Restaurant Reviews

A hut with potential

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With ith a name like Elephant Hut, it’s initially unclear what’s served up at this Boulder restaurant, housed in 30th Street’s Steelyards development. Those with dark imaginations may envision it as akin to Pizza Hut, except with a certain massive land mammal ...

Off the beaten brunch

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As friend Lisa and I drove on Hwy. 36 north of Boulder, we couldn’t help but notice the landscape’s arid harshness. Even though the sun was shining, we couldn’t shake a feeling of wintry desolation. Happily, the mood shifted for the better once we entered our ...

Returning to a Longmont seafood favorite

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I’m not entirely sure why I hadn’t paid a visit to Longmont’s Tortugas in the last few years — in the late ’90s, I thought it was one of the best restaurants in the county. Combining a hospitable, homey, Key West feel with a menu of fresh seafood, prepared in the ...

The resurgent cupcake, reconsidered

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My reaction to the cupcake’s resurgence in popularity isn’t all that different to my response to REM’s popularity when I was in college. I get how others might like a red velvet cupcake and/or Michael Stipe, but personally, neither one’s my cup of tea. Speaking with ...

Rolling with noodles in Lafayette

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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 ...

A one-man burrito trailer

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After hearing the distressing news that NBC plans to revive the James Garner private-eye series The Rockford Files, I’ve been revisiting this ’70s classic. While I was a bit more than a tot when the show first aired, I did recall seeing several episodes during my ...

Real ramen rocks at Bento Zanmai

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Rmen gets a bad rap in the United States, especially since most of us are only familiar with the instant dime-a-pack variety, weighted down with a surplus of salt and MSG. This is too bad, as authentic ramen has about as much resemblance to the starving student ...

SALT’s chocolate tart: a recipe for forgiveness

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My dining companion and I dressed in our finest for SALT. But not just because it’s a rustically chic eatery on Pearl Street in downtown Boulder designed by co-owner Carol Vilate. We hoped our dapper appearance disguised our secret, ugly desire: To gorge on more ...

A special place

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It’s prime rib night at the tavern. There’s a happy murmur in the dining room, likely because it’s the kind of place where you can get a fat prime rib and baked potato for ten bucks on a Monday night...

Belgium, bikes and burgers

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Blending the disparate elements of cycling, Belgian gastronomy and burgers, Rueben’s Burger Bistro is a recent, if not risktaking, addition to the downtown Boulder dining scene. This space’s interior harkens back to its two-wheeled heritage, with a depiction of ...

Royal Indian dining on the east side

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Over the $8.99 lunch buffet at the Royal Clay Oven (formerly India’s Clay Oven) on Arapahoe, British-born friend Andrew and I discussed the differences between Indian restaurants in the U.S. and U.K. He pointed out that more people in the U.K. work in subcontinental ...

Simple, organic Italian on Pearl

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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-...