NACBS



NACBS/WCBS Local Guide 2017

by Marjorie Levine-Clark (University of Colorado Denver)

Welcome to Denver! Here’s hoping the weather treats us well!

I want to thank WCBS President Andy Muldoon (Metropolitan State University) for doing the bulk of the local arrangements work. Thanks also to our volunteers for helping to put packets together, staff registration, and set up.

Getting around

From the Airport:

There is now light-rail service from the Denver National Airport to downtown Denver. Whoopee! For information, .

Both Lyft and Uber operate from DIA, with rates running about $40 to get downtown. Taxis are much more expensive.

Downtown:

The Sheraton Downtown Denver is a central location, from which you can easily access excellent restaurants, museums, and shopping. You will find the FREE 16th Street Mall Shuttle the best way to move around downtown (or you can walk). The Shuttle stops at every corner on 16th Street between Civic Center and Union Station, which is new for those of you who were here in 2011.

When facing 16th Street from the hotel, most of the action is to your left. Many of the downtown restaurants I recommend below are in the LoDo area of downtown (Larimer, Market, Blake, Wazee, Wynkoop streets, and the new Union Station complex). Here you will also find lots of galleries and shops between 14th and 20th streets. Larimer Square, between 14th and 15th streets, is the hub of LoDo.

Some fun sites in or near LoDo:

• Tattered Cover Bookstore: a Denver institution. 16th and Wynkoop.

• Museum of Contemporary Art

• REI Flagship store: a bit further along 15th St. from the MCA. You will walk past the lovely Confluence Park area. REI is on your left; Platte Street on your right is also worth a visit.

• If you have kids with you: the Denver Aquarium and Children’s Museum are in this area also, past REI.

If you go right on 16th street from the Sheraton, you will wind up in the Civic Center area (there’s lots of construction) – across Civic Center Park you will see

• the Denver Art Museum [Pint’s Pub is right near the Art Museum, on 13th between Bannock and Cherokee]

• the beautiful Denver Public Library

• the Clifford Still Museum is next to the Art Museum to the west

If you are really into galleries, you will want to venture into the Santa Fe Art District. This will be about a 20 minute bus ride on route 1. Bus fare is $2.60 one way. Take the 16th Street Shuttle to Champa St., where you can catch the bus. Kalamath St. is the one way south equivalent to Santa Fe. Get off on Kalamath around 6thAve., walk a block east to Santa Fe, and you will find lots of fun spots.

Eating and drinking

The Denver Visitors’ Bureau lists many restaurants all over the city. There are lots of eating and drinking establishments very close to the hotel; it’s easy to grab a quick bite, sandwich, or burger on the 16th Street Mall.

The following restaurants are highlights, according to me (Marjorie Levine-Clark). I take my food and drink seriously.

Downtown

The following restaurants/drinking establishments are either walking distance or a free mall shuttle ride from the Sheraton:

Bistro Vendome, 1420 Larimer St., . Lovely French bistro with lots of atmosphere.

ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro, 1555 Blake St., . A favorite. Really interesting cocktails. Try the house-made tonic with Leopold’s gin.

Euclid Hall, 1317 14th St., . Homemade sausages and good beer.

Falling Rock Tap House, 1919 Blake St. . Over 75 beers on tap. The real deal.

Green Russell, 1422 Larimer St., . A cocktail cave. House made mixers. Yum.

The Kitchen. 1530 16th St., . Farm to table. Delicious.

The Mercantile. In Union Station. . Top chef, top food. Expensive.

Osteria Marco, 1453 Larimer St., . Homemade salami and cheeses, pizzas, and delicious fare all around.

Panzano, 909 17th St., . Northern Italian. Good happy hour. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Pint’s Pub, 221 W. 13th Ave, . Cask conditioned ales and the “purveyor of the largest selection of single malt whisky this side of Edinburgh, Scotland.” Not really downtown, but walking distance from the Sheraton.

Rioja, 1431 Larimer St., . Mediterranean. I highly recommend this one.

Stoic and Genuine. In Union Station. . If you like oysters . . . Terrific and inventive seafood. Expensive.

TAG Restaurant, 1441 Larimer St., . Funky small plates and cocktails.

Tamayo, 1400 Larimer St., . Very good modern Mexican cuisine.

Vesta Dipping Grill, 1822 Blake St., . Love the bar and small plates here. One of my favorites.

Wazee Supper Club, 1600 15th St., . Excellent pizza (even according to east coast snob) and beer. Casual and fun.

Wynkoop Brewing Company, 1634 18th St., . The place that led the renaissance of LoDo. Brew pub and fare.

Confluence Park area.

Take the 16th Street Mall Shuttle to the west end, walk down to 15th St and head west-ish.

Colt and Gray, 1553 Platte St., . Quite a scene. Really good cocktails, serious eats.

House of Commons, 2401 15th St., . Tea house with good salads, sandwiches, scones and cream.

Sushi Sasa, 2401 15th St., . I might rate Sasa the best sushi in Denver (along with Sushi Den and Itzakaya Den, which are much further from downtown).

Uptown

A long walk or Lyft from the Sheraton.

Ace. Eat. Serve, 501 E. 17th Ave., . Casual Asian fusion with ping pong.

Beast and Bottle, 719 E. 17th Ave., . Intimate space, friendly, small menu, great food.

D Bar, 494 E 19th Ave., . Desserts are the centerpiece, but excellent experience all around.

Steuben’s, 523 E. 17th Ave., . Funky diner-ish restaurant with good cocktails.

Coperta, 400 E. 20th Ave., . Delicious southern Italian.

The Thin Man, 2015 E. 17th Ave. . No food, great bar. Infused vodkas.

Vine Street Pub, 1700 Vine St., . Great beer, good pub fare.

Capitol Hill/Congress Park/Cherry Creek

A few are walkable, but most a Lyft ride. All of these would be worth the price of a ride.

Barolo Grill, 3030 E. 6th Ave., . A special occasion meal. Northern Italian. Fantastic. Pricey.

Bones, 701 Grant St., . Amazing. Noodle bowls and fantastic apps. Tiny place.

Fruition, 1313 E. 6th Ave.. . One of America’s top new restaurants in 2007. Intimate, lovely, local.

Lala’s Wine Bar and Pizzeria, 410 E. 7th Ave., . Casual. Great wine list and really nice happy hour.

Luca d’Italia, 711 Grant St., . One of Denver’s best from one of Denver’s top chefs.

Mizuna, 225 E. 7th Ave., . Same chef as Luca. Often voted Denver’s best. Pricey.

Potager, 1109 Ogden St., . One of my favorites. All local. Small and large plates. No reservations.

Table 6, 609 Corona St., . Interesting combinations, delicious results.

Highlands/LoHi

All of these are highly rated restaurants that you can reach by bus or easy Lyft ride.

Avanti, 3200 N. Pecos St., . A food hall with multiple stalls for food and drink. Fun and loud.

Duo, 2413 W. 32nd Ave., . Local food. Never a bad meal.

Linger, 2030 W. 30th Ave., . Lots of small plates. Caters to gluten free. Very hip and very popular.

Lola, 1575 Boulder St., . Coastal Mexican, awesome Margaritas, and lots of Tequila.

Root Down, 1600 W. 33rd St., . Funky, fresh, local. Known for their cocktails.

Spuntino, 2639 W. 32nd Ave., . I could eat here every week. Pasta, small plates, delish.

Sushi Hai, 3600 W. 32nd Ave., . Fish flown in from Japan, every day I think.

Uncle, 2215 W. 32nd Ave., . Supposedly the best ramen in town.

Old South Pearl

Not close to downtown, but both of these are excellent, and Sushi Den is a classic. South Pearl is fun to stroll. Probably a 15 minute Lyft ride.

Izakaya Den, 1518 S. Pearl St., .

Sushi Den, 1487 S. Pearl St., .

Also of note:

Buckhorn Exchange, 1000 Osage St., . An institution. Big game, etc. I’ve never been. Take light rail.

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