›› Aurora is as American as apple pie. It’s also as American as bibimbop, crumpets, souvlakia, tom yum, fitfit and menudo.
That is, like so many residents of the city, these tastes have come from across the globe and made themselves right at home in the city.
There aren’t a lot of chefs in Aurora, at least ones who’ve graduated from America’s big culinary colleges and competed on “Top Chef.” But food lovers have known for years that Aurora is home to hundreds of highly skilled cooks who earned their “degrees” in hot kitchens in Addis Ababa, Beijing, Guadalajara and Tokyo. Other immigrants have opened a dizzying array of ethnic markets showcasing Asian, Middle Eastern, Russian, Mexican, Central American, African and Italian ingredients.
Visitors travel to Aurora for myriad reasons ranging from softball to business, but they all have one thing in common: They get hungry. So while it may be the Year of the Snake in Asia, 2013 is the year of eating here, according to Gary Wheat, president of Visit Aurora.
“In the travel industry, it’s really all about providing experiences and adventures,” Wheat said. “That’s what you get at these small ethnic places. That’s what makes Aurora cool.”
Wheat said that his decision to focus Visit Aurora’s efforts on marketing its affordable, palate-pleasing attractions was easy. Foodies are going to love it here.
“I always tell people that my food renaissance started when we came to Aurora,” he said. “I love to eat, and I’ve had the opportunity to taste food I never would have tried otherwise.”
During one recent workday Wheat noted that he had Russian crepes for breakfast, a Filipino lunch and Mexican food for dinner. “I had never tried Ethiopian food until I went to The Nile. I’m so glad I visited,” he said.
“You get to meet the families that run them and talk to the owner and they are open to teaching you about their culture.”
Visit Aurora’s initial goal is to begin introducing visitors to Aurora’s edible attractions. The “Places to Eat” Aurora restaurant search page is already the No. 1 destination on the visitaurora.com web site. “Yum,” a directory of Aurora ethnic dining spots, has become Aurora’s most popular publication at Denver International Airport. Now, Visit Aurora Marketing Director Briley Peters has launched the inaugural Aurora Eats & Drinks poll on its Facebook page inviting fans to vote for their favorite eatery from among 25 candidates. The initial group of participating restaurants illustrates the vibrant diversity in Aurora’s dining scene with ethnic spots as well as special occasion eateries, classic American fare, pubs, a bakery and a brewery tasting room.
Wheat noted that many visitors may not be adventurous eaters, but that still doesn’t mean they have to eat at national chains. “It’s nothing against chain restaurants. It’s that visitors want a restaurant that’s unique to the place,” Wheat said.
Wheat offers a telling anecdote about the many culinary gems still hidden in plain sight in Aurora. “We got a call from a lady in the Midwest. She wanted to send her friend in Aurora a gift card from a Cajun restaurant.
“We told her that, unfortunately, Aurora didn’t have any Cajun restaurants,” he said. “She called us back to tell us she’d found Bayou Snack Shack on Smoky Hill Road on the internet and that it served seafood gumbo.”
That got Wheat excited, since he had grown up in Mississippi.
“My mom used to make seafood gumbo, so one Friday night I stopped there. It was delicious, the real thing,” he said with a smile as his original drawl grew thicker with the telling.
Looking toward the future Wheat said that intriguing possibilities abound including designating an Aurora food trail, creating an Aurora Restaurant Week, and organizing an Aurora ethnic food festival. As Aurora’s hospital campus continues to expand, Visit Aurora hopes restaurants will promote their healthy fare for folks who may have dietary restrictions and nutritional requirements. “Eventually we hope to have a guide to healthy fare in Aurora, but it’s easy to find now, especially at Asian restaurants,” Wheat said.
While out-of-towners are the agency’s focus, there’s another group he hopes to reach. “There are still a lot of people who live in Aurora who don’t think of the city as a dining destination,” he said.
MORE IN THIS SERIES
WISH YOU WERE HERE? Greetings from Aurora
WISH YOU WERE HERE? The Year of Eating Here
WISH YOU WERE HERE? Sports tournaments score big as tourist draws
WISH YOU WERE HERE? Travel Sickness
WISH YOU WERE HERE? In Search of the Incidental Tourist