Denver's five best chips and salsa

Lori Midson

The salsa bar at Taqueria Chely's.

Our feelings for the magical pairing of chips and salsa extend beyond just casual flirtation. We love them deeply. In fact, we're pretty sure we could live on chips and salsa alone if we had to, and at many restaurants in this city, we'll gladly skip everything else just to stuff ourselves on a basket full of fried corn tortilla points and cilantro-and-chile-laced sauce.

And while bad chips and salsa are sort of like bad sex -- at least you're getting some -- we've got a few favorites that are worth a special trip. Here are Denver's five best:

Lori Midson

5. Taqueria Chely's
The salsa bar at Taqueria Chely's is an intense object of our affection, and we need to make several trips back and forth to get our fill. We'll pour the salsas on everything that we order, but they also make an ideal setup for the start of a meal. Just be forewarned that they don't come with a basket of chips, so you'll need to ask for a stack of tostadas -- and then focus on tasting every type of salsa the place has mixed up.

Tacos Jalisco

4. Tacos Jalisco
Sit down for a meal at Tacos Jalisco and you'll start with the free chips -- straight from the fryer -- and a melange of salsas. One version pairs tomato with jalapeño and onion; another matches sweet to heat; a third features tangy tomatillos; another highlights the creamy avocado. And they all play off each other, so after you've dipped your way to the bottom of each bowl, you're likely to want refills.

Lori Midson

3. Tacos y Salsas
The Tacos y Salsas mini-chain has one of our favorite salsa bars in the Mile High, with a buffet line of pickled peppers, radishes and, of course, sauces made with cilantro, onions, tomatoes, tomatillos and hot chiles in myriad ways. Perhaps the best way to sample its offerings if you don't want to just gussy up tacos is to nab a basket of chips and go to town.