Populist is a cool, hip, chill spot in the up and coming RiNo Neighborhood of Denver. I really like this area and this joint is just plain good. Great Vibe, small, quaint, great happy hour, food rocks and excellent cocktails. A couple of the apps I loved were the Cheese & Accoutrements and the Bacon & Egg.
Num Pang Sandwich Shop started out as a food truck parked by NYU in Manhattan. Now they have 6 locations around the city and these Cambodian Sandwiches rock big time. They are real deal people and cheap! I got the top seller, Pulled Pork. Go and get it!
TriBeCA is a pretty cool neighborhood in Manhattan. It has a bit of the swank factor going on. Fun. And there is a joint down there called Khe-Yo. Southeast Asian food with a Laotian emphasis. So good! I love the vibe and the food is outstanding. I had the Banana Wrapper Red Snapper with Crispy Baby Artichokes and Bang Bang. The fish was so tender and the Bang Bang sauce is so spicy! Love this place a lot!
new york
When I am on the road I am always drawn to the killer dive bar that has great food and Ducks Eatery in Manhattan fits the bill. It’s in the East Village which is a great neighborhood. This place is tiny with tons of character that has a funky menu and tasty cocktails. One of the things they are famous for is the chicken wings with hickory smoke, jerk rub and lime and they did not disappoint. Fun spot.
Another Manhattan joint knocked it out of the park. Red Farm on the Upper West Side is serious Chinese. This place is so frickin good. Everything was delicious and the atmosphere is fun and the cocktails delish. It’s a must go. Trust me. There is also a Red Farm in The Village. The Pastrami Egg Roll with Katz Deli pastrami was out of this world. Could have ate them all night long. And the Pac Man Shrimp Dumplings were tasty and fun to look at. GO!
Levain Bakery on the Upper West Side in Manhattan is the size of a closet and they sell 3 kinds of cookies and coffee. They are all great and all have chocolate chips. Oh, and they weigh about 1/3 of a pound. I like the Walnut Chocolate Chip . So good. Just go!
Stoic & Genuine is another kickass restaurant in Denver by Jennifer Jasinski and she teamed up with Jorel Pierce who is also the chef and pretty cool. (pictured below with yours truly). Jennifer also owns, Rioja, Bistro Vendome and Euclid Hall. Stoic is a killer seafood joint in the newly renovated Union Station in the LoDo neighborhood. Super cool area. Super cool joint. And the best Tuna Melt ever. Go!
Sancho’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant is just that. Really tasty. Serving Breakfast and Dinner all day. So if you are in Boulder, CO hit it up. It’s hard to find but worth the hunt. Breakfast Burrito Smothered in Green Chili. Worked for me!
Riojas is one of those joints that is a cut above. It has a James Beard award, great food, great cocktails and great ambiance. Jennifer Jasinski is the owner and she has quite a following in Denver and some other great joints too: Bistro Vendome, Euclid Hall and Stoic & Genuine. Their artichoke tortellini with artichoke mousse, white truffle brodo, queso de mano and chervil won a James Beard award and was amazing although my pic of it sucked so it is not below. But some tasty cheese, desert and cocktails is. Great great spot.
If you like Vietnamese food and you are in Salt Lake City, hit up Oh Mai. There are two locations and their Pho and Bahn Mi sandwiches are real deal. My son turned me onto this place when he was living their because he is a Pho junkie. Pictured is the Spicy Beef Short Rib Bahn Mi and my son rocking out some beef Pho. I always go back to this place when I am in town. Now it is super casual, short order and no alcohol and WHO CARES! Go!
