Denver, CO
Colorado adds a single Michelin-starred restaurant
Colorado gained just a single Michelin-starred restaurant on Monday as the vaunted guide company announced its 2024 list of dining recommendations. In addition, the five existing Michelin-starred restaurants all reclaimed their stars from 2023.
Alma Fonda Fina, a high-end Mexican dining room, which opened just nine months ago at 2556 15th St., in Denver’s Lower Highland neighborhood, joined the one-star club, which includes Beckon, Bruto and The Wolf’s Tailor, all in Denver, Bosq in Aspen, and Frasca in Boulder.
“Chef Johnny Curiel started off in his family’s restaurant in Guadalajara, and after years of high-end culinary experience, he revisits dishes and flavors from his upbringing with creativity and finely honed technique delivering results that are both satisfying and delicious,” Michelin wrote in its new guide to Colorado restaurants, which was released Monday morning.
“Resist the temptation to fixate on any one item, as the menu is littered with treasures: perfectly crisped pork belly carnitas make for a brilliant taco on a sourdough flour tortilla, while agave-roasted sweet potato with nutty salsa matcha and luxuriously creamy whipped requesón is a revelation, and vibrant seafood crudos like thinly sliced Maine diver scallop with tomatillo and apple aguachile are downright electric. No desserts are offered for the time being, so there’s no reason to leave any extra room,” the Guide continued.
In addition, Michelin added one Bib Gourmand recommendation to its list: MAKfam, a Cantonese-American restaurant that opened in November 2023 at 39 W. 1st Ave. in Denver. Bib Gourmands recognize “eateries for great food at a great value,” according to Michelin.
“What began as a pop-up back in NYC, where owners and married couple Doris Yuen and Kenneth Wan first met, and then became a stall in a Denver food hall, is now at last a full-service restaurant. The winsome, colorful space and the compact menu both celebrate the pair’s Chinese American roots, both having been raised by immigrant families who worked in restaurants.
“Fried crab and cheese wontons and hand-shaped chicken and chive potstickers are inspired by Chinatown favorites and takeout staples, made with particular care and big flavor. Chicken wings with a spicy, tingly málà seasoning are favorites with good reason, and larger dishes, like the familiar-yet inventive corned beef fried rice or spicy garlic butter rice cakes, impress as well,” Michelin continued.
And finally, two Denver restaurants joined the list of recommended eateries, Brasserie Brixton, at 3701 Williams St., and Kawa Ni, at 3200 W. 32nd Ave.
“Opening Kawa Ni this past November has been an exciting challenge, and naturally, there was some concern about fitting into the Colorado culinary community. Thanks to the fantastic team in Denver, we’ve been warmly welcomed beyond expectation, and to earn Michelin recognition within just a year of opening is truly special,” Kawa Ni chef and founder Bill Taibe said in a statement.
There were three special awards this year. The Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award went to Jessenia Sanabria of Sweet Basil; the Michelin Sommelier Award went to Chris Dunaway of Element 47; the Michelin Outstanding Service Award went to Allison Anderson of Beckon; and the Michelin Young Chef/Culinary Professional Award went to Johnny Curiel of Alma Fonda Fina.
Two restaurants that were on the 2023 guide are not listed in the 2024 guide: A.J.’s Pit BBQ, which won a Bib Gourmand in 2023, and Potager. Both are in Denver.
“As we celebrate year two of the Michelin Guide in Colorado, we can see the passion and
momentum continue to grow in this culinary community,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the
International Director of the Michelin Guides, in a statement.
“The famously anonymous Inspectors were also eager to shine a light on the growing talent in the local community, with a handful of new restaurants added to the selection,” she added.
This is a developing story.
Colorado’s 2024 Bib Gourmand restaurants
Ash’Kara, 2005 W. 33rd Ave., Denver
Basta, 3601, Arapahoe Ave., Boulder
The Ginger Pig, 4262 Lowell Blvd., Denver
Glo Noodle House, 4450 W. 38th Ave., Denver
Hop Alley, 3500 Larimer St., Denver
La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal, 2233 Larimer St., Denver
MAKfam, (new) 39 W. 1st Ave., Denver
Mister Oso, 3163 Larimer St., Denver
Tavernetta, 1889 16th St. Mall, Denver
Colorado’s 2024 Recommended restaurants
A5 Steakhouse 1600 15th St., Denver, 80202
Barolo Grill 3030 E. 6th Ave., Denver, 80206
Blackbelly Market 1606 Conestoga St., Boulder, 80301
Boulder Dushanbe Tea House 1770 13th St., Boulder, 80302
Bramble & Hare 1970 13th St., Boulder, 80302
Brasserie Brixton (new) 3701 N. Williams St., Denver 80205
Dio Mio 3264 Larimer St., Denver, 80205
Element 47 675 E. Durant Ave, Aspen, 81611
Fruition 1313 E. 6th Ave., Denver, 80218
Guard and Grace 1801 California St., Denver, 80202
Hey Kiddo 4337 Tennyson St., Denver, 80212
Kawa Ni (new) 1900 W. 32nd Ave., Denver 80211
Marco’s Coal Fired 2129 Larimer St., Denver, 80205
Mawa’s Kitchen 305 Aspen Airport Business Center, Ste. F, Aspen, 81611
Mercantile Dining and Provision 1701 Wynkoop St., Denver, 80202
Mirabelle 55 Village Rd., Beaver Creek, 81620
Noisette 3254 Navajo St., Denver, 80211
Oak at Fourteenth, 1400 Pearl St., Boulder
Olivia, 290 S. Downing St., Denver
Osaki’s, 100 E. Meadow Dr., Vail
Prospect, 330 E. Main St., Aspen
Q House, 3421 E. Colfax Ave., Denver
Safta, 3330 Brighton Blvd., Denver
Santo, 1265 Alpine Ave., Boulder
Smok, 3330 Brighton Blvd. #202, Denver
Splendido at the Chateau, 17 Chateau Lane, Beaver Creek
Stella’s Cucina, 1123 Walnut St., Boulder
Sweet Basil, 193 Gore Creek Dr., Vail
Temaki Den, 3350 Brighton Blvd., Denver
Wyld, 130 Daybreak Ridge Rd. Avon
Zoe Ma Ma, 2010 10th St., Boulder
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Originally Published:
Denver, CO
Denver weather: More hot weather Sunday
DENVER (KDVR) — After officially hitting 90 degrees for the first time this season, the Denver weather forecast features more hot weather Sunday and next week before temperatures begin to moderate.
Dry and breezy conditions will create fire danger concerns for parts of the northeastern plains.
Denver weather tonight: Another mild night
Skies will gradually clear overnight Saturday, but it’s still going to be mild with low temperatures falling into the middle and upper 50s around metro Denver. Some locations elsewhere may only cool to about 60 degrees.
Denver weather tomorrow: Temperatures in the 90s again

Sunday will be another hot day with widespread temperatures again in the 90s. Denver’s record high is 98 degrees, but we’ll stay well short of that. We’ll begin the day sunny, but clouds will steadily increase in the afternoon.
Mostly dry conditions are forecast but a stray pop-up storm may develop. Winds will turn to the northwest with gusts up to 20 miles per hour.
Looking ahead: Hot, breezy, and mostly dry
We start next week with partly sunny conditions and temperatures “cooling” to the upper 80s in the afternoon, still above normal. Gusty winds will persist from the east-southeast. There will be a slightly better chance for isolated storm development in the afternoon.
We’ll jump back to the 90s on Tuesday with wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour or higher possible.
Temperatures start to moderate Wednesday onward, starting with low 90s on Wednesday, then middle 80s Thursday into the weekend, closer to normal.
Overall, the forecast for most of next week looks predominantly dry, but rain chances do return for next weekend.
Denver, CO
My Morning Jacket, Death Cab For Cutie, Tash Sultana Elevate Denver’s Outside Days Festival
Sometimes, music can be an awesome addendum to other activities without being the whole raison d’etre for a festival.
In 2019, Amazon put together a spectacular lineup for Intersect—with Foo Fighters, Beck, and Kacey Musgraves among the biggest names—which was essentially an extension of the e-commerce giant’s company conference in Las Vegas. In Arizona, Innings Festival and Extra Innings Festival have emerged as tentpole events in the desert by using live music to draw in baseball fans visiting the area for spring training. In Las Vegas, SEMA Fest has treated motorsports lovers to large-scale rock concerts, in between thrilling scenes of car and bike stunts.
Over the last three years, Outside Days has begun to make its mark in the category of not-just-a-music-festival festivals. In this case, the three-day event is built on top of Outside Magazine’s professional conference, which brings together brands and companies from the outdoors industry with active-lifestyle enthusiasts and those either working therein or looking to break into the field.
This year, all of those same brands—from REI and The North Face to Capital One, Jeep and many more—got additional exposure via marketing activations and booths spread across Auraria Campus in downtown Denver, while the previous location (Civic Center Park) underwent renovations.
Though film screenings and panel discussions were also part of the proceedings, the vast majority of the 30,000 attendees seemed rightly focused on the acts performing on the stage that dominated the Tivoli Quad at Metropolitan State University of Denver. From one day to the next, there were no misses; only superb sets played (nearly) perfectly for a citizenry that’s turned Denver into one of America’s great hubs for live music.
Friday’s lineup brought more of an indie bent to the air, thanks in no small part to Death Cab For Cutie. Ben Gibbard and company leaned into their new album, I Built You A Tower, with an opener of “Riptide” and the live debut of “Trap Door.” Those songs, as well as “Punching The Flowers,” “Stone Over Water,” and the title track from their latest release, fit seamlessly alongside tried-and-true Death Cab classics like “The New Year,” “I Will Follow You Into The Dark,” “Crooked Teeth” and “Soul Meets Body.”
Japanese Breakfast and Goth Babe both did their part to warm up the crowd for DCFC. The former peppered the populace with indie pop favorites like “Paprika,” “Picture Window,” “Everybody Wants To Love You” and “Be Sweet.” The latter followed that up with feel-good songs like “Mexico,” “Encinitas” and “Weekend Friend,” as well as a cover of Weezer’s “Undone – The Sweater Song.” That is, when they weren’t busy encouraging fans to crowd surf on camping mattresses or doling out household appliances as prizes for cheering.
Saturday took a decisive turn toward jams—a prime pivot, given the Mile High City’s proclivities for musical improv. My Morning Jacket certainly seemed to understand that assignment. The outfit’s sprawling, two-hour set incorporated seemingly every highlight from their discography, starting with “Wordless Chorus” and ending with “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2.” In between, the Louisville-based group broke into “Off The Record,” “Anytime,” “Gideon,” “One Big Holiday,” “Circuital”, “Victory Dance,” and a version of “Spring (Among The Living)” that included a sprinkling of The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence.” Even with a setlist so jam-packed, lead singer and guitarist Jim James managed to squeeze in not one, but two callouts of the full moon that was on brilliant display in the Denver sky.
That all came as a thrilling finale to a day that saw Karina Rykman take her bass out for much more than a walk in the park, Eggy egg on the jams with “Laurel,” “Waiting Game” and “Through The Mist;” and Dawes put an L.A.-style spin on jam rock with “Time Spent in Los Angeles,” “When My Time Comes,” “Most People” and “All Your Favorite Bands.”
The only fly in the ointment on Saturday showed up at the start of The Flaming Lips’ allotted time. Lead singer Wayne Coyne announced that a piece of the band’s equipment had blown out, prompting a 15-minute delay. That didn’t stop them from pulling out most of their usual theatrical stops, from the towering inflatable robots for both parts of “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” and giant eyes and lips for “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power)” to an American flag cape for a cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” a blowup rainbow during “Do You Realize??”, a bubble for Wayne on “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton,” and various other stage toys along the way.
(Perhaps, though, the technical difficulties were a bad omen for The Flaming Lips’ hometown team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, whose NBA title defense came to an end that night, while most of the band wore the team’s jerseys onstage.)
Sunday at Outside Days was tailor-made for those seeking an edgier approach to rock music. Girl Tones gave the audience an early taste of Bowling Green, Kentucky’s punk spirit, courtesy of sisters Kenzie and Laila Crowe. GROUPLOVE infused the day with a bit of pop sensibility by way of a well-tested combination of “Tongue Tied” into a Beatles-esque cover of The Top Notes’ “Twist and Shout.”
Tash Sultana stepped up as, arguably, the single most talented musician to take the stage at Outside Days. The Australian multi-instrumentalist emerged with a full band for a cover of The Wailers’ “I Shot The Sheriff” before eventually shifting toward their usual solo show, with loops of drums, keys, bass and synths laid behind vocals, guitar riffs, bits of trumpet and saxophone to form songs like “Milk & Honey,” “Notion,” and “Jungle.” At one point, Tash took a moment to acknowledge a rainbow in the distance, speaking about it as a sign of her recently departed dog looking out from the heavens.
As much as Outside Days knocked it out of the proverbial park with marquee acts, the festival and its organizers also did well to create time and space for local artists and bands. On Friday, that slot fell to Wildermiss, a Phantogram-esque indie rock band led by Emma Cole on vocals and synth bass, Joshua Hester on guitar, and Caleb Thoemke on drums. Saturday saw The Brothers of Brass—who bill themselves as Denver’s only New Orleans-style brass band—add to the ambiance with brassy covers of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You,” Bill Withers’ “Just The Two of Us,” Aaliyah’s “Try Again” and Destiny Child’s “Survivor,” both onstage during their main set and during some interstitial busking on the festival grounds. Come Sunday, the lineup included spots for both the indie rock of The Mañanas and the edgy pop provisioned by N3ptune.
Those acts, in particular, lent additional heart and soul to an event that, while very much corporate in nature, didn’t leave attendees drowning in a sea of brand marketing. If anything, the music of it all made it more than held its own as the strongest gravitational force on the grounds. (Save for, perhaps, the Cotopaxi booth and the Capital One lounge, both of which had perpetual lines that seemingly extended into infinity.)
Still, in the grand scheme, it was impressive to see Outside Days not only put together a top-flight event in just its third year, but also draw such a substantial crowd given the competition in town—between Morgan Wallen at Empower Field and FAN EXPO Denver at the Colorado Convention Center.
With any luck, Outside Days will continue to grow in both scope and lineup strength in the years to come. And even if it doesn’t, it’s always worthy of being a staple on anyone’s live music calendar, especially for those who call the Rocky Mountains home.
Below, check out a selection of photos from the 2026 edition of Outside Days via Josh Martin.
Outside Days Festival | Various Artists | Denver, CO | 5/29/26–5/31/26 | Photos: Josh Martin
Denver, CO
Denver weather: Near-record heat Saturday
DENVER (KDVR) — The first weekend of June features high summer heat with record warm temperatures possible Saturday in the Denver weather forecast.
Other regions in northeast Colorado will come close to hitting record high temperatures Saturday, with some towns in Weld County potentially nearing 100 degrees. That said, any clouds may provide just enough shade to keep temperatures in check.
Denver weather tonight: Very mild

Skies will be mostly clear to partly cloudy overnight Friday.
Temperatures will also be quite mild in metro Denver with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. Winds will be a bit breezy from the south with gusts up to 20 miles per hour possible.
Denver weather tomorrow: Record high watch

Denver’s average high Saturday is 80 degrees, but middle 90s are forecast. It’ll be close to tying that record in the afternoon.
Mostly dry weather is in the forecast, but a couple isolated storms may form east of metro Denver in the late afternoon. It’ll remain breezy with southerly winds gusting up to 30 miles per hour.
Looking ahead: Staying hot
The record high temperature in Denver is 98 degrees in 2006, but it’s unlikely it will be that warm with another day in the middle 90s expected.
It will remain breezy with wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour again. Rain is unlikely.
Temperatures briefly dip to the upper 80s Monday with a slightly better chance for some pop-up showers and storms.
It will stay hot most of next week. Temperatures will be in the mid-90s Tuesday and Wednesday and possibly Thursday. Winds will help mix up the air, but gusts of 30-35 miles per hour will persist.
It’s early, but there are some early indications that it’ll cool back to seasonal heat Friday into next weekend.
Denver, Colorado weather resources
Stay prepared for storms and forecast changes, a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day and other important weather information:
The Pinpoint Weather team will continue to update the forecast multiple times each day.
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