Colorado’s food and drink scene seems to be a magnet for praise recently. The latest comes from writers at Esquire magazine, which heralded two local bars among the best in the nation.
On Thursday, the publication debuted its annual list of the best bars in America, including 42 watering holes from New York to San Francisco. Traveling Mercies in Aurora, the oysters-and-cocktail joint from James Beard Award-winning chef Annette Glover, and Sunday Vinyl, one of Denver’s premiere spots to enjoy wine and records, cracked the 2024 list.
Traveling Mercies’ inclusion is especially impressive considering it opened less than six months ago, on Dec. 22. Esquire’s Omar Mamoon described it as a pleasant surprise in an unsuspecting locale. The bar and restaurant took over a space on the second floor of the Stanley Marketplace food hall – not exactly the place the writer expected to find bar manager Matt Baczor “stirring bone-dry martinis in one hand while shaking up potent daiquiris in the other; to his right, oysters are being shucked, swiftly and deftly.”
Mamoon recommended ordering “a salty, sake-infused oyster shooter to start, a couple of bone-dry sherry-and-gin martinis, a dozen oysters, and an ice-cold shrimp cocktail before you head downstairs to sister restaurant Annette for your main meal.”
In the Mile High City, Sunday Vinyl piqued writer Kevin Sintumuang’s interest with both the food and wine selection. In addition to recommending a wine flight to sample the menu, the writer shouted to the bar’s martini, which comes with a “little bump of caviar.” (We’d add brunch to the list of reasons you should visit.)
This isn’t the first time Esquire has gushed about our local haunts. Noble Riot wine bar made the coveted list in 2021. Visit the magazine’s website to see the full list of the year’s best bars in America.