Redfish Tacos
Zolo Southwestern Grill, 2525 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, zologrill.com
If you’re looking for fish tacos around Boulder County, may we suggest Zolo? Their redfish tacos are dynamite. Chunks of tender, moist fish are charred and tossed in a tomatillo salsa. The fish is served alongside flour tortillas, smoked serrano aioli, crema, a zippy house slaw, cotija cheese and some very good black beans. You’ll construct the taco yourself, which gets harder after you finish your second coin-style margarita. $19.
Vafle
Food retailers around Boulder, vafels.com
Liège waffles are the koning of Belgian waffles, perfect for snacking at any time of day; luckily for us, Boulder-based Vafle has crafted a mind-numbingly delicious take on the centuries-old Liège waffle, which we just-so-happened-upon while getting a cup of joe at Neptune Mountaineering one day. Handmade in town from organic and plant-based ingredients, the brioche-like dough of a Vafle is laced with half-melted chunks of pearl sugar. In line with traditional Liège waffle-making, the folks at Vafle use active yeast, not baking powder, for leavening. The dough is allowed to cold ferment overnight and then infused with pearl sugar imported from Belgium in an authentic Liège waffle iron. The caramelized sugar creates a slightly bitter contrast to the buttery waffle dough. There’s even a gluten-free version. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, the only way they could improve this waffle is to put it in a compostable package — which they do. $3.50.
Sicilian Pizza
Adesso Pizzeria, 385 Crossing Drive, Lafayette, adessopizzeria.com
Oh, there is a lot to love about Adesso’s Sicilian pizza. Let’s start with the crust. Pan-pressed and -cooked, the pizza has an addictive crispy, buttery crust. It’s firm, but well-aerated, so even though it doesn’t budge from the weight of cheese and sauce, it’s a snap to bite through. Then there’s the sauce, and this is the star of Adesso’s pie. It’s got a robust, fruity tomato flavor above all else, and additions like herbs, salt and garlic are where they should be — in the background. Adesso also slathers it on, so you’ll get a ton of sauce no matter where you bite. The cheese is freshly grated, well-apportioned (not too much) and singed on top just right. Well done, Adesso. $21.99.
Fulfilled (breakfast burrito)
Just BE Kitchen, 2364 15th St., Denver, justbekitchen.com
Everything served at Just BE Kitchen is gluten-, grain- and refined sugar-free, and while we rejoice in the fact that so many establishments are catering to a wide-variety of dietary needs, we couldn’t help but wonder: how good can a grain-free tortilla be? Really damn good, turns out. A “paleo” tortilla holds together an insane amount of fluffy scrambled eggs, savory sausage, sweet potato hash, mildly spicy pork (or veggie) green chili, “cheddar” wiz, jalapeños, scallions and fresh cilantro. We even added a bit of chicken, just to really measure tensile strength. Not only did the tortilla hold this monster together, it retained the soft-but-chewy texture of a traditional tortilla, easily helping us shovel forkful after forkful into our mouths. $13.
