Buffalo, along with other game such as elk and pheasant, has long been on the menu at Denver's oldest restaurant, The Buckhorn Exchange. Leaner than beef, buffalo is enjoying a resurgence of popularity nationwide, and Colorado restaurateurs, such as Sam Arnold of The Fort are leading the way. Believe us, not everyone eats the stuff. Getting fresh seafood used to be a problem in Denver, but no more. Pacific Coast fish such as salmon and river fish such as trout are widely available and consistently good.
Fresh sushi is all the rage and easy to find.
As for ethnicity, Greater Denver counts among its blessings several Ethiopian eateries and topnotch Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Peruvian and Brazilian restaurants. There are also plenty of California-influenced bistros, especially in the Cherry Creek area. Most serve pastas, burgers and pizzas, many made in on-site woodburning ovens. In this section we've left out chain restaurants such as Chili's and Pizza Hut, not because we have anything against them, but on the assumption that readers already know what to expect at these places. Locally owned chains that operate within the Greater Denver area only are included, as visitors couldn't be expected to know their fare.