Just eight months after opening Alma Fonda Fina in LoHi to thunderous applause (it’s since earned a spot on among the 38 best restaurants in Denver), Johnny Curiel has brought his deeply personal brand of Mexican cuisine to downtown Boulder: Though the menu differs somewhat from that of Alma, his style is unmistakable in dishes like young coconut ceviche with charred avocado and salsa macha; enmoladas de pollo in mole negro with crema agria and queso fresco; and hongos al ajillo in mole verde pipián with rice. The former Arcana space, meanwhile, has much more room than Cozobi’s sibling does to house an extensive selection of agave spirits, whether served neat or in cocktails such as the Sweet Corn Margarita.

Jewish heritage meets Japanese influence in this brand-new Highlands daytime destination, where owner Miles Odell is turning out not only naturally leavened, hand-rolled bagels in flavors ranging from onion to furikake, house-whipped cream cheese, and hand-sliced lox, but also sandos featuring the likes of ikura (salmon roe), BEC, and, eventually, koji-cured and smoked pastrami. Open Thursday through Monday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the shop also features coffee drinks from top roaster Middle State.

While it has rustic good looks and a high-energy crowd in common with Barcelona Wine Bar, its Spanish sibling a few blocks away, this RiNo arrival distinguishes itself with a breezy Mediterranean menu and beverage program all its own. Smart small plates like chicken liver mousse with plum mostarda and crostini, baked lumache in spicy crab sauce with preserved lemon, and chicken paillard with almonds and olives pair perfectly with equally snazzy cocktails, including the Porto Cooler with cachaça, Rosé Port, raspberry shrub, and tonic — but don’t overlook the wine list: It’s a treasure trove of lesser-known finds from the region such as Ligurian Lumassina and Irouléguy Rouge, the majority of them organically and/or biodynamically farmed.

After a successful two-year run, Chopped champ Zuri Resendiz has moved his food-truck operation indoors to a colorful Whittier space that splits the difference between a taqueria and a Latin date-night destination: While tacos topped with octopus al pastor or calabacitas and corn are one way to go, refined Peruvian-inspired dishes like steak tartare–topped potato causa and hamachi tiradito with habanero–sweet potato puree are another, ideally paired with a twist on a classic like the Luchador Daiquiri featuring rum, Chartreuse, pineapple, cinnamon, and lime.

One of Aspen’s top après-ski spots now has an all-day sibling in LoDo’s Limelight Hotel, where it has retained some elements from its predecessor, Citizen Rail — sleek interior, dry-aging locker, live-fire cooking technique — while developing its own intriguingly bold style, especially evident at dinner. Recent examples include a composed salad of Campari-spiked tomatoes with black garlic cream, basil bavarois, and bee pollen garum; a savory tart featuring three squashes (spaghetti, kuri, and butternut), goat cheese mousse, and candied pepitas; and noodles made from sea scallop in a mushroom-shoyu broth with Dungeness crab and fermented black radish. Cocktails from the adjacent bar, still a happy hour go-to, skew seasonal too: the Night Court with 15-year Scotch, apple brandy, fir eau de vie, and maple, for example, is as autumnal as they come.

Splashy from top to bottom (check out the ceiling, painted with all 17,000 words of The Art of War), the two-story LoDo outpost of this Carolinas–based project from Top Chef star Jamie Lynch proffers a modern American menu as eclectic as its decor: Think Moroccan meatballs with whipped feta and gremolata, Maryland crab cakes with cauliflower soubise and giardiniera, and fried chicken with Alabama white sauce and jalapeño cornbread. The long, sunlit bar, meanwhile, dispenses drinks with cheek, like the Duck Off with duck fat–washed bourbon, maple syrup, and bitters.

From the team behind Park Hill’s much-loved Lucina Eatery and Bar comes this Uptown homage to the foodways of Mexico City, which has only been open for a couple of months but has already received recognition from Bon Appétit for its soulful, sophisticated approach to dishes like broiled oysters with charred jalapeño butter and maiz powder; sopes topped with barbacoa de lengua, salsa verde, and crema; and black ash–braised lamb shank with black beans and radish-herb salad. The bar follows suit with the likes of tomatillo margaritas and Old Fashioneds featuring Mexican corn whiskey.

The high-ceilinged setting may be urbane, but the food at Lon Symensma’s Italian outpost in Sloan’s Lake is almost homey at heart: The menu’s chock-full of crowd-pleasers like sausage rigatoni with cream and pees, a carbonara-inspired pizza with guanciale and egg, chicken piccata, and limoncello–olive oil cake. Equally appealing are a well-priced all-Italian wine list and a cocktail program that carries the theme through ingredients like agrumato and mascarpone.

The much-missed Savory Vietnam has happily been reincarnated as this instant sensation on East Colfax, whose snug dining room bustles at all hours with families and friends digging into DIY spring roll platters and clay pots featuring catfish or pork belly and bamboo shoots. As favorites go, front-runners include ốc len xào dừa (periwinkles in lemongrass-coconut sauce); áp chảo xào thập cẩm (rice cakes with beef, chicken, and shrimp in oyster sauce); deep-fried whole sea bass in ginger sauce; and the tequila-based Salty Pickled Lime Spritzer to wash it all down.

With a retro look (it’s housed in the old Tom’s Diner building) and a quirky streak a mile wide, this self-styled French-American diner serves up oysters, caviar, and Champagne on one hand, burgers, BLTs, and old-school Grasshoppers on the other, all while hosting all sorts of entertaining goings-on throughout the week, including a “Piano and Pasta” night every Wednesday and drag brunch on Sunday. Come for the Tater Tot waffles, stay for the local color — of which there’s plenty to soak up both inside and out on the fabulous patio.

Good news: The fairy-tale decor of Beatrice & Woodsley, designed to resemble an aspen grove in the mountains, has largely been left intact by the owners of the late great restaurant’s rustic French successor in the Baker neighborhood. Even better news: The fare lives up to the setting. Expressing commensurate whimsy are dishes like fried frog’s legs with sea beans and rosemary aioli, escargot au Champagne in veal demi-glace and hazelnut-Chartreuse butter, and wild boar ribs in blackberry-sage glaze — while cocktails such as the Duke of Mirepoix with gin, celery cordial, lime acid, and whey really tie the room together.

Anchoring the lobby of the brand-spanking-new Kimpton Claret Hotel in the DTC, this modern Italian spot is helmed by Christian Graves, formerly of Citizen Rail, who’s bringing his considerable talents to bear on a menu laden with nifty twists on classics. Instead of vitello tonnato, there’s tuna carpaccio topped with fried veal sweetbreads and fennel-pollen aioli; in place of plain old sausage, mushroom, or peppers, pizzas get topped with ’nduja, black truffle puree, or pasilla chiles; and instead of beef, the Bolognese on Graves’ homemade rigatoni features octopus. After dinner, take the elevator up to the 19th floor, where Halo Bar boasts rooftop panoramas that endeavor to steal the show from nightcaps like the Halo-Halo Fizz with gin, ube, coconut, and jackfruit.