Restaurant Reviews
Stopping in, stepping out
You’ll have to be OK with picnic casual: good food made simply by friendly people. If you like that, you’ll like Caspian Deli & Grocery — an unassuming Middle Eastern market on Pearl and 26th Street that does nothing but charm as soon as you walk in the door...
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 ...
Shine on
When I first heard the name of Boulder’s new eatery Shine, I was hoping it would feature entertainment by a troubled pianist portrayed by actor Geoffrey Rush. Alas, Shine appears more to refer to notions of maximized self-actualization than David Helfgott, although ...
More than a coffee shop
The first impression of downtown Boulder’s Saxy’s Cafe is that of your typical college town coffee shop with a ramshackle, slightly lived-in feel. But a closer look reveals more luxurious trappings epitomized by comfortable sofas and low coffee tables that give the ...
SALT’s chocolate tart: a recipe for forgiveness
My dining companion and I dressed in our finest for SALT. But not just because it’s a rustically chic eatery on Pearl Street in downtown Boulder designed by co-owner Carol Vilate. We hoped our dapper appearance disguised our secret, ugly desire: To gorge on more ...
Off the beaten brunch
As friend Lisa and I drove on Hwy. 36 north of Boulder, we couldn’t help but notice the landscape’s arid harshness. Even though the sun was shining, we couldn’t shake a feeling of wintry desolation. Happily, the mood shifted for the better once we entered our ...
Southern Indian seasonings
One of my more ill-advised college misadventures involved a midnight competition with a classmate to see who could consume the most Tabasco sauce straight. While I prevailed, I learned a valuable lesson (actually one of several) in that heat for heat’s sake isn’t a ...
The classic, comforting deli sandwich%uFFFD
As prosaic as it is, the humble sandwich can possess comforting — if not tranquilizing — qualities. Consider the Peacemaker, a New Orleans specialty consisting of a baguette stuffed with fried oysters. Husbands in the region would give these to their spouses as a way...
Hiding in plain sight
Whether you like it or not, there is a perception outside of Colorado that steakhouses abound in this state. The assumption is that cattle farms abound out here, and that meat from top Angus and Kobe beef farms throughout the West is shipped to a bevy of hungry ...
Tibet Kitchen: bad parking, great prices
You know Tibet Kitchen. You’ve driven by its location on the corner of Arapahoe and Folsom dozens of times, seen its large sign advertising lunch specials starting at $4.95 and its nightmare of a parking lot and kept right on going, thinking “one day” to yourself. ...
Cheese Importers warehouse expands to offer more than cheese
Cheese Importers’ warehouse was a huge hit from the beginning, because, well, cheese. But the bulk of the 35 years it’s been in business were spent in a literal warehouse in Longmont. It was a wonderland of cheese, though not as warm and inviting an environment as ...
Good as it gets
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. This is how a proper deli sandwich looks and tastes...