We love our foodie family and out-of-town friends. They love visiting us in Boulder County during the end-of-year holidays.
Besides having to clean the house, the biggest challenge facing hosts is what to do with these repeat visitors. You’ve already brunched with them at Chautauqua Dining Hall, munched at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, took the Celestial Seasonings tour and sipped sunset hot toddies outside at Acreage in Lafayette. They’ve gawked at the amazing walls of kitchen implements at McGuckin Hardware and at the hundreds of cookbooks at Peppercorn. They’ve been mesmerized by the revolving glazed fried goods at Voodoo Doughnut.
While planning out the umpteenth outing for your nearest and dearest, some may be tempted to quote Russell Crowe in Gladiator: “Are you not entertained?”
Instead, introduce them to the bevy of new and undiscovered culinary attractions in Boulder County and beyond. The nice thing for us hosts is that we get to taste something new, too, during these yuletide meanderings.
The following suggestions are organized roughly according to needs and cravings.
Off-the-grid cafes for jaded visitors
For something completely different, try a change of pace Boulder destination with a twist. Full Cycle Cafe & Bar (fullcyclecafebar.com) is a celebrated bicycle sales and repair shop and home to a coffee and beer café that hosts jazz performances on the weekend. If your visitors like shopping with a side of margs and tacos, belly up to the bar at Garage Sale Vintage (garagesalevintage.com). For kids and adrenaline junkies of all ages, immerse in the jungle gym-meets-hip café coolness of Junkyard Social Club (junkyardsocialclub.org).
Longmont bread-and-butter dream
Foodies love tastings, and what tastes better than butter? Get the good stuff at Longmont’s Bella La Crema (bellalacrema.com) or wear your winter coat when you shop the refrigerated charcuterie wonderland at Cheese Importers (cheeseimporters.com) in Longmont. They offer a more than a dozen of the best full-fat cultured butters made in Europe. Be sure to grab some fresh baguettes and a bottle of rosé for a palate-pleasing butter-and-bread tasting.
Note: Leftover butter, if any, can be used to craft a fine holiday pie crust.
Get uncles and aunts totally wired
Boulder’s Ozo Coffee Company (ozocoffee.com) hosts a first-ever open house Dec. 14 at its roastery and lab. Coffee fans can taste a variety of coffees prepared using different techniques. It’s a great hands-on opportunity to learn ways to brew a better cup every day.
Wow them at the big winter market
The popular farmers markets in Boulder and Longmont are closed for the season — except for one last blast. The Dec. 7 and 8 Winter Market (bcfm.org) fills a huge hall at the Boulder County Fairgrounds with dozens of bakeries, food artisans, cheesemakers and gift booths.
Can we all just cook together?
Put aside your political differences and sign the family up for a cooking class. Boulder’s Food Lab (foodlabboulder.com) offers a Family Holiday Baking Workshop (Dec. 14) and Holiday Tapas Class (Dec. 26, 27). Longmont’s Journey Culinary (journeyculinary.com) stages immersive classes including A Peruvian Christmas Dinner (Dec. 13) and a French Christmas Dinner (Dec. 7, 20).
For cacao/whiskey nerds
Besides offering charcuterie plates and caviar with its cocktails, Louisville’s recently opened Jasmine Bar (thejasminebar.com) offers a trio of chocolate-filled artisan truffles to pair with a flight of rare Japanese whiskeys.
For fine dining bucket list visitors
Folks serious about fine dining are already making reservations for holiday feasts at Boulder’s many Michelin Guide eateries. Frasca Food and Wine is the city’s sole winner of a Michelin Star for two years running. Blackbelly Market and Bramble & Hare earned Green Stars, honoring their sustainability efforts. Basta and Ginger Pig received Bib Gourmand awards for offering affordable fine meals.
In addition, Michelin’s recommended restaurants include Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, Oak at Fourteenth, Santo, Stella’s Cucina and Zoe Ma Ma. Chef Johnny Curiel earned a Michelin Star for his Alma Fonda Fina restaurant in Denver shortly after opening Cozobi Fonda Fina in Boulder.
Taste America’s best brews
There are craft breweries everywhere in Boulder County, but only two of them offer beers that won gold medals at the 2024Great American Beer Festival. Head to Lafayette to sample El Poblano Borracho (chili beer) from Liquid Mechanics Brewing Company (liquidmechanicsbrewing.com) and Western Justice (wood- and barrel-aged strong stout) at Westbound & Down Brewing Co. (westboundanddown.com).
Visit the lebkuchen source
Longmont is the under-the-radar home of a bakery known nationally for its holiday lebkuchen (pronounced leyb-koo-kuhn). Leckerlee, 1689 Skyway Drive, produces dense glazed gingerbread cookies made from almonds, almond paste, hazelnuts and candied citron in several varieties. The bakery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Sunday for drop-in customers. It’s worth a visit just for the spicy aromatherapy.
Dining like Thor and Loki
It is far from Valhalla, but the Julebord Christmas Buffet is the opportunity to sample a real Scandinavian smorgasbord Dec. 14 at Viking Hall (sonsofnorwaycs.com) in Colorado Springs.
Courtesy: The Reserve by Old Elk
For true blue, rabid bourbon hunters
If bourbon is the thing that rings your guests’ jingle bells, blow them away at The Reserve at Old Elk Distillery (oldelk.com) in Old Town Fort Collins. From its flagship blended straight bourbon whiskey to its celebrated port cask-finished straight bourbon, Old Elk spirits are coveted by bourbon geeks worldwide. The tasting room offers a full food menu and tastes of limited bottlings and only-in-Colorado spirits like Old Elk Dry Town Gin.
While you are in Fort Collins, visit nearby Ginger and Baker (gingerandbaker.com), a wonderful market, pie bakery, cooking school and eatery set in a historic building.
Dive into a Willy Wonka sugar binge
Colorado’s coolest immersive food experience is dished at The Inventing Room Dessert Shop (inventing-room.com). Chef Ian Kleinman — a fan of candy and molecular gastronomy — hosts hour-long sessions featuring the making (and tasting) of six treats like edible wallpaper, liquid nitrogen sundaes and glow-in-the-dark cotton candy.
Show cheeseheads the whey to curds
MouCo Cheese Company in Fort Collins has a national reputation for award-winning soft-ripened cheeses like camembert. Secretly, it has a fanatic following for fresh, squeaky Wisconsin-style cheese curds — an essential poutine ingredient. Informal group tours (up to 15 people) of the factory and retail shop can be scheduled on Tuesdays. To set up a tour, click “Contact” at mouco.com.
John Lehndorff will be serving his family’s Italian sausage and mashed potato stuffing on Thanksgiving Day. Try the recipe and read more local food news from John.