Restaurant Reviews
Step away from the buffet
As part of my ongoing efforts to craft a taxonomy for Chinese restaurants, I recently realized there are two main angles to categorizing these eateries. The first is assessing the formality and pricing of the place, ranging from the come-one-come-all budget dive to ...
Cup at Conor’s
Unfortunately, pretty much everything I know about World Cup soccer comes from the mid-’90s pinball machine of the same name. I know that teams from around the world are involved and someone enthusiastically yells out “goal” in an elongated manner whenever points ...
Top chefs
Well readers, it’s that time. After a year of locally sourced food puns and stuffing my face like I’m trying to turn my own liver into foie gras, I’m taking a job in Oregon, making this my last food review for Boulder Weekly. And it figures. Like so many good things...
Rolling with noodles in Lafayette
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 ...
Eastern authenticity at Ting’s in East County
I’m often forced to compromise at Chinese restaurants by eating less authentic fare like sesame chicken and cream cheese wontons — not exactly the stuff of childhood Chinatown dinners. Certainly Lafayette’s Ting’s Place has such dishes available (and I do enjoy them ...
Solid, simple sushi in Superior
It recently dawned on me that location doesn’t seem to be a predictor of the quality of Boulder County Japanese restaurants. Sure, I’ve had fine Asian meals at the high-end downtown Boulder stalwarts. But I’ve also enjoyed equally satisfying repasts in strip mall ...
Over the forest, through the woods
How do you review Christmas dinner at grandma’s house...
Improved decor, and the taste to match
My friend Auden was visiting from the Western Slope, and it’s customary for us to visit an Asian eatery, since decent ones are mighty scarce in his neck of the woods. To be frank, things didn’t go so well the last go-around. Attempting to prove our foodie street cred...
An escape to Paris
Clear winter days often put me in a Paris frame of mind. This time of year, cold, crisp air, leafless trees and wintry light give the French capital a monochromatic yet nostalgic quality. For me, this romantic appearance evokes the black and white photography of ...
Royal Indian dining on the east side
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 ...
A farmhouse kitchen and pub
Bramble and Hare — the name evokes an English countryside pub, perhaps a spot in the Cotswolds. Waggish diners may initially dismiss this as Black Cat Bistro Chef Eric Skokan’s attempt at creating a sort of Locale Next Door. Yet this new self-styled farmhouse ...
The tastes of Provence and beyond
It had been a while since I poked my head into Mateo, noteworthy for its fine charcuterie and cheese-laden happy hour and accessible South of France cuisine. Warm, sunny days evoke recollections of tooling around Provence’s gorgeous lavender-scented landscapes. As a ...