Hey Everyone,

I had the pleasure of visiting downtown Denver last year and wanted to share some of the places that I'll never forget visiting and hope to return to while in town for Xperience19. What do you plan to do while in town?

Just as a heads up, where the Xperience19 conference is located is about a 30-minute drive from downtown. I don't say that to be discouraging, I would happily do a hour-long round trip to visit any one of these places, but if you are going to make the effort, you might as well have a few events planned and a few hours set aside. Hope you enjoy!  

Where I Most Want to Go Back: Bang Up to the Elephant

This place has attitude for days and I find the ambiance soothing, after a few drinks - therapeutic. It was recommended by one of my friends who is a bartender in Nashville and I can see how/why word would spread all the way to Tennessee about this...pastry shop / restaurant / bar. It has a special energy that doesn't feel gimmicky and they didn't sacrifice the quality of any of their food or drinks for decorations. Also, they get a special shout out for having some of the most comical bathrooms I've ever seen...TMI?


Best Bite of Food: Guard and Grace (reservation recommended)

Have you ever had gnocchi? I mean pillowy-soft and decadent gnocchi? I can say that I hadn't either (sorry Olive Garden). Well...enter Guard and Grace. I had a fair amount of food in Denver, but it is all shadows and dust compared to the gnocchi that I had here. Alright, at this point, I've hyped it to the point of no return. I'll stop.

(Warning: No picture can do the food justice.)

Favorite Meal: Brunch

What a stunner. Not typically what I gravitate towards, but there were some unbelievable brunch places during my travels. Cocktails with bacon, gravy with short ribs, pancakes sprinkled with morsels from heaven, oh...and all of the mimosas. Pick your vice and indulge. Some of my favorite places were: Snooze, Sam's No 3, and The Corner Office.




Favorite Bar: Union Lodge No. 1

Small and hard to find speakeasies are typically the best. This upscale bar is ideal for an intimate rendezvous and their bar menu features everything from classics to cobbler inspired libations that pop on the page and sizzle on your palate.


Favorite Brewery: Epic Brewing

When I say that I love beer, I mean the type of love that made me start a Fantasy Beer League. Some of my favorite breweries are in Denver. Great Divide (also in downtown) was one of the breweries that got me into craft beer. It wasn't until I was driving away from the city that I realized Blue Moon's brewery is there! Not a craft beer per se, but an international icon and I unapologetically wish I had known and stopped by. There are also some great small batch breweries in and around the city that are too numerous to list. All of that being said, I had the best time visiting Epic Brewing. They had a great tap list with something for everyone and some of the beer you can get nationally, but some are rare local releases that you can take home with you to share. The staff was incredibly friendly and the beer was just as enjoyable for my companions as it was for me.


Biggest Life Lesson: I Don't Think Bad Mac and Cheese Exists in Denver

Denver has long winters, high altitude, and hearty appetites. Their comfort-food game is on point! Also, their mac and cheese is never dry - which should be a capital offense. Trade secret, if you are in a pinch for some delivery and feel like you could eat a bucket of pasta, there's a place that's crazy enough to deliver you a bucket of pasta and meatballs with some of mama's gravy. You'd be a fool not to...err...uh...I'll let you complete that sentence.



Biggest Surprise: The Art Scene

WHOA! Denver has clearly opened their minds creatively. I mean...just check out the street views. Downtown is a great place to stroll around and constantly get surprised. The art museum has a free day and the line was around 60 people deep when we went. 


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If you have any questions about these places or other recommendations, let me know! Can't wait to hear what you find to do that I may have missed. Also, if you made it this far, here is a very unworthy picture of the gnocchi...I just got chills.



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Matt Lawson
Genesys - Employees
Online Community Manager
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