Expert Picks: Chef Jennifer Jasinski

by Mary_Morley - 0 Reviews - 17 Lists

Updated: November 07, 2006

She calls Denver home, but Jennifer Jasinski traveled the world as Wolfgang Puck's protege before serving for more than three years as executive chef at Panzano. She opened her own restaurant in 2004, Rioja, and bought neighboring Bistro Vendome dome two years later. Here, she shares some of her local favorites with Citysearch.

On this page:At Home: Denver Restaurants, At Home: Denver Nightlife, At Home: Denver Outdoors.

At Home: Denver Restaurants

  1. 1 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended JJ Chinese Restaurant
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    1048 S Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219 (map)

    "Since I own two fine dining restaurants, I enjoy something different, and a few of my favorites are Asian. For Chinese I like JJ's on Alameda. They have great, funky, real Chinese food. It's awesome stuff, and you can go and eat so much--and its cheap."

  2. 2 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended New Saigon
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    630 South Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219 (map)

    "One of my favorite places for Vietnamese is New Saigon. The food is always great. I could live on the green papaya salad alone. Also, the chef specialty, beef 5 ways, rocks."

  3. 3 4 Star Rating: Recommended Cafe Star Inc
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    3201 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206 (map)

    "I had the best brunch at Cafe Star. She does a confit duck leg on a potato pancake with a fried duck egg that is heaven."

  4. 4 4 Star Rating: Recommended Aix
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    719 E 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80203 (map)

    "For brunch, Aix is also great. Maybe the best bloody mary in town--it has a touch of cucumber juice in it. I could spend all day on Sunday just sipping those."

  5. 5 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Mizuna
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    225 E Seventh Ave, Denver, CO 80203 (map)

    "For dinner in Denver, I love Mizuna for a great fine dining, all-around fabulous experience. Frank Bonanno combines beautiful flavors in well executed dishes. It is a cozy, small place."

  6. 6 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Frasca Food and Wine
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    1738 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302 (map)

    "For fine dining in Boulder, I love Frasca. It has a stellar wine list, the chef loves pork as much as me, and he cooks it brilliantly."

  7. 7 4 Star Rating: Recommended Kitchen, The
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    1039 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302 (map)

    "I also love The Kitchen. It is a simple space that executes great, simple, well-made dishes, and they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

  8. 8 4 Star Rating: Recommended Bistro Vendome
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    1420 Larimer St Ste H, Denver, CO 80202 (map)

    "Of course I recommend my own places, Bistro Vendome has the best frites and foie gras terrine, and I could live on the beef tartare."

  9. 9 4 Star Rating: Recommended Rioja
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    1431 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80202 (map)

    "At Rioja, it takes us three days to make the pork belly, and it is worth every bite. All the food at Rioja is made with love."

  10. 10 4 Star Rating: Recommended Lola - Denver
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    1575 Boulder St, Denver, CO 80211 (map)

    "I love to go to Lola for the silver coin margaritas. I think it is the best margarita in town."

At Home: Denver Nightlife

  1. 11 3.5 Star Rating: Average Skylark Lounge
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    140 S Broadway, Denver, CO 80209 (map)

    "I like smaller places like the Skylark. It is a cool corner location with a rockabilly feel. They play live music four to five days a week."

  2. 12 3 Star Rating: Average Mezcal Denver
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    3230 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206 (map)

    "Another place I like to have drinks is Mezcal. It's not just a bar, it has great Mexican food, too. The bartenders are great, and there is usually a good crowd. They also have the best queso fundido in town."

  3. 13 4 Star Rating: Recommended Front Porch
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    1512 Larimer St Ste 33R, Denver, CO 80202 (map)

    "For bars, the Front Porch is a really cool spot. It has rocking chairs and couches and has a great laid-back vibe to it."

  4. 14 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Red Rocks Amphitheatre
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    Red Rocks Park, Morrison, CO 80465 (map)

    "I also like to see live music, so Red Rocks is my number one venue for a big band, but there are cool small places too."

At Home: Denver Outdoors

  1. 15 4 Star Rating: Recommended Golden Gate Canyon State Park
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    92 Crawford Gulch Rd, Golden, CO 80403 (map)

    "I love hiking, and Golden Gate State Park has a lot of great trails."

  2. 16 Confluence Park
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    15th St and Delgany St, Denver, CO 80202 (map)

    "I have a Saint Bernard, and we like to be outside. She loves to go to Confluence Park and take a dip in the river. It is a beautiful park to just hang out in and read or chat with a friend. Personally, I like to play Frisbee."

  3. 17 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Vail Resorts
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    600 W Lionshead Cir, Vail, CO 81657 (map)

    "For skiing, you can't beat Vail. Blue Sky basin inside Vail is the spot to be--on a powder day, you can make fresh tracks all day, it is sooo big!"