Restaurants in Lakewood

Washington Park Grille's inviting interior, built from exposed brick and gleaming wood, draws in groups for hearty meals and after-work socializing. Bartenders fill snifters with single-malt scotches and mix dessert martinis to be sipped in the lounge or by the flickering light of an indoor fireplace. At lunch and dinner, guests choose from an assortment of Italian and American plates that won an OpenTable Diner's Choice award in 2011. Chefs infuse buffalo meatloaf with ground wild mushrooms and pair pappardelle pasta with rosemary-pesto sauce and meatballs made with Colorado lamb. They also prepare a menu of gluten-free plates—duck confit bruschetta, for example—and late-night pizzas. Brunch entrees such as roast prime rib with eggs provide a better reason to get up early than Al Roker’s secret coded messages sent through the television.

Steve Lin, owner of Land of Sushi, opens up shipments of fresh fish and live scallops every day in the kitchen. Behind the restaurant’s sushi bar, the chefs encase seafood morsels in specialty rolls such as the mango roll with spicy tuna and the uni roll with fresh sea urchin, creations that led to their being named Best Sushi Restaurant by Denver Westword in 2012. Non-sushi dishes include 9-ounce new york strip steaks with teriyaki sauce and Alaskan halibut with miso glaze.

Fresh from their successful founding and franchising of the Smiling Moose Deli, local restaurateurs Kevin Sloane and brothers Bryan and Kevin Brutsch have tackled a new project: experimenting with what international influences can fit into a taco tortilla. Each freshly-made tortilla arrives filled with treasures from disparate and delicious cuisines, such as spicy chicken vindaloo, slow-roasted Mexican carnitas, or Caribbean jerk pulled pork. Garnishes and sides add a splash of color, texture, and intense flavor, from the housemade guacamole and pico de gallo, to the cripsy slaw blends and jicama.

A laid-back vibe permeates through Marg's LoDo and Cherry Creek restaurants, thanks to cool green walls, rustic wood accents, and generous patio seating. Diners share a leisurely hour or two among friends, with no need to don a blazer or formal taco bib, while sipping margaritas spruced up with herbs from the restaurant mini-garden.

When most people travel, they bring back souvenirs or photos, but when Aria's chefs Travis and Jenica take to the skies, they return with flavors, recipes, and inspiration from cuisine across the globe. Fueled by their extensive exploration of Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, this culinary duo creates inspired menus of elevated global fare while drawing on its training from Johnson & Wales University. Their seasonally inspired tasting menus rotate items as regularly as a ballerina on a merry-go-round, with past dishes including butternut-squash bisque and sage-roasted chicken breast. The pair also conjures up a permanent dinner menu filled with treats such as grilled lamb, seared duck, and a braised pork-belly burger topped with gooey english white cheddar cheese and a fried egg.

Aria's menus also fuel jovial chatter in the restaurant's lounge, which is accented with cut flowers and a marble bar. Massive booths cradle diners with supple leather seats, and a full bar houses stools that seat patrons as they sip creative cocktails and watch flickering images on flat-screen TVs.

Amid rough-hewn stone walls and exposed wooden rafters, Belvedere fills plates with traditional Polish entrees. Each pierogi’s pillowy pocket hides meat or cheese, and gouda stuffs a homemade polish sausage. Roasted duck is served on a mound of sweet red cabbage, and veal schnitzel arrives slathered in hunter’s sauce, which actual hunters cover themselves in to hide from their prey. Lunchtime covers tables with sandwiches that include bacon-wrapped chicken, sliced meatballs, and kielbasa with sauerkraut.

At Old Blinking Light, Executive chef Christopher Hansen and Chef de cuisine Joey Meyer use their talents to craft a menu of southwestern-inspired seasonal cuisine, highlighted by dishes such as signature enchiladas, which tuck beef, chicken, or vegetables in white corn tortillas with red or green chili, pico de gallo, and crème fraîche and sautéed salmon rubbed with New Mexico red chili and served alongside cilantro green rice and calabacitas. Additionally, diners can choose from an extensive wine list with wines by the bottle or glass to accompany meals, or specialty drinks made with juices and sweet and sour mix squeezed fresh.

The interior boasts an industrial feel, with high ceilings supporting exposed ductwork, corrugated metal accents, and seemingly rusted chains hanging from above. Outside, patrons sit at tables with fire pits at the center, into which they can toss food offerings to the gods in exchange for good baseball weather.