Denver Food Tour

Although my trip to Denver was mostly work - the good kind where I get to go to a conference - I did find time to fit in a fun food tour with Taste of Denver. The walking tour started outside of Union Station and offered a brief overview of the architecture and history of the LoDo area of Denver alongside plenty of delicious food. From just outside my hotel, I could hop on the 16th Street Shuttle - the free bus that runs regularly up and down the mostly pedestrian 16th street - and be dropped off practically at the station. Taking the train to and from Union Station is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get to the airport, too.

The guide greeted us with a colorful box of macarons from Milk Market. I was, no surprise, one of the first to arrive, so I had my choice of flavors and could not say no to blackberry. It was perfect with just enough sweetness to get the tour started.

From there we walked to the nearby Zoe Ma Ma. The restaurant prepares authentic Chinese street food and we got a try a trio of dim sum dishes - a pork and shrimp potsticker, a pearl rice meatball, and a pork bao - paired with iced green tea. The sauces may appear to be playing a supporting role, but each were fantastic.

Honestly, by this point in the tour - one stop in - I was sort of wondering how I would manage to finish the tour. Our friendly and knowledgeable guide had cautioned that the number of tastes and the portions would be generous, but I really needed to start pacing myself.

Our second restaurant stop was Lucky Pie, where our group got to share the Balls of Fury pizza, topped with lamb meatballs, roasted red peppers, and pepperoncini. Of course the most important part of a pizza is the crust, and Lucky Pie’s was perfectly chewy with an ideal cheese to crust to toppings ratio. We had the opportunity to order something from the extensive on tap list (it is Denver after all) or another beverage. Although the restaurant was accommodating with taking individual credit cards, I would recommend bringing cash to keep things simple (also, because you will definitely want to tip the guide). I really wanted to eat a second slice, but I practiced some restraint (see above).

Next up was Brass Tacks, a recently opened bar in a gorgeous historical building. With on tap cocktails and a resident ghost, this is becoming a can’t miss spot in Denver. My mini cocktail of choice was a sloe gin fizz. We were served a variety of shareable happy hour bar food, including wings, but the standout was the chopped cheese sandwich. If this gooey, cheesy, buttery concoction were the only thing I ate on the entire tour, I would have been happy.

Speaking of historical buildings, one of the things I really enjoyed about the tour in addition to the food was the chance to learn about Denver’s architecture and the unique history of its preservation. At a time when many cities were tearing down older buildings in the name of progress, one especially wealthy woman, Dana Crawford, was buying up as many buildings as she could to prevent this from happening in Denver. She almost singlehandedly created Larimer Square. Many of Denver’s original gorgeous brick buildings are today repurposed into shops, restaurants, and (very expensive) living spaces.

After a chance to let our food settle a bit with a walk through Larimer Square, our next to last stop was Wynkoop Brewing Company. Here we sampled a beer of choice alongside a platter of cheese and sausages, including a rattlesnake and boar sausage and one made with Wynkoop’s Rocky Mountain oyster brew, a beer, as the name suggests, that is somehow made with bull testicles.

Our final stop was Milkbox Creamery inside Union Station. Serving Denver’s best ice cream, Little Man, we had our pick of unique and delicious flavors. I was pretty predictable with my choice of Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cup ice cream and had zero regrets.

With that, my Taste of Denver food tour came to an end. I can highly recommend this tour if you’re visiting Denver. The $79 tickets were easy to book online and the guide brought history and some of LoDo’s best food spots to life. If you have dietary restrictions, there were substitutions available. After the tour ended, I spent a little time exploring Union Station before heading back to my hotel. The station has again become a functional train station, but also houses a hotel, shops, restaurants, and a bar built into the original ticket counter. It is a lovely and light-filled space.

Although the rest of my time in Denver was spent at a conference, I still had to eat. Some other spots I tried that came recommended to me from a friend were Machete, which served amazing tacos and margaritas (basically almost everything I need to be happy) and Peaks Lounge, a bar on the 27th floor of the Hyatt Regency with stunning views of the city. I also tried out the nearby La Loma to get my green chili fix. I can recommend all of these spots if you find yourself in Denver.

I had a great time in Denver. Although this short trip certainly had it’s challenges, I learned things, I came away with new ideas, I got some rest, and enjoyed plenty of delicious food. Until next time, Denver.