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.
Eloise
Always on the search for a quick and exciting lunch, I popped by Eloise, a cafe that opened in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood late last year. A $13 egg salad sandwich is bound to raise an eyebrow, but I had read my editor’s column praising the work being done behind the counter. Comfortably nested on the milk-bread sandwich halves, atop the Kewpie egg salad, was a soy-marinated egg. It gave the sandwich a little more texture and chew, and me a little more than what I had expected.
4317 Tennyson St., Denver; eloisedenver.com
Related: Pillowy Japanese sandos are the star of a new cafe on North Tennyson
Boombots Pasta Shop
A totally different experience from its sister concept, the more breakfast-minded Odie B’s, Boombots Pasta Shop opened last year with a strong, creative selection of pasta dishes and other savory delights. (Not pictured: Twinkie-sized mozzarella sticks.) Owners Cliff and Cara Blauvelt took their time solidifying this menu, and their risks come with big payoffs. The Everything Seasoned Cavatelli Stroganoff ($19 for a single or $36 for a shared portion), with porcini pasta, pearl onion agrodolce, braised beef and pickled mustard seeds, raised my expectations of hearty Italian-American fare in Denver.
2647 W. 38th Ave., Denver; boombotspasta.com
Royal Taw Win Thai & Burmese Restaurant
Straddling the border between Denver and Aurora is a peculiar Asian restaurant with a floral arch leading to the entry and an adjacent market. Royal Taw Win takes on both Thai and Burmese dishes, covering so much ground to include curry, noodle soups and a whole deep-fried tilapia. My original choice was sold out, but the Thai bean thread noodles came through in a pinch. Not pictured but essential with your order: the Burma Paratha, a rich Burmese egg puff pastry appetizer, and the warm mango sticky rice for dessert.
1120 Yosemite St., Denver; tawwinburmesefood.com
Mystical Blends Cafe
Forget the corporate acai chains: Mystical Blends Cafe is putting together delicious breakfast bowls with the frozen acai berry smack dab in the middle of Colfax Avenue. The classic bowl comes with bananas, chopped strawberries, granola, honey and peanut butter drizzled over the top. A “mystical” variation adds coconut flakes and almond butter to the equation. Is it breakfast or dessert? Por qué no los dos?
2936 E. Colfax Ave., Denver; mysticalblendscafe.com
