Annette is a scratch-to-table modern American restaurant just outside of Denver, Colorado, in Stanley Marketplace. Stanley Marketplace is a community of 50+ independently owned Colorado businesses that offer a place for to eat, drink, shop, exercise, play, work and more.



The space has some modern flair and is pretty slick. It's not a comfy-cozy atmosphere; it's refined.

I recently listened to a podcast about how restaurants psychologically influence diners to eat quickly or slowly depending on how cozy the seats are and how fast the music is. That resonated with me a bit here.



Chef-Owner Caroline Glover is a 2019 Food and Wine Best New Chef and was awarded the title of 2022 James Beard Best Chef in the Mountain Region.



The menu features seasonal items from local producers, as well as some new spins on classic items. I ordered the pork tonnato with tuna, capers, red onion and parsley. I learned that tonnato is a room-temperature, creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce flavored with tuna. It was interesting, and I'm glad I tried it. But I think I'll pass next time.



I did, however, love the fried and stuffed squash blossoms. There's a bit of whimsy when eating these because it's like a delicious flower, stuffed with a cheesy mixture and deep-fried. Yum. For my main entrée, I devoured the housemade cavatelli with sausage, confit tomatoes, and Parmesan. The chew of the fresh pasta in the simple toppings are the definition of comfort food for me.



Grade: A

Rioja, a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Denver, features a menu inspired by Mediterranean ingredients and influenced by local and seasonal products. Rioja's Jennifer Jasinski was the first Denver chef to win a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest.



The space is home to a copper-topped bar and exhibition kitchen with simple decor that allows the food to shine. They offer a lunch menu dubbed "the flavor dojo," which features a smaller menu of lighter fare.



I ordered the "artichoke tortelloni - artichoke mousse, white truffle brodo, queso de mano, chervil." It's a classic Rioja dish that is even featured on the James Beard website.



Fresh tortelloni pasta is paired with earthy artichokes and local, funky goat cheese mousse that is elevated even more with truffle essence in a delicate broth. It's a lovely balance of light freshness and rich decadence. It is silky and satisfying.



Add a refreshing and slightly sweet drink, and I was a happy camper.



Grade: A

Located in the Denver Milk Market, Morning Jones serves up muffins, pastries, breads and other sweet and savory treats. Between the full-size cakes and mini treats, it was a slice of heaven.



Featuring 16 venues run exclusively by acclaimed Chef Frank Bonanno, Denver Milk Market is one of the nation’s only dining marketplaces led by a single chef. In addition to the coffee & pastry shop, the market also has concepts around pizza, pasta, hot chicken, brunch, poke, salads, burgers, sandwiches, ice cream, seafood and tacos.



At Morning Jones, there are a bazillion pastries and coffee options, so I took my time perusing the options behind the case.



No coffee for me on this visit, but I did enjoy a raspberry dessert. The giant serving had layers of cake and cream. Sweet, but balanced nicely with the tartness of the raspberry.



Have you been?



Grade: B

Milkbox Ice Creamery is a Union Station small-batch ice cream shop located in a former barbershop space in Denver. It's a really neat spot that fawls modern but still rooted in the classics.



This ice cream shop stocks 16 flavors of ice cream, including sorbet and vegan options served as a shake, sundae, cone or cup, as well as boozy alcohol shakes.



Flavors include:
Almond Joy*
Banana Pudding
Basil Blueberry Swirl
Black Walnut
Chocolate*
Cinnamon Churro
Coffee Bean
Cookie Monster
Toasted Coconut
Dulce De Leche
German Chocolate
Key Lime Pie
Luv Chunks (raspberry with brownie chunks)
Malted Whopper
Maple Walnut
Mexican Chocolate
Mint Oreo
Pineapple Sorbet
Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cup
Salted Butterscotch
Salted Oreo*
Strawberry Sorbet
Snickers
Strawberry Cheesecake
Sweet Basil Blueberry
* = Vegan Available



I went with a simple cup of dulce de leche. The deeply rich flavor is one of my favorites. It was beautifully smooth and creamy - no overchurning in sight here.



Grade: A

Crema Bodega in the Denver Central Market features small-batch coffees and creative espresso drinks. They have 22 local, national and international coffee roasters. I opted for a small, iced caramel latte, which was the lovely little jolt of energy I needed. It was a robust flavor profile with just the essence of caramel notes. True coffee lovers would be fans.



Grade: A

Izzio Bakery is a family-owned Colorado bakery that has been baking traditional organic sourdough breads since 1994.



At the Denver Central Market location, the bakery also features breakfast and lunch items in addition to an enticing dessert display.



A fresh fruit tart caught my eye. A cookie disc layered with a frosting and topped with a colorful bounty of summer berries. What's not to love? It was absolutely lovely.



Next time, I may opt for a sandwich and try that fresh-baked bread.



Grade: A

I have found the best bagels outside of NYC. That's because Rosenberg's Bagels in Denver does just about everything it can to replicate the NYC classic right in Denver.



"We only use the highest quality ingredients. Our bacon is heritage-breed pork, processed by Denver’s premier bacon company. We use cage-free eggs that were farmed locally no more than a week before being served. We ‘recreate’ NYC’s water with a machine that we had custom-fabricated, in order to make our bagels as authentic and delicious as possible. And being in a landlocked state, it can be pricey to fly in fresh (never frozen) fish, of which we only use the highest quality and is sustainably sourced and every slice, masterfully hand sliced," reads their website regarding pricing.



I visited their Stanley Marketplace location, which is technically in Aurora, and the first thing I noticed was the smell. There are few things better than fresh baked bread.



I ordered The High Class: Specialty Smoked Fish, Caviar Cream Cheese, Tomato, Red Onion, Choice of Bagel (garlic). Plus a half sour pickle.



It's a little fancier than my standard lox bagel, so that made it a bit more fun. Slightly brinier and with some more interesting texture. Silky, smokey salmon, cream cheese, chewy bagel = it's a beautiful flavor combo.



Grade: A

Sweet Cow is a small-batch ice cream shop in the Denver area; I visited the Stanley Marketplace location in Aurora to try out their locally sourced, handscooped ice cream.



"At Sweet Cow we churn small batch handcrafted ice cream that tastes simply moolicious! We focus on creating a neighborhood space where memories are made, lives are celebrated and humans connect with one another. We are Colorado proud, from the majestic flatirons of Boulder to the mirrored skyscrapers of Denver and beyond. Swing by and experience the best homemade ice cream in Colorado," reads the website.



With two dozen choices for flavors, I honed in on rich, luxurious options like butter pecan and caramel latte. I can't remember which I settled on, but I remember the velvety texture of the ice cream was dreamy. The consistency was thick, which made it feel very artisanal.



And next time, I definitely want to try the ice cream in a sandwich, as opposed to just a scoop. But that's not all - sundaes, milkshakes, root beer floats, ice cream cakes, and even pies.



Grade: A

Onefold is "a breakfast and lunch restaurant that serves family inspired recipes made from scratch." It has been noted for being one of the best breakfasts in Denver (and for the owner clapping back at negative Yelp reviews).



The menu is pretty cool; it has some global influences with dishes like Chinese sausage fried rice, crêpes, Loco Moco (white rice, topped with a hamburger, a fried egg, and brown gravy) and huevos rancheros (fried eggs on tortillas topped with a pico de gallo).



I ordered the congee: savory rice porridge with chicken & duck broth, duck confit, poached egg, scallions, salted ginger and chili oil. I was pretty excited to try congee, which they nature seems like it would be pretty mild in flavor as a rice porridge. I love that it is a unique offering, but it's simply didn't have much flavor for my palate. Maybe I needed to amp of the chili oil, but I do appreciate this mix of ingredients.



Grade: B

We just talked a lot about Austin, but guess what? I made another trip not too long ago over to Seattle So, I'll talk a little bit about some of the great food I got to try there.

But, first, we had to get there. Our flight had a layover in Denver, so I made a beeline for the food court area. The first thing that caught my attention? City Wok.

City Wok has some basics, so I went basic with sweet and sour chicken, as well as an order of Krab Rangoon Won Tons. These wontons were decent - not super crispy, inside was pretty average.

Same could be said for the main entree. It was just kinda neither here nor there. A little more flavor would've been nice in the sauce. But, not bad. Just pretty middle of the road. I suppose that's what's expected from airport food. But now I can say I (kinda) ate in Denver!



Grade: C