A Foodie Weekend in Boulder with Friends
Whenever I travel, I love spending time trying different food, coffee shops, tea, dropping by bookstores, and having some adventure in nature (usually in the form of hiking). Given the chilly weather, we spent most of our time eating in Boulder. Here's our foodie itinerary for Boulder over 2-3 days!
Boxcar Coffee Roasters & Cured
We started our first full day in Boulder at Boxcar Coffee Roasters. We placed a hold for a table at Snooze and found this place along Pearl Street for a cup of coffee. During checkout, I couldn't help but order one of their cardamom & earl grey donut holes (which I still don't regret eating!).
While Boxcar Coffee Roasters is on the left side, they share the building with Cured, which has an extensive menu of cheeses, meats, and sandwiches. They also offer picnic sets to take on hikes with you. Someday, I'll try this out, but it's definitely on the pricey side.
Avery Brewing Co
We headed to the famous Avery Brewing Co. in the late afternoon where a few of our friends tried their selection of beers. Given I can never really drink much, I was so happy to find that you can order tasting sizes at Avery Brewery. I really like the Nursia my husband ordered (and let me steal a few sips from!).
We were pleasantly surprised at how many restaurants in Boulder had good vegetarian options as part of their primary menu. My husband had a seitan shepherd's pie that tasted amazing. I had the lamb stew which was perfect and hearty given the chilly weather outdoors.
alpine modern
We stopped by Alpine Modern on College Ave. for breakfast before our morning hike the next day. It's conveniently near trail head for the 1st & 2nd Flatirons. When I was searching for cafes to visit, I was struck by the cute white interior with wood, tile, and black hardware. The menu was intriguing and the food was very picturesque.
We ordered the tartine trio, which is a great deal if your group is up for eating more than one tartine. I loved their smoked salmon tartine (on the right end), which was cooked all the way through and actually fluffy.
blackbelly
Blackbelly is another top rated restaurant in the Boulder. They're well known for their meat selection with a butcher adjacent to the restaurant. One of our friends was telling us that the chef, Hosea Rosenberg won Top Chef some time ago. We ordered four mains including chicken, fish, lamb and beef. Surprisingly, my favorite was their carrots. Their roasted carrots were marinated in a sauce made of roasted down vegetables mixed with honey. Who would have guessed? We’re going to try and make the sauce at home!
Oak
Oak was listed as one of the best restaurants in Boulder. It was tough to get in for dinner given our impromptu planning, but we were able to make reservations for lunch. Though the pork posole I ordered was quite good, I felt their no alcohol Oak Tea Time drink was special. I'm hoping to try and figure out how to make this drink back at home, but it's made of black tea, house made ginger beer, lavender, and rhubarb bitters. My husband and our friends loved it as well.
Our friend Kader who finally got his donut near the end of the trip. Five spice donut with donut hole.