Roadtrip leftovers

End-of-year bonus: Six spots elsewhere in Colorado that I dined this year, didn't yet tell you about, and highly recommend

Photo by Matthew Schniper.

*I’m publishing this partly as an end-of-year thank you to my paid subscribers, who get months-early access to my reviews, which are eventually free for all to read. Thanks as always for the support, and happy new year to you!

By now, you know about my journey to IKEA to pop my lingonberry. And I even made it home to ‘Bama in September to see family.

But most of my other jaunts took place over day trips or short weekends away in-state. With everything going on for me on a daily basis with Side Dish and life in general this year, it was honestly difficult to squeeze in much travel — which has always been a necessary mental health break for me.

And when I did hit the road, I often held back my experiences for myself, either trying not to work or just hanging onto something I didn’t feel too compelled to share publicly. (Like, my life on my own time outside of my self-tasked job.) Or, I had every intention to write up a small blurb in one of the weekly newsletters upon return, but I never found the right time or space.

Ultimately, it’s no matter, because all I have to do now is sift thru the pieces on the editing room floor and pluck out what remains untouched. I’ve just done so, and counted six places to quickly tell you about. And by quickly I mean some pics and a few lines each — short and sweet. I’ll point you in the direction, you do the rest. So here goes:

Safta (Denver)

I’d been before a couple years ago for a spectacular dinner, but finally made it back for weekend brunch — something you should do for sure in 2024. This Israeli restaurant made it to the Michelin Guide’s recommended list in 2023, the first year Michelin has ever judged here. Go and you’ll easily see why. I ate so many different items at the brunch buffet that I’m not even sure what to single out as most memorable. The pickled items? The sauces? The cured meats? Can I just get away with “all of it.” Even dessert was unique, with items like a tahini brownie and apricot-turmeric scone.

Nuance Chocolate (Fort Collins)

How cool is it to know that the world’s largest selection of single-origin bars is housed right here in Colorado at Nuance Chocolate? The bean to bar outfit “wants to educate consumers about where cacao comes from and how much it really costs to grow beans and make chocolate” as detailed in that Colorado Sun article. When I drop by there’s 19 single-origin bars available. We get a mixed truffles box, a 90% dark Ghanaian bar and some rich sipping chocolate drinks. I later try another brand’s commercially available dark bar at home (not a bad product by any measure) and realize how Nuance has just ruined me for life. Damn.

Aspen Peak Cellars (Bailey)

We went to view aspens nearby and ended up at Aspen Peak Cellars on the way home. As creekside dining spots (like Wines of Colorado) go, it’s pretty unparalleled for just how close to the water you sit. It’s like dip-a-toe close. The food’s great as well, as evidenced by our Italian porchetta sandwich and mixed sausage platter as well as the housemade cannoli. The wines (do a tasting paddle) aren’t show stoppers but they’re proficient for the setting and there’s some fruit fun ones like a strawberry rosé and pomegranate rouge as well as a dessert wine called Mocha Zinsation.

La Belle French Bakery (Thornton)

Friend to our beloved local outfit The French Kitchen, La Belle now has several locations. But on our way home from another trip we stop into the Thornton retail front for some goodies to eat during the drive. As usual in places like this, I want to buy everything because it all looks lavish and wonderful. But we show restraint and pick up a strawberry croissant and seasonal pumpkin croissant, as well as a couple fantastic dessert bites for later. You should follow La Belle’s active social media for chef Julien Renaut’s amusing and sometimes hypnotizing videos.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream (Denver)

You may have tuned into my currently underway Van Leeuwen ice cream tasting series on my newly launched Side Dish TikTok channel. (Go ahead and check that out, I’ll still be here when you get back.) Thanks to my TikTok manager (GF’s daughter), that’s where I’m tasting weird flavors that they picked up at a local Walmart — like dill pickle and Kraft mac n’ cheese. But when we’re in Denver, we do make an effort to get over to Larimer Square to hit up that recently opened location. The flavors here are a little less wild but still quite amusing and creative. There’s also an extensive vegan ice cream selection and they don’t suck at all — some you barely notice the difference. Check out the guest chef special flavors and don’t miss any of the chocolate variants. Despite the faces I’m making in the TikToks (from the odd flavors), I dig Van Leeuwen a lot and think it’s some of the best ice cream around, anywhere.

Beijing Noodle (Fort Collins)

Decidedly the finest Chinese food I’ve had since I had a fortunate layover in Shanghai nearly a decade ago, Beijing Noodle will catch you off guard. It’s an unassuming spot in a strip mall that you’d easily drive by as an out-of-towner and think nothing of it. Fortunately, we have a local connect in Fort Collins who raves about the place and took us there. Everything was outstanding, from the recommended Oil Spill Noodles to Chinese Hamburger (braised pork belly in a house yeast bun) to starter tea eggs and Henan Gravy Noodles.