LoHi decks the halls...and doubles the number of restaurants in the area

Ho ho ho: the wreath at Laughing Latte.

The businesses of Lower Highland have been decking the halls -- or at least their doors -- for the holiday season, and the Laughing Latte, the coffee shop at 2001 West 32nd Avenue, just took top prize in the LoHi Merchant Wreath Contest with a wreath made of coffee filters.

But other area eateries got into the holiday spirit, too: Pasquini's, at 2400 West 32nd Avenue, took first runner-up with its wreath made of breadsticks (it's displayed on an interior wall, since its components don't hold up well in inclement weather), and Vita, at 1575 Boulder Street, rated an honorable mention for its more traditional wreath festooned with an ornamental tree...and a beer. The decorations will stay up through the holidays in the area we named the "Best Restaurant Neighborhood" in the Best of Denver 2011.

The wreath at Vita.

And there's reason for LoHi to be jolly this season: The number of restaurants/bars in the area -- which, for the sake of this count, is defined as the area from Speer to 38th Avenue, Federal Boulevard to I-25 -- has more than doubled in the past four years, according to Lu Stasko of the Stasko Agency, who's kept track (and also organized the wreath contest).

Only a few spots are gone -- Zuni Kitchen, Squeaky Bean, An's Lemongrass Grille, Red Trolley and Aztec Sol -- but the locations of the last three have been filled by, respectively, Park Burger, Spuntino and Highland Tap and Burger, which hosted last week's LoHi Merchant Holiday Party. And Jezebel's will soon move into the Squeaky Bean spot.

Here's the rest of Stasko's list of restaurants in LoHi:

A Cote Bar a Absinthe
Ale House at Amato's
Arabian Bar
Cebiche
Cellar Wine Bar
Duo Restaurant
Forest Room 5
Gaetano's Restaurant
Gallop Coffee
Highland Tavern
Jay's Patio
La Mexicana Taqueria
Lechuga's
Linger
Living the Sweet Life
Little Man Ice Cream
LoHi Coffee House
LoHi Steak Bar
Lola
Loncheria La Mexicana
Los Carboncit0s
Lumber Baron (which we'd argue is a B&B, but still...)
Mary Jane's Pizza
Masterpiece Delicatessen
Pagliacci's
*Panaderia Rosales Bakery
Pasquini's Highland
Patsy's Inn
Pig & Block Charcuterie
Rockstar Bar
Root Down
Rosa Linda's Mexican Cafe
Shangri-La
Stir Cooking School
Subway Tavern & Pizzeria Longo's
Tamales by La Casita
Taqueria Patzcuaro
Williams & Graham
Wooden Spoon Cafe and Bakery
Z Cuisine French Bistro
Zio Romolo's Alley Bar