Spooners Frozen Yogurt
by Emily Kane on June 9, 2011
1805 29th Street
During my job hunt this summer, I came across a help-wanted ad for Spooners, a new froyo joint that first began in Fort Collins and was opening a store in Boulder. Self-serve frozen yogurt seems to be the hottest trend in the Boulder area at the moment and I was excited to see how Spooners stacked up. Frozen yogurt, reminiscent of soft-serve ice cream, is a low-fat sweetened yogurt packed with probiotic cultures and high in protein and calcium – a desert you don’t have to feel guilty about! Located in the 29th St. Mall next to Mad Greens, I was pleasantly surprised by the size and décor of the store. There is plenty of outdoor patio space with a beautiful view of the flatirons. There are also several couches and a TV! I was starting to really like this place.
In addition to the basic flavor options at Spooners, their clever mixing method made it a really fun sampling experience. At each station there were two basic flavors (for example marshmallow and peanut butter). In the middle, the lever that mixes the flavors is also labeled. In my case it was “fluffernutter” (I hope this flavor brings a nostalgic smile to everyone who grew up eating fluffernutters!).
Spooners offers a variety of dry toppings as well as plenty of fruit, cookie bites, and sauces. I topped my tart yogurt with chocolate chips, coconut, watermelon, and raspberries. My friend, who joined me on this adventure, opted for sprinkles and condensed milk to top off her yogurt.
I truly loved all of the flavors I sampled (especially the fluffernutter and cake batter) and thoroughly enjoyed my own concoction. At 45¢ an ounce, I savored every mouthful while relaxing in the beautiful décor and cozy interior. Spooners is a perfect place for a date-night or a quick treat with friends and with late hours, Spooners is sure to be a hit for those late night froyo cravings. While I didn’t end up applying, I’ll take it as a blessing as I’m sure I would’ve spent the majority of my paycheck there! Be sure to check it out this Saturday, June 11th for their Grand-Opening – and 50% off!
Ozo Coffee Co.
by Zoey Ripple on June 8, 2011
015 Pearl Street
Confession: I’m not a coffee fanatic. In fact, I normally just stick with tea. However, my group of friends happens to be, I am convinced, some of the biggest coffee connoisseurs (possibly addicts) EVER. The result, I am now quite educated on which are the better coffee shops in Boulder. Our favorite? OZO Coffe Co. on Pearl St. During the school year we frequent the place, as it is a wonderful study alternative to the overcrowded and high-stress zoo we also call the Norlin Library.
I don’t know if working at OZO’s makes them such nice people, or they just happen to hire the friendliest people, but the baristas are incredible, and truly care about their customers. They are all well trained, and put immense care into creating drinks down to the detail of the decorations in the foam. When I asked a friend what makes OZO’s coffee drinks so much better, she responded that the drinks always contain the perfect blend of ingredients. The lattes, which she described as, “Heaven in a cup” never taste overpoweringly of espresso and yet are not too milky. They have found the perfect blend of espresso and milk. I often get the Rooibos Chai tea, which has a spicy, fruity, and round flavor. Their tea is exclusively sold to them from a tea company in California and if you love it as much as I, you can even purchase a box of the tasty tea directly from OZO’s.
For sustenance for those hard at work, they offer simple breakfasts (oatmeal etc.), breads, bars, and sandwiches. I have enjoyed their pumpkin bread, which is a delicious, spiced, moist bread that isn’t overly sweet, as well as their turkey havarti sandwich. Their prepackaged turkey sandwich is made by Boulder Breadworks and is one of the better to-go sandwiches that I have had. The sandwich was on a soft wheat bread that had been layered with rich havarti cheese and slices of deli turkey. I never anticipate to-go meals to be that good but OZO’s always manages to keep their sandwiches as fresh as possible.
OZO’s draws a varied crowd of business professionals, friends meeting over coffee, the occasional student, and your typical coffee shop hipsters. Remember though, OZO is popular and its seats fill up quickly because of the relaxed environment and superb coffee. If you’re trying to find a place to study or just meet with a friend, try to get there earlier to stake out a place to sit.
Amu
by Emily Kane on June 7, 2011
1221 Spruce St.
On my lunch break I was searching for somewhere cozy to grab a quick bite to eat. Nestled against Sushi Zanmai, Amu is a traditional Japanese Sake bar and restaurant. Greeted in Japanese by the hostess, and the entirely Japanese wait staff, I was instructed to remove my shoes before taking my seat at the bar. (Note : Amu does not serve sushi, only sashimi and various other traditional Japanese entrees.)
To begin I was given a small bowl of pickled and spiced cucumber and asparagus. The flavors were sharp and the vegetables crisp, a nice way to cleanse the palate and prepare for the meal.
I began with the Kani Cream Karokke, deep-fried crab croquettes. They were lightly breaded and stuffed with bits of crab and a succulent cream sauce. The croquettes were accompanied with a side of house-spiced tartar sauce and a small bed of lettuce. The flavors complemented each other nicely and although the croquettes were deep-fried, they were not overwhelmingly rich.
I’m a sucker for salmon sashimi and ordered it next. It was served artfully, in a deep porcelain bowl on top of a bed of seaweed and accented with herbs. The fish was very fresh and had a clean flavor and buttery texture. I was given a generous amount of salmon steaks and finished my meal satisfyingly full.
Although a bit pricy, Amu is a wonderfully traditional restaurant with an interesting menu and a very friendly wait staff. I would highly suggest it for a more intimate dining experience.
West End Tavern
by Emily Kane on June 4, 2011
926 Pearl Street
West End served as a quiet and cool oasis on what seemed to be one of the first true summer days in Boulder. Famous for its 50 wings in 30 minutes appearance on “Man vs. Food” I was excited to check this place out. Inside was dimly lit and casual, reminiscent of a true western tavern. The chiseled male wait staff and cute hostesses definitely added to the aesthetic appeal. The menu has a wide variety of BBQ, burgers, and even Mac & Cheese and fish and chips. I was starving and couldn’t make up my mind so I took our waiter’s advice. I ordered his favorite : the House-Smoked Pork Shoulder sandwich pressed with cheddar cheese. I was not disappointed. Different from pulled pork, the pork shoulder came sliced and smothered between layers of melted cheese. It was a really nice alternative to pulled pork sandwich with much less grease but still packed with flavor.
My friend ordered the Tavern Cheeseburger with cheddar cheese. It was a hearty sized burger loaded with all the toppings. Although not exotic, she said it was a darn good burger. More importantly, the fries were great and they weren’t skimpy about the portions!
For desert we ordered the cookie cooked in an iron skillet and topped with chocolate and caramel sauce. It was so delicious it was gone before I could pull out my camera. But trust me, it was awesome. Served straight from the oven the cookie was still bubbling! I really enjoyed my lunch at West End Tavern and highly suggest it. Next time I go though, I’d love to check out their roof-top deck and attempt the 50 wing challenge!!
Eggloo Delights
by Lowell Bleiweiss on June 2, 2011
3033 28th St.
I was reading through hungry buffs one day, and an ad for a new sushi place came up, Eggloo – Sushi, Thai, Japanese. I figured what the hell, so I ordered delivery from them one night. Now I’m no stranger to delivery sushi. Hapa’s had captured my heart up until that point. When you order sushi for delivery, expect it to be slightly worse than eating in the restaurant by the way. When my Eggloo arrived, it was phenomenal. Blowing Hapa delivery out of the water! So I had to try it out in person.
I got a group of some friends together, and we ventured there for a nice lunch. Pulling up, we discovered a Johnny Rocket-esque diner called Eggloo. Boasting Thai, Japanese, and Sushi; these all in one places aren’t usually good. We sit down, expecting our waitress to roll up on roller skates, and we give a waitress that isn’t in roller skates our order.
We started with a seaweed salad, a good first test for an iffy-looking sushi place. After a few minutes, a great seaweed salad came out. So far Eggloo: 1 Expectations: 0. This is a dish that any sushi fan should be familiar with. It’s seaweed marinated in a spiced sesame oil. Very good.
One of the less adventurous girls in our group (Kristen *cough cough*) wasn’t feeling up to sushi, so she decided on the Chicken Yaki Udon. This is a dish with chicken, udon noodles, and veggies all stir-fried together with a Soba sauce. We were all shocked when it came out, it was gorgeous! I had the pleasure of trying this dish, and let me tell you it was not what I expected at all. Eggloo: 2 Expectations: 0.
For those of us feelin’ some soosh, we ordered the Lion King roll, the special of the day, and the Black Dragon roll.
The Lion King was a spicy California roll (lame I know, bear with me it gets better) topped with crab and spicy mayo. It was as good as it looks. Eggloo: 3 Expectations: 0. I’m getting my ass kicked here!
The special roll of the day was salmon, yellow tail, spicy tuna, masago, and avocado all wrapped in a soy-bean paper. This was fantastic, I really can’t say enough about it. The level of spice was spot on, and the flavors all stood out individually, while making it better than just the sum of its parts together. Synergy at its finest.ggloo: 4 Expectations: 0. Can I phone a friend?
Last but certainly not least was the Black Dragon. This was a shrimp tempura roll topped with unagi, avocado, and black tobiko. This was a great contrast to our spicy others, and the sweet eel sauce drizzled over the top really made this roll a home run. Eggloo, I give up, and the meal isn’t even over yet!
I know I said last but not least, but we wanted dessert after that wonderful experience.. the cigarette after a good… too far. After going to Thai food for years, I’ve developed a love for a dessert that is sticky rice sweetened with sugar and coconut milk, served with fresh, ripe mango on top. It’s light, refreshing, and you really don’t need to feel too bad about it. I promise. But really guys, this one’s good. I even make it at home!
So I guess you can’t always judge a book by its cover. Eggloo looks cheap, low-grade, even sonic-like on the outside, but once you get your food, you’d swear it was a trendy NYC sushi joint, and priced to match. At a little bit more expensive than Hapa, you certainly get what you pay for. Not only is it the most creative with its rolls, it’s also the best with regards to presentation. Eggloo, I’ll be back.
Lucile’s
by Zoey Ripple on June 1, 2011
2124 14th Street
It is my belief that Sundays should always begin with going out to a big breakfast with friends or family. If people took full advantage of their Sunday mornings, the world would be a happier place. SERIOUSLY. Despite having already eaten one breakfast, I readily joined my friends as they headed to Lucile’s. See that’s how dedicated I am to Sunday breakfasts, don’t judge! Lucile’s is one of the most popular restaurants in Boulder for breakfast, and even though it was my first time at Lucile’s, I immediately understood its’ popularity. The charming yellow cottage is covered in vines, and actually looks straight out of a fairy tale. Its’ interior is bustling, cheery, and filled with Mardi Gras colors, beads, and masks.
It was a day for firsts, first time to dine at Lucile’s AND first time to eat a beignet. For those of you who have not had a beignet, you have not experienced true culinary delight. The four beignets arrived at the table dusted in powder sugar. The exterior of the French donut was warm and crispy, and as I pulled apart the steaming dough, I dipped it into the most delicious tart sweet strawberry preserves I have ever tasted. My only complaint was there was too much powdered sugar piled on the donuts, but really not even that could take away from the dessert that has become my new comfort food. Honestly…I even dream about them.
As I was on my second breakfast, I ordered a lighter option, two poached eggs over spinach. But again, I couldn’t bypass Lucile’s infamous biscuit with gravy. The biscuit was enormous, fluffy, and moist with a crunchy topping. Despite never having really enjoyed gravy on my biscuits, I followed the example of other diners and fully drenched my biscuit with the gravy. The gravy was flavored with paprika, various Cajun spices, and peppered with crisp bacon, and once paired with the moist biscuit, I could not have imagined a better combination! My eggs were poached to perfection over a generous portion of spinach, which I enjoyed with two specialty salsas. One salsa was too sweet, but the other had an excellent smoky chipotle bite to it, that was a wonderful addition to the eggs.
Lucile’s excellent breakfast is only complemented by friendly and attentive service, and as if I couldn’t rave more…I loved the warm, bustling atmosphere with the lively Cajun music playing in the background. So, THANK YOU Lucile’s for another wonderful Sunday morning, and for introducing me to the amazing beignet, which has quickly become my guilty pleasure.
Radda Trattoria
by Emily Kane on May 29, 2011
1265 Alpine Avenue
It was girls’ night out and we decided to go to Radda, an Italian restaurant in north Boulder situated next to Ideal Market. I got excited when we were seated right in front of the kitchen – I absolutely love watching the food cook and having the opportunity to ask the chef questions! We began with the mussels. Unlike the traditional white wine and butter sauce the mussels arrived in a garlic infused tomato sauce. It was fresh and light, a nice take on a classic appetizer!
For our main courses we ordered the salsicce (sausage) pizza, margherita pizza, pesto gnocchi, and the lobster ravioli. The pizzas were both great. The margherita was full of flavor and not too heavy on the sauce. The salsicce was also packed with flavor. Between the homemade sausage and the onion, it was far from boring. I did have a little trouble with the arugula on the salsicce, I never really figured out how to eat it gracefully. Nonetheless, the flavors were incredible and the cream sauce, spiced with what I believed was paprika, made it more than just a sausage pizza.
Although on the heavier side, the lobster ravioli was also really good. Generous pieces of lobster meat were minced with vegetables and served in a homemade lasagna shell and rich cream sauce.
The pesto gnocchi was also really yummy. The cherry tomatoes that were mixed into the dish added excitement – they were like tiny flavor bombs when you happened to bite into one!
For desert we ordered the tiramisu. But when my friend found out how they were made asked, “who would voluntarily eat anything that contained lady fingers?!” Although I hadn’t thought about it before, she did have a point, and it was a little off-putting. However, once you ignored the names of the ingredients it really was delicious – definitely one of the better tiramisus I’ve had at a restaurant!
The open atmosphere and friendly wait staff at Radda set a great mood for the night and we left happy and satisfied! I would highly suggest Radda the next time you’re in the mood for Italian and looking for a venue a little less jaded than Pearl St.
Sherpa’s Kitchen
by Zoey Ripple on May 29, 2011
2850 Iris
Visiting Sherpa’s Kitchen (not to be confused with Sherpa’s Ascent on Walnut) was an adventure. It is located in a small obscure shopping center, next to 24 Hour Fitness, on Iris. Upon entering, we became slightly nervous; it was quiet, and there was only one other couple dining. Bravely, we sat down, and were immediately served Poppadom. Poppadom is a crispy light Indian cracker made of ground chickpeas, and flavored with cumin and other spices. The cracker was delicious, but the dipping sauce reminded us oddly of Pace salsa…no thanks.
We began by ordering Naan and Chicken Kulcha. The plain Naan came out hot, buttery, and chewy, and was speedily enjoyed by us all. The Chicken Kulcha, which is Naan stuffed with chicken, was a disappointment, as not one of us could taste the chicken in it.
The food came quickly: Chicken Vindaloo, Vegetarian Curry, and Chicken Tikki Masala. Each one of us was served with a side of rice, as well as pickled radish and carrots to accompany our meal. The Chicken Vindaloo was a creamy curry with a hint of tomatoes served over potatoes and tender chunks of chicken. The vegetarian curry included peas, radishes, potatoes, and carrots in a delicious curry sauce. The flavor of the curries were good, rich with the melded notes of traditional Indian spices. The Chicken Tikki Masala seemed to have the same, or very similar curry sauce as the Vegetarian Curry, which limited the variety of our meal. We ordered all of our dishes at medium spice, and they all came with a definite bite, however no tears accompanied our meal.
Sherpa’s Kitchen offers Yak , and since none of us had ever tried Yak, or even seen Yak on a menu, we HAD to order the Yak Sizzler. The dish came out sizzling (hence the name) in a black skillet. There were five pieces of Yak meat on a bed of sautéed onions. The Yak was slightly overcooked for my taste, but we all really enjoyed the rich gamy flavor of the meat. Who knew Yak could be so good!
We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience of Sherpa’s Kitchen. The service was friendly, but not very attentive. The meal was extremely inexpensive, and we all left full and satisfied. If you’re up for the adventure, visit Sherpa’s Kitchen and if you’re brave enough, maybe even try the Yak!
Arabesque
by Hayley Hudson on May 28, 2011
1634 Walnut St / Menu
I’m so glad I found Arabesque. After my hummus disappointment at Falafel King just last week, my perpetual craving for Middle Eastern food has lately been stronger than ever. I took the only logical next step and tried again.
Arabesque offers breakfast and lunch but closes at 4pm every day, so on Saturday I wanted to act quickly and arrived sometime between breakfast and lunch. The Arabesque Omelette (spiced scrambled eggs stuffed in a pita) sounded tempting, but I had to stay true to myself and order the hummus wrap.
I might never go back to Falafel King. It pains me to say this, but sometimes pita is a piece of cardboard that’s no more than a vehicle for transporting hummus to my mouth. That’s the worst case scenario and wasn’t an issue at Arabesque. The warm and fluffy pita practically melted in my mouth.
Maybe it’s not fair to compare Arabesque to Falafel King, because Falafel King is good at what they do. What they do is give customers a quick and dirty Middle Eastern food fix, getting the job done fast and impersonally. The way they move their customers through the assembly line with no time for small talk reminds me of Chipotle, except that the food quality isn’t quite up to the Chipotle standard (which is a gold standard, really–I love their burritos). Arabesque, on the other hand, is filled with personal touches: flowers sat atop every table, a fireplace and armchairs occupied one corner of the restaurant, and a rose flavor spiked the drinking water. Restaurant owner Manal chatted with my friend and me, cracked jokes, asked about our majors, and was completely charming along the way. I kind of want to be her.
Look at my friend’s bagel and try to tell me that Arabesque doesn’t put the same kind of attention into their food.
Usually, the upgrade from a quasi-fast food place to a sit-down restaurant comes at a price. Although you can expect to pay a little more for some of the menu items, my wrap cost a mere $5. For those of you who are still keeping score, that’s cheaper than Falafel King.
Samtidig anvendelse af rifampicin med stoffet reducerer koncentrationen af Tadalafil i blodet eller en bestemt type partner eller på trods af den orgasme eller du bør tilstræbe at have en fin balance imellem dit arbejdsliv og dit familieliv. Med den parallelle anvendelse af generiske lægemidler med organiske nitrater eller er et af de stoffer, der er mere magtfulde eg hvis størrelse og varighed eg når du bruger medicin, lithium. Men desværre er der mange kvinder eg der øger virkningen af det grundlæggende stof.
Pizzeria Locale
by Lowell Bleiweiss on May 28, 2011
1730 Pearl St.
Now if you asked me what the two main loves of my life were, I would say working out and eating. It’s not often that one builds on the other with this job, but this is definitely one of those times. I was relaxing in the hot tub after a hard work out, and I start talking to this guy, Andrew. Andrew got his Masters Degree in art in Italy, so naturally I asked him where I could find good pizza. He recommended Pizzeria Locale at 17th and Pearl. It was “the most authentic Italian pizza I’ve had outside of Italy!” exclaimed Andrew. I was sold.
I’m a big fan of senior hour dinners, so I strolled into Pizzeria Locale at 5-ish, and was seated immediately. In fact, there wasn’t anyone else eating there. It looked like a very classy, trendy place though. I had high hopes.
I decided to go big or go home, so I ordered the Frutti di Mare ($10), which was shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, potatoes, capers, lemon, and EVOO. It was pretty good. The shrimp was surprisingly overcooked, and it was all less than I was expecting for $10, though they do have cheaper apps.
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Naturally, I had to order a pizza. Served by the individual pie, these are a little bigger than CPK’s, and definitely pricier. My Spinaci pizza which was Mozzarella di Bufala – a very high quality mozzarella – topped with spinach, prosciutto, and ricotta ran me a hefty $17. It was definitely well-made and everything was just as Andrew had described Italian pizza. Soft dough, not much sauce if any, and a thin crust. But the flavors just didn’t seem to come together.
Not being satisfied, I ordered a Lemon Meringue Tart ($6). If you don’t know already, I’m a whore for anything lemon, so I had to have this tart. It came out after a pretty long wait, but I was told there was an error in the kitchen, at least the quality control is up! When it finally did come out, it was the most delicious tart I have ever had. I had planned to take half home, but in the heat of the moment, I couldn’t bring myself to stop eating it. OMG.
Overall, I would go back to Pizzeria Locale because I believe I just ordered the wrong things. Still though, kind of a disappointment.