Metro Denver’s food scene has never been as vibrant as it is today, something The Denver Post’s food writers and the rest of the staff of The Know understand. That’s why we’re out on the town as much as possible. Each month, we’ll provide you with recommendations about a few of the dishes we tried over the previous weeks. Want to hear about them early? Subscribe to the Stuffed newsletter, where we introduce one of these dishes every Wednesday.
Alteño
Dining at Alteño is an elegant experience. The newest restaurant from Johnny Curiel, the Mexican chef behind the Michelin-starred and recent James Beard Award-nominated Alma Fonda Fina, is located on the ground floor of the Clayton Hotel & Members Club in Cherry Creek, and the valet service is pretty much a given. Being inside of Alteño is sort of like walking on the sand barefoot and coming upon a bonfire bash with killer food and music that lasts well past when the sun goes down. The stuffed mushroom ($24) is indicative of this spirit: a portobello mushroom piled to the brim with blue crab, served on top of an hoja santa remoulade with a lemon wedge and leafy greens. Curiel said his father would make a similar dish when he was young and growing up in the Mexican state of Jalisco, the “highlander” after which the restaurant is named.
249 Clayton St., Denver; altenorestaurant.com
The Pasty Republic
Tucked between boutique stores in the Tennyson Street commercial corridor in northwest Denver, The Pasty Republic drew me in with the heavenly smell of pasties and a countertop display of the savory handpies visible from the open front door. It was hard to choose from the five varieties on the menu ($12 each), especially the meatball-and-marinara-filled Joey and the Shepherd, with ground beef, mashed potatoes, peas and onions. Instead, I went for the Miner — advertised as the ‘Traditional’ pasty — containing steak, potatoes, rutabaga and onions. It was a quick, satisfying and, for the posh neighborhood, delightfully straightforward lunch.
4166 Tennyson St. and 2615 E. 3rd St., Denver; thepastyrepublic.com
Lo Stella Ristorante
Have you ever had pasta stop you in your tracks? I had a lot on my mind and not that much in my stomach when I sat down for a weekday dinner at Lo Stella Ristorante in Denver’s Golden Triangle neighborhood. The Rigatoni alla “Carillon” ($29) is one of several pasta dishes on the menu, smothered in a zesty vodka sauce and topped with smoked pancetta and, as always, optional parmesan cheese. My worries began to ease when I tried my first bite, soon replaced by waves of intense flavor.
1135 Bannock St., Denver; lostelladenver.com
Moonshell Pizza Cooperative
Ten years ago, I saw a DJ devour a quesadilla while playing to hundreds of people in an Arizona desert valley. It was impressive and funny, considering most people ingest less nutritious substances on the dance floor. So, when I found Moonshell Pizza Cooperative (the Indigenous-owned coop will be popping up at the City Park and Highlands Square farmers markets this spring and summer) stationed outside a show over the weekend, I thought I’d be able to multitask in the same way with a personal pie during the performance. No such luck: The elote pizza ($18) was packed with corn, green chiles and three different cheeses. Eat first, party later.
View website for upcoming schedule; moonshell.coop/calendar