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Pig's Pick
CULINARY EXPLORATION IN COLORADO
DENVER = MILE-HIGH MUNCHING
Let’s boil this down; great views, amazing location, home to some of the country’s best bars and the little hole in the walls, Denver is just a damn good food city. Boasting one of the fastest growing millennials populations in the country, Denver has become prime real estate for restaurants, microbreweries, doughnut shops and dispensaries to help take care of all their basic social needs. Whether you want to grab a flight of craft ales or bunker down for some of the breakfast burritos they are famous for, the Mile high city can satisfy all your needs. And if you happen to find yourself with a case of the late night munchies a good cure is to grab a blazed and glazed brioche or a white girl wasted doughnut (that is a doughnut name) at the habit doughnut dispensary one of their specialty doughnut shops that serves whiskey with their pastries and is open till the wee hours. Whatever you do or go, make sure you check a few of the great places I have mapped out and as always let me know if you find something you want to share.
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The Pig
DENVER
PIG'S PICKS
Where to Eat delicious doughnuts, and find micro-breweries in Denver
GREAT DIVIDE BREWING CO.
PIG SCORE: 4.0 / 4.0
WHAT: MICRO-BREWERY
PRICE: $-$$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Velvet Yeti (Nitro)
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Colette
WHY: A micro brewery you can brag that you went to because it has some of the best beer in the country. They have award winning beers, great service and food trucks pull up often, but it is the casual atmosphere and $3 dollar flights of that amazing craft beer that brought this to the top of my list.
BLACK SHIRT BREWING
PIG SCORE: 3.9 / 4.0
WHAT: AWESOME RED BEER
PRICE: $ - $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Colorado Red Ale
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Fourtrack Red Porter
WHY: One of the best breweries in the Rockies. They specialize in bringing you live music and brewing red beers, amazing reds that are rich in flavor and character. The inside is adorned with big distressed wooden communal tables. I was lucky and ran into Chad one of the owners and he was more than happy to give me a quick tour and talk about one of my favorite topics, beer.
HABIT
DOUGHNUT DISPENSARY
PIG SCORE: 3.8 / 4.0
WHAT: DOUGHNUTS & WHISKEY
PRICE: $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Girl Scout Samosa (seasonal)
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White girl wasted
WHY: Kick ass doughnuts, strong whiskey, and a fun place to hang out. Think doughnut shops are only open in the morning and weekends? think again, Habit is a great late night destination for people who want something a little stronger than coffee with their pastries. Grab a delicious gourmet doughnut and a shooter for your free coffee.
OSAKA RAMEN
PIG SCORE: 3.6 / 4.0
WHAT: JAPANESE NOODLE SHOP
PRICE: $$-$$$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Tonkotsu Ramen
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Spicy Miso Ramen
WHY: This little noodle shop is located in a basement near Coors field. It is the best Ramen in Denver. Ramen is judged on the broth and this is a thick decadent broth with fantastic ingredients. The whole room has a great ramen vibe. A great stop to warm up on a cold Denver day!
DENVER BISCUIT CO.
PIG SCORE: 3.6 / 4.0
WHAT: BISCUIT CENTRIC FOOD
PRICE: $ - $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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The Franklin
WHY: This is a biscuit sandwich restaurant in the back of a bar. The food is fantastic, and when was the last time you had a biscuit with a beer? I'm guessing it's been too long.
BULL & BUSH
PIG SCORE: 3.5 / 4.0
WHAT: ENGLISH MICRO-BREWERY
PRICE: $ - $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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English style beer
WHY: This is a little out of the way if you're staying downtown, but if you love English style beer, this is your place. The bar itself is a replica of the famous bull & bush in England. All their beer recipes are from the old world made with the original yeast strands and have won multiple awards.
RENEGADE BREWING COMPANY
PIG SCORE: 3.5 / 4.0
WHAT: MICRO-BREWERY
PRICE: $ - $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Eat my Schwartzbier
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1916 American lager
WHY: They do one thing, and one thing only, beer. You won't find TV's in the tap room, and they don't serve food (although they have paired with food trucks every night), they just brew and serve beer. Renegade believes in friends and socializing, and that is reason enough.
GLAZED AND CONFUSED
PIG SCORE: 3.5 / 4.0
WHAT: FUN DOUGHNUTS
PRICE: $ - $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Glazed & blazed
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Rootbeer float doughnut
WHY: have crazy flavors and unique toppings. I was surprised by how good a grilled doughnut could be. Yes, I said grilled. They change the available options daily and I've heard of an elusive root beer float doughnut, it wasn't there the time I went so it may become my white whale.
ILLEGAL PETE'S
PIG SCORE: 3.4 / 4.0
WHAT: KICK ASS BURRITOS
PRICE: $ - $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT: (5 locations)
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Breakfast Burrito
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Original Potato Burrito
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WHY: Think Chipotle, now think what it was like before it became commercialized. Old beat up wooden tables, stickers everywhere, and a bar! let me present Illegal Pete's. This is where the locals go to grab a beer a handmade custom burrito and enjoy the weather.
DENVER BEER CO.
PIG SCORE: 3.4 / 4.0
WHAT: MICRO-BREWERY
PRICE: $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Pretzel Assassin
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Amber Lager
WHY: This is a Denver classic, I love places that have huge garage doors as walls, they just roll them up and enjoy the weather whenever possible. Another great feature is while they don't have a kitchen, they do have a parade of food trucks that change daily. Go for the beer stay for a cool place to hang out.
VOODOO DOUGHNUTS
PIG SCORE: 3.4 / 4.0
WHAT: WILD CRAZY DOUGHNUTS
PRICE: $ - $$
PAYMENT: Cash only
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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The voodoo doll
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Maple Bacon Long John
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WHY: Yes they started in Portland, OR and moved here to Denver, but they are still good. I mean who doesn't love a late night doughnut. And even if they aren't completely local, they act like it.
BIKER JIM'S GOURMET DOGS
PIG SCORE: 3.4 / 4.0
WHAT: GOURMET HOT DOGS
PRICE: $ - $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Reindeer "Classic style"
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Rattlesnake sausage
WHY: How gourmet can a hot dog get? Well, how about rattlesnake, or elk? These guys push the limit on the meat varieties that they stuff in the casings, and they do an amazing job. Make sure you get the gourmet toppings, don't skimp out and worry about calories now, you can always start the diet tomorrow.
SANTIAGO'S
PIG SCORE: 3.3 / 4.0
WHAT: AUTHENTIC MEXICAN QUICK SERVE
PRICE: $ - $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT: (10 locations)
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Breakfast Burrito (medium)
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Flautas
WHY: When I first heard of this place I was a little skeptical, it is a small local Mexican chain with about 10 locations, but my friend told me I need to try their breakfast burrito. All I can say is if you go for breakfast be prepared for a slight line, and DO NOT get more than the medium hot sauce the first time you eat there.
PETE'S KITCHEN
PIG SCORE: 3.3 / 4.0
WHAT: 24 HOUR DINER
PRICE: $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
Denver, CO 80206
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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Late night breakfast
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Breakfast Burrito
WHY: Open 24 / 7. You'll need a great place to soak up the night after going to all the amazing micro-breweries. One step in and you may feel like you've either gone back in time or found the last of the Mohicans. But in the end, they have really solid food for a late night need.
MY BROTHER'S BAR
PIG SCORE: 3.3 / 4.0
WHAT: BAR FOOD
PRICE: $$
PAYMENT: Credit/Cash
MAP IT:
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WHAT TO ORDER:
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J.C.B. the jalapeno Creamcheese Burger
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WHY: This is a laid back bar that doesn't care enough to even put a sign outside; think I'm lying, check out their website it will tell you everything you need to know. They are the oldest bar in Denver and are constantly listed as one of the bars you must hit before you die. come in grab a seat, a beer, order a burger and let the stress leave as you listen to the classical music and blend into the locals.
