Looking for good dining in 2021? These are some of the places that we'll be ordering from.

Although Colorado restaurants have been making the most of a bad situation and are now able to restore some indoor dining functions now that COVID restrictions are loosening, separating a stable month from a spooky one is a matter of maintaining consistent takeout and delivery orders. We made a list of some of our favorite places in Denver to order takeout, and you can be sure that we're going to be using every excuse that we can find to order more. 

Crush Pizza + Tap

You've already heard us rant about both Crush Pizza + Tap's pizzas and their commitment to their employees. What you may not know is that Crush Pizza + Tap is also an excellent destination for wings. In fact, they were recently called out for being in the Top 7 Wings in Denver by BigSevenTravel, and that's how you know it's official. In a city with as many wing outlets as Denver, spots on any "Best of" list are bound to be pretty competitive.

If you want some wings to provide a pizza-break (or pizza to provide a wing-break, we won't judge), Crush Pizza + Tap's menu has plenty to get excited about. Their Buffalo Green Chile is a great way to rep your Denver pride by chowing down on some signature Denver flavors. Meanwhile, their Sweet & Sour Habanero and Maple Sriracha are both as delicious (and insane) as they sound. These three flavors are just a slice (get it?) of all the awesome wing options on Crush Pizza + Tap's menu, and that's before you even get to the actual pizza part. 

There's a lot to be excited about with Crush Pizza + Tap, and their reopened dine-in options and takeout-friendly website are great ways to start your journey down the pizza rabbit hole. 

To clarify, that line means you're going down "a rabbit hole of pizza," not that you're chasing some sort of pizza rabbit. 

Hapa Sushi

One of our favorite go-to sushi restaurants is Hapa Sushi, and it's not hard to guess why once you take a look at their menu. In addition to their high-quality ingredients, Hapa's menu has a degree of creativity that's hard to find at any other sushi restaurant. There are plenty of classic players, such as their selection of premium sashimi and nigiri. Indeed, Hapa's collection of exclusive rolls is where their true uniqueness lies, along with plenty of foods named after lewd innuendos. 

It's hard to imagine any other sushi restaurant carrying something like their Booty Call roll, which features a whole lobster tail draped around a sushi roll that's filled with snow crab salad, tempura asparagus, shisho and smothered under a garlic sake butter. If that last sentence wasn't enough to give you the "sushi-madness," then consider Hapa's XXX roll, which is an avocado and tempura asparagus roll that's been wrapped in hamachi and jalapenos before being seared in olive oil and served with ponzu sauce. 

Hapa's rolls are unique enough that you're not going to find them anywhere else, and that's worth visiting them for dine-in or hopping on to their website and putting a takeout sushi night on the calendar. 

Daughter Thai

Good, authentic Thai food can be hard to find in a city like Denver. While the city has no shortage of sushi restaurants, other Asian cuisines can feel somewhat overlooked. Thankfully, Daughter Thai is here to both scratch that itch and annihilate your tastebuds with pure Thai spice. If you're looking to try some particularly intense flavors, their newest menu addition is an absolute feast of amazing Thai seafood.

The Ah-Dee Cha Cha Cha is a medley of sizzling seafood which includes a lobster claw, Hokkaido scallops, prawns, mussels, and stir-fried calamari. It's topped with a spacy pad cha sauce, kra chai herbs, peppercorns, kaffir lime leaves, along with bell peppers and basil. Just stare into the picture above if you want to experience any more food-related hypnosis beyond its description. 

If you haven't had a chance to fall in love with Thai food yet, it's hard to do better than Daughter Thai. Whether you choose takeout, delivery, or dine-in, it won't take you long to see why Daughter Thai is some of our favorite Asian dining in Denver. 

Piper Inn

This list features not one, but two of the best wing places in Denver. The Piper Inn was awarded a prestigious Top 7 Wings in Denver accolade by BigSevenTravel, and it's not hard to see why. 

Much of the Piper Inn's food is a fascinating fusion between "traditional" biker bar food and homestyle Chinese cooking. The result is a menu full of items and flavors that you aren't able to find anywhere else in Denver. This is especially true for their wings, which channel the best of both worlds, boasting rich, tender wing cuts with a roster of unique sauces. 

Our personal favorite is their Chinese Style sauce, which the Piper Inn brags about being a "blend of Chinese spices, soy sauce, and love." We're inclined to agree. The Piper Inn also features a rotating seasonal menu, which offers a chance to try some truly exciting combinations of flavors. If you can, ask about their Golden GOAT sauce. You can visit them in Denver for in-person dining, or use the takeout and delivery options on their website! 

What are some restaurants that you're going to be visiting in 2021? Sound off in the comments.