Taste of Thailand is an authentic experience, from the serving dishes to the music playing, and we can’t forget the knick-knacks for sale in the front section of this restaurant. The food quality varies based on the dish, and knowing the right one to pick can change your whole meal.

For a modest room they prepare a first class table presentation. The napkins are folded into flowers as they are held in the water glasses, for a great presentation. They actually play Thai music, which is incredibly soothing.

The pad Thai is an obvious but exceptional choice, and has just the right amount of sauce to give it a fiery kick without drowning everything else out. The crab Rangoon is the perfect rich complimentary to the noodles, and are bursting from the seams with cream cheese and crab.

At the other end of the quality spectrum are the curries. They have a good taste but the texture is thin, and does not hold to the rice, with minimal amount of vegetables going with the curry. The heat of the curry is not even cooked into the dishes, rather a miniature mound of pepper flakes is plopped on top.

While we were disappointed with the quality of the curry, the extravagant chrome serving platter for the rice was a treat, and made the act of eating that much more enjoyable.

Come to Taste of Thailand for the traditional ambiance with the soothing string music and elegant place settings. The food is not the best, not even close, but if you stick to the usual pad Thai it’s a full meal with blazing pop to it.  

Average Meal: $15

www.tasteofthailand.net

502 E Hampden Ave
Englewood, CO 80113
(303) 762-9112

Breckenridge Brewery without question makes some of Colorado’s finest beers, and was created by Richard Squire in the 1980’s – a time when microbrewery was a strange concept - even to Coloradoans. Richard’s dream was to “ski all day and drink great beer all night.” He began making his beer blends at home, and they soon became a Breckenridge hit. In February, 1990 Richard opened the first Breckenridge Brewery & Pub in Breckenridge CO, and since then his brew blends have become a staple with Colorado beer drinkers, in part because Breck Brewery features a long list of original recipes and every changing seasonal creations. 

Going to Breckenridge Brewery, food is an afterthought, so don’t waste your time looking at the menu until you’ve decided on what brew you want to start with. The staff has an extensive knowledge of not only the beer’s taste, but also its brewing process, and can help you decide on the right beer for your palate. 

MapBuzz always recommends the Avalanche Amber Ale, which consists of caramel malts and a pinch of bittering hops, which possibly makes it our favorite ale ever! The new brew to try is the Agave Wheat Beer, which is the proper wheat reformulated three weeks ago using glucose instead of fructose, making it a more flavorful and healthier beer - so drink up.

Once you have your beer, it’s time for food. We recommend staying away from the BBQ. While the meat used is top quality, they drench it in a thin sauce, that lacks any original flavor and makes the meat uneatable.

The sandwiches and burgers are a regular’s favorite. MapBuzz recommends the California club sandwich, which has a plentiful amount of chicken and bacon, topped with avocados and an incredible mayo blend. The breads and buns at Breckenridge Brewery are full of flavor and make the burgers and sandwiches luxurious. The fries that comes with the entrees are some of the best fried potatoes we’ve ever had, cooked with the right balance of a crisp, lightly spiced outside and a smooth potato inside.

The shrimp and chips are a great pick if you’re not in the mood for a sandwich. The shrimps are large and full of flavor and make up for the cocktail sauce, which needs more of that after kick that separates it from marinara sauce.

The real reason anyone comes to Breckenridge Brewery is for the impeccably brewed beer, and great happy hour. But if you get hungry, you’ll be happy to find that food is prepared with the same care. Breckenridge Brewery is also just a hop-and-a-skip away from Coors Field, making it a must before or after Rockies’ games.

Average Meal: $21

www.breckbrew.com

2220 Blake St
Denver, CO 80205
(303) 297-3644

2220 Blake St Denver CO

This aims to be - someday - a complete reference to the best pho in the world. Please feel free to list your favorite restaurants, street vendors & other purveyors of this sublime soup. It will eventually appear on Pho King (http://www.hewnandhammered.com/pho), once it has its own URL.

L.A. has so many sushi restaurants that it can be hard to know where to go, especially if you don’t want to empty your wallet. East Japanese Restaurant stands out for its specials, which allows even starving artists to enjoy some fresh fish.

This mid-range sushi place is packed in the beginning of the week, and for good reason. On “Salmon Mondays” and “Tuna Tuesdays” you can get sashimi of the featured fish at $1 and rolls from $2-3.

The dining area’s bent wooden beams give you the feeling of being in an 18th Century fishing boat’s cabin. The crowd tends to be younger than not, probably because East is great for people on a budget.

The low prices make sense when you see the size of the rolls, which are mostly rice. “We only come to East for the specials,” says L.A. resident Parker Davis, “The rest of the time it’s not worth the trip.”

329 E 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 437-0563

Pearl Street encompasses some of Denver’s hidden gems of restaurants, and one of the perennial standouts is Black Pearl. This contemporary American cuisine is mixed with an excellent wine list and romantic but lively environment.

The wooden floors and well-lit atmosphere gives the Black Pearl an elegance that matches its food. The rooms are not large but never feel crowded, and if you’re lucky enough to get a seat in the top level, you get a bird’s eye view of the restaurant and the passing scene on Pearl Street.

The tasting menu is a new addition to the Black Pearl. It consists of a three-course meal that changes every week, so there is always something new for the regulars.

The calamari is lightly breaded with a rich soy sauce, topped with diced green onions, lightly fried. Mac and cheese soufflé is a must for any first-timers to Black Pearl. It’s served in a mini hot pan and is a creamy mix of pasta shells, mushrooms, and three cheeses.

Black Pearl dishes have an amazing presentation, but all the toppings end up drowning out the flavor of the meats and fish.

You can sit outside around the campfire table, excellent for crisp spring nights in Denver. And this is a great spot to relax while waiting for your tables and start a bottle of wine.

The patio and sensual atmosphere make Black Pearl a great couples restaurant, especially on Sundays when almost everything on the menu – and wine menu - is half off! And being located away from downtown makes parking effortless.

www.BlackPearlDenver.com

1529 S Pearl St
Denver, CO 80210
(303) 777-0500

Denver doesn’t have many authentic diners that specialize in breakfast food, however Breakfast Queen is the one delicious exception, and it definitely offers the best morning meal in all of Denver.

Ask any regulars what they recommend and they’ll tell you to order the “Breakfast Queen.” The meal that dons the same name as the establishment consists of two eggs any way you want, homemade hash browns that are solid chunks of fried potatoes, two pancakes and your choice of crisp, thick bacon or sausage logs or patties.

Breakfast Queen is a one-room trucker style diner, with only a countertop separating the kitchen from the customers. In the back you’ll find the owner, who seems to be working everyday.

So if you’re working off the hangover from the night before, or have to be at work early and want a full meal that’ll keep you going all day, Breakfast Queen #2 is the best bang for your buck in all of Denver.

3454 South Broadway
Englewood CO 80113
Tel: 303-761-9800
Hours: 6:00 am to 3:00 pm

1890 E Evans Ave, Denver CO 80210

Within Walking Distance?: Yes

Hours: 24/7

Delivery: No

The Jerusalem Cafe serves up authenitc Middle Eastern cuisine. DU students quickly become acquainted with "Jerus", mostly because of their hours of operation... which is to say, all of them. Many a DU student has been faced with the creeping realization that it is 2:30 AM, and that if that term paper is going to get finished, there will be no sleep tonight. It's more or less at this point that something warm and delicious starts to sound pretty tempting, and sometimes Ramen doesn't qualify.

Strongly Recommended: Gyros Sandwich, and the Chicken Schwarma

Dazzle is a Denver jazz institution, and like a refined song it has only gotten better with time, as the acts seem to get better with every trip. The jazz atmosphere makes Dazzle the best date location in Denver no matter what you’re looking for, whether it’s having dinner with a backdrop of live musicians, or you just want to have a few drinks before hitting the town. And don’t just take our word for it: Dazzle was named “One of the Top 100 Jazz Clubs in the World” by Downbeat magazine.

While the music is some of the best in the city, the food’s excellence matches the high standard set by the musicians. The last time we were here the specialty was their famous burger with a crab cake on top of the meat – which is top grade, so get it bloody.

Dazzle is divided in two—the main dining room where the band plays, and the cocktail bar, a more casual setting where chatter and music mix to make a modern speakeasy.

The main room has a small entrance fee, but you get to hear terrific jazz musicians, both local and from around the country. Talking in the dining room is frowned upon as the audience is tuned into the musicians and their mind-expanding solos. So if you’re looking for a more lively crowd, the cocktail lounge is for you.

Come to Dazzle and show your more sophisticated side, and is a breath of fresh air when compared to the cookie-cutter downtown bars. The food is amazing, drinks are strong and the music has no parallel in Denver.

www.DazzleJazz.com

930 Lincoln St
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 839-5100

Los Angeles has thousands of restaurants and can become a little overwhelming, so here is your list of local favorites that will give you some directing on where to eat.