BY MIGUEL OTÁROLA, @MOTAROLA_EATS

Music and food go hand in hand. Some chefs in Denver want to bring that relationship to the forefront, like Jose Avila is doing at Malinche Audiobar, his latest concept. Listening to Latin rock on a well-balanced sound system while sipping on mezcal in an immaculate setting is hard to top, but the music nerd in me (and it's a big one) always wants to hop behind the decks and play my tunes.

For the last week, I've had nothing but D'Angelo on repeat. (The R&B and soul singer died last week at 51.) It was food that, in turn, influenced him. How else do you get track titles like "Devil's Pie," "Chicken Grease," and "Brown Sugar?" All bangers, by the way. I need to throw one of his records on again just to get my fill.

EDITOR'S PICKS

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TIP POOL

What kind of music do you prefer hearing at a restaurant? (The answer "no music" is acceptable, just give us a reason.)

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EAT THIS

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant

After I recommended another Ethiopian restaurant on here, friends and readers pointed me toward Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant, a lunch and dinner oasis on East Colfax. The dining room is lightly decorated and illuminated with sunshine throughout the day; at one point, an employee emerged from the kitchen with a tray of either roasted beans or grains that filled the room with a cleansing aroma. Scoping the menu of vegetarian dishes led me to order the yemisir wot key, a steaming mixture of split red lentils with onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric, served over injera, a sour Ethiopian flatbread. Take the leftovers home with some extra injera. They're just as comforting when heated up the next day.