Restaurant Reviews
Formidable pho
Pressed for time, colleague Carin and I weren’t enthused to seek a blah lunch at a ho-hum sandwich shop or fast food joint during a recent journey to Broomfield. I also realized it had been some time since I had enjoyed a bowl of pho, Vietnamese beef noodle soup. ...
Snarfing it down
My relationship with sandwiches has been ambivalent at best, due perhaps to their constancy as a lunchtime staple through my elementary school years. One unintended consequence of this routine is that I occasionally experience an inexplicable craving for Underwood’s ...
A kitchen that deserves the hype
It’s inevitable that any time a national publication puts out a piece on the Boulder food scene, Pearl Street’s The Kitchen gets a shout-out. This eatery, along with three or four others, always gets the press, making out-of-towners wonder if there’s anywhere else ...
Real ramen rocks at Bento Zanmai
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 ...
Mary’s is not just for cyclists
It was a blowout day. And I mean that quite literally, as friend Keith’s front bicycle tire suddenly popped with a thunderous bang. Taking quick evasive action, I swerved around him as he managed to straighten out his trajectory and keep his bike upright. Fortunately...
Sampling the county’s top Asian food — in Lafayette
Arguably, some of the county’s best Asian dining can be found near the intersection of South Public Road and South Boulder Road in Lafayette. Further evidence for this increasingly solid proposition comes in the form of the Pho Cafe, another affordable strip mall ...
Out of this world
When you order at El Fogon in Longmont, you’re supposed to look up at the old Spanish-only menu with pictures and relay your choice to the cashier. But in practice it’s hard not to look at the giant rotisserie of bright red meat behind the counter and point and say...
A solid addition in Lafayette
When I first moved to Boulder in the mid-90s, I often felt the need to trek down to Denver for serious eats. But now that our fair city is gaining a well-earned reputation for fine dining, the need to travel has dwindled considerably. Consistent with the old saw that...
Classic Italian in Lafayette
As someone with too much time on my hands, I’ve recently been preoccupied with seeking out classic, if not downright iconic, meals. These repasts don’t necessarily have to be pricey or complex, and can be as simple as a grilled cheese accompanied by tomato soup. ...
Pearl Street gets a new riff
In the late 1990s, I worked on west Walnut Street, a stone’s throw from the Pearl Street Mall. For lunch, I’d patronize now-defunct venues like Juanita’s and the New York Deli, and I’d often pick up morning coffee at the old Bookends Café. Like many, I felt a touch ...
Good ol’ pub fare
Neither an homage to the silent (but perhaps most cerebral) of the Marx Brothers, nor a clandestine Oprah operation, Boulder’s Harpo’s Sports Grill is precisely what its name implies. It’s a casual joint spotlighting affordable drink specials, tavern staples ...
Master of one
Breadworks in Boulder is two businesses. That’s the only way to look at it. Well, the easiest way at least...

















