Colorado
5 Delicious Sushi Spots In Colorado

Sushi Den is a standout spot in Denver.
Sushi Den
Most diners don’t think of land-locked Colorado as the place to go for fantastic sushi. However, the Centennial State is swimming with good fish, partially because it’s a central hub for airplanes stopping between coasts. Local chefs demand it, too, making sourcing sushi-grade seafood easier.
As more Japanese restaurants open in and around Denver, the number of places to get sashimi and sushi has grown admirably. Make a reservation at one of these five spots to experience a memorable meal.
Sushi Den
Started by brothers Toshi and Yasu Kizaki, Sushi Den is the pioneer credited with bringing sushi-grade fish to Denver. The intimate restaurant opened in 1984, when much of the Mile High City still valued steak and all-you-can-eat buffets over pricy Japanese fare. Sushi Den prevailed and started the movement of flying in tuna, halibut and yellowtail from Japan’s largest fish markets.
Because of a successful run with Sushi Den and the cuisine’s popularity, the brothers opened Izakaya Den and OTOTO next door. Now, they plan to launch a fourth concept. Though the name has yet to be revealed, it will be omakase-style. Given the quality of Sushi Den and its offshoots, the end-of-summer opening will be a welcome addition to the scene.
Kumoya
One of Denver’s newest spots is Kumoya, a high-end Japanese restaurant from the Creative Culinary restaurant group. While the space is fresh, chefs Corey Baker and Max Mackissock have more than two decades of experience with top-grade fish. Baker’s sushi pedigree dates back to Sushi Den (highlighted below), one of the first places to bring high-quality fish to the city. Getting quality fish is a priority for the chef, and he sources it from renowned Japanese fresh fish markets in Toyosu and Fukuoka.
The choices feel endless once you’re seated in the low-lit, modern dining room. The best bet is to let Baker take the reins and pick the pieces for you, omakase style. Make sure to add a piece of the aged tuna, which comes topped with caviar and gold leaf.
While sushi certainly excites, the whole menu should be sampled, from a melt-in-the-mouth eggplant to wagyu tartare with smoked shoyu. Pair the meal with a delicate sake or an innovative, Asian-inspired cocktail.
Ukiyo’s plated perfection.
Bao Brewhouse
Ukiyo
Under Bao Brewhouse’s red facade and side alley lies the door to Ukiyo, a 12-seat omakase restaurant that opened in February 2024. Here, Bao Brewhouse chef Phraseuth “Paul” Sananikone creates 18 courses, from nigiri to oysters to wagyu. Each dish is a small bite or two, so enjoying the spread without getting too full is easy.
The intimate space lends to close conversations with strangers and insider information from the chef. However, because the space only seats a dozen eaters, scoring a reservation ahead of time is important. Ukiyo opens Wednesday through Saturday with two seatings daily at 6 and 8:30 p.m.
Bamboo Sushi
In the lower highlands of Denver, Bamboo Sushi is perched above the sloping hill, offering views of downtown. On a nice day, you can admire the vista from outdoor seating or stick to the beauty on the plate.
The Denver sushi restaurant sources fish from around the world, with each option selected sustainability. The menu’s seasonal nature means one night, a diner may get kanpachi from Hawaii, uni from Santa Barbara and scallops from Nova Scotia. Pair the meal with premium sake or a glass of light white wine. The shifting menu’s tides ensure there’s always a reason to return to Bamboo Sushi.
Sakaba’s uni.
Linnea Covington
Sakaba
Head to the mountains to Forbes Travel Guide Recommended The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch for a great Japanese dinner at Sakaba. Take in the stone walls, fireplaces and glass-covered patio, which makes you feel as if you’re dining alfresco, even when the snow falls. While nestled in a cozy chair, you’ll find the sushi to be just as thrilling as the ski slopes.
Seasonal fish is flown in from Japan multiple times a week and goes straight to Sakaba’s kitchen. During the summer, the trip happens twice a week and three times during ski season. Because of the ever-changing fish haul, items come and go on the menu. At press time, diners could indulge in lobster rolls with yuzu and shiso garlic or truffle aioli-laced tuna truffle rolls with asparagus. Nigiri and sashimi also grace the menu. The omakase option is the way to go for those willing to relinquish culinary control.
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Colorado
Liquid eggs sold in Colorado recalled for possible bleach contamination

The maker of Egg Beaters and Bob Evans liquid eggs is recalling thousands of pounds of product that may be contaminated with a bleach cleaning solution, including those sold in Colorado, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Michigan-based Cargill Kitchen Solutions announced the recall of 212,268 pounds of liquid eggs on Friday after someone submitted a tip to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Liquid eggs sold in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois and Iowa and sent to distributors in Ohio and Texas were also included in the recall, and it’s possible the product was distributed nationwide.
Federal officials do not expect any health impacts from eating contaminated products and there have not been any confirmed reports of adverse reactions. Anyone with a recalled product in their fridge should throw it away or return it to the store.
Product covered by the recall include:
- 32-ounce carton of Egg Beaters Original Liquid Egg Substitute with a use-by date of Aug. 10, 2025;
- 32-ounce carton of Egg Beaters Cage-Free Original Liquid Egg Substitute with a use-by date of Aug. 9, 2025;
- 32-ounce carton of Egg Beaters Cage-Free Original Frozen Egg Substitute and No Enjualadas Original Sustituto de Huevo Congelado with a use-by date of March 7, 2026;
- 32-ounce carton of Bob Evans Better’n Eggs Made with Real Egg Whites with a use-by date of Aug. 10, 2025.
Products under the recall are also inked with the number “G1804” on the carton, according to the USDA.
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Colorado
Is this town really the worst place to live in Colorado? Find out why a study says so

Which US cities are the best to live in? See the top 10 ranking
U.S. News and World Report has released its annual list of the best U.S. cities to live in for 2024. (Scripps News)
Scripps News
Clifton, an unincorporated town of about 20,000 people on Colorado’s Western Slope, was named the worst place to live in the state by financial news site 24/7 Wall St.
The site’s study picked the worst place to live in every state, compiling its rankings using 22 factors such as poverty rates, household income and deaths from substance abuse. The data sources for the rankings include the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s what the numbers say about Clifton — nestled between Grand Junction and Palisades — and what supporters of the city like about it.
Why did Clifton rank poorly?
Clifton fell well behind the rest of the state by several financial metrics. Its poverty rate of 17.6% was almost twice the state’s 9.6%. The median home value of $166,900 was less than half the state average of $397,500. And the median household income of $49,350 was a little above 60% of the state’s average of $80,184.
Clifton actually had slightly less drug-induced mortality, with 25.5 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with the state’s average of 26.5 per 100,000.
What brings people to Clifton?
By virtue of its location, Clifton provides easy access to the agriculture-rich region of southwest Colorado. It sits near wineries, orchards and farms with all varieties of seasonal produce, as well as access to good locations for outdoor recreation, according to online travel guide Uncover Colorado.
What are the worst places to live in neighboring states?
The 24/7 Wall St. report taps New Kingman-Butler, Arizona; Price, Utah; Riverton, Wyoming; Española, New Mexico; Lexington, Nebraska; Poteau, Oklahoma; and Augusta, Kansas, as the worst cities in their respective states.
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network.
Colorado
10 Fun Facts About Boulder, Colorado—Sundance Film Festival’s New Home

Boulder, Colorado will host Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027.
getty
It’s official: Sundance Film Festival is moving to Boulder, Colorado in 2027 after its more than four-decade residency in Park City, Utah where actor and director Robert Redford launched the internationally renowned festival.
Boulder beat out other bidding cities including Cincinnati and Salt Lake City to become the host destination for the festival that’s intentionally held outside of Hollywood in an effort to promote independent and up-and-coming filmmakers.
So, why Boulder?
BOULDER, CO – MARCH 27 : Gov. Jared Polis celebrated Sundance Film Festival is coming to Colorado with the crowd at Boulder Theatre in Boulder, Colorado on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Boulder wins Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027, beating out Utah and Ohio. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
Denver Post via Getty Images
“Boulder is an art town, tech town, mountain town, and college town,” Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO said in a statement. “It is a place where the festival can build and flourish.”
Indeed, Boulder—a college town with a population of about 100,000—is a one-of-a-kind destination, nestled against the foothills and about 35 to 40 minutes from Denver. It’s technically not a mountain town like Park City, but rather is located where the plains and the Rocky Mountains meet.
I’m a Colorado-based travel writer, University of Colorado alumni and I spent more than a decade working as a reporter for the Daily Camera, Boulder’s newspaper. Ahead, I’m sharing some interesting facts about Boulder that you might find fascinating, should you visit this Colorado city for Sundance film screenings or simply to sample some of its famed outdoor recreation.
1. You Can Visit The Restaurant Robert Redford Was a Janitor At During College
As it turns out, Sundance founder Robert Redford has a unique connection to Boulder. The Sink, an iconic burger and pizza spot on the “Hill” across from the University of Colorado, claims that its most famous employee ever was Robert Redford, who worked at the restaurant as a janitor in 1955 while attending college.
President Barack Obama visits the Sink in Boulder on Tuesday, April 24, 2012. Joe Amon, The Denver Post (Photo By AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Denver Post via Getty Images
The Sink, which celebrated its 100th year in business in 2023, also played host to President Barack Obama in April 2012 ahead of his talk at the university. The president ordered the “Sinkza” pizza with pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, black olives and onion, a menu item the restaurant renamed P.O.T.U.S. pie after his visit. Obama also signed his name on the graffiti-covered walls. His John Hancock is right next to the signature of Guy Fieri, who visited the Boulder restaurant for an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
2. Boulder, Colorado Could Have Been Built Around a Prison
Aerial photo above Boulder, Colorado.
getty
Today, Boulder is an idyllic college town and the University of Colorado is central to the city’s identity. Beautiful buildings on CU’s campus are built with red sandstone that was quarried in nearby Lyons. Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is the head coach of the CU Buffs football team, which draws energetic crowds for Saturday football games. CU also hosts the Conference on World Affairs, a spring event that’s like the Olympics for the mind that brings in thought leaders from around the world for panel discussions open to the public.
But Boulder could have been much different had things gone in the opposite direction in the late 1870s. Citizens in Boulder lobbied the state legislature for a university, and they were competing with Cañon City for the flagship school. The consolation prize for the losing bidder would have been a new Colorado State Prison. I learned this just recently during a visit to the Museum of Boulder where an interactive display imagines what the city would look like had key decisions tipped another way. On the screen, it showed CU’s earthy red tile roofs that define the aerial portrait of Boulder juxtaposed with would-be barbed-wire fences and concrete buildings scattered among the foothills should the city have elected to be home to a prison.
Today, Cañon City in Southern Colorado is home to the Colorado State Penitentiary and other jails, as well as the Museum of Colorado Prisons.
3. Boulder, Colorado Has Michelin-Recognized Dining
Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder is one of Colorado’s six Michelin-starred restaurants.
Casey Wilson / Frasca
The Michelin Guide came to Colorado in 2023 and the state now has a half-dozen Michelin one-star restaurants, including Frasca in Boulder, a fine dining concept focused on cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy.
Boulder is also home to Basta, a contemporary Italian-American restaurant that received a Bib Gourmand status, an honor given to restaurants with great food at moderate price points.
Michelin-recommended restaurants in Boulder include: Stella’s Cucina, Bramble & Hare, Blackbelly Market, Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, Oak at Fourteenth, Zoe Ma Ma and Santo. Blackbelly Market and Bramble & Hare also received green stars, which recognizes restaurants that are leaders in sustainability.
Pro tip: You can enjoy fine dining Mexican in Denver at the city’s newest Michelin-starred restaurant Alma Fonda Fina, which is award-winning Chef Johnny Curiel’s solo restaurant debut and an ode to his home country of Mexico. But Curiel also has a fantastic restaurant in Boulder that’s easier to snag a reservation at: Cozobi Fonda Fina, which is rooted in Mexico’s centuries-old corn nixtamalization traditions and wood-fire cooking techniques.
4. The ‘Mork and Mindy’ House is Located in Boulder, Colorado
circa 1979: American comedian and actor Robin Williams, wearing a woman’s bathrobe, furry hat, and sunglasses, being hugged by American actor Pam Dawber, in a still from the television series, ‘Mork and Mindy’. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Getty Images
The Queen Anne exterior of the “Mork and Mindy” house is located in Boulder, a few blocks off the Pearl Street Mall, and is now a private residence. The television show, which ran from 1978 to 1982, featured Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrestrial who arrived in Boulder from a planet called Ork. Many references to Boulder are made in the show’s 90 episodes. Mindy—Mork’s wife—for instance was a student at the University of Colorado. Boulder’s Chautauqua Meadow is also featured in the show.
5. NASA Astronaut Scott Carpenter is from Boulder, Colorado
Mercury astronaut M. Scott Carpenter in his space suit at Cape Canaveral before his trip into space. In the background is a radar antenna tower.
getty
Scott Carpenter, who was one of NASA’s first seven astronauts known as “the Mercury Seven,” was born in Boulder on May 1, 1925. Carpenter, who was the second American to orbit the Earth, earned his bachelor of science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Colorado. Visitors will spot references to Carpenter throughout town, like the Scott Carpenter Park that has a rocket ship play structure and the pool named after the late astronaut.
6. Hotel Boulderado’s Name Has a Fun Backstory
Boulder, Colorado, USA-October 23, 2023: Hotel Boulderado on 13th Street in historic downtown Boulder, Colorado.
getty
Hotel Boulderado opened its doors with a Gala Ball on New Year’s Eve in 1908. The historic hotel, which is a City of Boulder landmark and a member of the Historic Hotels in America, named itself Boulderado, a portmanteau of Boulder and Colorado, so that no one ever forgot where they stayed.
7. You Can Watch Street Theater on Pearl Street Mall
Boulder, Colorado, USA – October 18, 2015: A street performer juggles balls to an audience on Pearl Street.
getty
A fun way to spend a summer evening in Boulder is by strolling the Pearl Street Mall and enjoying the street performers. These performers on the outdoor mall put on acts that range from juggling fire on a unicycle to magic tricks and playing musical instruments. Bring some cash; they’re all working for tips.
8. The University of Colorado Has a Cafeteria Named After a Cannibal
Ezekial Rast, a junior at the University of Colorado puts toppings on his sandwich at the Alferd Packer Grill in the University Memorial Center on the CU Boulder Campus on Wednesday March 17, 2010.(Photo by Paul Aiken/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images)
MediaNews Group via Getty Images
The Alferd Packer Restaurant and Grill bears the name of an infamous cannibal who came to Breckenridge looking to strike it rich during the gold rush and accused of cannibalism during the winter of 1873-1874 after an ill-fated expedition. Students named the dining spot after the cannibal (with a slightly different spelling from Alfred Packer) back in 1968 with the quip “have a friend for lunch.” The name has stuck ever since.
9. Celestial Seasonings is Based in Boulder, Colorado
Caption: Cover photo: A worker watches boxes of tea go by on conveyor belts at Celestial Seasonings’ production floor. Marty Caivano/Daily Camera(Photo by Marty Caivano/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images)
MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Well-known tea maker Celestial Seasonings is located in Boulder—you’ll find it off of Sleepytime Drive. The company got its start in 1969 when Mo Siegel, one of its founders, handpicked wild herbs in the Rocky Mountains and used his foraged finds to make the first tea. Visitors today can go on a $6 tour of the tea factory.
10. One of the Flatirons is Taller Than The Empire State Building
The Boulder Flatirons pictured in the winter.
getty
If Boulder had an official postcard, it’d likely be of its famed Flatirons that jut out into the blue skies. There are five Flatirons that run on a slope of Green Mountain and they’re collectively referred to as “The Flatirons.” They got their name from a pioneer woman who said they rocks look like flat, metal irons used to iron clothes, according to the city’s tourism officials. The third Flatiron is particularly striking: At 1,400 feet, it’s a few hundred feet higher than the Empire State Building. Trails starting at the Chautauqua Trailhead get you up close to the Flatirons.
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