Restaurant Reviews

Meeting up with old friends Michael and Allison, a dining dilemma posed itself. Michael describes himself as the antithesis of a vegan, while Allison is a self-proclaimed picky eater straddling the line between vegetarianism and full-tilt veganism. While there’s more...

I’m not sure if this is more Pavlovian or Proustian, but for many normal folks, hearing a particular song transports them back to a particular time and place. For example, I’ll always associate the first day I set foot in Boulder in 1994 with Seal’s “Prayer for the ...

I’ll argue that the most critical determinant of an ethnic restaurant’s success is how much it respects the source cuisine. Go to any ethnic neighborhood in a big city, and you’ll likely chance upon a family-run hole in the wall that’s wildly popular due to its ...

Curry N Kebob fills a unique niche among Indian eateries by not featuring the ubiquitous buffet. Most options here cost a buck or two less than typical all-you-can-eat offerings, and service is reasonably fast, permitting those pressed for time to enjoy a ...

Gone is the dark, cavernous bar setting where Charles Bukowski would have felt at home. In its place is a contemporary interior that lunch companion Patrick described as very “New York,” with its exposed brick, airy ambience and sculpted light fixtures. The Mexican-...

Thai Avenue Rice and Noodles presents a textbook case of truth in advertising. First of all, it serves Thai food, notably rice and noodles. Secondly, it’s located on Boulder’s College Avenue. This straightforward naming scheme carries over to the no-frills experience...

Given the West End Tavern’s name, I’m never sure if I’m more likely to encounter the Pet Shop Boys or the Sons of Liberty there, given the old-timey connotations of a “tavern.” However, a recent visit made it abundantly clear that encountering either the male ...

For my money, the key predictor of the success of a brunch outing comes with the first sip of house java. My bleary-eyed pal Cyn and I had just blown into Lyons, ensconced ourselves in a corner table at the Lyons Fork, and requested coffee first thing out of the gate...

Fifties-style diners remain popular, although most patrons of these retro eateries are probably too young to have set foot in the real McCoy. If you’re like me, your initial exposure to this iconic American eatery might have been through nostalgic TV shows, like ...

The brief email arrived late on Saturday afternoon from old friend Daniel, who I hadn’t seen in years. It was a summons to Lafayette’s Udon Kaisha, which he deemed “the best!” Not one to turn down such an invitation, I soon found myself in a strip mall chockablock ...

REO Speedwagon’s Hi Infidelity, the first season of Miami Vice and the John Madden-era Oakland Raiders are among my myriad of guilty pleasures. Chicken wings come close to making this list. However, many versions, either prepared indifferently or adhering too ...

One of my pet peeves is the eatery that appropriates inexpensive ethnic food and gussies it up beyond recognition with little resulting benefit. Adding insult to injury is the establishment that jacks up the prices on affordable chow to something approximating the ...