Best for the Guys

Wings
EC.c : Pumphouse Brewery
Rule of thumb: never take a girl to a get wings on a first date. The No. 1 reason involves your face slathered with Buffalo sauce. At the Pumphouse, wings come in a variety of flavors: Buffalo, fiery habanero-chipotle, barbecue, Jamaican jerk spice and sweet and spicy ginger Thai. But they only come one way: deliciously messy. They may taste great—but trust me, you’ll get no second date.
EC.r : Buffalo Wild Wings

BD.c : Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill
Let’s get one thing straight: You don’t go to the Lazy Dog for health food or to “eat light.” Now that we’ve got that straight, go ahead and give in. Order a plate with a dozen “world-famous” big, fat, juicy, jumbo chicken wings. There will be time for tofu tomorrow.
BD.r : Buffalo Wild Wings

Guys Night Out
EC.c : Lodo’s Bar and Grill
Lookin’ to get loud and rowdy with your crew? You can’t do better than piling into Lodo’s for some cold beer, great food and every game you never thought was on the air. With flat-screen HD TVs at every turn, no game will be missed. And the huge rooftop deck (complete with open fireplace to keep you warm when the sun goes down) offers an eyeful of the Front Range if you find you need a break from the stream of hotties on tap.
EC.r : Colorado Coal Company

BD.c : Foundry
Frou-frou drinks, lame music and bad games will ruin a night out with the guys faster than soaking your pants in Old Spice. That’s why, if you’re out to do some damage with your mates, The New Foundry is the only choice. Pool tables, one of the best decks in Boulder, good food, a massive hi-def projector, tunes and a great vibe all combine to create a venue where the party never ends.
BD.r : Conor O’Neill’s

Place to Drink Whiskey
EC.c : Old Louisville Inn
What can I say, there are places that inspire whiskey drinking: You walk through the doors (heck, sometimes you can feel it in the parking lot) and the ghosts of whiskey-benders gone by sing in your ear. Old Louisville Inn has a few ghosts—the bar was made in the 1880s and is one of Colorado’s oldest bars. It survived Louisville’s wild days of gunfights and brothels and is here to support you when you need a perch for your double old-fashioned.
EC.r : Exchange Tavern

BD.c : Corner Bar
I have a friend who calls his nasty alter ego “Whiskey Todd.” No one likes Whiskey Todd; Todd doesn’t even like Whiskey Todd. But every so often, Todd tries to defeat odds with a bit of Lagavulin…and never fail, Whiskey Todd arrives. Needless to say, Todd is not allowed to enter the Corner Bar in the Hotel Boulderado. Why? Cause the Corner Bar is comfortable and cozy, warm even on the coldest days and filled with personality—just the place to pull up to the bar and order something strong. Shhh. Don’t tell Todd.
BD.c : Scotch Corner Pub

Sports Bar
EC.c : Red Zone
When the game is on or when Tiger’s on the back nine, there’s no better place to be than Red Zone, the conjoined brother of the Pumphouse in Longmont. With 18 large flat-screen TVs, pool tables and a full menu of killer bar food, Red Zone is more testosterone-fueled than Jose Canseco circa 1988.
EC.r : Pumphouse

BD.c : Lazy Dog
Two words: 40 TVs. Enough said. What else do you need to know about Boulder’s sports bar staple? Well, there is also the rooftop deck (pre-game celebration) and the game room (when the Bronco’s are getting killed and you can’t bear to watch) and the live music (when the game is over). You stopped reading after you saw 40 TVs, didn’t you? Typical.
BD.r : Lazy Dog

Fashion Boutique for Men
EC.c : Grey Bee
Do you really want to dress exactly like the guy in the next cubicle? Do you really want the “kids” in the office to call you sir? No? OK, stop by Grey Bee in Prospect, Longmont, and get yourself something that doesn’t make you look like a 60-year-old golf pro (unless you are a 60-year-old golf pro).
EC.r : Nordstrom

BD.c : Weekends
Need a little help perfecting your “Boulder casual-chic” style? Weekends will not only ensure that you have the perfect get-up for the wine and cheese thing next week or your anniversary dinner next month, the store actually helps to define Boulder’s fashion trends.
BD.r : Weekends

Great Beyond

Ski Resort
C. Aspen
Hey, why not? In the 2008-09 season, Aspen and Snowmass saw some major improvements—which is kind of like building on perfection. Aspen is a must-ski spot famed world wide and known for its black-diamond glades and bump runs. Plus, after you’ve put sufficient bumps in your rump, you can head down to New York Pizza or 39 Degrees.
R: Eldora

Bike Shop
EC.c : Cutting Edge Sports
EC.r : Blue Sky Cycles and Joe’s Bike Shop (tie)
BD.c : University Bikes
BD.r : University Bikes

Ski Shop
EC.c : Cutting Edge
EC.r : Christy Sports
BD.c : Boulder Ski Deals
BD.r : Boulder Ski Deals

Sporting Goods
EC.c : Play it Again Sports
EC.r : Dick’s Sporting Goods
BD.c & BD.r : REI

Home improvement
BD.c : McGuckin Hardware
Its tagline says it all: “More than a hardware store.” McGuckin’s has been giving you more than paints, water-saving shower heads and barbecue grills for decades, becoming a mainstay in the daily lives of Boulderites and visitors. So, what’s the secret to McGuckin’s success? It’s gotta be the people wearing those signature green vests. Yes, McGuckin’s may be big, but it never seems impersonal.
BD.r : McGuckin Hardware