Troutchovy Toast
Arcana, 909 Walnut St., Boulder, arcanarestaurant.com
You probably haven’t had anything like Arcana’s troutchovy toast. It starts with a hearty country bread baked in-house. The crust is deep brown and crunchy, the flesh is moist and dense with abundant air pockets. Torn eggs and house-made troutchovy, or a kind of cured trout, is piled on top. It’s an incredible texture and flavor combination, with silky eggs and a very understated trout, a little briny, a little funky and a little sweet even. Radish, herb salad and grated beets in vinaigrette finish out the dish. It all makes for something other and better than any toast you’ve ever had. $9.
Poulet de Bresse Bocuse
Brasserie Ten Ten, 1011 Walnut St., Boulder, brasserietenten.com
The chickens of Bresse, France, are famed. Their iconic blue feet, white body and red comb resemble the French flag, and their meat, grown on thin skeletons in ideal terroir is renowned. So too was French chef Paul Bocuse who passed away last month and who knew, certainly, how to cook one of these chickens. Brasserie Ten Ten pays homage to both of these French culinary icons with its poulet de Bresse Bocuse. It starts not with Bresse chicken but with a Boulder Natural Farm’s product that makes you say “I had no idea chicken could be this good.” To that goes wild mushrooms, spinach, brandy creme, toasted bread crumbs and herbs de Provence. $19.95.
Rancher Rolls
Pizza Bar 66, 430 Main St., Lyons, pizzabar66.com
If you’re looking to kick back in Lyons, Pizza Bar 66 is the place to do it. Dozens of craft beers are available for cheap, and a menu of pizza and pizza-like products is comforting. One such pizza-adjacent product is the roll — a handcrafted bun made from house-made dough wrapped in filling. The Rancher Roll is loaded with thick chunks of bacon and chicken, and injected with pepper jack. It’s served with a side of ranch. It’s full-on indulgence — the bun itself is sweeter than pizza dough, not as sweet as a cinnamon bun, and the cheese and dressing gild the lily. $12.
Falafel Sandwich
Bandar Syrian & Mediterranean food truck, Mobile, Boulder County
Yeah, this is good falafel. Rounds are crispy-shelled on the outside, and surprisingly airy on the inside. The chickpea filling is perfumed with abundant fennel and though it’s light in weight, it’s bold in flavor. Arranged into a long flatbread with a simple dressing and vegetables for crunch, this falafel sandwich is one to go out of your way for. $8.80.
