Restaurant Reviews
A reasonably priced lunch at a high-end place
My first job out of college was working for the U.S. Forest Service in Rutland, Vt. Unfortunately, lunch choices in this town were limited, and I ate most meals at the family-run Sandwich Shoppe. Pricing was in line with my entry-level salary — today, you can still ...
Farm to fast food
As the meat-eating members of the Simpsons once taunted Lisa: “You don’t win friends with salad.” But MAD Greens is giving it a shot...
Going samurai at Alfalfa’s
The standard-issue American breakfast of bacon and eggs traces its lineage back to its British ancestor, the “full English.” While some breakfasts may focus on sweet pastries and not much more than a tipple of coffee, the Anglo-American approach embraces both ...
Making room for high-end steak
Word was the Lady in Gray wanted to meet. She’s my counterpart at our cross-town rival, the Obscura, or whatever it’s called, and she thought it would be interesting if we reviewed a place together. She made reservations at the new Pearl Street Steak Room. I got ...
A fresh take
The new Organic Sandwich Company on Pearl Street is very Boulder. It checks all the boxes on the Boulder restaurant checklist: organic ingredients, gluten-free and vegan options, posh Pearl Street location, modern and clean design, and a slightly higher than normal ...
Comfort food at Lulu’s
Generally, the newest local restaurants shy away from the excess frilliness of haute cuisine and instead towards venerable comfort foods. For the past year, gourmet pizza has been all the rage, and folks can’t seem to get enough of updated pies with artisan ...
Best of the rest
A recent Twitter conversation with my fitness nut of an ex-boss: Me: “Do you even eat ice cream? I thought Crossfit makes you cut fun out of your diet altogether.” Her: “I Crossfit so that I can eat and drink whatever I want. Paleo was no fun...
A distinctive Indian lunch buffet
For those old enough, you may remember 1985 as a dark time, mostly because that’s when McDonald’s launched the McDLT. In today’s recycling-conscious age, the McDLT probably wouldn’t exist. For those of you unfamiliar with this environmental atrocity, this was a ...
Mediterranean simplicity
Sometimes all you want to eat is something cheap, quick and simple. Boulder’s Mediterranean Market fits this description to a T with the added bonus of dishing out unpretentious ethnic cuisine. Trappings here are basic and functional, and true to this establishment’s...
Oak has recovered — and then some
When assessing the recently reopened Oak at Fourteenth, the lazy tendency would be to open with a sentence such as this: “Like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, Oak has returned from months of rebuilding from a debilitating fire.” Given this tough history, it’s also...
Eastern authenticity at Ting’s in East County
I’m often forced to compromise at Chinese restaurants by eating less authentic fare like sesame chicken and cream cheese wontons — not exactly the stuff of childhood Chinatown dinners. Certainly Lafayette’s Ting’s Place has such dishes available (and I do enjoy them ...
Brunch without the wait
Downtown Pearl Street is a sea of wait-lists on weekends between 9 a.m. and noon. The masses of hangover-inflicted students, sleepy 20-somethings, hungry and screaming children and hostile foodies all serve as roadblocks to the end goal: brunch. Luckily, tucked in ...