THE DENVER MAGAZINE
THE 5280 GUIDE TO
MEDICINE BOW-ROUTT NATIONAL FORESTS HIKE + CAMP + PADDLE + CLIMB + BIKE + FISH
HOW COLORADO COMPANIES ARE WINNING THE NEW SPACE RACE
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INSIDE KALI FAJARDO-ANSTINE’S MUCH ANTICIPATED DEBUT NOVEL BY SHANE MONAGHAN
ARE DENVER’S LATIN AMERICAN CHEFS FINALLY GETTING THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVE?
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I DO WHAT I DO... Nimesh Patel, MD Orthopedic Surgeon Avid Soccer Player
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I’m an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoColorado Hospital, and I take every chance to appreciate the moments that make my life feel full. For me, that’s playing soccer with my boys. It gives me an understanding of how important my patients’ hobbies and activities are to them, too. And that’s exactly why I love what I do. I do what I do, so my patients, like Tyler, can spend time doing what they love most. It’s the reason we’re all here — to deliver the very best in orthopedic and spine care. OrthoColorado: Colorado’s Only Orthopedic Hospital. www.orthocolorado.org
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FEATURES
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60 The 5280 Guide To Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests Million of acres of public land straddle the Colorado-Wyoming border and deliver heart-pumping, adrenaline-releasing outdoor adventures aplenty. EDITED BY LINDSEY B. KING
72 Far Out There’s a new space race happening as private aerospace companies seek to mold a modern orbital ecosystem driven as much by profit as by exploration. With the nation’s second-largest commercial space economy, the Centennial State plans to be a major launchpad. BY NICHOLAS HUNT
84 Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s debut collection of short stories, Sabrina & Corina, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2019. The Denver writer’s first novel, Woman of Light, due out this month, aims to build on her burgeoning literary legacy by reclaiming Indigenous Chicanas’ place in the history of the American West and Colorado. BY SHANE MONAGHAN
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Denver-based Boom Supersonic is developing sound-barrierbreaking passenger planes.
Courtesy of Boom Supersonic
The Keeper Of Stories
DEPTS.
B E H I N D T H E S T O R I ES 18
D I N I N G G U I D E 90
COMPASS 21 MUSIC
From the Oscars to the Super Bowl, Denver’s Derrick Hodge is the man making the tunes.
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24 BOOKS
We paired four new reads from Colorado authors with the perfect complementary experiences to bring the lit to life.
EAT & DRINK
26 HEALTH
28 OUTDOORS
Two cyclists want to build a mountain bike park in Conifer. Some of their potential neighbors want to stop them.
30 STYLE
35 BEST BITES
The Greenwich’s blistered sourdough pizzas and family-style plates are a refined ode to NYC.
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36 WHAT’S HOT
On the menu this month: European fare such as German käsespätzle, Polish pierogies, and Czech crêpes.
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38 CHANGE MAKERS
How SuitShop is making wedding-party getups more inclusive and sustainable.
With two Mexican restaurateurs from Colorado up for a James Beard Award this month, are chefs of Latin American descent finally getting the recognition they deserve?
32 TECHNOLOGY
One of the state’s biggest electronic dance music festivals, Sonic Bloom, enters the metaverse.
BY ALLYSON REEDY
48 ON THE COVER
Photograph by Noah Wetzel
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests’ Gilpin Lake, near Steamboat Springs
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COLUMN 48 BUSINESS
Boulder has long been a hotbed for natural and organic food products. Now it’s giving its secret ingredient list for business growth to cities nationwide. BY RIANE MENARDI MORRISON
BACKSTORY 128 RUN FOR COVER
Where to see Colorado’s best tribute bands this summer.
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Can Dr. Morgan Medlock mend Colorado’s fractured mental health system?
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FROM THE EDITOR
Depending on the size of the magazine we print each month, there can be anywhere from roughly 19,000 to 33,000 words in our editorial pages. We, of course, labor over our language, hoping to craft stories you’ll enjoy reading. But a lot of painstaking work goes into something we hope you don’t notice at all: getting the facts right. Magazine journalism has a long history of being singular in its efforts to confirm every verifiable truth before publication. As opposed to newspaper editors and TV news producers, who don’t have time to do an independent review for each story they run, magazine editors have by and large taken advantage of their longer lead times to ensure their product, often displayed for weeks or months, gets the facts straight. Over the past several years, decreasing revenues among magazines across the country have, in many cases, led to the downgrade—or total disbandment—of research departments that have historically been responsible for fact-checking. At 5280, however, we have maintained our commitment to confirming every detail in every issue, and that is due in no small part to the watchful eye of research editor Barbara Urzua. Urzua not only spends many of her days making calls to ensure we’ve accurately described someone’s business or provided crucial context or been sensitive to nuance, but she also manages a team of three interns who do the same. Fact-checking is an exercise in stamina and patience—and Urzua displays plenty of both. I have a friend, a longtime and sage magazine-maker, who once said “a magazine is a handmade product,” and, as everyone knows, handmade products are not always perfect. As such, when we make mistakes, we print corrections on this page and update stories online (with an attendant notification). Our goals are—and always have been—accuracy, fairness, and transparency, especially at a time when these things can feel in short supply. We truly hope to never fall shy of those intentions, but if something seems wrong to you, let us know so we can make it right.
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Director of aerospace and aviation at the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation When we decided to examine Colorado’s aerospace industry (“Far Out,” page 72), we called Lea first. BIGGEST LEAP
”Immigrating to the United States from the United Kingdom opened the door to so many amazing opportunities, experiences, and friendships. I do miss a good cup of tea, though.” ON EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE
”I don’t think we’re alone, but given the immense distances and time scales involved, I think the chances of us making contact with another civilization are slim to none.”
ON 5280.COM
Bring It On Summer may officially kick off on June 21, but our editors got a jump-start on the season in May as they researched everything from the region’s best beach-ready drinks to can’t-miss concerts for 5280.com’s summer guide, which goes live later this month.
LINDSEY B. KING Email: lindsey@5280.com Twitter: @linzbking
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CORRECTION
In the May issue, we erroneously reported that chef Kelly Whitaker planned to work with the Frontier Drive-In. We regret the error.
Clockwise from top left: Sarah Banks; Courtesy of Vicky Lea; Getty Images
Just The Facts
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MUSIC BOOKS HEALTH OUTDOORS STYLE TECHNOLOGY
Mural by Thomas “Detour” Evans
Behind The Music From the Oscars to the Super Bowl, Denver’s Derrick Hodge is the man making the tunes.
P H O T O G R A P H Y BY K E V I N M O H AT T
CoMPASS
Not everyone looks at the credits at the end of the Grammys or the Academy Awards. And most Colorado football fans are too hopped up on craft beer to notice who’s directing the music before the Super Bowl starts. But Centennial Staters who do pay attention to the fine print might have noticed a name that appeared at all three of those events in 2022: Derrick Hodge. Forty-two-yearold Hodge isn’t a household name in Colorado yet, but the Denver-based bassist and orchestra conductor has a gig this month that would be a career highlight for most musicians: co-conducting at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, a 100-year-old live music venue in Los Angeles. Hodge may have been destined for the opportunity to lead the Bowl’s Juneteenth Celebration since he was a child. Raised in New Jersey, Hodge would accompany his mother to church, where she was in the choir. From the pews, Hodge got a VIP view of a bassist named Joel Ruffin, who JUNE 2022
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MUSIC
Fresh Sounds Denver has been hosting a Juneteenth party for seven decades. This year’s Juneteenth Music Festival will add to familiar favorites, such as the parade along 26th Avenue, with these new attractions to celebrate Black culture. —SPENCER CAMPBELL
often played during the services. “I wanted to be just like Joel through my whole childDerrick Hodge in hood,” Hodge says. “The bass was too big for my body, so I started on guitar.” Five Points Hodge would grow into the bass, though. He began studying music in 1997 at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he connected with rising local R&B artists such as Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, and Floetry. He often recorded with them, and in 1999, he began making his own music. He understudied for composer and Spike Lee collaborator Terence Blanchard, contributing to the director’s When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, and joined electro-jazz ensemble the Robert Glasper Experiment as its bassist. In 2013, the group’s Black Radio won the Grammy for Best R&B Album. “As a bassist, he can glide effortlessly from R&B to jazz to rock ’n’ roll,” says Don Was, president of Blue Note Records, Hodge’s label. “He can compose and conduct for a symphony orchestra and lead and compose for his own genre-defying, groundbreaking band.” In 2015, Hodge moved to the Denver area and received an unexpected education in the mile-high jazz scene. The Five Points neighborhood, he learned, had once been called the Harlem of the West and hosted legendary performers such as Billie Holliday and Duke Ellington at the Rossonian Hotel. “I love the energy in Denver,” he says. “The creative force, the juices, the inspiration, the history.” Hodge wants to add to that tradition. His latest solo album, Color of Noize, came out in 2020 and, like its creator, deftly combines jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. Hodge hopes to build on the sound through events such as a festival, party, or fashion show in Denver. This month, however, he’s focused on making history. The Juneteenth Celebration at the Hollywood Bowl will be headlined by the Re-Collective Orchestra (which performs the work of neglected Black composers), the Roots, and the Robert Glasper Experiment (he’ll play the bass for the band). It marks the first time an all-Black orchestra will play the Bowl—yet Hodge knows he’s building on the legacy of Black performers who came before him. “We are sitting,” he says, “on the hope and the dream of others.” —JOCE BLAKE
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Vibes in the Park: On June 19, Juneteenth Music Festival (JMF) is partnering with Vibes in the Park, which organizes get-togethers in City Park on summer Sundays that serve as safe spaces for Black people to hang out. The festival’s Vibes on 29th will feature live DJs performing on a stage erected on 29th Street. Denver Fire Department youth boxing matches: On June 18, Denver firefighters will hold bouts between amateurs ages eight to 18. The Street Festival: The headliners for this year’s twoday performance lineup are rappers Dave East (June 18) and Twista (June 19). Juneteenth Eats at Chēba Hut: Through June 19, Coloradobased Chēba Huts is offering a beer-and-shot special, $2 of which will benefit JMF. On June 16, a portion of the sandwich maker’s total sales will go to the nonprofit.
From left: Mural by Thomas “Detour” Evans; Courtesy of Juneteenth Music Festival
CONTINUED
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BOOKS
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE We paired four new reads from Colorado authors with the perfect complementary experiences to bring the lit to life.
READ
MADMAN IN THE WOODS by Jamie Gehring
TELL ME EVERYTHING by Erika Krouse
THE IMMORTAL KING RAO by Vauhini Vara
BEING MARY BENNET by J.C. Peterson
Growing up in Montana, Gehring lived next door to Theodore J. Kaczynski—aka the Unabomber. The Littleton resident’s memoir, released in April, attempts to reconcile childhood memories of a “kind-yet-quirky” neighbor who used to eat dinner with her family with the man who would go on to kill three innocent people and injure dozens more.
In 2002, this Boulder native worked as a private detective investigating claims of sexual assault against members of the University of Colorado Boulder football squad, which basically condoned rape as “a team bonding experience,” Krouse writes. Released in March, the memoir weaves Krouse’s emotional struggle of past sexual abuse with the developments of the case.
Published in May, the Fort Collins author’s debut novel is a mythic family history set in a dystopian alternative reality. The former Wall Street Journal reporter uses the Rao clan—whose patriarch rises from India’s lowest caste to become the king of a global Silicon Valley–based empire—to explore issues involving climate change, race, class, politics, and power. Think: Succession, but with more tech.
Peterson riffs on one of the best-loved characters of all time, Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice, in this young adult page-turner. When teenager Marnie Barnes concludes she’s not a Lizzie but a tragic version of middle sister Mary—awkward and overly studious—she enlists a bestie to help her revamp her image into something cooler.
THEN Feel a thrill at the Bank Campground, a Bureau of Land Management property near Cañon City. Its 33 sites overlook the limestone cliffs of Shelf Road, a popular climbing spot that’s only an hour’s hitchhike, er, drive from ADX Florence, the prison Kaczynski called home until he was transferred late last year.
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Dig deep into the evolving history of reproductive rights during the Molly Brown House Museum’s June 2 salon: “Women’s Autonomy: My Body, My Choice?”
Clear your carbon conscience at the Pad Silverthorne, a hotel made of 18 upcycled shipping containers that opened in January. Immerse yourself in Rao family drama in your room (there are private suites and dorm-style accommodations, starting at $50 per night), in the coworking space, or with a local brew at the bar called, appropriately, A-Bar.
Mr. Darcy takes great pleasure in a fine pair of eyes, so why not amplify your come-hither look at Lashology in the Highland, where you can get a semipermanent lash extension for $84?
Clockwise from top: Liubomyr Vorona/Getty Images; Courtesy of HarperCollins; Courtesy of W.W. Norton & Company Inc.; Courtesy of Flatiron Books; Courtesy of Jamie Gehring
—PHILIP CLAPHAM
HEALTH
Picking Up The Pieces Dr. Morgan Medlock is no stranger to a crisis. Until recently, she served as chief medical officer and director of crisis services for Washington, D.C.’s Department of Behavioral Health, for which she oversaw the agency’s only 24/7 psychiatric emergency services facility. So confronting a problem as urgent as mental health care in Colorado should be right in her wheelhouse. Every year, Mental Health America, a bipartisan advocacy nonprofit, ranks the states based on prevalence of mental illness and access to care. In 2022, Colorado finished last for adults. Alarming statistics such as these led Governor Jared Polis to launch a task force in 2019 charged with evaluating the state’s mental health care system. A year later, the group released its report, which detailed a serpentine maze of more than 100 programs—from psychiatric care to substance abuse treatment—overseen by four agencies. Such a tangled web, the report stated, was making it difficult for patients to know how and where to get help. As such, the task force encouraged lawmakers to create a new department to sync the system, and in 2021, the Colorado General Assembly passed legislation directing the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to launch a dedicated Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) by July 2022. This past January, Polis hired Medlock to lead the new agency. A native of Texas, Medlock boasts a resumé that includes a residency in adult psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and a stint as a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School. Throughout her career, she’s been passionate about fixing inequity: Before joining D.C.’s behavioral health department, she served as vice chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities. “I have always been vocal about anti-racism work, dismantling systems of oppression, and thinking through equitable behavioral health solutions,” Medlock says. That will be important in Colorado, where Hispanic, Black, and Indigenous residents are the least likely to access care, according to the CDHS’ Office of Behavioral Health. At press time in May, the state Legislature was still evaluating the plan for the BHA’s powers and responsibilities. But Medlock isn’t waiting to act: She’s appointed five fellows to her administration who will ensure that the BHA’s work remains equity-focused. She’s empowered a senior adviser to address a chronic lack of beds for kids who need inpatient psychiatric treatment—a problem that has forced some families to send their children to out-of-state centers. And Medlock will hire a deputy commissioner of IT to address the technical side of inequity (statistics show that Coloradans of color typically have less access to the internet than white residents do). Nevertheless, the BHA has already been met with skepticism. CDHS’ outline for the agency, for example, creates a special status for which providers can apply. Those approved would have to treat anyone, regardless of their abilities to pay. In return, those providers would get funding first, leaving less for
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others. That, says Dr. Carl Clark, president of the Mental Health Center of Denver, could cause providers to compete for money, which would put community health centers such as his up against larger private organizations. “We are very concerned this disincentivizes care for the most vulnerable,” Clark says. Considering the state of Colorado’s mental health care system, Medlock understands the lack of confidence. “We know we need to rebuild trust through meaningful action and accountability,” Medlock says. “We’re just asking for an opportunity to prove ourselves, and we know we can move things in a better direction.” —BARBARA URZUA
Sarah Banks (photographed on location in front of “East 2 West Source Point” by Larry Kirkland, an original work owned and commissioned by the City and County of Denver)
Can Dr. Morgan Medlock mend Colorado’s fractured mental health care system?
OUTDOORS
Not So Fast
When Phil Bouchard moved to the Front Range in 2020, he expected to discover the same kind of mountain-bike-dedicated infrastructure he’d grown up with in New Hampshire. Instead, he found crowds. The majority of trails on the Front Range are multiuse, meaning cyclists, hikers, trail runners, and sometimes even horses must share limited space. The cramped quarters often lead to increased tension and, worse yet, less fun for everyone. So, a few months after his move, Bouchard and his business partner, Jason Evans, a childhood friend and fellow Centennial State transplant, decided to create a solution: They would develop the first mountain bike park on the Front Range. Bouchard and Evans even have the land picked out for the project, tentatively named Shadow Mountain Bike Park: a 250-acre parcel in Conifer. The pair created a plan that calls for erecting a single chairlift that would provide access to around 16 miles of trails that progress in difficulty. “Give mountain bikers a place where they can ride that’s designed for it,” Bouchard says, “and you’ll start to relieve much of that pressure on public trail systems.” But, by attempting to fix one Front Range overcrowding issue, the duo inadvertently landed themselves in the middle of another. Locals opposed to the project have formed an organization called Stop Full Send Bike Ranch (Full Send was an earlier name for the park) to prevent what they say is unwelcome development. “I think that it’s important to note [that] this is really not a NIMBY [not in my backyard] issue,” says Raena Chatwin, the group’s co-chair. “This is really about…the negative impact this is going to have on the community.” Stop Full Send’s concerns are wide-ranging, from increased traffic and a strain on emergency services to a greater chance of wildfire and stress on wildlife. Even if the bike park doesn’t move in, something will. The parcel of land Bouchard and Evans hope to lease is owned by the Colorado State Land Board, which rents out its 2.8 million acres of surface land to farmers, oil and gas companies, and other entities for the express purpose of raising money for Colorado’s public schools. (Since 2008, the Land Board has generated $2 billion.)
Two cyclists want to build a mountain bike park in Conifer. Some of their potential neighbors want to stop them.
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Currently, the site is zoned by Jefferson County for agriculture, a wide-ranging category that includes anything from dairy farms to sewage treatment plants to campgrounds. “If you look at the alternatives,” Bouchard says, “it’s like, Whoa, is a bike park really the worst thing?” To address concerns, Bouchard says Shadow Mountain will cap the number of vehicles at 300 per day, perform wildfire mitigation, hire on-site first-aid professionals, and close for around four months each winter when roads are at their worst. It isn’t enough for Chatwin. “I think, for the biggest concerns we have, there’s not much they can do to fix [them],” she says. Chatwin would prefer neighbors who better reflect the area’s pastoral environment, such as cattle. Because the Land Board abides by local land-use regulations and rulings, Shadow Mountain’s next step is to gain approval from Jefferson County. Bouchard says they hope to submit their application as early as this month, at which point Stop Full Send will try to convince the county that the project is incompatible with the neighborhood’s character. If approved, construction on the new bike park could start this winter. If it isn’t? “I think, in one form or another, we’ll continue pursuing the project. I just don’t know exactly what that would look like,” Bouchard says. “But we are not planning for failure.” —NICHOLAS HUNT
Editor’s note: Shadow Mountain Bike Park co-owner Phil Bouchard is the brother of a former 5280 staff member and current freelancer.
I L L U S T R AT I O N BY RYA N J O H N S O N
WE’D INSTALL MOUNTAINS, BUT THEY’D JUST BLOCK THE VIEW.
A quote often misattributed to our famous author Willa Cather goes something like this: “Anyone can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.” Count us among the souls, because we do love our prairies, and the quiet beauty that shapes the way we live and think. Not everyone can appreciate that. But if you’re someone who can, go to VisitNebraska.com for a free Travel Guide. And enjoy the incredible majesty of an unobstructed view.
STYLE
How SuitShop is making wedding-party getups more inclusive and sustainable.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Founded as the Groomsman Suit, the company rebranded to SuitShop in 2021 to reflect its addition of designs for women and children. “Women started coming to us, saying, I don’t want to wear a bridesmaid’s dress anymore,” Ganz says, “or, I want to stand up on the groom’s side and be in a matching suit.” Jackets and pants are sold separately so customers, regardless of gender, can mix and match fits from different lines.
SIZE WISE From women’s 00 to 20 (tops and bottoms) and men’s 34 to 64 (jackets; pants run 27 to 54), SuitShop offers one of the largest size ranges on the market. Plus, it’s leveraged more than 100,000 data points on what customers of various heights and weights ordered to create a nine-question fit-finder algorithm on its website that can guess suit sizes with 85 percent accuracy. Creepy? A little. Convenient? Definitely.
TAKING ORDERS Getting a wedding party to buy its suits and ensure they fit can be, as Ganz puts it, a “goat rodeo.” SuitShop’s group ordering platform aims to ease couples’ anxiety by doing the nagging for them, via reminder emails with links to exactly what to purchase. Each order then arrives at the buyer’s door with a to-do list—“Try On Your Suit”; “Hem Your Pants”—and tips such as not pocketing bulgy cell phones on the big day.
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GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK SuitShop is switching all of its pants and jackets to its new Eco Stretch fabric, whose recycled polyester threads are composed of 38 percent plastic bottle waste. It’s cheaper (suit sets start at less than $200) and lighter than wool and less wrinkle-prone than linen. Bonus: The extra elasticity is clutch when it’s time to break out the worm at the reception.
BANG FOR YOUR BUCK Renting an ill-fitting tux is likely to cost you at least $150—so you might as well spend a little more to own a jacket-and-pant combo that (unlike a bridesmaid’s dress, no matter how much you shorten it) SuitShop swears you can totally wear again. The company even sends out emails with suggestions on how to, say, pair that blazer with khakis and a sweater for the office.
PARED DOWN To ensure the company doesn’t get stuck with an oversupply of blazers in last season’s color of the moment—discarded clothing is a large factor in the fashion industry’s 2.1 billion tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions— SuitShop keeps its offerings minimal and classic. Along with pants, jackets, and vests in fewer than a dozen colors, SuitShop offers white button-up shirts and a handful of black and brown leather shoes and belts. Ties ($15 to $25) come in a rainbow of colors, though, so couples can still match their party’s neckwear to the flowers.
Courtesy of SuitShop
WELL SUITED
Yours isn’t the only refrigerator covered in save-the-dates: The post-pandemic wedding boom is real, to the tune of 2.5 million ring exchanges expected to take place in 2022. That’s a 25 percent rise over the pre-COVID-19 annual norm in the United States, and the surge is straining industry suppliers, including suit and tux rental businesses. Which might be why SuitShop—a six-year-old company that mainly sells dapper jackets and pants online but also has three physical showrooms, including one in LoHi—is shipping nearly 500 orders per day and anticipating a 200 percent sales increase over 2021. Co-founder and Denver resident Diana Ganz, however, says the growth can also be attributed to the fact that her brand has leveraged technology, trends, and eco-friendly textiles to bring wedding-party attire into the 21st century. —JESSICA LARUSSO
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Party Online The best music festivals are worlds unto themselves. Burning Man, for example, feels like a Mad Max–esque fever dream, while Coachella is a celebrity-studded carnival. Since it started in 2006, Sonic Bloom, one of Colorado’s biggest electronic dance music festivals, has cultivated a techno-psychedelic summer camp vibe—and, this year, a trip into the metaverse will solidify that brand. For the uninitiated, the metaverse is a developing network of 3D worlds that exist on the internet, à la Ready Player One. Like the characters in the 2018 sci-fi film, users can don goggles and explore virtual realms, where they interact with others. The ever-expanding metaverse has long fascinated Annie Phillips, a Denver artist who, in 2019, designed metaversal replicas of her RiNo digital-art gallery, IRL Art, so customers could virtually peruse the exhibition space on different platforms. “People look at the metaverse as checking out of reality,” Phillips says, “but it’s a cool way to still experience art and feel connected to a community.” Phillips wasn’t the only artist whose interest in the metaverse paid off during the pandemic. In October 2021, an event called Metaverse Festival livestreamed 80 different DJ, jazz, and funk sets, attracting so many people that the concert’s server crashed. Metaverse Festival’s popularity made Phillips, a longtime Sonic Bloom attendee and its art director, wonder if a similar concept could enhance the Colorado fete when it returns from a two-year COVID-19 hiatus this month ( June 16 to 19). Conveniently, Sonic Bloom’s organizers were interested in giving the event a stronger digital presence. “We wanted to see how we could capture a little bit of that market,” says creative director Josh Davis, “and provide some added benefits to our attendees.” Those perks start with a digital replica of Hummingbird Ranch, the campground in Huerfano County that hosts Sonic Bloom. Phillips and a team of 11 artists will design it on Decentraland, one of the most popular metaversal browsers. EDM fans unwilling or unable to drive to the southern Colorado locale can navigate the grounds using either a computer or a virtual reality headset and see livestreams of the performances. Festivalgoers who make the physical journey will
Colorado’s Sonic Bloom enters the metaverse.
be treated to an artsy version of Pokémon Go: On their phones, they’ll see digital artwork created by Phillips and others at different spots around the grounds. Even the entrance system has gone metaversal. Rather than using traditional ticketing, Sonic Bloom will issue non-fungible tokens (NFTs) designed by artists to attendees. At their core, NFTs are pieces of digital art with encoded tracking information, which allows collectors to verify authenticity. In this case, it will also prevent scalpers from buying the NFT tickets and reselling them for higher prices. For Sonic Bloom attendees who want to get even more from their experience, lines of code in add-on NFTs will act as passwords to grant access to festival bonuses, such as secret, off-site sets. The result of all this tech? Phillips hopes the metaverse will make Sonic Bloom a more accessible experience. “We know there may be people with underlying health conditions worried about being in a crowd, or even parents who can’t just take off to a festival for three days,” she says. “The metaversal version means everyone will get a chance to experience Sonic Bloom.” —ANGELA UFHEIL
IF YOU GO In-Person Getting there: Visit rickyrides. com/sonic-bloom to carpool Bring: Camping gear Price: From $367, not including camping and parking (an addition of at least $162) Virtual Getting there: sonicbloomfestival.com Bring: A sweet, rave-ready digital outfit for your avatar Price: TBD at press time
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Source images: Getty Images (woman using VR technology); Eric Allen Photo/Courtesy of Sonic Bloom (DJ and light show, aerial performers, artist with artwork); Daniel Craveiro/Courtesy of Sonic Bloom (owl)
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David Williams/Courtesy of the Greenwich
This seasonal pepper pizza will appear on the Greenwich’s menu in July.
A Slice Of The Big Apple The Greenwich’s blistered sourdough pizzas and family-style plates are a refined ode to NYC.
Walking into the Greenwich—a nine-month-old spot in RiNo—feels a little like stepping into the eponymous New York City neighborhood restaurateur Delores Tronco called home before relocating to Colorado in 2021. Inside, the walls are studded with mementos of Tronco’s past life, including pen-and-ink prints of the Manhattan skyline by artist Pat Vale and images taken by the late, legendary street photographer Ricky Powell, who is also immortalized in a mural by Denver’s Austin Zucchini-Fowler that frames the restaurant’s alleyway entrance. To execute a menu of polished, made-for-sharing bistro fare, Tronco persuaded chef Justin Freeman to move his family from Brooklyn to the Mile High City this past summer. Dishes such as hamachi tartare with mango and lemon curd and anchovyand garlic-rubbed steak complement a lineup of pizzas that are a hybrid of Neapolitan and New York styles. The fluffy, wood-oven-fired wonders are crafted with a nearly six-year-old sourdough starter Freeman transported to Denver “in a 22-quart Cambro [container], between my legs in the car with a two-year-old and a puppy,” he says. Order the pie crowned with a mix of locally grown peppers, grana Padano and pecorino cheeses, chile flakes, and herbs for a perfect blend of Freeman’s flair and Centennial State flavor. —PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG JUNE 2022
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WHAT’S HOT From top: The Polish platter at Pierogies Factory; palačinky at Cafe Prague; schnitzel with mushroom sauce at Gabys German Eatery
Deutschland’s decadent answer to mac and cheese is made with chewy, homemade egg noodles layered in gooey Emmental and jammy onions.
CZECH MATE Cafe Prague Morrison
Restaurants serving upscale cuisine from the Czech Republic are a rarity in Colorado, but Morrison’s 18-year-old Cafe Prague is a delicious exception. Owner Dennis Cionetti, who was born in the City of a Hundred Spires and moved to Denver in 1978, worked as a bartender at the restaurant
Where We’re Eating POLISH PLATES Pierogies Factory Littleton and Wheat Ridge
Not long after Cezary Grosfeld moved to Denver from his native Lomza, Poland, in 2005, he started selling pierogies—classic Polish dumplings stuffed with ingredients such as earthy spinach and feta and tangy sauerkraut and mushrooms—at local farmers’ markets. Their popularity led Grosfeld to open Pierogies Factory’s first fastcasual, brick-and-mortar outpost in Wheat Ridge in 2015; a Littleton location launched in January. Visit the new bare-bones, yellowwalled space to sample the soft potato- and farmers’-cheesefilled pierogies, topped with velvety sour cream and caramelized onions. The menu also sports
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Eastern European specialties such as bigos, a gently sweet and zesty hunter’s stew made with sauerkraut, shredded red cabbage, and slow-cooked ground pork.
TASTE OF DEUTSCHLAND Gabys German Eatery Lakewood
When Gaby Berben, who hails from Germany’s Cologne region, debuted her tiny restaurant in April 2018, she crafted a new recipe for her Viennese-style schnitzel with mushroom sauce. Now, the breaded cutlet is one of the most popular offerings on the menu, thanks to Berben’s
perfected technique: pounding the slice of pork loin extra thin and frying it in clarified butter. The result is a delicately crisp schnitzel with a richer, meatier flavor than oil-fried versions. Enjoy it alongside an order of sauerbraten—a hearty beef dish zinged with balsamic vinegar and red wine—or käsespätzle.
before purchasing it from former proprietor (and childhood friend) Tomas Stibral in 2015. Since then, Cionetti—alongside chef and fellow Prague native Aleš Zabilansky—has delighted Coloradans with classic dishes from his homeland. Our go-to: the Bohemian-style roasted duck seasoned with caraway seed; served atop soft, steamed bread and potato dumplings; and accompanied by slow-braised, sweet-and-sour red cabbage. Zabilansky also prepares global fare, including a salmon fillet stuffed with tender crab meat and melted brie. For a sweet finish, get the palačinky, a pair of filled crêpes—one with cream cheese and dark-rum-marinated raisins, one with tart raspberry preserves—for dessert.
Sarah Banks (3)
On the menu this month: European fare, including German käsespätzle, Polish pierogies, and Czech crêpes. —PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG & RIANE MENARDI MORRISON
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Applause, Please With multiple Mexican restaurateurs from Colorado up for a James Beard Award this month, are chefs of Latin American descent finally getting the recognition they deserve? BY ALLYSON REEDY
Sharif Villa Cruz
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As soon as you part the red curtain that separates La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal’s entrance from Larimer Street, you’re hit with the scents of toasted chiles, slow-roasted cochinita pibil, and long-simmered broths. These savory smells signify essential components of the tacos and stews that satisfy our appetites for Latin American flavors. They’re so familiar, and yet their creators often are not. Colorado is known for the sort of Mexican food that chef Jose Avila makes at year-old La Diabla near Coors Field and at his weekly barbacoa pop-up, El Borrego Negro, in Westwood. Mexican American chefs such as Avila—many of whom have run the kitchens of well-known eateries in town—are an integral part of the local restaurant industry. Plus, Avila estimates that 80 to 90 percent of the kitchen workers he’s cooked with over his 20-year career in Denver have been Latino. That guesstimate stands diametrically opposed to the fact that those of Latin American descent haven’t been as P H O T O G R A P H Y BY J O N I S C H R A N T Z
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CHANGE MAKERS widely recognized by media and awards committees—here in Colorado and nationally—as their white counterparts. For example, a recent analysis of the James Beard Foundation Awards, one of the country’s highest honors in the culinary arts, found that from their inception in 1991 through 2018, just 2.4 percent of best chef nominees have been Hispanic. There are indications that is changing, though. This year, two of the five finalists for best chef in the Mountain Region category, which includes Colorado, are Mexican: Avila for El Borrego Negro and Chihuahua native Dana Rodriguez for RiNo’s Work & Class. But before he got the James Beard nod in March, before he opened the city’s first pozoleria, before he kicked off the taco and tequila trend at Machete Tequila & Tacos in 2011, and before he worked his way up to executive chef at Elway’s, Avila took out the trash and washed dishes at Chez Jose Mexican Grill in Cherry Creek. After finishing a shift there in the early 2000s, the Mexico City native would walk across the street to work as a cashier at Burger King, and then he’d go polish the floors at the mall. “They called me the Cherry Creek whore, because I worked in every single restaurant there,” Avila says. “I fell in love with the whole culture of the industry and the restaurants. I didn’t know about titles or James Beard Awards or Michelin stars. I didn’t care. I just wanted to learn.” Avila says he knows his hard work helped him achieve his current success. However, he also says he was “fortunate enough to land in good spots surrounded by good people”—mostly white restaurant owners who gave him opportunities to transition from cleaning to cooking to developing recipes. “It’s about who has the money,” Avila says. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a Hispanic owner. And all the credit, everything, goes to the owner.”
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HISPANICS AND LATINOS make up nearly 22 percent of Colorado’s population, and, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 38 percent of those 1.26 million people work in food and beverage. Yet, very few of them rise above the rank of line cook. “It’s a lot harder for Latinos or immigrants,” says Rodriguez, who is the chef-owner of Super Mega Bien and Cantina Loca, in addition to Work & Class. “They
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[sometimes] don’t have the citizenship; they don’t have family that owned properties in the States. There’s not enough help, and our people are shy to go in for loans. The language barrier—they don’t know how to go in and express what they need.” Rodriguez, known to her peers and patrons as Loca, is probably Denver’s most recognized Latina chef. Her story is inspirational: A single mother leaves Mexico City and gets her start washing dishes at downtown Denver’s Panzano. She eventually runs kitchens, opens her own successful restaurants, and earns five James Beard nods along the way. But retellings rarely include mention of the discrimination and
Latino-owned businesses are less than half as likely as white-owned companies to have their loan applications approved. painful experiences she endured to get there, such as cooking under a manager who relentlessly mocked her English and ultimately gave Rodriguez her nickname, which means crazy. “It was the same shit every day,” she says. “I hated my job, but I needed it because I had my three daughters. One Saturday night it was fucking packed, and he started saying again, ‘I can’t understand you! Speak English!’ And I said, ‘Fuck you! I hope you understand that. I’m sick of your shit.’ He said, ‘You’re loco.’ I said, ‘No, it’s loca.’ ” Even after Rodriguez debuted Work & Class in 2014 and earned local and national acclaim, she and her co-owners struggled to get a bank loan to open Super Mega Bien in 2018. The only way they could get even a partial loan— for $150,000 of the $1.2 million they needed—was by having one of her partner’s parents co-sign. Securing financing for restaurants is already tricky because lenders see the industry as volatile, but it’s even more difficult for people of color: Federal Reserve data show that Latinoowned businesses are less than half as likely as white-owned companies to have their loan applications approved.
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Sharif Villa Cruz knows this all too well. He has cooked in Colorado for 20 years, from assembling drive-thru orders at Taco Bell in Frisco to commanding the kitchen at now-closed Lola Coastal Mexican, with stints at TAG, Mercantile Dining & Provision, and Boulder’s L’Atelier in between. He certainly has the experience and the culinary chops to open his own restaurant, but because he only has a work permit and is still in the process of gaining American citizenship, which has taken 12 years and counting, banks have told him he wouldn’t be able to get a loan. “A lot of chefs and cooks in Denver go through the same thing,” he says. “I know plenty of peoFind our ple here who want to buy a Dining Guide, food truck. They either give an extensive up all their savings, or they list of area restaurants, on don’t do it.” page 90 While he waits on his and online at citizenship, Villa Cruz 5280.com/ restaurants. is cooking private meals in customers’ homes and offices via Migrante Concepts, a catering company he co-founded last year that allows him to make the kind of fare—vegetable-heavy dishes, moles, and soups—he grew up eating in Mexico City. “I see it as a good opportunity to meet people and network,” Villa Cruz says. “Hopefully, one of these days we run into a guy with a lot of money, and he throws money at us.” THE COLORADO-BASED Hispanic Restaurant Association (HRA), founded in early 2021 by Selene Nestor and John Jaramillo, aims to make it easier for Hispanics to open their own food businesses. In addition to mentoring local high school and college students interested in culinary careers, the HRA connects those in need of financial assistance with grants and loans through the Minority Business Office of Colorado. The HRA also offers guidance on how to navigate city permits and rental agreements. “The resources are there; they’re just not being utilized because people don’t know about them,” says Nestor, who moved to the United States from Mexico when she was 13. “A lot of our chefs started as dishwashers, and they want to open their own restaurants— they just don’t have the tools.” Without support, loans, or investors, Avila saved up for years to open El Borrego Negro and La Diabla, outfitting his
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spaces with thrift store finds and $10 chairs from Lowe’s. He hopes wider recognition of the critical roles chefs like himself play in the restaurant industry will help increase opportunities for chefs of Latin American descent. Even if that happens, though, there’s still a perception problem to overcome: Mexican and other Latin American foods are commonly thought of as inexpensive and easy to produce, making the restaurants that serve them seemingly less deserving of acclaim, special-occasion dining status, and higher menu prices than those producing other cuisines, such as Italian and French. This misconception is at least partly driven by the ubiquity of Tex Mex–style eateries that use mass-produced masa and dump cheese sauce on everything—and it’s why chefs such as Villa Cruz are on a mission to showcase how complex the dishes of their homelands can be. “That’s what Mexican chefs should be pushing for,” Villa Cruz says, “so people can understand how much labor goes into this cuisine.” Take La Diabla’s four types of pozole, which simmer all night long in the restaurant’s kitchen to meld the flavors of chiles, garlic, and cumin and to soften the hominy. Chunks of cabeza de cerdo (pig head) are slow-cooked separately for patrons to add to any of the soups. Or consider El Borrego Negro’s barbacoa: First, Avila slaughters a sheep he’s raised on a tiny piece of land in Wellington and builds a fire in a three-foot-deep, brick-lined pit he dug at nonprofit Re:Vision’s urban farm in Westwood. Then, he buries the animal, covers the hole with mud, and lets the meat steam for up to 16 hours as the fat and juices drip into a giant pot of cloudy broth set below the animal. The resulting protein is sold there, at Avila’s pop-up food stand, by the pound—alongside quarts of consomé, tortillas, and salsas—on Sundays from 9 a.m. until it sells out. “The first smell of it, all of the steam coming out that’s been trapped for hours, there’s nothing like it,” Avila says of uncovering the barbacoa. “It’s the food that I just love.” Whether he’s called onstage later this month at the James Beard Award ceremony in Chicago or not, Avila says he’s glad to be cooking what he knows and craves—and to be doing it in his own restaurants and on his own terms. But now, maybe, more people will know his name. m
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the Latino community, a market that, according to Stewart, n a brisk day this past October, Juan Ignacio Stewart is untapped in the U.S. natural food scene. “[The tamarindo invites attendees at an annual pitch slam in Boulder to flavor] tastes so good—it tastes like home,” says Stewart, who sip samples of Frescos Naturales—canned, carbonated grew up in Guatemala but moved to Boulder when he was aguas frescas he started making just nine months before. 17. “It tastes like nothing the markets here have.” The event is hosted by Naturally Boulder, a membership The 40-year-old entrepreneur’s company is just one of organization that supports the Front Range’s natural hundreds that have joined the Naturally Boulder network products industry, and Stewart is a finalist. In a few since its inception in 2005, and he’s one of many ambitious hours, he will present his product to a team of judges and founders aspiring to grab a slice of the country’s $274 billion investors who—if he wins—could provide his fledgling natural and organic products industry, which includes all-natural company with funding, mentorship, and the chance to provisions, plant-based and dairy-free food alternatives, and exhibit Frescos at a major national trade show. chemical-free household and personal care goods. The secFrescos’ packaging, with its bright colors and bold tor has seen sharp growth since the onset of the COVID-19 lettering, conveys the same confidence as Stewart, and those pandemic, when health and wellness have been central to the who can read the Spanish words on the labels—tamarindo, public discourse. In 2020, Americans bought a record $62 billion rosa de Jamaica, maracuyá—know instantly what’s inside. The worth of organic food, an increase of 12.4 percent from 2019. all-natural, low-sugar fruit drinks flavored with ingredients such But even before the pandemic-born good-food revolution, as tamarind, hibiscus, and passion fruit are popular throughBoulder, with its entrepreneurial spirit and a population out Mexico and Central and South America. But known for its crunchy lifestyle, had long cultivated Stewart’s versions are unique: The soda substitutes Juan Ignacio Stewa natural products community, leading some to use are not only bubbly (a refreshing twist on classic, art founded Frescos Naturales in 2021. a now-clichéd phrase: It’s the Silicon Valley of natural flat aguas frescas), but they’re also made by and for P H O T O G R A P H Y BY S A R A H B A N K S
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Photographed on location in Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory at Denver Botanic Gardens
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BUS I N E S S foods. Bill Capsalis, the executive director of Naturally Boulder, says this moniker, tired or not, refers to the way a community bolsters itself through shared knowledge, expertise, and funding. “[In Silicon Valley], when you have that kind of success, it tends to build on itself,” he says. “And the same thing has happened here in Boulder.” IN 1969, MO SIEGEL BEGAN making tea from Colorado’s wild herbs and, shortly thereafter, founded Celestial Seasonings, an all-natural tea company based in Boulder that would become a household name throughout the country. In 1977, White Wave (the maker of Silk soy milk) started producing some of the first dairy-alternative products in the country from its tofu-making facility on East Arapahoe Avenue. Throughout the 1990s, companies such as Horizon Organic, Wild Oats Marketplace, and Third Street Chai also cropped up in Boulder at a time when John Simmons, founder of Third Street Chai, says natural products were only sold directly to consumers via co-ops and farmers’ markets, because grocery stores wouldn’t stock them. The products catered to a specific, healthfocused audience that responded to a rustic
Boulder-born treats from Quinn and Justin’s
label with “some kind of hippie affirmation on it,” he says. “Back then, [natural foods meant] sprout sandwiches. It was very intimate and adorable.” But leading up to the turn of the century, Boulder’s food businesses were outgrowing that cuteness. Celestial Seasonings had been acquired by Kraft Inc. in 1984 for $40
million. White Wave’s sales grew from $6 million in 1993 to $29.6 million in 2000. By the early 2000s, there was concern in Boulder that rising costs of living—spurred by a population increase along the Front Range—would deter entrepreneurs from starting companies there. “It [was] an expensive place to not only start a company but also to rent an office or a production facility, so it [was] tempting to leave town,” says Capsalis, who’s lived in Boulder since 1984 and was one of the founding members of Naturally Boulder. To combat this, he says the city manager in the early aughts granted one-time payments of $5,000 each to organizations in three industries—technology, outdoor recreation, and food and beverage—to bolster economic activity. For the food and beverage sector, that money allowed the formation of a trade association, and in 2005 Naturally Boulder was officially born as a 501(c)(6) business organization. Today, Capsalis says the organization works with 300 brands and serves 1,100 members. Whether these business owners are located in Boulder or not, they can pay a $65 annual membership fee to access education and training materials, financial tools, trend reports,
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BUS I N E S S networking opportunities, and events, such as the pitch slam. Capsalis estimates that 65 percent of the companies he works with are early-stage startups doing less than $5 million annually in sales—a testament, he says, to the area’s incubating environment, which includes a pool of informed, passionate consumers eager to taste new products and provide feedback at places like Boulder-area farmers’ markets. For Justin Gold, founder of Justin’s Nut Butter, farmers’ markets helped turn an idea born while waiting tables into a multimillion-dollar business. Sharing samples, Gold says, provides instant market data, while also introducing new products to high-net-worth residents who may later become investors. In fact, when Gold began seeking funding in 2005, “a lot of these people already knew me and knew the brand,” he says. “And they had the money to invest in things that they love.” In 2016, Hormel Foods acquired Justin’s for $286 million. Gold considers himself part of the second generation of founders to have achieved success coming up through Boulder’s natural food scene. He and others followed the trail blazed by mentors such as Steve Demos at White Wave, whose company was purchased by Dallas-based Dean Foods in 2002 for $204 million. “Gen One had to make it all up—literally, they had to create [the industry],” Gold says. While he and his second-generation contemporaries saw a mostly cleared path laid out for them, today’s third generation has a veritable yellow brick road.
organization based on the Boulder model that helps set up and support affiliate chapters such as Naturally Chicago and Naturally Bay Area. Much like how these organizations nurture their own local communities, the Naturally Network fosters a body of city-level chapters that rely on each other for advice. Katrina Tolentino, executive director of three-year-old Naturally Austin, which has 600 members, says that before the chapter
formed, the community was fragmented, with no formalized environment in which companies could interact. Naturally Boulder provided direction for conjuring up bylaws, member benefits, and events—guidance, she says, that united the ecosystem. When Naturally Austin hosted its first event, Tolentino says it was clear how much the organization was needed. “I think it was the first time that [we] really saw each other and the size of the community,” she says of the event. “It
ONE OF THE RISING STARS treading that golden thoroughfare is Kristy Lewis, an East Coast transplant who started making bags of chemical-free microwave popcorn in 2010. At the time, she was living outside of Boston and found that every phone call she was making to learn more about creating a natural food business was dialing into Boulder. Lewis wanted to be immersed in that network, and in 2013, she and her family headed west. “All the signs were pointing to Boulder,” she says. “So we moved out here and haven’t looked back.” Today, her company, Quinn, crafts more than 20 all-natural snacks and secured $10 million in funding last summer, due in large part, she says, to the community’s supportive infrastructure. “Boulder has offered so much more than we ever expected,” she says. The thing is, though, not everyone can make the move to Boulder. So, in 2019, Naturally Boulder started outsourcing its highly prized community-building model via the Naturally Network, a national membership
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BUS I N E S S generated a tremendous amount of excitement and momentum.” Since forming in 2019, the Naturally Network has grown to include more than 5,000 business members representing more than 20,000 entrepreneurs, employees, suppliers, service providers, and investors around the country, with plans to keep expanding. Affiliate chapters in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego are emulating the characteristics that make Boulder special, such as forming a tight-knit creative services industry, fostering relationships with engaged consumers, and cultivating mentorship opportunities. For Lewis, the difference between being a part of a community and trying to do things on her own was clear when she attended her first Naturally Boulder event. “I remember being like, Oh, my God, like, these are my people—everyone’s here,” Lewis says. “It’s nice to have that in your backyard.” While many large cities have robust talent pools and ancillary services, Boulder’s well runs deep for a city of only 100,000 people. Boulder’s Gen Three, as Gold calls it, has all the connections it needs within a few miles from home—from legal professionals to graphic designers to web developers.
Another major draw: funding. In 2021, Boulder startups (in the natural products space and beyond) saw $1.8 billion of venture capital flow into their community, ranking it 23rd in the nation for most capital investment among cities such as Houston, Atlanta, and Denver, which ranks 14th. Boulder’s natural products community has even grown into a major statewide industry—another reason for cities to follow its example. A 2019 impact report found that the natural and organic food industry in Colorado contributes $2.1 billion to the state’s economy and supports more than 22,000 jobs across the state. While this only amounts to about 0.6 percent of Colorado’s gross domestic product today, the country’s natural and organic products industry is expected to grow roughly 45 percent by 2030. AT THE PITCH SLAM, STEWART took the stage to present his bubbly, canned Frescos drinks to the judges. After the five competing companies completed their three-minute presentations and answered questions in front of the audience, Stewart was declared the winner. “I knew before I even started selling canned Frescos that, if I did everything that I was
planning to do and I wanted to do, I would be in that competition,” he says. “I didn’t think about winning, but I totally knew I could make it.” Among Stewart’s spoils: $3,000 cash and a suite of in-kind business services valued at nearly $75,000, as well as an exhibitor’s booth and chance to pitch at the Natural Products Expo East 2022, which will take place this fall. Since winning, Stewart has put his energy toward expansion. He’s pursuing investment, and Frescos is now available in restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores such as King Soopers. “I want to take Frescos coast to coast all over the country and, eventually, to Latin America,” he says. “I have big dreams for this.” Through it all, Stewart says his success wouldn’t have happened without coming up through the natural products community in the city he calls home. “What I’ve always felt about Boulder,” he says, “is that, if I stayed here, I could have access to people and resources that could allow me to do almost anything I wanted to do, if I set my mind to it.”m Riane Menardi Morrison is 5280’s associate food editor. Send feedback to letters@5280.com.
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DOWNTOWN COLORADO SPRINGS
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LIKE A LOCAL From back-alley bars to local eats, art galleries, and more, let this be your introduction to a side of Colorado Springs you never knew existed—then plan your weekend to see the transformed downtown district for yourself. 54 • INSIDER'S GUIDE to DOWNTOWN COLORADO SPRINGS
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The momentum has been building in Colorado Springs for years now, and not even the pandemic could slow it down. The entrepreneurial spirit is clearly alive: in 2021 alone, a record 38 street-level businesses opened downtown, bringing in new ideas, fresh concepts, and a welcoming crop of young business owners. But perhaps more important, the city’s renewed culture is now coalescing around that growth, inviting people from all walks of life to join in. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, a live music lover or a patron of local galleries and shops, the Springs has something new for you. “We want to create a vibe,” says Matt Baumgartner, purveyor of alleyway cocktail bar Shame and Regret and a native of the Springs. “With the growth of the community lately, we’re also growing our knowledge and education; we’re meeting people and exploring cultures.” That vibe Baumgartner talks about can be felt across downtown these days, whether at an up-and-coming comedy club, a speakeasy-style lounge, or at a bevy of new dining spots and boutiques. While the entire downtown district is walkable and bikeable, there’s so much to see you’ll likely need a couple days to take it all in. So, here are the highlights to help you create an itinerary for a weekend away in Olympic City USA.
ALL DAY LONG Any hour of the day, downtown Colorado Springs is humming. A few of the newest businesses, including Epiphany—which brands itself as a cafe, a bar, a restaurant, and a jazz music venue—epitomize the city's around-the-clock buzz. A second-floor joint on Tejon Street with a large performance area, Epiphany opened in November 2021 and built its business around an “allday” model. At 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning, you might find yourself participating in a boozy Zumba brunch; at lunch you can snack on diverse offerings like baked plantains, and by nightfall, you can return and find the place transformed into a jazz or salsa club.
DOWNTOWN COLORADO SPRINGS
“We’re committed to and focused on the idea of ‘both—and’. We’ve steered away from trying to identify ourselves as a restaurant, or a bar, or a coffee shop. We’re all of those things,” says managing partner Mandy Todd. “It’s a community gathering space that brings people, ideas, and experiences together.” GIVING BACK One part food hall, one part philanthropic collective, the newlyopened The Well houses four food concepts plus a bar, coffee shop and outdoor patio with great views. The idea is novel: While one half of the building is dedicated to food and beverage service, the money generated by The Well’s coffee shop and bar—Gift Horse—goes back to the adjoining philanthropic collective of 10 nonprofit funders next door. This effort to build an even stronger community means part of enjoying good food and drink is giving back to the community. MEET THE FUNDERS
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THE PHILANTHROPY COLLECTIVE, housed next door to The Well, is the home to the Pikes Peak Community Foundation, the Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation, Spur Philanthropy, the John and Margot Lane Foundation, the Bloom Foundation, the GE Johnson Foundation, the Sachs Foundation, the Joseph Henry Edmondson Foundation, the Gazette Charities Foundation, and the Bee Vradenburg Foundation.
Like Epiphany, Gift Horse transforms from a morning cafe into a late-night bar, but it's also joined by four new food concepts in the same hall. Red Star Deli and Subs focuses on elevated deli sandwiches, Dun Sun offers a
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Map I T O U T View a map of all the locations featured here via the QR code below.
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unique Asian fusion menu, Noble Burger grills burgers and sandwiches, and Kumbala—out of Chicago—focuses on tacos, barbacoa, and other Mexican fare.
BACK-ALLEY BOOZE If you really want to see the Springs like a local, you’ll need to get off the beaten path when the sun goes down. In fact, you’ll want to abandon the main drags altogether and take a stroll down the alley between E. Platte Avenue and E. Bijou Street, behind the storefronts on Tejon Street. Keep your eyes peeled and you’ll find a black door with “D11” painted in small red font, beckoning to wanderers who want to go back in time. Open that door, and you’ll feel like Jay Gatsby walking into a 1920s-era speakeasy. It’s an intimate space, but District e11even makes the most of it with several booths, a small side room, and a bartop in the main room where a team of pros—dressed to the nines—are all mixing an array of exciting cocktails and grooving to the bass-infused jazz music. Looking to escape from the woes of the world for a moment? Track down that
nondescript entrance and enjoy one of the best cocktail menus around. KEEP ON CRAWLING Once you’ve filled your cup at District e11even, wander down the alley one block south, where you’ll find the more obvious entrance to Shame and Regret, Matt Baumgartner’s take on the modern-day speakeasy. The big neon sign—it’s one of the most photographed in the city—directs patrons through the alleyway door into a main room filled with busy bartenders working one of the city’s largest menus of scotch, American whiskey, and sweet liquors. While sipping cocktails,
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patrons admire oil paintings by local artist Brett Andrus as they settle into booths and barstools. Shame and Regret, which opened in 2019, revived the space that once housed 15C, an older speakeasy that kept irregular hours and ultimately shut down. “We wanted to really re-establish the place as a go-to spot,” Baumgartner says. “The basis of our concept is to have great customer service, great staff, and really talented bartenders. IN THE KNOW Though it’s not in an alleyway, Brooklyn’s On Boulder is easy to miss. That’s because, unless you’re looped in on the secret, you’d think it’s really just a “fine haberdashery” as the sign on the front door indicates. Walk through that door, though, and you’ll notice a few suits hanging on the wall. Nothing to see, right? Wrong. Press the button on the wall and wait for the “employees only” door to open—then follow the hostess into a charming barroom with a gin-focused menu and talented staff. MIX IT UP You won’t know quite what to expect when you walk into Allusion Speakeasy, and that’s pretty much the point. Located behind a brick wall within Rooster’s House of Ramen, the cocktail bar operates with a “revolving popup concept,” meaning its theme changes every few months—as does the menu and decor. Allusion recently donned a Harry Potter theme featuring a “Polyjuice Potion,” but by time you get there, who knows where they’ll have taken things. LIVING THE HIGH LIFE If you’re looking for an even more upscale escape, stop by Cork & Cask, a sophisticated whiskey and wine bar, a few blocks south of the others and well worth the walk. The
brainchild of business partners Lucas Frye and Joe Campana, Cork & Cask boasts plush velvet seating, a gothic theme, and a refined food menu, in addition to the wide-ranging cocktail list. It’s not a speakeasy, but if you’re looking for pre-dinner drinks or a nightcap, it’s worth a visit.
BUILDING CULTURE While the Springs has long had a reputation as a military town, the growth of the downtown district indicates the city may be known for a whole lot more in the years to come. Eric Phillips, owner of 3E’s Comedy Club, knows about that transformation. He first came to Colorado Springs in the late ‘80s when he was in the Army; he returned a decade later and has called the city home for the past 20 years. When he first returned, he says, the city didn’t have much to capture outsiders’ attention. But as new bars, food halls, and hotels have opened over the past few years, he’s recognized the change—and that’s why he capitalized on a concept he’s had in mind for years. He opened 3E’s amidst the pandemic in an effort to bring big-time headliners into the heart of downtown. While the club’s popularity is still growing, he plans to make a splash this fall when he organizes the Colorado Springs First-Annual Comedy Festival, bringing nationally renowned comedians to locales all across the city the third week of October.
DOWNTOWN COLORADO SPRINGS
BEYOND THE
Speakeasies • Downtown Colorado Springs has a robust nightlife, and one of the hottest new bars includes ICONs, an LGBTQ-focused piano bar featuring incredible vocalists and raucous drag shows.
• Nostalgic for the ‘80s? Check out Supernova, the city's first arcade bar in town that features a hearty food and drink menu.
• Want to soak up the sun on
a patio? Look no further than newcomer The Garden featuring local craft beer, craft cocktails and a variety of food-truck fare.
• Or if wine and cheese is more
your speed, check out the brandnew Vine and Wheel, which opened in April featuring charcuterie and cheese boards, rich desserts, and a long wine list to boot.
EMERGING ART The culture shift can also be seen at the many art galleries throughout downtown, which is a state Certified Creative District. Among the standouts, Kreuser Gallery is operated by Abigail Kreuser, who has lived in the Springs for nearly 40 years and has curated hundreds of exhibitions throughout the region. Her gallery features a variety of works, including paintings, pottery, jewelry and more. The neighboring gallery, G44, is not only another woman-owned business, but an example of the topflight artistry the region has to offer. Gundega Stevens, who grew up in the Springs and founded G44, has also curated countless shows, elevated the profile of local artists, and helped put the city on the map as a destination for art lovers. If you want to get a fuller taste of the thriving art scene, visit on
S T A Y T H E Night Everything will be within walking distance when you book a room at any one of the trendy new hotels downtown. Kinship Landing, which opened in early 2021, is a de facto trailhead for downtown recreation, welcoming any kind of traveler in its mixedconcept rooms. Moreover, a new Hyatt Place opened in November 2021, and the SpringHill Suites and Element by Marriott will open its doors—and rooftop restaurant—in June 2022.
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C A T C H A Game One of the biggest downtown developments over the past few years was the construction of Weidner Field, home of the Switchbacks FC soccer team. The grand opening was in May 2021, and this summer features a packed schedule of affordable soccer games, concerts, and other family-friendly events.
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the First Friday of any month to see unveilings of new art and enjoy live music. LOCAL BOUTIQUES While you’re exploring the galleries, it’s worth also popping into a few of the shops that have been staples in Colorado Springs for decades. Terra Verde, which opened 30 years ago, has a wide inventory of women’s clothing, jewelry, home goods and other gifts. If you’re looking for books, gifts and toys, or a glimpse into the city’s history, you can’t miss Poor Richard’s, which has been operating in the Springs as a bookstore and cafe since 1975. Or perhaps your kitchenware needs a refresh. Sparrow Hawk Gourmet Cookware is the largest distributor of Le Creuset west of the Mississippi River. NEW ARRIVALS In addition to the mainstays, a few new shops are making waves in the downtown shopping corridor. Eclectic CO., a women-owned business that began as a holiday pop-up concept several years ago, has grown into a co-op-style retail space where you can find sustainable handmade goods, greeting cards,
as well as apparel and art from local makers. If it’s new threads you’re looking for, swing by The Local Honey Collective, which was founded by close friends in 2019 and is now an affordable women’s clothing boutique in the heart of downtown. There’s also plenty for men at INHERENT Clothier, a premier suit tailor that launched amidst the pandemic and not only helps men look the part, but helps them focus on mental wellness while they’re at it. MUSEUMS AND MORE The revitalized downtown isn’t only about shopping and a diverse bar scene. In fact, there are several cultural institutions within walking distance that chart the city’s evolution— including the free Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, which has become a top attraction since it opened in 2020. New to the lineup this year is the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum, which relocated into the second floor of the mixed-used Tejon Eatery building. If you’re interested in classic machines and the history of motorcycles, stop by and enjoy a bite to eat at one of the adjacent restaurants. •••
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Views of Gilpin Lake from the Zirkel Circle loop
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MILLIONS OF ACRES OF PUBLIC LAND STRADDLE THE INVISIBLE LINE BETWEEN COLORADO AND WYOMING AND DELIVER EVERY MANNER OF HEART-PUMPING, ADRENALINE-RELEASING OUTDOOR RECREATION A WESTERN ADVENTURER MIGHT SEEK.
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The easiest way to gain entrée to Medicine BowRoutt National Forests’ many adventures is to purchase an annual day-use pass ($30), available online at recreation.gov. Although many locations are free to access, having this sticker means you won’t have to bring cash or checks to stuff into envelopes at sites with day-use fees. MEDICINE BOW-ROUTT NATIONAL FORESTS
WYOMING COLORADO
Steamboat Springs
This spread, from left: Noah Wetzel; Getty Images (2); Courtesy of Albany Lodge
All the other lands come in a distant second: state parks, designated wilderness areas, Bureau of Land Management property, and, maybe least overtly beloved, U.S. Forest Service terrain. After all, you rarely hear someone exclaim, “I can’t wait to go to [insert name] National Forest this coming weekend!” Clearly, this is just a branding issue, because the truth is that Colorado’s national forests hosted 32.4 million people in 2020, dwarfing the 19.5 million who visited state parks and the 4.4 million who traveled to the state’s national parks. Landmark sites such as the Maroon Bells, in White River National Forest, and Pikes Peak, in Pike National Forest, have a lot to do with that, but there’s something else, too. These stunning landscapes are veritable playgrounds for weekend warriors. Every single one of the state’s 11 national forests has something special to tout, but only one hops the border to offer contiguous fun in both Colorado and Wyoming: Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests. That quirk of geography isn’t its defining characteristic, though. In fact, there isn’t just one standout attraction; there are dozens. At its southern end, Routt National Forest unfolds to the northwest of Kremmling and then jumps the invisible line into Wyoming. There, the forest’s name changes to Medicine Bow and splits into four distinct sections, three of which are near the border: the westerly side marked by the Encampment River, the middle singularized by the Snowy Range, and a tiny easterly outpost home to Vedauwoo Recreation Area. With millions of acres of terrain worth exploring, where does one choose to recreate? We’ve got you covered with more than 30 ways to enjoy a summer weekend away from Denver.
THE PECKING ORDER OF PUBLIC LANDS IN COLORADO IS PRETTY CLEAR. THE NATIONAL PARKS AND MONUMENTS SOAK UP ALL THE GLORY ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR HIGH-PROFILE DESIGNATIONS.
MEDICINE BOW-ROUTT NATIONAL FORESTS
Five years ago, David Wright decided he was done with corporate America. He and his wife thought maybe they’d buy a bed-and-breakfast and enjoy a quiet semiretirement. Instead, they purchased 76-year-old Albany Lodge—a nineroom hotel with 14 cabins and a gear rental shop at the edge of Medicine Bow National Forest—and haven’t had a quiet day since. The noise emanates not only from the guests grabbing a few longnecks at the bar or laughing with friends and family at the on-site restaurant but also from the constant hum of off-highway vehicles. More commonly called side-by-sides, these glorified dune buggies have wicked shocks, knobby tires, and four-wheeldrive capabilities perfect for off-roading on the more than 500 miles of trails in Medicine Bow National Forest. “We are a ride-in, ride-out facility,” Wright says, adding that roughly 50 percent of summertime guests hail from Colorado. “The lodge offers easy access to a good mixture of trails, from beginner to advanced.” With that in mind, we asked Albany Lodge operations manager Jake Hauschildt to recommend some of his favorite paths. These three off-road trails, all of which are accessible right from the lodge, made the cut.
Side-by-siding in Medicine Bow National Forest
B EG I N N E R
Wyoming’s Albany Lodge can be home base for a number of activities, but four-wheeling reigns supreme. —LBK
The route: Roll along route 500 for about two miles. Go right on 305 and travel roughly eight or nine miles until coming to 338; take it. Another eight or nine miles will bring you to 307, which you’ll follow until it dead-ends. Then turn around. Hauschildt says: “This route is a little bit more technical, meaning you’ll need to reduce your speed in parts to crawl over rocks. It’s not too intense, but you’ll get to drive the machine—see what it can do. Along 307, you’ll see some great views of the Centennial Valley, a waterfall, and the old Queen Mine from the 1920s.”
I NTER MED I ATE
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The route: Follow National Forest System route 500 for roughly 15 miles. Then, take route 512 another 15 or so miles to the banks of the North Platte River. Hauschildt says: “This 30-mile out-and-back stays on well-maintained, easy paths. There’s some elevation loss—about 1,000 feet— as you go down to the river but nothing too crazy. As you get close to the water, you can see the burn area from the Mullen fire in 2020. If you like to fish, bring a rod, because there’s some good fishing down there, too.”
The route: Begin the loop with a nine-mile stretch on 500 before heading right onto 555. After 10 miles, hang a left on 336, then drive 10 more miles to reach Libby Flats. Keep going five more miles on 336, until you go right onto 275, which will spit you back out onto route 500, leaving you with a 20-mile ride back to the lodge. Hauschildt says: “Although it isn’t holy-cow crazy, this route has a lot of elevation change and some whoops [aka dips] in the trail. When you reach Libby Flats, get out of your side-by-side to go up to the observation deck. Route 275 runs parallel to French Creek, and there are standing puddles and rocky parts that are fun to drive through.”
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Vedauwoo climbing area
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ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE
C LIMB ING
Masochists the world over flock to Medicine Bow’s Vedauwoo Recreation Area to practice an arduous form of climbing.
—ANGELA UFHEIL
LE PETIT ARBRE Try It For: Learning The Ropes
Most Vedauwoo routes require traditional climbing, an advanced style in which climbers install temporary anchors as they ascend, to catch them should they fall. Not so for this 90-foot-tall route near the Lower Blair I area, says Tyler Grabner, a board member for the volunteer organization Southeast
Wyoming Climbers Coalition, which works to maintain climbing access in Vedauwoo while also protecting the land. Those not comfortable with using their own safety equipment can secure a rope to a preinstalled anchor—you’ll scramble in from a different direction—located midway up the rock. That top-rope allows newbies to practice basic crack-climbing technique, minus the stress of anchor placement.
MOOR’S CROSSING Try It For: Perfecting Skills
On one section, only your fingers might fit into the split in the rock. On the next, you could be wedging your entire body into the gap, inching upward using a tactic called “chimneying.” Such is the nature of this intermediate route, one of Lentsch’s favorite climbs, on Reynold’s Hill. “Moor’s Crossing involves the widest variety of techniques on a single climb I’ve ever experienced,” the guide says. Take a break near the top of the crag, which, at 250 feet tall, gives climbers a “hello down there” vantage point for watching Middle Crow Creek wind through the area.
SORE-O-POD Try It For: Gaining Poise
Also called Spatial Juxtaposition, Sore-O-Pod—Grabner’s pick for intermediate climbers who want to test their technique and their mettle—is approximately 60 feet in length. “Sore” is in its name for a reason. The first section
involves a steep, hand-size crack that even Grabner admits can look too tiring to send. Still, “if you kind of feel around, there are good holds inside the crack,” he says. Figuring out that trick is only your initial challenge on this hunk of rock in the Jurassic Park area, though. After that, the gap widens enough to fit your entire forearm, an uncomfortable move called an arm bar. Prepare for bruises.
SPECTREMAN Try It For: Showing Off
First, picture two walls meeting at the corner. Next, imagine that corner has a crack running up it. Oh, and one more thing: The route’s overhang forces you to lean back slightly as you drag yourself up. Those multiplying challenges attract advanced climbers to this popular 70-footer near Upper Blair. With a rating of 5.11, Spectreman isn’t the most difficult climb here, but unless you’re a professional, Lentsch doesn’t recommend trying anything tougher.
BEFO RE YO U GO Websites such as Mountain Project and vedauwoo.org, a page maintained by local climber Skip Harper, can help you discover your preferred route. But we recommend taking a crack climbing crash course with a local guide service like Lentsch’s or through Colorado Mountain School to learn safe techniques and best practices for protecting the rocks you love to scale. 64
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Ethan Welty (2)
The pursuit of crack climbing requires the shoving of fingers, fists, and entire bodies into seams in the stone, a brutal blend of friction and balance propelling practitioners skyward. “There’s an initial awkward stage,” says Zach Lentsch, who owns climbing instruction company Wyoming Mountain Guides in Thermopolis. “But once you power through, you learn all these techniques that open up a whole new world of climbing.” Unlock this painful but oddly addictive Pandora’s box at Wyoming’s Vedauwoo, a famed climbing area in Medicine Bow’s southeastern region that boasts more than a thousand routes—including these four increasingly challenging recommendations from two frequenters of the “Voo.”
MEDICINE BOW-ROUTT NATIONAL FORESTS
LORDS OF THE RING
Hiking the 10-mile Zirkel Circle is a Steamboat Springs rite of summer. Here’s how to loop the six-hour route—absolutely rife with gorgeous scenery—like the locals do. —KELLY BASTONE 6 MILES IN 7 MILES IN
HIKING
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After your time above 10,000 feet, the mixed conifer forest here feels positively tropical. Look for scarlet paintbrush and other sun-loving wildflowers.
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The trail (#1162) to Mica Lake (four miles, one way) joins your route from the right. Continue on #1161, but only after departing it momentarily for a scramble up the massive boulder (dropped here 10,000 to 30,000 years ago) that sits to the south of the junction.
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Another opportunity to don those water sandals you’re schlepping presents itself; Gilpin Creek isn’t as deep or as pushy as Gold Creek, but it’s just as frigid.
Toting a fishing rod? Gilpin Lake’s 60-foot depth is ideal for big trout. Cast for these hogs from the rocky southwestern shore.
Vistas abound from a subalpine saddle at about 10,775 feet: The dominant peak to the north is 12,059-foot Big Agnes, namesake of the wellknown Big Agnes brand of camping gear based in Steamboat Springs. The rest of the Sawtooth Range clusters around the mesmerizing, craggy mountain, while 29-acre Gilpin Lake fills the rocky basin below.
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The trail’s final mile swerves away from Gilpin Creek. As you finish the hike, keep an eye out for thimbleberry bushes. Look-alikes to raspberries, these ruby red fruits peak in late July and taste like rhubarb pie.
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Turn left onto Gilpin Lake Trail (#1161) to continue ’round the loop. Or, if you’re a peakbagger, stay on #1150 to Red Dirt Pass Trail (#1142) and follow the track to the 12,185-foot summit of Mt. Zirkel.
3 MILES IN 600 FEET IN
After following Gilpin Lake Trail out of the Slavonia trailhead, your first landmark is the junction with Gold Creek Trail (#1150). Follow it off to the right: Hiking counterclockwise sets you up for the most impressive views of Gilpin Lake.
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Crossing Gold Creek is always thrilling. This stream rages with snowmelt in early summer, and because wilderness restrictions prohibit the construction of a pedestrian footbridge, hikers must ford the stream (only viable in late summer to fall) or test their balance by walking across a log that spans the 10-foot-deep chasm.
Eight-acre Gold Creek Lake is ringed with conifers. Scan those treetops for bald eagles that perch in the heights, eyeballing the water for dinner-worthy trout.
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MO UNTA IN BI KING
FAT-TIRE FUN
About a decade ago, Steamboat Springs retrofit its “Ski Town USA” nickname to include bikes—and for good reason. —KB
Bike Town USA is surrounded by parts of Routt National Forest that include an expansive network of hiking trails fat-tire enthusiasts have been exploiting since the early ’90s. Then, trail-loving locals approved a 2013 ballot initiative that started using existing lodging tax revenue to build new routes for hiking and mountain biking. Now, purpose-built singletrack rounds out the old-school paths that plumb remote mountain meadows. So whether you’re looking to rail banked corners or shoulder your bike over gnarly cliffs, Routt National Forest near Steamboat has something for you. If you like: Stairways to heaven You’ll love: Hot Springs and Lower Bear trails Location: Mad Creek trailhead, seven miles north of downtown Because: The climbing may be constant, but the scenery is varied, combining bucolic cattle meadows, streamside conifers, and bald knobs showcasing on-high vistas toward the Steamboat ski area. Your warmup is 616 feet of vertical on 2.5-mile Hot Springs Trail, followed by a short grunt up Strawberry Park Road to Lower Bear Trail, which gains nearly 1,000 feet over two miles to the high point. The return descent is fast and loose: Watch your traction on the pea gravel corners.
region’s rugged, old-school singletrack, including Pearl Lake, Coulton Creek, South Fork, Diamond Park, and Scott’s Run trails. Expect a pristine backdrop, solitude, and a few hike-a-bike segments that underscore the unmanicured nature of this far-flung route. Need to know: In early summer, riders are likely to encounter lots of downed trees across the trails and raging water when fording the South Fork of the Elk River.
Need to know: Strawberry Park Hot Springs sits between the two trails, but remember that reservations are required. If you like: An all-you-caneat buffet You’ll love: The big North Routt loop Location: Pearl Lake State Park, 27 miles north of town Because: Drive 45 minutes north of town and you can stitch together a 39-mile lollipop loop combining all of this
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Grouse Trail
If you like: Having to don battle armor You’ll love: Grouse Trail Location: Dry Lake trailhead, six miles northeast of town Because: This three-mile descent challenges your skills—and your nerve—with its rock medley. There’s loose rock, ledgy rock, cliffy rock, rock rolls, and “gotcha” rocks. When you can safely tear your eyes away from the trail, you’ll look out over plunging valleys
and panoramas of rounded summits. But the real reward is that chest-thumping surge of triumph that comes from conquering the gnar. Need to know: Ask a buddy to shuttle you to the top of Grouse, or pedal about five miles from the Dry Lake trailhead. Local hardbodies create a 20-mile out-and-back from town via Spring Creek Trail. If you like: Family adventures You’ll love: Panorama Trail Location: Dry Lake trailhead, six miles northeast of town Because: This one-mile loop serves up all kinds of visual stimulation—think fluttering aspen leaves and colorful wildflowers—without the suffering of longer, more technical routes. Smooth and gently graded, it’s ideal for families with kids. Need to know: More smooth-and-easy mileage awaits on nearby Fiddlehead (a two-mile loop) or Flash of Gold (five miles one way).
Shelf Lake #1
FLYFIS HING
GOING FOR GOLD
This spread, from left: Noah Wetzel; Ben Kraushaar
Chasing golden trout in Medicine Bow’s Snowy Range. —KB My screen-dominated life feeds me a steady parade of photos, most of them forgettable. But a couple of years ago, my eyes swiped across an Instagram picture of somebody holding a golden trout, and I felt a surge of envy: I want that. So, when I learned that some lakes in the Snowy Range hold goldens, I loaded up my fishing gear. Golden trout are native to the Little Kern River system of California. Over time, people have transplanted them into other U.S. watersheds, including the lakes of Wyoming’s Wind River Range, where a record-setting two-pound golden was caught in summer 2021. I didn’t care about size: I just wanted to see those blazing orange scales. Sadly, the Wind River Range is a five-plus-hour drive from my Steamboat Springs home. To my greed-fueled delight, though, U.S. Forest Service maps of the Snowy Range in southern Wyoming show that Shelf Lake #1 and #2 hold only golden trout. Encouraged by a shorter drive, I started the two-mile hike one brisk September morning with my husband and daughter. The trail passes through some truly stunning scenery, but everything seemed extra beautiful to me because I knew it to be the land of living gold. Topping out at Shelf Lake #1, we waited scarcely a minute before we saw a fish slurp something off the surface. We scrambled onto the boulders beneath a cliff wall where the water depth dropped off sharply. On my third cast, I felt a tug. I didn’t wait to issue my
celebratory hoot…except the fish I reeled in wasn’t golden. I was befuddled. The nine-incher had a pink stripe down the side and a pale white belly, much like a rainbow. We snapped a perfunctory photo. Maybe the Forest Service maps were wrong? Maybe someone had introduced another trout species to the lake? Or maybe, I thought, the real golden trout awaited us at Shelf Lake #2. A 10-minute walk over relatively flat ground brought us to that neighboring shore, where we saw a school of 12-inch fish browsing in the shallows, though they looked just like the specimen I’d hauled out of the first lake. We caught bunches of them and hooked into one bigger swimmer that might’ve flashed some gold. We’ll never know for sure, though, because it shook the hook. Everything we palmed was starved of color. Despite the lively action, I felt let down. Back at home, I looked at the photo of the fish I’d caught.
Its spots stopped near the tail, whereas the spots on a rainbow trout would’ve extended across the entire back and sides. And there were dark green splotches that definitely weren’t rainbowlike. What in the hell had I caught? Bobby Compton, fisheries supervisor for Wyoming Fish and Game, knew exactly what had taken my fly. I learned that the Shelf Lakes do indeed contain golden trout; they are stocked every other year. But stocker goldens don’t start out with those famously golden hues. Without rivers to spawn in (the lakes are fed by snowmelt), the stockers may not develop deep color, since it is thought to be associated with mating, age, and size. Gilded or not, I’d caught golden trout, and that should’ve been enough to thrill me, given their rarity. Even without crazy oranges, they’re beautiful. Instagram may be a crappy field guide, but goldens—in all their guises— are worth the chase.
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THE GREAT SKY ROAD Topping out at 10,847 feet, the Snowy Range Scenic Byway (WY 130) runs east-west across the middle segment of Wyoming’s Medicine Bow National Forest and takes Sunday drivers for a spectacular ride. Leaving from Laramie, headed west on I-80, explorers will follow signs to pick up the 29-mile stretch of pavement that ribbons its way through stunning valleys and high-elevation meadows and past alpine lakes and soaring peaks. For those inclined to get out of the car, there’s plenty of backcountry adventure to be had; however, the byway is remarkable for the views it bestows upon those who are satisfied to window shop. Don’t miss these 12 pit stops, points of interest, and proposals for finding fun along the way. —LBK
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1. VEE BAR GUEST RANCH
During the summer, this lodge provides three- and six-night all-inclusive, dude-ranch-style vacations. On Saturdays from early June to early September, however, Vee Bar offers a bedand-breakfast option ($220). 2. MOUNTAIN VIEW HISTORIC HOTEL & CAFE
Built in 1907 and located in the tiny hamlet of Centennial, the Mountain View has several overnight accommodations, but just popping into the cozy coffeeshop for a cup of joe and a pastry is a great way to fuel up on an early morning excursion into Medicine Bow. 3. CENTENNIAL VISITOR CENTER
Generally open from Memorial Day well into October, the
center is staffed with rangers— who actually answer the phone (307-742-9730)—Thursday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It also has maps, brochures, and a vault toilet. 4. BARBER LAKE ROAD
This winding road requires a five-mile detour off the byway, but it’s worth the side trip to see some of the campgrounds, babbling Libby Creek, and lovely foliage during the fall. 5. BROOKLYN LODGE
A cozy log cabin getaway is what we all need. This one—designated on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places—can be rented as a vacation home or booked as a bed-and-breakfast (prices vary depending on type of stay).
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A small offshoot conveys water lovers to Little Brooklyn and Brooklyn lakes (there’s also a campground and parking area here). A network of trails leads to other lakes, including the two Glacier Lakes, which are only about 0.75 miles from the trailhead. Driving back out of the area, hang a right onto Forest Service Road 332, which passes several other bodies of water before rejoining WY 130. 7. LIBBY AND LEWIS LAKES PICNIC AREAS
Pack a sack lunch so you have an excuse to linger at a table or bench near one of these two mountain jewels, which sit at the base of 11,398-foot Sugarloaf Mountain. A trailhead here leads to more than 80 lakes as well
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as to the summit of 12,013-foot Medicine Bow Peak. 8. LIBBY FLATS OBSERVATION AREA
The high point of the byway at Libby Flats is home to a stone observation station that overlooks the national forest as it spreads out faaaaaar below. The winds can really rip up here; a jacket and hat are a good idea, even in the summer. 9. SNOWY RANGE OBSERVATION POINT
As you round the bend headed west from Libby Flats, get ready for eyeball-popping views of the Medicine Bow Mountains. The vantage point from the observation area is almost vertigo-inducing, as jagged summits meet you at near eye level. For those who
aren’t able to hike deep into the backcountry, this may be one of the most accessible, up-close, jaw-dropping views of high peaks in the West. Note: A short loop trail with interpretive signs leads from the parking lot to the old Red Mask Mine. 10. MIRROR LAKE AND LAKE MARIE
This spot puts the scene in scenic byway. On clear, calm days, these two large glacierfed lakes that sit at the base of Medicine Bow Peak reflect Instagram-ready images of the mountains that your followers won’t believe. Both lakes are stocked with brookies, rainbows, and cutthroat. Simply put: The lakes are heaven for anglers (who need a fishing license; a five-day, nonresident
license is $56) and stand-up paddleboarders. There are restrooms and picnic tables, too. 11. SNOW SURVEY CABIN
Although this one-room U.S. Forest Service cabin doesn’t have running water or any creature comforts, it does provide bunk beds for four and a location that can’t be beat for access to hiking trails, lake and stream fishing, and wildlife viewing. Book the cabin ($50 per night) through recreation.gov. 12. RALPH HESTON VIEWING PLATFORM
The little pier over French Creek is a great spot for the kids—or you!—to get a line wet. The wooden jetty helps the littles reach the water more easily. Just make sure to buy a Wyoming fishing license before unstowing your rod. M A P BY H A L F T O N E D E F S T U D I O S
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Ramble Ride in Routt National Forest
RAMBLIN’ SPEED
A multiday, supported gravel-bike adventure offers a deep dive into Routt National Forest. —TESS WEAVER
I’ve been biking for six hours across northern Colorado’s Routt National Forest. I’ve climbed almost 6,000 feet, from the grasslands to the foothills, from aspen groves to the dark timber, and through a couple of real-deal cattle drives. I’m on a bike with tires skinnier than those on my mountain bike but wider and more forgiving than my road bike tires. I’ve eaten thousands of calories in dried fruit, nut butters, baked goods, and sandwiches. My legs ache, and I’m dreaming of icing them in a cold mountain lake and lying down in my tent before a catered dinner. I’m trying not to think about what the next three days of riding might hold and whether my legs are up to the challenge. The Ramble Ride, founded in 2016, is one of thousands of organized gravel events around the country, many of which sell
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out within days. Before July 2021, I had never ridden a gravel bike. I had also never covered 234 miles and close to 20,000 vertical feet on a bike in four days. As an avid road and mountain biker, though, I thought the four-day journey might be a fun challenge. Plus, Ramble Ride founder Peter Discoe warned me and some 60 other participants that “you’ll ride more than you think but never more than you can.” Discoe knows of what he speaks. He started riding in the area in 2011 and discovered thousands of miles of scenic gravel roads skirting the WyomingColorado border. After 20 people joined him on a 225mile ride from Fort Collins to Steamboat and asked
him to plan another trek the following year, he wondered if he could turn his talent for organizing group rides into a business. He wrote a plan, found partners, scouted routes, applied for permits— and created the Ramble Ride. The first morning, at 7, Discoe’s wife, Christine, and her team of Ramble volunteers serve breakfast sandwiches and coffee under a tent next to the town park in Walden, where most participants camped the night prior. This historical ranching town northeast of Steamboat Springs with fewer than 600 people welcomes Discoe’s events each year. I’m on a bike equipped with frame bags to carry my day gear. During the first 65 miles, I encounter everything from
Devon Balet
GR AV EL BI KING
MEDICINE BOW-ROUTT NATIONAL FORESTS
From top: Ben Kraushaar; Cindy Loose/V. I. P. Marketing, LLC
rolling, desolate dirt roads to steep, rocky climbs. Some of the miles click by; others are hard-earned. No matter my pace, there is always a rider or two to pedal with and share breathless conversation. When I roll into our group campsite late in the afternoon, the beer is chilled, the snacks are plentiful, and the kitchen crew is preparing something that smells delicious from a mobile kitchen. I set up my tent near Big Creek Lake, go for a swim, and stretch before dinner, when everyone loads their plates and finds a seat within earshot of Discoe’s debrief of the day and preview of tomorrow’s adventure. It’s a routine I settle into for three more days—early departures from lakeside campsites that turn into challenging and interesting rides through rarely visited mountains and lonely ranching towns. I’m astounded at how these roads are seemingly constructed for bike travel. The terrain rolls gradually up and down manageable foothills and mountains, following winding river valleys and undulating ranchland. Each evening, I relax into a happy exhaustion, enjoying the lack of cell service and falling asleep to the sounds of waves lapping the lakeshore, knowing I have nothing to do tomorrow but ride.
R A MB LE RIDES I N 2022 June 22–25: Women’s Ramble July 13–16: Summer Ramble August 31–September 3: Summer Ramble 2 September 28–October 1: Fall Ramble Rates start at $900
Encampment River
➼ BACK-
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INTO THE WILDS
The 16-mile Encampment River Trail runs along an enchanting waterway, offers magical views, and delivers a back-ofbeyond feel ideal for a backcountry camping trip. —LBK
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The main attraction of Wyoming’s smallest designated wilderness area, the Encampment River Trail runs the length of an uncompromising canyon that stretches from Odd Fellows Campground near the town of Encampment to the Commissary Park trailhead on the Wyoming-Colorado border. Backpackers can start their treks at either end, but unless they’ve left a vehicle at their destination, this 16-mile journey turns into a 32-mile haul. Not that that would be a bad thing: A three-day, two-night, primitive-camping backpacking trip gives adventurers time to get a line wet for browns, brookies, and ’bows; search the cliffs for elk and bighorn sheep; and explore the remnants of old cabins and mining operations. The best spot to pitch a tent along the trail comes roughly 5.5 miles in from Odd Fellows Campground, but there are other flat spots along the way that will suffice. Hikers should be prepared for several knee-high creek crossings (water shoes aren’t a terrible idea) and possible deadfall along the trail. The Encampment River toggles between turbulent and placid as it runs through its namesake canyon and adjacent to the trail. The upper section is steep and narrow and is only navigable by expert kayakers, as it’s full of Class III and IV rapids and a few Class V drops. A lower section, from the Encampment River trailhead to Baggot Rocks, is beautiful and raftable, although you’ll need your own boat (there aren’t many outfitters around), decent paddling skills, and an awareness of private property laws. Hikers along the trail can ogle the waterway, get their feet wet in myriad spots, and watch boaters—some carrying anglers—as they float past. m
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THERE’S A NEW SPACE RACE HAPPENING AS PRIVATE AEROSPACE COMPANIES SEEK TO MOLD A MODERN ORBITAL ECOSYSTEM DRIVEN AS MUCH BY PROFIT AS BY EXPLORATION. ALREADY HOME TO THE NATION’S SECOND-LARGEST COMMERCIAL SPACE ECONOMY, THE CENTENNIAL STATE PLANS TO BE A LAUNCHPAD IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. BY NICHOLAS HUNT
A rendering of a satellite refueling tanker from Lafayette-based Orbit Fab
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hen Vicky Lea started as director of aerospace and aviation for the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (EDC) more than a decade ago, she was tasked with growing the city’s—and, by extension, the state’s—aerospace economy. It seemed like
an easy enough gig. After all, the state was already home to major space defense installations, massive corporations competing for NASA contracts, and universities with storied histories of extraterrestrial research. The Space Foundation in Colorado Springs had even been hosting the annual Space Symposium, one of the largest gatherings of industry professionals in the world, since 1984. But when she headed to that event to promote the state as a significant aerospace 74
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67.7%
Percentage of Colorado aerospace workers ages 35 to 64. That range is 9.9 percentage points higher than the state’s other industries. Many fear there won’t be enough skilled workers to replace the current group when they retire, Lea says. Luckily, she adds, it’s easier to attract talent to Colorado than other states thanks to its diverse economy and outdoor recreation opportunities.
center, the most common reaction she got from attendees from outside of Colorado was puzzlement. “The recognition just wasn’t there,” she says. Fast-forward to the most recent symposium, and things have changed dramatically. Lea says the new message from conferencegoers is this: We are considering relocating our business, and we’ve been told that Colorado is where we should be looking. That shift isn’t only due to Lea’s tireless recruitment efforts. The industry is undergoing rapid and profound change globally, and Colorado is reaping the benefits. “Aerospace has very much moved out of the era of the military and NASA,” says Jeffrey Forrest, chair of Metropolitan State University of Denver’s aviation and aerospace science department. Instead, the industry is rocketing into what’s been dubbed NewSpace, where travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere is driven by private companies rather than giant Apollo-style government initiatives. Hundreds of firms, large and small, are racing to carve out an economic niche, ranging from relatively mundane endeavors such as communications infrastructure to sciencefiction-worthy orbiting film studios. The pace is reminiscent of the 1800s gold rush, experts say, and much as it was during that frenzy, Colorado is in a special position to take advantage
Previous spread: Courtesy of Orbit Fab. This page: Drew Noel
A mirror segment built by Westminster’s Ball Corporation for the James Webb Space Telescope
SPACE
Courtesy of U.S. Senate Official Photographers
CHAIR FORCE of the predicted boom times. The state has a unique aerospace ecosystem that dates back to the late 1940s—a decade before NASA was founded—when University of Colorado Boulder physicists slapped scientific equipment atop captured German rockets from World War II to research Earth’s upper atmosphere. Shortly after that, the military began establishing a strong presence in the state in part because early Soviet missiles couldn’t reach the continental interior, and aerospace companies set up shop here to take advantage of both the talent being produced by nearby universities and the military’s colossal defense budgets. “You have to look in amazement at how many likeminded people gravitated together,” says Dan Baker, the director of CU Boulder’s renowned Laboratory for Atmosphere and Space Physics (LASP). “You got on a positive feedback loop, and things built to an extremely strong level.” Today, there are 300 aerospace companies in the state employing some 34,750 people, according to the Metro Denver EDC. And those numbers are only growing: Lockheed Martin Space, a Colorado-based division of the giant defense contractor, had more than a thousand open positions in the state in April. All of that together means Colorado is second only to California for the size of its commercial aerospace industry and first on a per capita basis. Yet most Coloradans outside the industry have little idea of its scope or impact. Some call this the Space Paradox. “Space is more important to our daily lives than ever,” says Joe Rice, director of government affairs for Lockheed Martin Space, “but we tend to realize it less.” Space exploration has become so commonplace, he says, that it’s lost the grandeur of the Apollo era. But there’s a new space race happening right now, and from Earth to orbit to the moon, Mars, and beyond, Colorado has a head start.
As the senator at the helm of the Senate Subcommittee on Space and Science—which helps oversee NASA and America’s space policy— Colorado’s John Hickenlooper has a view of the aerospace industry unlike anyone else. 5280: You were 17 when Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon. What did that moment mean to you?
John Hickenlooper: My generation always asked, “Where were you when we walked on the moon?” It was an achievement that everybody in the country participated in. One argument you could make about the division we have now is that we don’t have that same shared mythology we did then. Still, it seems like space is one of the few things that Democrats and Republicans agree on.
Recognizing the reality and the importance of our technical competition with China is something that really does unite both parties. There is this sense of urgency that we need to move quickly. I couldn’t help noticing the subcommittee’s previous name was Space, Science, and Competitiveness.
things I think of. It came out of our space program. There are all these unbelievable innovations connected to putting people on the moon or in space, and now more than ever, people recognize that innovation and a willingness to embrace new ideas is going to be a big part of the solution to so many of the challenges we face, whether it’s climate change or feeding a growing world. Colorado’s reputation among aerospace experts has exploded over the past couple of decades. Is the same true among your colleagues in Congress?
I don’t think other senators are aware of it, and I don’t feel any need to brag about it because there are only so many faucets into the basin. An awful lot of work is being done in Colorado to get back to the moon, and my colleagues don’t need to know how many jobs that means.
Competitiveness in terms of technology has big ramifications for our economy. I think, as our political system becomes, let’s just say, more dynamic, part of my job is to keep the focus of both Republicans and Democrats on maintaining the momentum we’ve created. How does that momentum ultimately trickle down to regular folks?
GPS. That’s one of the first
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ATMOSPHERE
BOARDING CALL Adams County wants to become a hub for space tourism—and eventually even space airlines.
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THE NEED FOR SPEED One Colorado company is betting its future on a decades-old concept: a supersonic passenger jet. When the Concorde was retired in 2003, supersonic air travel went the way of the dodo: flightless. Now, a Denver startup is working to bring sound-barrier–breaking passenger planes back from extinction. Although Boom Supersonic’s 65- to 88-seat Overture airliner isn’t set to board passengers until 2029 at the earliest, the company has already signed a deal to provide United Airlines with 15 planes and received $270 million in investment from the likes of American Express and the U.S. Air Force, which is currently on the hunt for a high-speed Air Force One. Here’s what the hype is all about.
GROUND WORK We wouldn’t trust college kids to borrow our Subarus, but that hasn’t stopped CU Boulder from handing them the keys to multimillion-dollar satellites.
The University of Colorado Boulder is famous for producing future astronauts, but its current students don’t have to complete the decade-plus of rigorous, highly specialized training it takes to become a space jockey to reach beyond Earth. “They just have to take what we call Spacecraft 101,”says Dan Baker, director of CU’s LASP. The extracurricular class teaches interested
Credits Tkof Boom Supersonic Courtesy
How does this sound: a flight from Denver to anywhere in the world in under three hours. Plus, you get to skip the security lines at DIA. If Adams County has its way, that dream will manifest at the Colorado Air and Space Port (CASP). Formerly known as the Front Range Airport, this general aviation center changed its name when it received a license for space operations from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018. But while it’s one of 13 FAA-approved spaceports—essentially commercial space launch sites, as opposed to NASA’s Cape Canaveral complex—don’t expect dramatic rocket launches. Instead, CASP will have spaceplanes that take off and land like traditional aircraft but can leave the atmosphere behind temporarily. Adams County is betting that space tourism outfits could be using this technology for quick out-andback suborbital trips by the end of the decade. CASP officials hope the site Speed, in will be the perfect location for space miles per tourists, says deputy county manager hour, future Jim Siedlecki, because they would spaceplanes rather make the 14-mile transfer from will be able DIA to CASP for their flight than to reach after board a bus in, say, Albuquerque for a taking off three-hour ride through the desert to at CASP New Mexico’s rival Spaceport America. “Then, maybe they wrap [their trip] around a weekend that includes a Rockies game and hiking a fourteener,” he says. “Those are the kinds of things that we imagine when we think of the future.” There’s also no reason those spaceplanes have to land back at CASP, meaning it could become a hub for airliners capable of taking you to the other side of the globe in just a few hours. The facility already has an agreement with Spaceport Cornwall in the United Kingdom to do just that, once the technology becomes available. That’s the plan, anyway, but for now, CASP is still a general aviation airport. “Dedicated spaceports are a one-trick pony right now that struggle with revenue,” Siedlecki says. “Aviation is going to pay the bills for us moving forward, and if there is a tipping point where aerospace starts to make more money, that’s great. We have the capacity to handle both.”
SPACE
CreditsAsakawa/Courtesy Glenn Tk of CU Boulder
CRUISING ALTITUDE You’ll be able to use your large electronic devices around 60,000 feet, or about two Longs Peaks above today’s airliners and high enough that the sky begins to turn black.
undergraduates how to operate and maintain satellites; then, after passing a battery of tests as difficult as any final you’ve ever taken, they’re hired by LASP. Typically, anywhere between 20 and 30 students are on staff, often dropping by between classes to monitor missions launched in partnership with NASA, private companies, or even foreign countries (such as the United Arab Emirates) that need LASP’s expertise.
CLEAR SKIES Boom plans to use sustainable aviation fuel made from renewable biomass (think algae and manure), which could help the company achieve carbon neutrality.
ALL BUSINESS Individual airlines will set the final prices, but Boom is designing the Overture to be profitable with fares comparable to a current business class ticket.
By the time the students receive their degrees, they will have collected data from rare cosmic phenomena such as black holes while simultaneously learning how to maximize the lifespan of their wards, making them ready for the likes of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, which manages the Hubble and James Webb telescopes. Although LASP has led the way in educating student flight controllers,
TOP SPEED The Overture should reach Mach 1.7, or around 1,300 miles per hour— quick enough to chop three hours off the current six-and-a-half-hour New York-to-London flight time.
RANGE Boom’s planes will go 4,888 miles without refueling. That’s 700 miles farther than the Concorde and about the distance from Seattle to Tokyo.
a handful of other institutions, including Metropolitan State University of Denver, have set up similar operations in recent years, sometimes in collaboration with companies that have aging satellites to donate (often in return for a tax break). “It’s the way things should be,” Baker says. “An academic institution like ours should offer opportunities for students to participate and give them a real send-off into the professional world.” JUNE 2022
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LOW EARTH ORBIT
IT’S CROWDED UP THERE If NewSpace is the next frontier, then low Earth orbit is its first boomtown. Low Earth orbit—the region from around 100 to 1,200 miles above the ground—is virtually lawless. In fact, it has become so easy to reach that, without any space police, it’s slowly turning into a junkyard. By some estimates, more than half of all satellites are defunct, and some 27,000 pieces of debris over four inches in size are circling the planet. “At the velocity that this debris is moving,” Hickenlooper says, “even a piece the size of a flake of paint off your wall can pierce the skin of the International Space Station.” That’s nothing compared with what’s coming. Elon Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, for example, is building a network, known as a megaconstellation, of some 40,000 satellites to beam the internet around the globe, and there are several equally massive projects in the works. Helping the United States play sheriff is a priority for Hickenlooper’s subcommittee, but until that happens, these Colorado companies are working on practical ways to make low Earth orbit safer, cleaner, and more organized.
Denver-based Atomos Space’s planned Orbital Transfer Vehicle will move freshly launched satellites to their final destinations. So, instead of paying for a massive rocket to place your satellite into the precise orbit you need, you can save money by having space Uber pick it up at a central location and move it into position.
Changing and maintaining orbits requires fuel, and satellites are limited to what they bring with them. But not for much longer. Orbit Fab, which relocated from San Francisco to Lafayette in January, launched a prototype space tanker last summer, and in January, it inked an agreement with Astroscale to perform the first in-space fuel purchase in the near future.
TRAFFIC CONTROL
It’s often easier to leave an obsolete satellite in space than it is to safely deorbit it (read: burn it up high in the atmosphere). Astroscale, a Japanese company whose U.S. subsidiary is based in Denver, wants to change that. Since March 2021, it’s been testing the first commercial spacecraft designed to capture and dispose of space junk.
In December 2021, Boulderbased Kayhan Space received $3.75 million in venture capital funding to develop an AI-powered tracking system that will tell everyone from telecommunications companies to university researchers when and where to move their satellites to avoid collisions—all for a convenient recurring fee, of course.
SMALL WONDERS
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Jeff Bezos’ Washington state–based Blue Origin, which leased a south Denver office in April, has teamed up with Louisville satellite and spaceship manufacturer Sierra Space to develop a “mixeduse business park” in orbit that could house everything from laboratories to a space hotel and film studio.
Although it’s getting cheaper, space launches are still incredibly expensive: In 2018, it cost $2,720 per kilogram to reach low Earth orbit on a SpaceX rocket, the cheapest ride around. So, one of the easiest ways to save money is to put your satellite on a diet. Enter smallsats, which can range from the size of a kitchen fridge down to circuit-board-shaped chipsats that weigh just a few grams. These lightweight satellites require less fuel to launch and can hitch rides with other payloads to drive down costs. Plus, thanks to recent advances in
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ORBITING GAS STATIONS
Crew: 10
This spread: Courtesy of Astroscale (Astroscale); Courtesy of Orbit Fab and Paulina Perrucci Photography (Orbit Fab); Courtesy of Sierra Space (Orbital Reef); Courtesy of Lockheed Martin (Starlab); Courtesy of York Space Systems (mini satellite)
GARBAGE DISPOSAL
SPACE TUGBOATS
ORBITAL REEF
SPACE
HOME (FAR) AWAY FROM HOME Think rent in Denver is high? Imagine leasing real estate on a commercial space station. Previously scheduled for retirement in 2024, the International Space Station (ISS) received a stay of execution last December. When the ISS finally crashes into a remote patch of the Pacific Ocean in 2031, though, NASA has no plans to replace it. Instead, the agency will simply rent office space on commercial space stations alongside other tenants. It’s all part of NASA’s plan to foster a robust economy in low Earth orbit so it can concentrate its efforts—and its funding—on the moon and Mars. But NASA needs to dole out a little more cash to spur the development of that rentable real estate. In December 2021, the agency awarded $416 million in contracts to three coalitions of companies designing their own floating facilities, two of which have strong Colorado ties.
STARLAB Crew: Four A collaboration among Denver’s Voyager Space, Houston’s Nanoracks, and Lockheed Martin Space, the station could launch as early as 2027 and will feature a laboratory, with research and manufacturing capabilities, named for George Washington Carver.
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Satellites orbiting Earth in February, according to the U.S. Space Surveillance Network
miniaturization, they can be incredibly powerful tools even at their ittybitty sizes, says Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Jeffrey Forrest. He should know. The school collaborates with private smallsat firm York Space Systems, which keeps its headquarters inside MSU Denver’s Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building. One of York’s goals, says CEO Dirk Wallinger, is to get its customers’ missions into orbit as fast as humanly possible, because by shortening the schedule they can reduce costs. The company also adds another
money-saving element to the mix: mass production. York has developed two standardized satellite platforms that can be quickly tailored for customers such as Australia-based Earth observation company LatConnect 60. Wallinger predicts York’s second Denver-area manufacturing facility, which came online in May, will be able to build a new satellite in just 30 days and up to 75 of them simultaneously. “It’s kind of like the Model T,” Forrest says. “Once that cost per unit drops, the barrier to entry comes down.” JUNE 2022
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THE MOON
We’re finally returning to the moon— and this time we’re staying. “If you would’ve told me in 1972 that we wouldn’t be back to the moon for 50 years,” says Jack Burns, a professor of astrophysics at CU Boulder, “I would have said you are full of youknow-what.” Burns has a special interest in moon landings beyond being a child of the Apollo age. He’s director of the Network for Exploration and Space Science, a multiuniversity organization dedicated to developing advanced science on the moon. Burns also served on former President Donald Trump’s NASA transition team, which laid the groundwork for Artemis, the NASA mission that aims to not only return astronauts to Earth’s only natural satellite but also eventually establish longterm habitation there. “I’ve been working on this for 38 years,” he says. “This is the third iteration of us going back to the moon, but it looks like this one is actually going to stick.” In fact, NASA hopes for boots on the ground—including the first woman and first person of color—starting in 2025. What took so long? It’s not just delays and red tape, although there’s been plenty of both. We simply didn’t have the means until recently, Burns says. Apollo-era technology barely let us poke our heads around, and it’s only in the past few years, thanks in large part to the NewSpace economy, that we’ve developed the capability to live and work on the moon, which gives us more reason to return than simply taking a few small steps. NASA isn’t the only agency planning to shop for prime lunar real estate. The Chinese government says it could land its own astronauts by 2030. Plus, plenty of private companies have their sights set on unmanned operations ranging from mining water to testing communications networks. This renewed excitement could jump-start what industry insiders call the cislunar economy. “It’s beyond just visiting for visiting’s sake. It’s looking at how you can leverage resources,” says the Metro Denver EDC’s Lea. “It combines space exploration with commercial opportunity.” More than 180 Colorado companies have a hand in Artemis, and while it’s practically impossible to know how many are working on private commercial missions, a few locals are playing key roles in our return to the moon. 80
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Project: Orion spacecraft Lockheed Martin Space designed the crew capsule for Orion, America’s new ride to the moon, which is 30 percent bigger than Apollo, fits four, features a unisex toilet and a radiation shelter, and could even include a specialized version of Amazon’s Alexa for voice-accessible flight data.
LOCKHEED MARTIN SPACE VERSUS LUNAR OUTPOST Project: Moon buggy 2.0 Eventually, NASA plans to establish a basecamp near the moon’s south pole, and once it does, it’s going to need some wheels. To that end, it put out a call for candidates last year, spurring Lockheed to pair up with General Motors to compete against other teams, including partners Northrop Grumman and Lunar Outpost, a space robotics startup in Golden. The requirements? An electric moon buggy capable of carrying 1,764 pounds of payload 12 miles on a single charge across the moon’s pockmarked polar region. Oh, and it has to be drivable by remote control, too.
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ANOTHER STEP FOR MANKIND
LOCKHEED MARTIN SPACE
PUBLICITY STUNT
MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES Project: Gateway
Lunar Outpost’s The Price Is Right bid for a NASA contract will establish how we buy and sell resources in space.
Orion won’t land directly on the surface. Instead, it will dock in lunar orbit with Gateway, an outpost that will serve as a communication hub and staging area for surface exploration. Westminster-based Maxar is building a unique propulsion unit for the station that uses electricity to accelerate jets of ionized atoms as opposed to traditional chemical propellants.
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Project: Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) Gateway will circle just 1,000 miles above the moon’s south pole before swinging more than 40,000 miles above the north pole and back again. The unique vertical orbit will provide unobstructed views of—and communications with— Earth and should require minimal energy to maintain. But to make sure, NASA contracted with Westminster’s Advanced Space, an astrodynamics firm specializing in designing orbits, to test it with this microwave-ovensize satellite.
This spread: Courtesy of General Motors (moon buggy); Courtesy of NASA (Orion spacecraft, CAPSTONE); Courtesy of Maxar Technologies (Gateway); Getty Images (moon)
ADVANCED SPACE
In December 2020, Goldenbased Lunar Outpost made national headlines for what seemed like a really, really bad business deal. NASA announced it had signed four commercial contracts to collect moon dust from the lunar surface, but where the other three agreements were for between $5,000 and $15,000—already paltry amounts— Lunar Outpost bid a single dollar. “That was probably the smartest marketing move we’ve ever done, because the story got picked up all over,” says co-founder and COO Julian Cyrus. “The dollar isn’t really anything, but it is establishing the legal and procedural framework for purchasing space resources.” Which was NASA’s plan all along. Still, it currently costs more than $1 million per kilogram (that’s 2.2 pounds for us Americans) to land on the moon, so Lunar Outpost paired the resource-collection mission with another it already had in the works—one that pays a lot better. Its Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP), a rover the size of a small dog, could touch down near the moon’s south pole as early as this winter to help test a 4G/LTE communications network. And because it’s a private mission instead of a public one, Lunar Outpost can make money on the side by selling any valuable data it collects to third parties—especially companies interested in following in MAPP’s wheel prints and collecting lunar resources. That will be an essential step for future exploration, Cyrus says. “Throughout human history, if you want to explore a new area, you don’t bring everything with you,” he says. “You have to live off the land, and it’s going to be the same in space.” JUNE 2022
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MARS & BEYOND
MIRROR IMAGE
Just over 10 years late and 10 times over its original $1 billion estimated price tag, the James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST) finally launched on Christmas Day 2021, and it’s poised to transform astronomy forever. Unfurled, the joint project between NASA, the European and Canadian space agencies, and others is the size of a tennis court, and its honeycombed main mirror—designed and built by Westminster’s Ball Corporation—is 21 feet in diameter, about 13 feet wider than Hubble’s. Some astronomers will use JWST to peer back in time, while others, such as Meredith MacGregor, an assistant professor at CU Boulder, plan to use it to search for extraterrestrial life. As amazing as that sounds, she says she can’t even imagine some of the revolutionary things the telescope will discover: “It’s just completely unlike anything we’ve ever built before.”
Hubble’s replacement is about to change our understanding of the universe.
Venus
JWST Jupiter Mercury
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MONTHS The length a future trip to Mars could take with an advanced version of the ion propulsion technology Maxar will use on Gateway. Unlike traditional rockets, which accelerate quickly and then coast, ion thrusters produce a small but unceasing acceleration.
Moon
ORBITAL MECHANICS Unlike Hubble, JWST isn’t in low Earth orbit. Instead, it circles Lagrange Point Two (L2), a spot four times farther away than the moon and one of a few special locations in space where the gravity from the sun and the Earth equal the force needed to keep the telescope moving in sync with its home planet.
LIFE ON MARS Landing humans on the Red Planet is in the cards—just not anytime soon. 82
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There’s a perception that Mars is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the moon, says CU’s Burns. In fact, in 2021, SpaceX’s Elon Musk told Time that he’d be surprised if his company weren’t landing humans on the planet by 2026. “It’s like, What have you been smoking?” Burns says. The hurdles are myriad. A trip to the moon takes three to five days. Mars takes eight to nine months with current technology, and once you’re there, you’re there for a minimum of a year until the planetary orbits align to make a return trip possible. “So you’re in for a two-and-a-half to three-year mission right out of the gate,” Burns says. That timeline amplifies problems we don’t fully understand, much less have solutions for, such as how to protect astronauts from radiation both in flight and on the planet’s surface and how the body will react to life in Mars’ low-gravity environment as opposed to the microgravity on the ISS. Artemis’ mission to the moon will help answer many of these questions, but Burns suspects it’s going to take a coalition of national space agencies to finally make a manned Mars mission happen. “We’ll get there,” he says, “but it’s going to be more like the middle of the century.”
Credits This spread: Tk Getty Images (2)
Mars
DELIVERING THE GOODS “We don’t have a rocket big enough to stick a [21-foot-wide] telescope in straight up,” MacGregor says. Instead, JWST was folded like a beach chair, and it took months to align each gold-plated mirror segment after launch.
Saturn
HOT AND COLD These kitelike sheets shield JWST’s mirror from the infrared radiation—aka heat—given off by other celestial bodies. The hot side will be a scorching 185 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold side? Negative 388.
(NOT SO) CLOSE ENCOUNTERS JWST will be able to measure the composition of exoplanet atmospheres thanks to a spectrometer that can identify the specific wavelengths of light emitted by molecules such as oxygen and methane. “Once you understand that,” MacGregor says, “you can start to look for biosignatures, things that indicate there might be life there.”
REDSHIFT The expansion of the universe stretches out light waves as they move through space, turning blues into reds and, eventually, infrared, so JWST is built to see the latter. And because that light has been traveling for billions of years to reach JWST, the telescope will actually be looking deep into the past. “Hopefully, it will find some really interesting things to say about the early days of our universe,” MacGregor says.
Uranus Pluto Credits Tk
ROCK STARS
Neptune
Distant Galaxy
COMPETITIVE EDGE Once JWST is fully operational, which could happen as early as this month, its first mission will be gathering data that the entire astronomical community wants to get its hands on. After that, anyone can write a proposal, and an international committee of scientists will decide who gets time on the machine. “Hubble is so in demand,” MacGregor says, “that even after 30 years, for every one hour of operation there are 12 hours of proposed observations.”
Exploring the solar system will require cheap(er) rocket fuel, so Colorado School of Mines plans to help manufacture it on the moon. Another way Artemis’ lunar mission will help us get to Mars? Water. Or, more precisely, the hydrogen and oxygen atoms water contains that can be used to make rocket fuel. “Estimates are anywhere from a hundred MID-2020s million to a billion metric tons of water are on the Various national moon,” says Angel Abbudgovernments and Madrid, director of the private compaCenter for Space Resources nies such as Lunar at Colorado School of Outpost will begin Mines. “That is about the prospecting for equivalent of two Lake Dilresources—includlons. That’s not much water ing water—on on Earth, but it’s enough to the moon. refuel thousands upon thouEARLY 2030s sands of rockets.” Turning the moon into a Business plans low-gravity Circle K could and economic significantly reduce the cost models for the to reach Mars and help profitable extrachumanity send missions tion of resources deeper into the solar system. will be developed There are still questions, using the prospectors’ data. though. Two critical ones: Where is the water, and in LATE 2030s what form is it to be found? Mines is positioning itself Robots will to help find the answers. begin harvestThe school made heading material and lines when it announced converting it into the world’s first space useful products, resources graduate program such as fuel and potable water. in 2018. The response was so strong that it added an 2040s to 2070s undergraduate minor in fall 2021. Harvesting resources Large-scale in space, including mining industrial mining water on the moon, isn’t a operations will purely technical challenge, be in place on so the school is training the moon and students in everything from possibly even on Mars and in the engineering to space law asteroid belt. and policy. “We are at the start of a completely new era,” Abbud-Madrid says, “so we might as well start right. Let’s do it fair. Let’s do it sustainably and responsibly.” And we’d better do it now, because if his predictions for the future of space mining are correct, the future is nearly here. m JUNE 2022
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Kali Fajardo-Anstine in the Western History & Genealogy Department of the Denver Public Library
Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s debut collection of short stories, Sabrina & Corina, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2019. The Denver writer’s first novel, Woman of Light, due out this month, aims to build on her burgeoning literary legacy by reclaiming Indigenous Chicanas’ place in the history of the American West and Colorado. BY SHANE MONAGHAN P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y C A L E B S A N T I A G O A L VA R A D O L E T T E R I N G B Y M A R T I N A F L O R
she says, before landing on a page that charts out an area just west of downtown where each building is marked with a specific color. “You can see,” she says, “my character’s whole neighborhood is red.” The character Fajardo-Anstine references is Luz, the protagonist of her debut novel, Woman of Light, a multigenerational saga due to be published by One World, an imprint of Random House dedicated to telling underrepresented stories, this month. And red is the color Sanborn Map Company, which created the nearly century-old atlas, used to denote structures that fire insurance companies should’ve viewed as too hazardous to underwrite. The map is a quintessential example of redlining, a discriminatory practice by which resources, such as mortgage loans and insurance, are denied to residents in specific neighborhoods, almost always largely inhabited by people of color. Fajardo-Anstine, who identifies as a Chicana of mixed heritage, including Indigenous ancestry she can trace back to various Pueblo tribes whose homelands are in what is now northern New Mexico, picks up another redlining map and reads aloud the words that accompany it. “Infiltration of Mexicans. Occupation: laborers, single. Repairs: very poor. This is an area of scattered old shacks and brick houses. Ranking: very rugged and unattractive,” she says, and then looks up. “It’s fascinating to see the way they talked about us.” 86
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Photographed on location in the Gates Western History Reading Room at Denver Public Library: Central Library
THE WESTERN HISTORY & GENEALOGY DEPARTMENT ON THE FIFTH FLOOR OF THE DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY’S CENTRAL BRANCH IS QUIET, EXCEPT FOR THE SOUND OF KALI FAJARDO-ANSTINE FLIPPING THROUGH MAPS OF THE CITY FROM THE EARLY 1930S. “LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND WHERE MY PEOPLE WERE,”
To give Woman of Light the heft she desired, Fajardo-Anstine, who is 35, spent countless hours in archives, including this one. Studying the maps allowed her to choose the neighborhoods where each character in the novel lived in a historically accurate way. Looking through microfiche of 1930s newspaper clips helped her decide which Denver radio station people in the book would’ve been listening to (an early version of KOA) as well as what stories listeners would’ve heard about constantly (everyone was talking about Bonnie and Clyde). She also found relics in the archives that make an appearance in the story, such as a Ku Klux Klan robe that was made for a baby, complete with the child’s name sewn into it. Those details were important, but FajardoAnstine often wasn’t able to find the one thing she was most interested in learning about during her trips to the archives: accounts of what life was like for Americans of Mexican descent, also known as Chicanos, and other people of color at the time. “It’s mind-numbing to sift through hundreds and hundreds of documents that are just about white people,” she says. Even when she did find what she was looking for, there were issues, including the time an archive in southwest Colorado provided her with a box of oral history tapes from Chicanos who had lived in Durango. The tapes were completely out of order; some of the recordings were broken. Fajardo-Anstine sent an email saying that the archive needed to more highly value this aspect of Colorado history. Fajardo-Anstine can’t seem to get away from archival injustices: A few days before she visited the Denver Public Library this past March, she experienced one firsthand. The city released a report in late February titled Nuestras Historias: Mexican American/Chicano/ Latino Histories in Denver, which included a map highlighting historic places related to those groups in the city. One of the sites was the former home of Lucy Lucero, Fajardo-Anstine’s great-aunt, who died in 2010. Lucero’s home in Baker served as a haven for gay Chicano youth for more than 50 years, including during the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. But the city never credited Lucero’s daughter for the stories about the home. The report also spelled Lucero’s name wrong. Fajardo-Anstine ultimately asked to have her family removed from the records. “The idea of taking a story from a family, and using a story without attributing it to the family, is extraction,” she says. “I think it mirrors the landscape having all the resources extracted from it. It’s people as resource, rather than people as human beings.” The writer shifts from one black-booted foot to the other and pushes her dark hair behind her right ear as she considers her next
T H E K E E P E R O F STO R I E S
Lucero, lived, was often filled with the scent of beans and green chile. Everyone was welcome— neighbors occasionally stopped by to borrow $5 for a pack of cigarettes—and the television was always turned to Turner Classic Movies. Midway through watching, say, an Omar Sharif film for the hundredth time, Lucy would turn to her guests and regale them with stories about her family. She talked about an uncle who had been a snake charmer and an aunt who had worked in a Denver glass factory manufacturing mirrors. The tales detailed traumas, such as the story of how her family hid from KKK members on the floor of their home or the one about how her father, a Belgian coal miner, abandoned the family when they lived in southern Colorado. (Despite the serious subject matter, Lucy would adopt a French accent when telling parts of that story.) “There was an element of entertainment with the stories,” Fajardo-Anstine says. “But I think it was also instructive: Try your hardest to stay out of these situations, because the world is going to bring them to you. You need to avoid getting killed.” The narrative that stuck with Fajardo-Anstine more than any other, though, was the one about how her family ended up in Denver roughly 100 years ago. In the 1920s, another one of her great-aunts had a child with a white man while the family was living in a mining camp near the Colorado-New Mexico border. The man wouldn’t claim the baby as his own, and one of the great-aunt’s brothers assaulted her because he was embarrassed she got pregnant outside of marriage. After surviving the attack, the woman decided she’d had enough and hitchhiked north to the city. When she was settled in Denver, some of the other family members followed. After hearing this history time and again, Fajardo-Anstine came to realize she might not exist if not for her great-aunt’s determination to start over. She also knew she had never seen this type of migration story, one that detailed how people made it from these small villages Fajardo-Anstine used archival to the big city, in a book or on screen. Her research to help provide historical heft for her first novel, Woman of Light, family’s tales from that time were gripping and published this month. cinematic, and they spoke to a largely ignored thought, the maps laid out on a table aspect of the history of the American West. in front of her. “There is no better way She began to wonder if she could help share to learn about humans than to see the the stories with a wider audience. way they’ve been acting over time, the way they’ve kept records over The then aspiring writer had already been working on pieces about time, and how they decided to tell stories,” Fajardo-Anstine says. She her family’s past, including one based on the tale of her great-grandpauses, then adds: “Part of what I am trying to do with a book like mother, great-aunt, and their siblings being abandoned by their father. Woman of Light is show that there needs to be more justice with how In 2011, she wrote an early draft of Woman of Light, much of which our stories are told.” was shaped by the stories she’d heard from family elders; the main n the late 2000s, while Fajardo-Anstine was a student at Metrocharacters were (and still are) inspired by her great-aunt, Lucy, and politan State University of Denver, she regularly walked a couple her great-grandmother, Esther. of blocks from where she lived near Seventh and Inca streets to Now, a little more than a decade later, the story, which is set in her great-aunt Lucy Lucero’s house at 547 Galapago Street. The Depression-era Denver, is due to be published. The journey she took two-story home, where Lucy and Fajardo-Anstine’s godmother, Joanna to tell it was, as one might imagine, anything but easy.
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tomes from a wide swath of authors, such as Great Plains novelist Willa Cather, sciencefiction writer Octavia Butler, and futurist Arthur C. Clarke. Fajardo-Anstine held a job at the shop off and on until she was almost 30, including while she earned her GED and studied English and Chicano/a Studies at Metro State. During that time, Harvey watched her grow and find her voice as a woman and a writer. But even when Fajardo-Anstine was younger, Harvey sensed she was destined for greatness. “She was always so conscientious and deeply thoughtful,” Harvey says. “I just remember my husband saying, ‘She seems like someone who is going to end up being interviewed [on NPR] by Terry Gross someday.’ ”
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n late 2012, Fajardo-Anstine had a moment of clarity. She was sitting on a Navajostyle rug in the home of one of her professors for the creative writing MFA program at the University of Wyoming. Four of her classmates, all white men, were also there, and the group was workshopping one student’s story about a character who came to the American West and found himself by connecting with the landscape and nature. Nothing about that was unusual. Week after week, the pieces they discussed always seemed to have similar themes. Many of Fajardo-Anstine’s classmates had received accolades for stories about the transformative experience of coming West. Some of them had been published in major magazines such as the New Yorker, and one student had already gotten a book deal. “These white men, who are not from the area, were given this ability to define it somehow,” she says. “And they were being praised for it.” Fajardo-Anstine knew she had a repository of rich, meaningful, authentic stories about the region. She had been subconsciously centering her writing up to that point on the tales from her great-aunt, greatgrandmother, and others, and the idea of creating historical fiction based on her family’s migration to Denver was ever-present. She also knew she was a good writer. She remembers one of her professors at Wyoming, the esteemed author Joy Williams, running up and down the hallway of the department with an early draft of Fajardo-Anstine’s “Sugar Babies,” a story about two eighth graders in a fictional town in southern Colorado who have to care for a bag of sugar together for a home economics class; it became the first piece to appear in Sabrina & Corina. “Who wrote this?” Williams wondered aloud for everyone to hear. “This is incredible.” But Fajardo-Anstine’s work had yet to receive the same amount of attention from the publishing world as her classmates’. As Fajardo-Anstine sat on the rug in her professor’s house on that day in 2012 and listened to the group dissect yet another
Courtesy of Penguin Random House
F
ajardo-Anstine was in high school when she wrote a short story that begins when an Indigenous woman from a poor family is forced to marry a white rancher who lives on the plains. One of the only things she brings with her to her new home is a large cedar chest with a brass lock on it. Toward the end of the story, the pair run out of firewood, and the man decides to burn much of their furniture, including the cedar chest, so they don’t freeze to death. After the fire dies down, the woman sees that the brass lock survived the blaze, and she retrieves what is essentially her only remaining possession. The themes in the story—including the ways in which people deal with trauma—were sophisticated for a teenager, an early sign of Fajardo-Anstine’s talent. The story also foreshadowed how she would use her family’s narratives in her work; Fajardo-Anstine’s parents had a similar lock in their room that had been in the family for multiple generations. Perhaps it’s not surprising that she would be thinking about connections to the past, given the milieu in which she grew up. Her mother, Renee Fajardo, the director of the Journey Through Our Heritage program in the Chicano/a Studies Department at Metro State and a local activist, raised her kids—Fajardo-Anstine has five sisters and one brother—going to Indigenous prayer circles and Aztec dance classes at various locations around Denver. They constantly spent time at the homes of elder family members. Fajardo-Anstine’s childhood house in Arvada was also a regular gathering space for relatives, as well as artists, musicians, and other prominent figures within the local Chicano community who loved to tell stories. Fajardo-Anstine didn’t always find the same level of understanding about her background outside of that community, though. While at school or participating in other activities in Arvada, parents of white children would walk up to her and ask, “What are you?” The question made her feel different—other—as she struggled to tell them that she was Indigenous Chicana but that she also had Belgian, Jewish, and Filipino ancestors. “These kids that come from these blended families can feel like they have no voice,” Renee says. “I think there were times when she definitely felt very alone because of that.” High school was particularly difficult for Fajardo-Anstine, who describes her teenage self as “always depressed and listening to Bob Dylan’s music while lying on the floor.” She admits she didn’t always apply herself in class, but she knew she loved books and talked her way into Advanced Placement English to start her senior year at Pomona High School. About two weeks into the academic year, Fajardo-Anstine had what she calls a “major depressive episode,” which caused her to miss multiple days of class. After she returned, her English teacher pulled her aside and told her she didn’t seem cut out for school and should drop out. Fajardo-Anstine grabbed her backpack and started walking home, crying the entire way. She told her parents she was done with high school that day and never went back. While the teacher at Pomona failed Fajardo-Anstine, other mentors in her life would provide her with the literary education she desired. Her father, Glen Anstine, often bought new books and left them outside of her bedroom when she was a teenager. At the age of 16, she started working at West Side Books in northwest Denver, where owner Lois Harvey exposed her to
T H E K E E P E R O F STO R I E S
writing fellowship in South Carolina and a gig helping put on a festival for a literary nonprofit in the Florida Keys. She also taught freshman composition at Fort Lewis College in Durango for a year. All the while, she kept working on her novel, as well as the short stories that would eventually constitute Sabrina & Corina. She managed to have a few of those stories published in literary journals such as the Idaho Review and the American Scholar. More often than not, though, publishers rejected her submissions. “For a while there I think it was really tough for her,” Fajardo-Anstine’s sister Piper Anstine says. “I don’t think she ever considered quitting writing, but she was definitely wondering whether or not it was ever going to work out for her.” In 2016, while at Fort Lewis, FajardoAnstine sent a draft of Woman of Light to her agent, Julia Masnik. Masnik didn’t find it particularly compelling. She knew FajardoAnstine was capable of better writing and asked the author if she’d considered doing more research for the book. “At first, I was like, I don’t need to research this. I live in this,” Fajardo-Anstine says. “But I decided to try it, and it set off this explosion.” Every weekend, she would drive to sacred sites, such as Chaco Canyon and Chimney Rock, throughout the Southwest. She started digging through museum and library archives. She spent hours talking to people about their stories, including the older Chicano couple who lived next door to her. “I realized I am part of a bigger thing,” she says. “There are so many of us who have these stories.” About a year later, Fajardo-Anstine and Masnik sent a group of short stories and 50 pages of a revised version of Woman of Light to Nicole Counts, an editor at One World. Counts was mesmerized by what she read. “It’s so, so rare to fall in love with just 50 pages,” Counts says. “But everything I was reading was in such high saturation. She would describe the color Fajardo-Anstine says the injustices being yellow, and it would be so bright. She would experienced in Denver now are not unlike those that were facing people of color in the 1930s, write about a cottonwood tree, and it would the decade in which her debut novel is set. piece about a white person tamjust come to life.” ing nature, she realized that she Fajardo-Anstine signed a two-book deal was being called to focus her with One World in fall 2017. The publisher work on the lives of Indigenous Chicana women living in the decided to release Sabrina & Corina first, followed by the novel. American West in a way that felt like a form of social justice. She Fajardo-Anstine’s writing, fictional re-creations of her ancestors’ would make them the center of her stories to show their strength tales, of the lives of Indigenous Chicana women, and of Denver, and resilience, their ability to overcome. “My family’s story is: We were about to be shared with the world. were here, then Europeans came here and mixed with us,” she says. or most of 2020, Kali Fajardo-Anstine lived in a small studio “And then they literally just kept coming. And now we’re invisible. I apartment at 17th and Champa streets in downtown Denver. needed to add my voice to that.” Like most everyone else, she hunkered down to avoid COVIDDespite having that fully formed sense of purpose, success as an 19. She also had to finish a draft of Woman of Light. author didn’t come immediately after Fajardo-Anstine graduated The previous year had been one of the busiest of Fajardofrom the University of Wyoming with a master’s degree in 2013. Anstine’s life, following the publication CONTINUED ON PAGE 110 She bounced around the country working various jobs, including a
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DINING GUIDE $
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Visit our online listings at 5280.com/ restaurants.
$ 26 A N D H I G H E R.
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SYMBOL KEY Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened).
A Ace Eat Serve
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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
American Elm
$$
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
Uptown Area / Asian This Uptown restaurant features Asian-inspired cuisine and 11 ping-pong tables. Try the Sichuan shrimp won tons and don’t miss the Peking duck, which is served family-style on Thursdays and Sundays. Reservations accepted. 501 E. 17th Ave., 303-800-7705. Dinner
African Grill & Bar
Bar Max
Blackbelly
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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
Bellota
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RiNo / Mexican Chef Manny Barella cooks elevated regional Mexican fare inside the Source. Reservations accepted. The Source, 3350 Brighton Blvd., 720-542-3721. Lunch, Dinner
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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
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Bonnie Brae Tavern
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Hampden South / Chinese This no-frills Chinese restaurant, which also goes by the name Little Chengdu, specializes in hand-pulled noodles and Sichuan-chile-infused hot pot. Reservations not accepted. 8101 E. Belleview Ave., 303-220-0577. Lunch, Dinner
Brider
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Highland / American Go for high-quality, fastcasual dining. Be sure to try the rotisserie chicken. Reservations not accepted. 1644 Platte St., 303-455-3084. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The Bronze Empire
$$$
Avelina
Blue Ocean
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
$$$
Highland / Middle Eastern Chef Daniel Asher offers a playful take on Middle Eastern cuisine at this plant-bedecked Highland eatery. Order the crispy falafel or the succulent king salmon crudo. Also try the Boulder location. Reservations accepted. 2005 W. 33rd Ave., 303-537-4407. Dinner, Brunch
$$
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
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
Blue Bonnet Cafe and Lounge
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
West Highland / American Elevated American fare and classic cocktails anchor the refined menu at this neighborhood spot, where you can indulge in $3.50 oysters and shrimp cocktails every day alongside crispy Animal Crackers of chicharones and chicken skin. Reservations accepted. 4132 W. 38th Ave., 720-749-3186. Dinner, Brunch
Annette
$$$
Boulder / American Chef Hosea Rosenberg’s meaty menu focuses on charcuterie, small plates, and daily butcher specials. Try the crispy pig ears with red pepper jelly. Check out the butcher shop and grab-and-go market, Blackbelly Butcher, located next door. Reservations accepted. 1606 Conestoga St., Boulder, 303-247-1000. Dinner
AW, SHUCKS
Water Grill is bringing the sea to the heart of LoDo. The five-month-old restaurant offers a menu of fresh fish, crustaceans, and other ocean dwellers, which are flown in daily by its parent company, California-based King’s Seafood Company. Enjoy entrées such as sustainably caught Chilean sea bass in the formal dining room, or belly up to the raw bar to slurp down shellfish, such as tender Peruvian bay scallops topped with crunchy pistachios and drizzled with citrusy pesto.
$$$
Cory-Merrill / Chinese This comfortable restaurant specializes in hot pot, which features an aromatic, bubbling broth for cooking fresh ingredients right at your table. Dip everything from ramen noodles to steak into the savory, steaming cooking liquid. Reservations not accepted. 1591 S. Colorado Blvd., 720-550-7871. Lunch, Dinner
Bull & Bush Brewery
Glendale / Pub This homey brew pub channels the London original but with sports bar entertainment. Try the tangy and filling Queen Mother BBQ Burger. Reservations not accepted. 4700 Cherry Creek Dr. S., 303-759-0333. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
$ Courtesy of Water Grill
PRICE KEY
(Average Entrée)
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DINING GUIDE
C Cabrón Carbón Taqueria & Galería
Golden Triangle / Mexican Owners Francisco Cuevas and Camelia Robles serve quesabirria and aguas frescas in this neon-lit taqueria and art gallery. Don’t miss the papas asadas (loaded baked potatoes), topped with your choice of succulent meats—some of which are cooked on the vertical rotisserie behind the counter. Reservations not accepted. 1043 N. Broadway, 720-598-6934. Lunch, Dinner
$
Cantina Loca
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Chook
Cherry Cricket
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Cochino Taco
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Comal Heritage Food Incubator
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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 Cherry Creek / Pub This cheery neighborhood hangout offers excellent green chile and great burgers. Also try the Ballpark location. Reservations not accepted. 2641 E. Second Ave., 303-322-7666. Lunch, Dinner
$
Platt Park / Australian Chook specializes in Australian-style, charcoal-grilled rotisserie chicken and fresh veggie sides. Order the charred broccoli salad. Also try the Hale location. Reservations not accepted. 1300 S. Pearl St., 303-282-8399. Lunch, Dinner 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
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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Corrida
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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
Boulder / Spanish Housed on the rooftop level of the Pearl West building, this elegant Spanish steak house offers stunning Flatiron views and fabulous cocktails and wines. Splurge on the Japanese wagyu or opt for a regeneratively sourced steak. Also don’t miss the purple-hued gin and tonic. Reservations accepted. 1023 Walnut St., Ste. 400, Boulder, 303-444-1333. Dinner
The Cruise Room
$$
Downtown / International This sleek art deco bar in the Oxford Hotel is Denver’s oldest watering hole. Sip on the Cruise Room special cocktail, made with cognac, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, absinthe, and Champagne, and nibble on braised beef bourguignon bites. Reservations not accepted. The Oxford Hotel, 1659 Wazee St., 303-628-5400. Dinner
Cucina Colore
$$$
Cherry Creek / Italian This Cherry Creek staple features a refined menu of contemporary Italian food and an upbeat dining room, bar, and patio. Reservations accepted. 3041 E. Third Ave., 303-393-6917. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
D D Bar
$$$
Uptown Area / Contemporary Chefs Keegan Gerhard and Lisa Bailey produce exquisite desserts and modern comfort food at this hip Uptown spot. Bonus: Check out the grab-and-go coffee and pastries. Reservations accepted. 494 E. 19th Ave., 303-861-4710. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
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DINING GUIDE D’Corazon
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Downtown / Mexican Known for its authentic, slow-simmered carnitas, this spot offers Mexican at its best. Don’t miss the refreshingly affordable $7 house-made margaritas. Reservations not accepted. 1530 Blake St., Ste. C, 720-904-8226. Lunch, Dinner
Dae Gee
$$
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
NEW
Dew Drop Inn
$$
UpTown Area / Contemporary Uptown’s twomonth-old watering hole serves cocktails and small bites such as the Big Bowl of Mussels. Try the Bangkok-style variety, steamed in a broth of red curry, coconut, and lime. Reservations not accepted. 1033 E. 17th Ave., 720-612-4160. Dinner Dio Mio
$$
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
This Is How We Reserve Your Tickets for the Flaming Gorge Bus Tour
Dos Santos
$$$
City Park West / Mexican The menu at this modern taqueria features light, seafood-centric dishes, like a beer-battered fish taco. Reservations not accepted. 1475 E. 17th Ave., 303-386-3509. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
Dry Storage
$$
Boulder / Cafe Savor coffee and carbs galore at this innovative cafe and retail grain mill. An exquisite selection of pastries, breads, and sandwiches is made from scratch daily. Try the tuna sandwich on Pullman toast. Reservations not accepted. 3601 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 720-420-0918. Breakfast, Lunch
E Edge Restaurant & Bar
$$$$
Downtown / Steak House The recently renovated Edge Restaurant and Bar inside the Four Seasons Hotel Denver serves contemporary steak house fare. Order the dry-aged buffalo rib-eye. Reservations accepted. 1111 14th St., 303-389-3343. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Edgewater Inn
$$
El Jefe
$$
Edgewater / Italian This friendly neighborhood pizzeria has been family owned and operated for more than 50 years. Try the Howdy Pizza, a combo of sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, and jalapeño peppers. Reservations accepted. 5302 W. 25th Ave., Edgewater, 303-237-3524. Lunch, Dinner
Sunnyside / Mexican Enjoy farm-to-table Mexican fare at this Sunnyside haunt. Pair a margarita with the four-cheese queso dip, and try the organic mushroom tacos. Reservations accepted. 2450 W. 44th Ave., 720-389-7615. Dinner
Elway’s
$$$$
Downtown / Steak House This sleek downtown restaurant—named after the Broncos legend— serves a bevy of classic steak house fare in upscale environs. Choose from a menu of steaks, seafood, and more. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 1881 Curtis St., 303-312-3107. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
F Farow
Breathtaking Sights on an All-Inclusive Bus Tour
$$$
Niwot / American At this farm-to-table restaurant, chef-owners Lisa and Patrick Balcom serve contemporary American fare with ingredients sourced within 10 miles of the eatery. Reservations accepted. 7916 Niwot Rd., Niwot, 303-827-3949. Breakfast, Dinner
The Fifth String
$$$$
LoHi / American The Fifth String brings chef Amos Watts’ seasonally inspired cooking to Tejon Street. Try the potato-cheese pierogies with Brussels sprouts. Reservations accepted. 3316 Tejon St., #102, 720-420-0622. Dinner
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2022/23 Season Subscriptions On Sale Now!
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Peter Oundjian
A Tribute to Stephen Sondheim with Mary-Mitchell Campbell
Sep 16-18
Sep 23-24
An Evening with Bernadette Peters and your Colorado Symphony
Nov 12 Scan code to view all 2022/23 Season Events coloradosymphony.org | 303.623.7876
A Symphonic Evening with Chris Thile
Dec 2-4
DINING GUIDE Fire Restaurant
Fish N Beer
$$$
RiNo / Seafood Kevin Morrison offers approachable, 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, which runs from 5–6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. Reservations not accepted. 3510 Larimer St., 303-248-3497. Dinner
Frasca Food and Wine
$$$$
Country Club / American James Beard Award– winning chef Alex Seidel’s tiny kitchen focuses on seasonal dishes that are big on flavor. Many ingredients come straight from Seidel’s farm. Diners flock for the pasta carbonara. Reservations accepted. 1313 E. Sixth Ave., 303-831-1962. Dinner
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Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Dining
Gold Point
$$
GQue BBQ
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RiNo / American This hip eatery serves craft cocktails and light fare, including sandwiches and charcuterie boards. Reservations not accepted. 3126 Larimer St., 720-445-9691. Dinner Westminster / Barbecue This fast-casual joint serves award-winning hickory-smoked pork, brisket, chicken wings, ribs, and more. Order the jalapeño-cheddar sausage. Also try the Lone Tree and Lakewood locations. Reservations not accepted. 5120 W. 120th Ave., Westminster, 303-379-9205. Lunch, Dinner
$$$$
Boulder / Italian Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson and master sommelier Bobby Stuckey’s fine-dining mecca has racked up scores of accolades over the years (including nods from the James Beard Foundation). The elegant Friulano cuisine always wows. Reservations accepted. 1738 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-442-6966. Dinner
Fruition Restaurant
G
$$$$
Downtown / American Located inside the Art, a Hotel, Fire Restaurant serves contemporary American dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, including a Colorado lamb chop. Reservations accepted. 1201 Broadway, 720-709-4431. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
NEW
The Greenwich
$$$
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 Guard and Grace
$$$
Downtown / Japanese This Japanese-based chain boasts table-centered grills on which diners cook proteins like Harami skirt steak. There are also noodles and rice dishes, and appetizers such as tuna poké nachos. Reservations accepted. 1998 18th St., 720-726-4068. Lunch, Dinner
H Highland Tap and Burger
Highland / American Pick your patty, bun, and premium toppings for a customizable meal enhanced with a choice of more than a dozen Colorado craft beers. Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 2219 W. 32nd Ave., 720-287-4493. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
HiRa Cafe & Patisserie
$$
$
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
$$$$
Downtown / Steak House Chef Troy Guard’s modern steak house offers a chic setting for his innovative fare, which includes a raw bar and delicate salads. Try the flight of filet mignon. Reservations accepted. 1801 California St., 303-293-8500. Lunch, Dinner
Honey Elixir
$$
RiNo / Contemporary Nonalcoholic potions, boozy cocktails, sipping chocolate, teas, and more, along with a menu of light bites, are the draw at this stunning bar. Reservations not accepted. 2636 Walnut St., #104, 720-328-5992. Lunch, Dinner
DINING GUIDE Hop Alley
$$$
RiNo / Chinese From Tommy Lee of Uncle, this neighborhood hangout serves dishes rooted in Chinese tradition with a touch of distinctive flair. Try the dan dan mian and the fiery la zi ji laced with numbing peppercorns. Reservations accepted. 3500 Larimer St., 720-379-8340. Dinner
Hudson Hill
$
Capitol Hill / American Head to this upscale yet casual bar for creative, hand-crafted cocktails. Enjoy your drink with a cheese plate or the pork terrine. Reservations not accepted. 619 E. 13th St., 303-832-0776. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
$$$
Hampden / Indian This spot serves traditional fare, including flavorful dishes like tandoori chicken. Be sure to try the cinnamon bread pudding. Reservations not accepted. 8921 E. Hampden Ave., 303-755-4284. Lunch, Dinner
Istanbul Bakery & Cafe
Il Porcellino Salumi
$$
Berkeley / Deli This market and deli strives to provide the highest quality, locally raised cured meats in Colorado. Pick a selection to take with you, or enjoy a fresh salumi platter or sandwich in-house. Reservations not accepted. 4334 W. 41st Ave., 303-477-3206. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner $$$
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
$
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
I
Imperial Chinese
India’s Restaurant
Speer / American This upbeat eatery dishes up seasonal, European-inspired brunch and lunch dishes in a bright cafe. Try the gluten-free lemon and ricotta pancakes with blueberries. Reservations accepted. 410 E. Seventh Ave., 720-828-8180. Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch
Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar
Katsu Ramen
$$
Kaos Pizzeria
$$
Aurora / Japanese Satisfy a ramen craving with one of the traditional styles offered at this cozy spot. Try a combo meal with gyoza and a rice bowl. Reservations not accepted. 1930 S. Havana St., Aurora, 303-751-2222. Lunch, Dinner
$
Platt Park / Pizza A wood-fired oven, gourmet ingredients, and thoughtful wine list make this a perfect pizzeria. If the weather’s nice, eat outside in the spacious garden. Reservations not accepted. 1439 S. Pearl St., 303-733-5267. Lunch, Dinner
SILVERTHORNE, COLORADO Find your next adventure in Silverthorne. Surrounded by miles of hiking and biking trails and located next to the famed fishing waters of the Blue River, Silverthorne offers a multitude of outdoor experiences perfect for your summer in the mountains.
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$$$
Downtown / Seafood Enjoy sustainable seafood at this Union Station spot. Specialties include the raw oyster bar and seasonally composed plates. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 1539 17th St., 303-292-5767. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
K
Westwood / Thai This traditional Thai spot has developed a cult following over the years. The tom yum soup, drunken noodles, and pad thai are regulars’ picks. Reservations not accepted. 945 S. Federal Blvd., 303-922-5495. Lunch, Dinner
SILVERTHORNE.ORG
$$
Lincoln Park / Jamaican This family-owned restaurant serves classic Caribbean-centric dishes like jerk chicken and rice and peas, accompanied by a menu of rum-infused cocktails. Also try the Jamaican Mini Grille and International Jerk Market in Lakewood. Reservations not accepted. 709 W. 8th Ave., 303-623-0013. Lunch, Dinner
$$
J J’s Noodles Star Thai 2
Jamaican Grille
Jeremy Hubbard
A True Journalist. Fox31’s Jeremy Hubbard.
Recently honored as ‘Best Anchor’ by the Colorado Broadcasters Association for the third consecutive year.
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WEEKNIGHTS 9-11P
DINING GUIDE Karma Asian
$$
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
Kobe An
$$$
Cherry Creek / Asian Everything is traditional at this Japanese restaurant, including the seating. The menu features Japanese favorites, such as tempura, gyoza, and yakisoba. Reservations accepted. 231 Milwaukee St., 303-989-5907. Lunch, Dinner
On your radio: 102.3 FM On your smart speaker: say, "play Indie one-oh-two-three"
L La Calle Taqueria Y Carnitas
NEW
INDIE1023.ORG
$
Valverde / Mexican This is a must-visit destination for taco lovers. Try the tacos al pastor and carnitas, and don’t skip the salsa bar. Reservations not accepted. 1565 W. Alameda Ave., 720-5836586. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal
$$
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 LeRoux
$$$$
Downtown / French Lon Symensma’s Europeaninspired eatery features table-side preparations and a roving cheese cart. Don’t miss the Paris-Brest dessert. Reservations accepted. 1555 Blake St., Ste. 102, 720-845-1673. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
THE
NEVER MISS A 5280 EVENT
Leven Deli Co.
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Linger
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Downtown / Deli Classic deli meets California cool at this bright spot. Get a taste of the housemade pastrami on the Reuben sandwich or go for the crisp Lil’ Gems salad. Reservations not accepted. 123 W. 12th Ave., 303-325-5691. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Highland / International Set in the former threestory Olinger Mortuary’s parking garage, this restaurant takes you around the world with a menu of small plates. Enjoy fabulous views of downtown while choosing from inviting menus of food and cocktails. Visit for brunch to get the enormous, flaky dosa. Reservations accepted. 2030 W. 30th Ave., 303-993-3120. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
Lo Stella
$$$$
Downtown / Italian Lo Stella is the sister restaurant to the original of the same name in Portofino, Italy. Don’t miss the ingredient-driven plates like housemade ravioli with walnut sauce, or the rich, scratch-made desserts. Reservations accepted. 1135 Bannock St., 303-825-1995. Lunch, Dinner
SCAN QR CODE OR VISIT 5280SCENE.COM
TO GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO EVENT TICKETS! > 100
5280
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JUNE 2022
Locanda Del Borgo
$$$
Hilltop / Italian This modern eatery offers house-made pasta and entrées cooked on a wood-burning grill. Reservations accepted. 5575 E. Third Ave., 303-388-0282. Lunch, Dinner
PEDAL 4 POSSIBLE Saturday, September 17, 2022
About Pedal 4 Possible Join us for this scenic ride along the Front Range in Boulder County. The ride starts and ends in Louisville at the headquarters of PEARL iZUMi. Choose from a variety of fully-supported routes and enjoy a post-ride party with great food, beer and music — all to support Craig Hospital programs for individuals with spinal cord or brain injuries!
4P22 P # RaisE $300+ and gET our 2022 custom PEARL iZUMi jErsEy! 100K 50K 30K 10K About Craig Hospital Craig is a national, top-10 rehabilitation and research hospital that specializes in spinal cord and/or brain injury. As a private, non-profit facility, Craig relies on donations to help patients achieve the best possible outcomes. Pedal 4 Possible is a great way to support Craig’s patients and unique culture of care.
Register to ride or sponsor at
pedal4possible.org
PRESENTED BY
DINING GUIDE Los Cabos
$$$
Downtown / Peruvian This cozy spot serves Peruvian specialties with Cantonese and Spanish influences. Don’t miss the savory rotisserie chicken. Reservations accepted. 1525 Champa St., 303-595-3232. Lunch, Dinner
Lowry Beer Garden
Lowry Field / American This traditional Germanstyle beer garden celebrates Colorado breweries with 16 draft lines (almost all of which serve local beer). You can’t go wrong with a house-made burger or bratwurst with hand-cut french fries. Reservations not accepted. 7577 E. Academy Blvd., 303-366-0114. Lunch, Dinner
Luca
$
Mango House
$$
Aurora / International This immigrant- and refugee-led food hall is home to six outstanding culinary concepts: Urban Burma, Jasmine Syrian Food, Golden Sky Sushi, Odaa Ethiopian Restaurant, Rocky Mountain Sudanese Restaurant, and Nepali Mountain Kitchen. 10180 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, 303-900-8639. Lunch, Dinner
Maria Empanada
$
Platt Park / Latin American Go straight for the empanadas. The 15-plus flavors range from the beef classico to vegan veggie to tango. Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 1298 S. Broadway Ave., 303-934-2221. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Misfit Snackbar
$$
Mono Mono Korean Fried Chicken
$$
City Park / Contemporary This walk-up kitchen inside Middleman cocktail bar serves a rotating menu of imaginative twists on familiar pub fare. Try the rotating house-made chips and dip. Reservations not accepted. 3401 E. Colfax Ave., 303-353-4207. Dinner
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
$$$$
Capitol Hill / Italian Convivial hospitality and classic Italian dishes greet you at this spot. Don’t miss the house-made burrata cheese. Reservations accepted. 711 Grant St., 303-832-6600. Dinner
M Makizushico
Mason’s Dumpling Shop
Mercantile Dining & Provision $$$
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
$$
Aurora / Chinese A menu of house-made steamed, boiled, and pan-fried dumplings complements a selection of noodle and rice bowls and vegetableforward sides at this Los Angeles–born spot. Reservations not accepted. 9655 E. Montview Blvd., Aurora, 303-600-8998. Lunch, Dinner $$$
Downtown / New American Award-winning chef Alex Seidel offers contemporary farm-to-table fare, including pasta dishes and family-style plates for the table. Mercantile also features counter-service dining for lunch, as well as a marketplace of locally sourced foodstuffs. Reservations accepted for dinner. Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., Ste. 155, 720-460-3733. Lunch, Dinner
N Nest Cafe & Bar
$$
Noble Riot
$$
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
RiNo / American This graffiti-filled, sommelieroperated wine bar serves an eclectic mix of natural grapes and fried chicken. Reservations accepted. 1336 27th St., 303-993-5330. Dinner
PERFECT FOR WHEN YOU’RE “WORKING FROM HOME.” OR ACTUALLY WORKING FROM HOME. A LITTLE TASTE OF MISCHIEF
©2022 AVERY BREWING CO., BOULDER, CO. PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.
102
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DINING GUIDE
O Oak at Fourteenth
Osteria Marco
$$$$
Boulder / Seasonal This bright, open space offers an ever-changing menu of seasonal, oak-fired eats from chef Steve Redzikowski and creative cocktails from Bryan Dayton. Order the kaleapple salad, braised meatballs, or smoked brisket. Reservations accepted. 1400 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-444-3622. Lunch, Dinner
Officers Club
$$$
Lowry Field / American Nosh on Maryland crab cakes, a prime rib French dip, and the juicy Big Boy bacon burger at this neighborhood dining room and bar, which is inspired by the military legacy of the Lowry Air Force Base. Reservations accepted. 84 Rampart Way, 303-284-0714. Dinner
Ohana Island Kitchen
Highland / Seafood This Hawaiian-inspired eatery serves top-notch tuna poke, Spam musubi, roasted pork, and more in a casual setting. Reservations not accepted. 2563 15th St., 303-718-6580. Lunch, Dinner
Osaka Ramen
$
$$
RiNo / Japanese Jeff Osaka’s modern ramen shop features original noodle soups, bento boxes, and creative small plates. Try the mochi doughnuts. Reservations not accepted. 2611 Walnut St., 303-955-7938. Lunch, Dinner
$$$
Downtown / Italian This tavern features deep-set wooden booths and a spacious bar. The menu offers approachable eats, such as house-made fresh mozzarella. Reservations accepted. 1453 Larimer St., 303-534-5855. Lunch, Dinner
P Palenque Cocina y Agaveria
Park Hill Sushi Co.
Plates by the Pound BBQ
$$
Pony Up
$$
The Ponti
$$$
Aurora / Barbecue Aaron Gonerway sells tender ribs, juicy pulled pork, and plump kielbasa in a takeout-only storefront in Aurora. Reservations not accepted. 11601 E. Montview Blvd., Aurora, 720-697-0082. Lunch, Dinner
Downtown / Pub This casual bar serves comforting fare such as French dip sandwiches and fried chicken with craft cocktails and lots of bubbly. Reservations not accepted. 1808 Blake St., 720-710-8144. Lunch, Dinner
$
Platt Park / American This neighborhood haunt serves up top-notch burgers, such as the Croque, topped with Swiss, a fried egg, and a slice of ham. Add a milkshake or root beer float. Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 1890 S. Pearl St., 720-242-9951. Lunch, Dinner
$
Speer / Pizza This local pizza joint offers counter service with premium ingredients brought to you by the team at Boulder’s Frasca Food and Wine. Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 550 Broadway, 720-508-8828. Lunch, Dinner
$$
Littleton / Mexican Sip on more than 100 varieties mezcal and snack on shrimp and mango ceviche at this neighborhood favorite bar and restaurant. Reservations not accepted. 2609 W. Main St., Littleton, 720-245-0195. Lunch, Dinner
Park Burger
Pizzeria Locale
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
$$
Hale / Sushi This quick-service sushi spot specializes in made-to-order hand rolls. Order a temaki (hand roll) set and choose from a variety of fresh fillings like blue crab, spicy tuna, lobster, and uni. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 4900 E. Colfax Ave., Unit A, 303-953-9581. Lunch, Dinner
Pupusas Lover
University Hills / Salvadoran This family-owned restaurant serves traditional Salvadoran dishes, from the popular pupusas to fried yucca. Reservations not accepted. 2236 S. Colorado Blvd., 720-508-3197. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
$$
GET TICKETS NOW
THE SAINT PAUL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
June 23–26
June 29–July 4
July 8–16
July 20–27
JUNE 2022
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DINING GUIDE
Q Q House
Quality Italian
$$$
City Park / Chinese Enjoy a refreshingly modern take on traditional Chinese cuisine executed by chef Christopher Lin, an alum of Momofuku in New York City. Pair an order of the succulent braised pork over rice—served with pickled mustard greens and braising jus—with the herbaceous, shiso-leafand-lemon scented saketini (sake martini). Reservations accepted. 3421 E. Colfax Ave., 720-729-8887. Dinner
Quiero Arepas
R
$$$$
Cherry Creek / Steak House This upscale spot serves a smart mix of steak house fare and American-Italian favorites. Don’t miss the baked lasagna for two. Reservations accepted. 241 Columbine St., 303-532-8888. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch $$
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
Restaurant Olivia
$$$$
Washington Park / Italian This cozy-yetmodern neighborhood Italian spot from the team behind Bistro Georgette specializes in freshly made pastas and Italian classics like chicken marsala. Reservations accepted. 290 S. Downing St., 303-999-0395. Dinner
NEW
Reynard Social
$$
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 Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant
$$
River and Woods
$$
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 Boulder / Contemporary Settle into the cozy dining room for a relaxed dinner including dishes such as chicken-fried calamari steak. Chef Daniel Asher’s eclectic menu features community-sourced comfort cuisine. Reservations accepted. 2328 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-993-6301. Dinner, Brunch
Root Down
$$$
Highland / Contemporary Located in a refabbed 1950s service station, this hip restaurant serves globally inspired cuisine with a focus on veggies and sustainable meats. Order the lamb porterhouse. Also try the DIA location. Reservations accepted. 1600 W. 33rd Ave., 303-993-4200. Dinner, Brunch
STEP BACK IN TIME IN OUR NEWEST EXHIBITION
Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen
$$
Rosetta Hall
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Five Points / Deli Get your fix of New York–style bagels like the Standard bagel and cream cheese topped with gravlax, tomato, and onion. Also try the Aurora location. Reservations accepted. 725 E. 26th Ave., 720-440-9880. Breakfast, Lunch
Boulder / International The tenants of Boulder’s first food hall serve up global eats. Grab a seat on the cozy rooftop deck and enjoy a drink from one of the two bars. 1109 Walnut St., Boulder, 720-323-5509. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
S Safta
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.
10 4
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RiNo / Mediterranean Acclaimed chef Alon Shaya brings his modern Israeli fare to Denver. Start with the creamy hummus and pillowy woodoven pita before moving onto tabbouleh salad, charred cabbage, and halloumi. Reservations accepted. The Source Hotel & Market Hall, 3330 Brighton Blvd., 720-408-2444. Lunch, Dinner
DINING GUIDE Salt & Grinder
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
SAME Café
$
$
City Park West / Seasonal This lunch spot, short for So All May Eat, pairs pay-what-you-can pricing with a changing menu. Name your price for simple yet satisfying dishes like soup and pizza. Reservations not accepted. 2023 E. Colfax Ave., 720-530-6853. Lunch
Señor Bear
$$$
Highland / Latin American This charming LoHi spot draws its inspiration from vibrant Latin American cuisines and has excellent cocktails. Reservations accepted. 3301 Tejon St., 720-5725997. Dinner, Brunch
Silvia at Lost City
$
Globeville / Mexican Silvia Hernandez—a Comal Heritage Food Incubator graduate and 2021 CNN Champion for Change—dishes up some of the best burrito bowls in town at her first brick-andmortar restaurant. Try the zesty chile-roasted pork al pastor with roasted calabacitas. Reservations not accepted. 3459 Ringsby Ct. Lunch, Dinner
Steuben’s
$$
Uptown Area / American With comfort food like house-made mac and cheese and crispy fried
chicken served in retro digs, this restaurant evokes the spirit of the 1950s. Stop by for weekend brunch, where you can dine on powdered-sugar-coated pork bites called “Steubie Snacks.” Reservations accepted. 523 E. 17th Ave., 303-830-1001. Lunch, Dinner Stoic & Genuine
$$$
Downtown / Seafood Fresh seafood is the star of this iconic seafood restaurant, where bivalves are just $2 on weekdays during Oyster Hour. Sip on craft cocktails or Champagne as you nosh on Alaska king crab legs or Maine lobster. For a satisfying entrée, try the paella moderna. Reservations accepted. 1701 Wynkoop St., 303-640-3474. Lunch, Dinner
Street Feud
$
Hale / International Chef-owner Merlin Vernier’s hip-hop-powered, fast-casual eatery serves up an array of globally inspired street food, including tacos, bowls, wraps, fries, and bao buns. Don’t miss the K-Pop fries, which are topped with crispy pork belly, kimchi, cheese sauce, sour cream, and sesame seeds. Reservations not accepted. 5410 E. Colfax Ave., 303-388-3383. Lunch, Dinner
Super Mega Bien
T Table 6
$$$
Tables
$$$
Speer / American This space’s warm and cozy atmosphere extends to chef Mike Winston’s American bistro cuisine, which is elevated by haute foodie touches. Try the tarragon-scented grilled quail. Reservations accepted. 609 Corona St., 303-831-8800. Dinner, Brunch
South Park Hill / American Flickering candlelight and mismatched tables set the tone at this cozy neighborhood restaurant. Order the Colorado lamb loin drizzled with pistachio pesto and lavendar-honey demi-glace. Reservations accepted. 2267 Kearney St., 303-388-0299. Dinner
Tacos Tequila Whiskey
$
Tessa Delicatessen
$
City Park / Mexican This taqueria offers a variety of Mexican specialties. Try the queso a la plancha taco made with griddled Cotija cheese, smashed avocado, and roasted tomatillo salsa. Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 1514 York St., 720-475-1337. Lunch, Dinner
$$$
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
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
THE BIRD’S NEST
1221 HIGH DRIVE ESTES PARK, CO 80517 | 970 | 586 | 4968 PRE-BOOKED EVENTS ONLY INQUIRE AT INFO@THEBIRDS-NEST.COM
DOWNSTAIRS: grab & go, cafe, bakery, sandwhiches, & pizza!
Opening June 2022
THE NEST UPSTAIRS: private event space for up to 80 guests with ingredient-driven Colorado cuisine & exclusive wine & bar selections. JUNE 2022
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DINING GUIDE Thai Pot Cafe
$
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
Tocabe
$
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
U
$$
Aurora / Korean This neighborhood spot specializes in soups and stews, but also offers a variety of other Korean fare. Try the soft tofu soup (sundubu jjigae). Reservations accepted. 2353 S. Havana St., Aurora, Unit D1, 303-751-2840. Lunch, Dinner
The Truffle Table
$$
Highland / Seasonal As an offshoot of the Truffle Cheese Shop, it’s no surprise that this chic charcuterie spot serves up a variety of cheese boards and fromage-focused small plates. Visit for happy hour from Tuesday to Saturday. Reservations not accepted. 2556 15th St., 303-455-9463. Dinner
Uchi Denver
$$$$
Curtis Park / Japanese James Beard Award– winning chef Tyson Cole combines unexpected flavors for his unique take on Japanese food. Try the sake toro aburi or the foie gras sushi. Reservations accepted. 2500 Lawrence St., 303-444-1922. Dinner
Ultreia
$$$
Downtown / Spanish James Beard Award– winning chef Jennifer Jasinski brings Iberian fare to Denver via a bevy of delicious small plates and entrées at this upscale eatery. Try the lamb sandwich or the cured trout. Reservations accepted. Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., 303-534-1970. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
Uncle
$$
Highland / Asian A bustling atmosphere defines this popular, modern noodle house. The selective menu includes dishes such as Chinese-style steamed buns and, of course, noodles. Also try the Speer location. Reservations accepted. 2215 W. 32nd Ave., 303-433-3263. Dinner
Unravel Coffee
$
Virginia Village / Cafe House-roasted beans and high-tech tools lead to stellar espresso drinks at this Virginia Vale coffee shop where to-go drinks come in reusable glass containers. You can also enjoy nourishing toasts, grain bowls, salads, and smoothies from inside the comfortably modern space. Try the prosciutto toast with ricotta and tomatoes. Reservations not accepted. 1441 S. Holly St., 303-884-2380. Breakfast, Lunch
Urban Farmer
$$$
Urban Village Grill
$$$
Downtown / Seasonal This steak house features whole-animal butchery and an excellent charcuterie program, and sources its honey from a rooftop beehive. Reservations accepted. The Oxford Hotel, 1659 Wazee St., 303-262-6070. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
Ly m a n W h i t a k e r ARTIST
Lone Tree / Indian Chef Charles Mani’s newest restaurant provides classic and contemporary seasonal dishes from regions across India, including a great selection of vegetarian specialties. Reservations accepted. 8505 Park Meadows Center Dr., #2184A, Lone Tree, 720-536-8565. Lunch, Dinner
V VickersCollection.com 970.476.2070 ▪ john@vickerscollection.com 122 East Meadow Drive # E 2, Vail, CO 81657 106
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Vegan Thai Co.
$$
Vert Kitchen
$$
Longmont / Thai Explore Thailand with completely vegan dishes, including wok-fried noodles and delicious Thai curry dishes. Reservations accepted. 510 Third Ave., Longmont, 720-500-6920. Lunch, Dinner
Washington Park West / French Salads and sandwiches (think curry chicken or skirt steak with arugula and walnut mustard) dot the small menu at
DINING GUIDE this European-influenced cafe. Reservations not accepted. 704 S. Pearl St., 303-997-5941. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch Vital Root
Berkeley / American Justin Cucci’s fourth eatery focuses on quick, healthy food. Dine in the airy, plant-filled space and nosh on chilled carrotginger soup or a veggie dosa. Reservations accepted. 3915 Tennyson St., 303-474-4131. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
$$
W Water Grill
$$$$
Downtown / Seafood Fresh fish, crustaceans, and raw bar offerings are flown in daily to this chic restaurant owned by California-based seafood distributor King’s Seafood Company. Try the Peruvian Bay scallops drizzled with citrus pesto. Reservations accepted. 1691 Market St., 303-727-5711. Dinner
West of Surrender
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
$$
White Pie
$$
Ballpark / American This watering hole offers a vintage-inspired vibe and a menu of comforting burgers, sandwiches, and other fare. Wash down your burger or fried chicken with one of 95 whiskeys. Reservations not accepted. 2907 Huron St., 303-226-1540. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
City Park West / Pizza This neighborhood joint has an excellent selection of New Haven–style pizzas and house-made pastas . Pair the Porky Porkorino, topped with soppressata, mozzarella, pickled chiles, and spicy honey, with a frozen Negroni. Reservations not accepted. 1702 Humboldt St., 303-862-5323. Lunch, Dinner
The Wolf’s Tailor
$$$
RiNo / American This elevated meat-and-three concept 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
Wynkoop Brewing Company
$$
Downtown / Pub Enjoy freshly brewed beer and feast on pub favorites such as the hanger steak or the corn and poblano chowder at one of Denver’s original brewpubs. Don’t miss the newly relaunched brunch service for comforting weekend fare. Reservations accepted. 1634 18th St., 303-297-2700. Lunch, Dinner
$$$$
Sunnyside / Contemporary Basta chef Kelly Whitaker combines Asian and Italian techniques using fresh ingredients at this hip Sunnyside eatery. The results, such as the popular 7X brisket braised in dashi and red wine and house-extruded mafaldine pasta with koji tomatoes, are unique and delicious. Reservations accepted. 4058 Tejon St., 720-456-6507. Dinner
$$$
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
Work & Class
Wooden Spoon Cafe & Bakery
Highland / American Start your morning off right with hot drinks, fresh baked goods, and pastries. Or, stop in for a hearty sandwich at lunchtime. To satisfy your sweet tooth, pick up a mini Boston cream pie. Reservations not accepted. 2418 W. 32nd Ave., 303-999-0327. Breakfast, Lunch
$
X Xatrucho
$$
Xicamiti La Taquería
$$
NEW
Greenwood Village / Latin American Chef Edwin Sandoval serves up Honduran-inspired dishes at this food stall inside Grange Hall. Try the housemade, gluten-free pastelitos. Grange Hall, 6575 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Village. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch Golden / Mexican This long-standing joint serves cooked-to-order burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and
New traiNs. New track. New depot.
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All aboard the most state-of-the-art cog railway in the world. While the entire experience of riding the railway has been enhanced, the journey itself and the iconic, breathtaking views as you ride to the summit of America’s Mountain remain the same. Visit cograilway.com to purchase your e-ticket today.
22_A79_5280_Cog_7.25x4.875.indd 1
J U N E 2 0 2 4/6/22 2 | 5 211:55 8 0 AM 107
DINING GUIDE alambres (skillet dishes) made with recipes inspired by Walter Meza’s childhood in Mexico. Reservations not accepted. 715 Washington Ave., 303-215-3436. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Y Yahya’s Mediterranean Grill & Pastries
$$
City Park West / Mediterranean This family-run restaurant serves silky hummus, a variety of excellent grilled kebabs, and from-scratch sweets. Try the beef koobideh. Reservations accepted. 2207 E. Colfax Ave., 720-532-8746. Lunch, Dinner
Yak and Yeti
$$
Westminster / Indian This local favorite serves traditional Indian and Nepalese plates in a casual environment. Sample the spot’s Tibetan offerings, which include steamed-chicken-filled or vegetarian momos. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 9000 Yukon St., Westminster, 303-426-1976. Lunch, Dinner
Yanni’s Greek Restaurant
Yazoo Barbeque Co.
$$
Zocalito Latin Bistro
Yum Yum Spice
$$
Zoe Ma Ma
$$
Zomo
$$
YumCha
$$
Zorba’s
$$
Five Points / Barbecue This BBQ joint offers a Deep South menu, featuring slow-smoked pork ribs and brisket. Also try the Greenwood Village location. Reservations accepted. 2150 Broadway, 303-296-3334. Lunch, Dinner
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 LeRoux comes a dim sum house and noodle bar serving staples like xiaolongbao and steamed pork dumplings. Reservations accepted. 1520 16th St. Mall, 720-638-8179. Lunch, Dinner
Zeppelin Station
Downtown / Chinese Order the 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. 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
Z
$$$
Greenwood Village / International Enjoy classic gyros and Colorado grilled lamb chops served with roasted potatoes and veggies in this elegant yet casual taverna. Pair your meal with one of the many wine options. Reservations accepted. 5425 Landmark Place, Ste. D109, Greenwood Village, 303-692-0404. Lunch, Dinner
$$
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
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.
HomeAid Builds. We attack the reality of homelessness with a unique and collaborative approach. Through construction, community engagement, and education our mission is to help those experiencing or at risk of homelessness build new lives. By maximizing our relationships between the building industry and local service providers, we provide safe and dignified housing and programmatic facilities that serve victims of domestic violence, teen mothers, abused and abandoned children, and veterans in our community.
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$$$
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
GET IN TOUCH
7721 W. 6th Ave., Unit A Lakewood, CO 80214 info@homeaidcolorado.org (303) 691 - 0104 homeaidcolorado.org
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of Sabrina & Corina in April 2019. She remembers being anxious in the lead-up to the collection’s release because most local outlets, 5280 included, hadn’t reviewed it—or written anything about it at all. Her agent suggested to Fajardo-Anstine that she go on tour. But she didn’t have enough funding, so she arranged small, grassroots events. She held a launch party at Lighthouse Writers Workshop; she spoke at Su Teatro, a nonprofit arts complex supporting Latino culture in Denver; and she even did things such as write to the San Antonio City Council to see if it would help land her a book reading in the area (that one actually worked). Interest in the book grew slowly. Fajardo-Anstine attributes the initial support for Sabrina & Corina to Chicanos throughout the Southwest. “It was huge that she wrote about a modern Denver that centers Latinos,” says Manuel Aragon, former community engagement manager for Lighthouse Writers Workshop. “People were like, Oh, this is finally the Denver I know.” The hype for Sabrina & Corina reached a different level when award selections began pouring in. The collection was a finalist for the PEN/Bingham Prize, the Clark Prize, the Story Prize, and the Saroyan International Prize. It won the American Book Award. But the biggest moment came when Sabrina & Corina was named a National Book Award finalist; she and her parents flew to New York City to attend a high-profile ceremony, where she accepted a medal. By spring 2020, however, the celebrations had ended, and Fajardo-Anstine found herself in that tiny apartment, trying to finish her novel. She had moved to the location from her parents’ house, where she’d been living the previous few years. Despite the success of Sabrina & Corina, she qualified for one of the few units in her building reserved as low-income housing. The door had one lock, instead of two like most others in the building, and there was a hole where the second was supposed to be. The award-winning author says she got a “modest to medium-good” advance for her two books, but she had yet to see royalties on the deal. (At press time, she expected to pass the required sales threshold soon to start earning more.)
Fajardo-Anstine had chosen to live in the location in part because it is across the street from where Luz, the main character in the novel, works as a secretary for a lawyer. The decision to have Luz and the attorney work on a case related to the murder of a young Chicano by police officers helped unlock a larger view of how the city operated at the time, and it was helpful for Fajardo-Anstine to be near that space while imagining their lives. She couldn’t ignore what was going on around her, though. The scenes that Fajardo-Anstine witnessed in present-day Denver were eerily similar to everything she had researched, and was currently writing, about the Mile High City in the 1930s. She heard from people who were afraid they were going to be evicted, watched protests against police brutality, and found xenophobic rhetoric everywhere she turned. All of those things appear in Woman of Light in some form. The tenuous nature of her own living situation even echoed the many versions of displacement her ancestors experienced. “It felt like a direct portal between the Depression and what we were experiencing,” she says. Fajardo-Anstine hopes Woman of Light will change things for her personally. She told Masnik and Counts when she signed her book deal that her goal was to eventually be able to afford a house in Denver. “Maybe we’ll get a Netflix show, and that’ll happen,” she says. She wants the Mile High City—or at least the Denver area—to always be her home. Things are changing rapidly, though, and Fajardo-Anstine says she can feel the city becoming more segregated than ever. “If you read the book, you can see Denver was built in these zones and sections,” she says. “The cost of living is naturally pulling people apart again. Even the Chicano Arts and Humanities Council had to move out of the city—it just signed a lease in Lakewood.” Fajardo-Anstine can’t predict what comes next, for Denver or her career. No matter what the future brings, she expects she’ll continue to tell stories. It’s the best way she knows to show that what’s happening, both in the Mile High City and the American West, is part of a much longer history. It helps her honor her ancestors and the successes and traumas they experienced in their lives. Most important, it’s how she plans to keep those stories from disappearing forever. m Shane Monaghan is 5280’s digital editor. Email feedback to letters@5280.com.
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JUNE 10
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JULY 1
June Free Day at the Clyfford Still Museum
Breckenridge Creative Arts Presents
Clyfford Still Museum | 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Breckenridge, Colorado | July 1 to October 22
Experience the Clyfford Still Museum for free and enjoy, “Clyfford Still, Art, and the Young Mind,” co-curated by young children, for all ages. Explore your imagination, discover Still’s vibrant works, and make your own artistic creations. Walk-ins welcome!
The 2022 line up includes The Steeldrivers, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Drive-By Truckers, An Evening With Cowboy Junkies, G. Love Solo and Acoustic, Jesse Cook, Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart, Dirwire, The Wailin’ Jennys and Graham Nash.
Information and tickets at clyffordstillmuseum.org.
Information and tickets at breckcreate.org.
JULY AUG 20 19
Live at the Riverwalk Center
AUG 12
Lettuce & Tower of Power with the Colorado Symphony
Breckenridge International Festival of Arts
Red Rocks Amphitheatre | 7:30 p.m.
Breckenridge, Colorado | August 12-21
The Colorado Symphony joins forces with Lettuce and the Tower of Power for an evening of funky jams and R&B at Red Rocks Amphitheatre this July.
Inspired by themes of environment and mountain culture, the 10day festival brings together a variety of performances, exhibitions, screenings, workshops, talks and surprise collaborations, with an eclectic mix of music, dance, film, visual arts and family entertainment. Internationally renowned movement company Pilobolus performs throughout the festival.
Information and tickets at tickets.coloradosymphony.org/6359.
Information and tickets at breckcreate.org.
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PRESENTS
JULY 21, 2022 • 6-9 PM SPORTS CASTLE, A NON PLUS ULTRA VENUE • 1000 N BROADWAY, DENVER Mouth-watering menu offerings f rom top restaurants, open bars, delicious cocktails, giveaways, photo booths, live music, and much more await you!
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Summer Sips Beat the heat of summer with one of these refreshing local cocktails. Make them at home or visit the locations below and ask for their Summer Sip. #5280SummerSip
ADRIFT TIKI BAR’S
SWEETENS COVE’S
HORNITOS®
Ranch Water
The Arnie
Tip your hat to the southwest and enjoy this crisp, tequila beverage.
A tea and lemonade pairing for your army.
1 INGREDIENTS
2 INGREDIENTS
Mahina Mana Crisp and refreshing—perfect for spring or summer featuring aged rum and the exotic Patagonian spirit, Trakal!
3 INGREDIENTS
BRECKENRIDGE DISTILLERY’S
Davy jones Locker From the depths of the sea, a cocktail for your summer sipping adventures.
4 INGREDIENTS
1 oz. Aged Rum
2 oz. Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish
1 part Hornitos® Plata Tequila
1 ½ oz. Sweetens Cove Kennessee Bourbon
(Recommended: Angostura 5 year)
1 oz. peach/apricot shrub*
4 parts Premium Club Soda
¾ oz. Lemon Juice
½ oz. Falernum
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
Splash of Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
½ oz. Earl Grey Simple Syrup
¾ oz. Raspberry Liqueur
3 dashes tiki bitters
¼ oz. Honey Syrup
1 ¼ oz. Pineapple Juice
Garnish: Lime Wedge
2 dashes of Earl Grey Bitters Soda
¾ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
INSTRUCTIONS Mix the top 3 ingredients with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.
INSTRUCTIONS Served on ice in a Collins glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.
½ oz. Butterfly Blue Pea Flower Infused Trakal
Shake ingredients with ice. Strain and serve up. (optional: smoke cocktail with Smoke Top)
INSTRUCTIONS
Garnish: delicate edible flower
Add all ingredients (except Trakal) to shaker; shake and strain into tall glass.
*Ingredients and directions found on paidposts.5280.com/5280s-summer-sips
Pour ½ oz. of Trakal over the top, garnish with mint, and enjoy!
SUMMER Si S i PS | JUNE 2022 | 114
INSTRUCTIONS
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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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VIC TORIAN-STYLE HOME IN DREAM LOCATION 80 N. WASHINGTON STREET | DENVER | $849,000 Stunning, 2BR/4BA Victorian-style home in a dream location. Amazing 100 year old home has been meticulously renovated while accentuating the original detail. Two large bedroom en-suites w/full bathrooms. Primary bedroom w/sitting area & two spacious closets. Living room w/beautiful gas burning fireplace. Home comes completely furnished. Minutes from Wash Park, Cherry Creek & more.
Cecilia Favetto 952.220.6628 cecilia.favetto@cbrealty.com CeciliaFavetto.cbintouch.com
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
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guiding you home since 1906
DENVER | $1,850,000 Custom 4BR/4.5BA home boasts over 4,500 SQFT of living space with four-bedrooms plus office, and four and one-half-baths on a 6,250 square foot lot. Featuring kitchen with top of the line appliances, walk-out basement and 3-car garage. Primary suite features custom wood flooring, fireplace & patio. Alison Kaufman 203.981.4337 | ASKAlisonK@gmail.com | ASKAlisonK.com Preston Gaspar 720.231.1399 | preston.gaspar@cbrealty.com | PrestonGasparHomes.com
BOULDER | $1,500,000 Beautiful 3BR/4BA home located in sought after Boulder Heights. After a long day, imagine yourself sitting on one of the multiple decks taking in the panoramic mountain views and keeping an eye out for wildlife. Moss rock fireplace near thoughtfully placed oversized windows showcasing the view. Home sits on 1.5 acres and is move in ready. Deborah Pixler 303.917.6771 deborah.pixler@cbrealty.com | DeborahPixler.cbintouch.com
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
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WESTMINSTER | $2,700,000 Stunning modern luxury home with magnificent architectural design blending style and comfort perfectly. Every corner of this home was thoughtfully considered, from the marble stone flowing from interior to exterior to rooftop deck mountain views.
LAFAYETTE | $1,450,000 Stunning Waneka Lake 5BR/4BA home on a .5-acre lot w/mountain views & stylish updates! Completely updated kitchen, bathrooms, finished basement, engineered wood flooring & much more.
Kelly Parker 720.635.5432 kelly@kellyparkerrealtor.com | KellyParkerRealtor.com
Kim Dunning 303.588.6037 kim@kimdunning.com | KimDunning.com
MORRISON | $1,350,000 Beautiful 3BR/3BA ranch boasts mountain views & backs to Red Rocks Country Club Golf Course! Gourmet kitchen with designer cabinetry, granite counters & finished basement.
BERTHOUD | $1,265,000 Omni Homes presents the Gannett floorplan. Enjoy views of the front range, oversized 4 car garage, designer finishes, large primary suite with luxury shower, guest bedroom and dedicated office. Walkout basement has rec room, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths.
Carol Powers 303.859.1278 Carol@CarolPowers.com | CarolPowers.com
Jessica Poling 970.744.9501 jessica.poling@cbrealty.com | JessicaPoling.com
GOLDEN | Price Upon Request 4br/4ba home walking distance to downtown Golden with views of North Table out your backyard. Kitchen w/stainless appliances, European style induction cooktop and convertible convection oven. Primary suite w/sitting area, 5-piece bath and deck.
BERTHOUD | $1,195,000 3BD/4BA custom-built modern farmhouse home w/an open floor plan situated on 2 acres with stunning mountain views. Full unfinished basement and outbuildings allowed.
Amy Smoldt 303.949.9683 amy@mountaintimerealestate.com | MountainTimeRealEstate.com
Christy Hepp 303.910.5393 christy.hepp@cbrealty.com | ChristySellsColorado.com
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
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guiding you home since 1906
ARVADA | $1,175,000 5BR/4BA ranch offers an open floorplan, walk-out basement & views w/remodeling & upgrading done. Extended hardwoods, high ceilings & decorative niches/ledges. Showpiece kitchen w/custom Maple cabinets & upgraded SS appliances. Views of Golf Course.
DENVER | $1,175,000 4br/2ba home on a 5,550 sqft lot. Living room w/fireplace. Kitchen w/breakfast nook, granite counters and red appliances. Complete w/a lower level, detached garage and covered patio.
Lynn Hodges 303.913.0166 lynn.hodges@cbrealty.com | LynnHodgesCO.com
Ron Buss 303.808.5390 Ron@BTDProperties.com | BTDProperties.com
LAKEWOOD | $1,025,000 Beautiful Cardel Bellini model 3BR/3BA ranch style home has many upgrades. High ceilings & mountain views. Open and flowing floor plan leads you throughout the main level w/hardwood floors & floor to ceiling fireplace. Finished garden level basement.
ARVADA | $995,000 4br/3ba home. Kitchen w/SS appliances and an island. Covered patio backs to greenbelt w/view of the mountains. Conclude w/an attached, 2-car garage and a 2nd detached, 2-car garage.
Staci Stroh 303.570.7039 stacistroh@aol.com | StaciStroh.com
Ron Buss 303.808.5390 Ron@BTDProperties.com | BTDProperties.com
ARVADA | $945,000 Amazing 6BR/4BA home boasts a peaceful backyard paradise with an outdoor kitchen & pergola. Featuring a formal dining, living & family room w/marble mantle, study & kitchen w/high end amenities. Basement level could be a guest suite w/full kitchen. Lynn Hodges 303.913.0166 lynn.hodges@cbrealty.com | LynnHodgesCO.com
BAILEY | $925,000 Sprawling home centered on 3.25 acres features a great room with two-story pine beetle-kill ceilings & a towering stone chimney with wood stove overlooked by the kitchen, dining & balcony spaces. Enjoy morning and evening decks & a newer music room. Mike Fuentes 303.679.8055 Terry Robinson 303.898.3658
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
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ENGLEWOOD | $900,000 Must-see 4BR/4BA home located near Cherry Creek State Park. Bright and open floor plan offers a large family room w/lodgestyle gas fireplace, wet bar & wood beams. Private, fully fenced back yard w/covered patio, deck & hot tub. Finished basement.
CENTENNIAL | $839,000 4BD/3BA open floor plan in Willow Creek Subdivision w/a formal LR, DR, updated kitchen and FR w/a fireplace. Includes a fully fenced backyard w/treehouse, shed and pergola. Subdivision offers community pools, tennis courts, playgrounds and trails.
The Simonis Group 303.905.5137 amber.simonis@coloradohomes.com ambersimonis.cbintouch.com
Terra DeLockroy 303.681.1518 terra.delockroy@cbrealty.com | TerraDeLockroy.cbintouch.com
GOLDEN | $835,000 Relax in this beautiful, well-maintained 5br/3ba home in Golden Proper, offering an upper and lower level living with a spacious kitchen, a family room with a gas fireplace, a two-car garage and a huge backyard that opens a gateway to mountain views.
PARKER | $825,000 With commanding views, this classic, mid-70's gem has been thoughtfully updated from top to bottom. The nearly five-acre parcel boasts a rambler style 4BR/2.5BA home. Kitchen has newer, black SS appliances, granite countertops & cherry cabinets.
Danette Jeffers 303.915.0677 danette.jeffers@cbrealty.com
Kristin Chalfant 303.324.7840 kristin.chalfant@cbrealty.com
DENVER | $800,000 3br/2ba home. Kitchen w/quartz counters, stainless appliances and stacked stone backsplash. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and flex space complete the main level. Basement has a primary bedroom w/a bath and walk-in closet. Complete w/a backyard and 1-car garage.
CASTLE ROCK | $785,000 3 bed, 4 bath, main floor master w/loft & finished basement backing to open space w/mountain views! Hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, beautiful, custom covered back porch to enjoy the views! This home is warm & inviting & in impeccable condition!
Scott Beville 303.905.6872 Scott@ScottBeville.com | ScottBeville.com
Debra Kolar 303.358.4155 debra.kolar@cbrealty.com | DebSellsColoradoHomes.com.cbintouch.com
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
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guiding you home since 1906
HIGHLANDS RANCH | $750,000 5br/3.5ba home w/many updates. Kitchen w/granite counters and SS appliances. Enjoy a loft overlooking the living room. Basement w/fun bedroom spaces, a murphy bed and lots of storage space. Complete w/a landscaped backyard and a 3-car garage.
AURORA | $750,000 3br/3ba home w/an open floor plan. Primary suite w/a 5-piece bath and walk-in closet. Finished basement has a family room w/a second fireplace, an additional bedroom and a 3/4 bath. Complete w/a professionally landscaped yard and a 2.5 car garage.
Karen Valdez 303.886.4545 karen.valdez@cbrealty.com | KarenValdez.com
Tatiana Pevtsova 970.922.8812 tatiana.pevtsova@cbrealty.com | ATLuxuryHome.com
GOLDEN | $750,000 4br/2ba home w/refurbished original hardwood floors. Kitchen w/cherrywood cabinets, granite counters, SS refrigerator & dishwasher and flat top stove. Downstairs is a non-conforming bedroom and remodeled bath. Conclude w/1-car garage and cement patio.
LITTLETON | $725,000 4br/3ba home w/an open concept from the kitchen to the living room w/a one-of-a-kind double-sided fireplace. Finished basement with walk-out patio and fully fenced backyard. Complete w/smart home technology. Nestled within Columbine Hills.
Sonja Walcker 303.564.4118 sonja.walcker@cbrealty.com
Vicki Zeeb 303.549.6203 vicki.zeeb@outlook.com | SouthDenverLux.com
COMMERCE CITY | $690,000 3br/4ba home. Family room w/a gas fireplace. Gourmet kitchen w/ an island, granite counters and pantry. Primary bedroom w/a 5-piece bath, walk-in closet and a balcony. Unfinished basement is loaded w/ potential! Complete w/a 3-car garage and backyard.
THORNTON | $675,000 2br/3ba home w/an open floor plan. Living room w/a gas fireplace. Kitchen w/granite counters, an island, stainless appliances, pantry and dining area. Primary bedroom w/a bath and a walk-in closet. Complete w/a basement, a deck and a 2-car garage.
Allison Damico 720.639.0974 allison.damico@cbrealty.com | AllisonDamico.com
Amy Metz 720.272.7337 amy.metz@cbrealty.com | AmyMetz.cbintouch.com
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
LOVELAND | $665,000 Grandview Estates is a wonderful community that cherishes its rural feeling. 4BR/4BA with a park-like 1/3 acre boasts lake views & stunning sunrises. Kitchen features granite countertops. Living room includes skylights, soaring ceilings & fireplace.
HIGHLANDS RANCH | $650,000 4br/3.5ba home. Family room w/a fireplace. Kitchen w/an island and stainless appliances. Primary bedroom w/a walk-in closet and en-suite bath. Finished basement w/a bedroom, 3/4 bath, a rec room and a laundry room. Complete w/a fenced backyard.
Jody Jewell 970.646.2276 jody.jewell@cbrealty.com
Mary Ann O'Toole 720.530.6878 Otoolemaryann@gmail.com | MaryAnnOtoole.cbintouch.com
PARKER | Price Upon Request Updated 4br/2.5ba home. Kitchen w/all new quartz counters and large pantry. Four large bedrooms w/tons of storage in the closets and updated baths. Enjoy the pergola and backyard nearly year-round. Complete w/an unfinished basement and 3-car garage.
GOLDEN | $625,000 3br/2ba home at the base of North Table Mountain w/cherry wood floors and winning views from the living room, kitchen and bedrooms. Fenced backyard w/a large cement deck. Take a scenic route up the mountain on the numerous trails from your backyard.
Kris Hansen 303.956.6068 kris.hansen@cbrealty.com | KrisHansenRealEstate.com
Karen Valdez 303.886.4545 karen.valdez@cbrealty.com | KarenValdez.com
BRIGHTON | $610,000 4br/2.5ba home in Brighton. Spacious kitchen w/an island opens to the living room w/a fireplace. Enjoy a main level laundry room. Primary suite w/a primary bath and walk-in closet. There is also a bonus room. Complete w/a 3-car garage.
AURORA | $599,000 Located in the new Aurora Highlands community, this popular floor plan is practically new. Open floor plan includes a bonus room on the main level. Lots of upgrades throughout including natural stone counters, LVP flooring, gas fireplace & more.
Kristen Janney 970.618.4940 kristen.janney@cbrealty.com | KristenJanney.cbintouch.com
Soledad Tobar 303.887.5120 soledad.tobar@cbrealty.com | SoledadSellsDenver.com
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
guiding you home since 1906
ARVADA | $555,000 3bd/2ba one-story brick home featuring a living room w/a fireplace connected to the dining room. Kitchen includes stainless steel appliances and an eat-in area. Outside has a large backyard w/a covered patio, 2 outdoor sheds and an extended driveway.
PEYTON | $545,000 5br/3ba home on a corner lot w/an open floor plan. New kitchen w/SS appliances, upper cabinets w/crown molding and an island. Primary bedroom w/a vaulted ceiling and a 5-piece bath. Finished basement w/a spacious rec room. Complete w/a 2-car garage.
Tori Campbell 970.209.7745 tori.campbellre@gmail.com | ToriCampbell.cbintouch.com
Rob Thompson 719.337.7254 rob.thompson@cbrealty.com | RobThompsonHomes.com
FORT COLLINS | $525,000 3br/3ba home w/an open floor plan. Kitchen w/all appliances included. Primary bedroom w/a 5-piece bath and walk-in closet. Finished basement w/large open area as well as another large bedroom and bathroom. Complete w/a backyard and a detached garage.
LITTLETON | $500,000 3BR/4BA townhouse located in the highly sought-after Governor's Ranch community. Enjoy the beautifully updated property with a finished basement, 2 car garage and private backyard.
Colleen Teitelbaum 303.668.8186 teitelbaumcolleen@gmail.com | CocoTeitel.com
Shannon Byerly 303.919.2611 shannon@yourfreshstartrealtor.com | YourFreshStartRealtor.com
COLORADO SPRINGS | $480,000 4br/3ba home w/2,600 sqft. Kitchen w/a pantry and bay window. Living and dining area w/gas fireplace and a walk out to the fenced backyard. Main level primary bedroom w/a walk-in closet and 5-piece bath. Complete w/finished basement and 2-car garage.
DENVER | $450,000 3br/2ba 2-story has 2 sunrooms & large windows for lots of natural light. The kitchen offers a nice-sized pantry as well as a separate laundry area. High ceilings throughout. There is a fenced in yard w/a deck, garden & one off-street parking space.
Rob Thompson 719.337.7254 rob.thompson@cbrealty.com | RobThompsonHomes.com
Dea Webb 303.667.6246 dea.webb@cbrealty.com | DeaWebb.cbintouch.com
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
WESTMINSTER | $430,000 Charming & well cared for 2BR/2BA ranch style condo in Legacy Villas features an open floor plan, lots of storage & no stairs. Beautiful stone entrance leads you to a spacious living/dining area, fireplace & walk out to the private veranda.
LITTLETON | $400,000 Great 2BR/2BA end-unit townhome featuring vaulted ceilings, tons of natural light, eat-in kitchen with bar seating, attached 1-car garage & back patio. This home is centrally located in Littleton, close to schools, shops, restaurants, parks & trails.
Carmen Elam 469.231.4497 carmen.elam@cbrealty.com | HomesByCElam.com
Joe Blinn 720.498.1365 joe@therowleygroup.com | TheRowleyGroup.com
LITTLETON | $359,000 Sunny 2BR/1BA townhome in the heart of Littleton offers a back porch for mountain viewing, living room with a woodburning fireplace & remodeled kitchen with SS appliances, granite counters & soft close cabinets. Bright and spacious bedrooms.
PARKER | $300,000 Ground floor 2BR/1BA condo with a southwest corner location provides tons of natural light. Main living area is warm & inviting with laminate flooring & open to the kitchen & dining area. Additional features include sprinkler system, A/C & patio.
Mary Childs 720.759.8779 mary.childs@cbrealty.com | MaryChilds.cbintouch.com
Renee Cohen 303.594.3137 renee.cohen@cbrealty.com | ReneeSellsColorado.com
LITTLETON | Price Upon Request A great opportunity 3BD/2.5BA condo w/ attached garage, balcony, fireplace & many possibilities.
DENVER | $239,900 Garden-level 1BR/1BA condo features a large living area, remodeled kitchen w/modern subway tile backsplash, granite counters, new microwave & newer SS appliances, plus laminate flooring throughout. Newer A/C unit & recent update to baseboard heater.
LaDawn Sperling 303.710.5817 ladawn.sperling@cbrealty.com | LaDawnSperling.com
Steven Gravlin 720.201.0266 steven.gravlin@cbrealty.com | ColoradoHomesBySteve.com
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
guiding you home since 1906
BROOMFIELD | $925,000
LONGMONT | $849,900
ERIE | $790,000
4BD/4BA two-story home features formal DR, formal LR, FR w/a fireplace and kitchen w/an island and eat-in area. Includes a main level room w/an attached bath and 3 bedrooms upstairs.
5br/4ba home on the 13th fairway at Ute Creek Golf Course. Family room w/gas fireplace. Upstairs w/4 bedrooms, loft and laundry room. Finished basement w/bar, bed and bath.
This beautiful 4BR/4BA two story has a sunny open floor plan and wood floors. Has 2 office areas plus a loft and a professionally finished basement.
Christy Hepp 303.910.5393
Cindy Montgomery 720.373.9235
Cathy Schuster 303.478.6364
EVERGREEN | $705,000
HIGHLANDS RANCH | $695,000
PARKER | $695,000
Move-in ready dream home in Evergreen features 4 bed/3.5 bath with numerous updates. All appliances and a shed are included with the property.
5br/3.5ba home. Family room w/fireplace. Kitchen w/stainless appliances and an island. Primary suite w/updated bath and 2 walk-in closets. Complete w/basement and deck w/mountain views.
4br/4ba home in Parker w/3,450+ sqft, high ceilings and natural light. Enjoy an office, family room w/fireplace, kitchen and dining area. Newer built community w/playgrounds and trails.
Elena Keil 720.431.4015
Debbie Joseph 303.842.8331
Yuliya Strizhenko 303.668.3463
DENVER | $675,000
DENVER | Price Upon Request
AURORA | $625,000
4br/3.5ba home. Family room w/fireplace. Kitchen w/granite counters and stainless appliances. Primary suite w/updated bath and walk-in closet. Complete w/walkout basement and backyard.
4br/3ba home on a 13,000 sqft corner lot next to Bear Creek Park. Enjoy new paint throughout, updated windows and a newer roof. Complete w/a fenced backyard and a view of the mountains.
3br/2ba home. Kitchen w/granite counters and SS appliances. Primary suite w/primary bath and walk-in closet. Conclude w/ laundry room and a covered deck looking out onto the golf course.
Debbie Joseph 303.842.8331
Ryan Ramey 303.565.6964
Debbie Joseph 303.842.8331
DENVER | $599,000
LITTLETON | $585,000
LAKEWOOD | $565,000
2br/2.5ba home in the Fairway Villas active adult 55+ community. Living room w/a fireplace. Kitchen w/a convection oven and gas cooktop. Complete w/finished basement and covered patio.
3br/3ba home. Main floor w/gas fireplace, formal dining area and an eating space in the kitchen. Owner’s suite w/a 5-piece bath! Close to Chatfield State park and Roxborough State park.
Brick 4BD/2BA. Enjoy a 1-carport w/a covered patio, original wood floors, updated baths and kitchen, a partially finished basement and many more upgrades.
Hallie Rand 720.810.2931
Nicole Wolf 303.898.5816
Mark Landin 720.322.5878
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
PARKER | Price Upon Request
DENVER | Price Upon Request
BROOMFIELD | $515,000
Beautiful 3BR/2BA ranch home offers vaulted ceilings, living room w/fireplace, wonderful kitchen & dining room. Spacious yard w/patio. Updated roof, furnace & water heater.
3br/2ba home on a 9,290 sqft lot. Kitchen w/all appliances and eating area. Primary suite w/a walk-in closet and direct bathroom access. Complete w/a lower level, deck and 2-car garage.
2BR/2BA luxury townhome in The Falls at Legend Trail, nestled within the Broadlands Golf Course community. Open bright floor plan with a main level study & great room w/fireplace.
Jennifer O'Hare 720.289.0309
Phil Corona 720.951.4990
Lorri DeLaney 720.313.7437
BROOMFIELD | $500,000
LONE TREE | Price Upon Request
PARKER | $485,000
End unit ground level 2BR/2BA luxury townhome nestled in The Broadlands Golf Course community. Featuring a primary bedroom w/walk-in closet & 5pc bath, living area & kitchen w/nook.
Wonderful 2BR/3BA condo offers 3 outdoor living spaces. Open concept living room w/fireplace. Kitchen w/granite countertops, maple cabinetry & SS appliances. Finished basement.
2br/2ba Pinery townhome backing to golf course. Family and dining open to kitchen w/SS appliances. Main floor BR and en-suite primary BR, finished basement, loft and private courtyard.
Lorri DeLaney 720.313.7437
Ashley Morrison 224.532.3483
Adelia Redalen 303.829.6475
DENVER | $480,000
DENVER | $475,000
DENVER | $450,000
2br/1ba cottage on a 6,500 sqft lot. Kitchen w/SS appliances. Covered patio overlooks a yard w/a raised garden bed, 2 storage sheds and fire pit. Conclude w/3 off-street parking spaces.
4br/2ba home w/an open kitchen/dining room. Living room w/a feature wall of beautiful stonework. Primary bedroom w/a massive closet. Complete w/a basement and a back patio.
Lovely 1BR/1BA ground floor condo w/enclosed patio. Open kitchen w/SS appliances. Open floor plan w/living room fireplace. Washer/dryer included. Parking spot & storage unit in garage.
Gail Wheeler 303.726.7202
Brandi Miller 720.442.1681
Ann Donley 303.903.2046
DUMONT | $450,000
PARKER | $440,000
DENVER | Price Upon Request
3br/2ba home on 1/2 acres beside Clear Creek w/a new roof, new flooring, new appliances and more. Enjoy your own creek bank. Nearby historic mountain towns, restaurants and brew pubs.
Charming 2BR/2BA townhome in Challenger Park backs to open space. New carpet, interior paint, window blinds and kitchen appliances. Finished basement and one-car garage.
High-rise luxury living in this 9th floor 2BR/2BA condo. Mountain & city views abound from the large private covered balcony. Kitchen w/maple cabinets, granite counters & SS appliances.
Kelly Paulk 720.822.2159
Kylie Rupert 303.842.8205
Debbie Cooper-George 303.944.8494
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
guiding you home since 1906
COLORADO SPRINGS | Price Upon Request
COLORADO SPRINGS | $410,000
WESTMINSTER | Price Upon Request
Adorable 3BR/1BA ranch offers larger windows, natural lighting & mountain views. Reflecting the charm of the era, some updates have improved the function & layout of the floorplan.
3BD/3BA open floor plan home featuring a double-sided fireplace between the DR and LR w/an eat-in kitchen opening to the backyard. Primary bedroom includes private bath w/a soaking tub.
Welcome home to the Sunset neighborhood of Westminster. This 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom beauty is move in ready and sure to impress. Hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, large backyard.
Kymberli Koloski 706.604.7752 Patti Berens 719.671.2723
Rae Marie Heard 720.234.7918
Amy Smoldt 303.949.9683
PARKER | $385,000
EVANS | Price Upon Request
DENVER | $370,000
Condo at Stonegate North w/an open concept kitchen, dining area, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and laundry all on 1 level. Stonegate has a clubhouse, playgrounds, trails, pools and tennis courts.
Charming 3br/2ba home w/fresh paint and new carpet. Unfinished basement is your blank canvas for your needs. Centrally located to shopping, restaurants and more!
2br/2ba condo. Kitchen w/stainless appliances, quartz countertops, a gas stove and a breakfast bar. Primary suite w/a 3/4 bath, walk -in closet and washer/dryer. Complete w/a balcony.
Anne Pielage 720.939.2680
Calla Walker 720.560.4755
Nita Kolarsick 303.250.8280
CASTLE ROCK | $350,000
AURORA | $350,000
AURORA | $340,000
2BR/3BA home located near Rock Park comes complete with finished basement, fenced yard & view of the "Rock". Open flow from the living room w/fireplace to the dining space w/hardwoods.
2br/1.5ba townhome. Living room w/fireplace. Kitchen w/newer stainless appliances and dining area. Upstairs w/2 bedrooms and bath. Complete w/basement, patio and reserved parking spot.
2br/2ba townhome. Living room w/a fireplace. Kitchen w/new SS appliances, a pantry and breakfast nook. 2 bedrooms live as primary bedrooms. Complete w/a patio backing to a greenbelt.
Dina Barnum 303.718.9205
Nita Kolarsick 303.250.8280
Kari Smith 303.324.2376
DENVER | $270,000
AURORA | $260,000
CONIFER | $185,000
Cherry Creek Village 1BR/1BA condo in the Virginia Vale Neighborhood has it all with hardwood flooring & an updated kitchen. HOA includes snow removal, trash removal & more.
Cozy 2br/1ba condo w/new flooring, small balcony and a 1-car garage spot in a shared 2-car garage. Centrally located off Peoria and Mississippi. Easy access to shopping and restaurants.
Acreage rises gently above the West Resort Creek Valley. The rise of land has a 2-track drive for access to a choice home site, sheltered in the pines, yet sunny & south oriented.
John McComas 303.668.5542
Donna Sloan 303.718.9913
Terry Robinson 303.898.3658
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
BACKSTORY WHEN DID YOU GO TO HIGH SCHOOL?
RUN FOR COVER
1970s OR LATER
1960s
Summer concert season is upon us, with superstar acts like Chris Stapleton and Rod Stewart set to take the Ball Arena stage this month. But before spending a fortune on big-ticket shows, may we suggest exploring some of Colorado’s top tribute bands? After all, with intimate venues and lively performances, these concerts can be nearly as epic as the real thing. —SPENCER CAMPBELL
Remember where you were when the Beatles played The Ed Sullivan Show?
Do you go hard or listen easy?
EH? SPEAK INTO MY GOOD EAR
NO
“Rocky Mountain High” or Rocky Mountain high?
3EATLES The Conifer-based outfit is so committed to reproducing the Fab Four’s sound, it uses the same guitars and amps John, Paul, and George used while they were still playing clubs. See the band: June 17 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Wrigley’s Chicago Bar and Grill in Golden
LIVE WIRE
“ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH”
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH
“COWBOY” BRAD FITCH
CRICK WOODER This Grateful Dead tribute band performs about 100 concerts a year, often at Boulder’s Sun Mountain Pub. See the band: June 10, 6 to 9 p.m., as part of the Longmont Downtown Summer Concerts series
JUNE 2022
The Front Range quartet takes pride in providing an authentic AC/DC experience, from the school-boy-outfit striptease to the blazing riffs and LED lights. See the band: June 18 at 7 p.m. at 2454 West in Greeley
NEVER DID
YES
MY OLD SCHOOL
More than simply a John Denver cover singer, Fitch is an Estes Park luminary: The town has voted him its most interesting person. See him: Every Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday starting at 7 p.m. at Bond Park in Estes Park, from June 12 through August 16
128 5 2 8 0
Do you still believe?
To ensure it accurately reproduces Steely Dan’s highly produced jazz-pop sound, My Old School employs 11 musicians who have perfected 46 of the yacht rock icons’ songs. See the band: Visit myoldschool.biz for updates to the band’s summer calendar
JOURNEY GIRLS Antonia Kilpatrick’s 11-year-old tribute-to-Journey ensemble may feature a rotating cast of musicians, sometimes even men, but the purpose remains the same: to inspire women to showcase their gifts. See the band: July 2 at 2 p.m. at the Rand Yacht Club in Rand, south of Walden (tickets benefit the Wounded Warrior Project)
Handout/Getty Images (guitar); Getty Images (“rock on” hand, drum set, marijuana leaf); Courtesy of Paige Hackathorn (Live Wire); Courtesy of Tommy Kilpatrick (Journey Girls); Courtesy of Crick Wooder (Crick Wooder); Courtesy of Country Roads Corporation (“Cowboy” Brad Fitch)
YES
LIKE SUNDAY MORNING, BABY
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 5
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.