One of my favorite things about restaurants has very little to do with the food. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat. But when I think about my favorite restaurants, I almost never remember exactly what I ordered. I remember who I was with, the atmosphere, the service. I remember the first dates that stretched into closing time. The birthdays where we annoyingly asked to push multiple tables together for the whole crew. The job offers over coffee, the breakups, the reunions, the “we should really do this more often” dinners that, thankfully, sometimes we actually do.
Restaurants have a way of becoming the backdrop to our lives. They hold our celebrations and our ordinary Tuesdays with equal grace. We return to them not just because the food is good, but because they become part of our own stories. It’s no different if it holds a Michelin star or it’s the beloved neighborhood joint. Of course, none of that happens by accident. Behind every meal is a chef whose story began long before the restaurant opened.
Behind every chef is a family, a mentor, a community, or someone who quietly made the work possible. That’s the heart of this issue. We wanted to look beyond the plate and celebrate not just the people creating some of Denver’s most memorable meals, but the people who helped create them. Because the best restaurants don’t just feed our stomachs, they feed our souls.
Lacy Morris | Executive Editor
Discover the print-exclusive Beyond the Plate feature by downloading the digital magazine or pick up a copy from select local King Soopers, Safeway, Tattered Cover, or Barnes & Noble locations.
