Metro Denver’s food scene has never been as vibrant as it is today, something The Denver Post’s food writers 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’ve tried. Want to hear about them early? Subscribe to the Stuffed newsletter, where we introduce one each Wednesday.
Bull & Bush Brewery
How much ink has been spilled about Dean and Dale Peterson and their iconic Cherry Creek tavern? Plenty throughout its nearly 55-year history, and most recently after the death of Dean earlier this year. (His identical twin, Dale, died in 2009.) But this restaurant, run and owned by Dale’s sons, David and Erik, was still new to me. And I picked the perfect day to visit, when the temperatures dipped and a misty rain drizzled into the night. Bangers and mash is (obviously) the ultimate comfort meal for me in these situations. Two things make the Bull & Bush’s dish stand out from that of other pubs: the fine-ground texture of the sweet sausage links and the green chile gravy over the mash. You’ll want to order an extra cup of that green chile and keep pouring it on the plate.
4700 E. Cherry Creek S. Drive, Glendale; bullandbush.com
Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant
After I recommended another Ethiopian restaurant here, friends and readers pointed me toward Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant, a lunch and dinner oasis on East Colfax. The dining room is lightly decorated and illuminated with sunshine throughout the day; at one point, an employee emerged from the kitchen with a tray of either roasted beans or grains that filled the room with a cleansing aroma. Scoping the menu of vegetarian dishes led me to order the yemisir wot key, a steaming mixture of split red lentils with onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric, served over injera, a sour Ethiopian flatbread. Take the leftovers home with some extra injera. They’re just as comforting when heated up the next day.
7401 E. Colfax Ave., Denver; 720-465-9883
Mizuumi Ramen & Sushi
Behold, an endangered species: the $15 ramen bowl. Eight of the ramen varieties at Mizuumi Ramen & Sushi, which shares a parking lot with a movie theater off West Colfax Avenue, are $13.95 or less, excluding tip. The presentation of my shoyu ramen wasn’t fancy, but it didn’t need to be. The pork chashu was seared to a great finished crisp, the noodles were stringy and chewy and the broth was rich and hot.
4225 W. Colfax Ave., Denver; mizuumiramendenver.com
Rosario’s Peruvian Restaurant
There are plenty of signifiers to let you know you’re at a Peruvian restaurant when you walk in the door at Rosario’s: the white decals on the storefront that name common dishes like lomo saltado, pescado a lo macho and pasta a la huancaina; and the pictures and videos that play on the wall, displaying the South American country’s culture and terrain. But Rosario’s food encapsulates Peru the best, especially its aji de gallina, in which shredded chicken is stewed in a yellow pepper sauce and paired with white rice.
625 Ken Pratt Blvd., Longmont; rosariosperuvianrestaurant.com