If you think there is nothing worth driving to Longmont to eat, know that many people living in the Boulder Bubble suffer from the very same delusion. A few years back, Longmont was not a food and dining destination. Longmont residents commuted to Boulder every weekend for dinner.
Now, that traffic pattern has reversed. With a slew of new, diverse eateries, a food hall, a wine bar, distilleries and plenty of cool food trucks, Longmont has experienced a culinary renaissance. That wealth of food options is the driving force behind the revamped Longmont Restaurant Week, returning Oct. 4 to 13 after a one-year hiatus and as Boulder County’s only official restaurant week celebration, now that Boulder’s is kaput.
Unlike many restaurant weeks that focus on multi-course, fixed-price dinners, Longmont’s celebration takes place under a bigger and tastier tent. Special menus and beverages will be offered at several dozen eateries as well as at bars, bakeries and food trucks. All are independent and locally owned, not national chains.
“I wanted the concept to be ‘donuts to drinks,’ to let everyone know that we have expanded beyond fine dining,” says Jennifer Ferguson, the new owner and spark plug behind Longmont Restaurant Week.
The Longmont Chamber of Commerce operated the event for five years before Ferguson stepped in.
“About a year and a half ago, they approached me about taking it over,” she says. “The first thing I did was to ask restaurants and diners: What worked and what didn’t? Both told us that they needed more flexibility and other ways to participate.”
Ferguson found that many diners loved the fixed-price menus, but establishments wanted flexibility.
“Some restaurants will have menus at the familiar $25, $35 and $45 price points, but I gave them the option of offering anything they want,” she says. “Some include beverages, others a shared dessert. Other places have created a special cocktail or dish only available during those 10 days.”
The 2024 edition of Longmont Restaurant Week ranges from sit-down dining at Caprese Trattoria and Flavor of India to casual, award-winning pies at Rosalee’s Pizzeria and ribs at Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ.
For instance, 99 Bar Saloon offers a choice of a double cheeseburger, chicken and biscuit or chicken arugula salad with either a beer and a pickle shot or a thick milkshake for $25.
At Sugarbeet, $45 gets you a fine-dining experience starting with potato and Iberico ham croquetas or a wedge salad with gorgonzola dressing. The second course of roasted kabocha squash bisque, is followed by entrees like Arctic char, bistro steak or a pork chop with accompaniments.
All the food stalls at Longmont’s recently opened Parkway Food Hall are participating, and the space will host a public kickoff party for Longmont Restaurant Week on Oct. 3. A special Longmont cocktail created in collaboration with Dry Land Distillers will be debuted.
Ferguson’s you-call-it approach also garnered participation from spots that “aren’t the typical food places that are included in restaurant weeks,” she says, like Peak Press Juicery, MECO Coffee Collective and the Biscuits at Mike’s food truck.
The event also welcomes in Longmont’s thriving craft brewery scene at places like 300 Suns and embraces the city’s much honored distillers, including Abbott and Wallace.
Ferguson’s company, Wonder Tours, hosted restaurant tours before the pandemic. She was always encountering longtime Longmonsters who had overlooked eateries in their own towns.
“People would say, ‘I’ve lived here 20 years and I’ve never been in this place,’” Ferguson says. “Restaurant Week is that same kind of invitation to go check out some places you didn’t know about.”
For the first time, Longmont Restaurant Week will publish a booklet featuring menus and restaurant coupons that are good for a year — a change that also came from listening to locals.
“People told us they missed out because they were busy or out of town,” Ferguson says. “Some said they would have tried more restaurants if it had lasted longer.”
The Longmont Restaurant Week lineup also features The Roost, Mike O’Shay’s Restaurant, Landline Donuts, The Pumphouse, Miss Krissy’s Bistro, Jefes, Pistachio Cafe, Longs Peak Pub, Küper Wine Bar, Swaylo’s Tiki, The Passenger, West Side Tavern and others.
For a complete list of eateries and menus, visit: longmontrestaurantweek.com