The annual Hospy Awards are coming up next month, and foodies are taking note. The awards event is hosted by the Colorado Restaurant Association and recognizes outstanding talent and achievement in the hospitality industry.
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Three Northern Colorado restaurants are finalists this year, and fans have a chance to vote for their favorite. The food spots include Fort Collins’ Beijing Noodle, the Sunny Sky Pies food truck and Postcard Pizza.
“I was definitely surprised to get the nomination,” said Jeff David, owner of Postcard Pizza. “Our restaurant is about a total of 140 square feet, so I have a 10 by 14 kitchen that we serve our pizzas out of. So it was surprising to find that we were kind of on the stage with some larger-scale restaurants.”
Postcard Pizza is located off Remington Street and shares a space with Equinox Brewing. The spot focuses on Detroit-style pizza, which is a square pizza with a thicker crust.
“The initial idea behind Postcard was that we would bring flavors to our pizzas that represented postcards from around the world … the flavors on that pizza represent the image of that place,” said David.
Postcard Pizza is nominated for Newcomer Restaurant of the Year. Besides them, the four other finalists are all Denver-based and include Champagne Tiger, Mama Jo's Biscuits & BBQ, Riot BBQ and Welton Street Café.
On a smaller scale, but still a popular destination to grab a bite to eat in Colorado, are food trucks.
The Fort Collins finalist on the list caters to those with a sweet tooth.
“I always say to people, everybody deserves good pie, no matter their preference or allergy,” said Erin Margenau, owner of Sunny Sky Pies. “And we really, we really believe in that.”
The truck, which also has a brick-and-mortar location, focuses on pies using local and organic ingredients, with a focus on allergy-friendly options. With hundreds of food truck options across the state, Margenau knows just making it to the finalists category is something to celebrate.
“It was a surprise, and it's really exciting to be selected out of 500 food trucks in the state as a finalist,” she said. Yeah, it's pretty special and exciting.”
Other food truck finalists include only two others, La Reyna del Sur in Denver and The Little Pink Truck in Grand Junction.
Finally, the third Fort Collins restaurant on the list is a finalist for Restaurant of the Year: Beijing Noodle on Stuart Street, just south of CSU’s campus. The restaurant offers traditional Chinese food. Other finalists include Bin 707 from Grand Junction, Black Cat Farm Table Bistro from Boulder, Marigold in Lyons and Restaurant Olivia from Denver.
Other categories for the awards include everything from best bartender to best chef.
You can vote for your favorite restaurants on the Hospy Awards website. The award winners will be announced on Nov. 10.
