There is a strange, uncomfortable realm of existence that occurs on the final day of a trip. You…read morehave checked out of your hotel room, your luggage is trapped in a rental car trunk or bell closet, and your plane does not depart until late into the night. You are essentially a displaced traveler with a boarding pass, trying to avoid sitting in an airport terminal for five hours while security employees begin recognizing your face. That is how we ended up at the Denver Milk Market on a Thursday evening. Located in the Dairy Block on Wazee Street, it is a sprawling food hall designed by chef Frank Bonanno. It is a very pleasant sanctuary to kill some time before ascending into the night sky. The beauty of a venue with a dozen or so food counters is that a group of exhausted travelers does not need to achieve any sort of culinary consensus. One person can eat bao buns, another can eat handmade pasta, and a third can get fried chicken while another simply grabs a few drinks without any diplomatic negotiations. While we were wandering, a woman sat at a table with a microphone hosting a game of trivia to what appeared to be an entirely imaginary audience. Not a single person in the room appeared to be participating. It was a fascinating piece of experimental theater focusing on the loneliness of human knowledge. She called out questions about pop culture, agriculture and other various topics into the empty void, completely unbothered by the silence. I respected her commitment to the craft. The alley outside was maybe the finest part of the establishment. The Dairy Block alleyway is paved and lit up overhead. There was also a side room featuring communal seating and free games like skee ball, a shuffleboard table, and foosball. It turns waiting for a late flight into a minor social outing instead of a punishment. My primary critique is aimed not at the food hall itself, but at the city of Denver as a whole. Everything shuts down ridiculously early. The city has built a ecosystem of food halls, alleyways, and bars that is full of potential, yet the municipal clock seems to dictate that all citizens must be safely tucked in by nine o clock. For a traveler trying to enjoy the city after a long day in a convention center or stretch an evening before a red eye flight, this early curfew is an inconvenience. The Denver Milk Market is an attractive and versatile option for the weary traveler or hungry lunch crowd. It may not be a holy site that requires a special trip across town, but if you have some time to burn, a desire for a game of shuffleboard, and a late flight home, it performs its job admirably. Just make sure you get there before the city decides it is bedtime.

The Denver Milk Market is a super cool food hall concept right in the Dairy Block. I love the whole…read moresetup of having a massive variety of different restaurants and bars all packed into one energetic space. Because there are so many options, we ordered a ton of different things to try out: dumplings, egg rolls, fried chicken, pizza, and pasta. Unfortunately, the food itself ended up being pretty hit or miss. The egg rolls were decent, though they were a little different than what I was expecting. The pizza was pretty bland and the dough just wasn't great. On the positive side, the pasta was good, and the fried chicken was easily my favorite of the night. With a vibe this cool, I really wish the food quality consistently matched it. The ambiance here is fantastic. It has a lively, modern, and really fun atmosphere that makes you want to hang out. Navigating all the different counters is a neat experience, but the culinary execution just needs to step it up to match how great the space looks. I'd still recommend checking it out at least once just to experience the space, grab a drink, and enjoy the cool vibe. Just be selective with what you order since the food quality can vary quite a bit depending on which counter you hit.