Located in a former ironworks foundry-turned-food market, Acorn is a contemporary American eatery from chef-owner Steve Redzikowski, a 2017 James Beard Award finalist in the Best Chef Southwest category. (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
“Top Chef” filmed its 15th season in Denver, where the dining scene is reaching new heights.
Carrie Baird, one of the contestants on the upcoming season of “Top Chef,” plates dishes in the kitchen of Bar Dough, the Denver restaurant where Baird is executive chef. (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
Pedestrians needing a jolt of caffeine can get their fix at this coffee car parked on a Denver street. (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
Big eye tuna poke with avocado, chiles and a sesame crisp at Departure restaurant in Denver. The eatery, by former “Top Chef” finalist Gregory Gourdet, is the scene of an elimination challenge in the upcoming season of “Top Chef.” (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
All of the cheeses from Fruition Farms Creamery are made of sheep milk, which is especially rich and high in butterfat. (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
The outdoor dining area on the roof of Halcyon Hotel, where you’ll also find a pool and cabanas several floors above street level. (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
Fantastic pastries and bread can be had at Izzio, one of several vendors in The Denver Central Market, dubbed a top U.S. restaurant in 2017 by Bon Appetit magazine. (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
Chef Alex Seidel serves his sheep milk cheeses at his restaurant Fruition, an intimate eatery near Denver’s Capitol Hill area. (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
Union Station’s Stoic & Genuine, serving freshly shucked oysters, among other seafood specialties, is one of several restaurants belonging to Jennifer Jasinski, a “Top Chef Masters” alum who will be featured on the upcoming season of “Top Chef.” (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
An Airstream serving pastries and coffee in the morning and drinks at night sits in the lobby of The Maven Hotel in Denver’s LoDo neighborhood. The Maven is part of the Dairy Block development, which will welcome a new food market next year. (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
A worker at Hop Alley puts the final touches on a couple of plates at popular RiNo restaurant from Tommy Lee. (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
A side order of pickled and preserved vegetables balances the flavors of crunchy salt-and-pepper soft shell crabs at Hop Alley, which traffics in modern Chinese street food with a spin. (Lori Rackl / Chicago Tribune)
