BY JONATHAN SHIKES, @COLOBEERMAN

I've been writing about (and eating) turkey, stuffing and cranberry sandwiches in Denver for many years, most recently with the Thanksgiving sandwich roundups I did for The Denver Post in 2022 and again in 2023. But I noticed a new and unusual version this year: The Rockefeller at Big Apple Bodega, 2231 S. Broadway, Denver. This is a chopped cheese sandwich (ground beef, onions and melted cheese) with a twist: cornbread stuffing chopped cheese that is smothered with turkey gravy and topped with melted gouda and cranberry mayo. Wow!

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EAT THIS

The Cherry Tomato

First things first. One of my adult kids works at The Cherry Tomato, so I have a clear conflict of interest here. That being said, this Park Hill neighborhood restaurant's seasonal Chicken Riggies dish is a banger. Made with tomato basil cream sauce, al dente rigatoni noodles, sweet and spicy cherry peppers, poblano peppers and sauteed chicken, the meal will satisfy your cravings for both Italian food and for something really spicy. A specialty of upstate New York (something I just learned this week) and Utica in particular, chicken riggies have many variations, but the one at the Cherry Tomato tops my list for its richness and depth of flavor.

4645 E. 23rd Ave. Denver; cherrytomatodenver.com