#1. Red Rocks

This is a beautiful place to take a hike, have a picnic, or see a concert. And, as every 15 year old in town knows, if you sit in the 13th seat of the 13th row at midnight the “Hatchet Lady” will come out of the dark and kill you.

#2. Best Margarita Ever. Just down the hill from Red Rocks, the Morrison Inn has long been famous for it’s Margs. Good mexican food also. And if you are into motorcycles, ride your bike out any Satuday or Sunday during the summer. Morrison is like a mini-Sturgis.

#3. Drunken Bowling. The old Sport Bowl has recently changed it’s name to The Falcon and has become the hottest new hangout around. Live music, great food, pretty girls, plus bowling and pinball. It’s the most fun you will ever have while wearing rented shoes.

#4. “Pretty House” is the name. A Denver institution that is so ridiculous that it inspired it’s own episode of South Park. Marvel at the tacky glory of it all. Indoor cliff-diving and wonderfully awful live entertainment. Beware the food however. There is nothing funny about how bad it is. Stick to the sopapillas. It’s hard to mess up fried dough.

#5. The biggest, spiciest, and most delicious Chili Rellanos I have ever tasted. And you can take a container of their famous green chili home with you. One word of caution: Don’t wander too far from a bathroom for 3 or 4 days after eating here. It’s powerful stuff.

#6. Yes I know it’s just a shopping mall but I take delight in watching kids play on the giant surreal breakfast food shaped sculptures in the central atrium. It is bizzare and hypnotic. Who would have ever guessed that kids would be so happy to jump up and down on a waffle?

#7. This super-cute breakfast place has great coffee and they serve Pineapple Upside-down Pancakes. They are the best tasting thing I have ever, ever had in my mouth. Oh my God. I want some now!

#8. The three greatest contributions that the British have made to America are Fish and Chips, Elizabeth Hurley, and The Pub Trivia Quiz. On a Monday night, you can always find at least two of the three at this cozy and convivial little bar. I plan to keep going back until I score all three.

#9 This little bakery has perfected the cinnamon roll. Light, flakey, and glazed by a sticky angel. Once you have had a Duffeyroll no other roll will ever do. These things are so good that they make a Cinnabon taste like wet potting soil by comparison

#10. Just about the perfect Bookstore. Rows and rows of titles, peace and quiet, and a hundred comfy chairs and sofas to tuck yourself into for a nice read. Converted from a auditorium theatre this unique store is one of my favorite things about life in Denver. Perfect for a cheap date, and a great place to meet your next one.

#11. As a transplanted New Yorker I used to wonder to myself, “Where in Denver can I get a Falafel at 2 in the morning?” I found the answer! Jerusalem is tiny and always jam-packed but the food is great and they serve it all night long.

#12. This popular little bar is well known for it’s housemade flavor infused vodkas and it’s sunny front patio. But what keeps me coming back is a bartender named Sarah. She might be the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. It’s the truth.

#13 While you are sitting in the Grass in front of Lucile’s waiting for a Brunch table to open up the staff will serve you a Cuban Orange Juice. Several Rums, OJ, and a stick of natural Sugar Cane. Mmmmm. It makes getting out of bed on Sunday worthwhile.

#14 The Cruise Room at the Oxford is, hands down, the coolest place to share a martini with a lady in Denver. A perfect re-creation of the first class bar on the Queen Mary, you feel like it’s 1949 and you can hear the ocean outside the portholes. I once saw Tom Waits having a quiet drink here.

#15. This bar is the night-time haunt of Denver’s hipster crowd but on the weekends they offer a “Hangover Brunch”. The food is great and there are an abundance of vegetarian choices, if thats your bag. And a $5 bottomless mimosa will help you get started on tomorrow’s hangover.

#16. I like any place where you get to sit on the floor, eat with your fingers, and have a pillow-fight with your date while bellydancers work the floor. A Moroccan Feast isn’t cheap, but it is worth saving up for.

#17. Recently the Zoo has added a Mongoose Habitat right inside the main entrance. I never knew it until now but Mongeese are hilarious. I could watch them for hours. So should you.

#18 Live Jazz every night and the latest last call in town. The ‘pec has been around forever and I hope it never goes away.

#20 This old school Denver bar boasts that Jack Kerouac and the beats used to be regulars. All I know for sure is if you drop in and order the sandwich they call “The Moisha”, you will leave happy.