Lunch Plate
Rumi’s Cafe at In Season Local Market, 4593 Broadway, Boulder, 303-444-1065
Alright, we found it. We finally found it. The most hidden of all the hidden gems in Boulder County dining. It’s Rumi’s Cafe inside the In Season Local Market in North Boulder. Help yourself to any of several teas warming on hot pots throughout the store while the owner, Karim, works up whatever the special lunch plate of the day is. When we went, it was saffron rice with spring vegetables, grilled bratwurst, hummus, and a salad of micro-greens with punchy mustard seeds, balsamic vinegar and spicy edible flowers Karim picked from one of several plants growing in the store. Much of what’s on the plate is grown at In Season’s South Boulder farm. The plates change daily, and Karim, handing over a glass of Iranian fermented yogurt to try, says he’s got about 300 variations of it on-hand. This is the closest you can get to home cooking outside of your house. $12.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Zest, Available throughout Boulder County, zestbrands.com
The folks at Boulder’s Zest Brands have made a line of pretty darn good paleo-diet-approved cakes. Out of several options, we chose the chocolate hazelnut cake, a moist and filling delight with a hint of what tasted like almond liqueur in it. Zest makes their cakes with ingredients like almond flour, organic agave, unrefined coconut oil and organic flavorings — you know, the good stuff. A small slice will fill you up but won’t leave you feeling bogged down. $6.99.
Lush Puppy Juicy IPA
Bootstrap Brewing, 142 Pratt St., Longmont and 6778 N. 79th St., Niwot, bootstrapbrewing.com
We are in the prime of the juicy IPA’s moment in the sun. We’re OK with that. The style has a wide range of variations, with the hallmark being bold fruitiness and varying degrees of haze in the glass. Bootstrap Brewing’s take on it, the Lush Puppy Juicy IPA, showcases how refreshing the style can be. A massive amount of hops give the beer an abundant tropical flavor — mangos and pineapples — with a kick of orangey citrus. The soft, hazy texture of the beer mellows out that brightness. Prices vary.
Cambric Latte
Logan’s Espresso Cafe, 3980 Broadway, Boulder, loganscafe.com
Look, you can get a cambric latte — Earl Grey tea steeped in foamed milk — just about anywhere. And sure the flavor will vary depending on the barista and the tea used. But the experience of sipping on it might be different at Logan’s in North Boulder, a throwback coffeeshop where atmosphere is paramount. A cozy interior, a patio shaded by trees, an ever-present mellow vibe, this is a good place to sip that cambric, or espresso, or chai, or whatever else you can find on the menu. $3.75.
