5280 Magazine – August 2019

52 |^5280 |^ AUGUST^2019

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’HOODS

Smallville

At first glance, Edgewater—a less-than-one-

square-mile town on the western shore of Sloan’s

Lake—might not look like much. But the city is

stocked with enough hidden gems to fill an entire

stomach-pleasing, stress-assuaging day. We even

drew up a schedule. — K AELY N LY NCH

9 A.M.

GRIFFIN COFFEE

The previous iteration

of this shop, Coda
Coffee, was mostly

used for grab-and-go

purposes. To create
a stay-for-a-while

vibe, new owner Peter

Hanan, who bought
the joint this past

February, is building a
serene backyard pa-

tio—ideal for sipping

an espresso flight
($6) featuring three

rotating small-batch
varieties from local

roasters. 5224 W.

25th Ave.

9:30 A.M.

SLOAN’S LAKE

Walk, jog, or bike

along 2.5 miles of
shady pathways as

you watch kayakers
and Jet Skis breeze

by. Throughout the

summer, the sur-

rounding 177-acre

park [ 1 ] hosts myriad

gatherings, including

the Denver Sloan’s

Lake Art & Music

Festival (August 10

to 11), during which

local makers hawk

handmade goods like

jewelry, accompanied

by tunes from area

acts like soul outfit

the Hazel Miller Band.

1700 N. Sheridan Blvd.

10:30 A.M.

RUPERT’S AT THE EDGE

This laid-back eatery

is known for creative

twists on standard

breakfast fare. Take,

for instance, the

Southwestern eggs

Benedict constructed

with house-made

green chile corn frit-

ters and slow-roasted

pulled pork. Wash it

down with a peppery,

jalapeño-infused vod-

ka Bloody Mary. 2045

Sheridan Blvd.

NOON

HAPPY LEAF KOMBUCHA

A move from RiNo to

Edgewater three years

ago provided Happy

Leaf, the first kombu-

cha taproom in Den-

ver, with a more family-

friendly space to make

its probiotic-packed

drinks [ 2 ]—each fla-

vored with fresh fruits,

vegetables, or herbs

from fair-trade or lo-

cal distributors. Grab

an orange and basil

concoction and then

spread out on the spa-

cious front lawn to play

one of Happy Leaf’s

board games or jump-

start your digestion by

taking a nap. 5700 W.

25th Ave.

1:30 P.M.

40 WEST ARTS DISTRICT

While not technically

in Edgewater, this

walkable and bikeable

arts corridor just over

the border in Lake-

wood is worth the

short journey south-

west. Wander through

four miles of galleries,

interactive sculptures,

and public murals [ 3 ],

including a sidewalk

painting that functions

as a word search. 1560

Teller St.

5 P.M.

US THAI CAFE

At this small hole-in-

the-wall restaurant,

chefs whip up flavor-

packed cuisine,

including the best

massaman curry this

far east of Bangkok.

Get to the bustling

spot early, though, as

it doesn’t take reser-

vations during peak

hours and the line is

often out the door.

And be warned: Spicy

means spicy. 5228

W. 25th Ave.

7 P.M.

JOYRIDE BREWING CO.

Sip a sundowner in

the open-air tasting

room or head to the

new rooftop patio [ 4 ]

for views of Sloan’s

Lake and the Denver

skyline. Although the

taps rotate weekly,

you can’t go wrong

with one of the four

flagship beers—in-

cluding the crisp,

refreshing Ice Cutter

Kölsch—many of

which were con-

cocted when Joyride

was a homebrew op-

eration in co-owner

Grant Babb’s Edge-

water basement. 2501

Sheridan Blvd.

ON THE EDGE

OF GREATNESS

Edgewater

stands to lose

its overlooked

status come

Labor Day

weekend, when

75,000-square-

foot Edgewater

Public Market

opens.

Thanks to the

municipality’s

special

consumption

statute, you

can sip wine

or beer from

one of the food

and shopping

hall’s to-be-

determined

breweries and

bars while

browsing shops

such as clothing

boutique

Velvet Wolf.

3

1

4