Parts of Colfax Avenue have changed with the times, but the best parts not only haven’t—and with any luck, they never will. The history of Denver’s most infamous stretch of pavement is writ large in mid-century architecture, complete with gaudy neon signage, and entrepreneurs who respect it by bringing new life to old structures are guaranteed some goodwill from locals.

That includes restaurateur Brad Anderson, owner of the newly opened Benzina—who also deserves credit for spending more than a decade turning his longtime dream of a humble neighborhood pizzeria into a destination-level reality with major culinary muscle behind it.