Top Pumpkin Dishes In Denver

The Daily Meal Staff|Oct. 1, 2014 7:00 am EST

Pumpkin (credit: HECTOR MATA/AFP/Getty Images)

What is it about fall that makes people immediately flock to pumpkins for all of their seasonal dishes? It could be the warm and rich texture of a great pumpkin dish, or maybe those sweet and savory spices that complement the pumpkin so well. Whatever it is, Denver restaurants have proven time and time again that they love pumpkin; and once the weather starts to cool off, you'll find a variety of the big squash in recipes both sweet and savory all over town. Every year, local chefs have proven that fresh pumpkin can be transformed into a variety of dishes. Ready for some pumpkin yourself? Here are a few of the very best ways to enjoy some seasonal pumpkin dishes this fall in Denver.

Pumpkin Ravioli at Trattoria Stella
3470 W. 32^nd Ave
Denver, CO 80211
(303) 458-1128
www.trattoriastella.squarespace.com

How does a dish of pumpkin and gorgonzola cheese stuffed ravioli with crispy pancetta, marsala butter and sun-dried cranberries sound? This amazing dish is finished off with fresh arugula and candied walnuts to complete the most perfect pumpkin ravioli dish in Denver. Everything at Trattoria Stella is fabulous but when it's time to start savoring the flavors of fall, good pumpkin ravioli is the best way to enjoy dinner. Visit this classic Italian restaurant in the heart of the Highlands neighborhood for this fabulous, rich, creamy and delicious pumpkin delight.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie at Marczyk Fine Foods
770 E. 17^th Ave
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 894-9499
www.marczykfinefoods.com

When it comes to pumpkin, most people think of pumpkin pie, with that thick, velvety filling, a crispy crust and a dollop of whipped cream to top it off. However, the geniuses at Marczyk Fine Foods have created a different kind of pie to celebrate the season of the pumpkin – the whoopie pie. A whoopie pie is really not a pie at all. Instead it is two small cakes with a sweet whipped vanilla mascarpone filling. The recipe originated with the Amish but is now celebrated and enjoyed all over the world. During the fall, you can enjoy the pumpkin take on the whoopie pie, which is really the best kind of whoopie pie there is. The pumpkin flavoring gives it a richer texture, with just a bit more spice and complexity than a plain vanilla whoopie pie. Check out Marczyk Fine Foods to see for yourself.

Imperial Pumpkin Ale at Dry Dock Brewing
15120 E. Hampden Ave
Aurora, CO 80014
(303) 400-5606
www.drydockbrewing.com

How about a crisp, cool and refreshing pumpkin beer? Pumpkin (and all of the spices that go along with pumpkin) makes its way into Colorado's favorite beverage this time of year. Many breweries all over the state will whip out a seasonal beer filled with pumpkin and other special spices, however the Imperial Pumpkin Ale at Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora is probably one of the best in Colorado. The beer begins with real pumpkin and then includes Saigon and Indonesian cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, mace and cloves. The combination of all of these flavors come together in the perfect beer for the fall season.

Pumpkin Mount Baum Ring at Glaze
1160 Madison St
Denver, CO 80206
(720) 387-7890
www.glazebaumcakes.com

The Baum Cake is Heather Alcott's version of the multi-layered Baumkuchen, which originated in Germany and has been served in both Japan and Germany for more than 100 years. These cakes are sweetly glazed, layered concoctions that are unlike anything else you've ever had. Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, with lots of sweet icing, you will fall in love with this amazing dessert. The Pumpkin Mount Baum Ring includes pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves and ginger – and it's all sprinkled with powdered sugar and glazed with a Cointreau/pumpkin puree glaze and maple rum glaze. Each one serves two to four people, but you'll want to get more than one because these things are that good.

Pumpkin Pie Waffle Cake at the Waffle Cakes Food Truck
www.wafflecakes.com

Who doesn't love a waffle cake? That crispy exterior, that sweet and chewy interior, that alluring aroma that only comes from the waffle batter; really it's enough to make anyone's stomach start grumbling. Waffle Cakes, one of the best food trucks in Colorado, offers a seasonal Pumpkin Pie Waffle Cake that is worth the effort of tracking down this truck. It's topped with homemade pumpkin pie, whipped cream and cinnamon, and it's only available in the fall. The dish has all of the delicious flavors of pumpkin pie, but with a crust of a waffle – which makes this the very best kind of waffle there is. Visit the website to see where this food truck will be.

Deborah Flomberg is a theater professional, freelance writer and Denver native. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.