Restaurant Reviews
Summer hang
I like Wapos. They serve excellent, sloppy-style Mexican food. They have an outdoor covered patio where a quick afternoon drink can quickly become a full-blown night out when the temperature plays nice. They have a dozen types of margaritas and a bunch of Mexican ...
Aloy succeeds Chy for Thai
Just to show that Hollywood doesn’t have a monopoly on contrivance, it’s worth noting how Hong Kong filmmakers dealt with the challenge of making a sequel to the gangster epic A Better Tomorrow. The problem (spoiler alert!) was that the charismatic protagonist Mark, ...
Tracking down perfection
You have to appreciate the moxie of a restaurant that is open until it sells out. Especially when you set up shop at the end of an empty parking lot, triangulated by Buffalo Wild Wings, PetSmart and Super Target, in the perpetually under construction, unglamorous ...
An overdone riff
The word “riff” implies improvisation and excitement. It instantly brings to mind a memorable guitar solo, and applied to food, the expectation for something inspiring. Unfortunately, in the case of Riffs Urban Fare, there is such a thing as too much riffing...
Feel the chill of the Golden Sun
I expected Golden Sun to be a bit divey. It’s a big part of what made me seek out the Chinese restaurant tucked into an awkward corner space on a 28th Street strip mall. Chinese food is best served sketchy, and without a set of tracks to cross to the wrong side of, ...
Pizzeria Locale gives Bay-area pizza a whirl
Boulder’s Pizzeria Locale has been in business almost two years, and has solidified its position as a go-to spot for wood-fired, Naples-style pie. Starters such as arancini, an addictingly rich fried melding of risotto and cheese, and desserts like the sensual ...
Juiced
It’s hard to get excited about juice. They serve juice in little plastic cups with foil tops at hospitals and blood drives. At diners, orange juice costs $4 per thimble for some reason. Rare is a time when I find myself saying, “You know what I could really go for ...
BlueBox Doughnuts is a sweet addition
Boulder County has had a tumultuous relationship with the doughnut in recent years. Reputable chain bakers like Winchell’s, Daylight and LaMar’s have held court,...
A refreshing take on a tequila bistro
Sweet and spicy mole sauce, crunchy peanuts and tangy pickled red onions — the chicken mole taco at Tahona Tequila Bistro says everything you need to know about this downtown Pearl locale: It’s well-executed, vibrant and unique, and it’s best experienced with a ...
An authentic Chicago dog, hold the ketchup
The finer points of the Chicago-style hot dog have always been a bit cryptic for me. A few layover meals of sausage in a bun at O’Hare did little to deepen my understanding of this Windy City nosh. Unsurprisingly, I was happy to have friend and Windy City native Paul...
Keeping it hush-hush
Groucho Marx famously sent a telegram to the Friars Club, a selective association of entertainers that counted the comedian among its membership. His wire went like this: “Please accept my resignation. I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept people like...
Go west for summer cookout fare
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 ...


















