Gone is the dark, cavernous bar setting where Charles Bukowski would have felt at home. In its place is a contemporary interior that lunch companion Patrick described as very “New York,” with its exposed brick, airy ambience and sculpted light fixtures. The Mexican-American dive known as Juanita’s is long gone, and in its place is the new Pastavino, billing itself as “simple, organic, Italian.”

Thai Avenue Rice and Noodles presents a textbook case of truth in advertising. First of all, it serves Thai food, notably rice and noodles. Secondly, it’s located on Boulder’s College Avenue. This straightforward naming scheme carries over to the no-frills experience that conceals a top-notch Southeast Asian experience.

First up was the Tavern’s $6 take on deviled, or as they call them, picnic, eggs, a selection my inner Cool Hand Luke found appealing. The West End’s presentation consisted of a half-dozen jumbo oeuvres, subtly spiced with turmeric, although they also suffered from too much salt. The yolks featured silky smooth texture, and appeared to have been piped through a pastry bag. Whites had a touch of give, and none of the rubberiness associated with overcooking.

For my money, the key predictor of the success of a brunch outing comes with the first sip of house java. My bleary-eyed pal Cyn and I had just blown into Lyons, ensconced ourselves in a corner table at the Lyons Fork, and requested coffee first thing out of the gate.

A few years back, a California chain, Ruby’s, attempted to create a ’50s retro diner at Boulder’s Twenty Ninth Street. This space was recently resurrected as a retro eatery under local ownership and a new moniker, the StarLite Diner and Lounge. Like its predecessor, the ambience suggests a trip back in time, with plenty of vinyl banquettes and neon accented by cruiser bicycles and soaked in a golden oldies soundtrack.

The decor is minimal in this narrow 40-seat eatery, which features several tables and a tiny sushi bar in the back. I noticed a fair number of Asian families dining here, always a good sign. Noodle offerings including thick udon, as well as more svelte ramen, are available in a variety of broths.

REO Speedwagon’s Hi Infidelity, the first season of Miami Vice and the John Madden-era Oakland Raiders are among my myriad of guilty pleasures. Chicken wings come close to making this list. However, many versions, either prepared indifferently or adhering too faithfully to the vinegary tones of the original Buffalo version, inevitably disappoint. For this reason, they have yet to reach the exalted status of a guilty pleasure.

One of my pet peeves is the eatery that appropriates inexpensive ethnic food and gussies it up beyond recognition with little resulting benefit. Adding insult to injury is the establishment that jacks up the prices on affordable chow to something approximating the cost of a taco truck rather than the taco itself.

For over a hundred years, the building housing The Louisville Rex has provided Main Street with entertainment of one kind or another. Established as a billiard hall, it became a theater, and eventually another restaurant prior to its current iteration. Nowadays, one of the main attractions of this spot is the spacious rooftop deck, which has the amiable feel of a venue in a far-away, warm-weather resort town.

Located a stone’s throw from Williams Village, Moe’s Original Bar B Que is the Boulder outpost of a ’cue operation that originated in Alabama.