction of public land have plagued the gatherings. The last Colorado event, in 2006, brought between 10,000 and 15,000 attendees to the Big Red Park area, north of Steamboat Springs. U.S. Forest Service officials claim that foot traffic carved between 40 and 50 miles of informal trails on the site and that gatherers stripped trees of lower branches and left behind fire pits and uncovered human and animal waste. One Rainbow member told 7News that 80,000 people may be at this year’s event.

This spring, Forest Service officials launched a public-relations blitz, creating a Rainbow Incident Web Page and activating a team to work with law enforcement and residents affected by the gathering. Grand County commissioners also expressed concerns about costs for extra services to police the event. “The Rainbows are bad at paying bills,” commissioner Merrit Linke told Sky-Hi News in April.

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The Rainbow Family isn’t a formal organization, which means there’s no leadership and therefore no one to hold accountable if things go sideways. (Groups larger than 75 people need a special-use permit to visit federal forest land.

At press time, the Forest Service said the Rainbow Family hadn’t applied for one.)

“It’s felt like a barrage of hate,” says Tenali Hrenak, 45, an audio engineer from New York who has attended dozens of gatherings and is publishing a book on the event with his partner, Kristen Blinne. Rainbows generally are “peaceful, responsible people,” Hrenak says. “They don’t want trouble, and they especially don’t want to set a forest on fire.”

On another Zoom call less than two months before the gathering could take place, Rainbows fretted about the authorities trying to harsh their mellow. Gatherers in the past have studied different ways to safely extract and filter water; they circulated a handwritten pamphlet titled “Where Do I Poop?” that included suggestions on post-gathering cleanup.

“When we leave a camp, no one should be able to tell humans have ever been there,” the directive reads.

But there didn’t seem to be much hope the Rainbows and the government could work together. A man wearing a ball cap embroidered with a marijuana leaf on that Zoom call doubted that government agencies had ever read the group’s operating plan for the event, which has been distributed to local and federal authorities before each of the past four gatherings. That wouldn’t stop him from showing up in Grand County: “I say, damn the torpedoes.” —ROBERT SANCHEZ

The Denver Post via Getty Images

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SWEET TREATS SIPS BUSINESS 



EAT DRINK &

I Scream, You Scream

As the mercury rises, it’s prime time to indulge in chilled treats.

Here, five of our favorite new spots to cool off with freshly churned scoops, fruit-studded paletas, and boozy shakes.

—PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG & ALLYSON REEDY

HEAVEN CREAMERY Cherry Creek, RiNo, Centennial, and Lakewood

P H O T O G R A P H BY J A S O N S I N N

Martha Trillo’s Heaven Creamery unites the frozen dessert cultures of Mexico, Italy, and the United States under one roof. The Chihuahua native studied with makers in Mexico and Italy to perfect her paletas (fruit-forward popsicles) and gelato, respectively, before bringing her talents in 2020 to the Denver area, where she has already expanded her empire to four shops. In April, the latest debuted in a brightly lit, blue-and-white-walled space in Lakewood’s Belmar shopping district. At every Heaven location, patrons can enjoy a rainbow of creambased and nondairy vegan flavors (crafted with Trillo’s lactose-intolerant daughter in mind), all of which are light on sugar and heavy on fresh produce. Try the spicy pineapple-chile paletas, a cup of raspberry dark chocolate gelato, or a sundae loaded with sliced bananas and kiwis, caramel sauce, and whipped cream. 

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P H O T O G R A P H BY J A S O N S I N N

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SWEET TREATS

Oreo, sprinkle-bejeweled buttermilk cupcake—in a whimsical space decorated with a mural of a ski-goggle-clad yeti in the snowy foothills. The shop sells a variety of other Colorado-made goodies, too, from Hammond’s chocolates and lollipops to cans of FlyteCo Brewing suds. No matter what craving brings you in, though, stock up on quarters for the eight pinball machines.

YUM YUM’S ICE CREAM Rosedale

Sherry’s Soda Shoppe

All three of 11-year-old Denver Beer Company’s outposts have sun-drenched, kid- and dog-friendly patios and more than a dozen beers on tap.

But co-founder Charlie Berger added an extra-sweet feature to the company’s newest, 16-month-old South Downing Street destination to appeal

SHERRY’S SODA SHOPPE

EISKAFFEE

Five Points and Boulder

Capitol Hill and Greenwood Village

Five Points–born Sherry’s Soda Shoppe found a second home in Boulder’s University Hills neighborhood in May, bringing owner Joshua Pollack’s 1950s-era soda fountain concept to the foot of the Flatirons. As with Pollack’s other businesses—including three locations of Rosenberg’s Bagels and Delicatessen and Lou’s Italian Specialties—the theme of the shop is a tribute to his family. His late grandmother Sherry inspired both the spot’s name and owl-figurinebedecked interior. The old-school ambience and menu of malts and scoops are complemented by a roster of modern, boozy offerings such as spiked housemade sodas, amaro affogatos (vanilla ice cream drenched in herbal liqueur), and customizable shakes. For the ultimate throwback, pair a cone stacked with velvety mounds of nutty pistachio with a vodka-infused cherry limeade on Sherry’s sprawling patio.

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After High Point Creamery co-owner Chad Stutz tasted eiskaffee—a German-style ice cream, coffee, and whipped cream concoction—in Munich, he was motivated to introduce Denverites to the treat. That’s why he and his wife, Erika Thomas, opened a creamery of the same name inside Capitol Hill’s 11th Avenue Hostel this past June.

(They also have a nine-monthold stall in Greenwood Village’s Grange Hall.) The floats are a

decadent, buzzy mix of cold brew steeped with Kaladi Coffee Roasters beans, your choice of Eiskaffee’s ice creams (we recommend the Bavarian cream), heaps of whipped cream, and grated chocolate. If you prefer to indulge in your vices separately, grab a Novo espresso drink and a croissant or try one of the other 16 European-influenced ice cream flavors, such as the ultrarich Belgian chocolate.

YETI’S SWEET SHOP AND ARCADE Arvada

When Elliot and Kaitlin Bagley moved from Seattle to Arvada three years ago, the lack of hangouts for crews with little ones in tow led them to take matters into their own hand-held ice cream scoops. In late 2021, they opened Yeti’s Sweet Shop and Arcade in the Candelas development, where they serve 16 flavors of Little Man Ice Cream—marshmallow-studded Rocky Mountain Road, salted

to neighborhood families: a small-batch ice cream parlor housed in a former pie shack that had been vacant for some 20 years. Inside, chef Michael Ruiz—who also cooks a lineup of comforting bites for the brewery—churns cheekily named creations such as Citrus Got Real Lemon Tart, Obi Wan Cannoli, and Minter is Coming. For an adults-only treat, grab a scoop before you head to the taproom, where you can turn it into a beer float. Ice cream flavors such as Graham Cracker Porter and the raspberry Icy Princess sorbet taste even better bobbing in the suds that inspired them.

Clockwise from top left: Aaron Colussi; Courtesy of Yum Yum’s Ice Cream; Annie Dent/Courtesy of Eiskaffee

CONTINUED

SIPS The ivory-hued masterpiece gains pops of color (and a bright burst of aroma) from a bouquet of mint and fresh Thai chile and a silvery metal straw.

IN GOOD SPIRITS

4

How the bar pros at Death & Co. transform the ingredients for a classic Thai soup into a perfect-forsummer take on the piña colada.

The mixologists at RiNo’s Death & Co. make whipping up their new-thissummer Stone Room cocktail look effortless—but preparing the drink to order is just the tip of the ice cube.

Before reaching the mouths of thirsty patrons, the Thai-inspired cocktail endured a multimonth recipe development and testing process involving the 14 bartenders employed at the Denver outpost of the popular New York City bar, which opened in the Ramble Hotel’s light-drenched, chandelieradorned lobby in 2018.

The result is a slightly spicy, sophisticated take on a piña colada, one of 36 riffs on classic cocktails invented and refined by the beverage pros this season.

“The flavor profiles are really unique but also very familiar if you love Southeast Asian cuisine,” says bar manager Alex Jump. Here, we break down what goes into the decadent, $17, Instagram-worthy marvel. —SARAH KUTA

3

1

To infuse the cocktail with the bright, zesty flavors of tom kha—a coconut-milkbased soup that’s a staple of Thai and Laotian cuisines— bartenders craft a special syrup. They cook coconut water and milk, ginger, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, Thai chiles, lime husks, and sugar in a sous vide water bath for two hours before straining the solids from the fragrant liquid.

P H O T O G R A P H BY SARAH BANKS

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After adding a few pieces of ice, they shake the mixture to combine the ingredients and chill it slightly, then pour it into a footed Pilsner glass brimming with pebble ice. “The drink has a decent amount of sweetness, so it’s considered a dessert cocktail,” Jump says. “But the pebble ice melts more quickly than regular ice and helps to dilute the drink just a little bit and keep it balanced.”

2 In a cocktail shaker, they combine the tom kha syrup with cane syrup, freshsqueezed lemon juice, Probitas Rum, and “Snow Maiden” Nigori Ginjo Sake. The white rum brings richness and hints of vanilla to the drink, while the sake adds floral notes.

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BUSINESS

Local Legend

From founding the Old Chicago pizzeria chain to revitalizing the Hotel Boulderado, 90-year-old Frank Day has been operating restaurants for more than 50 years—and he isn’t slowing down just yet.

Frank Day is not afraid to try new things. The Colorado native, who grew up in Chicago, dabbled in running doughnut shops and bartending before moving to Boulder in 1970.

Over his five-decades-long career, the founder of Concept Restaurants has operated more than 80 hospitality businesses—including the Hotel Boulderado and Denver’s Stout Street Social and Humboldt Kitchen & Bar—in the Centennial State and beyond. And that doesn’t even count the dozens of outposts of Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom and Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, Front Range–born brands that grew into a separate restaurant group valued at $382 million in 2010, when Day sold it. Since he came back to Colorado, Day has weathered seven economic recessions, bladder cancer, and two attempts at retirement. “Those of us who survive in the restaurant and hotel business, I would term as action junkies,” he says. In honor of Day’s 90th birthday this month, we rounded up highlights from his storied resumé, soon to be padded by a new Boulder brewpub. —PK

1975 Beef jerky, peanuts, and 3.2 Coors Original are the only items on the menu at Walt & Hanks, a tavern Day purchases at 1102 Pearl Street in Boulder. Rowdy regulars spur Day to replace the watering hole with the first Old Chicago, a pizzeria inspired by his love for the Windy City, in 1976.

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1980 The Victo-

rian-style Hotel Boulderado joins the Concept Restaurants family. Day was first drawn to the hotel in 1969, when he descended into the Catacombs, the Boulderado’s subterranean bar, during a visit to the Front Range. A cocktail spot called License No. 1 opens in the cult classic’s place in 2014.

2014 Steaks, sandwiches, and a sprawling raw bar (where Day can still sometimes be found tucking into platters of freshly shucked oysters) become the draws at Stout Street Social, located across from the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

1990 Day launches the Walnut Brewery on the Pearl Street Mall; it’s the first business to produce suds on-site in downtown Boulder. The initial success of the brewpub, which eventually shutters in 2017, inspires him to establish more craft-beer-centric concepts, including the Rock Bottom chain, whose first location opens in 1991 on Denver’s 16th Street Mall.

1995 The ChopHouse & Brewery debuts between Coors Field and Union Station. (A Boulder outpost—now Frank’s Chophouse—follows in 2001.) Celebrities such as Celine Dion and John Elway feast on rib-eyes and filets at the white-tablecloth restaurant before Day parts ways with the Denver steak house in 2010.

2022 Boulder Social brewery and pizzeria, Concept Restaurants’ latest endeavor, is slated to open this month off 38th Street and Arapahoe Avenue in the same building that once housed José Muldoon’s, a TexMex spot operated by Day’s group from 1974 to 1990.

Cyrus McCrimmon/the Denver Post via Getty Images (Frank Day); Courtesy of Concept Restaurants (Stout Street Social, Boulder Social, Old Chicago, Walrus); Robin Bouricius Photography/Courtesy of Concept Restaurants (Hotel Boulderado); Dave McKenna (The ChopHouse & Brewery)

1972 Day makes his foray into the Colorado food scene with the Walrus, a basement restaurant equipped with a salad bar in a vintage clawfoot bathtub, on the corner of 11th and Walnut streets in Boulder.

Dwindling sales lead him to turn the eatery into a dive bar, which serves booze-happy University of Colorado Boulder students for 46 years before closing in 2018.

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M E N TA L H E A LT H

BY K E N N E A L PAT T E R S O N

Into The Unknown

Each year, hundreds of Colorado teenagers end up in wilderness therapy programs—many of which are in Utah. But will recent calls for reform give Centennial State parents pause?

TK

W

hen Tyler Oakley was 15 years old, he fell asleep in his Boulder home thinking about the coming holidays. It was December 20, 2018, and his house was cluttered with Christmas decorations. His biggest worry as he closed his eyes was getting through his Spanish final the next day.

Sometime around 2 a.m., Oakley woke to find two men hovering over his bed. He panicked, jumped up, and reached for his phone, but it wasn’t there. Neither was his skateboard.

The men were not burglars, though. He knew this because they stood flanked by his uncle and aunt, his longtime guardians. One was a larger, burly man who looked ex-military. The other was smaller and had a calmer disposition. Only one explanation for the situation popped into the teenager’s head: He’d recently been smoking and drinking with his friends, even dabbling in cocaine and psychedelics.

Were these friends of his uncle’s, staging an intervention?

They weren’t. The men simply told Oakley they were “transporting” him. To where, he didn’t know. Neither the men nor his aunt or uncle said much else.

Oakley refused, but the two men issued an ultimatum: There are two ways this can go. Either you come of your own

volition—or we’re going to take it into our own hands. The teen relented. They restrained his arms anyway and led him to a dark passenger van outside. The door slid shut, and the engine turned over.

Frustrated, scared, and confused, Oakley’s mind raced as he considered possible scenarios. He had heard of lockdown facilities for troubled teens. Was that where he was going?

He peppered the men with questions but received only vague answers. After a couple of stops, a change in vehicle, and more driving, the men delivered Oakley to the Utah backcountry.

For the next three months, he would take part in a wilderness therapy program called Second Nature. Cut off from all outside contact, Oakley would backpack in the Uinta Basin, sometimes in deep snow, with a handful of other teenagers and Second Nature staff. The only reprieve from hiking and setting up camp was a weekly meeting with a therapist.

Will I be home for Christmas? he had asked the two men in the van that first night. Possibly, they said, but that was just a line. Oakley wouldn’t return home to Colorado for more than two years.

OAKLEY’S STORY isn’t uncommon, and it isn’t new. Since at least the 1970s, teenagers across America have been whisked to P H O T O I L L U S T R AT I O N BY E L E A N O R S H A K E S P E A R E

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M E N TA L H E A LT H wilderness therapy programs, often against their wills—“gooned,” colloquially—and then ushered into aftercare residential facilities, a scenario that can go on for months, if not years.

Originally founded by psychologists, faith groups, and nonprofits, among other entities, many wilderness programs started in the West, particularly in Utah, where there is boundless access to public land. These early programs, which became part of what many now refer to as the “troubled teen industry,”

were often run by underqualified therapists and largely went unregulated, even though some of them received state funding as repositories for kids who’d run afoul of the justice system. According to a 2013 article by the American Psychological Association, these initial iterations of wilderness therapy were more like boot camps, some of which pushed children—many of whom were sent by court order—into “challenging and even punishing experiences.”

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Over the years, though, the notion that wilderness programs could only be for juvenile delinquents sent by the legal system changed.

Privately owned businesses began opening programs whose marketing strategies started targeting a different demographic: well-to-do but desperate parents of defiant children.

Most for-profit wilderness programs work something like this: Participants are taken into the backcountry, where they hike during daylight hours, learn survival skills, and camp at night. The wilderness immersion, combined with a version of talk therapy— sometimes delivered to the group around the fire, sometimes in one-on-one sessions—is presented as a way to interrupt recreational drug use and instill self-confidence and some respect for authority. After a certain amount of time in the wild, many kids move to inpatient residential facilities, receiving further treatment in a group-home setting, before being released. But the experience doesn’t always go as advertised, and when Aaron Bacon, a 16-year-old from Phoenix, died on a winter trek through Utah’s Escalante River Basin in 1994, people began taking a harder look at wilderness therapy.

Like Oakley’s guardians, Bacon’s parents thought a wilderness excursion would do their son some good. His grades had plummeted, and he was smoking marijuana. North Star Expeditions, a wilderness program founded in 1990, seemed like a good option. Instead, Bacon’s death—from an untreated stomach ulcer trip leaders accused him of faking—was covered in Outside magazine, the New York Times, and High Country News, among other media outlets, and became a flashpoint for departments of human services everywhere.

Several therapy program workers were initially charged in Bacon’s case.The charges— some having to do with abuse and neglect of a disabled child—stemmed from the fact that Bacon had been consistently prevented from eating and had gone more than a week without a sleeping bag in freezing temperatures. In the end, only one instructor served time. North Star closed.

The negative PR encouraged the industry to try to self-regulate. To that end, several trade organizations began recommending best practices and offering accreditation programs.

But even some of those groups came under fire as board members and member programs were accused of abuse and violating state regulatory codes.

Allegations piled up after Bacon’s death, and in 2007, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report on the industry. It cited 2005 data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System in which

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M E N TA L H E A LT H 33 states had reported 1,619 staff members involved in incidents of abuse in residential treatment programs, an overarching term that can include wilderness therapy programs (depending on a state’s definition) and that can be synonymous with the term “congregate care facilities,” among other monikers. The report also included information on 10 cases in which children had died—from dehydration, heatstroke, restraint, and a fall while hiking— while in the care of such programs.

What the report didn’t include, because the authors felt it impossible to do so, was an overall picture of the extent of the American residential treatment program industry. “For example,” the report stated, “while states often regulate publicly funded programs, a number of states do not license or otherwise regulate private programs. Because programs determine how to describe themselves, especially in their marketing materials, there is no standard definition for ‘wilderness therapy program,’

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‘boot camp,’ or other terms used to describe the types of programs and facilities considered to be part of this industry.”

A year after the report’s release, U.S. Representative George Miller (D) from California introduced the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act. Despite passing in the House, the bill languished in the Senate. If it had passed, it would have established a way for states to better oversee and investigate incidents of abuse and develop centralized data systems for the entire industry.

The bill’s failure in 2008 meant there would continue to be no federal oversight of wilderness programs, residential treatment programs, or congregate care facilities for teens. And, with little consistency among states on how private programs for minors are defined, licensed, and regulated, the industry has been able to operate and flourish in vast gray areas, often under very little scrutiny from state-level agencies.

The death of 16-year-old Cornelius Frederick in May 2020 only served to confirm what many detractors had been saying since the 1980s: Abuse and neglect are pervasive, if not endemic, to the industry. The fact that Frederick died at Lakeside Academy—a forprofit residential facility for kids in foster care and the juvenile justice system in Michigan— and not on a trail in the wilderness didn’t matter. In many states, including Colorado, the regulations for wilderness programs and residential treatment facilities are the same.

Twenty-six years after Aaron Bacon died, Frederick’s death—at the hands of Lakeside staff, who were caught on video sitting on his chest until he suffocated, because he’d thrown a sandwich—renewed calls for reform. This time, however, advocacy groups, as well as individuals like Tyler Oakley, had a new tool to wield: social media.

AS THE SUN SET OVER the thick forests of southern Colorado, 15-year-old Bella* knelt, her hands wrapped around a stick. After a day of hiking, she was hungry, but she needed a fire to cook dinner. Bella twisted the wood in her hands until smoke curled into the air.

As about a dozen girls huddled over bowls of warm rice and beans, group therapy began.

They were asked by field guides to reflect on the self-efficacy, confidence, and trust they had developed through task completion: building shelters, starting fires, cooking meals.

The middle of the San Juan National Forest wasn’t where Bella had expected to be during summer 2020, but she had been struggling with anxiety and depression for a long time. The pandemic made everything

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.

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worse, and she had reached a crisis. She needed a space to heal away from her everyday life, and Durango’s Open Sky Wilderness Therapy had promised that. She signed up willingly.

Although Bella stayed in her home state, many Colorado parents looking for wilderness treatment turn to neighboring Utah, where a large portion of America’s wilderness programs are still located. Under the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, states sending and receiving children must file paperwork.

According to data acquired from a Colorado Open Records Request, since 2018, more than 800 young Coloradans have been placed into what Utah calls congregate care centers; 38 percent of them went to wilderness programs specifically. In fact, Kanab-based WinGate Wilderness’ founder and former executive director, Shayne Gallagher, says, “we treat more Coloradans than Utahans.”

What wilderness programs actually treat— and if that treatment is truly therapeutic—is up for debate. Marcus Chatfield, a Ph.D. candidate in U.S. history at the University of Florida who’s researched wilderness therapy, questioned the marketing tactics of wilderness programs in a 2020 peer-reviewed article.

Many should not, he wrote, call themselves

Tyler Oakley starting a fire while at Second Nature

therapeutic treatment centers because so many of their programs are undefined: “As long as parents enjoy the legal right to incarcerate their children without due process, to prevent a misuse of this right, all programs should be forbidden to claim the labels ‘therapeutic’ or ‘treatment’ until they are factually proven to be therapeutic and do in fact provide a predictable, safe, and effective treatment.”

Who should be “treated” is another difficult question. Some participants have been in and out of juvenile detention centers; others have

undergone therapy for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, behavioral issues, or substance abuse. But some wilderness programs don’t require any diagnosis or psychiatric evaluation for admittance. A child’s entrée can be solely based on parents’ needs or desires for their child—and their ability to pay the steep fee, a cost insurance sometimes won’t cover and which can be upward of $50,000 for three months. Those fees partially fund the nation’s estimated $23 billion residential treatment program industry. Despite the costs, some parents still consider these programs to be an invaluable treatment option.

Other parents, such as Bella’s mother, Chelsea, simply feel as if they’ve run out of options.Traditional talk therapy wasn’t enough for Bella, and many treatment centers in the Denver area, where they live, weren’t accepting new clients due to the pandemic, so Chelsea turned to Open Sky. She was drawn to the organization by what it calls a holistic, familycentered approach. “Our treatment model is really about looking not just at the whole person but the whole family,” says Emily Fernandes, Open Sky’s co-founder and executive director.

Fernandes, a licensed clinical social worker, helped found Open Sky 16 years ago after

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Courtesy of Tyler Oakley

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being a field guide for several other wilderness programs. After countless hours living out of her backpack and spending time with kids in the backcountry, she partnered with Aaron Fernandes, whom she met working in the field and later married, to realize his vision of a Colorado-based program.

Chelsea says dropping her daughter off was the hardest day of her life. She put her faith in Open Sky, but only after a tremendous amount of research: She searched the web, reached out to program alumni, and messaged Facebook groups full of parents going through what she was experiencing. Through word of mouth, she tracked down what she thought would be the best possible program for her daughter. But it wasn’t easy, and there were still red flags. Both Emily and Aaron Fernandes have, in the past, worked for Aspen Education Group, a program that has faced lawsuits and accusations of abuse.

Emily Fernandes knows that finding help for somebody you care about is invariably stressful and challenging. It’s especially difficult when the industry’s track record is uneven at best. She emphasizes that Chelsea’s deep dive is essential but also suggests several other steps to parents. She recommends making sure that a program is licensed by a state’s department of human services and that it has a solid track record with the agency. She also believes wilderness therapy programs and residential treatment facilities alike should be accredited, a step that means they have opened themselves up to evaluation by a third party, which may require practices and safeguards beyond what the state government mandates. Local leadership is another thing Fernandes stresses. In her view, Aspen Education Group—which no longer exists, although parts of the company were acquired by other health care companies—lost its way as it was bought by bigger parent companies in a relatively short amount of time. Each sale, she says, made it more difficult to ensure effective oversight at the local level.

Open Sky is located in Durango but operates in the greater Four Corners region. Regulated in two states—as an outdoor youth program in Utah and as a residential child care facility in Colorado—it has maintained good standing since its inception. State regulators and officials from the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council, which says it provides impartial validation that member programs meet or exceed industry standards, visit and interview groups of Open Sky teens in the field.

Bella spent three months with Open Sky before heading to an unaffiliated residential facility for another three months. Almost two years later, the now 17-year-old says that by

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M E N TA L H E A LT H going to Open Sky, she accepted the help she needed and learned coping skills to live a happier life. Chelsea puts it in even stronger terms: “It truly saved my child’s life.”

NOT EVERYONE feels quite so indebted. Type #troubledteenindustry or #breakingcodesilence or #unsilenced into TikTok, and the videos are legion. Teenagers, from very young to near adults, talk about their experiences at treatment programs around the country. The

hurt and fear seem real. “My nightmares are often still about being taken against my will.”

“When I got to Utah, I was strip-searched upon arrival….” “I had everything taken from me including my dignity.”

Social media is one of the first outlets teens use for, well, everything, and it can be a powerful tool when it comes to advocacy.

Jenny Magill, 36, a Littleton resident and the CEO of Breaking Code Silence, knows this from experience. She heads the nonprofit

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organization, founded in 2021, which is committed to eradicating institutional child abuse and legitimizing what it calls “survivors.” Magill says being gooned is traumatic, being separated from family as a teenager is damaging, and that accreditation is a farce. Some Coloradans might believe the industry’s problems are more pervasive elsewhere, but not Magill: “We’ve got programs in our backyard that most people don’t know about.”

To process what she endured as a teen in wilderness programs in the South, Magill turned to social media to find an online community that would understand. “It has enabled me to use my voice and my skills…to empower other survivors and to help achieve justice for the suffering that I and my peers went through,” she says, “and to prevent it from happening to another child.”

By posting videos to TikTok, the world’s most downloaded social media platform, those who experienced the troubled teen industry say they are pushing for better regulations.

The blitz may be having an effect.

In Utah, where there are approximately 100 congregate care facilities (there are 45 in Colorado), Utah state Senator Mike McKell (R) introduced a bill to the state Legislature in 2021 after hearing firsthand accounts about programs in his state. “The last reform bill was about 15 years ago,” he says. “The industry just grew and grew and grew, and our regulatory structure was clearly not sufficient for the growth.”

The bill, which became law and went into effect in May 2021, seeks to limit or ban the ways in which the industry keeps kids obedient, including pain restraint, seclusion, and chemical restraint, which is something “we’re still having a few issues with,” McKell says.The bill also requires programs to report incidents of restraint to the Utah Office of Licensing within 24 hours. And, because many children have reported feeling isolated, the bill ensures that facilities allow confidential communication between children and their families.

Considering the allegations of pervasive abuse, one might think programs would be against the new rules. For his part, WinGate’s Gallagher says the more regulations, the better. When he was executive director, he says the government conducted about four to six checks per year on his organization.

He acknowledges that maybe a handful of check-ins isn’t enough for certain programs.

Although the bill has had its successes, McKell says he’s still concerned. For starters, he believes kids are admitted too young and for far too long. Many programs start at age 13, and kids can miss out on everything from braces to prom. The senator also says there

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M E N TA L H E A LT H needs to be more oversight with regard to kids being gooned. Although Utah’s law mandates requirements for transport services, such as having insurance policies and registering with the state, McKell is pushing for further federal supervision. “I look at the way we transport kids across state lines,” he says. “That’s clearly interstate commerce.That’s something Congress should take a hard look at.”

McKell may get his wish.This past October, U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D) from

California said he is drafting legislation to ensure rights for those at youth treatment facilities. The legislation would establish a bill of rights for youth in congregate care centers nationwide, create legal definitions for institutional child abuse and neglect, and give states tools to reduce the use of institutional centers. Advocates such as Magill back the bill: “[These] programs cannot exist in the same space as regulations that ensure youth have the rights they deserve,” she says.

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OAKLEY’S UNCLE, Foster Bailey, says he has no regrets about sending his nephew to Second Nature. The program had received bad press in the past, but Bailey had used a placement adviser to help him find an appropriate program for his teenager. These advisers, sometimes called educational consultants, charge a fee to inform parents about available programs. The third-party recommendation made Bailey feel confident about Utah-based Second Nature.

(The program declined to speak with 5280.)

“We had no contact whatsoever for the first six to eight weeks,” Bailey says. “Partly because we wanted [Oakley] to experience the program without distraction, and partly because we were so utterly disgusted with the way he had treated us that we really weren’t interested in even speaking to him.”

Today, Bailey maintains that there’s value in wilderness therapy and believes that those in the program are offered navigational tools essential to living a fulfilling life. “I think the programs he attended significantly shaped the person Tyler is today,” he says, “and I wouldn’t suggest a thing to change them.”

Oakley, whose own TikTok video about wilderness programs went viral last October, has continued to bring awareness to the unknowns of an industry he says isn’t black and white. Cut off from friends and family for two years, Oakley felt scared and alienated. He had to face the fact that there was no escape—fighting his way out was impossible, and when he made a remark about running, he says he was forced to sleep restrained under a tight tarp. He says he also endured belittlement throughout his aftercare residential treatment.

Oakley maintains that harsh treatment isn’t necessary for kids who are just making mistakes, and that wilderness treatment is not a cure for everyone who’s acting out.

Still, Oakley says therapy taught him a lot, and he tries to hold on to the positives.

The 19-year-old currently lives in Hollywood, California, and plans to provide an account of wilderness therapy through a self-created TV show he’s writing. “I definitely gained an immensely deeper understanding for emotion,” he says. “But I didn’t have a childhood at all.”

Oakley knows he took a lot of life lessons from wilderness therapy, including how to break negative patterns in his life. “Everyone asks, ‘Did it help?’ and the thing is, yeah, of course it did,” he says. “I was there for two years; of course I got stuff out of it. They’re teaching therapy skills [and] ways to learn about yourself and other people.” After a brief pause, he adds, “But at what cost?”m

Kenneal Patterson is a freelance writer living in Boston. Email feedback to letters@5280.com.

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On The Road Again A rented camper van, 2,500 miles, and 10 days exploring the abyss between Instagram fantasies and open-road reality.

M

y seduction began with the click of a mouse. For the price of my email address, I entered a sweepstakes during the long winter of 2022 to win a fully rigged Mercedes-Benz Sprinter camper van. This was an impulsive decision, when my fantasies of open-highway escape were as strong as they’d ever been: After two years as coronavirus captives, my wife and I needed a road trip. And we needed a way to take both dogs along for the ride because, well, Coloradans.

Once I hit the “enter” button, Facebook’s algorithm worked its magic. My news feed began inundating me with one glamorous #vanlife fantasy after another. Other camper giveaways.

Van conversion companies. Custom vans for rent or sale. Nonstop blog posts.

The most persistent dream peddler was outdoorsy.com, where camper van owners offer you the chance to rent their custom rides. Dozens were available in the Denver area. Determined to entice, each owner posts alluring photos of their van’s boundless possibilities. Look—that one has an outdoor shower! This one has a surfboard rack! Are those impossibly attractive young people sharing a candlelit meal in the dining nook of their camper van? Of course they are! And see what happens when they slide open the side door?

They’re enjoying a panoramic sunset view of the Grand Canyon! Or the ocean! Or a pristine lake surrounded by forested mountains!

Now, look, I’m a grown man. At 65, I know more than most about the persistent gap between fantasy and reality. And yet….

OUR CAMPER VAN sat like a beached whale in the Denver parking lot of VanCraft, the company from which we rented it. A spotless 2021 model Sprinter with just 14,000 miles on the odometer, it was bloated not only with expensive diesel fuel but also with five gallons of potable water beneath the kitchen sink and another 20 gallons in the heatable outdoor shower tank in the back.

The bed was made with fresh linens, and the cookware in the kitchen drawers was sparkling. The refrigerator was chilled,

thanks to electricity generated from a solar panel on the van’s roof, and the company had preloaded small propane tanks for the two-burner stove. Two camp chairs and an outdoor carpet in the rear storage area awaited deployment beneath a roll-out awning the moment we happened upon some Instagram-worthy vista.

Back there, too, was the mysterious “cartridge toilet” I had rented for an additional $95. My wife, whose puritanical reserve is legendary, watched the rental agent demonstrate the flushing mechanism in the parking lot with a look I L L U S T R AT I O N BY J O N AT H A N C A R L S O N

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E S SAY that somehow combined amusement and abject terror. I knew right then she would never use it.

Our queenly 10-year-old Lab, Callie, and her hyperactive two-year-old Aussie tormentor, Finn, hopped in and made themselves at home. We stocked the fridge, loaded our bags and supplies, and added two of our own folding chairs to accommodate the friends we’d certainly make around various campfires.

Ahead: 10 days and 2,500 miles of adventure.

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We planned to hit Glenwood Canyon and other favorite Colorado spots on the way to visit our son in Las Vegas and our daughter in Los Angeles. In between, national parks, deserts, and magnificent wilderness.

Everyone was in place—me behind the wheel, my wife alongside, Callie claiming the kitchen floor, and Finn bounding up into the rear-deck double bed. I cranked the whale, and we lumbered off into the hazy Nomadland between fantasy and reality.

TURNS OUT, THE CAREFREE, spur-of-themoment freedom we were seeking also requires championship-level planning and forethought. Some obsessive-compulsive traits would have been helpful, as well.

In a perfect world, we would have planned our trip months or even a year in advance. We would have identified the national and state parks where we wanted to stay and monitored park websites to reserve our spots the moment they became available. We would have spent $99 for a Harvest Hosts membership and used its app to book ourselves into available campsites on private ranches, farms, wineries, even museum parking lots.

But I’ve never lived in a perfect world.

Hitting the road on two weeks’ notice requires an immediate and radical downscaling of expectations. National parks? You should have reserved a site six months ago. Less expensive state parks? Full. But my capacity for selfdelusion is wide and deep. I reasoned we could always engage in what’s known among RV people as boondocking—simply finding some overlooked paradise and squatting for the night.

I know what you’re thinking, because you’ve seen the same photos I have. You imagine enjoying a glass of good wine while your van is parked on a gorgeous turnout overlooking a crystalline mountain stream. In the distance, the sun is setting over the Maroon Bells. Life is good.

Perhaps someday you’ll find such a place.

We did not.

More likely, you’ll end up in the vast soulless parking lot of a Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Cabela’s, or other mass retailer that allows free overnight parking. Or you’ll engage in moochdocking—overnighting in front of the homes of indulgent friends willing to offer a shower or access to their toilets in the middle of the night.

Or you’ll end up booking yourself into a commercial RV “resort.” We did that during our first night in Moab, Utah. We arrived after dark. Even so, I could tell our road beast was a dwarf among the Jurassic, back-to-nature transport machinery among which we found ourselves. Greyhound-bus-size behemoths bristling with satellite dishes and worth more than the average starter home sat side by side on concrete slabs. Electrical wires and septic hoses snaked to outlets and dump stations.

Most sites also were crammed with off-road vehicles, trailers, and dirt bikes, which the motor homes had dragged along to explore Moab’s stunning red rock topography.

I felt like we’d driven straight into the heart of what cynics call “Peak America.” We drove straight out the next morning.

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E S SAY By contrast, in Kanab, Utah, we overnighted at an RV campground etched into a patch of dark-sky desert. It was extraordinarily pleasant. We enjoyed seeing countless stars before bed and awoke to a stunning red mesa landscape the next morning. We didn’t need showers but took them anyway, because the bathrooms there were nicer than ours at home.

Van life got way more complicated once we hit the cities. We spent two nights in

the parking lot of our son’s Vegas apartment building, hoping no one would notice the family of squatters hiding behind the van’s tinted and shaded windows. We relocated twice, like fugitives, to avoid arousing suspicion. Rather than haul out our $95 toilet in the middle of the night, I found a reason to visit a nearby dog park at 2 a.m., taking the dogs along as cover.

We spent another two nights dodging our daughter’s nosy landlord in crowded

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Redondo Beach. Her lease forbids pets. One night, we checked into a budget motel near LAX, just for a break. No worries that the dogs might stink up the room; it already reeked of weed. We spent our final night in Southern California moochdocking with friends, enjoying the expansive luxuries of a hot shower and a fenced backyard where the dogs could wrestle.

FANTASIES HAVE ENORMOUS VALUE. They provide comfort and hope. They keep us sane in stressful times. They fuel our ambitions.

Without them, human progress might stall.

But let’s recognize that we’re all pretty vulnerable these days. COVID-19 is a big part of it. There’s also a savage war in Ukraine, near-daily mass shootings, and a political discourse that continues to have all the civility of a back-alley cockfight. Don’t even get me started about the Twitterverse as a primary source of “news.” Honestly, there are more reasons than ever to run away.

I don’t fault the van life industry and its dream weavers for catering to that demand.

What they’re selling has persistent appeal, like comfort food. The freedom of the open road!

Accessible natural beauty! Mobile coziness!

Just know that, for us, what they’re selling was seldom as lovely as the Instagram photos, and it’s hardly cheap. To spend 10 days cruising through the Southwest in a claustrophobic, diesel-spewing camper, we paid about as much as if we’d stayed every night in a pet-friendly, $350-a-night hotel—and tipped well.

Still, we might try van life again. The dogs got to swim in the Pacific, explore Moab’s Grandstaff Canyon, and hike Red Rock Canyon outside of Vegas. They slept better than usual as part of our tight-quarters little pack, and the short one’s persistent digestive issues suddenly improved. Plus, having successfully pressure-tested our 40-year marriage, we now know we can survive that much togetherness.

The last leg of our trip took us home to Grand County in a storm, along the boggy Trough Road from State Bridge to Kremmling. The whale’s sides and back were caked with mud. What we returned to the rental company looked like a Mad Max battlewagon, and I found some satisfaction in that. I apologized and assured the check-in guy that the fearsome toilet was as clean as it had been the day we left. m

Martin J. Smith lives in Granby. He’s the author of five novels and five nonfiction books, including Going to Trinidad: A Doctor, a Colorado Town, and Stories from an Unlikely Gender Crossroads, which was a finalist for a 2022 Colorado Book Award.

Email feedback to letters@5280.com.

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We have successfully navigated the pandemic supply chain issues and hold more inventory on hand than almost anyone in town. Co-founder Ron Werner says, “Our commitment to living in the ‘yes’ allows us to do everything in our power to satisfy our customers, and our massive commitment to inventory is our secret sauce competing with anyone in town.”

We pride ourselves on being part of the fabric of our community in every possible way. Our commitment to supporting those in need is a part of our corporate culture, and it is our distinct honor to give back to those who have supported us so warmly for over two decades.

What makes us unique:

HW Home is the local favorite for fresh furnishings and great design, offering quick delivery on countless in-stock items and a true alternative to the national chains.

Boulder: 303.545.0320 1941 Pearl Street Fort Collins: 970.632.5957 321 Corbett Drive, Suite 118 Shop LOCAL · July 2022 · 57

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Shop LOCAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

RARE FINDS

RUSTIC • RECLAIMED • VINTAGE • INDUSTRIAL A visit to Rare Finds is nothing short of a treasure hunt that brings the world to you.

From custom tables and benches to high-quality upholstered and top grain leather sofas and chairs, lighting, architectural elements, unique accents and accessories for every space in your home—a visit to Rare Finds engages your senses and your imagination.

We follow design trends, visit trade shows around the world, and listen to our customers, whether they are furnishing a house in town or a mountain getaway.

Our pieces are hand-picked to reflect the kind of ease and individuality that makes Rare Finds Denver’s go-to location for unique furnishings. We especially enjoy seeing how our customers incorporate their rare finds into their everyday living and working spaces.

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THE PERFECT PETAL

WOMAN OWNED • HISTORIC HIGHLANDS, DENVER The Perfect Petal is a botanical wonderland. Our doors opened in 1995 to present a world of smashing florals and brilliant wares for your lifestyle. We were, and still are, the essence of a creative design community within a full service floral company.

We transform your moments, spaces and living areas into more beautiful and wonder filled environments through our award winning floral studio, nationally recognized Wedding designers and wildly transformative Special Event decor.

Our wares tumble and flow from stacked tables, glass boxes and high book cases. We choose each of them for their wonder or sense of humor, lovely packaging or marvelous story, in hopes that they match your sensibility.

What makes us unique:

Collaborating with artisans and skilled craftsmen from Colorado to remote villages in India, we have a beautiful collection of handmade one of a kind pieces from around the world.

rarefinds.com Denver: 303.990.9311 6500 E. 44th Avenue, Denver, CO 80216 Highlands Ranch: 303.237.4470 8575 S. Quebec Street, Highlands Ranch, CO 80130 58 · July 2022 · Shop LOCAL

What makes us unique:

We have a long, rich track record of going above and beyond in pursuit of the unforgettable, making events and the everyday absolutely special.

theperfectpetal.com 303.480.0966 3600 W. 32nd Avenue, Denver, CO 80211   @theperfectpetal @theperfectpetalboutique

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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Ideas and inspiration for your next home project.

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CARBON KNIFE CO

Carbon Knife Co specializes in handmade kitchen knives, crafted

by Japan’s best blacksmiths. A cook’s toy store offering a curated selection of cookbooks, kitchen utensils, barware, knife sharpening tools, local aprons, and specialty cookware. Come check out their wall of Japanese Knives, in the RiNo Arts District.

carbonknifeco.com | 720.292.4277 3264 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80205

ADVERTISE HERE SHOP LOCAL WILL BE BACK IN NOVEMBER!

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2022

OF THE

After a two-year pandemic hiatus, Top of the Town is back with the best places to eat, drink, play, and shop.

We dispatched our reporters across the region to find business owners, creatives, and other local luminaries who deserve extra attention. The result is a curated list of editors’ choice selections that elevate our 80 readers’ choice winners. EDITED BY SPENCER CAMPBELL

Town EDITED BY SPENCER CAMPBELL

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FAQS THE 411

How does 5280 pick Top of the Town winners?

Our reporters and editors spend months exploring the city to choose winners for select categories on the ballot. We do our research anonymously and pay for all meals and services. Our readers also pick their favorites for every category by casting votes via our online ballot. The businesses that receive the most votes win.

Don’t the magazine’s advertisers automatically win?

Nope. Top of the Town recognitions are based only on our research and readers’ votes; there is zero connection between advertisers and winners.

The fact that some winners happen to be advertisers, or later decide to advertise in the magazine, does not influence our selections. Sure, we could make some folks happy by “selling” winners, but in the end, we’d lose a lot more than we’d gain—like our integrity and credibility with you.

How can my business get on the ballot?

Our ballot is a write-in format, meaning we don’t provide multiple-choice options. Voters can suggest whatever restaurant, store, person, or service they deem worthy for every category.

I have a business that deserves an award. How can I win?

Let people know about Top of the Town voting. Reach out to our editors with your story. Encourage your customers to vote for you next year.

(The readers’ choice ballot opens on 5280.com in February.)

How do I vote?

Visit 5280.com (voting occurs online in February and March), sign in with your name and email address, and cast your ballot. It’s that simple.

TOP OF THE TOWN 2022

READERS’ CHOICE WINNERS  62

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TOP CHEF Editors’ Choice

MANNY BARELLA

To talk about tacos, Manny Barella must first discuss hamburgers. “People worry so much about the toppings of a burger instead of the flavor of the meat,” says the executive chef of Bellota, the Mexican eatery that opened inside the Source in RiNo in October 2020. (A second location, in Boulder, was slated to debut in June.) “I find that in tacos, as well. Here in America, they want to put on a multitude of toppings instead of making it simple. In Mexico, we have the tortilla and the meat, then salsa, onions, and cilantro,” Barella says. “I want the meat to speak by itself.”

Barella’s meats don’t just speak—they sing, serenading taste buds with pitch-perfect flavors. From the carnitas—more like a sweet, rich pork confit thanks to the Coca-Cola, condensed milk, and fat that sink into the meat while it’s cooking—to the habanero- and achiote-marinated cochinita pibil, one could easily ditch the tortilla and make a meal of the protein.

We wouldn’t recommend skipping the tortilla on what’s become one of Bellota’s surprise hits, though: the shrimp taco. While working at the venerable Boulder fine-dining restaurant Frasca Food and Wine, Barella learned to use every part of his ingredients. So, when he opened Bellota in 2020, a stroke of crustacean creativity inspired him to toast discarded shrimp shells and fuse them with butter. He then brushes that shrimp butter onto flour tortillas, grills them until crunchy, and stuffs them with shrimp, Chihuahua cheese, and tomato crema. The result is a delectably briny, shrimpon-shrimp, gooey bite that will forever change your perception of seafood tacos.

The chef ’s fare is already attracting national attention—Barella was nominated for a 2022 James Beard Award in the Emerging Chef category—even though he is keeping his sights set on local domination. “If we’re going to make Mexican food and call it Mexican food, I want it to be as close to Mexican as possible without catering to the American palate,” Barella says. “I joke, but I’m also serious: I’m taking over Denver, one taco at a time.” We gladly surrender. —Allyson Reedy

DINING  NEW RESTAURANT Water Grill 1691 Market St., 303-727-5711 COFFEESHOP Crema Coffee House 2862 Larimer St.; 2669 Larimer St. BURGER Zig Zag Smokin’ Burger 9220 E. Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village, 720-459-7530 INDIAN Little India Restaurant

Previous spread, clockwise from top left: David Williams (2); Defy Them All/Courtesy of Monarch Casino Resort Spa; David Williams; Courtesy of Shawn Campbell

All the information on how we selected this year’s Top of the Town honorees.

Top

OF THE TOWN 2022

TOP ETHIOPIAN Editors’ Choice

KO N J O E T H I O P I A N F O O D

Fetien Gebre-Michael and Yoseph Assefa are getting Denverites hooked on the cuisine of their homeland. The company started as a catering business in 2014 and expanded to a food truck a year later, but Konjo began reaching its largest audience in 2019 when it debuted a stall at Edgewater Public Market—and promptly spawned cravings for spongy injera, stir-fried chicken, lamb, and beef, and vegan sides. Tempted to join the newfound fans but a little intimidated by how to dig in? No worries: We asked Gebre-Michael to give us a primer on some of Konjo’s most popular offerings. Rule number one? “Your utensils are your hands,” says Gebre-Michael, whose family emigrated from Ethiopia to Colorado when she was three years old. “Traditionally, you eat with your right one.” —Patricia Kaowthumrong Konjo’s chicken tibs is spicy 2to bold and packed with umami, thanks and aromatic ingredients

1

The plant-based gomen with dinich (garlicky braised spinach and potatoes) and tikel gomen (curry-scented cabbage with carrots and potatoes) are tasty sides that bring balance to plates already bursting with flavor.

such as berbere (a house-made seasoning of more than 12 spices), jalapeño, onion, and tomato. At the end of the cooking process, GebreMichael stirs in kib’eh, or clarified butter, to give the stir-fry a rich, saucy texture.

food stall team 3teff,The makes injera using a small grain that

grows in the highlands of Ethiopia, from scratch every morning and sells about 500 sheets of the fluffy, tangy pancakelike bread each week.

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This spread, from left: Courtesy of Bellota; Joni Schrantz

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Ethiopians who practice 443Many Orthodox Christianity—about percent of the population—abstain from eating meat and dairy on Wednesdays and Fridays. So Konjo is well-versed in making hearty and delicious vegan entrées, such as miser: crimsontinted lentils cooked with loads of berbere, onions, and garlic.

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& Bar multiple locations BRUNCH Snooze, An A.M. Eatery multiple locations DISTILLERY Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse 3636 Chestnut Place,

720-532-0937 CHEF Alexi Mandolini The Easy Vegan BAKERY GetRight’s Bakery & Plant Shop 667 S. Raleigh St.; 6985 W. 38th Ave., Wheat Ridge; 808-640-5319 DESSERT Mizuna 225 E. Seventh Ave., 303-832-4778 ITALIAN Benzina 4839 E. Colfax Ave., 303-399-2352 J U LY 2 0 2 2

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TOP O’ T H E NIGHT

TOP BAR YAC H T CLUB This past December, McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright resurrected their beloved Yacht Club bar (which was open inside the Source in RiNo from 2014 to 2019) at 37th Avenue and Williams Street. The casual, coastalthemed decor goes perfectly with a menu of beach drinks, boozy shaved ices, domestic brews, and natural wines. The selection of loaded hot dogs might seem jarring, but don’t question genius: Just pair the Wharf Rat cocktail (pictured) with the Lorraine, a frank crowned with cheeseball spread, celery rémoulade, and pickled peppers, and revel in the unusual-butdelicious coupling.

TOP STEAK HOUSE

TOP ICE CREAM

TOP TACOS

A 5 S T E A KHOUSE

SMITH & CA N N O N

At eight-month-old A5 (pictured), executive chef Max MacKissock gives the oldschool chophouse concept a funky makeover, replacing dim lighting and wood paneling with vibrant neon and verdant plants. On the menu, lesser-known beef cuts, such as marbled bavettes and tri-tips, provide a refreshing opportunity to try something new (and delicious). Each is complemented by comforting à la carte sides, including cheese croquettes, while a roster of tropical-inspired cocktails accompanies you on your satisfying journey of steak rediscovery.

Curt Peterson’s East Colfax sweets shop is the only place in town where you can get Philadelphiastyle ice cream, which is made without eggs. The self-taught ice cream maker instead uses combinations of various milks to yield frozen treats with a rich, velvety mouthfeel. Ask Peterson to pour an espresso over your scoop of cheesecake- and cinnamon-forward Foxy Brown or habanero-zinged Honey Hotness.

Espresso over ice cream is called an affogato, and it’s eye-opening in more ways than one.

CA B R Ó N CA R B Ó N TAQ U E R I A & GALERÍA House-made corn tortillas?

Yep. A well-stocked salsa bar? Certainly. Juicy taco fillers such as chile-sauce-drenched barbacoa, crispy fried tilapia, and charcoal-grilled sirloin?

Check, check, and check. Ten-monthold Cabrón Carbón ticks all the boxes that a top taqueria must. Plus, it’s open until 3 a.m., Thursday through Saturday—and flanked by three nightclubs (Club Vinyl, #Vybe, and Bar Standard).

STEAK Bastien’s Restaurant 3503 E. Colfax Ave., 303-322-0363 JAPANESE Sushi Den 1487 S. Pearl St., 303-777-0826 ETHIOPIAN Konjo Ethiopian Food 5505 W. 20th Ave., Suite 106 (inside Edgewater Public Market), Edgewater, 720-310-5551 VEGAN/VEGETARIAN Gladys 5505 W. 20th Ave., Suite 116 (inside Edgewater Public Market), Edgewater KOREAN Dae Gee Korean BBQ multiple locations PIZZA Mici Handcrafted 64

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This spread, clockwise from top: Shawn Campbell/Courtesy of A5 Steakhouse; Courtesy of Marc Fiorito with Gamma Nine; David Williams; Sarah Banks; Courtesy of McLain Hedges

From cocktail hour to late-night bites, here’s how to eat and drink your way through four editors’ choice winners in one evening. —PK

TOP FOOD TRUCK

Top

OF THE TOWN 2022

Editors’ Choice

PHO KING RAPIDOS

Imagine a Vietnamese meal, and chances are you’ll conjure images of a grilled meat platter, a banh mi, or a noodle bowl. These are some of the beloved dishes immigrants and refugees from the country brought to America after the Vietnam War, and they’ve been filling our bellies for nearly 50 years. Long Nguyen, who owns Pho King Rapidos with his wife, Shauna Seaman, believes it’s time to add some variety to the menu. “For us coming into it and being the next generation,” Nguyen says, “we wanted to do Vietnamese food but not copy the mold.”

The couple’s almost two-year-old food truck, which mostly cruises breweries from Park Hill to Golden, has created its identity by gussying up Vietnamese staples—most notably the pho banh mi. Before smoking the brisket for four to six hours, Nguyen lets the meat sit for a full day in a rub of traditional pho spices, including star anise, cinnamon, clove, and coriander. To keep the protein tender, Nguyen finishes it sous vide, then adds ribbons of Thai basil, pickled red onion, jalapeño matchsticks for crunch, and a play on barbecue sauce that includes hoisin, dark chili powder, and rice vinegar.

Other menu items stray even further from traditional Vietnamese dishes, such as the pork belly fries with sweet Sriracha and sesame oil sauce or the chopped cheese sandwich, a Harlem classic Nguyen fell in love with while working in New York City restaurants. “We took what we love about Vietnamese food and the food we were exposed to out in New York [to make our menu],” he says. “We wanted to make it special and different, something that’s our own that we could be proud of.” —AR

TOP FRENCH Editors’ Choice C H E Z M AG GY After the COVID-19 pandemic forced Ludo Lefebvre to close his Michelin-starred Trois Mec restaurant in Los Angeles, the French-born chef decided to open his first Denver eatery.

Recently, we spoke with Lefebvre about five-month-old Chez Maggy and his FrancoColoradan fare.

—Spencer Campbell 5280: You recently got your third bison tattoo.

Why do you love them?

Ludo Lefebvre: For me, bison are as American as the wild Wild West. When I moved to the United States, I fell in love with the history, which is why I always wanted to do a restaurant in Denver.

What do those who are new to French cuisine have to try when they dine at Chez Maggy?

People ask me all the time: What do you bring to Denver? And I always respond: I bring butter. So I definitely recommend the escargot. It makes me very happy when people love escargot. I am from Burgundy, where the recipe for escargot was created. And when I was a kid—I don’t lie to you—I ate six dozen escargot. I love it, love it, love it.

What are your plans for Chez Maggy in the future?

I am going to start to twist the menu. I know better the vegetables Colorado has, and the meats.

There are beautiful lamb chops, for example, and I’m going to serve them with fried artichoke. I’m going to keep the classics, but I’m going to be a little bit more playful now.

Italian multiple locations CHINESE Hop Alley 3500 Larimer St., 720-379-8340 MIDDLE EASTERN Safta 3330 Brighton Blvd., Suite 201 (inside

the Source Hotel), 720-408-2444 THAI Daughter Thai Kitchen & Bar 1700 Platte St., Suite 140, 720-667-4652 MARKET HALL Edgewater Public Market 5505 W. 20th Ave., 720-749-2239 BREAKFAST BURRITO Santiago’s multiple locations ICE CREAM Sweet Cow multiple locations

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TOP INDIAN Editors’ Choice

U R B A N V I L L AG E G R I L L

Editors’ Choice REDEEMER PIZZA Love takes time, and so does great pizza. Redeemer’s dough—a living, carby blend containing 15 percent sourdough starter that gives the chewy-crispy crust an extra bite—enjoys a slow ferment in the fridge for a minimum of three days before it’s rolled out and topped with the likes of the simple (mozzarella cheese), the elegant (locally made Elevation Charcuterie soppressata), or the unexpected (sherry-and-soypickled mushrooms). Then, things speed up: eight or so minutes in the 600-degree electric deck oven to melt the cheese into a puddle and burnish the crust with pockets of char; a speedy slicing and delivery to your table; and finally, and quickest of all, the devouring. Chef-owners Spencer White and Alex Figura (of Dio Mio) call the style of pie served at their year-old Five Points joint New York 2.0, because it combines the best of the Big Apple’s greasy, foldable slices with the carefully crafted crust of Neapolitan pies. We call it love at first bite. —AR

DELI Curtis Park Delicatessen 2532 Champa St., 303-308-5973; 2700 E. Sixth Ave., Unit B, 303-900-9028 SEAFOOD Water Grill 1691 Market St., 303-727-5711 MEXICAN Los Dos Potrillos multiple locations BARBECUE Post Oak Barbecue 4000 Tennyson St., 303-458-1555 DOUGHNUTS Voodoo Doughnut 1520 E. Colfax Ave., 303-597-3666; 98 S. Broadway, 720-649-5666 TACOS Los Chingones multiple locations FOOD 66

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From left: Courtesy of Luke Gottlieb; Joni Schrantz

TOP PIZZA

When chef Charles Mani opened Urban Village Grill in Lone Tree this past October, he set out to create a place where Indian food and fine dining are synonymous, and most important, where guests are treated like kin. “When everyone has their special occasions,” Mani says, “and they want to spend time with me—those are the things that make me very happy.”

Born and trained in Chennai, on the Bay of Bengal, Mani left India in 2005 for New York City, where he worked at renowned restaurants such as Babu Ji and Badshah. He moved to Colorado in 2018 and launched his own place, Urban Village, which shuttered during the pandemic. Mani’s light, healthy, and modern takes on Indian food found new life at Urban Village Grill, where the 39-yearold chef continues to serve refreshing renditions of charred tandoori chicken, tender paneer tikka, and silky dal makhani (lentils slow-simmered for 24 hours in a tomato-butter sauce). Each plate, garnished with fresh flowers, aromatic herbs, and colorful purées, is brought to your table by a chef—often Mani himself—who explains the flavors and region from which the dish originates.

The compelling menu and sophisticated experience would be enough to delight most diners, but Mani also wants you to feel like family—and families cook together. So Urban Village Grill recently debuted an airy patio laden with seven tabletop grills, offering guests the chance to sear their own chicken, beef, seafood, or paneer slathered with traditional Indian seasonings such as malai, a decadent, cream-based sauce; hariyali, a mint and cilantro paste; and achari, a tangy pickling spice blend. Just like at a backyard barbecue, everyone is greeted with an inside joke, a thoughtful inquiry about their loved ones, or a suggestion to taste something they haven’t tried yet. “I came to this country with two bags on my shoulder,” Mani says, “and now I have a huge family everywhere I go.”

—Riane Menardi Morrison

Top CHICKEN FOR CHICKENS

OF THE TOWN 2022

SOUTHERN 0 SHU

Made with: No spice Expect: Classic breadedand-fried chicken JERK >1,000 SHU

Made with: Black pepper and allspice Expect: A taste-budtickling, sweet-and-savory, Caribbean-inspired blend GREEN CHILE 1,000–1,500 SHU

Made with: Hatch chiles Expect: Fresh green chile flavor with just a hint of zip HOT 15,000–40,000 SHU

Made with: Cayenne peppers Expect: Earthy, finger-licking fire that will scare most Midwestern palates but may seem mild to heat-seekers

TOP HOT CHICKEN

NASHVILLE HOT 30,000–60,000 SHU

Editors’ Choice

MUSIC CITY HOT CHICKEN

While many spots have opened in the past two years claiming to serve Denver’s most scorching hot chicken—the popular Nashville-style fried bird drenched in chile oil—nobody matches the fire and the flavor of this 11-month-old walk-up window inside Baker’s Trve Brewing Company. There, Fort Collins–born brothers and longtime restaurant staffers Sam and Jordan Graf bring the heat in seven blazing levels crafted with proprietary blends of chiles and spices ground by Fort Collins–based Old Town Spice Shop. But which burn is right for your buds?

To find out, we used Scoville Heat Units (SHU)—the official measurement of spice that runs from zero (as in, zero zing) to more than three million (basically napalm for your intestinal tract)—to gauge the potency of each Music City flavor offering. —RMM

Made with: Arbol chiles Expect: Zesty, smoky chile spice that induces a sweat without ruining your day WHITE HOT 100,000–350,000 SHU

Made with: Habanero peppers Expect: Bright floral notes and a blaze that burns your tongue and your innards FLAMMABLE SOLID 1,150,000–2,200,000 SHU

Aaron Colussi

ON THE FLAMMABLE SOLID

“ I E AT O N E A B O U T O N C E E V E RY M O N T H J U S T T O R E M I N D M YS E L F W H AT I ’ M D O I N G T O P E O P L E .”

—Assistant general manager Steven Skinner

Made with: Carolina Reapers and ghost peppers Expect: Roughly 15 seconds of a delicious, deep-and-fruity chile storm before a lightning strike turns your tongue into ash

LOCATE THE NEAREST BURN UNIT BEFORE INGESTING

TRUCK Yuan Wonton 720-961-3406 FRIED CHICKEN The Post Chicken & Beer multiple locations VIETNAMESE New Saigon 630 S. Federal Blvd., 303-936-4954 TAPAS Barcelona Wine Bar 2900 Larimer St., 303-816-3300 FRENCH French 75 717 17th St., Suite B, 303-405-7575 HOT CHICKEN Lou’s Food Bar 701 Grant St., 303-860-2929 CULTURE & NIGHTLIFE  PATIO The Golden Mill 1012 Ford St., Golden, 720-405-6455 J U LY 2 0 2 2

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TOP ARTIST Editors’ Choice

KYLIE JENKINS

After she moved from Ohio to Arizona in 2016 to pursue a tattoo apprenticeship, Jenkins tried to inject some warmth into the cold, often-hostile studio she joined.

Her bosses responded with belittlement, racism, sexism, and ableism. So, three years later, when Jenkins became a full-time tattoo artist at Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing on Broadway, she was determined to create an environment that made her clients feel safe, heard, and cared for. She succeeded. Now with some 40,000 Instagram followers and bookings that are snatched up in seconds, Jenkins has become one of the most coveted tattoo artists in Denver—and not only because of her welcoming disposition. The 29-year-old artist’s designs are intricately detailed, featuring strong linework and vibrant colors.

Perhaps even more noteworthy: Jenkins is an expert at tattooing vivid colors on darker skin. “If an artist says someone is ‘too dark’ to tattoo,” Jenkins says, “they just aren’t a good tattooer, simple as that.” But don’t take our word for it. Who better to critique an artist, after all, than her canvases? —Barbara Urzua

“Kylie’s art style is so fun and colorful and trippy, which is exactly what I was looking for. I love how open she is in terms of being neurodivergent and having ADHD…. I’m a nurse and a big advocate for mental health, so seeing how vocal she is about it is such a big deal to me.”

N A D I YA H WAT T S “One of my favorite art pieces is a painting by Gustav Klimt called ‘The Kiss.’ Kylie created a gorgeous design of my cats in that art style, which seems like a really tough task to take on. As a Black person and a queer person, I feel like I connect with Kylie on a deeper level.”

DINDI GAINES “When I was looking for an artist to design my tattoo, I was really looking for a Black artist, and that was, unfortunately, difficult to find. When I did find [Jenkins], I gave her a number of different elements I liked and wanted in a tattoo, and she just created the most visually stunning custom piece.”

COCKTAIL MENU Create Cooking School 2501 N. Dallas St., Suite 128 (inside Stanley Marketplace), Aurora, 720-573-9949 BAR The Red Barber 3770 Walnut St., 720-707-4040 BREWERY Barquentine Brewing 5505 W. 20th Ave., Suite 178 (inside Edgewater Public Market), Edgewater, 303-955-1238 HAPPY HOUR The Red Barber 3770 Walnut St., 720-707-4040 WINE BAR Noble Riot 1336 27th St., 303-993-5330 68

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This spread, from left: David Williams (4); Chayce Lanphear; Courtesy of Su Teatro; Courtesy of Ellee Achten

JAMIE MCNAMARA

TO P T H E AT E R C O M PA N Y

Top

OF THE TOWN 2022

Editors’ Choice

S U T E AT R O C U LT U R A L & PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Although Su Teatro officially turned 50 in 2022, it had to kick off its golden jubilee a year early so the company would have enough time to impart its gift to the Mile High City: producing every production in the theater’s repertoire, about 40 works illuminating Denver’s rich Mexican American history and culture, from Chicanos Sing the Blues to Interview with a Mexican. But Su Teatro’s cultural impact doesn’t end when the curtain closes. Later this month, it will produce its annual Chicano Music Festival ( July 27 to 31), an outdoor jam session and dance party featuring local musicians such as Los Mocochetes and Mariachi Sol de Mi Tierra.

The fiesta also coincides with Su Teatro’s yearly induction of music royalty into the Chicano Music Hall of Fame. Need yet another reason to celebrate? Su Teatro now holds the $1.75 million deed to its Lincoln Park building, where the third-oldest Chicano theater company in the United States moved in 2010. Owning a piece of this historically Latino neighborhood is seen by artistic director Tony Garcia as a displacement story in reverse. —Philip Clapham

TOP AUTHOR Editors’ Choice ALISON STINE In Stine’s novels, things are not going great for Mother Earth.

Spring never arrives, thanks to an approaching ice age, in her first book, 2020’s Road Out of Winter, and last year’s Trashlands imagines coastlines flooded by rising oceans. But Stine, who moved to Denver from rural Ohio during the pandemic, has a way of shining light through bleak worlds, an act of magic that’s particularly reassuring right now. Part of that spell is creating characters who seem to never run out of hope. Road Out of Winter’s Wylodine has a talent for making plants grow despite the frost, and her resilience bonds together the family she makes along her journey to find her mom.

In Trashlands, a young mother scavenges plastic and prays for the return of her son, who was kidnapped and forced to work in recycling factories. Yet she injects beauty into her world, crafting sculptures from trash and hiding them in the forest for others to find.

This most recent effort was nominated for a Reading the West Book Award, which celebrates the work of regional authors—a group we’re thrilled Stine now belongs to.

—Angela Ufheil

DISPENSARY Native Roots multiple locations ARTIST Thomas “Detour” Evans iamdetour.com PLACE TO SEE ART Denver Art Museum 100 W. 14th Avenue Parkway, 720-865-5000 BEST PLACE TO SEE A SHOW THAT’S NOT RED ROCKS Mission Ballroom 4242 Wynkoop St., 720-577-6884 MANI/PEDI The Nest Nail Spa 4950 S. Newport St., 720-524-4046; 180 S. Union Blvd., Suite 106, 720-524-4046 AUTHOR Kate Lansing katelansing.com J U LY 2 0 2 2

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TOP HAPPY HOUR

As Layla Friend prepared to open the Broken Cage in January 2020, the first purchase she made—even before booze—was houseplants.

While the pandemic stunted the LoHi bar’s initial growth, the greenery flourished: In those days, Friend made more money selling flora to socially distanced patrons than slinging beer. Now, with thirsty cube-dwellers returning to the office, happy hour is also alive and thriving in her chic jungle bar off Platte Street. From 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 4 to 6 p.m. on Fridays, most of Broken Cage’s signature cocktails, usually $12 to $14, can be sipped for $8 apiece. Catch up with your co-workers over the Divine Aviation (pictured)—a floral, just-sweet-enough concoction of Loveland’s Spring44 gin, Luxardo cherry liqueur, lavender butterfly pea flower tea, and lemon juice—before moving on to the short but diverse lineup of $6 glasses of wine or the $5 lager on tap. Fancy the jar of plant cuttings on your table? Add that to your tab, as well. —Jessica LaRusso

TO P P L AC E TO WATC H T H E G A M E Editors’ Choice

THE DNVR BAR

Many Denver sports bars have made names for themselves by catering to transplants. (Seriously: How many Cubs bars does a city that’s not Chicago really need?) The DNVR Bar, however, is dedicated to Mile High City sports—which is, you know, nice. Opened in 2020, the East Colfax tavern is an extension of DNVR, an online community that began covering local teams in 2015 and has since attracted more than 20,000 YouTube followers. Here’s how the watering hole is positioned to become the central hive for the brand. —Shane Monaghan RAISING THE BAR

During big games, the DNVR Bar is likely to be standingroom only, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to watch the action: With more than 20 TVs and speakers around the room, you’ll catch every Russell Wilson dime. Drink deals— including a tower of Bud Light (about eight beers) for $10— and regular T-shirt and food giveaways only stoke Mile High City pride.

YOUR HEART’S CONTENT

A $60 annual subscription to the DNVR website grants Denver sports fans coverage of every major area pro franchise from beat reporters who are starting to gain national prominence.

(Adam Mares, who reports on the Nuggets, has been a regular guest on ESPN.) Supporters can also listen to free, team-specific podcasts, which are recorded in the DNVR Bar’s upstairs studios.

CLOTHES MAKE THE FAN

Anyone can buy a jersey. True diehards’ drips are as distinctive as their passion for the team.

The DNVR Locker, a gear store located right next to the bar, stocks a multitude of unique T-shirts (starting around $30), all of which are created by locally based D-Line Co. and include designs such as a Hall of Fame bust of former Rockies player Larry Walker wearing the backward helmet that made him a meme.

PLACE TO WATCH THE GAME Stanley Beer Hall 2501 N. Dallas St., Suite 100 (inside Stanley Marketplace), Aurora, 720-749-5098 THEATER COMPANY Denver Center for the Performing Arts 1101 13th St., 303-893-4100 SERVICES  NEW HOTEL Catbird Hotel 3770 Walnut St., 720-990-5555 SPA The Beer Spa 3004 N. Downing St., 720-810-1484 MASSAGE Ella Bliss Beauty Bar multiple locations PET STORE/SERVICES Goodheart Animal 70

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This spread, from left: Layla Friend/Courtesy of the Broken Cage; Courtesy of the DNVR Bar; Chayce Lanphear; Courtesy of Emily Sierra

Editors’ Choice THE BROKEN CAG E

TO P PAT I O Editors’ Choice

Top

OF THE TOWN 2022

C I T Y PA R K G O L F C O U R S E The 2020 renovation of City Park Golf Course created 18 exceptional new holes.

The real master stroke, though, was the decision to move the clubhouse from the northwest corner of the property, where patrons suffered views of traffic-snarled York Street, to the parcel’s high point, where diners get to see, well, this. Considering the sport’s less-than-inclusive history, you might think the vista is for golfers’ eyes only. Not so. City Park’s patio has become an escape for downtown desk jockeys at lunchtime and after work, when they can enjoy the scenery and simple yet tasty fare, such as the turkey Reuben. In fact, the city recently expanded the bar area to handle the crush of guests. Yes, City Park’s low-key atmosphere may lack the beat drops and dizzying menus of signature cocktails that more “hip” outdoor scenes offer, but honestly, that’s part of its charm. —SC

TOP DISTILLERY Editors’ Choice M Y T H O L O GY D I S T I L L E RY Mythology founder and president Scott Yeates believes spirits taste best when shared with others—and made with them, too. For the third year in a row, his Highland distillery tapped the expertise of horticulturalists at Denver Botanic Gardens to cultivate a slew of floral flavor profiles for Mythology’s Foragers Gin, a limited-edition summer release of 500 cases. Here, Yeates and head distiller Chris Ritenour explain how the gardens’ ingredients bloom in your gin cocktail of choice. —Madi Skahill LEMON VERBENA

Combined with the grapefruit peels used in Mythology’s standard Needle Pig Gin recipe, this sweet-scented shrub is the citrusy superpower that gives the dry gin its bright flavor.

CHAMOMILE

Classic botanicals such as orris root, angelica root, and Italian juniper provide the foundation of the traditional gin taste, while chamomile’s “perfumey, floral earthiness,” Ritenour says, does the heavy lifting as Foragers’ floral element.

LEMON BALM

This perennial herb is technically a member of the mint family. But when it’s coupled with a touch of coriander, which Ritenour says adds a surprisingly complementary zest, lemon balm heightens Foragers’ subtle aromatic notes of citrus.

Health Center 389 S. Broadway, 720-647-2727; 2306 E. Sixth Ave., 720-780-7766 BIKE SHOP Wheat Ridge Cyclery 7085 W. 38th Ave.,

Wheat Ridge, 303-424-3221 HAIR SALON Salon Lucid 2021 E. Colfax Ave., 720-535-8661 FLORIST Rowdy Poppy 303-862-0407 INTERIOR DESIGNER Inside Stories 5650 S. Windermere St., Littleton, 303-783-9327 BARBER Semion Barbershop For All 507 Lincoln St., Suite J U LY 2 0 2 2

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TOP MANI-PEDI Editors’ Choice

Splashy murals aren’t the only Instagram-worthy masterpieces in Denver these days. Across the Front Range, nail art is flourishing as a creative statement—and for that, we largely have Rachael Waggoner, owner of Lakewood salon the Beauty Collective, to thank. While working as a nail artist to help pay for law school about a decade ago, Waggoner noticed a void in the city for the elaborate manicures she favored.

Her acrylic 3D art started filling the space, but more important, Waggoner became the matriarch of the mile-high nail scene, mentoring and teaching dozens of other local technicians how to craft designs for their own clients.

“Unlike a lot of other cities, one thing I think is really cool about this community in Denver is that we all network really nicely together,” Waggoner says. Her three-yearold salon and the new Beauty Collective Academy located next door are the physical manifestations of that spirit. At the salon, Waggoner and 11 other techs work independently (financially) but together (as colleagues) to bring even the wildest manicure dreams to life. At the academy, Waggoner and her faculty are training the Picassos of the future, so whether you prefer rhinestoneclad acrylic claws or shorter, eye-catching gel fingernails, you’ll be in good hands. —MS

102, 303-284-8954; 2501 Dallas St., Suite 264 (inside Stanley Marketplace), Aurora, 720-531-2918 SKI/SNOWBOARD TUNE Ski and Boot Lab 8955 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 1500, Highlands Ranch, 720-641-3740 SHOPPING  LOCAL JEWELRY DESIGNER John Atencio multiple locations FINE JEWELRY Sarah O. Jewelry 4301 Tennyson St., 720-502-3229; 1825 Blake St., Suite 120 (inside the Dairy Block), 720-708-2947 72

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This spread, from left: David Williams; Defy Them All/Courtesy of Monarch Casino Resort Spa (2)

T H E B E AU T Y COLLECTIVE

Top Editors’ Choice

M O N A R C H CA S I N O R E S O R T S PA B L AC K H AW K OK, sure: Casino-filled Black Hawk technically resides about 45 minutes west of Denver. But we simply couldn’t ignore the Monarch’s recent $400 million expansion, which bet big on self-care seekers with an elaborate, Vegas-style spa that ups the ante on offerings closer to home. The 23-story hotel and entertainment mecca gave the 60,000-square-foot retreat a prime, top-floor location that feels all the more tranquil after traveling through the din of slot machines on the way up. Booking any service (from a $65 pedicure to a $205 gemstone facial to a $365 soaking and massage ritual) gains you two hours of access to the mostly coed wellness oasis—and its overwhelming labyrinth of lounges—both before and after your treatment.

Use our guide to navigate all the amenities and come out feeling like a winner. —JL

Locker Room Change into your swimsuit and the provided plush robe. Return when necessary for tea, fruitinfused ice water, and trail mix.

Mountain Stone Bath Watch as a bucket of hot rocks dips into frigid water to fill this small sauna with steam in a kitschy but oh-so-soothing nod to Black Hawk’s miningtown roots.

FINISH

Herbal Steam Room Back in the locker room, bask in this humid chamber, where the ceiling is studded with lights that look like stars.

Aqua Spa Lounge Alternate soaking in the hot, jetted pool and sprawling on a cushioned chair with views of the mountainside. Then grab a handful of ice from the pedestal to rub over your skin to stimulate circulation.

Laconium Lounge Ditch your wet suit before letting the dry, warm air and heated, contoured seats loosen your muscles in preparation for whatever pampering service you’ve selected.

FIRST TWO HOURS

Experiential Shower Let this fun, gimmicky shower—there are settings for ice fog, thundershower, tropical rain, and snow— in the Aqua Lounge rouse you from your blissful stupor.

Brine InhalationLight Therapy Lounge Spend an hour reading, napping, or observing the color-changing illumination on the serene space’s cascading salt sculpture.

Service Ahh.

FINAL TWO HOURS

HOME ACCESSORIES/FURNITURE Rare Finds Warehouse 6500 E. Stapleton Drive South, Suite A, 303-990-9311; 8575 S. Quebec St., Highlands Ranch, 303-237-4470 KITCHENWARE Element Knife Company 2501 Dallas St., Suite 104B (inside Stanley Marketplace), Aurora, 303-4604628 PLACE TO BUY HOUSEPLANTS The Wardian 6400 W. 20th Ave., Lakewood, 720-688-1146 BABY/KIDS’ BOUTIQUE Wish Gifts 750 S. University J U LY 2 0 2 2

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START

TOP SPA

OF THE TOWN 2022

TOP HOME ACCESSORIES/FURNITURE Editors’ Choice

S O U T H P L AT T E T R A D I N G C O .

Editors’ Choice THE PLANT ROOM “Follow me to the plant room.”

That’s the phrase Victor SosaMeza found himself uttering again and again when he began selling houseplants out of his parents’ spare bedroom six years ago. At the time, it was a way to de-stress from his corporate day job, but SosaMeza quickly discovered that giving plant newbies personalized advice could become a full-time career. In 2020, he moved out of his parents’ home and into his first brick-andmortar location, in Jefferson Park. Sosa-Meza gives detailed care instructions for every plant and even replies to panicked, “Why is my prayer plant dying?” Instagram messages.

(Hint: You’re probably overwatering.) But the Plant Room isn’t just for newbies. Sosa-Meza makes frequent trips to Florida, a hub for rare plants, to snag silvery Philodendron hastatum and other varieties that are difficult to find in the Centennial State. Acclaim among collectors catapulted him to a new, bigger location just down the street from his original spot earlier this year. —AU

Blvd., 303-722-2900; 5014 E. Hampden Ave., 720-502-6081 LOCAL WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE Nora’s Retro 1509 S. Pearl St., 303-388-7999 LOCAL MEN’S BOUTIQUE Berkeley Supply 4317 Tennyson St., 720-445-6818 WEDDING GOWNS Lovely Bride 2636 Walnut St., Suite 100, 720452-1192 GIFTS Wish Gifts 750 S. University Blvd., 303-722-2900; 5014 E. Hampden Ave., 720-502-6081 ACCESSORIES W Boutique 5014 E. 74

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From left: Daniel Brenner; Courtesy of South Platte Trading Co.

TOP PLACE TO BUY HOUSEPLANTS

Jessica Larson knows what a conversation piece looks like. As a buyer for South Platte Trading Co., a Furniture Row concept that opened just before the pandemic, her job is to travel the world to find wares that will spark discussion in your living room. Unlike Denver-based Furniture Row’s other brands, which generally sell mass-produced items, South Platte Trading Co. is a one-off outpost specializing in pieces Larson describes as “fun, unique, vintage, reclaimed, often one-of-a-kind global finds” that expand the aesthetic breadth of the company.

Walking the floor of the north Denver showroom with Larson is a special treat, because she’s intimately familiar with the origin stories of her purchases. For one example, there are the accent chairs, covered using the centuries-old tradition of kantha, an art form born in the Bengal region of India in which rags are stitched together to create larger sheets of cloth. For these brightly colored chairs (pictured; $469) from Jodhpur, embroiderers sewed together pieces of recycled saris.

Getting such treasures to the Mile High City has become an adventure of its own. Although Larson had enough international contacts and relationships to keep product flowing in when she wasn’t able to travel abroad because of COVID-19, importing items has become exponentially more challenging. “It used to take us about 45 days to get something in from India or Vietnam,” says Larson, who has trips to Europe and Asia planned for later this year. “Now, it’s anyone’s guess with labor shortages and ports backed up.”

Fortunately, the 18,000-square-foot Bannock Street location isn’t exactly short on inventory, and Larson says things are still arriving, just more slowly. “Items move to people’s homes pretty quickly once they get here,” Larson says. “I come to the store sometimes, and I get sad that one of my pieces is gone. But at least I know they’re going to good homes.” —Lindsey B. King

Top

PICK A SIDE

OF THE TOWN 2022

People’s styles are as unique as their fingerprints, which makes selecting one Top of the Town winner in certain shopping categories extremely difficult—so we chose two.

TOP LOCAL WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE STREET WEAR

OLD-SCHOOL

C.R. LEE DESIGNS Although she started her label in 2013, designer Crystal Renee Lee didn’t begin racking up orders until launching her Tomboi collection in 2019. The combination of high fashion and streetwear has become so soughtafter during the pandemic—when comfort became essential—that each new line keeps selling out, and in March, Lee opened her first storefront on Broadway. —Joce Blake

T H E V I N TAG E L A B E L Co-founder Carolyn Carrington scours the country to fill her upscale vintage shop, traveling between private clients and estate houses to find unique pieces from ageless brands, such as Gucci, Dior, and Prada. If you can’t make it to the LoDo store, which opened in March, Carrington is eager to meet customers at their homes or offices, providing a bygone level of customer service. —SC

Clockwise from top right: Courtesy of Sarah O.; Jonas Conn-Parent/Courtesy of Steadbrook; Jason Sinn

TOP ACCESSORIES SNEAKERS

BLING

A L L AC C E S S K I C KS S There’s no better local place to step up your shoe game than at All Access Kickss, which had to move to a bigger LoDo location in November 2021 after outgrowing its original store in less than a year. The new spot carries everything from high-profile new releases to Adidas named after Towelie, the perpetually stoned South Park character. —SC

S A R A H O . J E W E L RY The boho chic brand (pictured) recently opened a second location in LoDo’s Dairy Block, and founder Sarah Ortega has remodeled her original Tennyson location, creating more space for design consultations and a larger showroom. The expansion came just in time for Sarah O.’s latest collection, which will launch this month: rings featuring rare stones, such as Montana sapphires, that Ortega has spent years hunting down. —PC

TOP LOCAL MEN’S BOUTIQUE CIT Y

OUTDOORS

STEADBROOK This 11-year-old Five Points boutique offers a mélange of contemporary brands, such as Rick Owens, Stüssy, Timex, and Our Legacy (pictured). But it’s the community it fosters that makes Steadbrook a gem: When the store isn’t serving the likes of rappers Jack Harlow, Trippie Redd, and Slow Thai, it’s organizing clothing drives to benefit Denver’s Samaritan House Homeless Shelter. —JB

AC M E F I N E G O O D S If you’re looking for the standard Patagonia uniform, don’t bother making the drive to Louisville to visit Eric Reed’s three-year-old men’s shop. Reed, a former sales rep for Denver-based Topo Designs, stocks mainly outdoor brands of quiet quality—think: Amundsen fleeces, Filson button-downs, and Red Wing heritage boots—for the man who doesn’t need a label, just high-quality threads that make him look good. —SC

Hampden Ave., 720-476-4990 PLACE TO BUY BOOKS Tattered Cover Book Store multiple locations ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS Wagon Coffee Roasters 2122 S. Lafayette St., 303-929-3325 SPORTS, OUTDOORS & FITNESS  FITNESS STUDIO/GYM High Ride Cycle 1711 Sheridan Blvd., Suite A, Edgewater, 303-477-0793; 2145 E. 120th Ave., Unit H, Northglenn, 720-638-8104 WINTER OUTDOOR GEAR ITEM D-Curve Optics Ski Goggles J U LY 2 0 2 2

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THE REAL HIKING VIKING 

 Zerk 40 backpack, $220 Former Marine turned professional thru-hiker and Lakewood resident Thomas Gathman—who describes himself as “one-half Viking, one-half thrill-seeker, and two-thirds beard”—co-designed this pack to be light but tough enough for multiweek treks. The result of two years and more than 5,000 miles of testing, the Zerk 40 features a roll-top closure, straps with easy-access pouches for snacks and a cell phone, and a weight of just 29 ounces.

TOP LOCAL OUTDOOR GEAR STORE Editors’ Choice

M O U N TA I N S M I T H

Although Mountainsmith has been designing hardy backcountry gear in Golden for 43 years, general manager Jonathan McFarland still meets locals who don’t know that the brand, which sells mostly through retailers, is based in Colorado. The company’s new headquarters and showroom near Washington Avenue, the foothills town’s main drag, will likely change that when it opens this summer. Passersby can peer through the windows of the historic building and see developers working on prototypes, pop in to check out the latest releases, and drop off Mountainsmith gear in need of repair, which is free as part of the company’s Forged for Life guarantee.

But Mountainsmith’s ties to the community go far beyond brick and mortar. Centennial State people and places have been influencing its products for decades. —JL

Sixer cooler, $35 Examine the merchandise racks at Golden’s Cannonball Creek Brewing Company, Odell Brewing Company’s Fort Collins and Denver locations, or Longmont’s Left Hand Brewing Company, and you’ll see Mountainsmith’s soft-sided coolers emblazoned with each brewery’s logo. Per feedback from beermakers, Mountainsmith increased the size of the Sixer (which it also sells blank) to fit six bottles, 12 cans, or two growlers.

A DENVER VETERINARIAN

GOLDEN GARAGE SALE  

Slingback chair, $25 After finding an ’80s-era version of the brand’s discontinued ultralight backcountry chair at a garage sale in 2015, a fan

returned the item to the company’s old headquarters. Product developers were inspired to recreate the original design. Revived in 2017, the five-ounce, rollable nylon sheet of fabric only needs two trekking poles to set up.

THE COLORADO HAUTE ROUTE

 Tour lumbar pack, $80 In 1982, Mountainsmith founder Patrick Smith almost got caught in an avalanche while back-

country skiing the high route from Vail to Winter Park. The experience inspired Smith (who has since left and started Kifaru, a Colorado-based hunting gear brand) to create a fanny pack of sorts that could comfortably hold a shovel. Now the brand’s top-selling item, the pack is popular with hikers and fly-fishers who appreciate the way it leaves their upper bodies unrestricted and distributes weight on the hips.

(whose name has been lost to time)   K9 dog pack, $79 In 2019, Mountainsmith enlisted a veterinarian to help update its decades-old dog pack. The doc’s knowledge of canine anatomy informed features such as an adjustable chest harness and foam padding in spots prone to rubbing. The vet also suggested storage compartments that weren’t so big that owners could easily overload their four-legged trail buddies.

3440 Youngfield St., Suite 239, Wheat Ridge, 800-854-2072 SUMMER OUTDOOR GEAR ITEM D-Curve Optics Mountain Iris Sunglasses 3440 Youngfield St., Suite 239, Wheat Ridge, 800-854-2072 PILATES STUDIO Kinesis Pilates 2501 Dallas St., Suite 258 (inside Stanley Marketplace), Aurora, 303-921-7017 CAMPGROUND Golden Gate Canyon State Park 92 Crawford Gulch Road, Golden, 76

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This spread, from left: Courtesy of Mountainsmith (3); Ian Zinner/Courtesy of Arapahoe Basin Ski Area; Evan Lee/Courtesy of Wheat Ridge Cyclery

LOCAL CRAFT BREWERIES 

TOP SKI AREA

Top

OF THE TOWN 2022

Editors’ Choice

A R A PA H O E B A S I N SKI AREA

Credits Tk

With Colorado ski hills in an arms race to install lifts and open new terrain to better accommodate their ever-growing hordes, only Arapahoe Basin has instituted the nuclear option—capping the number of visitors on its mountain—to boost the skiing experience. It started in winter 2019 when, to reduce crowding, A-Basin bailed on Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass, which had given customers unlimited days at the resort. Then, in March 2021, the mountain announced it would limit the number of lift tickets sold each day and reduce the amount of unrestricted season passes by 10 percent for the upcoming year. It worked. By this past February, the resort had seen 38 percent fewer skier days than it had by that point in 2019, according to a post on A-Basin’s website by chief operating officer Alan Henceroth. To put that in perspective: The resort’s parking lots reached max capacity once last season, and that lasted for about 30 minutes. In fact, the mountain is introducing wallet-friendly fall three-packs ($99) and fall passes ($279) this autumn to bring in more skiers when the mountain is too empty.

Lift tickets and season passes ($599) will still be limited, but those who land the latter will receive days at Colorado’s Monarch Mountain, Silverton Mountain Ski Area, and Bluebird Backcountry, plus New Mexico’s Taos Ski Valley and new addition Bridger Bowl Ski Area in Montana. That sounds pretty epic to us. —Nicholas Hunt

TOP BIKE SHOP Editors’ Choice

W H E AT RIDGE CYC L E RY When the Kiefel family announced it was selling the beloved independent shop it had operated for nearly half a century, Front Range riders braced for the worst. Would a new owner change things? Short answer: Yes, but only for the better.

New bike boss David Dentry, who bought Wheat Ridge Cyclery in April 2021, immediately bolstered the store’s online presence to allow customers to shop its inventory from the couch, a helpful innovation during the pandemic. But Dentry has kept most everything else the same, including the staff, a wise decision considering its industry acumen. For example, in May 2020, longtime general manager Steve Heal foresaw that the pandemic would cause bike shortages and acted quickly to secure several large shipments of two-wheelers and parts from manufacturers such as Trek, Specialized, Yeti, and Santa Cruz. So, while supply chain delays continue to stymie offerings at other metro-area shops, Wheat Ridge Cyclery remains wellstocked—and well-run.

—Fiona Murphy

800-244-5613 SKI RESORT Winter Park Resort 85 Parsenn Road, Winter Park, 970-726-5514 YOGA STUDIO Better Buzz Yoga 2714 W. 44th Ave., 303-495-6996 HIKE WITHIN 90 MINUTES OF DENVER Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, 720-865-2494 LOCAL OUTDOOR GEAR STORE Feral 3936 Tennyson St., 303-903-8584; 1630 Miner St., Idaho Springs, 303-829-5681 m J U LY 2 0 2 2

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T H E

A home in Louisville—one of more than 1,000 lost in the Marshall fire—burns on December 30, 2021.

Photograph by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images

M A R S H A L L

F I R E

The Fire Next Door Six months after the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history ripped through the Boulder suburbs, we checked in with those who experienced the tragedy. They told us what they’ve learned—and what they think other Centennial Staters should know.

BY LINDSEY B. KING

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M A R S H A L L

It Really Could Happen To You My husband and I believe in God. And we believe He is good.

That’s not always a popular statement, and I know a lot of people won’t be able to relate to it. I don’t expect them to. But I also know a lot of people can’t relate to what happened to us and, more broadly, to our neighbors and the surrounding communities. I hope they never have to.

A lot of people we talked to as the Marshall fire was scorching Boulder County’s suburbs said they didn’t believe the blaze would reach our house.

Here’s why: We live tucked away in Louisville. Our home doesn’t bump

I should leave our house, he reassured me, “It’d have to go through at least 500 homes to even get close to ours.” It did.

Throughout the day, the sky kept changing color. Blue and sunny one moment, then gray and smoky, then a disturbing orangey pink. I remember standing at the foot of the stairs of our home, on the main floor, where I pivoted back and forth looking out the windows. I didn’t want to leave, but the voice in my head said, “You have to go—now.” I grabbed laptops, my camera equipment, password books, our safe, our dog, and winter jackets, and I passed over so many of our treasured

The Marshall fire spared little, but this partial statue of Mary remains resolute.

up against open space, and the point where the fire supposedly started was miles away, with acres upon acres of land, a city, U.S. 36, and thousands of businesses and homes in between.

When I called my dad, who lives in the Midwest, to tell him I was evacuating, he said, “It’d have to jump a major highway to get to you. It’s not going to do that.” It did. When I called my husband, Mike, to tell him I thought

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possessions, all of which had become “nonessential” in that moment. When I closed my front door, I felt sure I’d never step foot in my house again.

The fire did what everyone said it wouldn’t, which was burn through Marshall and parts of Superior and unincorporated Boulder County, cross U.S. 36 into Louisville, and sear through thousands of people’s lives.

We watched the news coverage as

F I R E

it hopped from Davidson Mesa to Harper Lake, a little less than a mile from our place. Then we turned off the TV, got on our knees, and prayed.

We prayed for our home, for our neighbors’ homes, for our daughter’s school, for everyone’s safety. We fell into a restless sleep that night knowing our community had been tragically altered. We estimated there was a 50 percent chance our home would still be standing in the morning.

It was still there. But our neighbor’s house, 200 feet away, burned. As a result, our home was affected. You couldn’t really see the damage, but you could smell it. It was the scent of an urban fire, of thousands of burned cars, washing machines, and ovens.

Our carpet, furniture, mattresses, clothing, drapes—even the walls— were suffused with a sickly odor we knew wasn’t safe to breathe.

Our house hadn’t burned, like more than 1,000 others in our communities did, but it wasn’t livable either. We found a place to stay for two months and began what essentially was a forced home renovation. We juggled our full-time jobs with what became an all-consuming side hustle, dealing with scummy insurance adjusters and smoke mitigation companies. After spending a year’s savings on restorations, I still sometimes get a whiff of that smoke smell when I open the front door.

Yet, we continue to believe in God and believe that He is good. Not because we think He spared our home.

It’s because we believe God’s strength is a firm foundation, and it was the only place we found solace when our life was unrecognizable. What we now also believe, though, is that if a wildfire can threaten us, it can threaten anyone. It can happen to you. If it ever does, you’ll be in a club you never wanted to be part of, one whose members are the only ones who understand what Marshall fire survivors are going through six months after the blaze. We hope you never become part of our group, but just in case, the following pages share some of what we think you should understand.

—Sarah Banks, deputy photo editor, 5280

Benjamin Rasmussen Credits Tk

T H E

Reverse 911 Didn’t Work For Us—But You Should Still Opt In

You Need A Checklist Erica Solove thought the smoke around lunchtime on December 30 was suspicious enough to call the police substation in Superior. The winds were gusting in her Sagamore neighborhood, and Google said a small fire was burning near Marshall Lake. She asked the officer who picked up if there were any evacuation orders; she was told there weren’t. As she hung up, she and her husband, Jon, looked in the backyard. Flames. Everywhere.

Jon picked up their five-year-old and ran him out to the car. Erica hustled upstairs to scoop up their napping toddler. As Jon ran back into the house to save their yellow Lab, the smoke alarms started going off, and sparks started to come through the metal tracks on the sliding glass doors to the backyard. “I grabbed our dog and two coats on the way out of the house,” he says. “In the car, we realized I was the only one with shoes on, my wife hadn’t even had time to grab her purse, and the two coats I got were both mine, which was not helpful.”

They didn’t really know what to do, Jon says, “so we went to Target, barefoot.”

They bought a ball, a book, yogurt, and shoes. “We were zombies,” he says.

“My daughter doesn’t even like yogurt.”

Without proper notification (see “Reverse 911…” at right), the Soloves didn’t have time to snag much, even if they’d had a checklist, which, like most people, they didn’t. Experts say, however, that a smart disaster plan doesn’t only include what to do as you leave your house, but also how you prepare in advance.

AHEAD OF TIME

• Make copies of all important legal documents—marriage license, passports, mortgage documents, wills, jewelry appraisals, driver’s licenses, insurance policies, bank account numbers, birth certificates, Social Security cards—and either keep them in a bank’s safe-deposit box (many fireproof safes can’t withstand a wildfire) or make PDFs and upload them to a secure cloud-based storage provider

• Digitize all your precious print photographs and upload them to the cloud • Fill duffle bags with old but wearable clothing and shoes for each family member; include basic toiletries and medications • Keep family heirlooms— quilts, antique jewelry, wedding dresses, letters, journals—you don’t use every day in easyto-grab bins ON YOUR WAY OUT THE DOOR, GRAB:

• People

I L L U S T R AT I O N S BY B R I A N DA N A H E R

• Pets, in carriers, with leashes if possible • All household keys, car keys, wallets, purses, credit and debit cards • Cell phones • Computers, backup external hard drives, cameras • Valuable items spread around the house (make a list and keep it in a drawer in the kitchen) • The heirloom bins and duffle bags • Your grill’s propane tank—take it with you or move it far from the house

“Because we had recently moved into our house,” Louisville resident Dave Baron says, “we had just opted in to the reverse 911 system.” Yet, Baron didn’t receive any alerts until hours after he had evacuated.

“Our house had likely burned by the time I got that message,” he says. Baron’s story is not rare. In the days after the fire, residents wondered why there had been a lack of or delay in alerts. The answers, according to Curtis Johnson, division chief of support services at the Boulder Office of Emergency Management, are varied.

Cell phones were one issue. Unlike with numbers associated with landlines, there is no public database of cell numbers that are attached to physical addresses—meaning it’s difficult for cities and counties to send out targeted alerts.

To receive certain notifications, cell phone users must opt in to receive messages from municipalities.

The ability to opt in, says Johnson (who lost his home in the fire, too), has been available for 10 years, but too few Coloradans have taken the step. Because of that, Boulder County went live with a new geography-based wireless emergency alert (WEA) system in April that it’ll use for “life safety hazards,” like fires or tornados, Johnson says.

“WEA can lead to overnotification,” he says. “We’ll use it sparingly, so you still need to opt in to local alerts for other things [like shelter-in-place orders].”

Most municipality and county websites have emergency management pages with links for signing up for notifications. Once you sign up, you should receive a reverse emergency alert if danger arises in your geographic area.

But what about the delay Baron experienced? Gauging the speed and direction of the fire was difficult; deciding who to alert was a guessing game. “For evacuations in Louisville,” Johnson says, “we were dependent on officials making decisions and ordering evacuations. I don’t doubt that many people evacuated based on smoke or fire in the area before an evacuation order was sent.”

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It’s Going To Take The Entire Village Tatiana Hernandez is the CEO of Community Foundation Boulder County, a philanthropic organization that launched the Boulder County Wildfire Fund and has since raised more than $40 million for the recovery. 5280 spoke with Hernandez about how the foundation has been helping and how she sees things shaping up in the coming months.

5280: The Community Foundation typically funds environmental causes, the arts, education, and health care, but recently it has been all in on disaster relief, right?

Tatiana Hernandez: We’ve been involved with seven disasters in our 30 years—but four of those have been in the past two years. Each disaster is unique, and each response is different. By around 4 p.m. on the day of the Marshall fire, we knew this was going to be a devastating event. We had to look for ways to help and activated the fund that day.

Who donated $40 million?

We’ve had 76,000 people and institutions donate. “Philanthropy” translates to “love of humanity”; that outpouring shows that people do care.

How has that money been used?

About $8.1 million went to help in the

immediate aftermath. Roughly 90 percent of those with damaged homes received some support. In late March, we allocated $28.5 million more for things like rebuilding efforts, smoke remediation, debris removal, social infrastructure, and mental health care. The issue is that the cost for recovery will probably run more than $500 million. Philanthropic organizations typically don’t help with a rebuild, but we are trying.

Who will qualify for assistance as the foundation looks to distribute that $28.5 million?

We have created an advisory committee that will decide on criteria. Financial status will certainly come into play.

What are you most concerned about at this stage in the recovery?

That people won’t stay in Boulder County. People are having to

$580,000

make difficult choices. Everyone is underinsured—underinsurance numbers are in the hundreds of millions. Folks who had paid off their homes or the elderly might not want to take on new mortgages. Because of supply chain issues and labor shortages, the rebuild could take longer than anyone wants it to, and I have concerns about what happens after 18 months and insurance stops paying for additional living expenses. What does a family do then?

What most encourages you about what you’re seeing?

There is a sense of urgency. Debris removal began in April. People are beginning to know, with a bit more certainty, how much rebuilding is going to cost. It’s gonna have to be a barnraising, and we’re going to have to find every penny in the couch, but the community is moving.

Amount, in gift cards, given out by Sister Carmen Community Center (SCCC), a nonreligious nonprofit that has supported East Boulder for 40 years, since the Marshall fire. The organization has also distributed $294,000 in assistance for housing. Although SCCC has historically served underprivileged populations, its mission is “to serve those who are in need without discrimination, regardless of income,” says Suzanne Crawford, SCCC’s CEO. So, while the nonprofit has tended to work with fire victims who had been renters, who were uninsured, or who are living in the country illegally (and therefore ineligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency support), Crawford says, “we’ve seen families come in who never would’ve dreamed of coming in the past. In fact, we’ve had people who were once donors come in looking for help.”

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Yes, It’s Just Stuff—But It Was Our Stuff There are several common refrains one hears when speaking with those whose homes were destroyed or damaged during the fire. One is that the miscellany people accumulated during their lives and then lost during the most destructive blaze in Colorado history “was just stuff.” It’s the thing people are supposed to say when their families are safe and insurance will replace the couch. A close listen, however, reveals the longing and heartbreak, not about disappeared tables or clothing or appliances, but about the items that have no substitutes.

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photographs were taken before the days of digital.

Pictures of our kids as children. Pictures of our own parents. Our wedding pictures. A lot of our vacation pictures. They were all print.

They’re all gone.”

—Barba Hickman, Louisville

“My mom was a seamstress, and she had four sewing machines. She lost them all in the fire. I lost mine, too, and I cried the other day thinking about it. My mom keeps saying to me that, if she only had her machines, she could sew us new drapes for when we get new homes.”

—Elizabeth Van Leir, Superior

“My wedding dress. Not because I expected either of my daughters to actually wear it. But I wanted that fun moment of seeing them try it on.”

—Mary Ann Weideman, Louisville

A singed page of an old yearbook found after the fire

“You spend a lifetime gathering stuff. You can replace clothes and bikes and cars. It’s not the materialistic stuff that’s hard; it’s the little stuff. The saddest loss we had was our ketubah, which is the Jewish marriage contract.”

Credits Tk Benjamin Rasmussen

—Jon Solove, Superior

“One of the things my wife and I talk about is that, in our kitchen eating area, we had

five or six pieces of framed artwork—drawings our kids had made in elementary school—that we could’ve quickly grabbed. Instead, we grabbed things that we thought were important, like passports, that were actually easily replaced.”

—Curtis Johnson, Louisville

“We’re 66 and 71 years old, so a lot of our special

“We had 10 minutes to get out. We grabbed computers and some suitcases and threw it all in the car. We snuck in the next day to find our house burned to the foundation. The feeling of loss was about all the things you can’t buy. My partner’s mother’s journals.

My dad’s World War II diary.

Cookbooks that had been handed down for generations.

Memorabilia from when my partner’s kids were young.”

—Greg Harms, Louisville

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Some Of Us Are More Vulnerable Than Others As a land-use attorney, Richard Lopez, 72, has done and seen a lot. He worked for the city of Boulder in the 1970s.

He spent a year on the planning of Denver International Airport in the mid-’80s. He worked on the Exxon oil spill in the late ’80s. He’s represented homebuilders and developers and used his expertise during stints as a Boulder City Council member and as deputy mayor. He says 2022 will be his last year of practice, but there are two pro bono cases he’s passionate about finishing.

Sierra came to Colorado from Mexico in 1976. In 1994, Habitat for Humanity built a house on West Coal Creek Drive in Superior, where Sierra raised her kids and paid off her mortgage in 2011. In 2016, Van Leir moved into the house across the street from her childhood home, which allowed her children to see their abuela every day. “It was good because we could take care of each other,” Van Leir says. “If I needed milk or sugar, my mom was right there.”

That close-knit existence went up

Sarah Sierra, Elizabeth Van Leir, and Richard Lopez on West Coal Creek Drive

“I’m representing two families, a mother and a daughter who lived across the street from each other in Superior until the fire took their homes, against their insurance companies,” Lopez says.

Doing pro bono work is something that was instilled in Lopez by former employers—but the plights of Sarah Sierra, 76, and her daughter, Elizabeth Van Leir, 36, made the decision to work for free easy. A single mother of three,

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in literal smoke when the Marshall fire leveled Old Town Superior. Although Sierra and her dog escaped and Van Leir’s family—her husband, four kids, and two dogs—made it to safety, too, the scariest part of the disaster came days later when they learned that, while both homes were underinsured, Sierra’s was dramatically so. “I’ve always been concerned about inequity,” Lopez says, “and here was this traumatized

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seventysomething Mexican American woman who’d paid off her mortgage on a Habitat for Humanity home, but her insurance company was saying it’s not going to come close to covering the rebuilding cost of her home. It was subtle, but I could tell immediately the insurance company was speaking differently to me than they were to her and her daughter.”

Maybe that’s because Lopez is a man. Maybe it’s because he has a younger-sounding voice. Maybe it’s because he is, after all, an attorney. Or maybe there are other reasons. “Having an accent, like my mom does, you get treated different,” says Van Leir, who works for the Boulder Valley School District. “Richard is Hispanic, but his English is American, and he knows their verbiage. He’ll tell them if they’re being ageist. He’ll tell them if they’re disregarding that Mexican culture is different.” He’ll also tell them, he says, they had a duty to look after their client. Van Leir says that when the property was insured for $120,000 at the suggestion of Habitat for Humanity, Sierra paid the premiums.

But the coverage had never been updated and, according to Van Leir’s husband, Stephen, “Sarah wasn’t savvy about the American insurance market.

It should’ve been incumbent on the insurance to provide the right coverage over the years. It didn’t.”

That leaves Sierra living four miles from her daughter while they try to figure out how to rebuild their homes.

Although she has an approved $8,000 loan from the U.S. Small Business Association and $500 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Sierra is looking at a roughly $300,000 gap between what insurance will cover and what builders say it’ll cost to build a home like the one she had. “As I was leaving, my house was on fire,” Sierra says. “I was thinking, Oh, Dios, oh, God, please, this is my life, now what am I going to do?” Lopez says he wants to make sure the answer to that question is that Sierra can move back into a house across the street from her family, where she belongs.

Sarah Banks Credits Tk

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DISASTER, BY THE NUMBERS $550,000

The price of the house

$200,000

The price of the lot the house sits on1

$750,000

The total sales price paid to purchase the home and lot

$1,618

Average annual home insurance premium2 in Colorado, an amount policyholders often assume will cover full replacement cost should they experience a total loss

$3,000

Estimated monthly mortgage, which is still due even if a house is lost to a disaster

Trust Us: You’re Underinsured, Too Swear jars have been put on hiatus in Louisville and Superior households since December 30, in large part due to %*&$ing insurance policies that aren’t going to cover rebuilding costs. This scenario—in which homeowners learn, postcatastrophe, that they have less insurance than they need to repair or replace what has been lost—isn’t rare. According to nonprofit United Policyholders, an insurance industry watchdog, roughly 60 percent of homeowners nationwide would be underinsured should they experience a total loss. However, that number appears low when it comes to the Marshall fire. “This disaster is a little unique because of a confluence of unfortunate factors,” says Amy Bach, its executive director. Bach says that pandemic-related supply chain issues and workforce shortages are a real problem, but so is the fact that this fire burned through an area with so many custom homes. “Insurance companies use software that defaults to ‘standard’ construction pricing. Right now, and particularly in an expensive market like Denver, nothing is standard,” Bach says. “They don’t update their software enough or use it correctly, so the math isn’t right.”

That may be an understatement. Marshall fire victims across the board say they are finding a measurable gap between what insurance will cover and what builders say it will cost to replace the home they once had. “This happens because insurance agents try to hit a sweet spot when selling a policy,” Bach says, “and they’re using replacement cost calculators provided to them by insurance companies. They’re trying to make a sale knowing a consumer wants an affordable premium and that, statistically, a total loss is very rare.” Translation: Consumers logically believe a sales rep is giving them the best deal on a policy that will cover them, even in the event of a complete catastrophe. But that’s not the case—and the law has fallen on the side of insurance companies in the face of disaster. “Until the law clearly puts the obligation on the sales rep to recommend adequate coverage limits on a dwelling,” Bach says, “what Marshall fire victims are experiencing will continue to happen.”

Still confused about underinsurance? Here, we break down how your insurance policy might not be enough to replace your home if a wildfire ruined everything, down to the foundation.

$775,000

Estimated cost, from a builder, to erect a house of similar size and quality to what was lost on the existing lot 3

$225,000

Gap in the amount the house was insured for and what it will cost to rebuild4

a house on it, the land can be ➊ Without sold to, say, a developer—a move some

Louisville and Superior residents are making after being paid insurance money for the dwelling. They’ll move elsewhere and use the insurance money and proceeds from selling their land to buy a new home. usually includes coverage for the ➋ This dwelling, other structures, personal

property, loss of use, personal liability, and medical payments. estimate is based on current ➌ This materials costs, labor costs, supply-and-

demand economics, and building codes in a specific geographic area, while the insurance companies’ cost estimator software for full replacement often is not. Call your agent and ask to re-evaluate the amount of insurance you have based on current market forces. will often not approve a new ➍ Lenders mortgage or construction loan until bor-

rowers can prove how they are going to close this gap.

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Healing Takes Different Forms In April, Audrey DeBarros said she and her family were going to see their Louisville home for the last time before it was removed by the city. They needed to visit to close one chapter and open another while acknowledging the hurt. “I still label myself as a Marshall fire victim,” she says. “I look forward to the day when I can say I’m a Marshall fire survivor. I’m not there yet.”

Experts say people who experience a tragedy heal in their own time, in their own ways. Some of those who experienced the fire say there have been moments that have helped them on their journeys.

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HOW IT HELPED

“You could sign up to have volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse come to your home to search for things. I had a list of three: a ring, a necklace, and the urn with my father’s ashes. As I was listening to one of the organization’s pastors say a prayer, a voice rang out: ‘I found a necklace!’ It was the necklace my mom always wore that had my dad’s holy cross and his St. Christopher medallion and their wedding bands on it. As they continued sifting, I saw an item I thought might be my father’s urn. Because of the heat, just touching a piece of ceramic can make it disintegrate, but they were so gentle. A few minutes later, they gave me my father’s urn.”

“Truthfully, finding these things was so important.

I was holding so much guilt about those two items. I didn’t know how I was going to tell my mom that I had left them behind. It helped me move forward, and I’m so grateful for those volunteers who lovingly uncovered these things.”

—Mary Ann Weideman, Louisville

“My partner and I moved to a rental in Denver, and we decided to call this ‘our year abroad.’ We also took one night to talk about all the things we’re not going to miss about our old house, like that creaky door we hated and the family heirlooms we’d inherited that we didn’t actually want.”

“I’m not saying it’s easy, but trying to change your perspective—looking at the other side of things, finding a bit of joy—was a fun exercise that definitely changed the mood.” —Greg Harms, Louisville

“We bought our dream house in September 2021. We got married in the same month and then found out my wife, Kim, was pregnant in December. Our house burned down a few weeks later. So we really hadn’t had time to get to know our neighbors. But when the wildfire happened, it forced us to get to know the people who had lived around us in a way that might not have happened for 10 years.”

“Our family and friends have been so supportive.

But they can’t know the pain, loss, and details we’re managing. Only those who have experienced this truly get it. Our neighbors have been our emotional shoulders to cry on.” —Dave Baron, Louisville

“Our insurance wouldn’t approve coverage for a pack-out service, which is a cleaner who takes all of your soft goods (clothing, rugs, drapes), dishes, and anything else that needs to be cleaned from smoke damage to an off-site facility.

So, we were tasked with cleaning all our dishes, pots and pans, and cooking utensils and doing about 30 loads of laundry ourselves. I knew I needed to find a way to make the chore bearable, so I took a day off work each week during the month of February and did dishes and laundry for eight hours straight.”

“As I wiped down my grandmother’s credenza, hand-washing each piece of china inside, I marveled at each of the special pieces we’d received from people we love. It reminded me how much we loved this home and cemented my desire to work hard in order for it to be restored, insurance be damned.”

—Sarah Banks, Louisville

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Rebuilding Neighborhoods Isn’t Going To Be Easy—Or Fast The fire leveled all 171 residences in the Sagamore subdivision in Superior.

Louisville’s Cornerstone neighborhood lost 72 homes. Just across the road from there, 39 burned in Centennial Heights, where Rex Hickman had lived for 23 years with his wife, Barba.

“You can’t even begin to tally the losses,” he says. In truth, though, that is exactly what most people are having to do for their own houses and also for the neighborhoods that once surrounded them.

with one builder, who can then erect pockets of homes with different floor plans and finishes all at roughly the same time.

That’s the hope, anyway. Reality, of course, might be more complicated.

Greg Harms had lived in his home in Louisville’s Cornerstone neighborhood since 1992. He says that in March, a cohort of 12 or so homeowners got together to talk about people’s plans. “Just in my little group,” Harms says, “we had

Credits Tk Helen H. Richardson/the Denver Post via Getty Images

Entire neighborhoods were lost in December’s Marshall fire.

For dozens of communities within Superior and Louisville, rebuilding has become a group project. Families from the same cul-de-sac or longtime neighbors from both sides of one street are joining forces, not only to get the band back together again, but also to do so as quickly and as economically as possible. In some cases, that has meant forming coalitions of 10 to 15 homeowners who all agree to sign on

everything. A woman in her 70s who just can’t manage the insurance challenges and will likely sell her lot. Young families with kids who’ve already converted their mortgages to construction loans and want back in now. And then there’s some like us.” Harms and his partner plan to rebuild—but are keeping their options open for now. “We may try to move to a different lot in the same

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neighborhood if one of our neighbors doesn’t rebuild,” he says.

Complications aren’t limited to handshake agreements between neighbors; area builders say complexities likely will abound with trying to put up 1,000 homes in a timely fashion. “Right now, the biggest issue for people is the massive amount of uncertainty,” says Tom Studebaker, project director for the newly minted Remington Rebuilds division of Arvada-based Remington Homes. “When is my lot going to get cleared? When will I know what my insurance company will cover? What can you build for us, and how much will that cost?” Studebaker says that’s really just the beginning, though. He believes his company has the capacity to build 100 or 120 additional homes a year, but “that makes a lot of assumptions about things that are out of our control.”

That includes getting building permits that must be issued by the city; determining the availability of thirdparty survey teams and soil testers; amending planned development documents to allow neighborhoods to look different; and dealing with supply chain issues born of the pandemic.

“The last couple of years, oddities have occurred,” Studebaker says. “Things you can’t predict. At one point, Xcel had no gas meters. Then, for a time, we couldn’t source garage doors. When Texas had that bad freeze, we couldn’t get insulation. It could be doorknobs next, for all I know.” Those things are frustrating but not tragic when it’s one house—but when area builders might need, say, 30,000 doorknobs in the next 18 months and can’t get them, that can quickly slow progress.

Studebaker is optimistic, though.

He says he thinks progress is exactly what a lot of the Marshall fire survivors will be seeing this month. He expects lots will continue to be cleared, many contracts will have been signed, and, in the early days of July, the noisy clangs of construction might be a welcome sound. m

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The Remains Of The Day When you’ve lost everything in the Marshall fire, how do you reclaim your past while building your future?

BY ROBERT SANCHEZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH BANKS

Two chimneys are all that is left of Molly McCray’s family home in Boulder County.

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With a computer animation of their new house projected on the wide screen at the far end of their architect’s conference room, Alison and Nate Meadows finally allow themselves a moment to breathe.

A few clicks of the mouse and a small loop of the architect’s hand swings into view a 360-degree rendering of the home on Saint Andrews Lane: a two-story modern farmhouse, resplendent in bright white, with a black metal roof and a front porch.

Sam Rodgers, one of the Meadows’ architects, sits across the conference table. The couple is just one of about 33 new clients, 30 of whom have come from the Coal Creek neighborhood in Louisville, where 134 properties were destroyed in the December 30 Marshall fire. In total, the blaze destroyed just under 1,100 buildings.

More mouse clicks, more rotations. Rodgers watches Alison and Nate carefully. “We’re a little bit like a therapist these days,” Rodgers says before meeting the couple at Asher Architects’ Berthoud office this past March. He nods knowingly when Alison suggests her boys have same-size bedrooms, each with their own bathroom; he smiles when Nate talks about the small wine cellar he wants in the basement.

Alison studies the screen. By next year, the new house will replace the one she’d shared with her husband for the past decade, where they celebrated holidays and neighborhood parties and were raising their sons—Saxon, 12, and Fletcher, seven.

“This is just beautiful, guys,” says Alison, 43, a human resources executive at a vacation rental company in Denver.

She turns to her husband, seated next to her. “What do you think, hon?”

“I can definitely see us there,” Nate, 50, says.

Alison looks back at the drawing and tilts her head. There’s one small issue: “I think we need more storage,” she says.

Rodgers runs the mouse’s arrow over the basement layout.

Maybe a wall could be moved here? Maybe the space below the stairs could be widened?

Alison and Nate watch Rodgers’ work appear on the screen.

It’s easy for the couple to get lost in this daydream of hope, of a new house in the old neighborhood, of the kids once again playing in a backyard overlooking the first hole at Coal Creek Golf Course.

“I think we can get this to how you’d—” Rodgers begins to say.

“Oh, shit,” Alison interrupts. A frown crosses her lips. The room goes silent.

“We don’t have anything to store,” Alison says. “It’s all gone.”

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You hear the question on Saint Andrews Lane and at Community Park, in Superior, where children play on a grassy baseball field with edges blackened by flame. You hear it in the rural corners of Boulder County and in suburban enclaves where construction crews drop massive trash bins onto streets, ready to collect the remnants of what has been lost.

Will things ever be the same?

Seth Goldman isn’t sure. It’s March, and he’s standing in front of where his house used to be, just up the hill from where Alison and Nate plan to rebuild. The once, and now future, Goldman plot is further along than most in the neighborhood. A crew will begin cleanup in a few days, ripping down the last pieces of brick and steel, then peeling away the rest of the charred land. Soon, throughout Boulder County, chain-link fences will go up, and the sound of diesel engines will rise into the air, joining a chorus across the landscape, the song of a community in transformation.

Seth and his wife, Nancy, are both 65. They’re retired with adult children. Seth is a former YMCA executive. Nancy, a retired hospital therapist, spent her adult life helping others at their worst moments but now feels like her worst moment will go on forever.

Seth steps into the remains of their home. He scoops up bags of ash from different parts of the house, where he presumes one of the family’s cats, Jinx, had hidden and died. Seth can’t get that cat out of his mind. Nancy isn’t with Seth today.

She stays behind at her mother-in-law’s place, their home until they can move into a rental this summer.

“Twenty-five years of our lives, just gone,” Seth says as he stands alone on the sidewalk, imagining the space where his home office had once stood. There’s a burned maple out front, which had grown with the couple’s three children and served for years as the backdrop for first-day-of-school photos. The kids are grown now. The tree is dead. The photos no longer exist.

Seth walks down the street. “How do you rebuild all of this?” he asks.

He once called this the mountaintop, but now it’s a barren mesa. What was a warren of ’90s-era houses and mature trees now offers an unimpeded view of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains.

He stops outside a few neighbors’ houses. It doesn’t seem right to stand on their driveways—“It’s like sacred ground,” he says—so he stays on the road. There’s the family whose fireproof safe proved far less fireproof than originally thought.

There’s the neighbor whose house was spared but suffered so much smoke and water damage that it was almost as bad as if it had actually burned down. There’s the charred parcel a few houses from that home, where a wrought-iron railing leads up concrete stairs to nowhere.

In the unincorporated community of Marshall, west of where the Meadows’ and Goldmans’ homes used to stand, two historical buildings are now ash and rubble. One had been an office for a 20th-century mining company; the other had served as housing for miners who once worked the hillsides nearby.

RUBRIC

They’re both just up the road from where Molly McCray and her family lived.

She’s on her gravel driveway one afternoon in the spring, looking at two chimneys that frame the Flatirons. That’s all that’s left of her childhood home, where she was living with her husband and their two children. A few radiators had collapsed into a pile in what was a crawl space. A wood chipper nearby is charred and holds a melted tire. The chicken coop is a blackened outline in the burned grass. A day after the fire, Molly returned to what was left of her house on South Vale Road and found her rooster by the coop out back. His rear feathers were burned and one foot was slightly frostbitten, but he lived.

Molly and her husband, Ty Taylor, are Army veterans. Every inch of their five acres is like a fingerprint, something that is uniquely theirs. Many of the neighbors were here when Molly was growing up, and her childhood friends often returned, mothers now, just like her. They’d roast marshmallows in the small pit out back and drink wine and laugh and talk about their families and tell stories about one another. In the daylight, an unencumbered carpet of wild grass seemed to stretch all the way west to Boulder. “It was like heaven,” she says.

Behind her burned house, a zip line Molly’s father installed 30 years earlier is singed and sagging on the ground.

What remains of a small apple orchard is tucked between a berm and Davidson Ditch, which hides a canal. Molly and

Nate and Alison Meadows in front of the remnants of their house on Saint Andrews Lane in Louisville

her seven-year-old daughter, Viv, called the area the Magical Forest. The pair had spent the year before the fire cataloguing the apple trees there, an undertaking Molly hoped would become a tradition for the two. Molly marked each tree with a different color X—blue, green, black, white—and Viv matched the colors to dates for first blooms, for harvest times, and for the crispness of each tree’s apples. Viv had put her notes in a couple of three-ring binders and stored them in the greenhouse.

The binders are now gone. Molly holds out a hand and touches a burned tree trunk, which is marked with a blue X, still visible, even now. A few melted pieces of plastic mark the former greenhouse. “We’ll get back to this someday,” she says. “I know Viv wants that part of her life again. I probably want it more.”

An arborist had been on the family’s land a few days earlier, making a quick count of the hundred-plus burned trees on the property. The cleanup estimate was $100,000, money Molly and Ty don’t have. Like most people after the fire, they realized how woefully underinsured they were. Molly is determined to rebuild on the land, but exactly what they can afford is up for debate. She and Ty stay up late some nights, talking and worrying about it.

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she was finally starting to trust that just because something might go wrong didn’t mean it was life-ending. But, in March 2021, there was the mass shooting at the King Soopers where she often shopped, and then flames hit the berm behind her house nine months later.

Molly had just enough time to grab Viv, three-year-old Declan, and their three dogs and three cats and get the hell out. She lost her wedding ring, her Army ribbons, her childhood blankets and dolls, and the framed photos of her father, who died 17 years earlier. Her mother remarried a while back and moved to California; that’s how Molly got the house. “So much of who I am was in this place,” she says, bending over one section of the remnants of her home and pulling out a pile of porcelain doll heads with holes where the eyes had melted.

Molly McCray outside of the remains of her family’s home in Boulder County

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Across the street from Molly, Jo Easton is lugging tree branches to one side of her flattened house. She’s wearing blue jeans with a hole in the right knee. Her long hair peeks out from a blue bandana.

Jo looks up from her work, walks toward Molly, and gives a little wave. “Just another day in paradise,” she says.

Jo has been in the neighborhood several times each week since the fire, trying to clear what her 68-year-old body will allow. A 50-foot ash tree—limbs broken and blackened nearly halfway up the trunk—stands next to Jo’s collapsed walls.

“There’s got to be a silver lining to all this,” Jo says.

“I don’t know where it is right now,” Molly says.

“Sure is going to be a long year,” Jo says.

Jo’s father-in-law built the home in 1957, a couple of decades before Molly’s parents arrived in the neighborhood. Jo raised four kids here, welcomed her grandkids here. She’d spent nearly her entire adult life on South Vale Road.

As they stand together, Jo and Molly reminisce. Molly tells Jo about her burned rooster and the chainsaw her husband gave her one Valentine’s Day. They talk about tubing in the canal on hot summer days.

The two know every neighbor on their street, and every neighbor has said they are rebuilding. One couple already finished their scrape-off, and a new build will start soon. A 91-year-old neighbor is rebuilding her place, and the woman’s son and his wife plan to move in with her.

Jo misses her orange front door. Her father-in-law carved it and installed it when he built the Eastons’ two-story house.

She misses the quiet rituals that made up her morning: coffee with the newspaper, the first glimpse of daylight illuminating the Flatirons.

“I just want my house back,” Jo says. “I want my walls back.”

Molly nods.

“There’s not a vestige left,” Jo says. “Oh, well….”

“Oh, well,” Molly says with a little laugh.

“I guess I can finally say that now,” Jo says. “Maybe I kinda mean it.”

A breeze ruffles the needles on the nearby pine trees.

“What do we do, Jo?” Molly finally asks.

“I dunno,” Jo says. “Keep going?”

A destroyed neighborhood is framed by the window in Neil Anderson’s office, a view that makes the Monarch High School principal feel both fortunate and gutted.

He begins to explain how months can simultaneously pass like seconds and years.

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“There’s not a single person in this community who hasn’t been touched in some way by this fire,” he says. He’s done the grim math for his school. The fire displaced at least 225 of his students and staff, including his own children. The Andersons have spent the past month living in a Boulder rental while their smoke-damaged house in Superior undergoes repairs. The principal helped organize backpack giveaways and a gift-card donation drive for those affected.

“This has been daunting and overwhelming,” Anderson says, “but this is also our life right now, and we can’t run away from it. It’s a weight to carry, but even on our worst days, we have to find a way to gain strength from one another.”

Have you taken time to grieve?

The principal looks toward the floor. He nods instinctively, but then closes his eyes.

He shakes his head. “I think…mmmm… you know….” Tears begin to pearl in the corners of his eyes. He pulls off his glasses and reaches for a tissue. “There’s a layer of trauma,” he says, wiping his eyes. “We just need time.”

Upstairs, in the school’s journalism room, the yearbook editors finally feel like they can let go. It’s a special place up here.

Dozens of first-place awards—given out at the latest Colorado high school journalism convention—are taped to cabinets along a wall. These are the best of the best among student journalists in the state. These kids see the yearbook and the school newspaper and the television station here as more than classes and clubs. To them, this is a calling.

Five staffers are sitting at a table in April with their adviser, Ben Reed, a week after hitting deadline. There are smiles and laughs. There’s grief and tear-streaked faces and hugs. The work these past few months has been cathartic.

“I feel like we’ve come so far,” the yearbook’s editor-inchief, 18-year-old Natalie Hunt, says. “This has changed me.”

Hunt returned to Room A208 the week after the fire.

Despite losing her house and moving with her parents and sister to an apartment in Broomfield, she was determined to get the yearbook out on time. There’d be the usual stuff: student photos and senior quotes and recaps of high school sports seasons. Then, there’d be the fire. How do you tell this story properly, respectfully? she wondered.

The staff settled on a 10-page section to commemorate their losses. Hunt worked with a team of 11 editors—among them Maya Raulf, a 17-year-old junior who will lead the yearbook staff next year. These days, Raulf is living in an apartment near Broomfield. Nothing remains of her father’s Superior house.

Raulf asked to help lead the fire coverage. She wasn’t interested in focusing solely on those, like her, who’d lost

Seth and Nancy Goldman on the porch of their rental home in South Boulder

nearly everything. There would be teachers and students and staff whose homes were spared, but who still had to exist in this nightmare. “We needed every perspective, because this is like a time capsule,” Raulf says. “I didn’t want any experiences left out.”

Over the months, the staff pulled together student profiles, photos, and a lead story that spoke about that day. Hunt put a photo of her burning house in a collage on one page. “Mr. Reed says he still can’t read the fire section without crying,” she says, a little proudly. “This is the most important yearbook that’ll ever be created here.”

“This is the book every single person is going to keep,” Reed adds, “and it’s going to mean something.”

It’s impossible to estimate the number of hours the staff has spent in Room A208—the late dinners, getting home at midnight with school the next morning, reading and re-reading stories about loss, about the lives they once had. No one could possibly calculate the staff ’s pride when they shipped the book to the printer. “It was just, like…we did it,” Hunt says.

“Every one of you put your whole selves into this,” Reed tells the staff. He points a finger at them. His voice catches.

“What you were doing was the most important work, I hope, that you ever do.”

A few seats over, Raulf pulls her arms tight across her body.

She buries her chin into her chest. She starts to cry.

Hunt puts a hand on her friend’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 122 J U LY 2 0 2 2

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BICYCLE THIEVES INC. AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME RING ALLEGEDLY STOLE NEARLY $1 MILLION WORTH OF MOUNTAIN BIKES FROM LOCAL SHOPS. WE GO INSIDE “OPERATION VICIOUS CYCLE,” THE SCHEME THAT ROCKED FRONT RANGE RETAILERS.

BY JOE LINDSEY ILLUSTRATION BY OWEN FREEMAN

After being robbed twice, Lisa Kaveggia says she never doubted that she’d reopen Mojo Wheels.

L

IKE MOST 3 A.M. PHONE CALLS, THE ONE THAT WOKE LISA KAVEGGIA ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2019, DELIVERED UNWELCOME NEWS: MOJO WHEELS, THE DENVER BIKE SHOP SHE’D OWNED FOR 31 YEARS, HAD JUST BEEN BURGLARIZED.

BICYCLE THIEVES INC.

Kaveggia roused herself and, still in her pajamas, rushed to the store. When she arrived, she found a gaping hole where Mojo’s front entrance used to be. The door lay inside the showroom—knocked off its hinges and out of its frame—and a section of wall was visibly pushed in. “The whole front of my building was exposed,” Kaveggia says. Thieves, police told her, had used a stolen Denver Public Schools van to smash in the door and grab six high-end mountain bikes valued at about $30,000 total.

The robbery that night at Mojo was the first in what would become an unprecedented crime spree targeting Colorado bike shops.

From September 2019 to June 2020, a ring of at least eight people allegedly perpetrated roughly 30 break-ins up and down the Front Range, carting off more than 200 bikes—a haul valued at nearly a million dollars, according to a series of grand jury indictments presented by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office this past October.

Dubbed “Operation Vicious Cycle” by the AG’s office, the investigation reveals the new reality of bike theft in America.

Lured by expensive merchandise, professional criminals work in groups and combine simple techniques, like smash-and-grabs, with more lucrative and harder-to-investigate ways to sell stolen goods, often transporting them across state and even federal borders.

Attorney General Phil Weiser declined to comment specifically about Vicious Cycle because it’s still an open case. But, speaking in general terms, he says, “We’re seeing organized, systematic bike theft, and other forms of retail theft, happening at a scale that I believe is a recent phenomenon.”

Just weeks after the first break-in, thieves again attacked Mojo with another vehicle, this time at the rear entrance. Although they failed to access the building, a month later an engineer sent by Kaveggia’s insurance company delivered the worst news yet. The second violent collision had damaged a structural I-beam in the building, which Kaveggia owns. “He said, ‘Your building is totaled, and you need to get the hell out of here before it falls in on you,’ ” Kaveggia says. One thought ran through her mind: These people killed my company.

BIKE THEFT HAS HISTORICALLY been a crime of opportunity. From garages, off car and bike racks, or from patio railings at coffeeshops, bikes are pilfered from their owners one or two at a time by criminals who do a quick risk-reward analysis in their heads. Retailers, on the other hand, have long dealt with tactics such as credit card fraud, shoplifting, and test-ride theft. But large-scale smash-andgrabs, while a threat, weren’t common.

Lately, that’s changed. “I don’t have hard statistics,” says Scott Chapin, a Minnesota-based insurance broker for Marsh & McLennan Agency who has specialized in the bike industry for almost two decades. “But, in the past two years, the frequency [of break-in claims] I’m seeing has at least doubled.” Denver Police Department (DPD) crime data doesn’t separate retail bike thefts from personal property, but the total number of bikes stolen in the city rose from 2,736 in 2017 to 4,219 in 2020, before falling to 3,759 last year.

The people who began hitting Colorado bike shops in fall 2019 were after one thing: mountain bikes. Expensive ones. That partly explains why the primary targets were independent bike shops. In 1991, when Kaveggia opened Mojo, bikes were mostly made of steel and aluminum, using technology that hadn’t changed much in decades. “I think about $1,200 was the most you could spend, and that was insane,” she says.

(That’s roughly $2,500 today, accounting for inflation.)

In the past decade, bicycle technology has advanced dramatically, with carbon fiber frames and wheels, sophisticated suspension P H O T O G R A P H BY M AT T N A G E R

designs, hydraulic disc brakes, and even electronic shifting driving up prices. High-end, full-suspension mountain bikes today start around $5,000 and climb into the low five figures. (Road and e-bikes are similarly pricey and are often stolen as well, but for some reason, they didn’t entice the Vicious Cycle thieves.) According to the DPD, the estimated average value of stolen bikes increased 26 percent from 2017 to 2021, to $1,824.

As bike values have risen, they’ve attracted a different kind of criminal. “This is organized crime,” says Andrew Love, head of brand security and investigations for California-based Specialized, one of the world’s biggest bike brands. Vicious Cycle thieves allegedly hit the company’s Boulder Experience Center, a demo and service shop, in December 2019 and walked off with $73,000 worth of bikes. “You have people who know what they’re doing, and they do it over and over,” Love says.

It’s also become easier to unload illgotten goods. Whereas a decade ago, criminals had to turn to local resellers such as pawnshops and secondhand sports stores—or a few platforms such as eBay and Craigslist—today, online “recommerce” has atomized and anonymized the sale of goods, particularly on social media. “People can open up an anonymous account on, to take one example, Facebook Marketplace,” Weiser says. “They say, ‘Just send me the money, and I’ll send you the bike.’ ” Facebook is not the only place stolen bikes are sold online, but it’s a prominent target of criticism. Hawking pinched products is against Facebook’s policies, but Specialized’s Love and other sources say the social media giant is slow to ban sellers.

“Facebook is hell to deal with these days,” Love says. (Facebook would not comment on the record for this story but encourages users to report suspicious listings and contact local authorities to report stolen goods for sale. The company’s enforcement is largely automated, but it does rely on human teams to manually review listings in some cases.)

On top of all that, the demand for bikes skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

People discovered that two-wheeled rides provided a socially distanced alternative to mass transit and a healthy, virus-safe way to spend time outdoors. At the same time, factories closed and shipping logistics snarled, stalling the global supply chain and stymieing retailers’ abilities to stock inventory. With bikes scarcer than ever, less conventional sellers became a more attractive option.

“This has always been one of those urban legends.

Everyone always thought, Well, maybe they go into Mexico, but had zero proof.”

BECAUSE WEISER’S OFFICE WOULD NOT go into specifics about Operation Vicious Cycle, most of the details

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of the ring’s alleged activities come from court documents—which paint a vivid, if incomplete, picture.

According to his 83-count indictment, a man named Maurice Leday played a central role, organizing and coordinating the burglaries, including recruiting other participants, often via Facebook Messenger. Leday, a 22-year-old Denver resident, has a lengthy adult criminal record in Colorado, including convictions for motor vehicle theft, reckless driving, and eluding authorities.

Adrian Rocha-Chairez, 56, whom the indictments describe as a fence—someone responsible for receiving and selling stolen goods—appears to have been a key player, but the status of his legal exposure is less clear. (Before his Vicious Cycle indictment, Rocha-Chairez’s criminal record in Colorado consisted solely of a few traffic violations. His criminal case no longer appears on the court docket, but Weiser’s spokesperson said the AG would not comment on whether it had been dismissed.)

The indictments claim Rocha-Chairez would sometimes dictate to Leday how many bikes he needed from a theft or thefts. Then, one or more members of the larger criminal enterprise—Leday allegedly worked with a number of accomplices—would steal a passenger van or box truck and use it to ram through a store entrance. Other times, they would simply throw a rock through a display window.

They’d work quickly, rarely dallying for longer than a couple of minutes. After a successful theft, the indictments claim, Leday would deliver the bikes to RochaChairez, who coordinated with another alleged fence, 48-year-old Salvador MenaBarreno, to move the bikes out of state.

The thieves were as bold as they were efficient. Adam Rachubinski owns Alpha Bicycles, which at the time had a location in the Denver Tech Center and one in Littleton. In June 2020, Vicious Cycle members allegedly robbed his DTC outpost. That same night, as Rachubinski was sweeping up the broken glass, his security company called to say the alarm was going off. “So I gave them the password, and they said, ‘That’s not it,’ ” Rachubinski says.

“And I thought, Oh, crap, I have separate passwords for the two separate stores.” Sure enough, thieves were at his Littleton shop, nabbing seven more bikes. Giant Cycling World in Littleton, the most victimized shop, was hit five times.

The Vicious Cycle robbers may have been daring and organized, but they weren’t exactly criminal masterminds. Only three months after the spree began, a suspect admitted to investigators that he’d perpetrated one of the jobs, although the indictments don’t reveal why he confessed. The next month, Leday’s indictment alleges, police recovered a beer bottle from a stolen

“Part of our hope is that even if we can’t repossess all these bikes, maybe we can trash the market for them.”

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truck, and DNA analysis produced matches for Leday’s mother and her boyfriend (neither was indicted). The biggest break came on April 25, 2020, when Leday and others allegedly broke into the Bikery at the Brewery in Littleton and made off with 13 bikes worth a total of nearly $50,000. A responding officer pursued the group, who fled with such haste that eight of the bikes fell out of the back of the stolen U-Haul. Police claim they found the abandoned truck less than an hour later—with Leday’s cell phone on the ground outside and his fingerprint on the driver’s side door. Law enforcement then used phone records and cell towers to track an alleged co-conspirator’s location as he executed subsequent thefts— including at Alpha.

Court documents don’t reveal when that evidence was presented to a grand jury; or why 18 months elapsed between the last thefts listed in the indictments and the arrests; or whether Alpha really was the group’s final score. They also don’t offer much insight into whether the alleged thieves were part of a larger crime ring that authorities are still investigating. What the allegations in the indictments do reveal is where the stolen bikes likely went.

FROM HIS HOME IN PORTLAND, Oregon, Bryan Hance—spurred by his own experiences losing bikes to thieves and a desire to expand his coding skills—has been building online communities to battle bike theft for nearly two decades. He co-founded his most successful venture, Bike Index, in 2013. The privately run, nonprofit database allows anyone to register their bike’s serial number and post about stolen or recovered ones. In January 2021, an anonymous tipster messaged Hance about the rise in thefts in Colorado. “That was the beginning,” he says, “of a very long, very deep rabbit hole.”

Hance had always wondered how thieves fenced bikes, especially high-end ones, without attracting notice. Working independently and unaware of law enforcement’s interest in the case (he did eventually provide investigators with some information), Hance spent months using Bike Index’s database, conversations with victims, and open-source intelligence to track stolen bikes. The trail Hance discovered led from Colorado to an obscure shop 640 miles away in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, just south of El Paso, Texas, called Alexander’s Bikes. Alexander’s appeared to operate solely through a Facebook page, geo-locked so it was only visible to IP addresses inside Mexico. On that Facebook page, Hance found listing after listing, often for new bikes: pricey Yetis and Santa Cruzes, and even a few from Denver’s Guerrilla Gravity. Of the first 43 listings Hance investigated, he matched 10 to bike-theft victims in Colorado.

None of the bikes Hance catalogued have been traced directly to the Vicious Cycle robberies. But Hance, who didn’t start his investigation until seven months after the last burglary recorded in the indictments, believes there’s an inordinate amount of evidence tying the thieves to Alexander’s. The AG’s office says that fence Mena-Barreno’s box truck “made multiple crossings at the United States/Mexico border between August 2019 and August 2020,” which roughly matches the timelines of the shop thefts listed in the indictments. Investigators also claim Mena-Barreno’s bank records showed a pattern of “large cash deposits made in El Paso, Texas,” and “cash withdrawals made in the Denver metro area coinciding with this burglary series.” Mena-Barreno told law enforcement in December 2020 that he buys items in Denver, including bikes, to sell at a flea market in El Paso and denied that his truck crossed the border.

Bryan Hance worked to trace bikes stolen in Colorado to a small shop in Mexico.

For Hance, the evidence seemed to confirm something he’d long suspected: Bike theft is a transnational trade. “This has always been one of those urban legends,” he says. “Everyone always thought, Well, maybe they go into Mexico, but had zero proof.”

One thing is for sure, though. Although Alexander’s didn’t seem to lack for bikes to sell, the same couldn’t be said of the victimized shops in Colorado. The bike boom and supply chain issues brought on by the pandemic meant stolen models that would normally have been easy to replace through the manufacturer were, in some cases, impossible to find. Even with his insurance payout, Rachubinski says, “we couldn’t make up for those lost sales.”

The thieves hurt more than just Colorado’s cycling community.

Allegedly, the crime ring twice stole vans from Denver Public Schools and on three occasions lifted vans from nonprofit Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC). Then CEO Brigid McRaith says that outside of sporadic vandalism, MHYC had not been the target of criminal activity in her 15 years with the organization. While all three vans were recovered, two were totaled, and insurance payouts covered less than half of the replacement costs.

In December 2021, Hance went public with Bike Index’s findings in a blog post, which attracted attention from a variety of publications and on social media—putting Alexander’s under intense scrutiny. The proprietor denied selling stolen bikes at first and threatened legal P H O T O G R A P H BY L E A H N A S H

action over the Bike Index post. (Hance says he has not been sued.)

But a few days after that initial statement, Alexander’s posted a new one claiming that, after collaborating with authorities, the business had identified eight stolen bikes among those in its possession. The owner denied being involved in the thefts and claimed to be a victim of organized crime himself.

Shortly thereafter, Alexander’s owner deleted the Facebook page.

A month later, however, Alexander’s relaunched on Facebook, stating that the shop had been “mistakenly” linked to a theft ring and announcing an unspecified strategy “to prevent future inconveniences.”

“He’s online right now, selling bikes as we speak,” Hance told 5280 in March, expressing frustration that numerous complaints to Facebook before he went public with his investigation—and even the investigation itself—had failed to get the page taken down. “I was like, ‘What the fuck does it take for you guys to deplatform somebody?’ ” Facebook declined to respond on the record regarding Alexander’s, but in April 2022, the company removed the page for violating its policies on selling stolen items. In a sign of how difficult it is to thwart online crime, however, a private Facebook group called Alexander’s Bikes, with 22,000 members, remained active.

Hance says some of the bike listings were the same as from the old page. After 5280 notified Facebook of Alexander’s private group, CONTINUED ON PAGE 126 that page was also taken down.

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Image: Colonial American (Massachusetts), Halberd for an officer of the Trained Band (detail), 1678, steel and wood (probably maple), 22 × 213 × 44 cm (8 11⁄16 × 83 7⁄8 × 17 5⁄16 in.), 3 lb.,12 oz (weight), The John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection, 2014.69 Age of Armor: Treasures from the Higgins Collection at the Worcester Art Museum is organized by the Worcester Art Museum.

Support is provided by the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS4.

DINING GUIDE $

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$ 26 A N D H I G H E R.

Blackbelly

SYMBOL KEY Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened).

A African Grill & Bar

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Annette

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Aurora / American James Beard Award finalist Caroline Glover brings a warm, intimate dining experience to Stanley Marketplace. Enjoy a familystyle menu featuring seasonal salads, toasts, and wood-grilled fare. Reservations accepted. Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Ste. 108, Aurora.

720-710-9975. Dinner

Ash’Kara

$$$

Highland / Middle Eastern Chef Daniel Asher offers a playful take on Middle Eastern cuisine at this plant-bedecked Highland eatery. Order the crispy falafel. Also try the Boulder location. Reservations accepted. 2005 W. 33rd Ave., 303-537-4407. Dinner, Brunch

Avelina

$$$$

Downtown / American This upscale spot offers a sleek atmosphere and composed plates with worldly flavors. Sample everything from charred octopus and tuna tartare to short ribs with a yuzu glaze. Reservations accepted. 1550 17th St., Ste. 120, 720-904-6711. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

B Bar Max

$$

Congress Park / Contemporary This bistro offers a simple, curated menu. Try the prosciutto, brie, and fig spread sandwich. Reservations not accepted.

2412 E. Colfax Ave., 303-333-0003. Dinner

Barolo Grill

$$$$

Cherry Creek / Italian Dedication to authenticity translates to the food at this eatery, which is focused on the cuisines of northern Italy’s Tuscany and Piedmont regions. Reservations accepted.

3030 E. Sixth Ave., 303-393-1040. Dinner

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Boulder / American Chef Hosea Rosenberg’s meaty menu focuses on charcuterie, small plates, and daily butcher specials. Try the crispy pig ears with red pepper jelly. Check out the butcher shop and grab-and-go market, Blackbelly Butcher, located next door. Reservations accepted. 1606 Conestoga St., Boulder, 303-247-1000. Dinner

Blue Bonnet Cafe and Lounge

Lakewood / African Head to this cheery African restaurant for rich stews, fried fish, rice dishes, and friendly service. Get the chakalaka, a traditional vegetarian South African stew. Reservations not accepted. 955 S. Kipling Pkwy., Lakewood, 720-229-7778. Lunch, Dinner

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Visit our online listings at 5280.com/ restaurants.

Bonnie Brae Tavern

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Washington Park / American This tavern has been dishing up all-American eats, including fried chicken, green chile, and apple pie, since 1934— but it’s most famous for its golden-crusted pizza.

Reservations not accepted. 740 S. University Blvd., 303-777-2262. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

$$$

Cole / French Pair the likes of steak frites, pâté with house-baked sourdough, and other comforting French specialties with a glass of wine at this romantic neighborhood bistro. Don’t miss the ricotta doughnuts served with miso caramel.

Reservations accepted. 3701 N. Williams St., 720-617-7911. Dinner, Brunch

Brider

Boulder Social

Highland / American Visit this neighborhood favorite for high-quality, fast-casual dining. Be sure to try the rotisserie chicken. Reservations not accepted. 1644 Platte St., 303-455-3084.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Boulder / American Craft suds, pizza, and a sprawling patio are the draws at Boulder Social, the newest restaurant from Old Chicago founder Frank Day’s Concept Restaurants group. Reservations not accepted. 1600 38th St., Boulder, 303-813-1700. Lunch, Dinner

C

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Baker / Mexican Killer margaritas, house-made chips and salsa, and chiles rellenos make this fun, casual spot a favorite. Reservations not accepted.

457 S. Broadway, 303-778-0147. Lunch, Dinner

Brasserie Brixton

NEW

Cantina Loca

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Highland / Mexican Dana Rodriguez’s newest LoHi taqueria invites diners to connect over plates of tacos, snacks, and drinks infused with Rodriguez’s own line of agave spirits, Doña Loca.

Reservations accepted. 2890 Zuni St., 303-284-6738. Dinner

Chook

$

Platt Park / Australian Chook specializes in Australian-style, charcoal-grilled rotisserie chicken and fresh veggies. Order the charred broccoli salad and feta-studded smashed cucumbers from the Sides of Glory menu. Also try the Hale location.

Reservations not accepted. 1300 S. Pearl St., 303-282-8399. Lunch, Dinner

Cochino Taco

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Englewood / Mexican The menu at this quirky taqueria features 16 different tacos and a poblano-chile-topped burger. Order the cochino elote to start. Also try the Denver location on South Broadway. Reservations not accepted. 3495 S. Downing St., Englewood, 720-542-9829. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

BRIGHT BITES Glo Noodle House opened in March, bringing its Asianinspired fare to West Highland. Although Glo is known for ramen bowls bobbing with prime rib, confit bacon, and other delights, we gravitate toward the karaage— shatteringly crisp chicken thigh nuggets tossed in a zesty chile glaze—and the kojibutter-glazed shrimp.

Courtesy of Monica Lloyd

PRICE KEY

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DINING GUIDE Comal Heritage Food Incubator

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Globeville / International You’ll find an array of family recipes from Latin America and Syria at this restaurant, which has a rotating menu and provides job training to local women. Reservations not accepted. 3455 Ringsby Ct., Ste. 105, 303-292-0770. Lunch

Coperta

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Uptown Area / Italian Tuck into comforting Italian fare at this restaurant, which celebrates the cuisine of Rome and Southern Italy. Try the pollo alla diavola or the rigatoni carbonara. Reservations accepted. 400 E. 20th Ave., 720-749-4666.

Lunch, Dinner

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Uptown Area / Contemporary Chefs Keegan Gerhard and Lisa Bailey produce exquisite desserts and modern comfort food at this hip spot.

Reservations accepted. 494 E. 19th Ave., 303-861-4710. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

D’Corazon

Downtown / Mexican Known for its slowsimmered carnitas, here you’ll find Mexican fare at its best and refreshingly affordable $7 margaritas. Reservations not accepted. 1530 Blake St., Ste. C, 720-904-8226. Lunch, Dinner

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Death & Co.

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Congress Park / Korean Enjoy bold Korean flavors at this Congress Park eatery. Order the spicy pork bulgogi or try the bibimbap. Multiple locations.

Reservations not accepted. 827 Colorado Blvd., 720-639-9986. Lunch, Dinner

$$$

RiNo / Contemporary The famed New York City bar offers top-notch cocktail service and an inventive menu in the lobby of the Ramble Hotel. Try the Japanese eggplant with crispy rice. Reservations accepted. The Ramble Hotel, 1280 25th St., 720-330-2660. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Edge Restaurant & Bar

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Downtown / Steak House The recently renovated Edge Restaurant and Bar inside the Four Seasons Hotel Denver serves contemporary steak house fare. Order the dry-aged buffalo rib-eye. Reservations accepted. 1111 14th St., 303-389-3343.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Edgewater Inn

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Edgewater / Italian This friendly neighborhood pizzeria has been family owned and operated for more than 50 years. Try the Howdy Pizza, a combo of sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, and jalapeño peppers. Reservations accepted.

5302 W. 25th Ave., Edgewater, 303-237-3524.

Lunch, Dinner

Dew Drop Inn

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Dio Mio

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El Jefe

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Dry Storage

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El Noa Noa

$$

Uptown Area / Contemporary This neighborhood watering hole serves cocktails and small bites like a rotating picnic plate. Reservations not accepted.

1033 E. 17th Ave., 720-612-4160. Dinner

D D Bar

Dae Gee

RiNo / Italian You can count on perfect pasta at Alexander Figura, Spencer White, and Lulu Clair’s fast-casual Italian eatery. The house-made sourdough is also heavenly. Reservations accepted.

3264 Larimer St., 303-562-1965. Dinner

Boulder / Cafe Savor coffee and carbs at this innovative cafe and retail grain mill. Pastries, breads, and sandwiches are made from scratch daily. Reservations not accepted. 3601 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 720-420-0918. Breakfast, Lunch

Sunnyside / Mexican Enjoy farm-to-table Mexican fare at this Sunnyside haunt. Pair a margarita with the four-cheese queso dip, and try the organic mushroom tacos. Reservations accepted. 2450 W. 44th Ave., 720-389-7615. Dinner Lincoln Park / Mexican Sample traditional Mexican food alongside top-notch margaritas at this quaint and colorful local favorite. Reservations not accepted. 722 Santa Fe Dr., 303-623-9968.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

ER

FESTIVAL DINING GUIDE

F Farow

can dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, including a stellar Colorado lamb loin and a refreshing cucumber gazpacho. Reservations accepted. 1201 Broadway, 720-709-4431.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

LAVENDER $$$

Niwot / American At this farm-to-table restaurant, Lisa and Patrick Balcom serve contemporary American fare with ingredients sourced within 10 miles.

Reservations accepted. 7916 Niwot Rd., Niwot, 303-827-3949. Breakfast, Dinner

FESTIVAL

Fire Restaurant

$$$$

Downtown / American Located inside the Art, a Hotel, Fire Restaurant serves contemporary Ameri-

Fish N Beer

Fruition Restaurant

$$$$

Country Club / American James Beard Award– winning chef Alex Seidel’s tiny kitchen focuses on seasonal dishes that are big on flavor. Diners flock for the pasta carbonara. Reservations accepted.

1313 E. Sixth Ave., 303-831-1962. Dinner

$$$

RiNo / Seafood Kevin Morrison offers fresh seafood and a hearty beer list at this casual oysterette in RiNo. Try the lobster mac and cheese or wood-fire-grilled whole bass. Don’t miss the $2.50 oyster happy hour, Tuesdays through Thursdays.

Reservations not accepted. 3510 Larimer St., 303-248-3497. Dinner

NEW

Fuel & Iron Bar

$$

Downtown / American Get your fill of iconic green-chile-smothered slopper burgers at this bar and eatery, which is inspired by the city of Pueblo.

Reservations not accepted. 1526 Blake St., 303-862-9457. Dinner

G The Greenwich

$$$

RiNo / Pizza Restaurateur Delores Tronco brings a slice of her favorite New York City neighborhood to RiNo at the Greenwich. Don’t miss the satisfying sourdough pizzas and fresh, seasonal salads.

Reservations accepted. 3258 Larimer St., 720-868-5006. Dinner

NEW

Glo Noodle House

$$

West Highland / Asian Blackbelly veterans Chris Teigland and Ariana Pope bring Asian fusion fare to West Highland with Glo Noodle House. Don’t miss the karaage. Reservations accepted. 4450 W. 38th Ave., Ste. 130, 303-993-4180. Dinner Guard and Grace

DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS

MS

CHATFIELD FARMS

ER

LAVENDER FESTIVAL

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Dining

H

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

ER

LAVENDER FESTIVAL

TICKETS LIMITED!

Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Get yours at botanicgardens.org.

Highland Tap and Burger

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Highland / American Pick your patty, bun, and premium toppings for a customizable burger and pair it with a Colorado craft beer. Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 2219 W. 32nd Ave., 720-287-4493. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

HiRa Cafe & Patisserie

$

Aurora / Ethiopian Hiwot Solomon pairs her fromscratch desserts and Ethiopian breakfast plates with house-roasted, single-origin coffee at this cheery cafe. Reservations not accepted. 10782 E. Iliff Ave., Aurora, 720-949-1703. Breakfast

Hop Alley

C-470 & Wadsworth Blvd.

$$$

Downtown / Japanese This Japanese-based chain boasts table-centered grills on which diners cook proteins like Harami skirt steak. There are also noodles and rice dishes. Reservations accepted.

1998 18th St., 720-726-4068. Lunch, Dinner

Saturday & Sunday, July 16 & 17 Enjoy our fields of more than 2,000 lavender plants in bloom, with artisans, food and drink vendors, live music and more!

$$$$

Downtown / Steak House Chef Troy Guard’s modern steak house offers a chic setting for his innovative fare, which includes a raw bar and delicate salads. Reservations accepted. 1801 California St., 303-293-8500. Lunch, Dinner

$$$

RiNo / Chinese This neighborhood hangout serves dishes rooted in Chinese tradition with a touch of distinctive flair. Try the dan dan mian and the fiery la zi ji. Reservations accepted. 3500 Larimer St., 720-379-8340. Dinner

T H E C O N S E Q U E N C E S O F CHOOSING CONSTRUCTION OVER CATTLE

Every year, the U.S. converts approximately 1 million acres of ranch and forest land into buildings, parking lots and housing developments.1 That’s the equivalent of adding urban land the size of Los Angeles, Houston and Phoenix combined, annually.1 Converting ranchland to housing and other urban projects means the loss of animal habitats, many of which are already considered threatened or endangered.2 More concerning, development encroaching on ranches means the loss of healthy soils, and thus, the loss of carbon sequestration potential.2 We’re stripping the U.S. of its natural ability to absorb heat by adding urban acres that reflect heat back into the atmosphere.5 Conversely, when farmers and ranchers graze cattle, they regenerate the land and naturally capture carbon in the soil.3 In fact, the U.S. land where cattle graze contains up to 30% of the carbon stored in soil. If that land is developed, we will release that carbon and lose the ability to capture additional carbon on that land in the future.4 1. Merrill and Leatherby. 2018. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018- s-land-use/ 2. Barry, Sheila. 2021. Beef Cattle Grazing More Help than Harm for Endangered Plants and Animals.

3. Teague et al. 2016. The role of ruminants in reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint in North America.

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 71(2). Found on: The role of ruminants in reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint in North America (jswconline.org).

4. Silveira, et al. 2012. Carbon sequestration in grazing land ecosystems. University of Florida Extension. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/SS/SS57400.pdf 5. EPA. Reduce Urban Heat Island Effect. https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/reduce-urban-heat-island-effect

SCAN TO LEARN MORE.

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DINING GUIDE Hops & Pie

$$

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Hudson Hill

$

Berkeley / Pizza Craft pizza and local brews are this spot’s forte. Load up your pie with toppings such as blackberry barbecue sauce and pickled jalapeños. Reservations not accepted. 3920 Tennyson St., 303-477-7000. Lunch, Dinner

Capitol Hill / American Head to this upscale yet casual bar for creative, hand-crafted cocktails.

Enjoy your drink with a cheese plate or the pork terrine. Reservations not accepted. 619 E. 13th St., 303-832-0776. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

I

ORDER ONLINE AND RECEIVE $10 OFF YOUR ORDER FO $50 OR MORE

Il Posto

$$$$

RiNo / Italian Sample Andrea Frizzi’s imaginative Italian cuisine in sleek, urban environs. Don’t miss the decadent seasonal risotto. Reservations accepted. 2601 Larimer St., 303-394-0100.

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Imperial Chinese

THORNTON

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$$$

Baker / Asian Sample a wide array of regional Cantonese, Mandarin, and Sichuan foods in an elegant setting at this Chinese stalwart. Reservations not accepted. 431 S. Broadway, 303-698-2800. Lunch, Dinner

Istanbul Bakery & Cafe

$

Washington Virginia Vale / Middle Eastern Friendly owner Ismet Yilmaz prepares authentic Turkish pastries at this charming cafe. Also check out Yilmaz’s food truck, Turkish Chef on Wheels.

Reservations not accepted. 850 S. Monaco Pkwy., Ste. #9, 720-536-5455. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ivy on 7th

$$

Speer / American This upbeat eatery dishes up seasonal, European-inspired brunch and lunch dishes in a bright cafe. Reservations accepted.

410 E. Seventh Ave., 720-828-8180. Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

J J’s Noodles Star Thai 2

Spend an evening under the stars this summer with a roster of local favorites and international touring artists.

MELISSA ETHERIDGE | COLORADO SYMPHONY DAWES | ELLE KING | PINK MARTINI JOAN OSBORNE & MADELEINE PEYROUX For Tickets Visit arvadacenter.org or call the Box Office at 720.898.7200

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Westwood / Thai This traditional Thai spot has developed a cult following over the years. The tom yum soup, drunken noodles, and pad thai are regulars’ picks. Reservations not accepted. 945 S. Federal Blvd., 303-922-5495. Lunch, Dinner

Jamaican Grille

$$

Lincoln Park / Jamaican Savor Caribbean dishes like jerk chicken at this family-owned eatery. Also try the Jamaican Mini Grille and International Jerk Market in Lakewood. Reservations not accepted.

709 W. 8th Ave., 303-623-0013. Lunch, Dinner

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar

$$$

Downtown / Seafood Enjoy sustainable seafood and a massive raw bar at this popular Union Station spot. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 1539 17th St., 303-292-5767. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

DINING GUIDE

K Kaos Pizzeria

Karma Asian

$$

Platt Park / Pizza A wood-fired oven, gourmet ingredients, and thoughtful wine list make this Platt Park original a perfect pizzeria. If the weather’s nice, eat outside in the spacious garden, and aside from the pies, don’t miss a chance to sample the joint’s comforting noodle dishes, such as the artichoke- and mushroom-studded pesto cream pasta.

Reservations not accepted. 1439 S. Pearl St., 303-733-5267. Lunch, Dinner

Kobe An

L

$$

Speer / Asian Enjoy a variety of Asian tapas (such as spicy edamame), or get more bang for your buck with the belly-filling Thai Bang Bang chicken and shrimp. Reservations not accepted. 22 S. Broadway, 303-871-0167. Lunch, Dinner

$$$

Cherry Creek / Asian Everything is traditional at this Japanese restaurant, including the seating. The menu features a bevy of Japanese favorites such as tempura, gyoza, and yakisoba. Reservations accepted. 231 Milwaukee St., 303-989-5907.

Lunch, Dinner

La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal

$$

Ballpark / Mexican James Beard Award finalist Jose Avila serves up comforting pozole and other traditional Mexican fare at this casual eatery. Don’t miss the weekend brunch, which includes south-ofthe-border specialties such as crispy chilaquiles.

Reservations not accepted. 2233 Larimer St., 720-519-1060. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Bistro LeRoux

$$$$

Leven Deli Co.

$$

Downtown / French Lon Symensma’s Europeaninspired eatery features upscale crowd-pleasers like steak frites and Spanish-style meatballs. Reservations accepted. 1555 Blake St., Ste. 102, 720-845-1673. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch Downtown / Deli Classic deli meets California cool at this bright spot. Get a taste of the housemade pastrami on the Reuben sandwich or go for the crisp Lil’ Gems salad. Reservations not accepted. 123 W. 12th Ave., 303-325-5691.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Los Cabos

$$$

Downtown / Peruvian This cozy spot serves Peruvian specialties with Cantonese and Spanish influences. Don’t miss the savory rotisserie chicken.

Reservations accepted. 1525 Champa St., 303-595-3232. Lunch, Dinner

Lowry Beer Garden

Lowry Field / American This traditional Germanstyle beer garden celebrates Colorado breweries with 16 draft lines (almost all of which serve local beer). You can’t go wrong with a house-made burger or bratwurst with hand-cut french fries.

Reservations not accepted. 7577 E. Academy Blvd., 303-366-0114. Lunch, Dinner

STEP BACK IN TIME IN OUR NEWEST EXHIBITION

$

M Makizushico

$$$

Littleton / Japanese Fresh fish is flown in daily from coastlines around the world for Makizushico’s menu of sushi, sashimi, and variety of hot and cold Japanese-style small plates. Try the omakase.

Reservations accepted. 5950 S. Platte Canyon Rd., Littleton, 720-739-7777. Lunch, Dinner

Mason’s Dumpling Shop

$$

Aurora / Chinese A menu of house-made steamed, boiled, and pan-fried dumplings complements a selection of noodle and rice bowls and vegetableforward sides at this Los Angeles–born spot.

Reservations not accepted. 9655 E. Montview Blvd., Aurora, 303-600-8998. Lunch, Dinner

Mercantile Dining & Provision

The exhibition has been produced as a joint venture between Lokschuppen Rosenheim, the University of Aberdeen Museums, the Roemer- und -Pelizaeus Museums Hildesheim and MuseumsPartner Austria, and is presented in Denver by Chevron.

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Downtown / New American Award-winning chef Alex Seidel offers contemporary farm-to-table fare, including pasta dishes and family-style plates.

Mercantile also features a marketplace of locally sourced foodstuffs. Reservations accepted. Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., Ste. 155, 720-4603733. Lunch, Dinner

Return To Travel

The rooftop pool at Eldorado Hotel & Spa in Santa Fe.

ALBUQUERQUE

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DINING GUIDE L OV E

Mono Mono Korean Fried Chicken

Park Burger

Park Hill Sushi Co. $$$

Cherry Creek / American Enjoy gussied-up American favorites, such as shrimp and grits with Tabasco butter. Visit for brunch and enjoy the BLT toast. Reservations accepted. 222 Milwaukee St., 720-571-8080. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

New Saigon

$$

Nest Cafe & Bar

$$

West Highland / American This counter-service spot inside Nurture marketplace offers smoothies, salads, tartines, dosas, and other wholesome fare.

Reservations accepted. 2949 Federal Blvd., 303-390-1252. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

O Oak at Fourteenth

L OV E

$$$$

Boulder / Seasonal This bright, open space offers an ever-changing menu of seasonal, oak-fired eats from chef Steve Redzikowski and creative cocktails from Bryan Dayton. Reservations accepted. 1400 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-4443622. Lunch, Dinner

Officers Club

$$$

Lowry Field / American Nosh on crab cakes, French dips, and juicy burgers at this neighborhood dining room and bar, inspired by the legacy of the Lowry Air Force Base. Reservations accepted. 84 Rampart Way, 303-284-0714. Dinner

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Hale / Sushi This quick sushi spot specializes in made-to-order hand rolls. Order a temaki (hand roll) set and choose from a variety of fresh fillings.

Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 4900 E. Colfax Ave., Unit A, 303-953-9581. Lunch, Dinner

Pizzeria Locale

Athmar Park / Vietnamese This spot serves an extensive menu featuring delicious rice paper wraps, banh mi sandwiches, pho noodle soup, seafood dishes, rice bowls, and more. Reservations accepted. 630 S. Federal Blvd., 303-936-4954. Lunch, Dinner

L OVE

$

Platt Park / American This neighborhood haunt serves up top-notch burgers, such as the Croque, topped with Swiss, a fried egg, and a slice of ham.

Add a milkshake or root beer float. Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 1890 S. Pearl St., 720-242-9951. Lunch, Dinner

N Narrative

P

$$

Downtown / Korean Savor crispy Korean fried chicken wings along with sides like kimchi and pickled daikon and starters like gochujang-slathered spicy rice cakes at this industrial downtown eatery. Also try the Congress Park and Lafayette locations. Reservations accepted. 1550 Blake St., 720-379-6567. Lunch, Dinner

Ohana Island Kitchen

Pony Up

$$

The Ponti

$$$

Downtown / Pub This casual bar serves comforting fare such as French dip sandwiches and fried chicken with craft cocktails and lots of bubbly.

Reservations not accepted. 1808 Blake St., 720-710-8144. Lunch, Dinner

Golden Triangle / American Chef Jennifer Jasinski of Rioja and Stoic & Genuine serves up light, fresh lunch fare at this fine-dining restauraunt inside the Denver Art Museum. Reservations accepted. 100 W. 14th Ave., 720-913-2761. Lunch

The Porklet

$$

Pupusas Lover

$$

Aurora / Asian This fast-casual spot in a shopping center excels at producing renditions of katsu (fried cutlets encrusted in light, flaky panko breadcrumbs).

Reservations not accepted. 12201 E. Mississippi Ave., Ste. 123B, Aurora, 303-364-1287. Lunch, Dinner University Hills / Salvadoran This family-owned restaurant serves traditional Salvadoran dishes, from the popular pupusas to fried yucca.

Reservations not accepted. 2236 S. Colorado Blvd., 720-508-3197. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Q

$

Highland / Seafood This Hawaiian-inspired eatery serves top-notch tuna poke, Spam musubi, roasted pork, and more. Reservations not accepted.

2563 15th St., 303-718-6580. Lunch, Dinner

Osaka Ramen

$$

Osteria Marco

$$$

RiNo / Japanese Jeff Osaka’s modern ramen shop features original noodle soups, bento boxes, and creative small plates. Try the mochi doughnuts.

Reservations not accepted. 2611 Walnut St., 303-955-7938. Lunch, Dinner Downtown / Italian This tavern features deep-set booths and approachable eats, such as housemade mozzarella. Reservations accepted. 1453 Larimer St., 303-534-5855. Lunch, Dinner

$

Speer / Pizza This local pizza joint offers counter service with premium ingredients brought to you by the team at Boulder’s Frasca Food and Wine.

Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 550 Broadway, 720-508-8828. Lunch, Dinner

Q House

$$$

City Park / Chinese Enjoy a modern take on traditional Chinese cuisine by chef Christopher Lin, an alum of Momofuku in New York City. Pair the braised pork over rice with the shiso-leaf-andlemon-scented saketini. Reservations accepted.

3421 E. Colfax Ave., 720-729-8887. Dinner

Quality Italian

$$$$

Cherry Creek / Steak House This upscale spot serves a smart mix of steak house fare and American-Italian favorites. Don’t miss the baked lasagna for two. Reservations accepted. 241 Columbine St., 303-532-8888. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

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DINING GUIDE Quiero Arepas

$$

Platt Park / Latin American Arepas, or Venezuelan corn flatbreads, are on the menu. Try the La Havana, a take on a Cuban sandwich, featuring pork loin, ham, and Muenster with a creamy mayomustard-pickle sauce. Reservations not accepted.

1859 S. Pearl St., 720-432-4205. Lunch, Dinner

R Restaurant Olivia

$$$$

Washington Park / Italian This cozy-yetmodern neighborhood Italian spot from the team behind Bistro Georgette specializes in freshly made pastas and Italian classics like chicken marsala. Reservations accepted.

290 S. Downing St., 303-999-0395. Dinner

Reynard Social

$$

Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant

$$

Downtown / American Classic cocktails and upscale bites are the draw at Reynard Social, located in the Thompson Hotel downtown. Try the earthy, umami-forward wild mushroom fondue with slices of grilled bread and assorted citrusmarinated olives. Reservations accepted. 1616 Market St., 303-572-1321. Dinner

Downtown / Mexican Natural ingredients, fresh produce, and unique flavors characterize this Mexican eatery. Enjoy the famous margaritas, but be careful—they cut you off at three. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 1525 Blake St., 303-623-5432. Lunch, Dinner

Root Down

$$$

Highland / Contemporary Located in a refabbed 1950s service station, this hip restaurant serves globally inspired cuisine with a focus on veggies and sustainable meats. Order the lamb porterhouse. Also try the DIA location. Reservations accepted. 1600 W. 33rd Ave., 303-993-4200.

Dinner, Brunch

Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen

$$

Aurora / Deli Enjoy New York–style bagels like the Standard, topped with gravlax, tomato, and onion. Also try the Boulder location. Reservations accepted. Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora, 303-955-0466. Breakfast, Lunch

S Safta

$$$

RiNo / Mediterranean Chef Alon Shaya brings modern Israeli fare to Denver. Start with creamy hummus and wood-fired pita before moving onto tabbouleh salad and halloumi. Reservations accepted. The Source Hotel & Market Hall, 3330 Brighton Blvd., 720-408-2444. Lunch, Dinner

Salt & Grinder

Denver · 303.329.6628 98 North Steel Street

Aspen · 970.544.6628 303 E Main Street mats u hi s a re s ta ura nts . co m

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Vail · 970.476.6628 141 E. Meadow Drive

Highland / Deli Chef Frank Bonanno takes on the deli. Expect house-cured meats, hand-crafted salads, breakfast, and jarred cocktails. Reservations not accepted. 3609 W. 32nd Ave., 303-945-4200. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

$

DINING GUIDE Silvia at Lost City

Street Feud

$

Hale / International Chef-owner Merlin Vernier’s hip-hop-powered, fast-casual eatery serves up an array of globally inspired street food, including tacos, bowls, wraps, fries, and bao buns. Don’t miss the crave-worthy K-Pop fries. Reservations not accepted. 5410 E. Colfax Ave., 303-388-3383.

Lunch, Dinner

Super Mega Bien

$$$

RiNo / Latin American Chef Dana Rodriguez offers a combo of large-format items and Pan-Latin small plates, the latter served from roving dim-sumstyle carts. Try the braised lamb with grilled cactus salad. Reservations not accepted. The Ramble Hotel, 1260 25th St., 720-269-4695. Dinner

Sushi Den

T

$

Globeville / Mexican Silvia Hernandez—a Comal Heritage Food Incubator graduate and 2021 CNN Champion for Change—dishes up some of the best burrito bowls in town at her first brick-andmortar restaurant. Try the zesty chile-roasted pork al pastor with roasted calabacitas. Reservations not accepted. 3459 Ringsby Ct. Lunch, Dinner

$$$

Platt Park / Japanese Sushi Den offers fresh, vibrant seafood flown in twice a week from Japan within a hip, lively scene. Sit at the bar and watch the sushi chefs, led by Toshihiro Kizaki, as they work their artistry. Reservations accepted for five or more, except Friday and Saturday. 1487 S. Pearl St., 303-777-0826. Lunch, Dinner

Tavernetta

Tocabe

$$$$

Downtown / Italian The team behind Boulder’s Frasca Food and Wine offers the same attention to detail and hospitality at this more casual Denver restaurant. The charming space is home to dishes from across Italy and a deep wine list.

Reservations accepted. 1889 16th St., 720-6051889. Lunch, Dinner

Tacos Tequila Whiskey

$

City Park / Mexican This taqueria offers a variety of Mexican specialties. Try the queso a la plancha taco made with griddled Cotija cheese, smashed avocado, and roasted tomatillo salsa. Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 1514 York St., 720-475-1337. Lunch, Dinner

Tessa Delicatessen

$

Thai Pot Cafe

$

Montclair / Deli This modern all-day eatery from Vince Howard, formerly of Del Rey Deli in Los Angeles, offers hot and cold sandwiches and salads. Reservations not accepted. 5724 E. Colfax Ave., 720-746-9138. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Virginia Village / Asian Try a bevy of curries, noodle bowls, soups, salads, and coconut-infused desserts at this cozy Thai restaurant. Reservations not accepted. 1350 S. Colorado Blvd., Ste. #191, 303-693-6200. Lunch, Dinner

$

Berkeley / American Sample Indigenous fare at this casual spot. Order the fry bread taco loaded with beef, bison, or chicken and beans, lettuce, cheese, and salsas. Also try the Greenwood Village location. Reservations not accepted. 3536 W. 44th Ave., 720-524-8282. Lunch, Dinner

Tofu House

$$

Aurora / Korean This neighborhood spot specializes in soups and stews, but also offers a variety of other Korean fare. Try the soft tofu soup (sundubu jjigae). Reservations accepted. 2353 S. Havana St., Aurora, Unit D1, 303-751-2840. Lunch, Dinner

U Uchi Denver

$$$$

US Thai Cafe

$

Curtis Park / Japanese James Beard Award– winning chef Tyson Cole combines unexpected flavors for his unique take on Japanese food.

Try the foie gras sushi. Reservations accepted.

2500 Lawrence St., 303-444-1922. Dinner

Edgewater / Thai Spicy dishes prepared by a Thai-born chef make for an authentic, if mouthtingling, dining experience. Don’t miss the crowd-favorite green curry. Reservations accepted.

5228 W. 25th Ave., Edgewater, 303-233-3345.

Lunch, Dinner

2022 FIVE STAR

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fivestarprofessional.com/wmconsumerfeedback 116

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DINING GUIDE Uncle

$$

Highland / Asian A bustling atmosphere defines this popular, modern noodle house. The selective menu includes dishes such as Chinese-style steamed buns and, of course, noodles. Also try the Speer location. Reservations accepted. 2215 W. 32nd Ave., 303-433-3263. Dinner

Urban Farmer

V Vegan Thai Co.

Vert Kitchen

$$

Washington Park West / French Salads and sandwiches (think skirt steak with arugula and walnut mustard) dot the menu at this European cafe.

Reservations not accepted. 704 S. Pearl St., 303-997-5941. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

cannaboutique [ kan-uh boo-teek ] (noun) 1. a shop where a relaxed lifestyle meets exceptional service 2. a place to feel comfortable, not intimidated

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$$

W Water Grill

$$$$

Downtown / Seafood Fresh fish, crustaceans, and raw bar offerings are flown in daily to this chic restaurant owned by California-based seafood distributor King’s Seafood Company. Try the Peruvian Bay scallops drizzled with citrus pesto.

Reservations accepted. 1691 Market St., 303-727-5711. Dinner

J U LY 2 0 2 2

West of Surrender

$$$

Downtown / American This modern eatery in a historic downtown space serves a variety of comforting bites and drinks inspired by the American West. We recommend the Colorado-sourced lamb sliders topped with peppercorn aïoli and Gruyère cheese. Reservations accepted. 501 16th St. Mall, 303-825-3690. Lunch, Dinner

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Ballpark / American This watering hole offers a vintage-inspired vibe and a menu of comforting

burgers, sandwiches, and other fare. Wash down your burger or fried chicken with one of 95 whiskeys. Reservations not accepted. 2907 Huron St., 303-226-1540. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch White Pie

$$

Longmont / Thai Explore Thailand with completely vegan dishes, including wok-fried noodles and delicious Thai curry dishes. Reservations accepted. 510 Third Ave., Longmont, 720-500-6920. Lunch, Dinner

5280

Berkeley / American Justin Cucci’s fourth eatery focuses on quick, healthy food. Dine in the airy, plant-filled space and nosh on chilled carrotginger soup or a veggie dosa. Reservations accepted. 3915 Tennyson St., 303-474-4131.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

$$$

Downtown / Seasonal This steak house features whole-animal butchery and an excellent charcuterie program, and sources its honey from a rooftop beehive. Reservations accepted. The Oxford Hotel, 1659 Wazee St., 303-262-6070. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

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Vital Root

$$

$$

City Park West / Pizza This neighborhood pizza joint has an excellent selection of New Haven– style pies and house-made pastas. Pair the Porky Porkorino, a masterpiece piled high with spicy soppressata, mozzarella, pickled chiles, and spicy honey, with a frozen Negroni. Reservations not accepted. 1702 Humboldt St., 303-862-5323.

Lunch, Dinner

The Wolf’s Tailor

$$$$

Sunnyside / Contemporary Basta chef Kelly Whitaker combines Asian and Italian techniques using fresh ingredients at this hip Sunnyside eatery.

The results, such as the popular 7X brisket braised in dashi and red wine and house-extruded mafaldine pasta with koji tomatoes, are unique and delicious. Reservations accepted. 4058 Tejon St., 720-456-6507. Dinner

Work & Class

$$$

RiNo / American This elevated meat-and-three concept from James Beard Award finalist Dana Rodriguez offers a delicious hybrid of American and Latin cuisine in raucous, repurposed-shippingcontainer digs. Our pick: the Cajun rotisserie chicken, chickpea croquettes, lamb chorizo, and peppers five ways. Reservations accepted. 2500 Larimer St., 303-292-0700. Dinner

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X Xatrucho

inspired by Walter Meza’s childhood in Mexico.

Reservations not accepted. 715 Washington Ave., 303-215-3436. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner $$

Greenwood Village / Latin American Chef Edwin Sandoval serves up Honduran-inspired dishes at this food stall inside Grange Hall. Try the house pastelitos. Grange Hall, 6575 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Village. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Xicamiti La Taquería

$$

Golden / Mexican Munch on cooked-to-order burritos, tacos, and quesadillas made with recipes

Y Yak and Yeti

$$

Westminster / Indian Sample Indian and Nepalese plates in a casual environment. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 9000 Yukon St., Westminster, 303-426-1976. Lunch, Dinner

Yanni’s Greek Restaurant

$$$

Greenwood Village / International Enjoy classic gyros and Colorado grilled lamb chops served with roasted potatoes and veggies in this elegant yet casual taverna. Pair your meal with one of the many wine options. Reservations accepted. 5425 Landmark Place, Ste. D109, Greenwood Village, 303-692-0404. Lunch, Dinner

Yum Yum Spice

$$

YumCha

$$

University / Chinese Stop in for Sichuan-style hotpot cuisine customized to your preferences. You choose the size, the protein, and the spice level, and the chefs take it from there. Reservations not accepted. 2039 S. University Blvd., 720-5429921. Lunch, Dinner Downtown / Asian From restaurateur Lon Symensma of ChoLon and Bistro LeRoux comes a dim sum house and noodle bar serving staples like xiao long bao and steamed pork dumplings. Reservations accepted. 1520 16th St., 720-638-8179.

Lunch, Dinner

Z Zeppelin Station

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RiNo / International This industrial-chic food hall is home to eight globally inspired food and drink vendors, including La Rola Urban Colombian, Thai-Kun, and Soy Pinoy. 3501 Wazee St., 720-460-1978. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Zocalito Latin Bistro

$$$

Downtown / Latin American Chef/owner Michael Beary’s upscale Oaxacan eatery found a home in the heart of Denver. Try the pork tenderloin with red mole sauce. Reservations accepted. 999 18th St., Ste. 107, 970-920-1991. Lunch, Dinner

Zoe Ma Ma

$$

Zomo

$$

Zorba’s

$$

Downtown / Chinese Chef-owner Edwin Zoe serves up Chinese and Taiwanese specialties like traditional Sichuan braised beef noodle soup, which features homemade noodles. Also try the Boulder location. Reservations not accepted. 1625 Wynkoop St., 303-545-6262. Lunch, Dinner

Englewood / Asian Owners Alysia Davey and Ryan Anderson serve family recipes inspired by their Vietnamese and Chinese roots at this homey neighborhood eatery. Reservations accepted.

3457 S. Broadway, Englewood, 720-739-8882.

Lunch, Dinner

Congress Park / Greek Zorba’s has served American and Greek fare—burgers, salads, sandwiches, and classic breakfast dishes—in the Congress Park neighborhood since 1979. Don’t miss the gyro sandwich. Reservations not accepted. 2626 E. 12th Ave., 303-321-0091. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 These listings are in no way related to advertising in 5280. If you find that a restaurant differs significantly from the information in its listing or your favorite restaurant is missing from the Dining Guide, please let us know. Write us at 5280 Publishing, Inc., 1675 Larimer St., Suite 675, Denver, CO 80202 or dining@5280.com.

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W E LC O M E I N Welcome into the world of Portillo, where you will always find GOOD TIMES INSIDE with family, friends and Portillo!

V I S I T U S AT

T H E R E M A I N S O F T H E D AY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 93

shoulder. Reed rubs a tear from his eye.

“You guys put your whole selves into this,” he says again. “I am so proud of you.”

“I have my good days and my bad days,” Nancy Goldman says as she sits in a coffeehouse a mile from her former home in Louisville.

Seth’s at a doctor appointment; Nancy’s thinking about their new rental, in South Boulder, which is about ready for them to move into.

Lately, Nancy’s been focusing on the good days. The rental was built in the 1960s with rectangular vegetable gardens out back. She and Seth recently had been furniture shopping in Denver and bought a brown sofa, which Nancy says will look good in the living room.

Between her and Seth, neither can figure out who’s taken the loss harder. Seth’s been the optimistic one of the pair, but Nancy

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knows her husband has his moments. He badly misses Jinx, their cat. He misses their old couch in the living room, where he sometimes fell asleep after a long day helping Nancy in the garden.

Nancy admits she’s been overly pessimistic, the one who sees Seth’s list of possibilities and imagines all the ways those plans can fall apart. They miss their daughter’s high school dance trophies and the photos that hung above their sweeping staircase. Nancy’s the only person still alive from her father’s side of the family. All those photos are gone. Robbed? The word doesn’t come close.

Their kids are 23, 28, and 32. Nancy and Seth are senior citizens. Nancy has a bum knee. Seth’s going in soon for a minor procedure on his heart. Their new house won’t be finished until late 2023. “You just wonder….” she says. She doesn’t finish her thought.

She can still see the fire, if she allows herself. She can see the flames in the open field across the street. She can see herself and Seth searching for their four cats. She can see them looking for the cat carriers and, not finding them, putting two of the cats into suitcases and holding another one

close. Nancy can see herself looking for Jinx, who likely wasn’t interested in experiencing the inside of a Samsonite, but she can’t find him. The clock in her mind is winding down.

She sees herself freeze momentarily because she thinks about the kids’ menorahs and the photos of her father.

Neither Seth nor Nancy could find the keys to two of their cars that day. Their son was with them at the house, and he yelled for everyone to jump into his SUV. Nancy threw herself into the back seat and pulled the door closed. That’s how Nancy Goldman left her neighborhood—in the back seat of her son’s vehicle, a suitcase with a cat in it on her lap.

As their son was about to pull away, Seth jumped out of the car. He ran to the front door and locked it. He was sure they’d return soon.

Before the flames popped up on his side of U.S. 36, Nate Meadows was in the process of finishing the final weeks of his job as a vice president for a category-management company and starting new work as a consultant for the food industry. Now, he’s handling most of the day-to-day of the house rebuild

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on Saint Andrews Lane. The hours and days and weeks are uneven. Alison’s grateful that Nate is taking charge and allowing her to focus on her work. She’s good at reading the shifts in her husband’s mood when she comes home to their rental—the flashes of joy when the architect emails about a revamped drawing, the burst of anger when he announces the microwave oven suddenly doesn’t work.

She prefers not to think too much about the day of the fire, but when the memory creeps into her mind, she zeroes in on the absurd things, like when she told Fletcher to grab a coat and some pants and he returned with three stuffed animals. Or when, after Nate saved the computers and some paper files, he came charging down the steps with a Tupperware bin filled with his favorite baseball cards.

They’re now at their rented dining room table, sitting in their rented chairs, inside their rented Boulder townhome. The boys are upstairs, playing in their rooms. The light gray walls are blank. Nate and Alison can’t imagine hanging anything inside this place. “It’s not ours, you know?” she says.

“This will never be our home,” Nate says.

Molly McCray’s daughter, Viv, alongside the downed zip line on the family property

When the pair return from their architect’s office in mid-March, the two desperately want to show the boys their new house. They also want to be careful about how they present things. Neither of their kids seems to want to talk about how quickly they had to leave their home or what they hope might be better about the new

one. Alison and Nate worry how the boys might react to the drawings, to the realization that, no matter how badly everyone wants things to return to how they once were, that is never going to happen. The boys will never have their old rooms or their old basement, where they kicked soccer balls and played video games.

Nate rolls out the architectural drawings on the dining room table and calls for Fletcher and Saxon. When their sons come downstairs, Nate and Alison show them the new basement. They point out the boys’ new bedrooms. The rooms are exactly the same size, Alison assures them. These will be your bathrooms. Doesn’t the kitchen look great? How about this back patio?

The boys look at the drawings and listen to their parents. There is talk of a pizza oven.

Fletcher and Saxon say it sounds cool to them, and then they go back upstairs to play.

“Kids,” Nate says.

“I’ll take that as a win,” Alison says.

They look at each other, and, after a brief moment, they both laugh. m Robert Sanchez is 5280’s senior staff writer.

Email feedback to letters@5280.com.

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JULY 23-24 9th Annual Cheesman Park Art Fest 8th Ave & N. Williams | Saturday & Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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IN MARCH 2022, GOVERNOR JARED Polis signed House Bill 1099, which will require anyone who sells more than $5,000 in goods in a year in Colorado on an online platform, like Facebook Marketplace, to provide the outlet with identifying information such as bank account and tax ID numbers. The law doesn’t take effect until 2023 and would be hard to enforce against sellers outside of Colorado. Nevertheless, Weiser believes the legislation will eventually help thwart bike thieves by inhibiting their abilities to offload their plunder. Specialized’s Love, however, is skeptical of its impact and points to the federal Shop Safe Act, which has similar provisions and is pending in Congress, as a better option. “If you’re Amazon,” he says, “it’s not practical to have one version of the law for Colorado and another for Wyoming.”

But even the Shop Safe Act wouldn’t be able to police Alexander’s—or other foreign sellers. Although the shop owners we spoke with said police took their investigations seriously, international theft rings create jurisdictional obstacles for local law enforcement. “The minute you say ‘Mexico,’ you can just hear the tone shift on their end, like, ‘Oh, well, that’s long gone,’ ” Hance says. Operation Vicious Cycle was a multiagency investigation, and Weiser thanked the FBI Safe Streets Task Force in a release announcing the arrests. But for the most part, Love says, “you have to have crimes in the millions [of dollars] before federal guys will touch it.” The FBI does investigate organized retail theft, focusing on “the most egregious major theft activity that crosses state and sometimes international lines.”

But the agency declined to comment when 5280 asked about whether there are thresholds—monetary or otherwise—that trigger its involvement. “If you were going to commit crimes and want to remain safe, and you’re one-quarter bright,” Love says, “[transnational] is what you do.”

As such, the bike industry is sometimes left to fight the problem itself. Love says he shares tips on criminal activity, techniques to stop it, and resources such as government contacts with colleagues at other brands. Hance was encouraged by the public response to his report, including criticism of Alexander’s by the Ciudad

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BICYCLE THIEVES INC. Juárez shop’s Mexican customers. “Part of our hope,” Hance says, “is that even if we can’t repossess all these bikes, maybe we can trash the market for them.” Buyers can help by only shopping at established secondhand merchants—Sprocket.bike and the Pro’s Closet, based in Louisville, require ID for all sellers—and checking serial numbers against databases managed by private organizations such as Bike Index and Seattle-based 529 Garage.

But those measures didn’t scare the Vicious Cycle ring—or its copycats.

In March, thieves broke into Driven Technologies in Boulder and stole three bikes, including two that featured the startup’s prototype drivetrain system and were valued at around $70,000 total. “I strongly feel we were targeted as a bike company,” Driven CEO Jason Smith told the website Cycling Tips. “The thieves only took the high-end bikes. They didn’t touch the laptops, expensive tools, or lab equipment.” Police quickly arrested a suspect after he took one of the bikes to a local shop; all the stolen goods were recovered, and Driven was able to get back to business quickly.

Kaveggia wasn’t so lucky. She initially assumed the damage to her building could be repaired in a few weeks. Instead, she ended up moving Mojo to a temporary home for 10 months. The repair contractor had to cut a hole in the roof and use a crane to install the replacement I-beam.

She says the insurance claim for the stolen bikes, building repair, temporary move, and other items amounted to almost half a million dollars. All during a once-in-acentury pandemic and while dealing with historic customer demand and crippling supply chain disruption.

Kaveggia opened Mojo three decades ago to serve Denver’s growing mountain bike community. The brand is a fixture at local downhill and enduro races, where it sponsors a developmental team with riders ranging from eight to 62 years old and offers mechanical support to other racers.

So, even as the thought flashed through her head that this band of criminals had killed her business over $30,000 worth of bikes, she never seriously considered giving up.

That would have felt like failure.

Instead, after absorbing the engineer’s awful news about the I-beam, Kaveggia sat in shock before crying for about an hour. “And then,” she says, “I went back to doing business.” m Joe Lindsey is a freelance writer living in Boulder.

Send feedback to letters@5280.com.

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Featuring

COLORADO HOMES The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2022 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

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CONIFER | Price Upon Request Experience majesty on the outskirts of Denver on Riley Peak. Riley Peak is the 12th largest mountain (9,400’) in Jefferson County and captures spectacular 360-degree views from the plains to Pikes Peak to Mt. Evans to Long Peak and beyond. Beautiful rock outcroppings, grassy meadows, private recreational trails and wildlife viewing. Create an entertainer’s paradise on this mountain zoned A-2. 141-acres or 35-acres available.

Jamie Bradley 720.560.5430 Jamie.Bradley@ColoradoHomes.com | RealEstateByJamie.com

CASTLE PINES | $1,499,000 6br/5ba home offers an open concept floor plan. Gourmet kitchen w/Monogram appliances, 2 ovens, a gas range, two large islands and a walk-in pantry.

Recently finished custom design basement w/a full kitchen, versatile family room and game room w/fireplace, spa-like bath, powder room, 3 bedrooms and 2 flex spaces. Complete w/a custom in-ground fire pit, covered deck and a car enthusiast's garage.

Christi Brown 303.909.0919 christi.myrealtor@gmail.com | WelcomeHome.cbintouch.com

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guiding you home since 1906

DENVER | $1,445,000 Stunning 6BR/3.5BA home offers you a covered patio, dining/living room combo & new kitchen. 2nd floor offers 4 additional rooms. An additional full bathroom and Heart Pine flooring, as well as a balcony that looks onto the backyard. Top floor has been converted to a full suite, with vaulted ceilings & bamboo flooring.

The basement is fully converted with a new kitchen & granite counters.

Nick Bruce 720.829.8938 nick@luxurydenver.co | luxurydenver.co

EVERGREEN | $1,000,000 4br/4ba home on 0.76 acres. Living room w/a gas fireplace. Kitchen w/alder cabinets, slab granite counters and SS appliances. Primary suite w/walk-in closet and en-suite. Downstairs has a non-conforming bedroom w/en-suite and family room. Flat lot w/wraparound deck. 28669DouglasPark.com

Josette Montgomery 303.901.8027 josette.montgomery@cbrealty.com | JosetteMontgomery.cbintouch.com

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BOULDER | $2,600,000 Stunning Flatiron & Indian Peaks Mountain views from this lot in Park Lake. Situated at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac this prime 1.5-acre lot backs to private lake & open space. Designed plans complete for 4BR/4BA home & utilizes existing foundation.

BOULDER | Price Upon Request Idyllic 4 bed/4 bath mountain home minutes to town! Open floor plan, multi-level decks, wall of windows & 2 wood burning stoves. Primary suite w/private deck & sitting area. Walk out lower-level w/separate entrance, 2nd master suite & rec room.

Charlene Rosenblatt 303.588.8472 charlene.rosenblatt@gmail.com | BoulderSell.com

Tina Ford 303.717.7871 tina.fordco@cbrealty.com | TinaFordCO.cbintouch.com

PARKER | $1,400,000 5BR/5BA Nestled within the beautiful neighborhood of Sky Rim, situated on a 5-acre lot that is secluded at the start of a cul-de-sac with a fully fenced backyard complete with a saltwater hot tub & established pine trees throughout the property.

GOLDEN | $1,395,000 4br/4.5ba home w/views of Colorado's front range. Kitchen w/granite counters, rich Cherry wood cabinetry, custom backsplash and an island. Owner’s suite w/breathtaking views. Complete w/a finished walk-out basement, landscaped yard and 4-car garage.

Vicki Zeeb 303.549.6203 vicki.zeeb@outlook.com | SouthDenverLux.com

Marcus Harris 720.217.8904 marcus.harris@cbrealty.com | HarrisTeamRealEstate.com

GOLDEN | $1,375,000 Inviting 5BR/4BA home showcases views & a peak of Mt. Evans.

Vaulted entry opens to a great room w/rock fireplace. Kitchen w/granite counters & new appliances. The walk-out lower level showcases an inviting family room w/wood floors & stone fireplace.

LITTLETON | $1,200,000 4br/3ba home in desirable Bow Mar South neighborhood. Wonderful lakeside community. Recently updated w/new flooring throughout, marble countertops, SS appliances, newer hardware, painted cabinets & newer light fixtures. Beautiful and expansive yard.

Ann Donley 303.903.2046 anndonley1@gmail.com | TheDonleyGroup.com

Mackenzie Jones 303.597.8966 mackenzie.jones@devonshirehomes.com | MackenzieJonesRE.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

DENVER | $1,200,000 Open layout 5bd/3ba Victorian-style dream home. Features a main LR, DR, kitchen w/SS appliances and a primary suite with a 5-piece bath and fireplace. Mudroom leads to the landscaped yard w/a concrete patio, pergola. Includes 2-car detached garage.

LOUISVILLE | Price Upon Request 5br/3ba home. Enjoy a newer roof, HVAC, Anderson windows, concrete work, custom blinds and large Trex deck. The garden level basement is light and bright. This home is steps away from trails, the beautiful Meadows Park and the Coal Creek Golf Course.

Anissa Figueroa 805.570.8952 anissa.figueroa@cbrealty.com

Richard Harris 720.331.9855 Ra.Harris@comcast.net | HarrisHomesColorado.com

MORRISON | $1,140,000 This 4 bedroom, 3 bath home sits on 2 beautiful acres in Pine Park Estates. The living room features floor to ceiling windows. The primary bedroom has 5-piece bath with heated floors and balcony.

Paved driveway with 2+ car heated garage.

DENVER | $1,100,000 4br/3.25ba home w/3,200+ sqft. Kitchen w/all new appliances. 1st floor w/2 living areas, powder bath and 2 bedrooms and baths including the primary bedroom suite w/walk-in closet. Upstairs w/a loft, 2 bedrooms and a bath. Complete w/fenced backyard.

Lori Carpenter 720.323.4904 lori.carpenter@cbrealty.com

Chase Huddleston 303.585.0895 chase.huddleston@cbrealty.com | ChaseHuddleston.com

LITTLETON | $950,000 Amazing home w/mountain views 5br/3ba. Spacious on every level.

Kitchen features island/eating nook/granite counters/gas stovetop/ SS/double ovens. Newer roof (2021) newer furnace & AC (2019).

Optimized solar panels. 3-car GAR. Newer deck. 4,366 sqft.

ARVADA | $925,000 Striking contemporary 4BR/4BA updated home on a premium cul-de-sac lot that backs to OPEN SPACE! Featuring gleaming hardwood floors, formal dining room, sunny eat-in kitchen, great room & finished, walkout basement with bonus & theatre room.

Art Recek 720.233.4100 artrecek@mountainlava.com | MountainLava.com

Natalie Farn 303.434.8937 natalie.farn@cbrealty.com | NatalieFarn.cbintouch.com

ColdwellBankerHomes.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

DENVER | $800,000 3br/2ba bungalow w/1,800+ sqft on main level. Living room w/wood burning fireplace. Kitchen w/tons of counter space, gas range and butler’s pantry. Primary suite w/custom Elfa walk-in closet and steam shower. Complete w/basement and private backyard.

BROOMFIELD | $795,000 Beautiful 4bd/4ba Smart home featuring a formal living room, kitchen, dining room & family room w/a fireplace. Primary bath includes a walk-in, tiled shower. Finished basements has another bedroom w/a kitchenette. Outside has an oversized back deck.

Scott Beville 303.905.6872 Scott@ScottBeville.com | ScottBeville.com

Tiffani Harris 720.469.9755 Tiffani@YourFreshStartRealtor.com | YourFreshStartRealtor.com

CASTLE ROCK | $775,000 UNDER CONTRACT - Gorgeous 4BR/4BA ranch-style home backs to a 168-acre park. Great room w/fireplace is open to the gourmet, eat-in kitchen. Office w/built ins. Finished walk-out basement. Fenced, level yard. Attached 3-car garage.

LOVELAND | $750,000 A special opportunity to own a beautiful Victorian gem in the heart of vibrant downtown Loveland! Corner lot located just a short distance from the shops and restaurants! Attached to the main house is a fully furnished additional living space.

Michael & Laurie Marcus 303.550.0075 michael@marcusteam.com | MarcusTeam.com

Erin Lockhart 970.488.9600 erin.lockhart@cbrealty.com | LockhartRealEstateColorado.com

DENVER | $750,000 Gorgeous 4BR/3.5BA home located on a charming courtyard.

Family room features an elegant gas fireplace. Kitchen showcases white cabinetry, pantry, island & ss appliances. Finished basement.

Backyard is maintenance free w/deck, pergola & AstroTurf.

LITTLETON | $735,000 5BR/3BA home w/finished basement. Traditional floorplan w/living room that flows into the dining area. Kitchen overlooks backyard.

Family room w/fireplace. Primary suite & guest bedroom w/balcony access. Spacious almost 1/2 acre lot.

Susan Ingle 720.771.4783 susan.ingle@cbrealty.com | SusanIngle.cbintouch.com

Shannon Byerly 303.919.2611 shannon@yourfreshstartrealtor.com | YourFreshStartRealtor.com

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guiding you home since 1906

DENVER | $725,000 Trovare Building, in the heart of the Golden Triangle, features 2BR/2BA, 1,564 SQFT of living space & 3 private balconies. Gourmet kitchen w/quartz counters, new cabinets, ss appliances & walk-in pantry.

Living room w/fireplace. Secure Building!

Colleen Teitelbaum 303.668.8186 teitelbaumcolleen@gmail.com | CocoTeitel.com

CENTENNIAL | $725,000 Must-see 3BR/3BA home located near Foxridge Park, tucked away on a large corner lot. The bright & open floor plan offers a family room w/lodge-style wood burning fireplace & built-ins. Back yard w/deck.

Finished basement. Oversized 2-car garage.

The Simonis Group 720.799.4164 adrian.espinoza@cbrealty.com | EspiAgency.com

LITTLETON | $700,000 Stunning 4BR/3BA home greets you with parquet floors & rooms filled with natural light from large windows & skylights. Enjoy the eat-in kitchen or sunroom that opens up to a flat backyard with a paver patio.

Primary bedroom w/jacuzzi tub.

MONUMENT | $690,000 4BR/3BA w/stunning hardwood flooring and 9-foot ceilings throughout the main level. A gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and high-end appliances. There is an additional two spare bedrooms in the recreation room in the garden level basement.

LaDawn Sperling 303.710.5817 ladawn.sperling@cbrealty.com | LaDawnSperling.com

Raul Andino 719.649.0536 raul.andino@cbrealty.com | Thea-TeamColoradoHomes.com

THORNTON | $679,900 Gorgeous 3BR/3BA home features wood flooring, an open floorplan, kitchen w/granite counters, gas cooktop, double ovens, island & dining area & living room w/gas fireplace. Primary bedroom w/bay window, bath & walk-in closet. Finished basement.

ERIE | $675,000 Beautiful, newly upgraded open concept 4BR/3.5BA home in Vista Ridge! Expansive kitchen overlooks the sizeable family room w/a gas log fireplace. Owner's suite with 2 walk-in closets & bathroom.

Basement is partially finished with more living space.

Amy Metz 720.272.7337 amy.metz@cbrealty.com | AmyMetz.cbintouch.com

Melissa Kinzley 720.252.5100 melissa.kinzley@cbrealty.com | YourSageGroup.com

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DENVER | $675,000 4br/2ba home. Main level w/kitchen, living & dining room, 2 bedrooms & 1 bath. Lower level w/expansive laundry room, recently remodeled 5-piece bath & 2 bedrooms w/egress windows. Steps from the Montclair Neighborhood Garden.

PARKER | $665,000 4br/2.5ba home. Family room w/a gas log fireplace. Updated kitchen w/quartz countertops, subway tile backsplash and black stainless appliances. Primary suite w/a primary bath. Finished basement w/a bonus room and bedroom. Complete w/a backyard oasis.

Natalie Farn 303.434.8937 natalie.farn@cbrealty.com | NatalieFarn.cbintouch.com

Anna Bliska 720.484.9360 anna.bliska@cbrealty.com

LOVELAND | $650,000 Pristine NW Loveland 5BR/3BA ranch w/finished basement boasts quality upgrades. Covered front porch is a welcoming prelude to the gorgeous interior. Beautiful rich wood floors, smart floor plan, knotty alder woodwork & retreat-like primary suite.

AURORA | $625,000 Stunning 3BR/4BA ranch style home features beautiful extended hardwood flooring, upgraded gourmet kitchen, sunny open floorplan, vaulted family room w/gas fireplace, professionally finished basement, covered patio & a low maintenance yard.

Jody Jewell 970.646.2276 jody.jewell@cbrealty.com

Colleen Teitelbaum 303.668.8186 teitelbaumcolleen@gmail.com | CocoTeitel.com

MORRISON | Price Upon Request 4bd/4ba home w/a pellet stove; updated kitchen; generous sized bedrooms; updated bathroom; primary suite w/mountain views; finished lower level w/additional family room, bedroom & more; corner lot w/large yard & newer deck; complete solar system.

STRASBURG | $598,500 3br/2ba home w/3,560 sqft. Kitchen w/soft close cabinet doors & drawers, SS appliances and stylish tile backsplash. Main level primary suite w/a 5-piece bath and walk-in closet. Enjoy a full basement & 4-car garage. Complete w/an expansive backyard.

Alex Rice 720.518.8437 alex.rice@cbrealty.com | AlexSellsDenver.com

Matt Brinkhoff 303.324.0241 matt.brinkhoff@cbrealty.com | MattsColoradoHomes.com

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LAKEWOOD | $575,000 3BR/2BA house has so much potential. Lots of natural light thanks to numerous windows which brighten up every space. Kitchen opens to the dining & family rooms for the perfect flow. Original hardwood floors could be stunning. Attached 2-car garage.

LITTLETON | $560,000 3br/3ba move-in ready home in Littleton with updates including roof, furnace, A/C, flooring, interior paint, lighting, windows, skylights, kitchen appliances and so much more! Nearby you will find plenty of parks, trails, shopping and restaurants.

LaDawn Sperling 303.710.5817 ladawn.sperling@cbrealty.com | LaDawnSperling.com

Allison Damico 720.639.0974 allison.damico@cbrealty.com | AllisonDamico.com

CASTLE ROCK | $548,000 Pristine 3BR/3BA end unit townhome has almost 2,600 SQFT & 2 balconies. Open floor plan w/study. Gourmet kitchen w/gas range, custom granite/quartz counters & island. Great Room w/built-in shelving, lots of windows & a gas-log fireplace. Low HOA fees.

DENVER | $535,000 Open concept 2BD/1BA home, covered front porch, hardwood floors through main level, updated granite kitchen, primary bedroom en-suite w/heated floors & skylight, remodeled basement, fenced backyard w/a patio.

Lynn Hodges 303.913.0166 lynn.hodges@cbrealty.com | LynnHodgesCO.com

Garvin Laverick 720.245.9956 garvinlaverick@gmail.com | LaverickRealEstate.com

PARKER | $525,000 3BR/2BA home backs up to McCabe Park offering an open plan w/large central living areas & vaulted ceilings, kitchen w/an eat-in dining area & a large & cozy family space w/wood burning fireplace.

Breathtaking front range views from outdoor deck.

AURORA | $525,000 This 4 bedroom, 3 bath, two-story home has an open floorplan and is in an amazing location! Offers a kitchen with newer stainless steel appliances and a main floor that features a living room with a gas fireplace. Enjoy your time off in the backyard.

Andrew MacArthur 303.246.5858 andrewmac5280@gmail.com

David Armayor 303.669.1854 david.armayor@coloradohomes.com | MyColoradoHomeFinder.com

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ENGLEWOOD | $515,000 Charming 5BR/3BA ranch greets you with craftsman style windows.

Spacious front room with gleaming vinyl flooring. Smartly designed floorplan opens to the dining & kitchen area. Large primary bedroom w/attached bath. Fully finished basement to enjoy.

COLORADO SPRINGS | Price Upon Request 3BR/3BA home in Greenhaven SIZZLES. Updated kitchen, paint & carpet, private courtyard, lovely architectural ceiling, gas fireplace, new laundry W/D. The basement is fully framed to easily add 2 more bedrooms and another bath.

Shannon Byerly 303.919.2611 shannon@yourfreshstartrealtor.com | YourFreshStartRealtor.com

Mike Kornelsen 303.918.8910 mike@kornelsen.com | www.kornelsen.com

ENGLEWOOD | $500,000 4br/2ba home. Modern updates throughout. Main level w/HWF's. SS in kitchen. Finished basement w/2 BR, 1BA, large closets & laundry room with extra storage. Large yard with alley access, covered patio & attached shed.

Dorie Lisowska 719.337.2442 dorio2006@hotmail.com

CENTENNIAL | $500,000 3BR/2BA home has incredible potential. Upon entry, you will be greeted by a spacious living room that features a brick fireplace and opens to the kitchen. Colonial grid windows can be spotted throughout the house. Spacious fenced backyard.

LaDawn Sperling 303.710.5817 ladawn.sperling@cbrealty.com | LaDawnSperling.com

LITTLETON | $500,000 3BR/4BA townhouse offers a front room w/fireplace, dining area that opens to the kitchen w/white shaker cabinets, tile flooring and plenty of space, private patio, primary retreat w/luxurious bath, loft area, fully finished basement & 2 + car garage.

BRIGHTON | $485,000 3BR/2BA newly remodeled home in the desirable Wright Farms.

Freshly painted exterior and interior. The kitchen has all new stainless steel appliances. Close to Trail Winds Park and Open Space, Springvale Park Disc Golf Course, and Wright Farms Park.

Shannon Byerly 303.919.2611 shannon@yourfreshstartrealtor.com | YourFreshStartRealtor.com

Christina Larson 970.443.4111 You.re.Home777@gmail.com | DiamondHomesACutAbove.com

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AURORA | $450,000 Fabulous remodeled 4BR/2BA bi-level home boasts an open kitchen w/a Samsung appliance package, Quartz counters, tile back splash & ample counter space. It opens to the back deck w/views of the Highline Canal. Located a block from Norfolk Glen Park.

WINDSOR | $445,000 3br/2ba home across from open space! Vaulted ceilings throughout the main level living room, dining and kitchen w/SS appliances. Convenient location minutes to parks, trails, shopping, dining, and entertainment in downtown Windsor. Welcome Home!

Cyndi DeLaney 303.204.3834 cyndi.delaney@cbrealty.com | CyndiDelaney.cbintouch.com

Matt Brinkhoff 303.324.0241 matt.brinkhoff@cbrealty.com | MattsColoradoHomes.com

AURORA | $437,900 3br/1.5ba ranch style home. New kitchen w/SS appliances, updated cabinetry and granite countertops. Primary bedroom w/a spacious closet and a one-half bath. Fenced-in yard w/plenty of space.

Complete w/a 2-car detached garage.

COLORADO SPRINGS | $415,000 4BR/2BA In the heart of Powers Corridor with spacious floorplan and finished basement. Located on a very spacious lot with Pike Peaks views. Enjoy the open kitchen and eat in area. The large basement has access to laundry facilities as well.

Batya Cruz 303.808.4970 batya.cruz@cbrealty.com

Raul Andino 719.649.0536 raul.andino@cbrealty.com | Thea-TeamColoradoHomes.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH | $400,000 2br/2ba condo. Main living area w/a gas fireplace and patio. Kitchen w/42-inch upper cabinets, slab granite countertops, SS appliances and a dining space. Primary suite w/a walk-in closet and attached bath.

Complete w/a garage space and storage unit.

MILLIKEN | $400,000 4bd/2ba home that sits at the end of a cul-de-sac. Features the main level that has a kitchen w/a backdoor to the backyard, LR and 2bd and 1ba. Lower level also includes 2bd and 1ba. Outside offers an approximately one-quarter acre, fully-fenced lot.

Gail Wheeler 303.726.7202 Gail@GailWheeler.com | GailWheeler.com

Jody Jewell 970.646.2276 jody.jewell@cbrealty.com

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COLORADO SPRINGS | $380,000 Incredible 3BR/3BA home in the Pinehurst neighborhood! Convenient access to the main military installations, including Fort Carson, Peterson, Schriever and the USAFA. The ideal location of this home also offers close access to local amenities.

ARVADA | $380,000 2BR/2BA condo provides easy access to trails, public transportation & restaurants. The open floor plan includes a living room w/vaulted ceilings, spacious kitchen & custom loft area. Recently renovated bedrooms and bathrooms. Located on a greenbelt!

John Szpyrka 719.393.2875 john.l.szpyrka@outlook.com

Joanna McKinney 303.505.4523 joanna.mckinney@cbrealty.com | AspenVerde.com

DENVER | $350,000 Rare 17th floor condo has unobstructed mountain & skyline views w/brand new flooring & fresh paint. Floor plan feels includes copious closet space, kitchen that opens into the main living space & balcony.

Includes underground parking & storage unit.

DENVER | $340,000 Skyline views & resort-like living. Amenities include a pool w/cabanas, hot tub, dog park, dog washing station, gym, business center, entertaining space, gift wrapping room, secure mail room & underground parking. Huge balcony w/mountain/park views.

Chris Campbell 720.678.3060 chris@dreamhomedenver.com | DreamHomeDenver.com

Chris Campbell 720.678.3060 chris@dreamhomedenver.com | DreamHomeDenver.com

DENVER | $300,000 Updated 1br/1ba condo w/3 distinct living areas. Modern kitchen w/SS appliances, cabinets w/slow-close drawers and 2 built-in pantries. In the heart of Capitol Hill a few blocks from Denver’s beloved Cheesman Park in the noted Waldron Bonfils mansion.

DENVER | $215,000 1BR/1BA recently remodeled condominium. End unit on the ground floor. Open floor plan & features an in-unit laundry & walk-in closet.

Less than a mile to the nearest grocery stores & restaurants. Lakes, parks & golf courses less than 10 minutes.

Chase Huddleston 303.585.0895 chase.huddleston@cbrealty.com | ChaseHuddleston.com

LaDawn Sperling 303.710.5817 ladawn.sperling@cbrealty.com | LaDawnSperling.com

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guiding you home since 1906

BROOMFIELD | Price Upon Request

DENVER | $1,275,000

GREENWOOD VILLAGE | $1,200,000

Situated in a world of its own overlooking city lights & mountains, the epitome of royal living. Contemporary masterpiece with every amenity imaginable.

2br/3ba Lakehouse condo w/an open living space. w/hosts quartz countertops, a center island and top of the line stainless appliances. Complete w/balconies providing mountain views.

Creativity + calm in this perfectly balanced Sundance Hills 2-story.

Infused with energy, this 6BR/4BA home sets you up for success w/new kitchen, new basement finishes, & large yard.

Karen Bernardi 303.402.6000

Christy Hepp 303.910.5393

Kelli Barton 720.530.7466

DENVER | $899,000

PARKER | $839,000

WHEAT RIDGE | $825,000

4br/2ba home w/an open floor plan and a fireplace. There is new carpet and a 2nd fireplace in a potential primary bedroom.

Complete w/a backyard sanctuary and a detached, 2-car garage.

Wonderful 4BA/4BA home boasts nearly 4,000 SQFT of living space. Chef’s kitchen w/quartz counters & breakfast nook. Family room w/vaulted ceilings & fireplace. Fully Finished Basement.

Recently remodeled duplex 3BR/3BA & 2BR/1BA in the attached apartment. Shared 2-car garage & large yard w/separate decks.

Main house features a ton of skylights & finished basement.

Kathryn Farrow 720.987.8660

Jennifer Bub 303.253.4969

Barb Riley 303.548.0753

AURORA | $815,000

WESTMINSTER | $790,000

ERIE | $789,000

Stunning 4BR/4BA home greats you w/an open concept floor plan, formal dining room, 2-story family room w/brick fireplace, updated gourmet kitchen w/slab granite counters & much more.

4br/4ba. 2 car gar. Great room w/fireplace. Kitchen w/an island & granite counters. Main floor primary bedroom w/5-piece bath and walk-in closet. 3 patios and separate entry upstairs.

6br/4ba home w/open layout & vaulted ceilings. Fenced in yard w/above ground pool. Close proximity to community park, trails & Boulder Valley Schools. Newer carpet, HVAC & Garage doors.

Jessica Drummond 720.788.4599

Your Fresh Start Realtor Group 720.469.9755

Maria Kinzie 630.709.1863

EVERGREEN | $770,000

MONUMENT | $750,000

WESTMINSTER | $750,000

4BR/4BA Located on a private spur of Buffalo Park Road this sprawling raised ranch is close to the elementary & high school, lake & golf course & the vibrant center of Evergreen.

4bd/4ba ranch home w/open concept living areas, high ceilings, lots of light, hardwood floors, large finished basement, composite deck & gorgeous mountain views!

Meticulously maintained paired 3BR/3BA home in Legacy Ridge West w/finished basement. Bright & open kitchen. Extended patio.

Custom finished basement w/built in wet bar.

Terry Robinson 303.898.3658

Lynne Ross 303.520.8800

Rae Marie Heard 720.234.7918

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CASTLE ROCK | Price Upon Request

COLORADO SPRINGS | $740,000

HIGHLANDS RANCH | Price Upon Request

4br/5ba home w/mountain views. Family room w/fireplace. Kitchen w/quartz countertops and SS appliances. Main floor primary bed w/bath and walk-in closet. Conclude w/basement and garage.

5bd/4ba two-story home with a formal LR, formal DR, kitchen w/center island and FR w/a fireplace. Outside features a large deck w/grill and LL patio connected to the finished basement.

Nestled in a quiet neighborhood, this darling 4BR/3BA home boasts ample living space. Open floor plan w/vaulted ceilings, kitchen w/newer appliances, partially finished basement & deck.

Donna J. Merten 303.829.1228 Debbie Joseph 303.842.8331

Jennifer Zurzolo 720.315.5497

Dale Carroll 720.771.2500

THORNTON | Price Upon Request

LITTLETON | $675,000

PARKER | $640,000

Updated 5BR/3.5BA home boasts 22’ ceilings in the living & dining room, gourmet kitchen w/granite countertops, family room w/fireplace, beautiful primary retreat & finished basement.

3br/3ba home w/an open floor plan. Family room w/an electric fireplace. Enjoy a remodeled kitchen. Finished basement to fit your needs. Complete w/a landscaped backyard and a deck.

5br/3.5ba home. Family room w/a gas fireplace. Kitchen w/granite counters and an island. Primary suite w/a 5-piece bath and walk-in closet. Complete w/a finished basement and backyard.

Debbie Cooper-George 303.944.8494

Hallie Rand 720.810.2931

Debbie Joseph 303.842.8331

PINE | Price Upon Request

NORTHGLENN | $625,000

COLORADO SPRINGS | $625,000

Beautiful, remodeled 3BR/2BA home. Spacious great room w/vaulted ceilings & wood burning stove. Kitchen w/SS appliances & dining area. Redwood deck, finished lower level & workshop.

4br/3ba home on a 9,400+ sqft lot. Updated kitchen w/granite Cul-de-sac home w/4bd/4ba/2-car oversized garage, large deck, countertops, newer cabinets and an island. Downstairs w/additional 2 wood-burning fireplaces, finished basement, kitchen w/breakfast bedroom and bonus room. Complete w/detached, 2-car garage. nook, vaulted wood-beamed ceilings & expansive windows.

Jeanette Starc 303.520.9425

Christina Kern 303.915.0809

Jennifer Zurzolo 720.315.5497

AURORA | $625,000

HIGHLANDS RANCH | $615,000

ERIE | $595,000

4bd/4ba home that features a LR, great room, kitchen and DR. The primary bedroom includes a primary bath with a large garden tub and views of the mountains. Outside has a large deck.

3BR/3BA home has had several major updates. Low maintenance composite back deck is covered & overlooks beautiful yard.

Finished basement has laundry room, bathroom & storage closet.

Corner-lot 3BR/4BA Country Fields home is conveniently located near to 2 neighborhood parks & elementary school. Kitchen, dining area & family room are lined with windows.

Andrea Maloney 501.259.4443

Brian Anzur 303.263.6808 Andrea Anzur 303.731.9920

Lisa Gabriel 303.915.5519

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guiding you home since 1906

DENVER | $595,000

FREDERICK | $590,000

DENVER | $575,000

Ranch style home on a corner lot close to Loretto Heights Park.

Kitchen w/ample cabinets, granite counters and tile backsplash.

Complete w/a full finished basement and a fenced yard.

4br/2.5ba home. Family room w/fireplace. Kitchen w/stainless appliances and island. Primary bed w/5-piece bath and walk-in closet. Complete w/basement, backyard and 3-car tandem garage.

Lakehouse was designed to promote human health & wellness.

Residence 321 features a primary suite w/5pc bath, den, laundry closet & covered patio w/pocket park & historic church views.

Carrie Holmes 970.988.0242

Reuben McKelvey 720.840.7763

Lisa Pirkl 720.215.1124

DENVER | $550,000

DENVER | $550,000

DENVER | $540,000

3BR/3BA home with curb appeal features a spacious main floor, Two-story, mid-Century style unique to the neighborhood sitting formal dining area, family room & kitchen. Nice yard w/covered on nearly 10,000 SQFT corner lot that is conveniently located in the patio & covered front porch. Finished basement w/wet bar. desirable location of Bear Valley.

Newly renovated 4br/2ba home w/refinished hardwood floors. Enjoy an updated kitchen and bathrooms. Well-manicured and landscaped lawn w/sprinkler system, newly planted shrubs and trees.

Barb Riley 303.548.0753

Dana Rondinelli 303.902.7785

GOLDEN | Price Upon Request

COMMERCE CITY | $525,000

AURORA | $525,000

3BD/3BA/2-car garage, end-unit townhome, remodeled gourmet Beautiful Home situated on a corner lot, adjacent to the community kitchen, patio & balcony, great city views, full lower level studio park! Enjoy an open floor plan that includes a large family room apartment w/private entrance & patio. and dining area.

3br/3ba home. Family room w/a fireplace. Kitchen w/plenty of counter space and an island. Spa-like primary suite w/a walk-in closet. Complete w/a basement and a large deck.

Jeanette Starc 303.520.9425

Donna Jarock 303.718.6285

Karen Prunty-Johnson 720.334.0352

Debbie Joseph 303.842.8331

ARVADA | $520,000

ARVADA | $499,900

DENVER | $499,000

Wonderful 3BR/1BA ranch home in Columbine Acres. Light, bright & charming ranch style bungalow close to Olde Town Arvada.

Recently refinished hardwood floors. Remodeled kitchen & bath.

Rare opportunity is being sold as is. Private large backyard.

4BR/2BA ranch w/living room & eat-in kitchen. Basement has finished walls but needs flooring. Amazing location & NO HOA!

3br/3ba home w/an open floor plan. Kitchen w/plenty of cabinet space and an island. Primary bedroom w/a 3/4 bath and walk-in closet. Complete w/a bonus room and low maintenance yard.

Hallie Rand 720.810.2931

Deana Rosales 720.990.3720

Nita Kolarsick 303.250.8280

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COLORADO SPRINGS | $495,000

THORNTON | $489,900

WESTMINSTER | $480,000

Move in ready 3BR/3BA home features an office w/built-in desk, living room, dining area with wall of 8" windows. Solare panels and AC. Close to military bases, Amazon and airport.

Beautiful 3BR/2BA home delights with an open living space, dining area & kitchen. The bottom level has another living space. Relax outside on one of two patios. Oversized 2-car garage.

3br/2ba home w/open living room. Kitchen w/SS appliances, glass tile backsplash and pantry. Main level bedrooms share remodeled bath. Complete w/a downstairs, backyard and 1-car carport

Jennifer Montoya 719.232.3397

Deana Rosales 720.990.3720

Kari Smith 303.324.2376

CENTENNIAL | $459,900

DENVER | $450,000

DENVER | $435,000

3BR/2BA charming tri-level features a quarter acre lot, vaulted living room w/modern electric fireplace, eat in kitchen w/island & access to a covered patio & finished lower level.

Cute 3BR/2BA home has a unique front entry vestibule & 1-car garage. Completely updated in the past 3 years. Convenient to I-70. Close to the park, stock show, new stores & light rail.

Bright, mid-century 3BR/1BA charmer invites you past the front porch pergola & into its brightly lit open floor plan. Great updates and newer features make this a great find!

The Rowley Group 720.530.6749

Barb Riley 303.548.0753

Keely Hawk 303.522.0918

DENVER | $425,000

THORNTON | $424,900

FORT MORGAN | $300,000

2bd/1ba condominium in Uptown. Kitchen offers SS appliances and island that open to the LR. Includes west-facing balcony.

Primary bedroom is large, and bath has shower and separate tub.

Beautiful corner-lot 4BR/3BA townhome features a finished basement, 2-car garage & fenced yard. Updated kitchen w/soft-close cabinets & SS appliances, updated bathrooms throughout.

4br/2ba home on an almost 10,000 sqft lot. Kitchen w/granite tile counters and stainless appliances. Lower level w/a 2nd family room, 2 bedrooms and a 3/4 bath. Complete w/a backyard.

Tori Campbell 970.209.7745

Steven Gravlin 720.201.0266

Christina Kern 303.915.0809

AURORA | $250,000

AURORA | $245,000

LITTLETON | $220,000

2BR/1BA garden level condo located in Pier Point featuring tile flooring, kitchen w/newer cooktop stove, built-in microwave & refrigerator & living room w/wood burning fireplace.

Awesome 2-story, corner unit 2BR/2BA condo in Sable Cove.

Primary bedroom is a converted loft. Living room w/gas fireplace & vaulted ceilings with a sky light. 2 private balconies.

Delightful 1BR/1BA condo in a great location! Private, ground level, end unit with a lovely view. Updates include new laminate flooring, fresh interior paint, kitchen counters & appliances.

Jerry Rich 303.668.1635

Kristin Chalfant 303.324.7840

Amy Metz 720.272.7337

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Represented By: TieRRa MaR GalleRy 225 Canyon Rd, SanTa Fe, nM 87501 www.TieRRaMaRGalleRy.CoM new woRKS on exhiBiT: July 8, 2022 KaRenRoehl.CoM

BACKSTORY A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO

HUNTING BIGFOOT IN COLORADO The first thing to learn is that the preferred term is “squatching,” not “Bigfoot hunting,” Jim Myers says. He should know. As the co-owner of the Sasquatch Outpost, a Bigfoot-themed gift shop and museum in Bailey, Myers hosts a number of squatching events, including this month’s Bigfoot Adventure Weekend ($225 per person; July 29 to 31). The annual collab with Colorado-based Sasquatch Clothing Company teaches novice trackers how to identify night sounds, cast footprints, set up trail cams, and more. Unfortunately for latecomers, the event sold out in April, so we asked Myers to share a few squatch-scouting skills to help you get started on your own. —NICHOLAS HUNT

GILPIN COUNTY

Myers wouldn’t disclose specifics but claimed that he has “not found any area in Colorado in the mountains where there wasn’t a sign they were there.” The denser the forest, the better—because Sasquatches settle where it’s easiest to hide—so try Gilpin, the most tree-covered county in the state, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

EYESHINE

The Ohio Howl, an eerie, slowly rising scream recorded in 1994, may be the most famous Bigfoot call, but in Myers’ experience, Sasquatches most often sound like the indistinct babbling of other hikers down the trail.

Only no one is there.

The weirdest thing about Sasquatches?

Their eyes emit light. “I have no clue how they do it. Maybe it’s bioluminescence,” Myers says, “but it’s fantastic when it happens.”

Look for pairs of red, yellow, or white lights in the woods— watching you.

FOOTPRINTS

Don’t expect to find many of these in Colorado. The state’s soil is too hard and rocky.

GIFTS fig.4

TREE KNOCKS

Some believe the creatures communicate over distances by thumping tree trunks to make a hollow bang. Try it yourself on a dark night and see if they respond. Pro tip: A wooden ax handle makes the perfect knocker.

148 5 2 8 0

J U LY 2 0 2 2

Researchers will leave interesting objects, such as kitchen utensils, in the woods where they’re sure no other humans will find them and return to see if they’ve been moved or taken. “They’re curious,” Myers says of the animals. “They want to check it out.

Pick it up. Look at it.”

fig.5

fig.2

SNAPPED SAPLINGS AND TREE ARCHES

Bigfoot’s most common calling cards are trees that have been manipulated into unnatural positions, either to mark territory or simply to express themselves creatively. Look for saplings whose crowns have been broken and for branches that have been placed under heavy objects to keep them from springing upright again.

fig.3

AUDIO RECORDINGS

According to Myers, Sasquatches know what cameras are and will do everything they can to avoid them, including stealing them. Instead, researchers typically use microphones—which Bigfoot creatures are apparently cool with—to record bumps in the night.

NIGHT HUNTS

The key to a successful night search is to stop quickly and randomly. Naturally inquisitive, Sasquatches like to follow hikers. If you catch them off guard, you may hear rustling in the woods before they realize you’ve stopped.

fig.6

Getty Images (8)

fig.1

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