When we travel, we love to go on food tours. They are a great way to experience a variety of restaurants, get to meet the owners, stroll neighborhoods, learn some history and get a unique feel for a destination. We also believe in playing tourist in our own city, Denver. That’s just what our guest blogger, Sherry Spitsnaugle did, with Delicious Denver Food Tours.
Walking food tour guides guests to Denver’s culinary treasures
Late afternoon sunlight streams in through the windows of Denver’s trendy Union Station as my new buddies and I linger over talk about how much we adore food tours. We all agree it’s really one of the best ways to get to know a city.
Our outing ended 30 minutes ago, and here we are, still hanging out, even though just three hours ago we were strangers.
My BFF Donna and I, both Denverites, sign up for the tour on a whim. Delicious Denver Food Tours promises that even as locals, we’ll see and taste new things. And we do.
Mid-day is chilly when our Uber driver drops us at Marco’s Coal Fired, our meeting place and the oldest restaurant on today’s tour, in Denver’s LoDo (Lower Downtown).
The luscious aroma of wood-fired pizza greets us as we join the group of 12 at a family-style table. As an ice-breaker, our guide Lisa asks each of us to share what has been a recent favorite meal. Answers range from dining on octopus in Spain, to a couple who “breakfasted” at Snooze just this morning in Denver, to a woman who fondly remembers her family’s Thanksgiving feast, which she says was “made with love.”
Pizza perfection
During a behind-the-scenes peek at the kitchen, we learn that owners Mark and Kristy Dym studied the art of pizza-making in Italy. Even though we don’t meet them, I decide I like them for this fact alone. And I adore the soft, chewy dough of the thin crust, mozzarella-laden pizza.
I strike an immediate connection with Tim and Brianne, a couple from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, whose recent travels have taken them to Laos, Rome, and Bangkok. I relate to their taste in travel, and before long, we are comparing notes on everything from discount flights to bucket lists.
We stroll a couple of blocks to Butcher’s Bistro, an intimate, wood-filled bar/restaurant, where bartender Kelley Barke welcomes us and proudly shares that the Bistro gets its Wagyu beef from Devils Thumb Ranch, Tabernash, Colorado; they specialize in “nose-to-tail preparation” and buy locally raised cows, pigs, lamb and poultry, as well as buying their cheese, eggs and greens from Colorado farms.
Bison ball humor
Lisa playfully asks Kelley, “Can you share any information with us about your balls?” referring to the bison balls on the menu. No doubt, this is a standing joke, but it’s a crowd-pleaser.
The Pig Head amuse bouche is flavorful and moist, but what I’d really love is to come back for a steak. Butcher’s Bistro was named Best Steak in Denver, by Westword, and in a town that knows its beef, that is all the confirmation I need.
Hot dog royalty
On another day, I would have breezed right past Biker Jim’s, but as soon as we walk through the doors of this small diner, I’m smitten.
Onions sizzle and smoke in a large skillet as a server stirs the mix in the open air kitchen. The place buzzes with customers laughing, eating, talking sports and no doubt, motorbikes.
Here, we share a four-top with our new pals from Idaho. The server delivers a basket of dogs, but before we dig in, I ask if I can shoot some photos. The four of us know each other well enough to tease, and Tim feigns annoyance, tosses his hands up and asks, “Really? You’re gonna make me wait?”
We have a laugh and then tuck into the juiciest reindeer gourmet hot dog I’ve ever eaten—yes, it’s my first—drenched in cream cheese and Coke-soaked caramelized onions.
Top dog
Turns out the history of the place is as juicy as the dogs. Biker Jim used to be quite the successful repo man in town; he opened a hot dog stand on the 16th Street mall and found fame after Anthony Bourdain (RIP) delved into a dog on his show No Reservations. The rest, as they say, is history.
The list of kudos includes being voted best Colorado Hot Dog, by People magazine.
Whether it’s the delectable dog or the ambiance, Biker Jim’s for me is—dare I say—top dog of the day.
At the stylish Mercantile Dining and Provisions, we delve into sheep’s milk cheese from Fruition Farms on a cracker, and then move on to Union Station aka Denver’s living room. Lisa tells us that here you can stay in a room, eat and yes, you can actually catch a train.
The out-of-towners are raving about the friendliness and foodie culture of the Mile High City, which makes me beam, since I love my city.
We’ve taken a final group photo, exchanged cell numbers, and now lounge on the wooden benches indulging in peppermint chocolate ice cream from Little Man Ice Cream. Oh man. The heavenly, rich awesomeness is the perfect ending.
Learn more about Delicious Denver Food Tours on their website.
— Story and photos by Sherry Spitsnaugle
Sherry Spitsnaugle, guidebook author, travel writer, wife and dog mom, first expressed her urge to explore at age four when she packed up her little red wagon and took off for an adventure — around the block. Today, she continues to fulfill her travel bug tendencies, exploring and writing about her experiences. Instagram: sherryspitsnaugle Twitter: sherryspitsnaugle
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