The Med
by dan on April 4, 2011
The one thing I always love about my family being in town is dining out at high end restaurants around Boulder, which translates into great food every night. Its a good break from either cooking at home or settling for a cheap burger. Needless to say, my family has been in town since Thursday and my stomach’s never been so satisfied. This weekend we went to the Med on Pearl street which is one of my favorite restaurants in Boulder. The Med is the Queen of tapas and they are all reasonably priced. Besides the tapas, they have a large menu consisting of an assortment of Italian and Mederteranian dishes. We split three appetizers to start; fried calamari, margherita pizza, and empandilla which are turnovers with spimach and feta. The appetizers were devoured by the fam in the matter of seconds.
Then came our main courses. I ordered the pasta bucaniera which is a seafood pasta dish with mussels, clams, shrimps, fresh fish and calamari. It was delicious, but I am not going to lie, I was still hungry afterwards. 
My only complaint is that the dishes aren’t big enough. I guess that is why they call it tapas. I tend to that have that problem at most places though. One of my brothers ordered the same dish and my other brother got the pollo parmigiana with spaghetti.
He’s easy to please. My dad went with the Lamb Shank.
Everyone loved their food. We ordered dessert for my mom since she hadn’t arrived in Boulder yet. Dessert is also my favorite part of the meal. We got two chocolate desserts and one rasberry tart. It was arguably the best part of the meal.
I always have great experiences at The Med and this night was no different. The staff is friendly and it has a casual atmosphere. They also have outdoor seating which was a nice ending to a gorgeous eighty degree and sunny day. I’ll be back soon for some more tapas, and I recommend you trying out The Med as soon as you can!
The med menu can be found on www.hungrybuffs.com
Leaf
by Hayley Hudson on April 4, 2011
2010 16th Street / Menu
My friend made a statement that pretty accurately sums up the food at Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant. “I almost ordered a salad to go with my sandwich, but then I remembered that my sandwich is a salad,” she said.
Blackened Tofu and Veggie Sandwich
Indeed, vegetables loudly and proudly dominate the menu here. People have different comfort levels when it comes to the strange, colorful plants that are, in fact, edible, but the choices at Leaf cater to veggie eaters from “beginner” to “advanced.” You can find familiar items like the breakfast burrito, which comes stuffed with eggs, black beans, rice, pico de gallo, fontina cheese, and guac. The Raw Lasagna, on the other hand, utilizes crunchy green things to such a degree that even the “noodles” aren’t really noodles, but layers of thinly sliced zucchini and summer squash. My friend’s salad sandwich fell somewhere in between and contained spicy tofu, shredded carrot, sprouts, red onion, avocado, cucumber, tomato, provolone, and red pepper hummus.
Even though lots of vegetarian meals aren’t that different from their omnivorous counterparts, vegetarians still sometimes get a bad reputation for being elitist, holier-than-thou salad nibblers. I must say the gentleman seated near us, sipping red wine while thumbing through a thick novel at two in the afternoon, didn’t exactly refute that image, but I don’t judge. After all, I’m a vegetable lover myself and dove right in to what I deem an “advanced” plate.
Raw Wrap
It doesn’t look like much, but this guy had a lot going on. Pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, and carrots came wrapped in rainbow chard leaves, and a basil almond spread as well as a cashew “ricotta” added flavor. I would order this again and again and again. I highly recommend it if you’re adventurous!
An order of sweet potato fries made the meal nice and balanced by adding a greasy element to all that crunch.
Sweet Potato Fries
I think Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant truly has something for everyone. Omnivores will like it because anyone can get behind fries and burritos. “Healthy” omnivores–people who had heard of rainbow chard before reading this post–will probably really like it, and vegetarians and vegans can rest assured they’ll be able to order something delicious without making thousands of substitutions.
Finally, since the veggies here are tasty, it’s an excellent place to start if you’re still not sure what that V-word means.
May Wah
by Andrew Woodman on April 3, 2011
2500 Baseline Road
Boulder, Colorado, 80305
May Wah’s website
The rainy/snowy day was a great excuse for me to continue re-watching Season 1 of the NBC sci-fi drama series “Heroes” that I started on Friday (it is seriously fantastic, if you haven’t seen it). After 5 episodes, and with a desire to continue my day long trend of being a complete bum, nothing sounded better than some slightly above mediocre Asian food. Luckily, May Wah offers an entire menu of just that.
the sassy phone call
I called the Asian fusion place to order some food for pick-up. I couldn’t eat there because I had to continue watching Heroes, as the suspense could have literally killed me if I stopped. When I dialed their number on the phone, the lady on the other end had the same tone of voice as any normal person would project if they had just found out they were being pranked. “Beef panang curry [$9.45], and an order of vegetable egg rolls [$2.75], for pick up” I said. Annoyed, she said “10-15 minutes,” then hung up. “Wow,” I said out loud to myself, impressed with her lack of etiquette. Bitch.
the food pick up
I went to pick up my food and wasn’t surprised by the layout of the place. The carpet, walls, chairs and tables made it look just like any average Chinese place. Maybe they all have the same interior designer, or something. The lady was a lot nicer in person, maybe she’s just has phone-phobia. I had the choice of steamed or fried rice, which I for some reason wasn’t given to me when I ordered. When I said fried, the lady literally sprinted into the kitchen, said a bunch of really fast foreign words, and then walked back cheerfully as if nothing happened at all. Overall, a kind of weird experience.
the food (finally!)
The fried rice was simply not what I was expecting. It was just rice, fried with an egg and then somehow salted up. I was at LEAST expecting some carrots, onions, or peas… or something. I Wish I had gone with the more promising steamed rice.
The vegetable egg rolls were…well, just egg rolls. Greasy, Asian tasting egg rolls that came with a citrus-flavored, yellow dipping sauce.
[not even photo-worthy, everyone should know what an egg roll looks like]
The beef panang curry was pretty alright overall. The creamy, spicy orange curry was pretty good, actually, and so were the vegetables (onions, red/green peppers, potatoe, tomato). I didn’t order vegetable panang curry, though… I was expecting a good beef dish. In fact the only thing I disliked was the beef, which was chewy and had a bizarre texture in general… That pretty much weighed down the whole dish from “great!” to “alright…” for me.
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Although I rated this place as just slightly above mediocre Asian food, there is always a time for eating this type of food. And today, it was definitely destined to be part of my agenda.
Also, look how well my fortune cookie worked with the “adding ‘in bed’ to the end of your fortune” game.
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Southern Sun
by Hayley Hudson on April 1, 2011
627 South Broadway / Menu
The nine tasty microbrews on tap at Southern Sun could keep the place going on their own. I find the beer to be the main attraction, but bar appetizers that are fresh instead of greasy provide a nice supplement, and flavorful entrees ranging from smothered burritos to crab cake sandwiches make Southern Sun a no-fail choice.
Java Porter; Blackberry Wheat
Dark beer makes me happy, and when the dark beer resembles coffee or chocolate milk, I’m even happier. True to its name, my porter smelled and tasted a bit like Starbucks (but alcoholic and better). I liked it better than my usual stout.
Something really exciting happened about mid-way through these beers. I had the privilege of witnessing my friend try his first bite of hummus ever. He liked it! I can only hope he will begin to make up for lost time.
Hummus appetizer
The hummus of the day was sesame. I highly recommend it, and if Southern Sun truly offers a different flavor of hummus every single day of the week, I could become a daily customer. Unfortunately, you never know when things like this are simply deceptive catchphrases, so I believe further investigation to be necessary.
After eating most of the hummus and drinking that porter, equivalent to about five loaves of bread, I was feeling full and ordered a salad.
But oh, was it a good salad.
Roasted Asaparagus Salad
This baby was a daily special, and that mysterious blob right in the center made it extra lovely. The blob is not a crab cake. It’s not a scallop. It’s not a crouton. Do you give up?
It’s herbed and pan-fried goat cheese. Magically, it crunched on the outside and crumbled on the inside, and after breaking it open and distributing it through the mixed greens, roasted asparagus, red onions, and roma tomatoes, I declared it the best part of the meal. But that’s always the case with cheese.
Southern Sun always has a slightly more diverse crowd than Mountain Sun, its counterpart on Pearl Street. While I was here, I saw a few families, a surprising number of babies, and some older couples mixed in with the twentysomethings, making for a nice, casual vibe with a friendly feel.
The rows of community tables are perfect for cozying up to your neighbors and enjoying the view.
LA'AU'S taco shop
by Andrew Woodman on March 31, 2011
1335 North Broadway Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302
www.laaustacoshop.com
With modern wooden decor, walls that boast their name more than Limp Bizkit does in any of their songs, and a brilliantly elegant sign just outside their door, La’au’s has still had to resort to writing on their windows to attract customers. Considering how good this place is, and how much college kids should love it, this never should have been necessary. Let me explain why we need to get together as a community and do to La’au’s what they deserve: some serious business.
Any combination at La’au’s will supply you with enough food that will blow up with flavor while still feeling extremely fresh. Their menu offers a great selection that allows you to personalize just about everything you eat. Just pick one from each section:
Maybe their location isn’t so hot (edge of the Hill @ University/Broadway), but with their take on Hawaiian influenced Mexican-style cuisine, La’au’s does a damn good job. Not only that, their deals are so good they should be classified as steals. I’ll make you a list:
(1) Taco Tuesday. Every Tuesday from 6-10PM La’au’s offers a selection of tacos for only $1! They’re creative and delicious, just like everything La’au’s has to offer. I got one of each that was offered: chicken , pork, and the vegetarian (a roasted zuchini + bell pepper base). [Pictured from left to right]
(2) $3 Margaritas, (frozen or not) in generous servings. They also have similar alcoholic (and virgin) drinks like the Rumchata (frozen horchata + rum!) for the same price. If you are a horchata fan, I definitely recommend this frozen/smooth/creamy/boozy La’au’s delicacy.
(3) $1 PBR. All the time. A deal no hipster could hate. <3 PBR.
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A fantastic and creative regular menu that does some serious Hawaiian justice to tacos and burritos, and a killer weekly deal that offers $1 deliciousness in the form of tacos that completely transforms the meaning of “Tuesday”… oh, and a superb drink selection that should be any college kids dream. Yeah, I’d recommend this place to anyone.
/^_^\
Rush
by Hayley Hudson on March 30, 2011
4593 Broadway / Menu
Need a reason to go to Rush? Since I’m in love with the place, I’m going to give you five.
1. For a smoothie in a bowl. Using a spoon to dive into a thick, granola-topped smoothie satisfies more than slurping an identical smoothie through a straw. The bowl miraculously transforms a drink into a meal.
2. For “the best granola in the world.” Rush’s claim, displayed next to bags of granola for sale, isn’t hyperbolic like it seems. The granola tastes like crunchy honey and I firmly believe it to be the world’s best.
3. For knowledgeable employees. Props to the guy behind the counter who didn’t hesitate when I grilled him about the menu. “Do you have a bowl made with coconut milk?” I inquired.
“The Oasis Bowl,” he replied with resolution. I expected him to mumble and then consult the menu, but he never broke eye contact. Search for coconuts: successful.
4. For the Oasis Bowl. The creamy combination of coconut milk, mango, pineapple, and peach juice–not to mention the granola–had me thinking I was back on Spring Break (though judging by my dry, pale hand, you’d never guess I went anywhere).
5. For a new place to read Bite Into Boulder. Rush’s location in North Boulder, bigger than their store on the Hill, offers a fair amount of indoor seating, a roomy patio, and free WiFi to access your favorite websites. How will your laptop feel about replacing its typical accessory, coffee, with a bowl of smoothie? If you’re worried you can order one of their espresso drinks, which are also unique to the North Boulder space.
6. My bowl was $6.66, and that was the only weird thing that happened at Rush today.
Daddy Bruce's Bar-B-Que
by Andrew Woodman on March 29, 2011
2000 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, Colorado 80302
cash only!
After attempting to come here 2 times during business hours (supposedly Mon-Fri 11am-6pm) and being rejected by a closed sign, I was determined to further investigate Daddy Bruce’s mysteriously tempting BBQ. The hole in the wall Boulder barbecue spot doesn’t redeem its shack-like qualities with its food. Not by any means.
I got the Beef Brisket Dinner [$12.00], which includes a nice portion of Daddy Bruce’s Beef Brisket, beans, and as the menu says it, “cold slaw.” It also includes 4 pieces of bread so you can make sandwiches, woo hoo!
The Beef Brisket
It was so vinegary that I could barely breathe around it. This ruined any other aspect that could have been good about the meat. Even so, after I got it past my breathing barrier and into my mouth, the overly acidy meat made me sweat profusely.
“Cold Slaw”
I really don’t know what was going on with the cole slaw, and as far as I’m concerned, it was an inedible waste of cabbage.
The Beans
They tasted pretty good and could easily be labelled the best part of my Daddy Bruce’s experience, by far.
The Bread
It was almost like that kind you would buy for the sole reason of feeding to ducks; however, it was necessary for sandwich-making, which actually kind of helped to neutralize the briskets harsh tangy flavors.
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After trying several times and being let down by faulty management, I realize in retrospect that I probably would have been happier not knowing how bad Daddy Bruce’s actually is.
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Smashburger
by Hayley Hudson on March 28, 2011
1650 28th St / menu
When two friends of mine told me I had to go to Smashburger, I got the impression that the burger shop had somehow offended them after the word “gross” came up in each of the separate conversations. However, context clues revealed that for one friend gross meant disgusting, and for the other it meant awesome. The more disgusted friend claimed that after visiting, not even multiple sessions of hand washing could remove a stubborn layer of grease. The other friend told me essentially the same thing, but instead emerged from the experience delighted.
With no idea where I would lie on the spectrum, I walked in and ordered the Spicy Baja burger, which came with onions, jalapenos, chipotle mayo, guacamole, and lettuce. Oh, and a 1/3 lb patty ‘o’ meat. I was asked to choose between 1/2 and 1/3 lb so I opted for the smaller. I noticed this emblazoning the wall in the dining area and hoped my little burger would sizzle.
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I’m unsure if it sizzled, but the thin burger patty extended past the edges of the bun and left me with the conclusion that true to the name of the restaurant, it had been literally smashed. That meat had lots of surface area for other burger components to hang out on, and the spicy chipotle mayo topping it easily nabbed a spot as my favorite aspect of the meal. The menu also lists lots of other fun toppings like barbecue sauce and fried pickles. Pile them on, folks. There’s room!
Spicy Baja Burger
Although Smashburger is a chain, they customize their menu based on each location’s city or state. The “Colorado burger” contains grilled green chilies and two kinds of cheese, and they serve a NorCal burger in San Francisco, a San Diego burger in San Diego, and tons of other variations.
I appreciated the variety of choices that were sensitive to regional culture, but I have to be honest: I like Larkburger more. Actually, I love Larkburger. Smashburger’s greasiness didn’t turn me off, but it didn’t make me want to get monogamous and pick out curtains with it, either.
Boulderites, please tell me: Smash or Lark?
Kasa Japanese Grill & Bar
by Hayley Hudson on March 18, 2011
1468 Pearl St / Menu
After fruitlessly trying to begin this post with a reference to sushi being in the “house” (you know, the “casa”), some online research revealed to me that in Japanese, “kasa” means “umbrella,” which makes this restaurant aptly named.
Umbrellas were everywhere! Scattered around the interior and coating the entire ceiling, the canopies added a romantic flair to the otherwise streamlined, modern decor. Looking at them now, they are beginning to represent my need to verse myself in a world language other than English or Spanglish.
Because it’s so pretty, Kasa would be a stellar pick for a sushi date. (Nothing against the robot theme at Hapa.) I went with my friend Emily and immediately ordered miso soup, a longtime favorite of mine that became another attempt at warding off the illness that had taken up shop deep inside my frail frame.
Miso Soup
The bowl of goodness delighted my insides, which I attribute mostly to the sushi protocol that governs soup be sipped rather than spooned. I’d like to see the practice break into other food genres because not only is drinking soup efficient, it feels cozier than scooping it: your hands warm up, the steam grazes your cheeks, and your sinuses instantly clear. There’s also potential for spilling an entire bowl of broth down your lap instead of a mere spoonful—perfect for thrill seekers.
I quieted my inner fish fiend that devours sea creatures in their freshest form, instead ordering rolls that my delicate stomach could tolerate. First came the ume plum, shiso, and cucumber roll.
Ume, Shiso and Cucumber Roll
Pickled umeboshi plums reportedly have remarkable medicinal qualities, from alkalizing the body’s pH to eliminating toxins to acting as a hangover cure (You can read about them here.)
Their potential to fix me rendered them especially attractive this evening, but I also enjoy them during times of good health. Emily, an umeboshi newbie, described the taste as “weird…. so weird.” Since it’s essentially an extremely salty plum, I deem her account accurate. Shiso, an herb related to mint that is rarely used in American cooking, nicely complemented the zing of the shriveled fruit.
These beauties rounded out our dinner:
#9 Roll; California Roll
Emily’s #9, a boring name for an elaborate roll, contained shrimp tempura, crab, and cucumber and was topped with salmon and avocado. Lots of fish = lots of fun. The rice binding my failsafe California roll encased the classic crab, avocado, and cucumber trio we all know and love. Both tasted fresh and delicious.
No one I know has ever mentioned Kasa while rattling off sushi options in Boulder, but I don’t see why its fresh menu and nice atmosphere shouldn’t place it in the regular rotation.
An eager staff rounded out our visit and virtually every employee gave us a goodbye and a thank you as we left. Since I somehow managed to keep my snot off their umbrellas, the source of the sendoff could have been courtesy or it could have been relief.
Berry Best Smoothies & Juice Bar
by Andrew Woodman on March 18, 2011
25252 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, Colorado 80302
Berry Best’s menu/info
After pulling an all-nighter that surprisingly was not induced by cramming for tests—but was instead brought upon me by a mouse’s intrusion in my bedroom—I guess I was lucky enough to finish off my week by eating at another quality eatery. Not only this, but my Spring break 2011 is officially starting after this post. Woo hoo! (This will commence a 1.5 week hiatus from any blogging, also).
You would never really expect a place whose name suggests a specialization in smoothies to have the ability to satisfy the desire for a hearty meal, but Berry Best successfully filled the hungriest state my stomach has felt in a while.
Berry Best really only does specialize in smoothies, however the owner David must also specialize in economic fundamentals. Not only does he delegate like a genius, but he also gives everyone their own comparative advantage while supporting a variety of local businesses all at the same time. He makes the smoothies, but then also serves food made by Boulder locals: he serves various types of chili made by his friend over at Global Chili (more than one vegetarian option, too), and Amazing Corn Tamales supplies just what their name promises. Thus, allowing the chili maker to make the best chili in town, and the tamale maker to do the same (but with tamales, duh). Hey, the theories I learn in class are actually practical in some ways, awesome! Oh yeah, and they also have a wide variety of gluten free products, for Boulder’s celiac friends.
Obviously I got a smoothie…”Pineapple Passion.”
It was pineapple + strawberry & banana. The name implies that the combo of strawberry-banana is the equivalent of “passion,” which is alright with me (I definitely believe it to be true). Also, the menu has these little sayings for each smoothie that helps describe them, which is really helpful if you want to know what all these awesome combinations taste like in a quick catch phrase. “Sweet and tart” describes the Pineapple Passion, and it was the obvious usage of fresh fruit that gave made that description so accurate.
The tamales [$3 each] are—like usual—wrapped in dried corn husks. Not like usual, it looked like a knot artisan of fine craft had tied off the ends with even smaller pieces of dried corn husk, which not only help make these tamales deliciously moist, but also make you feel like you are receiving a present to open. I tried out the spinach, pork and chicken tamales, and while each one obviously had its own identity, they were all riddled with bits of corn that made the outer part of the tamale a treasure filled corn cake that was worthy of eating all by itself. Although I was turned off by the menu’s plain tamale at first, I might try I might try it next time. Not surprisingly, I discovered that the Amazing Corn Tamales company has been in business here in Boulder for 25 years…they are true masters and perfecters of the tamale business, and it is freakin’ obvious.
On the side I got some of Global Chili’s All American beef chili [add to tamales for $1.25] and some rice [add for $.50]. Raw onions awaited their chili bath, too, but several other chili toppings were available also. I would have ordered more chili if I had realized I was only spending such a small amount to add the side. Still, the measly amount was more than satisfying, plus considering how much I paid it was a pretty fair amount after tasting the impeccable home-made quality. I did encounter a few hard pieces of rice that I could pretty easily place my finger on a refrigerator/microwave oven combo as the culprit, however that is my only complaint on the quality of food served at Berry Best.
On top of representing local Boulder food specialists and making bomb smoothies, Berry Best is very eco-conscious and actively composts and recycles everything they use, claiming to produce no waste. So if you want to save the world one meal at a time, and you want those meals to be good, but you also want to support multiple local businesses all at once… add this to your agenda, then call yourself a philanthropist. Then thank Berry Best for organizing it all by going backgetting a smoothie, because they truly are a “very best” of Boulder.