I visited Colorado recently, and talked my cousin Brian Hague into joining me on a visit to Edgewater Inn, which I consider to be one of the best pizzerias in the world.

This suburban Denver eatery has always been an outpost for great pizza.

We ordered a large pepperoni pie and soda pop and the bill came to just over $15. I know this is going to sound odd, but the pizza tastes like a high-class version of the pizza that used to be sold at the Woolworth's in downtown Denver on 16th Street. (This huge Woolworth's was pretty much an experience in cheap mercantile overload. My mom once described it as "marketplace in Calcutta.")

I've loved the city of Edgewater for a long time. The place really does have the feel of a small town. Back when I was in high school, there was nothing quite like a walk down the hill into Edgewater's major retail section at 25th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard. There were several cafes, a liquor store, a bakery -- and my favorite, Edgewater Drug. Whatever you wanted, chances are Edgewater Drug would have it. I was especially impressed by the selection of newspapers and magazines, second only to the treasure trove at Jerry's News in Denver at Colfax Avenue and Broadway.

Sadly, both Edgewater Drug and Jerry's News are but memories. Same for the Lake Shore Drive-In Theater, which, once us kids started driving, my parents only occasionally allowed us to attend. (Deserved or not, the drive-in had a reputation as Hood Central.)

Edgewater also was home to KIMN Radio, 950 kilocycles on your AM dial -- "95 Fabulous KIMN!" They pronounced the call letters as "kim." I believe the call originally referenced the Inter Mountain Network. Although the call letters are still used, the top-40 powerhouse hasn't been around in that format (or as an AM station) for years.

We also talk about the large number of Denver streets named after Indian tribes, and wonder whether the urban legend is true that a local appeared on a game show many years back and won big money by being able to reel off all those Native American names.

RESTAURANT CONTACT INFO
Edgewater Inn, 5302 West 25th Avenue, Edgewater, Colorado. Kitchen: 303-237-3524. Bar phone: 303-233-9892.

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