The Best of Food and Beverage 2021

0065 From The Hip Photo 2

Best Breakfast Spot

Snooze

Snooze is committed to creating a delicious and ethically responsible eatery. Whether it is sustainable agriculture, animal treatment or anything else in the creative food process, Snooze aligns itself with partners that also look to positively influence future generations.

Now, 95% of the food that Snooze sources and serves is Snooze Approved and adheres to these ethical standards. From eggs to bacon and pancakes to hash browns, Snooze will satisfy your appetite – and your conscience.

Runners-up

Best Business Lunch Spot

Range Restaurant

Living up to its name, the “range” of the Range Restaurant’s menu has something for everyone. The Range Restaurant aims to embody the New American West Cuisine.

Whether it’s cooking techniques or cultural influences, the Range looks to draw inspiration from the Rocky Mountain West, so it only makes sense that for the second year in a row, the readers ’choice for business lunches is located right in the heart of Denver.

Runners-up

Best Delivered Lunch

Jimmy John’s

With a loan of $25,000 and a desire to replicate the authenticity of Chicago street food, Jimmy John Liautaud created a sandwich company that has grown to more than 2,800 locations across the country.

Since the company’s inception in 1983, the all-natural meat and fresh veggies are sliced every day to complement the bread that is made in-house daily.

Despite the company’s rapid growth, Jimmy John’s maintains a focus in creating a company that builds up every community it operates within through partnerships with local contractors and repair companies.

Runners-up

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Best Happy Hour Spot

Elway’s Steakhouse

Elway’s Steakhouses operate out of four locations across Colorado. Whether it’s right when you touch down at DIA, nestled in the mountain town of Vail, in the heart of downtown Denver or on its outskirts in Cherry Creek, Elway’s will dazzle you with a menu that is always evolving to reflect the ebb and flow of the food market.

“Our menu boasts USDA Prime, hand-cut steaks, Colorado lamb, raw bar selections with fine fish, crustaceans and much more,” the Elway’s Downtown website states.

Runners-up

Best Sports Bar

Stoney’s Bar and Grill

Stoney’s Bar and Grill is a welcome addition to any sports fan’s gameday ritual, regardless of the time of the week.

Featuring a recently renovated building, Stoney’s is a haven for any sports fan with its 31 HD TVs and two 120-inch projection screens. You’ll be able to watch any game you want without worrying about a lack of coverage for your favorite team.

Stoney’s also features a full food menu and daily specials like Taco Tuesdays and Wing Wednesdays to make sure you are well-fed while you cheer.

Runners-up

Best Restaurant Patio

Snooze

The only thing that rivals the beauty of what Snooze serves on a plate, is where it serves it.

Although it varies from location to location, Snooze patios can provide patrons a range of accommodations, with anything from a sun-lit chair to enjoy a morning coffee to a group table to recount last night’s activities over some brunch and mimosas.

Across Colorado, Snooze has 11 locations to help satisfy breakfast hankerings – even if it isn’t necessarily breakfast.

Runners-up

Best Restaurant, Vegetarian | Vegan

Watercourse Foods

Watercourse Foods in Denver has been creating sustainable vegetarian options since 1998. The menu focuses on food that is absent of artificial coloring, preservatives and artificial flavors.

With a desire to keep its food as fresh and natural as possible, Watercourse pairs with many local vendors and environmentally conscious businesses to bring food to the table.

“Watercourse isn’t just a restaurant – we seek out opportunities to support those we are connected to, and uplift the voices that make our city exceptional,” the company says.

Runners-up

Best Restaurant View

The Fort Restaurant

Get transported back in time to a 19th century fur trading fort when you eat at The Fort, located just two miles south of Morrison.

If the restaurant itself doesn’t completely transport you, the menu is sure to, as the food is inspired by recipes cooked by the Native Americans, trappers and traders who roamed the area during that time.

“By exploring our rich Western cultural and culinary past, we reintroduce food trends of the 1800s, which create current trends of their own,” proprietress Holly Arnold Kinney wrote on the restaurant’s website.

Runners-up

Best Restaurant Wine List

Postino

Postino’s Colorado wine program offers more than 25 wine types to challenge yet satisfy your palate.

Whether you are just a casual wine aficionado or looking to pursue a career as a sommelier, Denver has three Postino locations that can help you drink and educate yourself around the world of wine.

Not limited to just fermented grapes, Postino offers a variety of bruschetta, paninis and other appetizers to complement your drink of choice.

Runners-up

Best Food Truck

Steuben’s Food Truck

The Steuben’s Food Truck takes the iconic diner menu that patrons have enjoyed at the Steuben’s restaurant since 2006 and makes it mobile.

Operating alongside the restaurant, the food truck has been in operation since 2010 and provides the menu’s greatest hits while roving around Denver and its surrounding areas. Find the truck’s latest location and hours on the Steuben’s website.

“The crew serves up many of the specialties that are so popular in the restaurant, including the Monte Cristo, our famous Burgers, Green Chili Cheese Fries and so much more,” the company’s website says.

Runners-up

Best Catering Company

Footers Catering

Feeding more than 75,000 customers at more than 600 events a year, it is easy to see why Footers Catering in a repeat winner for best catering company.

With customized menus for each event, Footers makes sure that the excitement and uniqueness surrounding your event is reflected in the food.

“We are proud to offer full event coordination to ensure that every detail is perfect for your wedding, corporate event, charitable gathering or family party,” the company’s website says.

Runners-up

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Best Locally Owned Coffee Shop, Front Range

Boyer’s Coffee Co.

With beans sourced from every major international coffee-growing region, it is easy to forget that Boyer’s Coffee got its start operating out of founder Bill Boyer’s garage in 1965.

Now, with brothers Douglass and Jason at the helm, the company has far outgrown its humble beginnings but continues to remain a family affair that represents the Denver community.

With 100% Arabica coffee beans and a taste test carried out with every batch, the roasting team at Boyer’s Coffee makes sure the quality is perfect time and time again.

Runners-up

Best Coffee Shop Locally Owned, Western Slope

Roasted Espresso and Subs (Grand Junction)

You’ll come for the coffee, but you’ll stay for the menu that exudes a quality of food far higher than one would expect from a normal coffee shop, and the coffee.

Roasted Espresso and Subs offers a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches that will pair perfectly with any one of their drinks.

Per the company’s website, “Roasted’s mission is to provide customers with quality products they have come to expect and love,” and with a daily happy hour of 2-4 p.m., this Grand Junction favorite certainly delivers.

Runners-up

Best Brewery

Breckenridge Brewery

Breckenridge Brewery captures a mountain-town feel for a nationwide audience. “As of 2016 Breckenridge Brewery became a proud member of The High End, a family of craft breweries and unit of Anheuser-Busch,” the company’s website indicates. “We now send beer to 35 states and continue to create new and exciting beers.”

Their creative process is not limited to brewing beer. Velvet Variety, a nitro twist on classic cocktails, and the Good Company hard seltzer, are Breckenridge’s latest advancements into the ever-changing world of adult beverages.

Runners-up

Best Cidery

Stem Ciders

Quality, style and tradition are the hallmarks of Stem Cider, and these elements were the driving factors behind Eric Foster and Phil Kao’s decision to found the company in 2013.

The duo wanted to bring the tradition of cider making and their appreciation for it back into the limelight.

The RiNo cider house in Denver and the Acerage production facility and restaurant in Layfayette represent the company’s

local presence and provide opportunities for customers to taste cider of the highest quality.

Runners-up

Best Distillery

Breckenridge Distillery

The “World’s Highest Distillery” was founded in 2008 and from then on, Breckenridge Distillery has consistently collected numerous awards for its high-quality spirits.

The Breckenridge Bourbon is a four-time winner of the Best American Blended and won the Int’l Wine & Spirits Competition award for Bourbon of the Year in 2011.

The company itself has also been recognized for its quick rise to stardom by taking home the Icons of Whisky award for Brand Innovator of the year in 2018.

Runners-up

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Best Winery

Carboy Winery

Since 2015, Carboy Winery has brought together growers from all over the country to create wines that elevate Colorado’s wine culture.

With locations in Denver, Littleton and Breckenridge, Carboy is slowly turning a state known for its beer into one that creates exciting wines. The wines themselves are not all that excite Carboy fans.

Taking sustainability to a new level, Carboy has been pioneering a unique way to serve wine: on tap.

“Our mission is to craft world-class Colorado wine, cultivate a community with every experience, and create a culture for wine in the Centennial State,” Carboy’s website states.

Runners-up

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This article is part of the 2021 Best of Colorado Business Choice Awards. Explore all the winners and finalists:
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES | TECHNOLOGY & ELECTRONICSTRANSPORTATION | FINANCE
FOOD & BEVERAGE | LODGING & ACCOMMODATIONS | MAINTENANCE| REAL ESTATE
HEALTH | PERSONAL FULFILLMENTLIFESTYLE | OFFICE | RECREATION