Little India Restaurant & Bar, Denver

In 2012, readers of 5280 magazine voted Little India the best Indian restaurant in Denver, where its original location has been open since 1998. Little India’s chefs create its signature curry from a special blend of spices, onion, and garlic, simmering chicken, lamb, and seafood in a medium-thick sauce. Fresh-made mint-cilantro and tamarind chutneys escort tandoori dishes that have been baked to order in the clay oven, and a yogurt marinade to gives it a smoky taste previously achieved only by resting it on a dying campfire. The spicy colors of turmeric, saffron, and paprika dominate the dining space, and murals of women in saris gracing the walls, embroidered textiles hanging from the lattice ceiling, and pendant lighting give the room an amber glow.