Food Fans Find Inaccurate Stories About Aurora Hard to Stomach

By the end of last week, Allyson Fredeen, the general manager of Stanley Marketplace, couldn't take the ridiculous rumors about Aurora in the press any longer, and sent a note to colleagues, friends and anyone she could think of: "What if we the people have some fun with promoting Aurora our way, and show off why we live, work and play here? Thinking if we band together and send a note to friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, fellow business owners and fans of Aurora ASAP to encourage them to visit Aurora this weekend, if it's not already a part of their daily life, and take part in this campaign.... This could be to shop, dine, drink, get outside, work.... The intent is to showcase people here just doin’ life the Aurora way! Could be fun and positive for all involved..."

At about the same time, Caroline Glover, James Beard winner and chef-owner of the award-winning Annette, posted her own thoughts on social media: "Eight years ago I signed a lease for my first restaurant. A restaurant that I thought I would open in Denver, but for a multitude of reasons landed in Aurora. When you choose where to open your life-long dream, you consider who your neighbors are, what your guest base might be, and what your city has to offer. I chose to open in Aurora because it felt like it had a ton of potential. Because the city was so supportive and encouraging (shout out to Kellye, the head of liquor licensing, who let me fill out the form while sitting on the floor of her office so I could ask questions)! Because I felt there was an unmet demand for a restaurant like ours, and lots of room to grow....

"The current national rhetoric around foreign gangs 'taking over' parts of Aurora is disheartening and flat-out wrong. Aurora is a wonderfully diverse place with amazing food and culture to match. Our neighborhood in particular is a place that has proudly welcomed refugees from all over the world for years. Those of us who love this city and have put our hopes and dreams into it are tired of hearing from worried relatives out of state wondering how we can possibly live and work in the lawless, gang-ridden war zone that is falsely depicted by politicians and media outlets...

"Our city leaders are doing too little to defend Aurora on the national stage, and to call out these racist, anti-immigrant dog whistles for what they are. Some at the top in our city are even feeding the flames of falsehood and hate for political gain. This does nothing but harm our reputation and our economy. This city deserves better leadership. Let’s be proud of where we live and work, and work to make it better."

Glover's restaurant just happens to be located in Stanley Marketplace, a complex at 2501 Dallas Street that has grown into a magnet for metro area residents who appreciate its innovative programming (early on, it devoted a weekly afternoon and space to migrants who wanted to share their talents and services) and appreciate the small, independent businesses based there. The Stanley is so popular that it has no open spaces; Fredeen reports that she'll soon announce the replacement for Comida, Rayme Rossello's restaurant that's closing September 22 because Rossello is ready to retire from the business she launched from a Mexican food truck in 2010. And some entrepreneurs have done so well there that they've opened second spots in the Stanley. Glover, for example, also has a bar named Traveling Mercies.
Even without Comida, Aurora has no shortage of restaurants worth your attention, as evidenced by a September 5 Food & Wine piece on the city's culinary offerings headlined "This Denver Suburb Has Colorado's Most Diverse Food Scene." Writer Cynthia Barnes, a frequent Westword contributor, had pitched the idea months ago, then turned in the piece last month — before all those Venezuelan gang rumors started really spreading. But in the subsequent hubbub over those rumors — including Donald Trump's mention of Aurora in the September 10 debate — that article about her favorite food town in Colorado has gotten lost. "It breaks my fucking heart," Barnes says. "I was so happy about that Food & Wine piece."

In that piece, after noting that Aurora "has the most diverse population in the state," with about one in five residents born outside of the United States, Barnes touts "a food culture rich with international cuisines," and name-checks everything from HiRa Cafe & Patisserie to Tofu Story, Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot, Mango House, Urban Burma (Colorado’s first Burmese restaurant) and La Plaza Colorado, a food-truck haven in an abandoned K-Mart. Dân Dã makes the cut, too; it's a favorite of Westword Food & Drink Editor Molly Martin, along with its sibling, Banh & Butter bakery.

Annette is in there, of course, along with Traveling Mercies; the chef also lauds the Korean fried chicken at Funny Plus. “We used to get it every Thanksgiving,” Glover told Barnes. “But there’s so much here. You really can’t go wrong.”

No, you can't go wrong dining in Aurora — even while much national coverage of Aurora has gone very, very wrong. So get out there and sample the city for yourself.