Eager to dig in, we started with the chicken satay and the honey roast pear. The satay appeared with two skewers of chicken served over a bed of chilled soba noodles in a peanut sauce with a cucumber and mint relish. While the menu describes the peanut sauce as spicy, we didn’t discern much heat; but the cucumbers added a lovely hit of freshness. The honey roast pear was my favorite dish of the evening, served with a bed of spinach, crumbled chevre and artful folds of prosciutto, all dressed in a cider reduction. It was an excellent interpretation of a more common spinach and pear salad and I gobbled it down with enthusiasm.

For seconds, my husband ordered the mussel “chowder” (quotes theirs), consisting of steamed mussels, potatoes and leeks in a thyme-scented cream broth. To me, it felt strangely deconstructed. The chowder and the mussels seemed almost like two separate entities, merely plated together. But maybe I was missing the point? My husband said he enjoyed it thoroughly. My crab and piquillo chile fritters, served with saffron aioli and burnt lemon, were a pleasant twist on standard crab cakes: crispy, light and flavorful, though I wished there were more chile flavor.

The short rib ravioli was the other standout of the evening—less for any revelations in the pasta itself but for the brilliant pairing of them with the seared organic greens. The greens provided a sharp, tangy contrast to the heavier meat and pasta and made for a unique and delightfully unexpected dish. The salty, fatty duck confit, served with chunks of roasted sweet potatoes and apples, a bit euphemistically described as hash, played nicely off the good maple syrup with which they were plated.

Finally, we shared the carrot cake and frozen Noosa yogurt with honey for dessert. I appreciated that the cake was a bit closer to a quick bread than a heavy cake, and that the yogurt, in place of a more traditional cream cheese frosting, was not overly sweet. After an indulgent meal of many samplings, it was an excellent way to end on a sweet note without being too heavy, complicated or overpowering.

The service was attentive and thoughtful, and the overall experience at Riffs was genuinely likeable. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that the kitchen is being perhaps too cautious. The menu reads like a thrilling culinary adventure, yet the execution is much safer, much tamer than expected. And while I enjoyed the meal and would recommend it, I do harbor a wistful notion that these good things might have been great.

Georgia Boys’ BBQ is about as real as it gets. Located in a “shack” (really a small house converted into a kitchen) in the industrial area off 2nd Avenue and Collyer, you belly up to the counter to order your meal, and then carry out or sit out front at a picnic table or in a rocking chair on the porch. (Plans are in the works for a small indoor seating area by winter).

The menu changes daily based on what they’ve got: Standards include pulled pork, pulled chicken, and sliced and chopped brisket as well as whatever specials they might be cooking up, which have included St. Louis-style ribs, Brunswick stew, stuffed peppers, jumbalaya, smoked half-chickens, po’ boys and even cheese steaks. One caveat: When it’s gone, it’s gone, and they’ve been known to run out of things by lunchtime if it gets busy. Check the Georgia Boys’ Facebook page, which they update regularly, so you won’t be disappointed if your favorite isn’t available.

In two visits, we tried the pork, the brisket and the chicken as well as a bevy of sides. My friend with barbecue sauce in her blood was impressed with the brisket—“The only meat that counts,” she said—which was tender, smoky and moist. The pork was also tasty, but I really enjoyed the juicy and flavorful pulled chicken, especially served up as a sandwich on a buttery, crusty roll. High marks for all of the meats we tried. We loved the variety of sauces; especially the medium with its blend of sweet and spice and the mustard-based sauces.

But, to my mind, the real winners here were the sides. The green bean casserole was by far my favorite—with big chunks of mushrooms in the creamy sauce and homemade fried onions, topped with melted cheese; no condensed soup or canned crispies here. The barbecue beans were a surprising hit as well with three kinds of beans cooked in a slightly sweet sauce with bacon and peppers, making a sweet and savory combo that was hard to resist. The sweet potato casserole with its gooey, decadent praline topping was clearly a house favorite, but I would have made it a dessert. The tater salad was fine and fresh, but not particularly mind-blowing, and the mac and cheese, while tasty, was a little grainy.

If they add fried okra to the menu, we’ll be patrons for life.

Another nice point is that this shack is attempting to be zero-waste. Although everything is served in disposable cartons with plastic cutlery, it’s all compostable or recyclable. As we sat outside, practically licking our plates and enjoying the cool afternoon. A man pulled up in a slick, black Bentley and placed an order, proof positive the Georgia Boys may serve food from a shack, but the quality is fit for kings.

But Zoe Ma Ma’s menu, “inspired by my mother’s love,” seems to transcend what your mother or my mother actually made for us. It doesn’t matter that my mother wasn’t Chinese and never made me dim sum or noodles, because I can taste the home-cooked quality in the dishes this restaurant serves up.

Zoe Ma Ma’s space, just off Pearl Street on 10th, is tiny, cramped and, in the heart of summer, hot. But it feels all the more authentic for it. The tables inside have Chinese newspapers and ads shellacked to the tops, and you will feel inclined to become well acquainted with your neighbors. Patrons order at the counter and pick up their meals as they are ready, dousing dumplings and soups with any of several house-made condiments.

My companion and I ordered a smorgasbord of dim sum and entrees. The menu is brief, and curated rather than curtailed. We started with an order of original potstickers, made with pork, shrimp, garlic chives and vegetables and an order of bao filled with marinated pork. The potstickers were slow in arriving, and as an apology, the wait staff offered us two extra, which more than made up for the delay to my mind, as they were excellent, piping hot and sumptuously savory.

Likewise, the bao were light, fluffy and extraordinarily flavorful. It’s clear that while the menu is short, none of the items are short on flavor.

For an entrée, my companion ordered the “CPR,” a dish of chicken and potatoes stewed in an aromatic gravy and served over rice. This is definitely not Americanized Chinese food and is all the better for it. In fact, this dish alone makes me believe the menu’s claims that these recipes are approved by Ma Ma. Rich and complex, the sauce was vaguely reminiscent of a curry and blended beautifully with potatoes and rice to sop up every drop of flavor and chicken that melted in the mouth.

I went with the Friday special, the roast duck wonton soup and was richly rewarded for the choice. An entire leg of roast duck floated in an enormous bowl of rich duck broth studded liberally with fresh vegetables and wispy, delicate wontons. As a fan of wonton soup regardless, I was in heaven. As a bonus, this was a bowl more than big enough to share—though you might have to fight over the duck leg.

Plus, with all-natural meats, cage-free eggs, organic flour and homemade noodles, Zoe Ma Ma certainly fits the Boulder aesthetic as well. High-quality ingredients plus delicious family-style dishes seem to be an easy recipe for success.

Photo by Joe Hodgson

My husband’s coworkers wanted to take him out for a “manly” baby shower/happy hour and asked him to pick the venue. I thought it rather telling that, just a few weeks after we’d gone to check out The Cheeky Monk, he chose it as the place to fête his impending fatherhood.

When I asked him why he’d picked it, he said, “I wanted someplace with lots of good beer that also had good food.”

The Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Café is exactly what it says on the tin: homage to Belgian beers with a café on the side. The focus is on the suds, with more than 150 beers to choose from at the Westminster location, ranging from varieties of true Belgian beers to local selections from—where else?—New Belgium.

This is not your typical beer experience, either. Beers arrive in glassware chosen specifically to enhance the tasting experience, the waiters are all extremely knowledgeable and have their own recommendations and favorites, and there are several beer flights, or samplers, available to show off the range of selections to the uninitiated.

They also serve a full menu of Belgian-influenced specialties—each helpfully listed with a suggested beer pairing. At first glance, it’s polished pub food with fried pickles, Buffalo chicken sliders and an Angus chuck burger. But dig a little deeper and the restaurant’s Belgian roots begin to show.

An entire section of the menu is dedicated to moules-frites: freshly steamed mussels served with fries and a choice of aioli in sauces such as beer mustard and bacon Gorgonzola. After a decadent starter of cheese croquettes (elevated fried cheese), my husband dug into a bowl of the bacon Gorgonzola mussels. It’s a testament to the quality of the dish: he left his near-perfect shoestring fries practically untouched. Luckily, I was there to assist.

In the menu, I gravitated toward the entrees, determined to try something more Belgian-ish than grilled cheese. I was torn with choices of waterzooi, a Belgian seafood stew, and rabbit cassoulet. I landed on the Belgian bangers and mash. An excellent smoked chicken-apple sausage arrived on a plate swimming with an addictive brown mustard sauce, a heap of garlic mashed potatoes and a pile of utterly delicious braised sauerkraut. It reminded me of picnic food at a really excellent Oktoberfest—deeply satisfying.

For dessert, we went with the trio of beignets, stuffed with Nutella, cream cheese icing and cinnamon icing. Really, it’s hard to go too wrong with fried dough and Nutella, and these came as advertised. Nothing revolutionary but hard to pass up, nonetheless.

With three locations in Westminster (at the Orchard), Denver and Winter Park, the North Metro’s Cheeky Monk does end up feeling a bit like a chain, with an atmosphere reminiscent of big brewery-restaurant empires. But the focus on the beers and the staff’s encyclopedic knowledge set the place apart as an original.

Photo by Gray Box Studios

I’ve heard the food at The Pinyon in Boulder described as “casual comfort food,” but I think that undermines what chef Theo Adley is doing, in a way. Certainly, there are no white tablecloths here, but that might be because they would cover up the lovely hand-crafted tables made from Colorado beetle-kill pine.

The decorations do consist of mason jars filled with pickles and live herbs, but they are actually storage for ingredients used in the kitchen, not mere country kitsch. And while the menu certainly revolves around dishes that evoke long, lazy Sunday suppers, comfort foods our grandmothers might have made to feed a hungry after-church crowd, the plates themselves are by no means casual in execution. Every detail has been considered, every ingredient thoughtfully sourced and carefully chosen.

We started our supper with two of the evening’s specials: a fresh green salad, simply prepared and dressed, and the day’s soup, a fresh tomato basil. The tables at The Pinyon are placed close enough together that some of the two-tops must be moved for guests to reach the banquette seats, but the effect was more charming than crowded, reminding us of the way cafés in Paris squeeze as many seats into their cozy spaces as possible. We ordered the selection of house-made breads and jam with cultured Vermont butter alongside our first course and delighted in tasting each of the excellent varieties presented, which included an English muffin-type bread, a slice studded with dried fruit and nuts, and a warm sourdough.

Although greatly tempted by the night’s specials (a grilled fish and a braised pork shoulder), we decided to order off the standard menu. My companion ordered the smoked pork shoulder, served with escarole, lemon confit and fennel pollen. The meat had a glorious depth of flavor from a slow smoking and benefited from the bright contrasts of the lemon and fennel, which helped to lighten what might otherwise have been an overly heavy dish. I, of course, had to go with the fried chicken, about which many have waxed poetic (including in these very pages). To say it was delicious would be putting it mildly, but more importantly, it was expertly done. Despite being “comfort food” and a mainstay of fast-food drive-throughs, truly good fried chicken is tricky business. There’s the ratio of crust to meat to consider, the seasonings in the batter, the length of frying to produce the perfect crunch without burning; The Pinyon’s version excelled in every category. Not being a huge fan of the chicken and waffles idea, I was underwhelmed by the scallion pancake and accompanying syrup. Though appetizing, they just weren’t my cup of tea. I wanted to focus solely on the chicken, unadulterated. In the future, I might choose to order a vegetable on the side to round out the plate.

“Comfort food” has become the description du jour for many new American restaurants struggling to explain their style: taking the familiar and turning it on its ear with new preparations and fancy flavor fusions. The Pinyon doesn’t need showy preparations or exotic ingredients to impress. It eschews that trend, focusing on taking familiar dishes and perfecting them, not making them flashy or new, but finding the perfect recipes and ingredients to make their flavors soar.

Our publisher, whose sister has lived in Thailand for 20 years, tells a funny story about visiting a street cart in Thailand and ordering her larb “Thai hot”—then noticing as all the locals watched to see if the white girl could handle it.

I love spicy food. My husband loves it even more. But even he was impressed with the levels of heat achieved at Busaba, a family-run Thai restaurant in Louisville with recipes that taste as if we were visiting that same street cart in Bangkok. The crisply modern space in one of the bustling new shopping areas along McCaslin provides a clean palate for the flavors encountered on their menu.

For lunch, the menu tends toward the traditional, with masterful renderings of dishes most Americans will find familiar, including flavorful pad thai, bright green and red curries, and drunken noodles. All the lunch dishes are available vegetarian or with your choice of protein, and then the waiter confronts you with the penultimate question: “How spicy?”

At Busaba, the scale runs from “no spice,” to mild, all the way up to hot and “Thai hot.” My advice: Go a little milder than you might normally. Medium was deliciously spicy on my drunken noodles, but when my husband and I returned for dinner, a “medium” larb nearly took the skin off the roof of my mouth.

The good news is that despite the searing pain I was feeling, I wanted to eat more. The pork larb sparkled with flavors of lime, fish sauce and hot, hot chiles. The chicken puffs reminded us of the love child of an eggroll and an Indian samosa with potatoes and flavors of curry. The Thai ravioli was tasty but really just little steamed dumplings (a tad less exciting than the name might suggest).

Thankfully, my main course, goong ob woon sen, hit low on the spice Richter scale but high on flavor with plump shrimp and salty bacon in a nest of steamed bean thread noodles with a sauce of sesame, soy, slices of fresh ginger, whole cloves of garlic and cilantro. My husband’s dry seafood tom yum was a delicious revelation, taking all the flavors of the familiar soup—coconut milk, fish sauce and galangal with loads of tender slices of chicken breast, crisp veggies and mushrooms—and translating them into an excellent stir fry-type dish. I was extremely hesitant even to try his, as he had ordered it “hot,” but it didn’t reach the same levels as the larb.

For dessert, do not pass up the sticky rice with mango. A neat little square of rice deeply infused with the rich flavor of coconut sits simply with a few slices of fresh mango for an utterly refreshing dessert. For the adventurous eater, the banana wontons were also a hit at our table.

While never having stood at a Bangkok street cart myself, I can definitely taste an authenticity to Busaba’s meals not found in other Thai restaurants in the area. Add to that the quick service and friendly family run atmosphere and this Thai flower blossoms into an easy favorite.

The three gents who started Café Aion all hailed from The Kitchen at one time or another, so that they know good food is pretty much a given.  But whether they could take the former Burnt Toast space (formerly, still, the Aion bookstore, hence the name) and turn it into a chic, pseudo-industrial loft-type space and succeed on the Hill wasn’t at all certain when they started. Luckily, these guys have the chops to back up a venture like this and a menu to prove it.

The dinner menu focuses on Spanish and Mediterranean-influenced tapas small plates, with a few larger courses “to share” thrown in for good measure. Meals aren’t served so much in courses as in waves, so be wary of ordering too many dishes at once; pick a few, then pick a few more (and maybe even a few more).

We started out with the bocadillo with house-cured copa, aioli, pickled onions and greens. Notice the “house-cured” before the copa? They’re being modest, as just about everything in this dish is house made: the bread, the aioli, the pickles and the meat. (I guess they just couldn’t see their way to growing their own arugula on the patio, but give them time…) These tasty little sandwiches elevated the very idea of sandwich from a lowbrow lunch item to a delectable finger food. We also tried the roast beets with feta, mint and almonds, which were a perfect example of how the chef takes pure flavors in their simplest state and combines them into something amazing.

The braised octopus overflowed with Spanish flavors: a hearty tomato sauce, chickpeas and briney olives to round out the palate. Because everything is in small portions, our server explained, people are more likely to try foods they wouldn’t otherwise order. The fried cauliflower was another big hit; an under-loved vegetable reaching new heights is always welcome in my book.

The real surprise for me at Café Aion, though, was breakfast, which they have just begun offering seven days a week. We headed in on an early Sunday morning and found ourselves plied with pots of rich French press coffee and excellent house-made (of course) pastries. My bagel with smoked salmon, pickled onions and scrambled eggs was exactly what I was craving, and better than many delis I’ve tried. My companions’ eggs Benedict and scrambled eggs with braised spare ribs were hearty meals full of flavor. And the fact that we could get all these on an average Tuesday made me feel a little giddy.
Go in for the tapas, go in for breakfast, or go in for a burger at lunch (and then tell me how it was); the point is, you should definitely make the trek up the hill and go in to Café Aion.

Pizzeria Basta :: Boulder

Mizuna Pizza

We’re not sure why it’s called the mizuna pizza when it doesn’t actually have mizuna on it—but it’s so good, we don’t really care. Prosciutto and house-made smoked mozzarella are topped with fresh grape tomatoes and arugula (rather than mizuna). The result is a crash course in why the Italians are so awesome when it comes to food. Pizzeria Basta, 3601 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder —LB

Bombay Bistro :: Boulder

Shrimp Korma

The chef at Bombay Bistro is not afraid of new things, of creating his own signature dishes, which, from what we’ve tried, are all pretty fantastic. But give him a classic dish, like a korma curry, and the glory truly shines. We like the rich, mild curry sauce enhanced with coconut milk and flakes of shaved coconut with shrimp, but pick your flavor; you’re sure to be impressed no matter what. Bombay Bistro, 1214 Walnut St., Boulder —LB

Arugula :: Boulder

Gorgonzola Mushrooms

The locally grown mushrooms are wild-looking and rustic, slightly firm and the good kind of chewy. They mingle with a creamy, robust Gorgonzola sauce and fresh herbs. It’s such a simple plate of food, such easy flavors to fall in love with, but it’s also a great example of what Arugula does: balanced, simple elegance. Arugula Bar e Ristorante, 2785 Iris Ave., Boulder —AC

Martino’s :: Lafayette

Yee-Ro Pizza

We hadn’t seen this one before: a pizza crust topped with a ranch sauce, strips of flavorful gyro meat, lettuce, tomatoes and a little cheese. But one bite and we were hooked. It’s pretty much de-rigueur for our office now whenever we order pizza at Martino’s, and we never seem to tire of its flavors. Martino’s, 1389 Forest Park Circle, Lafayette —LB

Aji :: Boulder

Poblano Empanadas

I’m always on the search for the perfect chile relleno, and here, this is no mean feat. Begone with your eggroll-wrapper heresies! It’s batter-dipped or nothing—or so I thought. Then I tried the poblano empanadas at Aji, oozing with cheese, sporting a nice heat and wrapped in a flaky pastry crust. Not even attempting to be a relleno, it managed to rank right up there with the best I’ve found in this state. Aji, 1601 Pearl St., Boulder —LB

Zamparelli’s :: Lafayette

Corn & Green Chile Risotto Balls

Zamp’s risotto balls are tasty any day—fried to crispy perfection with cheesy goodness inside. But when the corn was sweet and fresh and green chiles were roasting in their parking lot, they decided to combine them. Just slightly spicy, slightly sweet, with all the golden crunch and salty cheese we’d come to expect. Makes us wish it could be summer all year long. Zamparelli’s, 2770 Arapahoe Rd., Lafayette —LB

Salt :: Boulder

Cocktails

A cocktail isn’t exactly a dish. But with the recent focus on mixology, beverage artists have elevated the cocktail to a culinary art. Take Salt’s new Cocktail Elements Menu, where you mix and match spirits and syrups to make your own masterpiece. (Never fear: mixologists ensure that something delicious will emerge.) The options always change, but we’ve loved the lavender martini and the blood orange and rosemary tequila sour. Flavors good enough to eat. Salt, 1047 Pearl St., Boulder —LB

Spruce Confections :: Boulder

Blueberry Cream Cheese-Filled Scone

A scone filled with ever-so-slightly sweet cream cheese and blueberries is just perfect, no matter how you reach the end result. Their scarcity makes these little gems even more precious: They aren’t available every day, and because the cheese will spoil, any not sold by noon are (blasphemy!!) thrown away. My advice? Get there around 11:55 and see if they’ll cut you a deal if you buy anything that’s left. But that might be taking a risk. On second thought, better get there as soon as they open, just to be sure. Spruce Confections, 767 Pearl St., #B, Boulder; 4684 Broadway St., Boulder —LB

Empire :: Louisville

Strawberry Shortcake

I heard a food journalist quip recently that if she had to eat at one more “New American” restaurant serving comfort food she would spit. While I certainly understand the sentiment, when it’s done well, there’s perhaps nothing better. Enter Empire’s strawberry shortcake, sampled there early in the summer of 2010. What could be more divine than a perfectly light and fluffy biscuit, with just the right amount of sweet, topped by gorgeously un-tampered-with strawberries and a dollop of mile-high chantilly cream? A reminder that when it comes to comfort food, Empire does the trend justice. Empire, 816 Main St., Louisville —LB

Magnolia :: Lafayette

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil Sorbet

As unusual as it sounds, you’re intrigued. Imagine the most perfect, saucer-sized slices of local heirloom tomatoes in rich shades of red, yellow, orange and purple arranged on a plate, almost like a work of art. Drizzled in fine olive oil and just the right dash of vinegar, sprinkled with salt and pepper and then left to their own devices to play with the scoop of—yes—basil sorbet slowly melting into a pool on the same plate. Don’t you just love it when dreams come true? Magnolia, 1831 Forest Park Circle, Lafayette —LB

The Pinyon :: Boulder

Fried Half Chicken

For years folks have asked me “Where can I find great fried chicken?” I’ve always had to sigh and send them to Denver. Now, I direct their taste buds to The Pinyon and chef Theo Adley’s profound version. He takes top quality birds, gives them a garlic-chile rub, a buttermilk soak, a dusting of potato flour and then into a frying pan with three types of fat and a stint in the oven. Nirvana is that thin crispy crust barely clinging to the super-juicy thigh meat sided with cornmeal griddle cakes and molasses-tinged syrup. Now, if someone could just open a real doughnut shop in Boulder. The Pinyon, 1710 Pearl St., Boulder —JL

Spice China :: Louisville

Caribbean Dream Roll

Our publisher never does anything half way, so when she decided to take us out for sushi recently, we weren’t surprised by the order of a dozen oysters, bowls of miso soup, another appetizer and all six sushi rolls off their new chef’s choice sushi menu—we were just surprised that the three of us managed to put it all away. The piece de la resistance was the Caribbean Dream Roll, starting with crab rolled in rice and topped with shrimp, arugula, caviar and a brown butter tamarind sauce that I might have licked right off the plate if I hadn’t been dining with my boss. Traditional? Maybe not. Tasty? A thousand times yes. Spice China, 269 McCaslin Blvd., Louisville —LB

Efrain’s :: Lafayette

Chili Verde

For many, Efrain’s chili verde is a longtime favorite. Call me late on the uptake: I just discovered it this year. And I will never be the same. There’s nothing like it. So spicy and flavorful and brothy, it’s different from the other green chilies you find smothering burritos on plates all over Colorado. Order Efrain’s chili verde bowl and be prepared for the heat: you may sweat, your eyes may water, but finding a new old treasure is totally worth the pain. Efrain’s, 451 S. Pratt Pkwy., 
Longmont, 720.494.0777; 1630 63rd St., #10,
 Boulder, 303.440.4045; 101 East Cleveland St., Lafayette —AC

Cheeky Monk :: Westminster

Cheese Croquettes

Cheese may or may not be the key to a happy life, but it is the foundation of a great meal. The cheese croquettes at Cheeky Monk are silver-dollar-sized medallions of smoked Gouda, fontina and swiss—crispy on the outside and melty-gooey deliciousness on the inside. Each creamy bite is spiked with a sweet berry balsamic reduction. It’s rich and salty just the way cheese—the kind that inspires happiness—should be. Cheeky Monk, 14694 Orchard Pkwy., #700, Westminster —AC

Arabesque :: Boulder

Baklava

I missed Arabesque the first two times I drove by, but finding it was worth the search. The tiny café serves up Middle Eastern food with deftness and flair. Their chicken shawarma is to die for, the tabouli salad the first I haven’t found overpowered with parsley. But the gems that haunt my dreams are the pieces of fresh, homemade baklava. Tissue paper-thin layers of pastry wrapped around rich nuts and spices and dripping in golden honey. Arabesque, 1634 Walnut St., #101, Boulder —LB

Happy :: Boulder

Griddled Pork Bun

On a small table covered with appetizers, menus, cocktails and silverware, Happy’s griddled pork bun becomes my one and only focus: A spongy, sweet bun cuddled around a tuft of juicy shredded pork served with a tangy, spicy green sriracha sauce. In fact, the noise of the busy dining room dims, and nothing else matters. Happy, 835 Walnut St., Boulder —AC

Flavor of India :: Longmont

Lamb Chops

Flavor of India’s lamb chops know how to make an entrance: a sizzling platter of these luscious morsels floats to the table, leaving a wake of mouth-watering smell in the air. Marinated in ginger, garlic and yogurt, the lamb is served simply, with a bed of sweet onions caramelizing on the skillet. Each little chop is juicy and vibrant, brimming with savory succulence. Flavor of India, 516 Main Street, Longmont —AC

Café Aion :: Boulder

Harissa Chicken Wings

Recently, after sampling the ridiculously delicious harissa chicken wings at Café Aion, I had the opportunity to chat with the chef about how they are made. It’s not an easy process: the wings are marinated, braised and broiled before they ever reach a plate. And the rich spiciness of North African harissa chili sauce gives them a flavor you won’t find anywhere near Buffalo. Café Aion, 1235 Pennsylvania Ave., #A, Boulder —LB

Spice China :: Louisville

Wood Roasted Vegetables

I love the idea of The Kitchen’s community hour, with specials on a nice regiment of small plates and beverages, and one of the standouts for me are the wood-roasted vegetables. Served in a little earthenware bowl, these colorful veggies ran the gamut, including sweet carrots, parsnips, and onions in a heavenly spiced sauce. The perfect dish to warm up with friends on a blustery afternoon. The Kitchen, 1039 Pearl St., Boulder —LB

Lucky Pie :: Louisville

Salumi & Cheese Oven Sandwich

I lucked into the best sandwich of my year. I had planned on tasting pizza at Lucky Pie but I got sidetracked by a salumi sandwich that sounded good and tasted even better. They take a warm bun made from pizza dough baked in a wood-fired oven and layer it with thin slices of quality salumi: coppa, pepperoni and salami with provolone. Elevating the whole is a tart, garlic-y relish of chiles and olives. Warmed in the oven, these tastes meld into a mouthful of comfort and joy sided by creamy white polenta lightly smoked from a stint in the wood-burning oven. Lucky Pie, 637 Front St., Louisville —JL

Sushi Tora :: Boulder

Tempura Green Chile Sushi Roll

At its worst, fusion cuisine is nothing but a science experiment gone awry with unrelated ingredients battling with one another. When it works, fusion fare can be a revelation. That’s definitely the case with Sushi Tora’s craveable Southwest-meets-Far East chile relleno in a sushi roll. The seaweed and rice are centered with a roasted peeled Anaheim green chile filled with cream cheese that’s tempura battered and lightly fried. Add a dab of wasabi and a little soy sauce and you’ve got yourself a party on your palate. It may not be authentic but it’s a flavor marriage you’ll love. Sushi Tora, 2014 10th St., Boulder —JL

Chez Thuy :: Boulder

Vit Quay Don

As in interpersonal relations, first impressions often decide if we to fall in love with a dish. With this amazing (and pretty) duck dish, one bite is an explosion of impressions from the crispy-crunchy skin and rich flesh to the crunch of brightly hued vegetables and the garlic, wine and herb nuances in the sauce. By the second and third bites I was totally enamored. I’m starting to think that this may be one of those rare culinary long-term relationships. Chez Thuy, 2655 28th St., Boulder —JL

Streat Chefs :: Various Locations

Grilled Cheese with Pork Belly & Apple Jam

There’s something about a grilled cheese sandwich that can transcend its minimalist ingredients. Combine just the right sharp cheddar with thick-cut white bread lavishly spread with butter and you’ve got a dish even the snobbiest foodie couldn’t turn up his or her nose at. Add a slab of crispy, salty pork belly and a smear of sweet-tart apple jam and suddenly you’ve elevated the grilled cheese sandwich to high art. Serve it in a paper tray out of a sleek Airstream trailer and—well, you don’t have to take our word for it. Streat Chefs, various locations, streatchefs.com —LB

Sugarbeet :: Longmont

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie

I’m not a dessert person. But when I splurge and order something sweet, I expect greatness. Nothing too fancy or over-done. It’s about flavor. So, during a recent dinner at Sugarbeet, a large slice of house-made chocolate peanut-butter ice cream pie arrived at our table, and with one bite, I was a dessert person. The flavors—salty, smooth peanut butter, awe-inspiring chocolate—and the velvety texture were beautiful, reminding me of childhood. Reminding me why dessert matters. Sugarbeet, 101 Pratt St., Longmont —AC

On entering the restaurant, a hostess directs you to remove your shoes before entering the main dining room, which has been transformed into a Moroccan retreat, complete with low tables, soft poufs for seating and gorgeously embroidered textiles on the walls. Traditional and modern Moroccan music play in the background, setting the mood. Order a pot of hot, sweet mint tea, and a server brings it in a silver pot with delicate glasses for sipping. Guests are given a towel in lieu of a napkin—and because you eat this food entirely with your fingers, it’s a necessary accessory for the night. Wear it draped over your left shoulder as the locals do.

The menu at dinner is a five-course affair. While a lighter, three-course menu is available, I had to wonder if the monumental nature of the menu might be behind the empty seats I noticed on the nights we visited; an a la carte menu in the bar might draw in a crowd unprepared to sit down to a two-plus-hour meal.

The evening starts with a hearty vegetarian lentil soup called harira and served with slices of honey wheat bread. Don’t be shy; just pick up the bowl and drink it down with gusto. Next, diners are presented with an assortment of Moroccan salads: green beans and lentils in a light vinaigrette and sliced carrots in a slightly sweet, slightly spicy red sauce were two of our selections for the night.
A traditional dish called b’stella makes up the third course. It is a large, round pastry of philo dough, filled with Cornish hen, spiced eggs, crushed almonds and cinnamon. Once baked, the dish is served lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon, creating a mix of sweet and savory that is a hallmark of Moroccan cuisine. Dig in—with your fingers, of course—but be careful: It’s hot!

At this point, the main course arrives, which diners select from a wide array of choices on the menu. The lamb, in all its incarnations, is divine, melting in the mouth and full of flavor. The Cornish hen dishes are also excellent, and surprisingly easy to eat with one’s fingers. And while couscous is not the easiest dish to tackle without implements, it’s worth the trouble.

As you dine, belly dancers emerge to entertain with scarves, fire and swords, and their skill is well worth the dollar or two you might tip.

At the end, everyone is encouraged to join in the dancing, which very neatly sums up the experience at Kasbah: you might enter a stranger in a strange land, but by the end of the evening, you’ll be dancing like a local.

At each meal, the menu focuses on one or two specialties. For breakfast, it’s the three-egg sandwich made-to-order. For lunch, salads and sandwiches dominate, with a daily soup or two thrown in for good measure. All three salads impressed; though my dining companion was surprised that her Caesar salad arrived with its house-made dressing on the side in a tiny plastic cup, she admitted that the chicken was excellent and the dressing a pleasant take on tradition, with a strong but not overpowering, anchovy flavor. My favorite was the spinach salad, eschewing recent trends for a sweet vinaigrette and soft cheese with garbanzo beans, red onion and a piquant chili orange dressing instead. The rosemary chicken soup we sampled, the day’s special, was like something grandma would make. And Gindi’s pressed Cuban sandwich was delicious, benefiting from their house-marinated pork and house-made mustards.

For dinner, the menu revolves around a selection of mostly Mediterranean-inspired small plates, a trio of roast chicken dishes and an interesting collection of other specialties. We were impressed with the hummus: traditional with a smooth consistency and plenty of garlic (just the way we like it). The coconut chicken bites, also available with tofu, were baked rather than fried, with a light coconut flavor. I would have liked to see them as a main course or as the protein in a main-course salad. The roasted vegetable tart was a delicious mélange of vegetables dressed only with goat cheese, which let their natural sweetness and complexity of flavors shine. The mustard-glazed chicken featured a thick mustard mixture adding just a touch of crunch from the whole mustard seeds. The entire meal was an exercise in simplicity and moderation that left us feeling virtuous yet completely satisfied.

And of course, no mention of Gindi Café would be complete without a mention of their excellent mini desserts. While not touted on their menu, these little gems are not to be missed, and because they are prepared in individually sized portions, one can indulge without negating that lovely virtuous feeling. We especially enjoyed the fruit tart, the chocolate bundt cake and especially, especially the Nutella cheesecake. Ordered with an espresso or cappuccino, these feel like a tiny indulgence of the highest caliber.

Gindi Café
Three and a half stars
3601 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder
720.242.8961, gindicafe.com
Bottom Line: An excellent value for simple, well-prepared foods.