Best Boulder Restaurants
Summer 2008
Boulders Best American Boulder Cork 3295 30th 303-443-9505 The Boulder Cork features classic American food; fresh fish, prime rib, large steaks, and excellent salads. Chef Jim Smailer regularly features outstanding specials like Spanish Mackerel, Grass Fed Beef with a mushroom Au jus sauce, and Bluefin Tuna. Highly recommended are the Shrimp Cocktail featuring large meaty shrimp, Prime Rib, and Teriyaki Salmon. The Cork also features an outstanding wine list. Desserts are excellent, especially the chocolate souffle and seasonal gelato & sorbets. Prices are moderate to high. bouldercork.com
| Dolans 2319 Arapahoe 303-444-8758 Dolans is a quality steak and seafood restaurant. Lunches usually feature a couple of fresh fish specials, a wide selection of gourmet burgers, and a lunch steak. Start off dinner with Fresh Oysters, Shrimp Cocktail, or Crab Cakes. The seasonal Fish Stew is amazing. The fresh fish and steak specials are also highly recommended. dolansrestaurant.com
| Q's Restaurant 2115 13th Street, Boulder, CO 80302 303.442.4880 Q's restaurant is a fine dining establishment located in the Hotel Boulderado in downtown Boulder. Proprietor John Platt and Executive Chef Matt Christianson’s cuisine features seasonal, local, and organic ingredients prepared and presented in an innovative fashion. Emphasis is placed on pairing dishes with the outstanding wine list. Q's serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Caesar Salad, Roasted Venison, and Braised Wild Boar is highly recommended. Chocolate fans should not miss the El Rey Flourless Cake for dessert. qsboulder.com
| | Boulders Best Breakfast Walnut Cafe North 3073 Walnut St 303-447-2315 Southside 673 S. Broadway St 720-304-811 The Walnut Cafe has the best breakfast in Boulder. Start your meal off with an excellent espresso drink from prepared by one of their expert baristas. The menu is extensive and it can be very hard to chose. the omelettes are excellent and can be prepared with a variety of options. The Boulder Scramble and Dana's Tempeh Skillet are quality vegetarian and vegan options. the bacon and the turkey sausage are highly recommended for meat eaters. If you have a sweet tooth, try either the Blueberry Cornbread Pancakes, the Granola Chocolate Pancakes, or any of the thick Belgian Waffles. It is sometimes very crowded but the wait is not long and the service is very quick. The Walnut North specializes is pies for dessert while the Walnut South specializes in cakes. Both Walnuts serve lunch. They have tasty soups and salads and their natural beef hamburger is one of the best in town. walnutcafe.com | Boulders Best Central American Centro 950 Pearl St 303-442-7771 Centro has the combination of great Latin American food and Boulder's best outdoor bar. Try their fantastic Mojito's, a tasty combination of rum, lime juice, and fresh mint. The Avocado Salsa and the Fresh Chicken Tamales make great appetizers. Recommended dinner entrees are the Duck and Spinach Enmoladas with chocolate-pecan mole and the Gourmet Burritos. centrolatinkitchen.com
| Boulders Best French Mateo 1837 Pearl St 303-443-7766 Mateo is a comfortable restaurant inspired by the food of the French countryside and the Mediterranean coast. Chef Corey Smith uses the food of local ranchers and farmers whenever possible. Mateo has an elegant atmosphere where single diners can sit comfortably at the bar and enjoy food and wine from from France and other regions around the world. The Salad Nicoise with bigeye tuna and the Colorado Sirloin Burger with carmelized onions is highly recommended for lunch. For dinner, the Prince Edward Island Mussels en cocotte is an amazing appetizer and the vegetarian house made Potato Gnocchi with chard, fresh thyme, and shallot broth is quite tasty. The grilled rack of Colorado Lamb with zaut zucchini and the confit of Liberty Farm duck with French green lentils, local greens, and baby carrots are recommended. mateorestaurant.com
| | Brasserie Ten Ten 1011 Walnut St 303-998-1010 Brasserie Ten Ten is a fine French restaurant with reasonable prices located in downtown Boulder. The restaurant features a beautiful interior with a large bar and outside seating. Executive Chef Tony Hessel creates a wide variety of unique French inspired dishes for lunch and dinner. For lunch, the Bouillabaisse with steamed mussels, clams, shrimp, fresh fish, and calamari is excellent as is the Long Island Duck Breast with duck confit, Long Island Farms duck confit, walnut fig studded greens, and natural jus. Try the French Onion Soup to start off dinner. The Rattlesnake Bean Hummus and the Bruschetta with prosciutto, fig compote, and organic olive oil make excellent Hor's D'Ouevres. The Sea Scallops with carmelized cauliflowers, roasted sweet potatoes, and pasilla chile-caviar creme makes an excellent entree. If you are a seafood lover and really hungry, the Brasserie Plateau is amazing. It features a 2 tier platter with a dozen east and west coast oysters, 1/2 pound mussels, 1/2 pound shrimp, 1/2 pound clams, and a variety of sauces. brasserietenten.com | | Boulders Best Indian Tandoori Grill 619 S Broadway 303-543-7339 The Tandoori Grill features a broad selection of traditional Indian foods. The restaurant is also very vegetarian friendly. The Naan breads are exquisite. Try the savory Garlic Naan or the sweet Kabli Naan with cherries, cashews, and coconut flakes. The Kabob Sampler with chicken tikka, chicken ginger, and lamb boti is recommended. Tandoori has excellent vegetarian Paneers. The Mutter Paneer with peas in curry and the Saag Paneer with spinach, broccoli, and cabbage are fantastic. Try the chili tandoori chicken with chilis, onions, and bell pepper and the Seekh Kabob that features marinated chunks of lamb. The chai ice cream is highly recommended for dessert. tandoorigrillboulder.com | Bombay Bistro 1942 Broadway 303-444-4721 The Bombay Bistro is traditional Indian food with a modern touch. This beautiful downtown Boulder restaurant has an intimate atmosphere with outdoor seating during the warmer months. Many of the unique sauces at Bombay bistro come from old family recipes. Recommended appetizers are Tiger Prawns with garlic masala served on a bed of organic greens and the Vegetable Samosas with garlic and ginger potatoes served with mint and tamarind chutney. The Vegetable Korma in coconut milk and coriander curry sauce is an excellent entree. The Grain Fed Natural Filet Mignon with raspberry and red wine reduced masala sauce over tomato and cumin seasoned potatoes is amazing. The mango sorbet is a very refreshing dessert. thebombaybistro.com
| Boulders Best Italian Bacaro Venetian Taverna 921 Pearl St 303-444-4888 Bacaro is agourmet Italian restaurant located in downtown Boulder. Bacaro offers a nice variety of tapas style appetizers. they have a nice selection of bruschette and their mini Colorado Lamb or beef Hamburgers with sauteed onions are excellent. There is also a nice selection of gourmet pizzas for a light dinner or as an appetizer. The Crab Crusted Wild Salmon with lobster and shrimp is an excellent entree as is the Cioppino which is a lobster boullabaisse with manila clams, mussels, salmon, calamari, and shrimp. bacaro.com
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Pasta Jay's 1001 Pearl St 303-444-5800 Pasta Jay's has a great selection of gourmet pizza and a large selection of classic Italian food. Pasta Jay's has all of the traditional Italian dishes: ravioli, baked tortellini, stuffed shells, chicken cacciatori, & manicotti. The Pasta Margherita is highly recommended. It has fresh tomato and sweet basil sauteed in olive oil with red peppers and garlic, served over your choice of pasta and either chicken or shrimp. The Homemade Manicotti is excellent also; fresh pasta sheets stuffed with basil, spinach, and ricotta cheese baked in an excellent marinara sauce. pastajays.com
| Radda Trattoria 1265 Alpine Ave 303-442-6100 Radda is the second successful restaurant opened in Boulder (Mateo) by Chef Matthew Jansen. The beautiful Tuscan inspired interior features a large bar in the center and an open kitchen in the background. This popular North Boulder restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Radda's lunch and dinner feature many of the same small plates. There is a nice selection of traditional Italian meat as appetizers; Speck, Prosciutto, Salami Toscani, and Bresaola. The Pane alla Radda, a flatbread brushed with white truffle oil, Reggiano-Parmagiano, and fresh herbs and the Insalata Caprese; house-made mozzarella, grape tomatoes and 20 year aged balsamic vinegar are tasty vegetarian starters. Recommended salads are the Autunnale; shaved fennel, ricotta salata, radish, arugala cherries agro dolce, and pinenut vinaigrette and the Insalata Radda; Belgian endive with toasted hazelnuts, Reggiano parmesian, and truffled citronette. There are also excellent brick oven baked pizzas available for dinner and lunch. For lunch, the Risotto alla Aragosta is highly recommended; arborio rice, Maine lobster, tomato, saffron, lemon, and chives. Recommended dinner specials are the Penne al Cinghiale; wild boar ragu, San Marzano tomatoes, rapini, and Tuscan olive oil and the Branzino; grilled European sea bass, artichokes, white beans, leeks, and pancetta. For dessert, Radda has a nice selection of fresh sorbets and gelato. They also have a full selection of espresso drinks throughout the day. raddatrattoria.com
| | Boulders Best Japanese Japango 1136 Pearl St 303-938-0330 Japango is a mix of traditional and modern Japanese cuisine. The all you can eat special on Tuesday night is the best food deal in town. Try to arrive early to avoid an occassional long wait. Recommended appetizers are the Hamachi Jalapeno with yellowtail sashimi topped with cilantro, jalapeno, and yuzu soy, the Beef Tataki which is thinly shaved rare steak topped with a garlic soy vinegar sauce, and the Mussels Dynamite, New Zealand Greenlip mussels in a sriracha-sambai sauce. The Sashimi Utopia featuring a selection of Chefs Choice Sashimi with various sauces and vegetables is an excellent entree. The Number One Tuna is also recommended. It is a Hawaiian Tuna steak lightly seasoned and seared rare, served on top of a mild wasabi sauce with Tamanishki rice and wok tossed vegetables. Japango also has a large selection of Sushi Rolls with unique combinations of ingredients. Try the Green Tea Ice Cream for dessert. japonsushi.com | Boulders Best Mediterranean Restaurant4580 4580 Broadway 303-448-1500 Restaurant 4580 is a beautiful North Boulder neighborhood restaurant featuring the foods of the Mediterranean, including Portugal, Spain, and Greece. The restaurant is owned by Martin Hammer, former manager of the Flagstaff house for 9 years. This is evident in the excellent personalized service restaurant guests receive. 4580 has a very unique feature. They have a fine selection of reasonable priced wines and you can actually take home bottles of the wine you enjoyed at dinner next door at the Uptown Wine Shop run by Martins wife Susan.
Start dinner at Restaurant 4580 with an amazing appetizer, the Chorizo Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped, Medjool Dates, in a pequillo pepper sauce. The Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with capers, olives, onions, & golden raisins is another recommended appetizer. Recommended large plates are the Cherry Wood Smoked Pork Chop with goat cheese, asparagus, and apple chutney and the vegetarian Butternut Squash & Quince Ravioli Pillows with chestnut, sage, and brown butter. The Reisling Poached Pears and Chocolate Truffle Torte are nice desserts. restaurant4580.com
| The Med 1002 Walnut St 303-444-5335 The Med is Boulder's busiest restaurant and has the most extensive menu. It is very well managed and the service and food are both excellent. The Med has an excellent wine selection with many choices by the glass. The extensive food menu has Italian, French, Greek, and Spanish influences. The Med is best known for their amazing selection of tapas. Recommended hot tapas are the Traditional Catalan Shrimp; sauteed gulf prawms, garlic chips, chili flakes, lime juice, and extra virgin olive oil, Grilled Skewer; choice of herb marinated lamb, coffee-cayenne spiced chicken, or Moroccan spiced shrimp, served with flat bread and tzatziki, Milk Roasted Garlic; balsamic jam, gorgonzola, and focaccia crostini, & Lamb Meatballs with sherry, tomatoes, lime, cilantro, and garlic.
Recommended cold tapas are the Hummus; choice of Thai curry & honey, black bean & cilantro, and roasted red pepper & harissa. All Hummus is served with a wood oven baked flat bread, Tuna Tartare; sesame tossed cubed ahi, portabella-jalapeno relish, and cilantro dressing, Tabbouleh; bulgar wheat, minced vegetables, lemon & mint with romaine leaves, and Scallop Ceviche; scallops marinated with cilantro, lime, & olive oil.
The Med has a large selection of salads. An excellent original salad is the Italian Arugula Salad; arugula, gorgonzola, Medjool dates, red onions & crisp pancetta tossed with roasted shallot vinegar. Recommended entrees are the Pasta With Fresh Seafood & Spicy Tomato Sauce; Spaghettini tossed with mussels, clams, shrimp, fresh fish, calamari, chili flakes, fresh basil, garlic, and marinara, Sea Bass Napolitana; Sicilian olive crusted sea bass, risotto al limone, & muddled caper vinaigrette, Eggplant Shells; baked pasta shells stuffed with eggplant, sundried tomatoes, basil and ricotta cheese on marinara topped with crisp eggplant, and the Chicken, Seafood, and Chorizo Paella; roasted chicken, chorizo, mussels, shrimp, roasted red peppers, & garden peas with saffron rice. themedboulder.com
| | Boulders Best Mexican Tahona 1035 Pearl St 303-938-9600 Tahona is a upscale Mexican restaurant that features Yucatan and regional Mexican inspired food. The large bar features over 120 varieties of tequila and great fresh lime juice margaritas. Recommended small bite appetizers are the Glazed Salmon Tacos; Two open faced corn mini tacos topped with molasses BBQ glazed salmon and spicy mango-habanero salsa and the Mushroom 7 Cheese Tacos; Two open faced corn mini tacos topped with seared Hazel Dell mushrooms, roasted garlic, and melted asadero cheese. The appetizer menu features a Chicken Quesadilla stuffed with asadero cheese, bacon, roasted garlic, red onion, cilantro, and zucchini topped with avacodo chipotle puree. and the Dungeness Crab & Avacado;with capers, cilantro, and lime served with a fan of avacado. Recommended entrees are the Bronzed Tilapia with black rice, grilled asparagus, and Veracruz sauce with tomato, jalapeno, green olives, onions, golden raisins, capers, and garlic and the Shrimp Mojo; Mexican white shrimp in spicy chipotle, garlic, and lime sauce, tortilla gratin, and queso fresco. tahonaboulder.com | Boulders Best Southwestern Zolo Grill 2525 Arapahoe Ave 303-449-0444 Zolo Grill is a fun place with excellent service and amazing Southwestern food. Chef Rob Rosser uses the finest local products whenever possible for his creative menu. Zolo has over 140 of the top tequilas to use for their creative margaritas. Zolo has a fantastic Sunday brunch featuring a unique selection of Southwestern style breakfast like the Corned Buffalo Hash; sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, served with two fried eggs and chimayo hollandaise sauce and the Banana Chocolate Chip Corn Cakes; buttermilk corn cakes with sliced bananas, chocolate chips, maple syrup, and a side of homefries. Excellent lunch appetizers are the Duck Tacos; cinco corn tortillas, mashed bacon beans, pico de gallo, & oaxaca cheese and the Casa; mixed greens, queso fresco, asiago croutons, pepitas, and tomato balsamic vinaigrette. The best lunch entrees are the Wild Boar Tamales; two red chile corn tamales stuffed with pulled boar, rice, beans, topped with ancho chile mole & salsa cruda and the Buffalo Reuben; corned King Canyon buffalo, southwestern thousand island, saurkraut, and jack cheese, served on a baguette with chipotle seasoned fries.
The following are recommended for dinner: The Fundido is amazing. It is warm queso, red pepper jam, roasted garlic, with flour tortillas and house made chips. A tasty vegetarian appetizer is the Grilled Gordita; spinach, cilantro pesto, asadero cheese, black beans, red-pepper mango, & verde salsas. Excellent entrees are the Ahi Tuna with sweet potato hash, napa cabbage, chipotle buerre blanc, & cilantro pesto, the Buffalo New York Strip; rubbed and mopped King Canyon buffalo with stuffed russet potato skin, bell peppers, & fried pork belly, and the vegetarian Wild Mushroom Tamales; whiskey braised mushrooms, spinach, goat's feta cheese, and drunken butter beans. Excellent desserts are the El Rey Chocolate Souffle Cake with dulce de leche ice cream and the Old School Sundae with Glacier Ice Cream, whipped cream, chocolate & caramel sauces, and almond crunch. zologrill.com
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