Green curry chicken
Busaba, 133 S. McCaslin Blvd., Louisville, busabaco.com
There’s something comforting about warm and spicy Thai food on these cold winter days, especially as a lunch treat. Busaba, in Louisville, serves up a classic Thai menu full of curries, noodles, soups and appetizers. We recently opted for a medium-spiced green curry chicken to warm up from the snow flurries outside. The coconut green curry sauce was both tangy and spicy, with hints of lemongrass and basil. Al dente Thai eggplant, green peas, bell peppers and carrots, along with moist chicken breast, were drenched in the curry, making it almost soup-like. The standout of the dish were the bamboo shoots, which added just a bit of crunch. Served with white rice, this classic Thai dish is irresistible. $9.25 for lunch.
Yerba Mate Latte
Beleza Coffee Bar, 2680 Broadway, Boulder, belezacoffeebar.com
The new-ish Beleza Coffee Bar near Ideal Market is stellar. Their menu is unique and diverse, their coffee is fresh and served in myriad ways (pour-over, French press, drip, buttered, cold brew), and their staff, despite perpetually making multiple drinks, always finds a way to say hello and have a little conversation. We opted for the yerba mate latte on a recent trip, and the mixture of hot steamed milk (soy in this case) and Guayaki mate was perfectly proportioned. $4.
Veggie Bibimbap
Korea House, 2750 Glenwood Drive, Boulder.
Korea House is the perfect destination on a cold day. It’s like a trip to grandma’s house, complete with endless knickknacks on every shelf and corner. Korea House offers a pan-Asian menu, but we think it best to go to the heart of the operation and order bibimbap, a dish that’s almost as famously Korean as the kimchi served with it. Warm and filling yet somehow light and healthy, Korea House serves a classic version of this dish, with crunchy warm veggies laid out separately in a wheel of color atop a bed of rice. A raw egg on top adds umami and a pleasant, creamy texture — a perfect complement to the slightly crispy rice. Side dishes of traditional cabbage kimchi and cubed radish kimchi offer some spice. $11.50.
Treehugger Organic Amber
Asher Brewing Company, 4699 Nautilus Court, Boulder, asherbrewing.com
Few beers deliver as consistently as Asher Brewing’s fantastic Treehugger Organic Amber. It’s malty, with strong caramel flavor, but it’s also crisp, light and easily drinkable. Made with Crystal and Munich malts and organic German hops, the purity of the ingredients comes through to create a clean-drinking beer. It’s got the right dryness and it’s not too sweet, but it gives the palate just enough toffee to crave more. Prices vary.
