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Food

Molino Chido: A Powerhouse Chef Gets Back to Basics with New Mexico City–Inspired Street Food Spot in Aurora

Molino Chido is here to feed the people. Officially opened on Nov 11, 2025, it’s chef Michael Diaz de Leon’s first restaurant working with Denver restaurateur Tommy Lee (Uncle, Hop Alley), focusing on Mexico City–inspired street food. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Diaz de Leon. After leading ID Est Hospitality’s Brutø to its first […]

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Food

New Restaurant Cheat Sheet: Sep 2025 Report

In this month’s cheat sheet a high-octane restaurant parks itself in Denver and a satisfying small-business alternative to corporate salad chains. This is an excerpt from the New Denizen newsletter on Substack, published one month after subscribers receive the list. Subscribe for free to be the first to get my curated lists of new restaurant […]

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Food

New Restaurant Cheat Sheet: Aug 2025 Report

In this month’s cheat sheet, a new cool kids’ spot for late night eating and drinking has emerged, a globally inspired restaurant tucked underground debuted, and a high-end Cherry Creek convenience store that stirred online controversy. This is an excerpt from the New Denizen newsletter on Substack, published one month after subscribers receive the list. […]

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Food

Meet Kizaki, the New Chef’s Counter That Could Be Denver’s Best Omakase Sushi

Editor’s Note: On September 15, 2025 the Michelin Guide awarded Kizaki One MICHELIN Star. I visited the restaurant in July 2025. Denver restaurateur Toshi Kizaki — known for running several of the city’s most popular Japanese eateries – has opened a new, eponymous omakase counter, Kizaki. At 70 years old, he works on‑site four nights a […]

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Food

BearLeek: Unique Underground Restaurant with Global Flavors in Denver

BearLeek is new globally-inspired restaurant in RiNo from Executive Chef Harrison Porter and Chef de Cuisine Rema Maaliki. The spot is tricky to find because it’s literally underground — you walk down a flight of stairs to reach the entrance of this moody space, with inky black walls bathed in an neon wash of red […]