Denise Mickelsen is responsible for overseeing all of 5280’s food and drink coverage, which encompasses everything delicious that’s grown, crafted, and cooked in Colorado. She holds a culinary arts degree from the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City, and cooked in renowned Manhattan restaurants before entering food media. Mickelsen is an award-winning editor who has worked in the test kitchens at Saveur and Martha Stewart Living, on the editorial staff at Fine Cooking, and as culinary acquisitions editor at Craftsy (now Bluprint), a digital media company. In 2016, she joined the 5280 magazine team as food editor.

When she’s not dining in local restaurants or writing about the whirlwind that is the Centennial State food scene, Mickelsen can be found cooking (seafood) and baking (pies); reading cookbooks as if they’re novels; and hiking, skiing, and camping with her husband and son.