Picked-that-morning sweet corn from Olathe in the Uncompahgre Valley, the state's defining summer ear; served on the cob with butter, queso fresco and chile lime salt.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Olathe sweet corn has been grown on the Western Slope since the 1970s, harvested in a tight late-July to early-September window. The Olathe Sweet Corn Festival has run since 1992; Denver chefs source through the season. The Mexican-influenced elote preparation, with crema, queso fresco and chile, took hold on Federal Boulevard and at Mister Oso, Tamayo and Adelitas. Mercantile and Fruition both run sweet-corn courses through August.
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Common allergens: Dairy
Tip from the editors. Olathe corn is so fresh it cooks in half the time of supermarket corn. Pull as soon as kernels release a milky liquid when nicked with a fingernail; over-grilling toughens the skin.
Mister Oso in Denver is Blake Edmunds's playful Latin American room in RiNo, with masa tacos, Caribbean cocktails and a wood-grill program built around.
OrderThe octopus al pastor on a fresh blue-corn tortilla.
TipThe patio runs three rounds of seating on summer nights; the bar walks in if you arrive by 5:30 pm. The taro chips are bottomless if you ask.
Adelitas Cocina y Cantina in Denver is Adelita Diaz's South Broadway regional-Mexican dining room since 2011, with a mezcal-and-tequila bar.
OrderThe chiles en nogada in fall and the cochinita pibil; mezcal flight pours from rare Oaxacan agaves.
TipWalk-in at the bar; reservations for the dining room go on Resy. The cantina pours late on weekends.
Tamayo in Denver is Richard Sandoval's modern Mexican dining room on Larimer Square since 2001, a rooftop patio anchor for upscale tacos, ceviche and tequila.
OrderThe tableside guacamole and the cochinita pibil with Yucatan-style achiote; flight of mezcal to pair.
TipThe rooftop patio runs March through October with mountain views; book it three weeks ahead. The bar is open for walk-ins.
Mercantile Dining and Provision in Denver is Alex Seidel's farm-to-table dining room and provisions counter in Union Station, sourced from his Fruition Farms.
OrderThe Colorado trout from the live-fire hearth and the house-made charcuterie board.
TipThe market counter sells the kitchen's bread, charcuterie and produce; the morning espresso bar is the city's best Union Station coffee.
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