Best Denver Coffee

Kaladi Brothers: this is the best coffee in town…we go there for takeaway coffee and buying beans, not as much for sit-down.

Metropolis: slightly closer to the Baker neighborhood, this is a great sit-down coffee shop with fabulous coffee. The free wifi is nice as well.

Best Denver Mojito

Cuba Cuba: a great date night place for dinner and drink, or a great bar to have a few (slightly pricy but oh so worth it) drinks.

Best Denver Tapas

9th Door: The 9th Door: possibly my favorite place in downtown Denver, especially the happy hour. Honey drizzled fried goat cheese ball, anyone?

Best Take-Away Sandwich Shop

After a few months working in the Golden Triangle we finally found Parsley which is an awesome restaurant that provides gourmet sandwiches, salads, fruit smoothees, and now soups at reasonable (though not cheap) prices. It is a great value, though be prepared that a typical meal will set you back about $10 ($7-8 for a salad or sandwich, 2-3 for a drink).

Best Denver bagel

Moe's Bagels: a local favorite

Einstein Brothers Bagels: OK so it’s a chain, but they do have a delightful Santa Fe breakfast sandwich.

Best Baker Neighborhood Bakery

Look away from the "Fat people are harder to kidnap" bumper sticker at the register of the Buffalo Doughboy Bakery (more coverage) and enjoy a prosciutto and swiss croissant or a pastry filled with apples and walnuts.

Best Denver Thai food

Tommy's Thai: Great food, great price…mmmmmmmmm! For delivery/closer to home option, Thai Basil is pretty tasty as well.

Best Denver Vegetarian Restaurant

Watercourse: A great breakfast, lunch and dinner spot with wholesome yet delicious home cooked options. My personal favorites include banana bread French toast with fresh fruit or the tofu scramble with brie and basil (I was scared at first, but it’s seriously delightful). If you don’t believe healthy food can be delicious, you gotta try Watercourse!

Best Denver Pizza

Pasquini's on South Broadway is a good sit-down option, while Proto's Pizza is a fancier option with great thin crust creative pizzas. Another favorite, of course, is the Buenos Aires Pizzeria with its delicious pizzas and empanadas. Their sister restaurant is an Argentine steakhouse which is also a great place to try. A new comer is Belemonti's Pizzeria on Santa Fe.

Best German Resutaurant

The Cafe Berlin is perhaps the only real German restaurant in Denver but that's not the only reason it's the "best." It also happens to be delicious. Just don't be surprised by the meat - the "vegetarian option" comes covered in meat gravy and the split pea soup has meat in it as well. It's all delicious, but it's defintely a place to go when you are ready for some hearty meat dishes (feeling veggie? see watercourse above).

Best Denver (diveish) bars

Breckenridge (official site): Wednesday nights are $2 draft nights. The 471 IPA is a little slice of heaven.

The Hornet: OK this bar fits under the category of the best I’m-meeting-someone-and-don’t-know-where-to-go slash fallback bar…

My Brother's Bar: Great burgers and drinks near downtown/REI

The Stadium Inn in the DU neighborhood is the diveiest of the dive bars if you're ever in the mood to a) fee like you're in college again or b) get tipsy on $2.50 gin and tonics.

Best Downtown Denver Haircut

Visit stylist Hannah Wheeler at the historic, funky Parlour and enjoy a gratis glass of wine or beer while getting a great haircut and chat session.

Best Denver Auto Repair

Addison Auto is an independent auto repair shop for both mechanical and body repair. Plus it's my parent's shop:)

Best Entertainment near Baker Neighborhood

Mayan Theater: watch an independent film 3 blocks from home while sipping on some vino/beer.

First Friday Santa Fe Gallery crawl: The first Friday of every month, the numerous galleries along Santa Fe stay open until 9pm while hordes of people wander the streets sipping wine and checking out art.

Botanic Gardens: the perfect place for a picnic and wandering around this huge and varied garden.

Best Denver Independent Bookshop

We’re no longer friends if you keep going to Barnes and Noble after checking out the Tattered Cover's two locations around downtown. This is my happy place where I go browse books and drink coffee when I’m stressed at work.

Best Denver Wine Shop

The Whole Foods of liquor shopping is Divino on South Broadway. Wine tastings on Saturdays and recommended wines for as low as $7.