Two Denver Spots Make New York Times 2023 Best Restaurants List

Molotov is cher Bo Porytko's ode to his Ukrainian heritage. Molotov/Instagram

Audio By Carbonatix

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "leaderboardInlineContent",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "tower",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]

Michelin has been the buzzword in the local dining scene since June, when the tire company announced that its world-renowned guide, which doles out coveted stars and other awards to restaurants, would be coming to Colorado.

The full list of honorees was released last week, and more than half of the 44 eateries are located in Denver. Now, another big-name publication has highlighted the city's dining scene. The New York Times released its 2023 list of America's 50 Best Restaurants on September 19, and two of them are located in the Mile High.

One is on quite a roll: Chef Jose Avila's La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal debuted at 2233 Larimer Street in 2021 and has racked up honors and recognition since then. It was Westword's Best New Restaurant in the Best of Denver 2022 and landed on our 2023 list of the ten best taco joints in town. Most recently, it was one of nine restaurants awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

The New York Times recommends the pozole negro and the guisados, "a whole genre of stews and braises, which can be ordered as tacos or costras." We advise loading up on anything in taco form, and go for a side of bone marrow to heap on top. The house margarita is a winner, too.

click to enlarge

A taco spread from La Diabla.

Molly Martin

The other NYT pick is Molotov Kitschen + Cocktails, which opened in January at 3333 East Colfax Avenue. The restaurant is the latest effort from chef Bo Porytko, who helped push the dining scene into more adventurous territory with Rebel Restaurant before it shuttered in 2018. He then re-emerged with Misfit Snack Bar, which serves out of Middleman on Colfax. With Molotov, he's focused his culinary creativity on his Ukrainian heritage, giving Denver an upscale Eastern eatery that maintains fun and quirky vibes in a small and intimate space.

Molotov was one of the places that we expected to see in the Michelin mix, so this recognition is well deserved. A recent NYT story about the cost of bringing the Michelin guide to a new market even ended with a quote from Porytko, who noted that the scene is filled with "repetitious farm-to-table menus and timid seasoning. Not a lot of chefs [in Denver] really deserve it yet,” he said of the Michelin star. “But I hope it will push everyone to get better and be more adventurous.”

The fare at Molotov is indeed adventurous, and changes regularly. This month, the restaurant will celebrate Oktoberfest with a German-inspired menu that includes options like fried pork knuckle and salmon-and-leek strudel, available now through October 1. On Fridays and Saturdays, there will also be live polka music, plus plenty of seasonal beer on tap. Reservations are available on Tock.

With the NYT nod, Portyko and team have even more reason to celebrate, and Denver diners have yet another great reason to get out and enjoy the best of our local restaurant scene.