The Best Bakeries Near Vital Root, by the Record

1. Westword 2023 · Best Bakery · Best of Denver
2. Westword 2025 · Best Baguette · Best of Denver

1. Bon Appétit America's Best New Restaurants
2. James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Ismael de Sousa

1. James Beard Awards 2024 · Winner · Outstanding Restaurateur · Erika Whitaker and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST
2. James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Matt Husted, Erika Whitaker, and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST Hospitality Group

1. Westword 2023 · Best East-West Bakery · Best of Denver
2. Westword 2025 · Best Breakfast Sandwich · Best of Denver
3. 5280 Bánh Mì · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver

1. James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Carolyn Nugent and Alen Ramos
2. James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
3. James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Carolyn Nugent and Alen Ramos

The Spring Fling cake, a zucchini bread layer frosted with cream cheese icing and piled with fresh fruit, was the calling card of a beloved Denver institution for decades. When that place closed, the head baker struck out on his own, and now his family-run bakery in west Denver keeps the recipe alive year-round. People fly in from out of state for that cake alone, which is either a testament to nostalgia or to zucchini bread's untapped potential.

1. Westword 2023 · Best Bakery for Cakes · Best of Denver