BY MIGUEL OTÁROLA, @MOTAROLA_EATS

Happy National Empanada Day, everybody!

It's hard to know who decides on the dates for these seemingly arbitrary festivities. But why not celebrate anyway by revisiting my round-up of five places to find empanadas in Denver? Maybe it's enough of a reason to try them for the first time today.

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EAT THIS

The Pasty Republic

Tucked between boutique stores in the Tennyson Street commercial corridor in northwest Denver, The Pasty Republic drew me in with the heavenly smell of pasties and a countertop display of the savory handpies visible from the open front door. It was hard to choose from the five varieties on the menu ($12 each), especially the meatball-and-marinara-filled Joey and the Shepherd, with ground beef, mashed potatoes, peas and onions. Instead, I went for the Miner -- advertised as the 'Traditional' pasty -- containing steak, potatoes, rutabaga and onions. It was a quick, satisfying and, for the posh neighborhood, delightfully unsophisticated lunch.