Restaurant Reviews
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
Taste in colors
Each new plate arrived to the table as a twist of a kaleidoscope. When we drained the color from one, another arrived, swirling colors into a different combination and pattern. We remembered the food by its color, not by each dish, when we left Busaba in Louisville...
A special place
It’s prime rib night at the tavern. There’s a happy murmur in the dining room, likely because it’s the kind of place where you can get a fat prime rib and baked potato for ten bucks on a Monday night...
More than what meets the eyes
It’s hard to be unassuming so close to the Pearl Street Mall, but that’s just what Fuji Cafe and Bar is. The shop is clean and welllighted, but that’s about all you can say about the physical space of the restaurant. It’s small, with seating for maybe 20 people, and ...
Two Spoons gelato shop churns out soups, sandwiches in winter
Quickly glancing into its window, it’s easy to dismiss Pearl Street’s Two Spoons as a mere gelato shop. But as the temperature drops, this self-proclaimed “smallbatch kitchen” shifts its focus from frozen treats to a more seasonally appropriate menu of warming soups ...
Mateo is authentic, affordable high-end dining
Mateo is the place you wish existed in the U.S. when you’re abroad, eating simple and wonderful food, so abundant that you hate yourself...
A hut with potential
With ith a name like Elephant Hut, it’s initially unclear what’s served up at this Boulder restaurant, housed in 30th Street’s Steelyards development. Those with dark imaginations may envision it as akin to Pizza Hut, except with a certain massive land mammal ...
Oak has recovered — and then some
When assessing the recently reopened Oak at Fourteenth, the lazy tendency would be to open with a sentence such as this: “Like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, Oak has returned from months of rebuilding from a debilitating fire.” Given this tough history, it’s also...












