Enjoy These Top City Spots with Healthy Earth Day Meals

Photo courtesy of Comida

Each year on Earth Day we are encouraged to volunteer time, talent, and resources on efforts to protect and celebrate our planet. As one of the most eco-aware places in the country, Denver has a wide variety of things to do on Earth Day, and we’ve rounded up several of the city’s top spots to celebrate Mother Earth with green drinks, dishes, and vegan and vegetarian options that are good for the earth and good for you:

Known for their seasonal dishes and rotating Chef made specials, Barcelona Wine Bar is worth an Earth Day visit for the brand new seasonal spring pea risotto with crispy speck and herb oil; or celebrate earth, sea and fire with the best-known dish in Spanish cuisine, the paella, a one-pan meal with bomba rice, fragrant sauce, and the paella verdura offers the best of the earth’s bounty with roasted red peppers, mushrooms, rainbow carrots and garlic aioli.

Photo courtesy of Maria Empanada

At former aviation-factory-turned-market hall Stanley Marketplace, you can find several spots for being green on Earth Day, from cocktails to green dishes: sip your greens at Sweet Gold Juice Co. with the Jungle Green Cold-Pressed Juice, in a gorgeous emerald hue made from kale, cucumber, spinach and lemon; or try a boozier take with The Oslo from Sky Bar, dill-infused Norden Aquavit, dry vermouth and a house-made rhubarb syrup. Pick up some spicy Dry Sautéed Green Beans from ramen hot-spot Chi Lin or the green Pozole at Comida, fresh take on spring with tomatillos, roasted chicken and spicy serranoes. Finally don’t miss the Spinach Empanada from Maria Empanada, with Spinach, Parmesan cheese, and a Buffalo style mozzarella blend.

Photo courtesy of Little Finch

Pull up a seat at downtown darling Little Finch and order the Green Martian cocktail on Earth Day – with matcha, vodka and  sweet cream cold foam, it’s an emerald green sipper with all the health benefits of matcha in a fun boozy cocktail. Don’t miss a pistachio macaron on your way out – the tiny treat is made in-house at sister restaurant Olive & Finch in three flavors including the traditional bright green pistachio.

Bustling tapas spot Three Saints Revival offers several gorgeously-green dishes with colors to complement the dreamy-swirling magenta interior and are earth-friendly to boot: brand new on the menu for spring is the warm asparagus tapas, or consider the seasonal spring fusilli with broccoli pesto, pine nuts and sun-dried tomato and the risotto, sweet peas and asparagus in a fresh spectrum of green.

Photo courtesy of Sky Bar

On Earth Day you can eat your greens with something more than a sad salad – visit EDGE Restaurant and EDGE Bar for the verdant Egg White Frittata with sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese, avocado, spinach and mushrooms; if you’re visiting later in the day we suggest snacking on the fun and eye-catching smoked olives, Castelvetrano olives and swimming in a citrus herb marinade, smoked and served table-side with a cloche and a flourish.

Finding a green option at Federales is easy: for color, try the bowl of crispy brussel sprouts, seasoned with chipotle tamarind honey, spiced peanuts, arbol chile, cotija and cilantro and for earth-friendly vegan and vegetarian options move on to a trio of signature tacos, starting with the vegan chorizo taco, then hit the mushroom taco where shiitake and cremini mushrooms are topped with Oaxaca cheese, charred corn and roasted poblano and finally try the Nashville hot cauliflower taco – filled with crispy seasoned cauliflower, vegan aioli, house pickles, green onion, and red cabbage. Enjoy each option in a warm corn tortilla or fresh lettuce wrap.

Photo courtesy of 5280 Burger Bar

You don’t often think of a burger joint in a conversation about bright, colorful and plant forward dishes, but consider that 5280 Burger Bar has a strong salad game, like the Power Greens salad, filled with superfoods like kale, cabbage, shaved Brussels sprouts, arugula, carrots, roasted pepitas and sunflower seeds topped with a refreshing house-made orange ginger vinaigrette.

Photo courtesy of Sweet Gold Juice Co.

Green is the name of the game when we’re talking avocados, and Guapo Taco will serve it up in guacamole, salads and atop many tasty tacos. But for real green punch, consider the Ranchero Salad which includes not only freshly sliced avocado but roasted tomatillos in a bowl with perfectly cooked skirt steak, Tajin spiced pepitas, roasted corn and black bean salsa with a tequila lime-cilantro vinaigrette for a glowing green bowl.