What pairs better with a Friday evening than beer and pizza?  In my book, nothing comes close.  However, don’t spend this Friday ordering in with a sixer of Budweiser.  Instead, head to the old Dixon’s space at 16^th and Wazee for a sophisticated sampler of 27 drafts, fresh cheeses, meats and “grown-up” style pies.

Lucky Pie Pizza opened in LoDo for the city dwellers on February 29^th and offers similar cuisine to northern suburbanites at its original location in Old Town Louisville.  The downtown location offers a sidewalk patio for our sunny summer days and, for those who are sheltering sunburns or a lack of sunglasses, a warm, yet industrial, environment indoors.  With exposed brick, vaulted ceilings and red lighting above the booths, Lucky Pie Pizza in LoDo feels like anything but your average pizza joint.

And, speaking of average, their pizza is anything but.  Colorado flour brings the Neapolitan style crust to perfection and a sauce made simply of San Marzano tomatoes, grown on the side of Mount Vesuvius, tops the pies nicely.  If you are a pizza purest, just go for the Cheech; a simple 14 incher topped with smoked mozzarella, tomato sauce and oregano.  For those who have a bit more adventure under their belt, try the Alvin; a crispy crust adorned with acorn squash puree, fig gastrique, maple walnuts and goat cheese.  Or, go for the Bruges with shaved brussel sprouts, apples, fontina, mozzarella, pistachios and olive oil.  With all pies priced at under 16 bucks, you can have a great meal for two or three.

Oh, did I mention the mozzarella bar and Charcuterie plates?  For $12, guests can sample each of the four, freshly processed cheeses such as smoked mozzarella and ricotta.  For $17, a medley of intriguing meats will adorn your palate.  These selections can be paired with several jams, jellies and aiolis for an additional $1.50 per accoutrement.

In addition to an amazing and diverse selection of stomach sustainability, a liquid lunch, or dinner, is also an option.  Lucky offers a vast selection of wines, 27 beers on tap and half dozen delicious specialty cocktails freckled with rye whiskey, St. Germaine and Leopolds Peach.

Go early, go often, but just make sure you go. – Hillary Bonner

Lucky Pie Pizza is located at 1610 16^th Street, Denver, CO 80202 (303) 825-1021

This weekend, take advantage of a patio less than an hour from the city.  Indulge in the warm sunlight, filtered through 100 year old tree branches while you enjoy what I refer to as “Colorado Comfort Food,” healthy, Colorado-grown (and raised) ingredients paired with a sort of “rib-sticking” creationism.   The local components, sometimes as local as an arm’s reach from the patio, paired with the expertise of Chef Bradford Heap, owner of SALT the Bistro in Boulder and of this well-hidden gem in Niwot, are sure to fill your belly with close-to-home creations crafted after the legacies of Classic French and Northern Italian cuisines.

Colterra, a derivative of the Latin words “Collo” and Terra,” which, combined, mean “to cultivate the earth,” proves true to the origin of its name.  With an evolving menu, based on the availability of local produce, meat and herbs, and an on-site garden featuring vegetables, herbs and edible flowers, Chef Heap’s relatively new endeavor is after the hearts of those true to the “Colorado” way of life.  In addition to supporting our indulgences in local cuisine seven days a week for lunch and dinner and on Saturday and Sunday for a “free range” brunch, this place is also after our Coloradoan-indulgent livers…With happy hour seven days a week.

This weekend, satisfy mid-day hunger pains with an extensive brunch menu, featuring “Never Never” steak and eggs or a burger of the same Peter Pan tendencies, Grand Marnier Beignets or Smoked Wild Salmon Eggs Benedict.  For dinner, try a salad, picked fresh from the patio garden, or an assortment of Colorado-raised meats ranging from lamb to New York Strip to pork.  Sample an assortment of classic cocktails made with Spring 44 vodkas or gins; distilled from a spring in Roosevelt National Forest.

If you don’t have much time this weekend to get out and smell the roses, take a few hours and drive up to Colterra.  As you wind into the quiet town of Niwot, let the warm glow of the patio lights draw you in for an evening, or afternoon, of relaxation and culinary indulgence. – Hiliary Bonner

Colterra is located at 210 Franklin Street  Niwot, CO 80544 (303) 652-0777.

If you find yourself with a sweet tooth this weekend, stop into Spuntino in the Lo-Hi neighborhood for a vast selection of tasty treats.  Pastry Chef Yasmin Lozada-Hissom has concocted an array of homemade sorbets and gelatos that are gaining notoriety all over town…And with good reason.  With flavor assortments ranging from mango spice and butternut squash pecan to tiramisu and, house favorite, sea salt chocolate caramel, Spuntino is rivaling long standing ice cream spots, such as Sweet Action and Little Man, for Denver’s best creamy treat selection.  Chef Yasmin, formerly of Duo and Olivea, doesn’t stop with her rotating gelato selections, however.  The house made, fluffy coconut macaroons, olive oil cake and gourmet popsicles stand alone as a great conclusion to any choice from Spuntino’s newly launched lunch and dinner menus.

Beginning on March 27^th, Yasmin, along with her husband, Chef John Broening, began offering guests an assortment of Italian-inspired lunch and dinner items. Six days a week, you can swing through the drive-thru and order sandwiches, salads, bruschetta or daily fish specials all constructed from as many local ingredients as possible.  Utilizing local food purveyors, such as Quatrix Aquaponics, Growers Organic and Grant Farms, Chef Broening has constructed a wide assortment of delicious sandwiches, salads and entrée plates.  Choose from the vegetarian Subroso, roasted sweet potatoes and Haystack Mountain goat cheese on homemade focaccia, or the meat lovers Polpetta, pork belly meatballs with San Marzano tomato sauce.

If you’re more in the mood for a dinner experience, stop in Monday-Saturday beginning at 5 pm for a selection of six different bruschetta, flank steak with chimichurri and sweet potatoes or the chef’s daily fish creation in Spuntino’s quaint, 54 person dining room.  Enjoy a can of Denver’s Infinite Monkey Theorem wine or a latte made from Boulder’s Box Car Coffee.  Indulge yourself in homemade pate and, as stated above, be sure to save room for dessert!

Spuntino, defined as a casual neighborhood spot to eat and drink, is located between Clay and Bryant on West 32^nd Avenue.  The chefs, along with Ben Parsons of Infinite Monkey Theorem Winery, will be hosting their first special wine dinner on May 23^rd.  The menu will feature five courses with wine pairings and is available online at http://www.spuntinodenver.com/events/.  Spuntino will also host a Mothers’ Day brunch on May 13^th.  Reservations are required for both. – Hillary Bonner

Spuntino is located at 2639 W. 32nd Ave Denver, CO, 80211 – 303-433-0949

Culinary Connectors Live! hosted by Becky Creighton, connects listeners to the culinary talent from around the country and locally. Tune in weekly to learn who and what is shaping the culinary world, interesting Q&A and what’s going on in the local food scene.