Taste of the Week: Lunch on 55th Street
You have probably tasted A Spice of Life fare at parties, events and office cafes since the caterer opened in 1987, but their food hasn’t been available to the public onsite. The area around their 5541 Central Ave. headquarters is Boulder’s beating industrial and commercial heart, and lunch options are few and far between for the thousands of folks who work nearby.
“We felt like there was a need for a place that offered a high-quality take-out lunch in the neighborhood,” says Dan Bruckner, longtime owner of the catering company.
The recently opened Spice Rack Cafe inside A Spice of Life catering is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. Folks in a hurry can order online for pickup. Getting into the company’s lot is circuitous, but there’s plenty of parking.
Everything on the menu is made to order. A major attraction here are the hot sandwiches, including a pressed Cubano pork and ham sandwich, and a craveable chicken parm sandwich layered with cornflake-crusted fried chicken breast, marinara, basil pesto and melted provolone. Adding variety are weekly specials like freshly fried cod fish and chips, a classic Philly
cheesesteak, a paneer and pineapple skewer with chutney, and a pork adobo torta with chipotle mayo, avocado and queso.
Ask for a taste of the house-made Uncle Rubie’s habanero mustard.
Local Food News: Italian Eats in Ward
Marrocco’s Family Dining opened for the season, dishing Italian-American fare in the little foothills town of Ward. Plan ahead: National Chicken Parm Day is April 19.
Ollin Farms, 8627 N. 95th St. in Longmont, hosts an Earth Day farmers market April 20 featuring local food vendors and small farms.
Chameleon is open inside Boulder’s Rosetta Hall, serving Japanese izakaya-style dishes like a chicken katsu sandwich, yakisoba noodles and miso-glazed eggplant.
Kelly and Erika Whitaker of Id Est, the eatery group that includes Basta and Dry Storage in Boulder, are James Beard Awards finalists in the Outstanding Restaurateur category.
Words to Chew On: A Family Bistro Closes
Lafayette’s 95a Bistro has closed. In a Facebook post, the restaurant’s owners, the Kukura family, expressed gratitude to their customers and noted: “The escalating costs of labor and food have been significant factors in our decision. … Most importantly, running a restaurant of this scale has taken its toll on our family. The long hours, relentless demands, and constant juggling of responsibilities have led us to a burnout that we can no longer ignore.”
John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU. Most recent podcast: kgnu.org/radio-nibbles-power-outage-xcel. Send local food news and events to nibbles@boulderweekly.com
