Lucky Charms Ice Cream
Sweet Cow, 669 S. Broadway, Boulder; 2628 Broadway, Boulder; 637 Front St., Louisville; sweetcowicecream.com
Sweet Cow makes insanely good ice cream. It’s rich, almost chewy and usually tastes like the thing it says it tastes like. The Lucky Charms ice cream is, in a lot of ways, exactly what Sweet Cow does best — unique, fun flavor concoctions built into their solid ice cream foundation. What’s appreciated about the Charms ice cream is that the cereal managed to stay well-textured, acting as crispy sugar bombs on each bite. Sweet Cow has more robustly flavored ice cream — like apple pie or peanut butter banana — but if your goal in eating ice cream is to have fun, (and if it’s not, we’re sorry for you), the Lucky Charms flavor is the way to go. $3.50, check for availability.
Lomo Saltado
Lomito Gourmet Peruvian Cuisine, Mobile, Boulder County, lomitogourmet.com
The Lomito Gourmet food truck claims to be the only mobile establishment selling Peruvian cuisine in the state. It’s a good thing, then, that it’s good food. The classic dish, lomo saltado, features tropically marinated strips of tender steak mixed in with pickled onion, cilantro and pepper. The bite pops with bright spices and herbs. Sitting atop french fries and beside puffy rice, it’s a well-balanced bite that feels like comfort food even if you’ve never eaten lomo saltado before. Hit with a little hot sauce, the dish piques all interests on the tongue. $12
Belgian Frites
12Degree Brewing, 820 Main St., Louisville, 12degree.com
The humble french fry has seen some horrible things. It’s been crinkled and soggied, steak-cut and made cold and mushy. It’s been seasoned with everything in the spice cabinet and made into such a small shoestring that it’s all fried oil and no potato. But gussy up fries to frites and do them the proper way, and you have 12Degree Brewing’s take on the staple. They’re crispy on the outside and filled with hearty, steaming potato on the inside. The seasoning is understated, just salt and pepper, letting the vegetable and crispy skin bring the flavor. If that’s not enough, ketchup, spicy ketchup and garlic mayo are served on the side. $7
Seasoned Edamame
Sushi Zanmai, 1221 Spruce St., Boulder, sushizanmai.com
Sushi Zanmai is a Boulder favorite, with its traditional low-to-the-floor chabudai and lively atmosphere (there are Western-style tables for those less inclined to maintain the polite, kneeling seiza position throughout the meal). But it’s the food that makes Zanmai a real crowd-pleaser. Zanmai’s seasoned edamame is the perfect way to whet your appetite before jumping into a variety of fresh sushi. The crisp, boiled pods are doused in a healthy coating of ginger-infused soy glaze and sprinkled with sesame seeds for a lightly roasted flavor, crafting a perfect balance between the natural sweetness of the edamame and the savory saltiness of the glaze. You’ll get a little sticky, and that’s half the fun. $6.50-$10.50
