Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i 5280 Magazine

When Phil Caragol arrived at the University of Colorado Boulder in 1971, he immediately felt like a fish out of water—the Hudson River, to be exact. “The only connection that most of [my peers] had to New Yorkers was watching mafia movies,” the Long Island native says. The 72-year-old CU alumnus still stands out in a crowd of Buffs, though these days he’s an entirely different animal. During home games at Folsom Field, Caragol transforms into Buffalo Phil, the alter ego he conceived 15 years ago during a disappointing season for his alma mater. “All I saw on the faces of the fans were these long, sad expressions, and there was almost no cheering,” Caragol says. “The fans needed someone in the stands to fire them up.” Caragol began assembling…

Chef Matt Dulin doesn’t like wasted space or missed opportunities. Which begins to explain GetRight’s, the Wheat Ridge bakery/sandwich shop/pizza joint/gelato parlor/plant nursery he opened with his wife, Lindsey Judd, in 2023. “I don’t enjoy downtime,” Dulin says. “I strive to fill in any gap within the day with something.” At Get-Right’s, that means every inch of its 1,200 square feet (plus patio space) is designed for maximum functionality—and fun. What began in 2020 as a houseplant business and cottage bakery with burnished sourdough loaves and pastries coming out of the couple’s home kitchen now includes breakfast and lunch sandwiches assembled on croissants and said bread; pizza, starring the same naturally leavened dough; and house-made gelato, in which unsold pastries end up churned into dreamy flavors such as lemon cookie,…

XIQUI TA Storytelling underlies everything at Uptown’s Xiquita, helmed by chef-owners Erasmo Casiano and Rene Gonzalez Mendez. Their menu reads like a multilingual prose poem in which words contain both beauty and meaning, often provided in hints rather than definitions. You’ll find, for example, sikil pak (pictured), described only as pepita spread. But what are pepitas and how are they used here? More is revealed in the dish itself (perhaps with an assist from your server): Toasted pumpkin seeds are ground into a smooth spread with seasonings and roasted tomatoes. This, we now know, is sikil pak, and it adds nutty depth to grilled beets. And now that we understand pepitas, we can enjoy them again in the pipián verde, a green mole spooned over flame-kissed carrots (zanahorias, the menu…

When Samuel Nez was growing up on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico’s northwest corner and someone in the family fell ill, he knew his mother or grandmother would soon bring out an egg. “The limpia con huevo [cleansing with an egg] was a normal practice in our household,” he says, adding that to remove bad spirits, “you rub the egg along the entirety of the body, starting with the head. At the end you can crack it and read it in a form of divination. I didn’t know this was curanderismo [folk healing]. It was just what we did.” His blended Navajo and Indigenous Mexican-American family also attended Catholic church. A rebellious kid, Nez didn’t embrace his spiritual side until his late teens, when folk medicine helped him overcome…

The Wild & Sacred Feminine Deck Dive into oracle reading with this beautiful deck and guide from Colorado authors Niki Dewart and Elizabeth Marglin, with art by Jenny Kostecki-Shaw. The 52 cards depict figures from across cultural traditions, from Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, to Ixchel, a Mayan goddess of the moon. $35 The Spell Book For New Witches: Essential Spells To Change Your Life This stylish green book is an indispensable guide for baby witches, as beginners are affectionately called. The contents include simple, step-by-step instructions for 130 spells. Witches with day jobs will appreciate the Workplace Peace spell, while anyone suffering from fatigue will be pepped up by the Energizing Spell, which involves burning dried ginger and cinnamon in a cauldron. We found our copy at…

PRICE KEY Average Entrée 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 2025 list of Denver’s best restaurants. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change. A5 STEAKHOUSE $$$$ LoDo / Steak House This rarified chophouse by the team behind Tap & Burger features a range of specialty steaks, eclectic sides with Asian influence, and draft cocktails. Never pass up the beef tartare katsu sando and the chickpea fries to start your meal. Reservations accepted. 1600 15th St., 303-623-0534. Dinner ABEJAS $$$$ Golden / Seasonal Enjoy seasonal new American plates at this community restaurant. The ever-changing menu features farm-fresh produce, sustainable fish, and organic meats, and the bar highlights…

“I may have previously rolled my eyes at the idea of dabbling in crystals or tarot,” senior editor Rose Cahalan admits, “but one of my favorite things about journalism is that it can open you to new experiences and perspectives.” As Cahalan reported “Season Of The Witch” (page 64), she found herself forced to check her skepticism. Rather than encountering warty green sorceresses on broomsticks, Cahalan met a welcoming, diverse group of Coloradans who educated her about everything from Indigenous folk healing practices to the subtle powers of crystals. “I came away with a new respect for witchcraft as a meaningful pursuit and community for people who might feel like they don’t have a place in mainstream religion,” Cahalan says. That openness also inspired a creative detour in Cahalan’s own…

Melissa Keosann didn’t always know she was a denim whisperer. The 42-year-old worked as a bartender for years before opening Boulder’s LOV’D, which stands for Library of Vintage Denim, in October 2023, and at first, she relied on a tape measure to find her clients’ dimensions. “Then one day, I accidentally buried my tape measure in the jeans that are on this countertop,” Keosann says, pointing to piles of whitewashed, boyfriend, and bootcut styles. Rather than search for that needle in a jean stack, Keosann winged it. “I was like, Wait, I’m actually better at eyeballing it than I am with measuring,” she says. Now, Keosann can select someone’s dream denim from her stock of roughly 3,000 Levi’s and Wranglers—all of which are at least 20 years old—just by glancing…

A good rule of thumb: When you see a queue at a bakery, stop what you’re doing and join in. This holds true at Berkeley’s Bakery Four, where founder Shawn Bergin’s naturally leavened breads and laminated pastries reward your patience. What started as a cottage business with farmers’ market appearances in 2019 has bloomed into a bakery with a dedicated cult following. Order this: the country loaf. 4150 Tennyson St. It can be all too easy to miss Good Bread, especially if you’ve been avoiding East Colfax Avenue’s demonic construction situation. But do yourself a favor and pull up to this diminutive shop for sweet and savory pastries (hello, cardamom buns and tomatobacon danishes) and stacked sandwiches built on cushy sourdough. Order this: the baguettes. 1515 Madison St. At its…

AS I stood before a bowl of muskrat mandibles in Ritualcravt, one of the Denver area’s biggest and hippest witchcraft stores, I stared with interest at the delicate rodent jaws, each with its 16 tiny white teeth still intact, artfully laid out in a pewter dish. But I couldn’t focus for long on them, or on the vintage wood curiosity cabinet with drawers containing neatly stacked armadillo toe bones, raccoon ribs, and needle-sharp urchin spines in glass vials. Although these objects were undeniably alluring, what really captivated me was the shop’s clientele. On that Friday afternoon, the Wheat Ridge store was bustling. I spotted two Gen Z girls in a corner; one of them was scrolling TikTok while her friend looked at candles. A middleaged man in a polo shirt…

Best New-School Shop RITUALCRAVT “UR MAGIC,” proclaims a mosaic heart inlaid in the brick facade outside Ritualcravt, a sprawling witch’s wonderland in Wheat Ridge. The 4,000-square-foot space teems with lush plants and antique cabinets painted black. The trendy, understated vibe here is equally welcoming to the patrons who stop by after visiting the tattoo shop next door as to the Catholic nuns who regularly come in for candles and prayer cards. Hundreds of herbal teas, essential oils, incense sticks, and other treasures are made in-house. 7700 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge Best Old-School Shop HERBS & ARTS Keeping East Colfax Avenue witchy since 1993, Herbs & Arts boasts a vast selection of bulk dried herbs, more than 600 jars of which are neatly stacked on purple shelves. You can…

Find the right spot. It need not be large: the top of a dresser or mantelpiece, part of a bookshelf. Kitchen altars are common, especially if you plan to incorporate herbs and spices. Choose somewhere peaceful you can comfortably sit, stand, or kneel. If you’re tight on space, try a small, mobile tray. Embrace the senses. Add scents with candles, oils, or incense. Incorporate sound with a bell or singing bowl, and explore textures via a living or dried plant, a jagged quartz crystal, or a smooth string of beads. Honor your ancestors. In many cultures (think: Mexico and its Día de Los Muertos tradition), altars incorporate memories of departed loved ones. At Ritualcravt, Missy Rhysing and her team have expanded that concept to include tributes to creative and artistic inspirations: On…

When the Vietnam War ended in 1975, more than 120,000 South Vietnamese people fled the capital of Saigon in fear of the newly installed Communist government. Resettlement organizations and sponsors in Denver helped a small number of refugees—about 10,000—find homes near Denver’s Alameda Avenue and Federal Boulevard. Over time, the newcomers transformed the area into Little Saigon, a hub of grocery stores, tailoring shops, and restaurants that became the epicenter of Southeast Asian and East Asian culture in Denver. But 50 years later, the district is losing its link to its founders: “A lot of the original residents are either retiring or being displaced or, unfortunately, passing away,” says Joie Ha, executive director of Colorado Asian Pacific United, a nonprofit that hosts cultural events and community projects. So in 2023,…

Seasonal Sips While you were quaffing frosty Pilsners on the patio at the height of summer, the team at nine-year old Bruz Beers was already thinking about sweater weather. “We plan our brewing schedule about a year in advance,” co-founder Charlie Gottenkieny says. Some of those beers spend months conditioning in cold lagering tanks before they’re ready to pour, while others rest in oak casks to create complex layers of flavor: vanillalike notes released by the wood, subtle hints of bourbon or red wine still present from the barrels’ previous occupants, and acidity from wild yeast. The foresight of the crew—including co-founder Ryan Evans and head brewer Dave Olson—results in Belgian-style singles, dubbels, tripels, and quadrupels that are always on tap, plus seasonal styles such as a dark Czech lager,…

Aura: The energy field around a person, animal, or object. Aura photography is a trendy, contemporary form of witchcraft that uses various techniques, from body temperature to Instax film, to reveal a person’s essence. Besom: A witch’s broom, often used for cleaning and purifying the home. Make your own by tying branches around a stick with twine. (Birch twigs and a hazel handle are traditional, but experimentation is encouraged.) Coven: A group of witches. The place they gather may be called a covenstead. Grimoire: A book of spells. Magick: The k is added to distinguish spell casting, divination, and the like from the kind of magic performed onstage with top hats and white rabbits. Pagan: First used in the fourth century, this term carries a wide range of meanings, but…

Start simple.Clear quartz is one of the most widely available and adaptable crystals. It’s associated with clarity and focus, as well as filtering out negative energy. Branch out with rose quartz for self-love or citrine for joy. Colorado witches may enjoy calming aquamarine, our state gemstone, and rhodochrosite, our official mineral, which is said to help with letting go. Find a use that works for you. Some people arrange crystals on an altar, while others carry small stones tucked in a pocket. Jewelry counts too: A ring or necklace made of black tourmaline, Confer says, might provide a “protective bubble” in difficult situations. If you struggle with insomnia, try slipping selenite under your pillow. Cleanse and charge. The basic concept is that stones pick up energy or vibrations around them.…