Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2024 i 5280 Magazine

As a high schooler, my dad played hockey in New York City. He was pretty good, I think; at least, that’s what I gathered from the trophy I found in an old box when I was a kid. Not that it mattered. What did matter was that he brought hockey into my and my younger brother’s childhoods, although probably not in the way you might think. There wasn’t an NHL team in my home state of West Virginia, so we didn’t go to games all that often. Instead, my dad set up a makeshift rink in our basement by placing nets on either side of the roughly 25-foot-long tiled floor. My brother and I had plastic sticks while Dad had an old wooden one. We spent hours down there slapping…

Janel Forde had never visited the Mile High City before, but after Mike Johnston won the mayoral election in June, she accepted an offer to become his chief operating officer and moved to Denver from Chicago sight unseen. One draw was the chance to help the city tackle homelessness and youth gun violence—two issues she cares deeply about. But the clincher was discovering she’d be joining an all-female senior leadership staff, something she had never seen despite working in city administration for more than a decade. Denver had never seen it either, until Johnston’s administration. In addition to Forde, Jenn Ridder, one of the mayor’s former campaign strategists, became his chief of staff, and Nicole Doheny left international accounting firm Ernst & Young to become Denver’s chief financial officer. Kerry…

The skincare industry is not subtle. Stroll down the beauty aisle and you’ll see soft pinks, vibrant purples, and golden sparkles (read: women) on one side and military greens, matte blacks, and unassuming grays (men) on the other. “I always felt like that was so jarring,” says David Yi. “As a consumer, I shave, but I also sometimes like to put on makeup. Why do I feel like I’m not being catered to in any section?” So Yi, a fashion writer who lives in his hometown of Colorado Springs, decided to launch a beauty brand that was gender-inclusive and centered on nonbinary and trans communities. That mission is rooted in Yi’s adolescence, when, as one of the few Asian students at his high school, he often ate lunch alone in…

BRYAN’S DUMPLING HOUSE Bryan’s Dumpling House specializes in noodle dishes and Chinese dumplings. Order the xiao long bao sampler: a steamer basket with eight differently flavored soup dumplings stuffed with everything from mushrooms to kimchi. Kids will love the window into the kitchen, where they can watch the perfect little parcels being folded. 8000 E. Belleview Ave., Suite B45, Greenwood Village THUY BY PKR, YUAN WONTON, AND SWEETS & SOURDOUGH This combined concept is reinventing what defines a restaurant—and two of the eateries are serving up tasty Asian treats. Thuy by PKR slings its Vietnamese pho Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 9 p.m., while Yuan Wonton doles out dumplings Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 8:30 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 2878 Fairfax St. MAKFAM…

Bundyville From: Oregon Public Broadcasting and Longreads Host: Leah Sottile Seasons: Two Episodes: 15 We originally thought this National Magazine Award–nominated podcast was a retelling of the Ted Bundy serial killer saga. Little did we realize there was another notorious Bundy roaming the West: Cliven, a Nevada rancher who, along with his band of anti-government radicals, was involved in standoffs with federal agents near his home in 2014 and in Oregon in 2016. In Sottile’s first season, she pulls off the best kind of retrospective reporting, creating empathy for Bundy by tracing his personal history of distrust for the federal government to the nuclear bomb tests of the 1950s, which poisoned many of Bundy’s neighbors. By the end of the season, listeners just might find themselves siding with the bandit—or…

For this issue’s roundup of the best bars in the metro area, deputy photo editor Sarah Banks was tasked with not just photographing the entire feature (“The Occasional Drink,” page 36), but also taking the photo that would grace the cover. To choose the spots that would be featured, Banks first perused the list in search of picturesque spaces that also had eye-catching cocktails. Then she spent hours sifting through inspiration images and combing sites like Yelp to get a sense of what angles she could expect once on location. During the shoots, Banks and her colleagues made further alterations to the scenes—dozens of tiny adjustments, like moving a glass just one inch to the right. A few different locales were initially in the running for the coveted cover spot,…

The first thing to know about cold plunging—the act of dunking yourself in frigid water for an extended period of time—is that it may induce total bliss, pure agony, or both. “It’s completely subjective,” says Justin Weiss, founder of Colorado cold plunge group Ice Church. What’s more definitive is that the practice is heating up thanks to its purported health benefits, including remedying chronic pain, inflammation, and post-workout soreness. (There are dangers, too, such as hypothermia and cold shock, so start slowly, don’t dunk alone, and make sure you have dry clothes and a place to warm up quickly.) Weiss battled fibromyalgia for years until he discovered cold immersion in 2015. “In a few days, my pain was melting away,” he says. But finding the right place to take a…

Any Mediterranean restaurant worth its falafel should be able to roll out a selection of traditional sauces and spreads, like hummus, tzatziki, and baba ghanoush. But eight-month-old Sonny’s Mediterranean, an 18-seat, counter-service-only restaurant in Highland, takes its condiment game further than its fast-casual competitors. Chef David Schloss, who worked at RiNo’s Safta for nearly two years before opening Sonny’s, draws on his experience at that upscale eatery to deliver refined Greek and Levantine flavors—but without the fuss. Case in point: Schloss ditches Safta’s multi-hour hummus-making method for one that takes roughly 15 minutes but entails processing the chickpeas longer at a cooler temperature, resulting in an extra creamy dip. It’s a smooth lead-up to your entrée: a pita sandwich. Not only does Schloss nail the house-roasted chicken or herb-flecked falafel…

Virtually everyone who’s lived in Steamboat Springs for longer than a decade waxes nostalgic about the dodgy hovels that provided their first homes in the ski resort community. Mine was a groundfloor apartment infested with earwigs that covered the floors, walls, and ceilings every summer. The “shanty” is how one of my friends refers to the drafty cabin that initially sheltered her. Even Jason Peasley, a well-known name around town these days, shakes his head when he remembers the “sketchy little stained-glass house” he occupied when he moved to Steamboat at 24 years old. Seventeen years later, Peasley now lives in a handsome townhome with his wife, a teacher in the local school district, and two elementary-school-age daughters. But as the executive director of the Yampa Valley Housing Authority since…

Back From Broken Host: Vic Vela Seasons: Four Episodes: 36 Why we love it: Host Vela, whose final episode for CPR was recorded in August 2023, has a superpower: vulnerability. Now in recovery, Vela doesn’t shy away from sharing the bleakest moments from his 15 years of cocaine addiction. That honesty inspires his guests—including famous ones like Hunter Biden—to open up about their own challenges with substance misuse. But don’t let the somber stories fool you into thinking the show is a downer: Vela and his guests offer their stories to remind us all that we can overcome life’s toughest tests. —Chris Walker Off The Walls Hosts: Kibwe Cooper and Emily Williams Frequency: Weekly, in season Episodes: Five Why we love it: Off the Walls, a newish pod from the CPR/Denverite…

PRICE KEY Average Entrée $ under $15 $$ $16 to $20  $$$ $21 to $30 $$$$ $31 and higher SYMBOL KEY Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened). Indicates inclusion in 5280’s 2023 list of Denver’s best restaurants. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change. A5 STEAKHOUSE $$$$ LoDo / Steak House This unfussy chophouse by the team behind Forget Me Not and Tap and Burger features perfectly seared steaks, hearty sides, and draft cocktails. Never pass up the beef tartare katsu sando and the chickpea fries to start your meal. Reservations accepted. 1600 15th St., 303-623-0534. Dinner AFRICAN GRILL & BAR $$ Lakewood / African Explore dishes from across Africa at this inviting restaurant run…

Founded in 2015, Invisible City treated Denver partygoers to a bacchanal of masquerade balls and disco brunches—until COVID-19 put an end to the revelry. After a two-year hiatus, the upscale events business relaunched in September, and while it still throws one-off fetes, founder Paul Laurie has added Clubhouse to Invisible City’s portfolio to ensure its members will always have a spot to gather. Located in a former Lincoln Park factory space decorated with eclectic items Laurie discovered during his world travels, the expansive private hideout includes a lounge, a patio, a wellness room, and co-working hours. Members also receive a “key to the city,” which unlocks perks around Denver such as free drinks at partner locations and backstage passes to local concerts. The timing was perfect: Social clubs such as…

Outward Hound SnuggleSoft Faux Fur Pet Blanket The SnuggleSoft from Centennial-based Outward Hound imitates a mother’s fur, helping your doggo warm up after a day of romping in the snow while also protecting your back seats from mud and more on the drive home from the trailhead. $25 Atlas Pet Company Lifetime Lite Leash When icy trails make hiking poles a must, use this leash’s adjustable, rust-free buckle to strap Fido to your waist. And don’t fret if your puppy thinks the tether is a new chew toy: Golden-based Atlas offers free lifetime repairs. $75 Dog Mocs Like most booties, Dog Mocs will protect your pups’ paws from ice and snow. Unlike other brands, though, these stylish deerskin leather constructions are supple enough to allow your dog to sense the…

When the news hit in late August that the Ginger Pig, Natascha Hess’ three-year-old Asian street food restaurant in Berkeley, had garnered a Bib Gourmand nod from the Michelin Guide, Hess was stunned. She never would have guessed that her little startup of a food-truck-turned-restaurant would receive such an honor. That the Michelin Guide staff thought her food provided an exceptionally high value at a low cost wasn’t shocking; it was more that Hess’ culinary adventures had garnered any attention at all. Cooking is, after all, Hess’ third career. She worked in sports broadcasting and then practiced law, but food was an early love—and her palate began to develop when she was just a child. Hess was 12 when she first traveled to Japan. At the time, she was simply…

BEST FOR Sips & A Show Jazz sets, R&B acts, and tribute bands all sound better when you have a tasty beverage in hand. That’s particularly true if you’re in the audience at one of the following venues—long-loved spots that have been given new life over the past couple of years. MERCURY CAFE Five Points This eclectic bar has been an escape for misfit music lovers since it opened its doors at its current location—a renovated printing press house in Five Points—on Halloween 1990. Inside, a twinkling canopy of fairy lights illuminates the hodgepodge of booths, chesterfield sofas, and wooden kitchen chairs, almost as if all the regulars pitched in a personal table or two, jokes owner Danny Newman. “Both physically and energy-wise, people are making their mark on it,” he…

VERY LITTLE SURPRISES Benson Pulikkottil and Lily Daniali anymore. At Swedish Medical Center’s Burn and Reconstructive Center in Englewood and the LaVie Institute—Pulikkottil and Daniali’s private practice in Lone Tree—the husband-and-wife team of plastic surgeons specializes in both reconstructive and aesthetic procedures, from complex skin grafts and post-cancer breast augmentations to face-lifts and rhinoplasties. They’ve had the training to be able to help trauma patients, including an avid hunter who needed facial reconstruction after he was mauled by a grizzly bear in Wyoming, a Pueblo man whose right hand was shattered during a fireworks incident, and a Castle Rock resident who was critically burned and injured in a houseboat explosion. “We take care of people from all walks of life, many of whom have had something traumatic happen to them,”…