It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of perfect pastas, it was the age of overpriced steaks. It was the epoch of rapid-fire openings, it was the epoch of tragic closings. It was the season of new heights, it was the season of crappy service.
In short, 2017 gave us an abundance of new restaurants, ranging from the spectacular to a spectacular waste of money.
But these, these are the best the year had to offer. Covering all price points and as many miles as I could stand to drive, these are my favorite restaurants that opened in 2017.
Annette
Sighs, smiles and the word “lovely” are all heavily prevalent in conversations about Annette. This bright, quaint and, yes, lovely restaurant inside the Stanley Marketplace is a no-brainer for any best new restaurant list. (Including Bon Appétit, which put Annette on its list of the nation’s 50 best new restaurants.) The menu is simple, approachable and perfectly executed by chef/owner Caroline Glover. Plus, for the quality and deliciousness factor, prices are fair — $15 for the best bowl of gnocchi I’ve had in a long time; $7 for any of the desserts. 2501 Dallas St., Aurora, 720-710-9975; annettescratchtotable.com
Cloverdale
Ambition should be rewarded; ambition plus jumping-off-a-cliff-level risk-taking should be celebrated, and so I’m celebrating the ambitious, risky Cloverdale. It’s hard enough for a tasting-menu-only restaurant to make it in a big city (which is probably why we can’t find any in Denver), so to open one in Steamboat Springs, population 12,690, seems downright crazy. The downright crazy guy is chef Patrick Ayres, and his five or 10-14 course tasting menus are an adventure in Yampa Valley ingredients and innovative techniques. 207 9th St., Steamboat Springs, 970-875-3179; cloverdalerestaurant.com
Emmerson
Like Cloverdale, Emmerson is a challenging restaurant for diners. Not challenging as in it’s going to engage you in a duel or anything, but challenging as in, yes, chef Michael Gibney is really going to serve you a plate of beef rib carpaccio with oysters and brie and you will think it will be terrible but if you’re brave enough to try it you’ll come out on the other side into a new frontier of culinary open-mindedness. And there may never be any going back. Oh, and the drinks are great, too, so that helps. 1600 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-953-9852; emmersonrestaurant.com
Lazo Empanadas
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get great eats; $3.50 buys you a little taste of paradise in the form of an empanada. What makes Lazo — which took over the former Buenos Aires Pizzeria spot at 22nd and Larimer — so good is that the dough is imported from owner Francois Saber’s native Argentina. (Our dry climate makes it difficult to achieve that flaky crust perfection.) The 14 fillings, however, are made from local ingredients, so you don’t have to feel too guilty about your carbon empanada footprint. 1319 22nd St., Denver, 303-296-6710; lazoempanadas.com
Pizzeria Lui
What wouldn’t you do for great pizza? Unless the answer is “drive to Lakewood,” there are no excuses for missing out on this Neapolitan-style newcomer. The pies are fired in a 900-degree wood-burning oven to achieve that immaculate, chewy, barely-charred crust that creates a near-perfect base for the San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and peppy toppings. Lui is Colorado’s Pizza of the Year, and if Pizza of the Year isn’t really a thing, I just made it one. 5380 W. Mississippi Ave., Lakewood, 303-922-3202; pizzerialui.com
Tavernetta
The best restaurants are driven by obsession, so it’s no surprise that the Frasca Food & Wine group created another stellar restaurant dedicated to its Italian food fetish in the form of Tavernetta. From tissue-paper-thin prosciutto to pinched agnolotti dancing with black trumpet mushrooms, to one of the best steaks I’ve ever had, Tavernetta is an ode to fine Italian cooking from a highly driven team. 1889 16th St., Denver, 720-605-1889; tavernettadenver.com
Ultreia
In Spain, tapas are a religion. Barcelonians worship at the altar of patatas bravas (potatoes in a spicy sauce), San Sebastián locals praise anchovies on toast, and now you, too, can know what it is to have a spiritual awakening by eating pickled shrimp. Ultreia, chef Jennifer Jasinski’s second Union Station restaurant, honors the salty, simple flavors of the Iberian Peninsula and the region’s small-plate-heavy, ritualistic dining experience. 1701 Wynkoop St., Denver, 303-534-1970; ultreiadenver.com
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