Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i 5280 Magazine

My Denver love story probably isn’t that different from many of yours. My husband and I moved here in our twenties, out of school and ready to start a new life in a new place. When we landed, 5280 was everywhere. It was our guide to this beautiful city, introducing us to the Cruise Room’s La La martini, burgers at the Cherry Cricket, and concerts at the Fillmore. We selected our doctors and dentists from its lists of the best in the metro area. The magazine even led us to discover one of our favorite mountain towns (Crested Butte, whose evolution you can read about in “The Last Great Ski Town” on page 30). Here I am, 28 years later, borrowing this space in my first issue as only the…

On the first page of his script for The Reservoir, playwright Jake Brasch penned a straightforward note for the actors: “Play against the pain. In spite of everything, let this be a celebration of life.” Those words set the tone for the comedy-drama, which centers on Josh, a Jewish, queer twentysomething who moves back to Denver from New York to recover from alcohol addiction—a story that isn’t far off from its author’s reality. Growing up in Denver, Brasch developed an early love of the performing arts. “There’s a video of me as a small child on a rocking horse singing the score to Oklahoma!,” he says. “I was fully channeling some theater queen.” He made his first appearance onstage in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ (DCPA) annual production…

There were a lot of questions flying around this past summer when AJ Shreffler, the chef and owner of Little Arthur’s in Capitol Hill, announced on Instagram that his pizza would be “the most expensive in town.” Reddit posters asked, “How and in what universe is someone getting away with charging $40/pizza?” and “Has anyone looked into the cost of dough, sauce, and cheese? What a joke” and simply “WTF?” I had a question, too: Well, is it worth it? A Pennsylvania native, Shreffler started with hoagies in 2019. In his home kitchen, he made the kind of sandwiches he missed eating back East and sold them via pop-ups. Those sandwiches, too, were criticized for their prices, which currently range from $22 for an Italian to $24 for a cheesesteak.…

1. Forget driving to the trailhead: Hop on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to enjoy its Snow-mobile Adventure Package (from $335). The tracks lead to Cascade Canyon. There, Ice Pirates Backcountry Adventures will take over for a two-hour guided excursion (pictured) around 10,910-foot Molas Pass. Book through the railroad or the outfitter. 2. The direct, groomed Sunlight to Powderhorn Trail, which stretches between the two namesake ski resorts, from Glenwood Springs to Mesa, is 120 miles long. Another 180 miles of side trails offer fresh tracks and a snowy playground for experienced riders and newbies alike. Overnight at the Sunlight Inn or Electric Mountain Lodge so you can explore the next day, too. 3. Nestled into the rugged San Juan Mountains, Sheepshead Cabins is a destination for advanced…

It’s simply a fact of life that even the least litigious among us will need a lawyer at some point. When you find yourself in that position, though, navigating the complicated legal world can be overwhelming, especially when you consider that the law has been split into dozens of categories: Everything from criminal law to bankruptcy to workers’ comp necessitates specific expertise. That’s why we put together Denver’s Top Lawyers 2025, our 11th annual compendium of the best attorneys in the region in 50 legal categories. AGRICULTURAL/RURAL Justin D. Cumming LEWIS ROCA ROTHGERBER CHRISTIE 1601 19th St., Suite 1000 Denver 80202 303-628-9526 lewisroca.com  John O’Brien SPENCER FANE 1700 Lincoln St., Suite 2000 Denver 80203 303-839-3800 spencerfane.com ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION Margot Freedman Alicks ADR LAW 1745 Shea Center Drive, Fourth Floor Highlands…

Thinning Ice For 30 years, Ouray Ice Park has beckoned climbers from around the world, but rising temperatures and limited resources threaten its future. Every winter for the past six years, Tim Foulkes has followed a consistent morning routine. After the Ouray resident’s alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m., he layers on long underwear, a soft-shell jacket and pants, a Gore-Tex coat, and water-proof mountaineering boots; grabs his helmet and a backpack stocked with ice tools, a gas torch, a pipe wrench, and crampons; and heads to what he calls “nature’s most beautiful art.” As an ice farmer at Ouray Ice Park—a free, public climbing arena nestled in the Uncompahgre Gorge—Foulkes helps create and maintain the park’s two miles of frozen vertical terrain and more than 200 climbing routes. Starting…

CUL-DE-SAC ➔ Inside Dewey Beer Taproom Ultreia and Split Lip vet Adam Branz and his team had been hanging out at RiNo’s Dewey Beer so often that the owner got them their own food trailer. The result is two-month-old Cul-de-Sac, where funky plates like escargot wontons and duck confit quesadillas live up to the tagline of “sleazy French food stuffs.” MUSIC CITY HOT CHICKEN ➔ Inside TRVE Brewing A little bit country, a little bit rock ’n’ roll: When the owners of this Fort Collins–based, Nashville-style chicken spot decided to expand to Denver in 2021, they chose heavy-metal-themed TRVE Brewing in Baker. Choose your level of burn—from classic up to flammable solid—on a crispy chicken sandwich or tenders. SAMOSA SHOP ➔ Inside Honor Farm It takes something special to match…

ETIQUETTE Many groomed snowmobile trails share space with snowshoers and cross-country skiers. Slow down when approaching or passing, and give uphill riders right-of-way. Ride single file. Stay on the right side of the trail. Only ride on trails that allow for motorized access. Do not take your snowmobile on trails when there’s a lack of snow; it can harm soil and vegetation. Turn off your engine if you’re stopping for an extended period to cut down on noise pollution and unnecessary emissions. It can be difficult to hear other people when the sleds are running. Learn common hand signals, such as raising your arm, bent at the elbow with palm open, to indicate when those behind you should stop. LINGO Sled: colloquial name for a snowmobile Skis: the blades at…

PRICE KEY Average Entrée $ under $15 $$ $16 to $20 $$$ $21 to $30 $$$$ $31 and higher SYMBOL KEY Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened). Indicates inclusion in 5280’s 2024 list of Denver’s best restaurants. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change. ACE EAT SERVE $$$ Uptown/Asian This Uptown restaurant and pingpong hall features Asian-inspired cuisine and 10 ping-pong tables. Try the Sichuan shrimp wontons. Reservations accepted. 501 E. 17th Ave., 303-800-7705. Dinner, Brunch AFRICAN GRILL & BAR $$ Lakewood/African Explore a bevy of dishes from across Africa at this warm and inviting restaurant run by the Osei-Fordwuo family. Peanut soups, samosas, and jollof rice are just some of the crave-worthy options…

Filipino Favorites Before they opened Paborito seven months ago, Jayson Leaño and Geraldine Gan weren’t confident their ghost kitchen would succeed in Denver. “We were very anxious at first,” Leaño says, after watching a series of Filipino eateries on the Front Range close over the past few years—most recently, Aurora’s Manila Bay, which shuttered in early 2024. However, when Leaño and Gan’s now-closed Asian sandwich concept, called Toast Box, failed to gain traction, the husband-and-wife duo, both natives of the Philippines, decided to try again, this time with the cuisine they grew up on. Since its debut, Paborito, which means “favorite” in Filipino, has swiftly won Denverites’ favor with a menu of barbecued meats and flavor-packed sides. Visit the carryout-only spot, inside Lincoln Park’s Vallejo Food Pick-Up restaurant co-op, to…

Whether we trample a flower or disturb a herd of deer, there are repercussions to all outdoor fun. But experts say snowmobiles can deliver outsize harms. Research has shown that pollutants—like carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons—released in snowmobile emissions accumulate in the snow and can lead to the deaths of aquatic insects and amphibians. Other data suggests sleds’ heavy weights can lead to soil erosion. Wildlife, reports say, is also affected. “Future populations of deer and elk and moose and bighorn sheep are at stake,” says Hilary Eisen, policy director at Winter Wildlands Alliance, a national conservation nonprofit based in Idaho. “Pregnant females are more likely to lose their calves or not be able to nurse them into yearlings if they’ve been stressed throughout the winter [by noise and displacement].” That…

Destination: Spearfish, South Dakota Odometer: 395 miles (or 60 miles from Rapid City’s airport) Stoke Factor: This basecamp town connects riders to a network of more than 300 miles of trails—generally groomed from mid-December through March—primarily in the western swath of Black Hills National Forest. Ride through pine forests, canyons, and summitable hills before braking for a snack in the warming shelters spread throughout the area. Destination: Alpine, Wyoming Odometer: 521 miles (or a one-hour drive from Jackson Hole’s airport) Stoke Factor: For a true powder experience (three to 12 feet deep, on average) with big mountain views, head to the Wyoming Range. The high-elevation area encompasses nearly 350 miles of trails, both groomed and natural, which are open from mid-December to mid-March. It’s long been a favorite shooting location…