Navigating the loss of her mother last year, chef Anna Nguyen finds joy in golf, her rambunctious dog, and of course sắp sửa, the Vietnamese hot spot she runs with her husband, Ni.
We met up in one of the Nguyens’ favorite casual spots, Tessa Delicatessen on East Colfax Avenue. If you haven’t been, know that the menu proves vast, with so many tasty-sounding sandwiches and salads that you’ll want to go again and again. So far, everything we’ve tried there has been aces, and after splitting the Cuban ($16) and the Muffalatta ($16) with Nguyen, it’s safe to say these two also shine.
“I just love them. It’s always the same, it’s always great, and you can always get a table,” said Nguyen. “I love the neighborhood, and you can get booze and mocktails.”
Before or after eating lunch here, the chef visits the plethora of antique shops on the stripe. City Floral resides right there, perfect for grabbing a colorful bouquet, and a few doors down the chef visits a little market.
In this area, she said, “It doesn’t feel contrived, everything is honest and old.” It’s a big juxtaposition from where she and Ni lived in Los Angeles. When her mom would visit them there, she would describe the city as “carefully curated,” and was happy to go back to the realistic messiness of her local Colorado nursery.
Back at home, Nguyen has been running sắp sửa with Ni since June 2023, garnering many awards across the country, even while the Colorado Michelin Guide snubbed them last year. They cook elevated Vietnamese comfort food, often looking towards Ni’s childhood for recipes and flavors. But, when not refining Asian cuisine, pizza in all forms is the top of the chef’s list, and golf, a hobby the two Nguyens enjoy together and often. Read on for Anna Nguyen’s favorite places to eat, other than her lauded restaurant.
Tessa Delicatessen
The couple first found Tessa Delicatessen after signing their lease for sắp sửa in City Park. The restaurant space, said Nguyen, was in rough shape and needed a lot of work. After a heavy session of deep cleaning and demolishing, the Nguyens would come to Tessa for lunch or dinner. It was a constant place, added the chef, that was open, not too crowded, and easy to be in.
The chef’s other suggestions from the deli include the Chopped Cheese ($18), the Brisket Dipper ($20), the housemade soup of the day, and the burger ($16), which is served on the eatery’s own milk bread buns. For Ni, Nguyen said, he’s all about the Pesto Chicken ($16) with extra pesto. Personally, I decided we had to get the Roasted Brussels with Cotija ($14), a kale, caper, and Caesar dressing salad to dream about.
“When I go out to eat I usually want one of two things,” Nguyen added. “I want something that’s absolutely going to blow my mind or something that is normal and just done really well.” 5724 E. Colfax Ave., tessadenver.com
Mango House
We understand why the Nguyens love Mango House, not only does it have great global cuisine, but it stands for a good cause too. Their favorite stalls are Urban Burma, which does Burmese fare, and Jasmine Syrian restaurant, which leans into Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. 10180 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, ardasclinic.com
Lucina Eatery & Bar
Nguyen isn’t positive how they first ended up at Lucina Eatery in Park Hill, but she has a feeling her husband connected to the chef and co-owner Erasmo Casiano over Instagram. Turns out the social media platform is a great way to talk to other chefs you may not know.
“We went in to eat and were like, ‘oh my God, this is so great’,” she said, of the restaurant’s pan-Latin fare. “The food had big acid, and big spice, and was super fresh. It was clean food that was well prepared.”
It helped, she added, that the restaurant was close to their house. In the early days of sắp sửa her and Ni would be so tired they wouldn’t want to drive anywhere. Eventually the teams came together and even did a takeover at Lucina before sắp sửa opened.
As far as favorite dishes, Nguyen said, “the bread and butter is stupid good and we always get whatever the fish situation is, because that is always lovely.” In general, she added, they get small dishes to share. 2245 Kearney St., Denver, lucinaeatery.co
Seoul K-B.B.Q.& HotPot
Circling back to hers and Ni’s love of meat, the couple will go out of the way to indulge in Korean barbecue at this Aurora hot spot. On one side is the elegant and expansive barbecue, where you can cook your own bulgogi, beef ribs, shrimp, pork belly, and more. On the other side of the restaurant is an all-you-can-eat hot pot ($27.99 for lunch, $35.99 for dinner) with a plethora of broths from spicy miso to Seoul broth to tom yum. When the Nguyens go they tend to bring a group so they can order as much as possible on the barbecue side. 2080 S. Havana St., Aurora, seoulkoreanbbq.com
Noodles Express
“Also, if we are going out of the way we will go to Noodles Express,” said the chef. “The veggies are so good, well everything there is so good.”
For Nguyen, Noodles Express reminds her of places they would frequent in the San Gabriel Valley, which was near their house in California. In those terms, she said, it feels like home. 703 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver, no website
Traveling Mercies and Annette
Not only does Nguyen love the airy bar Traveling Mercies and intimate restaurant Annette inside the Stanley Marketplace, but its owner, Caroline Glover, is a good friend too. When there she always orders the seasonal pasta, which changes constantly. She also enjoys what Glover does with vegetables, which coming from a meat lover, is a huge compliment. 2501 Dallas St., Aurora, annettescratchtotable.com and travelingmerciesbar.com
Rosalee’s Pizzeria in Longmont
Nguyen grew up in Longmont, and goes to visit her family a lot. One of her top places there is Rosalee’s Pizzeria, a long-time favorite of any Colorado pizza connoisseur. Most of the time the chef picks up a pie and takes it to her dad’s house, especially when the weather is nice. As for the pizza of choice, it’s always a square pie with salami and fresh basil ($32.50). But, she warns, you have to call the shop when it opens in order to reserve one of the few square pies they make each day. 461 Main St, Longmont, rosaleespizzeria.com
