Restaurant Reviews
The water’s fine
One thing every diner needs in their toolkit is good, simple Asian food. Not simple in the sense that it’s of poor quality, but simple in the sense that it isn’t decorated to death, to the point of terminal tackiness. Just something approachably tasteful, and tasty...
Snap judgment
At first glance, Casa Alvarez might as well be decorated exclusively in red flags. It occupies the back corner location of a 30th Street strip mall and has an interior that looks like every Mexican restaurant in every town, with light pastel coloring and tile, overly...
Culinary ambition in north Boulder
Featuring impressive Flatirons vistas and an organic design scheme with local stone accents that complements the view, north Boulder’s Restaurant 4580 has ambitions that exceed those of a humble neighborhood joint. Selections such as lobster mac and cheese, and the ...
Good eats in the streets
Popularized by such operations as L.A.’s Kogi, kitchens on wheels have finally hit the streets of Boulder. Far removed from the catering trucks of old, these outfits eschew stale plastic-wrapped sandwiches in favor of ethnic street food and comfort classics. Streat ...
The food next door
Three things distinguish The Kitchen [Next Door] from its namesake neighbor, namely a focus on swift service for time-constrained diners, menu offerings all less than $9, and a family-friendly emphasis...
The food is the thing
In the clown car kitchen of China Gourmet in Boulder, a dozen cooks are calmly doing two dozen things. Composed but busy, the kitchen is preparing Chinese-American standards like cashew chicken, mu shu pork and Szechwan beef alongside “Shanghai specials” like cold ...
Les bon temps
I was in another diner in Boulder one morning about a month ago when I overheard a conversation between two long-timers about iconic restaurants in town. When the name Lucile’s was uttered, sentimental and adoring gasps were released...
A reasonably priced lunch at a high-end place
My first job out of college was working for the U.S. Forest Service in Rutland, Vt. Unfortunately, lunch choices in this town were limited, and I ate most meals at the family-run Sandwich Shoppe. Pricing was in line with my entry-level salary — today, you can still ...
Something for everyone
Avexing of diminutive slider size. A product of gender bias, culinary conundrum revolves around A&W’s sizing scheme for its hamburgers. It was easy enough to figure out the Baby Burger’s place in the pecking order, as it was the Mama Burger was larger, but it was ...
Tavern fare with a twist
Whenever I visit a place calling itself a tavern, I half expect it to be populated by a clientele consisting of Revolutionary War colonists plotting their next move against the monarchy. More realistically though, I anticipate that a self-proclaimed tavern is an ...
Aged in the old country
The first thing you need to know about The Cheese Course is that it’s almost absurdly pleasant. Outside, the sun roasts the asphalt of the parking lot as the traffic roars through the intersection of Folsom and Arapahoe, but inside you are hit with a blast of Tommy ...
A palace of taste
Nothing screams summertime more than cuisine from warm-weather climes, cool drinks and al fresco dining, all of which are available at Boulder’s Centro Latin Kitchen and Refreshment Palace...