Coming to Denver for a few days -- restaurant/music suggestions?

The Wynkoop is really good.

 

I second the Wynkoop call. For Mexican food - it's out of downtown - on Federal Blvd, Chubby's
Avoid at all costs both McDonald's on 16th street.

 

Thanks, folks.

I've noticed REM is in town one of the nights I'm there. Needless to say, a trip to Red Rocks is enticing.

 

That show is a must, OTR.

if you are going to be in boulder, you may want to check out the mountain sun, a little hippie restaurant just off the east end of the Pearl Street Mall. It is certainly the granola section of Boulder, but the food is very good and their home-brewed beer is nothing short of fantastic.

 

Forgot about Chubby's. Doesn't matter what you get, so long as it has green chile on it.

 

I used to go the Mountain Sun when it first opened in the mid-90s -- it's awesome. Used to watch a then-unknown band called String Cheese Incident play in front of about 40 people at happy hour.

 

Wow, I never knew until seeing this thread that Casa Bonita was a real place.

 

It's surprising how many South Park references are lost on people not from Colorado.

 

Yet a lot of my work buddies, with no Colorado ties, find the South Park-Colorado references a riot, particularly the Casa Bonita episode. They were all asking if the place really exists, with Black Bart's Cave and the little flag you have to raise to get more sopapillas, etc. Most of them rate that episode in their top 10, as do I.

My favorite Colorado reference isn't really a Colorado reference. It's when Cartman brings the kids along for the holidays to visit his wacked extended family in Nebraska. As they approach the Colorado-Nebraska border, a sign reads something like, "You're leaving Colorful Colorado." The next sign says, "You're in Nebraska. Sorry." Awesome.