Metro Denver’s food scene has never been as vibrant as it is today, something Denver Post restaurant writer Lily O’Neill 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.
Chivis Tacos
I visited the Highlands Street Fair the other week, and became a certified food truck groupie. While most people were shopping at the local vendors and listening to live music, I spent most of my time eating my way through the crowd.
There’s nothing better than a handheld meal when you have to keep up with the flow of a street fair, and Chivis Tacos delivered. The family-owned food truck has been serving Denver’s late-night crowds mouthwatering street tacos for the past 12 years. And they recently opened up their first brick-and-mortar restaurant on East Colfax.
I opted for a carne asada and a cochinita pibil that I can’t stop dreaming about.
2101 E. Colfax Ave., Denver;facebook.com/chivistacosdenver
Curtis Park Deli
If I lived in the Curtis Park neighborhood in Denver, I would have to stop myself from eating at Curtis Park Deli every day. The shop, which has three locations (the others are in Cherry Creek and Boulder), packs a huge amount of flavor into its small menu of nine subs, enticing customers to try a new sandwich with every visit.
Lately, I’ve been on an Italian kick. Curtis Park Deli’s stack of salame rosa, pepperoni, calabrese, arugula and asiago cheese with a swipe of house-made aioli and drops of red wine vinaigrette on ciabatta bread can fill you up for both lunch and dinner. You don’t need any add-ons since there’s enough going on between the bread, but it’s not so complicated that you don’t know where to start.
2532 Champa St., and 2700 E. 6th Ave., Denver; 3000 Pearl Pkwy., Boulder; curtisparkdeli.com
The Greenwich
The Greenwich first opened in RiNo in November 2021 with a New York City-inspired menu. But when chef-de-cuisine Luke Miller stepped up as executive chef last summer, he decided to focus on the restaurant’s most popular items: pizza and cheesecake.And a new Italian menu was born.
Ball out with a colorful $28 plate of wagyu carpaccio, fresh from owner Delores Tronco’s cousin’s King Mountain cattle ranch in McCoy. Or get out under $50 with the new hot honey calabrese pizza and a couple of glasses of wine.
3258 Larimer St., Denver;thegreenwichdenver.com
Leven Deli Co.
Whenever I walk into Leven Deli during a lunch rush, I brace myself for the long line. But no matter how many people are ahead of me — many ordering a stacked house-cured pastrami and some pasta salad — the Denver deli always manages to find me a seat.
I went at noon one day last week with a group of six, and we still had no trouble. Because I go so often, I like to try something different during each visit. This time, I chose the turkey club. While $18 seems steep for a turkey sandwich, you basically get two meals out of the stacked halves. The smoked turkey shone through the thick-cut bacon, lettuce, tomato and herb mayo. I could taste it in every bite, which was my favorite part, and I don’t even eat turkey on Thanksgiving! Make sure you grab a cookie for dessert; they’re some of the moistest, most flavorful in town.
And keep an eye out for their next venture this summer: Leven Supply, a retail, wine, pizza and sandwich shop in Washington Park.
123 W. 12th Ave., Denver; eatleven.com
Originally Published: July 31, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.
