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 ...
Basta’s brunch among the best
Once known as Pizzeria Basta, the Boulder eatery now simply known as Basta still serves savory wood oven pies. But this name change more accurately reflects a menu offering much more than just pizza, which is a smart move. Because while I’ve always felt the pies here...
George’s Food & Drink hauntingly delicious
George's Food & Drink, adjoining the Boulder Theater, is named for the unfortunate George Paper who perished in the theater decades ago. Supposedly the victim of an accidental hanging, he's a restless soul said to still roam the building, a wispy shape in a drape. ...
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...
Harold’s is a cut above
Attached to Longmont’s Plaza Hotel, Harold’s Restaurant & Lounge ups the ante on this town’s fine dining with retro-styled cocktails and original farm-to-table preparations. Compared to the space’s previous tenants, the bar here assumes the guise of an old school ...
A fresh spin on the taste of Mexico
Antonio’s, subtitled A Taste of Mexico, is a new addition to Longmont’s Main Street dining scene. Ambience here is upscale, with contemporary Southwestern art and dark woods, creating a sense of elegant intimacy. Yet Antonio’s is still the kind of welcoming spot that...
Follow your nose
Formely housed in a smaller, more intimate spot on Longmont’s Main Street, Pinocchio’s is an Italian- American eatery now ensconced in a newish shopping center dominated by national chains. Granted, the current venue may not have all the charming homespun ...
A Niwot breakfast without pretense
Many hold the Niwot Market’s Friday evening summer dinners in high esteem. However, it’s also worth noting that this hospitable family-run grocery also dishes out reasonably priced breakfasts and lunches throughout the week...
Ramen 2.0
The place with the kind of funny name had some kind of good food. Really good, actually. And it felt different inside the restaurant — somewhere between New York City hole in the wall and inoffensive Boulder chic...
Cafe meets bistro in Longmont
A friend recently analogized that Boulder is to Longmont as Manhattan is to Brooklyn. From a dining standpoint, there’s more than a grain of truth in this analogy. Boulder, like Manhattan, has more than its fair share of press-worthy, high-buck eateries whose prices ...
A slice of Italy
Some local Italian restaurants trace their culinary lineage back to the venerable Americanized red sauce haunts of San Francisco or the East Coast. Alternatively, they may possess a more direct link to the old country without the hindrance of flavors compromised to...


















