Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Media Contact: Chea Franz, chea@indiecreativeco.com

A new neighborhood restaurant honoring the women who taught us to cook and the tables that brought us together. 

DENVER, CO (June 15, 2026)— Mother Other, a new vegan bar and restaurant rooted in family recipes, seasonal ingredients, and radical hospitality, is set to open its doors in Denver’s Baker neighborhood on June 27. Located in the Denver Design District, the restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Alexi Mandolini and Beverage Director Taylor Herbert, the team behind The Easy Vegan. Mother Other is the brick-and-mortar realization of six years of pop-ups, farmers markets, and a long-held dream to give their food a permanent place at the table.

The name says it all. Mother Other is a love letter to the women who defined hospitality long before it was an industry: the grandmothers, mothers, and chosen family who made food feel like belonging. Their recipes, handwritten, dog-eared, and passed down through generations, will hang on the walls as a living archive of the women who taught us that feeding someone is an act of love.

Mother Other is also an act of defiance, where professional kitchens have often sidelined and tokenized women, Mother Other places them at the center. The restaurant is committed to pay equity, a positive workplace, and extending genuine care to its team as much as its guests. Don’t expect a special occasion spot. Expect your neighborhood restaurant—the one that feels like walking into your Italian grandmother’s kitchen with 50 years of patina on every surface and the food polished to a five-star shine.

“Women have always been the backbone of hospitality, and we want our kitchen to reflect that, but Mother Other is also for everyone who has ever needed a third place to call their own,” says Mandolini. “Queer folks, chosen families, people who found their people at a neighborhood bar. Hospitality, to us, means everyone at the table.”

The menu tells the story of both founders: Mandolini’s Chicago roots, her grandmother Doree’s table, her father’s foraging trips, and Herbert’s years of craft behind the bar. Shareables set the tone: the Giarancini, a panko-crusted deep-fried risotto served with house giardiniera, celery root puree, and chive aioli, is a love letter to Mandolini’s Chicago roots, while the Spring Pea + Leek Dumpling arrives in a ginger and porcini brodo with charred peas and pea shoot. Vegetable-forward plates include a Japanese Sweet Potato crowned with miso and black garlic whipped potato, tempura-fried onion, truffled taro chip, and sesame chili oil, and the Carrot + Ginger Bisque finished with coconut cream and a house carrot chip.

For heartier appetites, expect Potato + Chive Pierogi with ruby kraut, coconut sour cream, braised apple, and caramelized onion, a The Easy Vegan fan favorite, alongside a Rigatoni alla Vodka with signature sauce, whipped almond ricotta, basil oil, and aleppo crumb. And for something sweet: a Chocolate Budino layered with vanilla sponge cake, passionfruit curd, chocolate cashew pudding, and shortbread crumb, and a Brioche Doughnut served with vanilla custard and poached rhubarb with basil. The bar program will feature house-carbonated vegetable sodas (think carrot, tomato, and celery root), creative cocktails using the same seasonal produce from the kitchen, and true to form, a cold cheap beer and a shot.

“Farmers markets are an incredible proving ground, but they can’t replicate the full dining experience,” says Herbert. “My background is in bartending and bar management, and there’s a craft to that work that I’ve been eager to bring back, such as developing cocktail menus, working behind the bar, creating drinks that speak the same language as the food on the plate. At Mother Other, the bar program and the kitchen aren’t separate conversations. They’re the same one.”

Mandolini is a graduate of Kendall College’s culinary program in Chicago and became executive chef of a Chicago catering company before she could legally drink. Herbert has spent most of her adult life working behind the pine–from bartending and managing primarily at LGBTQ+ nightclubs and bars from North Carolina to Denver.

The two met in 2018 when Mandolini moved to Denver from Chicago and Herbert served her her first beer in town at Asbury Provisions and they have been partners in life and business ever since. The duo rose to national attention in 2023 when their team won Season 16 of Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race. In building out Mother Other, the pair has stayed true to their DIY spirit—completing much of the physical build themselves with the help of friends and family, from plumbing to light construction, rather than taking on a six-figure contractor loan.

Mother Other will be located at 675 South Broadway Ste. 300, Denver, CO 80209. Opening is anticipated for June 27. For updates, follow @motherotherdenver on Instagram or motherother.com.

Mother Other hours of operation: Thursday – Sunday, 4-10 p.m.

About Mother Other

Mother Other exists at the crossroads of artful sophistication and a warm embrace—a vegan bar and restaurant that feels less like going out and more like being invited over to your grandmother’s house, sitting down with the whole family, and noshing on the recipes that have been passed down, argued over, and perfected for generations.

Everyone says their mom makes the best version of something. Mother Other is all of your mothers’ favorite recipes, reimagined through a plant-based lens and served without the pomp, the pretense, or the price tag that fine dining so often demands. Founded in 2026 by Chef Alexi Mandolini and Beverage Director Taylor Herbert, Mother Other is located in the Denver Design District in the Baker neighborhood. Rooted in radical hospitality, the restaurant is committed to matriarchal leadership, pay equity, and a warmth that extends as generously to its team as it does to every guest who walks through the door.

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The post Mother Other to Open on June 27 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Sherpa Kitchen taught us something; in Nepalese culture “the guest is God.” Owner Ombo Sherpa surprised his regulars, the mayor of Boulder, and members of the Yellow Scene Magazine Staff with gifts in honor of their 7th anniversary. 

The Sherpa Family with Boulder Mayor, Aaron Brockett

Rasoj Shrestha, nicknamed RJ, led the invited group to a community table in the center of the restaurant. Guests were greeted with appetizers and drinks while sitting with genuine Sherpas that had guided countless tourists along the Nepalese mountains including Mt. Everest. Seated with Aaron Brockett, the mayor of Boulder, were neighbors of the kitchen including a resident of Gunbarrel that traveled to indulge in Sherpa Kitchen’s cuisine frequently. 

Nima, a niece of Ombo, led the festivities showing a video of Pasang Tendi Sherpa climbing Mt. Everest with the Sherpa Kitchen flag in hand. Afterwards the Sherpa Kitchen family gifted hand-made plaques engraved with their regulars’ names to each of the guests invited. To our surprise the Yellow Scene Magazine Publisher, Shavonne Blades, was gifted a shawl made in Nepal. Yellow Scene’s Business Development Manager, Peter Constas was gifted a sash with the Nepalese flag and American flag. 

Akriti Rai, the president of the Rocky Mountain Friends of Nepal, demonstrated a donated collection of mountain-climbing gear used by Sherpas, still climbing to this day. The night was filled with celebration as Nima thanked the loyal customers who helped them endure the pandemic. She reminded the crowd of another celebration; The Nepal Day Parade scheduled on May 16th. 

Beautiful table placement for Sherpa Kitchen’s 7th Anniversary

It was beautiful to see the looks on the unsuspecting faces of everyone as each one was announced and given a sincere gift of gratitude. The food was incredible as Ombo handed out curry and naan, showering the community table with generosity.

The night was a beautiful cultural exchange, and gave everyone in the room a chance to feel grateful. No one invited was expecting a gift, much more, a custom engraved plaque of their name commemorating their contribution to Sherpa Kitchen’s success. 

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The post At Sherpa Kitchen’s 7th Anniversary, the Guests Received the Gifts appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Photos by Florence McIntosh

Lyons, Colorado doesn’t beg for attention. It just is—a scrappy little town at the foothills’ edge where the mountains rise like they own the place. And, honestly, they kind of do.

It’s a place where development hasn’t marred the town’s character and time seems paused. Founded in 1880 on sandstone and pluck, Lyons used to ship its red rock everywhere. Now those cliffs just sit there, looking like the drama queens they are, while the town trades quarry grit for a mini-foodie paradise, tunes, and a few good quirks. 

Summer is when Lyons really shines: bluegrass and folk festivals pop up along the St. Vrain River, musicians pull fans from near and far, and somehow it all still feels like a backyard jam session, minus your annoying cousin hogging the tambourine. That music culture extends beyond the festivals, as many venues have live music in the afternoons, especially on the weekends. 

Here’s the smart way to spend a day without fighting crowds in Estes Park: start in Lyons. Morning is sacred—grab your caffeine and carbs at Moxie Bread Co., then pick up a stacked sandwich at St. Vrain Market, and swing by Colorado Cherry Company for a hand pie. That’s your triple-snack power-up for the hike ahead. 

Next: head to Rocky Mountain National Park for a stroll around one of its stunning lakes—Lily, Sprague, Bear or Dream Lake, take your pick. Then, swing by Estes Park itself. Peek at the iconic Stanley Hotel, people watch, wander the shops, or just breathe in the mountain air. The town is fun, but save the heavy eating for later.

Mojo Taqueria

Back to Lyons in the late afternoon for the ultimate reward—Mojo Taqueria, the crown jewel. The tacos were life-changing. Try the carnitas, fried avocado and gobernador for a palate pleasing trio. The mango mahi mahi ceviche special? Worth writing home about. Our server, Lexa Venekamp, promises that returning in the afternoon brings a lively, festive vibe, when locals are sipping beers, chatting on patios, and the town hums with energy. Locals love it, and visitors instantly feel wrapped into that warm “this is our spot” feeling. 

Afternoon Lyons is a personality parade. Live music might drift from a patio, or maybe not, but the vibe whispers “stay a while, friend.” If pizza, smoky barbecue, or a Colorado classic are calling, MainStage Brewing Company, Smokin Dave’s BBQ, and Oskar Blues Grill & Brew have you covered. Try the Rock Garden for live music and food trucks. 

If your inner kid is still buzzing, step into Lyons Classic Pinball. Launch that silver ball, chase a high score, and step back into a time when quarters and feathered hair ruled and chicks dug guys with high scores.

Lyons isn’t just a stop. It’s history, music, food, and quirks all wrapped into a day you’ll still be talking about weeks later. Skip the Estes frenzy—spend your time where the food, fun, and small-town charm actually shine.

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The post Front Range Foodie: How Mahi Mahi, Banjo Solos, and Pinball Machines Stole My Heart in Lyons appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

When Jesus Soto’s grandparents began selling tortillas in Durango, Mexico, they had no idea how far their family business would go. Jesus immigrated to Colorado nearly 50 years ago, working his way through the Front Range’s manufacturing scene at Longmont Foods and Coors before making the jump to starting something for his family and community. Today, Las Americas Tortilleria is 35 years strong.

This journey did not come without its challenges. Daniela Soto, Jesus’ daughter who is now at the helm of the business, recounted her parents’ experiences navigating a much less populated Longmont in the 1990s. During their tenure at Longmont Foods, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) visited frequently, and the couple observed several coworkers being taken away. Longmont lacked an established Hispanic community, and they had to adapt to a new place, language and way of life.

Tired of buying mass-produced tortillas, the Soto family decided Longmont needed something fresh- something that would bring back memories for neighbors who had immigrated from Mexico, Guatemala, and beyond. Daniela recalled her parents searching for an area where their dream could fill a gap in the market, eventually landing on the Lashley Street location.

Daniela reminisced about the early days, sharing fond memories of staying up late helping her parents perfect their corn and flour tortilla recipes. When the business first opened, patrons were mainly of Hispanic descent. Today, she delights in welcoming shoppers from all backgrounds. “We have a lot of diversity, you know, cultures coming in for the tortillas.”

There is a sense of reciprocity between the Sotos and the community. For three decades, children of customers and employees alike have grown up knowing this place. Las Americas donates tortillas to St. Vrain Valley Schools and partners with local businesses including La Panda Mexican Restaurant and Jefes Tacos & Tequila, both of which feature their tortillas.

Longmont’s population has nearly doubled since Las Americas Tortilleria was born, and Daniela hopes to see more small businesses prosper to serve this growing community. She hopes to carry on her family’s legacy, affirming, “If I put the same work and love that my dad has put into this business, I think we’re gonna keep on going.”

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The post Front Range Foodie: Building Community, One Tortilla at a Time appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

There is no shortage of coffee shops in Colorado, nor is it difficult to secure a sweet treat at a moment’s notice. However, it can be argued that many of the shops leave something to be desired. Seating is often scarce and pre-packaged, grab-and-go options outnumber freshly baked goods by a landslide. Seeking a well-made breakfast without adding your name to a waitlist? Good luck.

So, where does one go on a slow morning – or afternoon – to sip and eat? Maisonette, a cozy street-side cafe off Walnut is a place to start. Touting itself as an “authentic French café and bakery,” this charming space offers scratch-made artisan pastries, fresh bread, and a variety of French breakfast and lunch options. Seating is ample – seriously, it seems almost impossible to fill every chair.

For the full selection of pastries, it is advised to arrive early. I wandered in on a Saturday afternoon to find a fraction of the desserts left in the display case and opted for a classic almond croissant. After destroying said croissant with delight and enthusiasm, I asked myself the question, “Do I not eat enough almond croissants, or is this the best almond croissant I have ever tasted?” The verdict is still out. After all, the pastries are made by a Michelin-starred French chef, Florian Tétart.

I decided to try the scrambled eggs with truffle and chives, opting to enjoy a little breakfast for a lunch treat. The eggs came out more like a French omelette – and, yes, the taste of truffle was pronounced. It pleasantly lingered in my mouth for the rest of the afternoon.

My eggs came with a small side salad and a slice of toast. It may seem like a smaller portion for some, but I appreciated having room for my aforementioned croissant. The meal was washed down with an iced strawberry matcha. As someone who generally avoids sugary coffee and tea drinks, I was surprised myself by my choice but they hooked me with “house-made strawberry puree,” which had the flavor and consistency of a nice French jam.

I easily could have stuck around all afternoon. The ambiance is open and inviting. Despite being a counter-service establishment, one of the staff members came over to my table for a genuine and friendly chat.

Do I want to return? Absolutely. With so many items to try and endless places to sit, Maisonette is a lovely addition to Downtown Boulder.

It should be noted that the goal of my café quest was not to find particularly unique menu items. I sought out well-made staples in spaces designed for prolonged visits. On another occasion, I decided to venture to Suti & Co., off the East End of Pearl Street, at 2031 16th St. A cursory amount of research was done prior to my visit.

This distinctly European café is precious. Owned by Chef Andrea Uzarowski of Copenhagen, everything about the aesthetic makes you want to stay awhile. Part Scandinavian-style café, part artsy, aspirational lifestyle shop, Suti & Co. is both an influencer’s dream and a coffee drinker’s paradise.

There is a fair amount of seating on the patio, with tasteful outdoor furniture covered in comfy sheepskin. The café is located in a small house that was preserved from the 1890s. Upon entering, I was directed to a gleaming display case of handmade shortbread cookies, a house specialty made with Danish butter and locally milled flour from Moxie Bread Co. I found a cozy corner to post up and sample the signature shortbread, alongside a latte. Specifically, I enjoyed the ‘Melting Moments’ shortbread cookie with a subtle citrus filling and my humble latte featuring Boxcar Coffee and organic whole milk. As advertised, the shortbread cookie melted in my mouth.

Each of Suti & Co.’s display cases appeared well-stocked with a gorgeous array of treats. I am eager to return for more, especially the pastries and savory toasts. Amazingly, I managed to make it out the door without impulse-buying a pair of earrings or an artisan candle.

Whether you are seeking a wallet-friendly European-inspired jaunt or a spot to enjoy well-executed goods, Maisonette and Suti & Co. are both excellent options. Rather than picking up a coffee somewhere that is brimming with people who have places to be, Maisonette and Suti &. Co are the places to be. Here’s to enjoying slow mornings (or afternoons) and basking in simple pleasures.

Masionette is open Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Suti & Co is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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The post Cafe Culture: Take Time To Sit And Enjoy appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Skratch Labs Table isn’t just for athletes. While bicycle shorts and clicking shoes are commonplace in this vibrant eatery, Executive Chef Aaron Thebault has created a menu offering “nourishing food that is approachable for the community.”

“The concept is based around the evolution of Skratch,” Thebault explained. Skratch Labs began as a “secret drink mix” that eventually became a widely popular line of nutrition products developed by Dr. Allen Lim. While on the Tour de France, Lim discovered that teams who ate together performed better — an idea that ultimately inspired the creation of a Skratch Labs food truck.

Since then, the concept has evolved from its original brick-and-mortar location and a limited-menu space on the east end of Boulder’s Pearl Street into the fully realized restaurant that opened in the Ideal Broadway Shops this past August.

“Since we moved here, I feel like we have captured more of the community,” said Thebault.

Before a “happy accident” landed him at Skratch Labs Table, the dynamic chef cooked in some of Chicago’s most celebrated kitchens. Thebault’s résumé includes the award-winning Girl and the Goat along with stops in the kitchens at Spiaggia and the Chicago Cubs, to name a few. After relocating to Nashville to help open a hotel at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thebault and his wife decided to step away from city life and settle in Boulder. As the father of a young child, he longed for more work-life balance and a healthier environment for his family.

When initially applying for the position at Skratch Labs, Thebault admitted he had no idea what he was stepping into. “Skratch didn’t even have a restaurant website at the time,” he said. However, after meeting with Dr. Lim, things quickly fell into place.

The food at Skratch Labs Table is both nutrient-dense and delicious. “There is heavy Asian influence, but we cook whatever we want,” said Thebault. “Rice is part of the startup of Skratch — the grain is easy to digest for athletes.”

Among the most popular dishes are the Salmon Bowl featuring coconut lime dashi broth, serrano, and pom seeds over rice; the Skratch_labs_Tablewith rice, sweet potato, edamame, kimchi, cucumbers, carrots, and kale; and the Tuna Poke Bowl, a “happy accident” that began as a popular special.

A revamped dinner menu will also be available on weekends.

Beverages include coffee-focused drinks, Skratch recovery lattes, and a small selection of beer and wine.

Skratch Labs Table is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekends from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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The post Taste of the Month: Skratch Labs Table appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Tucked into a sunny corner of downtown Louisville, The Huckleberry feels like the kind of place you stumble into once and then quietly start planning your life around. Part bakery, part teahouse, part coffee shop, and fully committed breakfast haven, it balances small-town farm charm with the hum of a well-loved neighborhood staple. It’s cozy without being precious, welcoming without trying too hard—the sort of spot where solo diners linger with books and families squeeze into booths, all equally at home.

On any given morning, the café buzzes with energy, and much of that tone starts at the top. Josh Adams, the General Manager for more than six years, moves through the space like someone who genuinely loves being there. During our breakfast, he paused mid-conversation more than once to refill coffee cups, check in with staff, or exchange a few words with regulars. That warmth trickles down. Even in the middle of a busy rush, the staff stays upbeat, efficient, and genuinely friendly—no small feat before noon.

When asked what dish best represents The Huckleberry, Adams doesn’t hesitate: Huevos Rancheros. It’s a Southwestern breakfast classic—tortillas, eggs, beans, vegetables, green chile—but here, it’s treated with care and intention. Instead of the usual saucy sprawl that quickly turns into a fork-and-knife struggle, The Huckleberry builds the dish upward. Crispy hard tortillas form the base, stacked high and sturdy enough to handle everything piled on top.

The result is a plate that’s generous without being chaotic. Eggs, beans, sautéed vegetables, green chile, and avocado come together in a way that feels hearty yet balanced. According to Adams, it’s one of the café’s most popular orders, especially with folks coming off long shifts or gearing up for a full day ahead. It’s filling, satisfying, and—thanks to the vegetables and clean flavors—feels almost virtuous.

I ordered mine with eggs sunny-side up, the yolks just runny enough to seep into the crevices of the crisp tortillas and soak into the perfectly seasoned plants and beans below. Every bite had contrast: crunch against softness, warmth against freshness, spice mellowed by avocado. It’s the kind of breakfast that makes you slow down, even if you showed up starving.

To round it out, I added a fresh cup of black coffee and, because discipline is overrated, a couple of apple fritters from the bakery case. The fritters were golden, lightly sweet, and ideal for sharing—or not. There was a noticeable absence of excess grease and salt, a refreshing change from heavier versions of the dish served elsewhere.

The Huevos Rancheros at The Huckleberry isn’t trying to reinvent breakfast. It just does it really, really well—and sometimes, that’s exactly what a shift meal (or any meal) should be.

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I last caught up with Wes Isbutt, owner of West Side Tavern in Longmont, in August 2025 for our Indulgences issue. Wes—a four-time restaurant owner with 26 years of experience from living in Las Vegas—is full of anecdotes and insights. So if anyone has an idea of “the Taste of the Month,” it’s him.

When we sit down together, this time on an unusually warm night in January, I ask him what’s been going on. He grins at me.

“With the world, with West Side Tavern, with food?”

I can’t help but laugh and shrug because, fair. Where do you begin with what the “Taste of the Month” is?

“It’s hard out here,” Wes says. “The cost of food is crazy now. Restaurants will have two choices: raise prices or cheapen the quality. And I can see who’s choosing which. More places will have to close. Automated service is becoming more of a thing. I don’t want to look at my phone to order food. I want to be one of the last places in the country that holds out for what the finer things in life stand for.”

I ask him how he feels about accessibility to “good” food.

“Texas Roadhouse turns thousands of tables every day. But what’s your experience there? It’s accessible, but is it good?” Wes says. “When I think of the best meals I’ve ever had, it’s because of the atmosphere I’m in, the people I’m with, the unexplainable thing we all go looking for. The better things in life can be accessible too, so I have to ask: what are you choosing to enjoy?”

He says it’s like film photography.

“It’s hard to pick up and tricky to learn, expensive to get into. But the ones who want to do it, they’ll find a way—and when they get it, they get it,” Wes explains. “That’s my advice to everyone: ‘Rock your food.’”

It’s a quiet Tuesday night at the West Side Tavern. A couple laughs over a bottle of red wine. At the bar, two brothers from Denver sit together.

“They drove all the way up here from Denver,” Wes says. “Brother and brother from out of town. One just had a baby. They’ve been coming here for a while because they know we have the best f***ing whisky selection around.” Wes pauses thoughtfully. “It’s wholesome. These experiences don’t have to be expensive. It’s not something any “where” can just create. But we’re always going to keep trying.”

So, maybe the Taste of the Month is enjoying the finer things. Consider your intention. Is your food a matter of convenience, comfort, or both? Don’t cut corners, even when it’s hard out here, because what you’re passionate about is going to carry you forward.

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The post Taste of the Month: West Side Tavern with Wes Isbutt appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Crosscut Pizzeria & Taphouse

I can’t imagine a better spot for a post-ski beer and pizza than Crosscut. This is one of my favorite places to take friends from out of town. If you find yourself coming off Eldora after 3 pm, stop into this cozy corner of Nederland. Crosscut is an underrated option; it’s up there and smaller space-wise, but once you smell the wood-fired pizza and sit back to enjoy the view of fresh snow falling out the window, it’s perfect for Apres. My favorite post-ski/work/weekend order is the Mario Pizza: Colorado hot Italian sausage, pickled shallot, basil, cremini mushrooms, mozzarella, and herbed ricotta sauce. Pairs well with a beer on tap or Crosscut’s Colorado-drafted root beer.

Jungle

The liveliest of our apres options! Jungle is a tropical-themed tiki bar and burger (with tropical twists!) shack. Located in Boulder on 10th Street, it’s known for fun, island-inspired cocktails and a huge variety of rum from all over the world. Food-wise, they offer a creative menu that includes burgers, plantains, and vegan/vegetarian options. They’re open from 4-11 pm on weekdays, 11 am-12 am Fridays and Saturdays, and closed Sundays. They’re the ideal spot for ski buddies who love to have a great time on and off the mountain. I kept it simple with a Cheeseburger—that Hawaiian bun makes it!—and a frozen Piña Colada.

Bitter Bar

Looking for apres drinkies only? I know just the spot. Bitter Bar in Boulder is off of Pearl Street on Walnut, which is noticeably quieter just one street over. It’s great to decompress after ski traffic. Bitter Bar is laid back, and you won’t want to spoil your dinner as it serves drinks only. It’s a unique spot that’s a happy change from pub fare and beer if you need something new. I love the loungey, Japanese cocktail bar vibe they have going on, but they still keep up a neighborhood bar energy. My go-to lately has been their Fire & Ice cocktail, which is bourbon, ginger beer, Angostura bitters, and candied ginger–a little something to warm up after a cold day.

West End Tavern

If you’re down from the mountains but not quite ready to head home, take a turn onto Pearl Street and visit West End Tavern. They have an incredible view of the Flat Irons if you need to show off for your ski buddies, and their BBQ is the ultimate comfort food after a hard day of skiing. I keep coming back to their Fried Chicken Sandwich, Sticky Style, which is a delectable piece of fried chicken paired with spiced honey, smoked garlic mayo, green apple, and crunchy kale slaw, all on a buttered brioche bun. It hits different after you’ve taken your boots off, trust me.

Rosetta Hall

The snow hasn’t been so great this year, folks, I don’t need to tell you that! It was an early day off the mountain, and we needed a little something for everyone, so we checked out Rosetta Hall. It features eight restaurants and two bars, which offer seasonal, craft cocktail menus that are made with fresh-squeezed, organic citrus and small-batch spirits. I was appreciative to have so many options, from Thai food to Italian, so everyone could enjoy what they wanted rather than trying to decide as one big group. Hangry skiers were thankfully avoided, and we got to make the most of a not-so-great ski day. Rosetta Hall also has live music on Tuesdays and the weekends, which I hope to catch one of these days!

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The post Front Range Foodie: Apres appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

My good friend Karen and I were elbow-deep in Eggs Bennifer at Lucile’s when it hit us: now that our kids are basically grown, our calendars have suspiciously empty patches where lacrosse practices and dance lessons once ruled. Free time. Actual free time. A dangerous thing.

Sure, we could keep throwing charcuterie-and-wine girls’ nights like confetti, but even brie and bubbles have their limit (don’t tell brie I said that). Karen leaned in with a conspiratorial grin: “What if we went to cooking school?”

Not the “watch a TikTok and pray your chicken isn’t raw” kind. The real deal: Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts—the culinary Hogwarts hiding in plain sight in Boulder.

We cracked open the calendar and instantly lost ourselves in an edible Choose Your Own Adventure. Thai street food? French pastries? Sushi? Date-night duck? Even a two-day bread boot camp (yeast stress test = not for me). After much deliberation, we landed on Spanish Tapas, mostly because the date worked best. Olé.

The school itself has the sort of energy that makes you want to roll up your sleeves immediately. Stainless counters gleamed, cutting boards with freshly-sharpened knives lined up like soldiers, and the faint perfume of roasted garlic seemed baked into the walls. Somewhere down the hall, pans clattered, and something hissed. It was like stepping backstage at a Broadway show, except the drama was edible.

Only one other student joined us: Pam, a woman with ocean-blue eyes who looked like she could sell artisanal olive oil out of her handbag. Our instructor, Chef Dallas Houle, greeted us like old friends. If you remember the Cooking School of the Rockies, this is the same space, now Escoffier. It trains chefs from around the world—but Chef Dallas runs the “civilians welcome” side, and he makes it feel like play.

And the man knows his stuff. Chef Dallas cut his teeth at Sweet Basil in Vail, cooked in several Boulder kitchens, including as Executive Chef at Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant. As he said, he has given up cooking for other people, and now they cook for him. Chef Dallas has traveled widely, bringing back flavors and tricks from across the globe. He’s excellent with students, quick to laugh, patient with clumsy knife work, and—let’s just say it—kinda dreamy.

We started with knife skills. I came in with a certain swagger: six kids, and countless Thanksgivings under my belt = graduate-level kitchen combat. But Chef Dallas casually showed me how to slice an onion into whisper-thin slivers so perfect I almost teared up, and not from the onion. That trick alone was worth the price of admission.

And that $75? It buys three hours of professional instruction, all the ingredients, a feast at the end, and an embroidered apron to keep that you get to strut around in like you own the place. Cheaper than therapy, almost as satisfying as Target clearance.

The food? Straight-up fiesta. A Spanish tortilla (egg-potato-and-onion, not taco blanket), silky from slowly cooked potatoes and onions and then baked to golden perfection. Garlicky shrimp begging for bread. Meatballs rich enough to run for Congress. Papas bravas buzzing with paprika. And a romesco sauce so good I licked the plate when no one was spying. We roasted peppers over open flames, smashed tomatoes with our bare hands like gleeful toddlers, and obliterated an entire bulb of garlic. Reader, it was glorious.

When we finally sat at the communal table, it felt less like class and more like a tapas party we’d accidentally thrown. Plates clinked, yums were expressed, and there was that blissful hush when everyone’s too busy chewing to talk. Pam declared the tortilla “better than any restaurant,” and I had to agree. Cooking alongside strangers, Karen, who has seen me at my most feral baseball mom self, was surprisingly bonding.

By the end, we were already plotting our next stamp on the culinary passport. Morocco? Korea? Maybe eclairs? All I know is this: cooking school isn’t about learning to flip a tortilla or thin-slice an onion—it’s about remembering food is supposed to be fun. And if that means smashing tomatoes with my bare hands like a toddler every few months, then sign me up for the advanced degree.

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When Ana and Guillermo Reyes noticed a guest quietly crying in the dining room, they approached with concern. The explanation stopped them in their tracks.

“He said the beans tasted like his mother’s,” Ana recalled.

This moment captures the soul of Hacienda San Raphael – food that doesn’t just satisfy hunger, it stirs memories.

After spending a long afternoon with the Reyeses at their Longmont restaurant, I found myself flooded with similar emotion. Impeccably fresh Latin dishes are only part of the experience. What lingers long after the meal is an unmistakable warmth and a sense of family woven into every corner of the space.

Ana and Guillermo treat every guest like kin. The passionate husband-and-wife team poured their hearts into creating a homey, colorful sanctuary inspired by their Mexican heritage and travels across Central and South America.

“The menu is ‘Cocina Latina,’ not just Mexican,” Ana explained. “There are dishes from Argentina, Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela. We tried homemade mom and grandma recipes in a lot of hard-to-reach places.”

Hacienda San Raphael quietly opened in an unassuming stretch of Longmont’s Main Street in June. The interior is whimsical, bright, and lovingly handmade. Ana and Guillermo personally curated every piece of furniture and oversaw every detail – with a little help from their young children.

“Our kids said, ‘Mommy, this is the worst summer ever,’” Ana laughed. “They were helping us paint the tables and chairs.”

Both Ana and Guillermo grew up in Monterrey, Mexico. Ana is a schoolteacher, and Guillermo comes from a strong background in hospitality. The couple met in Miami before relocating to Colorado’s Front Range. Guillermo, a University of Colorado graduate, felt a natural pull to the area.

After watching her husband tirelessly manage every aspect of multiple restaurants, Ana encouraged Guillermo to channel his skillset into opening something of their own.

“If I could describe this restaurant in one word, it would be ‘unique,’” Guillermo said.

He and Ana were introduced to Chef Victor Colunga through family ties. Colunga previously worked in two Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico before relocating to the United States. Despite his impressive pedigree, he avoids comparisons to past accolades. When Guillermo approached him about the project, Colunga immediately embraced the vision: high-quality, soulful cooking that reflects the depth and diversity of Latin American cuisine.

Chef Victor Colunga

Drawing inspiration from his own travels and multicultural culinary experience, Colunga incorporates a fusion element into the menu, yielding mouthwatering results. One of the chef’s personal favorites, Ají de Camarones, is a Latin and Italian-influenced dish featuring spaghetti tossed in a tangy, creamy ají amarillo sauce topped with perfectly grilled shrimp, peppers, onions, and parmesan.

Deep respect and thoughtful collaboration between Colugna and the Reyeses is apparent. During my time at Hacienda San Raphael, I was truly blown away by every plate.

The Cachapa Venezolana de Queso y Ribeye showcases a corn pancake layered with mozzarella and tender ribeye, served with crisp fried yucca – an homage to travels in Venezuela.

The Tostones Rellenos, inspired by Colombia, present golden plantain cups filled with juicy shredded beef.

Familiar Mexican favorites such as tacos, enchiladas, and chile rellenos are all made from scratch – never frozen. “People love our Mexican food because all 

of our salsas are freshly made. Even our margaritas do not have sweet-and-sour mix. We try to do everything fresh and in the moment,” said Guillermo.

Not to mention, Colugna’s “postres” deserve special recognition. The seasonal flan and arroz con leche are fine-dining-caliber desserts.

The drink menu includes margaritas, mojitos, micheladas, martinis, a variety of original cocktails, beer, wine, and spirits. Ana generously prepared me a selection of well-balanced beverages behind the bar she built with her husband.

When scouting a location for the restaurant, ample parking was non-negotiable. The Reyeses immediately fell in love with 1935 Main Street. In addition to being a centrally located spot that offers ease and accessibility, the space itself sparked Ana’s imagination. “I saw the large windows and imagined guests coming in for a homemade meal while watching the snow fall outside,” she said.

Ana and Guillermo Reyes are deeply grateful for the community’s support. “Our customers have been so patient and kind from the beginning. We built this restaurant to offer high-quality food. As parents, we know how hard it can be to cook at home or find healthy, homemade meals out,” said Ana.

At its core, Hacienda San Raphael is rooted in community, quality, and genuine hospitality.

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As we come into the New Year, people often have one big goal of completing Dry January to “cleanse” after a big month of December drinking. Whether it’s for health reasons, budget, or your relationship with alcohol, going sober for a spell isn’t a new idea but it is worth considering. 

Everyone’s journey with sobriety and drinking is different, so if you’re considering going dry for January and beyond, there are unique options to make phasing out a

lcohol in your life a little easier–and more fun. 

I met with Charlie Drury, the lead bartender and general manager at Tonic Alchemy Lounge on Pearl. He welcomed me in out of the cold one Friday afternoon, and we jumped into the importance of spaces with non-alcoholic alternatives. 

“To put it plainly, without spaces like this, it’s almost like real conversations for conversation’s sake don’t seem to happen,” Drury starts. “I’ve heard from people that, in the more fast-paced drinking and bar culture, it’s fun. But it revolves around the drinks, the bar, the tickets, the next bar. There’s more pressure than they want.”

Tonic Alchemy Lounge has been on Pearl for 25 years, offering alternatives to alcohol since 2000. Their menu includes kava, culinary mushrooms, and even an oxygen aroma infusion. They do offer a selection of wines to welcome any individual or group to the Lounge. Overall, it’s an aside from the usual bustle of Boulder and a chance to take a second for yourself and your community.

“It’s a place where people can kind of try on any different way of relaxing that isn’t the norm,” Drury says. “It’s okay to test the waters here. Try something herbal, try something chocolatey that opens up your heart or gives your blood a nice boost.”

Drury has been with Tonic Alchemy Lounge for four years, after his friends purchased the space when the original owner, Mark, passed away. Drury has his own background in food and beverage, combined with an interest in holistic medicine. 

“[Tonic] is a safe space,” Drury explains. “[I]t gives a wider range of people a space where they can still socialize, but they’re don’t have to have their guard up like they might in a bar […] We see that, we acknowledge that, and we encourage that here. Find people who honor and respect the clarity you’re seeking and invite that in. [Tonic is] where we’re all getting on that wavelength together, and also acknowledging that you’ve got to meet people where they are.”

For anyone interested in going sober but they’re not sure where to start, Charlie offers some advice.

“It’s the pattern breaking that, in my own experience, can be the most difficult part,” Drury acknowledges. “You want something to change, that’s amazing. You’ve already started the biggest part of that journey. 

“When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, remember the three-week rule. If you can make it past that three-week mark and not go backwards, that’s huge. Also, set a cool itinerary for yourself for January. If you’re going to try it, give yourself a roadmap. Have things to look forward to, new herbs to try, new recipes to make, or plan a fun night at home.”

“Also: find benign things to get a little naughty with like Spindrift [soda waters] or hot chocolate. You don’t have to punish yourself. You can still want something and get that fixation, and we’re here to be that for people. Go do something for yourself that helps you get that part of yourself taken care of as you start to find clarity. I read that the other day, and I think it’s fun, but important for people to remember.”

For anyone interested in trying non-alcoholic options at home, Charlie has some options:

#1: “Start simple. Actual fruit-squeezed soda water is a great base or enjoyed on its own. With that, you’re already halfway there.” 

#2: “Throw in some grapefruit juice and a Spindrift over ice, and you’re off to a great start. Some of those fun non-alcoholic spirits are fun as well, too.” 

#3: “Everything from 30% grade tinctures to honey-infused herbal concentrates, I would start to explore the range of tinctures, all the way to thick herbal concentrates and cordials. You can throw in lavender, relaxing herbs, you name it. Otherwise, things that are going to be a little easier to work with at home might be herbal concentrates. 

#4: “Incorporate what you keep in your cabinet.”

#5: “If you can start making kombucha at home and you’re more of those savvy people, you can have a lot of fun with that. Anything that’s probiotic, good for the gut, and tasty to try.”

Whatever works for you and your roadmap!

“Check us out here at Tonic,” Drury finishes. “Check out Rebecca’s Apothecary, check out other local spots. Check out Natural Grocers and ask somebody there what are their favorite herbs or tinctures to relax. People know a lot around this town. It’s a great community.”

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If you really want to understand the heart of Kalita Grill, don’t start in the dining room—start in the grocery aisles. One of the owners, Armen Madoyan, earnestly said that they grocery shop for their own food. He wants to see, smell and touch the ingredients to determine if they are worthy of his guests. He’s inspecting tomatoes the way a jeweler inspects diamonds, rejecting anything that doesn’t meet his unspoken standard. This is a man who refuses to outsource the heartbeat of his food. “I like to buy everything myself,” he told me, and you believe him instantly. 

Kalita Grill is a family story, but not in the sentimental, scripted way restaurants like to market themselves. It’s a story shaped by detours, stubbornness, and faith. Years ago, Armen packed up his life in Boulder and moved to Seattle, working alongside his wife Tanya’s uncle at his Greek restaurant. Armen left his job behind and stepped fully into kitchen life—learning not just technique, but the rhythm of the business: the rush, the stress, the relentlessness, the joy.

The plan was for the family to join him in Seattle. But kids have a way of redirecting adult plans, and theirs wanted to stay in Colorado. So they did. Giving up the dream of their own restaurant wasn’t an option. “Believing we could do it—that was the biggest challenge,” Tanya told me. Boulder’s restaurant density didn’t make things easier with over 450 restaurants at the time. But Boulder welcomed them. And now Lafayette, barely a month into housing their newest location, has practically embraced them as family. “Everyone walks in and says, ‘Welcome to Lafayette,’” Tanya said, smiling. “And you can tell they mean it. It’s beautiful.”

Greek and Armenian cooking share a lot of DNA, but the Madoyans will tell you there’s nothing more powerful than an Armenian kitchen. Food, for them, is memory and inheritance. And those memories don’t just come from the women in the family. Armen’s father still hand-rolls every dolma the restaurant serves and makes the baklava by hand. That detail lands with weight. Dolma rolling is meditative, repetitive, and deeply personal: leaf by leaf, pinch by pinch, the kind of old-world precision that can’t be taught in a YouTube video. And baklava? Forty precise layers of phyllo, butter brushed delicately between each sheet, walnuts folded in with practiced instinct, finished with a syrup recipe guarded like a family secret. When you take a bite, it tastes like time. Like intention. Like someone’s life woven into a dessert.

Their food philosophy comes from a culture where you learn by watching, then helping, then inheriting responsibility and the ladle—an honored position for the matriarch. Tables in Tanya’s childhood home were set with fine china and silver even for everyday meals. Holidays were etiquette classes disguised as feasts. “I like beautiful things,” said Tanya. “It’s important to me, since you eat with your eyes first. Everything that is plated must be beautiful.” That instinct pulses through everything at Kalita. Their soups—lentil and avgolemono—are made every morning from scratch, no shortcuts, no giant vats simmering for days. The gyro meat is sliced, marinated, and seasoned in-house. Their Greek vendors (and both Tanya and Armen emphasize this: very Greek) deliver fresh pita, olives, feta, and phyllo every week. 

But tradition alone doesn’t keep a restaurant alive in Colorado. “Americans prefer things softer,” Armen says with a light shrug. Less intense spice. More lettuce. “Greek salad doesn’t traditionally have lettuce,” he told me, and laughed. “Americans love lettuce.” Kalita strikes a delicate balance—staying loyal to its roots while meeting people where they are. It’s not compromise; it’s hospitality. 

Speaking of hospitality: Armen and Tanya don’t treat diners like customers. “These are my guests,” Tanya insisted. And she means it. On a recent Tuesday night, Armen walked around the dining room offering warm, homemade cookies to everyone—just because. As a testament to their hospitality after only a few weeks in Lafayette, they already have regulars who come in twice a week. That’s not marketing. That’s Armenian hospitality: you feed people until they feel like family, and then you feed them more.

When it was time to eat, Armen emerged from the kitchen with plate after plate, beaming with joy in sharing his passion with others. I started with the Veggie Combo Plate which was an artfully arranged sampling of all the classics—Spanikopita, veggie dolma, falafel, hummus and baba ghanoush served with warm, delicious pita. The flavors were vibrant and fresh, a testament to the care Armen puts into selecting only the most perfect ingredients. The gyro meat is rich and cooked perfectly, thinly sliced as you want it to be. Broomfield resident Andy Williams, grabbed an entire order of just the meat to go. “Snacking meat,” he called it. The lamb, chicken and pork didn’t disappoint. The Kalita fries have a sauce on them that is so good they sell it. “I could eat this on anything,” added Williams. 

But the hero—the meat dolma. The flavor of the meat reflects generations of tradition. “No two grandmas make dolma the same, and this is our family’s recipe,” said Tanya. 

“If our food told one story,” Tanya said, “it would be clean, healthy, homemade. Love and effort in every dish.”

And she’s right. Because at Kalita Grill, you don’t just taste the food—you taste the hands that rolled, chopped, sliced, marinated, layered, and fussed over it. You taste the grocery aisles, the Seattle apprenticeship, grandma’s recipes, the father still rolling dolmas, and the brave decision to start again in a town that wasn’t waiting for them but welcomed them anyway.

And yes—you absolutely taste the dolma. Which, in my case, might have been love at first bite.

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Colorado pride and wine were both flowing during the Colorado Uncorked event on October 18th.

Rugged class, passion to pursue something new, and authentic expression, from fine dress to cowboy boots and jeans. Guests were welcomed into the History of Colorado Center, greeted by excited winemakers and chefs from around the state, who came together to pair the new Governor’s Cup award-winning wines with expert food tastings.

Everyone was there to wine and dine.

It was a gorgeous evening out in Denver, a rare date night in the city for my husband and I, an elegant way to experience the state’s food and wine scene. Colorado Uncorked is the public’s only chance to taste the 2025 Governor’s Cup Collection in one place, at one time, all paired with small bite menu items prepared by some of Colorado’s most celebrated chefs.

The 2025 Governor’s Cup Collection consisted of the top-scoring Colorado wines – seven red and five white – from nine different wineries. In total, there were 251 wine submissions from 53 wineries, including 43 Colorado wineries and meaderies.

“People are surprised when I say there’s over 150 wineries in the state,” said Kyle Schlachter, Executive Director for the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board (CWIDB) at the Colorado Department of Agriculture. “That is way more wineries than what I thought we had when I first started, too. They’re all very small, all family-owned. Our entire state’s production is probably smaller than one wine made at a medium-sized winery in California.”

Schlachter, originally from Wisconsin, moved to Colorado to attend the University of Denver. “My degree is in geography,” he explains. “I became fascinated with how wine changed depending on where it was made—the different regions and countries. I wanted to explore how a Cabernet Sauvignon grape tasted in California versus Argentina versus France.”

Schlachter also serves as the mayor of Littleton, having been directly elected in 2021. He’s been involved with the CWIDB for 12 years and has served as director for three years.

Eight Idaho wineries, one Arizona winery, and one New Mexico meadery submitted for the first time this year. In total, 22 Double Gold medals, 17 Gold medals, 131 Silver medals, and 68 Bronze medals were awarded. Colorado is unique in that there are two grape-growing regions: the Grand Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) and the West Elks AVA.

“The wine industry in Colorado is changing,” Schlachter says. “We had a few cold events that wiped out some of the traditional grape varieties here a few years ago. Growers said, ‘We need to plant things that are more resistant to cold.’ So now about 20% of our vineyards have those cold-hardy varieties, and they make fabulous wines.”

Global wine production is at a 60-year low, Schlachter explains. “The best way to support winemakers is to drink more wine. Try anything that interests you. These 12 wines should excite all wine lovers in Colorado and beyond.”

It’s also an opportunity for wineries to work with restaurants from around the state and make it onto their wine lists. “We give the restaurants a bottle of the wine that they’ve been paired with so they can taste it and perfect that pairing,” Schlachter says. “Some of the restaurants actually are associated with the wineries, like this year Carboy is working with Angelos or Mesa Wines Farm and Winery has their Sips restaurant. There’s good coordination there.

“We’ve actually had wineries decide not to submit to the competition because they’ve said if they did well, they would sell out immediately. Which I always find fascinating because that’s the whole point. It’s a good opportunity, from the wineries’ perspective, to connect with top-tier restaurants and reach more consumers.”

The CWIDB uses the Governor’s Cup Collection to represent Colorado wine around the state and across the country. The award-winning wines will also be used for educational purposes at winemaker roundtables to recognize and improve the overall quality of Colorado wines.

Overall, it was a great night at the 2025 Colorado Uncorked event. Guests had skyline views of Denver and an opportunity to connect with winemakers and chefs. The History of Colorado Center opened their 90s exhibit, reminding folks how we were all part of a certain vintage. Everyone was kind, gracious, and eager to talk about wine.

The Best In Show White was awarded to Ignacio’s Fox Fire Farms 2024 Aromella, characterized by notes of honeysuckle and citrus peel, truly representing the snowy peaks of the San Juans. Both the Best Red and Best in Show were awarded to Sauvage Spectrum in Palisade for their 2024 Zweigelt, which was dynamic and well paired with Denver’s The Wolf’s Tailor. They served bison tongue with a watermelon red braise, black vinegar glaze, and pickled goji berries.

“Our winemakers really are connected to the state and want to support our local farmers,” Schlachter says. “It’s the kind of adventurous pioneering spirit of Colorado.”

This year’s Colorado Uncorked event was an inspiring example of Colorado’s creative means to make the most of our climate, with mountain-made wines, locally sourced foods, and a true sense of community.

Our favorite wine was the Pinot Gris by Stone Cottage Cellars in Paonia—a surprise since we’re both red wine lovers—and it opened up daydreams of going back to Verona to experience more wine, like when we first got together. It was a great opportunity for us to be present together, and reminded us why we love Colorado so much—for our community, perseverance, and heart.

Consider checking out next year’s Colorado Uncorked event and be sure to try this year’s Governor’s Cup winners. Learn more at coloradowine.com.

The post In the Cups: Behind the Scenes of Colorado Uncorked — What Wines to Check Out This Holiday Season appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

A Main Street Longmont Old Fashioned Tour

Times like these call for something stronger than kombucha. The Old Fashioned dates back to the late 19th century. Where it originated remains up for debate, with Louisville, Kentucky and New York City vying for that honor. Whatever tale you believe, there is no denying its place as a classic, and it’s hard to find a menu that doesn’t offer some version of it.

Finding a friend who loves them as much as I do provided an opportunity to do an Old Fashioned tour. Wanting quality and walkability, I knew where we were headed: Main Street Longmont. I planned our stops, grabbed my notebook, and set forth to learn more about this drink from the people serving it. 

We started at The Roost, part of Longmont’s Gafner group of restaurants. Jennifer, our bartender, explained the foundation of the drink with their House Old Fashioned. It’s a simple drink composed of spirit, sugar, and bitters. From there, mixologists riff on that core. The Roost offers a plethora of bourbons and whiskeys and has a selection of spirits from local Colorado distilleries. Their House consisted of Buffalo Trace bourbon, demerara sugar, and bitters. I found it to be a classic taste: spirit-forward, smooth, and slightly sweet.

Jennifer explains how an Old Fashioned is one of her favorites. She loves the simplicity and the variety of whiskeys and bourbons, which create nuanced flavors. Plus, mixologists can get creative by using different spirits, but despite that, it still feels familiar. In October and November, The Roost and 99 Bar Saloon asks every bartender to create an Old Fashioned that is featured for one day. 

“I’m already working on mine,” Jennifer says with a grin.

Abbott & Wallace waits a mere one and a half blocks off Main Street. This grain-to-glass distillery commits to Colorado-grown ingredients and small-batch distillation. They source their grain from Schlagel Farms, only 5 miles away. While there, we meet co-founder John Young, who provides his take on the Old Fashioned. It’s their signature cocktail and the most popular one to do fun riffs on using the different spirits produced in-house. Committing to the classic core ingredients, their house Old Fashioned uses a sugar cube, which makes it easy to control measurements. My friend and I split one of these before moving on to an irresistible offering.

On the seasonal menu, we find a Bacon Old Fashioned. The bartenders collect bacon fat and infuse their house bourbon, a process known as fat washing. The sugar part of it comes from maple syrup, and the bitters consist of house bitters and walnut bitters. It’s then smoked for added flavor. Sam, our bartender, serves it up along with his thoughts on the Old Fashioned; it’s hard to go wrong because it’s timeless and comforting. This version definitely provides depth to the drink, with the bacon fat creating a unique viscosity.

Dry Land Distillers bill themselves as ground-to-glass. They celebrate Colorado by using native and local ingredients in their spirits. This time we pick the spirit to put in our Old Fashioned. We go with the rye. The cocktail reads bright and crisp, with hints of honey and comes in a slightly bougie glass. We discover a difference in the sweet component; Dry Land uses simple syrup.

Nels Wroe, owner and head distiller, takes time out of his busy day to come and sit with us. He explains he likes using the simple syrup because, when made in-house, control over the sweetness increases. Regarding ice, Wroe appreciates the large cube as it allows for the water to slowly dissipate into the drink. This provides for different experiences as the larger cube slowly melts. My friend, an engineer by trade who loves to quantify things, brings up how this process plays out in our tour.

I started off this tour appreciating the simplicity of my favorite adult beverage. As the day progressed, I became more aware of the complexity hidden under the surface. If you’re looking for a fun cocktail adventure, Main Street Longmont definitely delivers. Easy walking, friendly staff, and great beverages comprise the core ingredients.

You may be wondering what the best of the day was. Wroe sums it up perfectly.

“The best Old Fashioned is the one you like.”

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Stella’s Cucina is a stunner — one of the best things to happen to Boulder since the legalization of cannabis. Speaking of the beloved botanical: when Stella Spanu and her husband, Jason Fibel, first envisioned Stella’s Cucina, their goal was to create something the world had never seen — a safe, sophisticated space where guests could enjoy marijuana alongside exquisite Italian cuisine.

The concept began with a marriage of art and science. Spanu, who grew up between Manhattan and Rome, comes from a family deeply rooted in the art world and the restaurant scene of Sardinia. Fibel, whose background lies in plant science, fell in love with food through Spanu’s lifelong passion for Italian gastronomy.

In 2019, the visionary duo purchased the building that formerly housed Walnut Brewery and enlisted architect Miguel Quismondo to design an Art Deco–inspired interior. Together, they outfitted the restaurant with a hospital-grade filtration system, sleek leather booths with built-in outlets for smoking devices, and even a subtle cannabis-leaf stenciled wall — among other thoughtful touches. However, when the city of Boulder opted out of legislation permitting cannabis consumption in hospitality venues, Spanu and Fibel pivoted to full-scale Italian in 2023.

Upon entering, Stella’s Cucina feels like a luxe speakeasy. The discreet entrance opens to an experience that’s impossible to forget. “A lot of heart and passion went into this place,” said Fibel, noting how every detail was designed to transport guests far beyond Boulder. In addition to superb sound and lighting, a regal navy-and-gold color palette, gleaming central bar, and softly curved interiors harmoniously create an atmosphere that is as immersive as it is elegant. “This is not just a place to get dinner,” Fibel explained. “It’s an experience.”

The hyper-seasonal Italian menu showcases handmade pastas, vibrant salads, gorgeous vegetables, perfectly executed proteins, and decadent desserts — each a crave-worthy work of art. Insalata a la Mano is a refined interpretation of a classic Caesar, featuring romaine hearts, white anchovy, three-year-aged Parmigiano Reggiano, house-made cesare foam, and golden croutons. Pasta highlights include Spaghetti al Pomodoro — house-made spaghetti tossed with Stella’s family recipe pomodoro, garlic-infused olive oil, and fresh basil — and Fusilloni al Ragù d’Agnello, with Colorado lamb, white ragù, fried artichokes, and mint. For those seeking something heartier, the Brasato al Barolo is a melt-in-your-mouth revelation: red wine–braised short rib with caramelized baby fennel, smoked potato purée, and a silky demi-glace.

While cannabis remains off the menu, Stella’s invites guests to get a little weird with its inventive bar program. Sip a glass from the robust wine list, a revitalizing non-alcoholic bubbly, or a signature cocktail like the Mia Marmellata — a blend of apricot and sage purée, dark rye whiskey, apricot liqueur, Amaro Nonino, and lemon. Craving a twist on a classic? Try the Negroni Giallo, featuring thyme-infused Marconi gin, Suze, Contratto vermouth, Tosti Vermouth Riserva, and yellow Chartreuse.

Zero-proof cocktails receive special attention as well. The Phony Spumoni channels the essence of the beloved dessert with Giffard Aperitif, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, lime, and Fever Tree soda water. For something crisp and invigorating, the Cetriolo Spritz combines cucumber, basil, lemon, Fever Tree tonic, and Thompson & Scott ‘Noughty’ N/A sparkling chardonnay.

Although Stella’s never became the cannabis-centric concept originally imagined, Spanu and Fibel have created something equally remarkable — a sanctuary for the senses. Live music fills the space five nights a week, from sultry jazz to vibrant DJ sets. On Fridays and Saturdays, Stella’s transforms into a chic late-night lounge, complete with a state-of-the-art sound system and a limited menu of late-night fare.

If the promise of fabulous food, exceptional drinks, and a stunning atmosphere isn’t enough to draw you in, Stella’s Cucina has also earned a coveted place in the Michelin Guide.

“There is nothing we want more than to be a part of this community in Boulder for many years to come,” says Fibel.

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The post Stella’s Cucina | Off Menu appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

More than a hotdog stand, these Dogs are Gourmet

Fat and juicy, this sausage is one you’ll want to sit down for.
Rocket Dogs, the newest addition to the Tilt! Pinball and The Louisville Underground family, boasts not only gourmet and creative hot dogs, but also a smattering of sandwiches, salads, and appetizers. Just like its older sibling establishments, Rocket Dogs has been deeply embedded in the Louisville community since its conception.

“If you come down and get a dog,” says Steve Long, founder and longtime Louisville resident, “most of the employees you interact with live here; the meat comes from one of the Louisville sausage companies, the beer is local. We aimed to be so ingrained in the community that you can’t separate Louisville from us.”

For Long, being a part of the community is more than just buying local products; his businesses can be seen as sponsors for local school fundraisers, nonprofits, and city events. Long knows his community, and he knows his clients. “I have gotten to watch so many kids grow up; they start coming in [to Tilt!] when they are just yay-high, “he gestures about three feet tall, “and now many are graduating from college.” This is what drives him to keep creating spaces.

Long’s sense of community can be seen in his perfect pairing: the Sonoran Dog, a  Top Rope Mexican Lager from The Post, and a game of Rocky and Bullwinkle Pinball. He explains, “It is inspired by the bacon-wrapped hot dogs sold in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and Arizona. It’s smothered in pinto beans and pico de gallo, it’s not the kind of hot dog you just pick up and eat; you need a fork to really dive in.” These hot dogs remind him of time spent south of Colorado, enjoying different cultures and people, a kind of one-world society he’s brought to this small town.

If Long represents community, then his business partner, Mark Oberholzer, showcases the fun. His light and jovial nature shines bright immediately, and it’s essentially how he got involved in the business. “When Steve [Long] started Tilt!, he was the only one running it. I was a big pinball guy growing up, so I was there all the time.” Oberholzer goes on to explain that over time, he and Steve became good friends: “I would be playing a game late, Steve would want to go home, so he would give me the keys to lock up.”

As time went on, Long started to burn out running the pinball arcade alone and decided to close down. But Oberholzer wasn’t going to let that happen. “We bought in and moved the business to where it is now.”

It’s this teamwork that made Rocket Dogs possible. Oberholzer’s charismatic joy filters through to all employees, making them excited to show up day in and day out.

His perfect pairing? The Fancy Pants Hot Dog with a Crystal Springs Blood Orange Kölsch and a game of Addams Family pinball. “It’s a prosciutto-wrapped dog topped with whipped goat cheese, fig jam, a honey drizzle, and some arugula, so I can tell my wife I ate some greens.”

The last piece of this trifecta is creativity. Enter Chef Ben Keisler, the mastermind behind the deluxe menu. Keisler grew up in the restaurant industry, with his grandparents running The Old Louisville Inn, now 740 Front Street. “I grew up in the back of the restaurant and learned to really love cooking. I moved to Boulder to go to culinary school and have been cooking at various restaurants around town since.” While the newest addition to the trio, Keisler, expresses the same enthusiasm for the establishment as his counterparts, “I jumped when this opportunity came up. It was great food, really fun, and great vibes.”

Keisler’s love for his menu is shown in his perfect pairing, where he couldn’t pick just one entrée. For him, it’s a toss-up between the Sticky Thai Chicken Sandwich or the Seattle Dog, paired with a Crystal Springs Orange Kölsch, and a game of cornhole on the shop’s front patio. “The sandwich is tossed in Thai sticky sauce that we make in-house, caramelizing the garlic, ginger, green onions, then adding a whole bunch of Asian sauces.” He goes on to say that it’s served with spicy peppers and red onions, all presented on a choice of brioche or gluten-free bun.

To find your own perfect pairing, you can either enjoy Rocket Dogs at their storefront or order from next door at Tilt! Pinball, Louisville Underground, or Crystal Springs Brewing.

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The post Off the Menu: Rocket Dogs appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

When the Front Range finally thaws and the skies stretch out blue and wide, there’s no better time to park yourself on a patio. From breezy brunches to fire-lit evenings, the local area offers an impressive spread of al fresco experiences—whether you’re sipping spritzes on a rooftop in Boulder or chasing kids through a cider garden in Lafayette.

Start with Acreage in Lafayette, arguably the most rambunctious patio on this side of the Flatirons. This adult-friendly backyard paradise features cider flights, yard games, big open skies, and a lawn perfect for sprawling with friends—or feral toddlers. It’s a family-friendly party vibe, complete with a whole hill to roll down. There’s always another cider within reach, and the sunsets here tend to show off.

Looking for variety? Try Community in Lafayette for excellent food and laid-back small-town energy, The Post Chicken & Beer in Longmont for family-style comfort food under string lights, or Waterloo in Louisville, where the rooftop patio feels like your coolest friend’s backyard cookout. In Erie, Birdhouse, the sister restaurant to Community, offers to-die-for tacos and vibrant ramen dishes (yes, really) and both a street-level and secret rooftop patio. Most are dog- and kid-friendly, with shades, umbrellas, misters, and heaters to stretch the season well into shoulder months.

But two Boulder standouts deserve a deeper look: River and Woods and Rosetta Hall, each offering a unique take on what makes a patio more than just an outdoor table.

Tucked into the historic shell of John’s—Boulder’s former italian fine-dining staple—River and Woods reimagines the restaurant patio as a backyard retreat with just a touch of storybook charm. “We wanted it to feel like you’re meeting at your grandma’s house,” said General Manager Maddie Curry. “Everyone loves their family, and every family is a little weird.”

The patio’s main, long community table is cut from a single massive tree, swirling purple grain echoing the whimsical vibe of the “forest room” in back. It’s rustic but intentional: alpine-inspired without leaning on kitsch. An adjustable roof keeps it breezy on hot days and cozy in winter, with heaters, lambskin shawls, and blankets at the ready. At the holidays, they turn it into a winter wonderland of twinkle lights and wreaths—sometimes warmer than the drafty historic house it’s attached to.

A block off Pearl Street, Rosetta Hall is a design-forward food hall with a rooftop patio built for everything from brunches with grandma to late-night DJ sets. “It’s something for everyone,” said Director of Operations Sarah Beckwith. “We’ve got big community tables, cabanas, fire pits, and spaces to gather—whether you’re on a team retreat or just out with friends.”

This isn’t just a patio—it’s a vibe. Misters and massive shades keep it cool in summer, while fire pits, heaters, and hot toddies with High West whiskey warm things up in the winter. They’ve even leaned into ski-lodge aesthetics in the off-season, complete with ski-lift photo ops and seasonal cocktails like the Garden Brrrrritz—a frozen take on their elderflower gin spritz.

Rosetta’s food stalls keep things casual and eclectic. Try the Salatim from Amira for a sampling of dips, veggies and falafel. The Al Pastor Tacos from Cruz offer a casual meal while lounging on the expansive cabanas. Another great patio option is the Burrata and Crostini from Amalfi. Bonus: nearly every cocktail has a non-alcoholic counterpart. 

In Erie, the summer Erie Eats Al Fresco initiative has allowed restaurants to extend dining into sidewalks and parking spaces, and the town supports local events that activate outdoor areas with live music and food trucks. Louisville has followed suit with seasonal street closures and permit flexibility, helping downtown spots maximize outdoor seating with minimal red tape.

As city leaders recognize how vital patios have become to small business recovery and community connection, residents get to enjoy the benefits: more sunshine, more music, and more memorable meals under Colorado skies.

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The post Foodie: Porch, Patio, or Party Deck? Yes, Please. appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Are these soda alternatives truly gut-healthy, or is the media fooling us? Exploring the reality of real nutrition and the truth behind what the leading soda companies are doing to our planet. We discovered how to preserve that tasty, carbonated sip without sacrifice.

With a steady decline in traditional soda, a new champion is slowly rising to the top: “gut-healthy” soda alternatives. According to IBIS World, big-name companies are plummeting in profit, and we are becoming increasingly more aware of the high amount of sugar and additives in traditional sodas. Traditional soda consumption has decreased by 25% in just the last 5 years.(Rose, 2025). Healthier soda alternatives are becoming increasingly more popular, so one might wonder if they’re too good to be true. 

We hear the truth from dietitian Jennifer Sommer-Dirks, owner of Active Fueling, a sports nutrition company that specializes in endurance sports and disordered eating. Jennifer is passionate about teaching people how to fuel their lives properly at Active Fueling! To preface, it is pivotal to remember that mindfulness and balance are the most important things in one’s diet. Shaming people out of their favorite beverage is not the goal here. Jennifer adds, “We don’t need to associate food with morality, labeling them as good or bad. Having the occasional soda is fine.” Being aware of how much sugar you consume is wise, but soda itself does not need to be labeled as inherently bad. There are foods and drinks, in this case, that are cleaner and offer benefits, and foods that we simply enjoy for their taste.  

These “gut-healthy” sodas are greatly praised for their benefits and taste. So are they truly as good as they claim to be?  I examined the truth with Jennifer. Surprisingly, “It’s hard to say if there is actually any benefit from these gut-healthy sodas,” Jennifer replied. Her philosophy is to prioritize obtaining the necessary nutrients from food first, then supplementing with additional vitamins and minerals, with the focus being on proper nutrition. Jennifer explains, “These drinks aren’t going to make up for a diet lacking in fiber or probiotics; they don’t have enough probiotics or prebiotics in them to do very much. From the perspective of sugar, they are a healthier option because of a lower sugar content, but not a miracle food.”  Jennifer said, “gut health affects everything, our metabolism, hormones, immune system, and mental health. It is very important to have a healthy gut. I wouldn’t want someone to think they have a healthy gut just because they are drinking one of these sodas.” 

There is, however, a problem that needs more attention than the sugar in your soda: unethical behavior.  While big-name companies claim to be actively more sustainable, they simply are not. Companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi facilitate some of the highest-rated unethical practices in the soda industry.(Tearfund, 2019). Not to mention, they are responsible for millions of pounds of plastic that we find on our planet today. They continually damage our planet through non-regenerative farming, which depletes our soil, pollutes the air, and fills the seas with toxic plastic. We can make a difference by supporting local soda companies, as they utilize recycled plastics, employ regenerative farming practices, and incorporate high-quality ingredients. 

If you’re looking for a place to start on your alternative soda journey, here’s a breakdown of the best locally sourced options. These local brands are worth your money and taste just as good, if not better, than traditional soda. These few brands are sustainably sourced and reduce waste. 

Locally Made Soda Alternatives

Doctor D’s – a sparkling probiotic drink that offers a delightful sip. It contains living probiotic kefir water, which supports digestive and immune health. The Tart Cherry flavor is slightly sweet with that classic pucker of cherry and a lemony tang on the tongue. The perfect mocktail-vibe drink to sip out on your porch Friday evening as the sun is setting.  Based in Louisville, Colorado you can find this beverage at most local grocery stores and markets. 

Julian’s Cliffhouse – An all-organic kombucha beverage with a fizz that refreshes the tummy. With only 5 grams of sugar, the mango passionfruit flavor complements the lovely, fermented kombucha flair. Found in their classic glass bottle, Julian’s Cliffhouse does kombucha right. This family-owned business has been producing kombucha since 1985, a tradition brought all the way from Germany. Expertly handcrafted with no additives in Jamestown Co.

Found locally, you can enjoy your kombucha with a freshly-baked pastry or sandwich at Moxie Bread.

Rowdy Mermaid – With a crisp crack of the can, you will be asking yourself why you haven’t been drinking this all along. A good mood soda, with only 4 grams of sugar, the orange flavor is simply perfection. It contains ashwagandha to lighten the weight on your shoulders and clear your mind. This mood-rejuvenating beverage is sustainably sourced, caffeine-free, and based in Boulder. Visit Button Rock Bakery in Lafayette to grab a Rowdy Mermaid alongside their airy avocado egg sandwich. 

Sati Soda – A functional hemp-focused beverage. The Ginger Chill is a bubbling symphony of flavor. The crisp burn of the ginger, accompanied by the relaxing dandelion root, is a pleasure to sip. Based in Boulder, Sati has a mission to reinvent soda. With a variety of CBD-centered options, Sati is making a unique, better soda. 

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The post In The Cups | Death of soda? Rise of the “gut-healthy” soda, trendy or timeless? appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

At T/aco, the patio doubles as Peter Waters’ front porch—where the tacos are hot, the weather’s warmer, and every lunch feels like a neighborhood reunion hosted by the homecoming king himself. T/aco isn’t trying to be trendy. No neon taco signs, no culinary circus acts—just scratch-made food and the familiar hum of regulars returning. After a long, easy lunch with Waters, it’s clear that T/aco is built on quiet loyalty, handmade tortillas, and the kind of unshakable team that tells you everything you need to know about the guy running the show.

Let’s clear up the name: it’s pronounced “tee-aco,” not taco. Waters’ original partners—who he’s since bought out—also owned H-Burger, and T/aco felt like a natural next step in the alphabet. The name still sparks plenty of confusion, but as Waters says, call it whatever you want—as long as you’re showing up hungry.

“It’s all about people,” he said, not as a pitch but as a principle. “If you don’t understand that, nothing else you do will last.”

You can see it on the plate—house-made tortillas from masa ground right in the restaurant, slightly nutty and warm, kissed with char.

But the real story starts in the kitchen, where three women—Esmerelda, Martha, and Maria—have been the backbone since day one. Thirteen years in the same space, shoulder to shoulder, grinding masa, flipping tortillas, filling tacos with the kind of precision and pride that can’t be faked. 

“They are the heart,” Waters said. “They care in a way you can’t train. They make this place what it is and it’s my job to get out of their way.”

These women aren’t background noise. They are the rhythm of the place—steady, soulful, essential. They work with quiet intensity and deep camaraderie, moving like parts of a single machine. Waters isn’t just their boss; he’s their partner. And that harmony is why T/aco works.

Waters didn’t grow up in restaurants. His background was in tech and sales—pitch decks, performance goals, endless flights. But the call of food, of people, of building something tangible, kept pulling at him. So when the chance to open a taqueria came along in 2012, he jumped.

“I didn’t know how to do anything,” he laughed. “But I knew how I wanted people to feel when they came in, so I figured it out and built a good team.”

That instinct—that hospitality is about care, not polish—has guided him ever since. It’s why customers return week after week.

There’s even a secret menu, hidden in plain sight. On a salt shaker or tucked on the wall, a small QR code leads you to rotating specials: upscale, playful dishes that let the kitchen stretch its creativity. “It’s fun,” Waters said. “It’s a way for the kitchen to play, and for our guests to feel like they’re in on something special.”

A typical meal at T/aco includes three tacos. For meat lovers, don’t miss the pork belly—braised low and slow for eight hours until the fat melts away—or the carnitas, a tender, flavorful option inspired by a recipe from Big Star in Chicago. For a standout vegetarian pick, try the nopales. Many guests skip it out of cactus skepticism, but with a texture similar to cooked green beans and a punchy spice blend, it’s a sleeper hit you’ll be glad you didn’t miss.

Drinks get the same attention, especially the Waters Marg—a refreshing, non-alcoholic blend of soda water, lime juice, pineapple juice, and habanero syrup. It’s so popular, Waters is working on canning it.

“The pandemic could’ve crushed all of this,” Waters said, gesturing around him. They bottled cocktails, sold burritos out of a walk-up window, and partnered with charities to feed frontline workers and teachers. The community donated to charities, the team cooked, and the restaurant gave back. They survived by doing what they do best: taking care of people.

Back at the bar, it’s Friday night. The place is alive. Waters is pouring mezcal, greeting guests like old friends. The music’s vibing, the tortillas warm.

And in the kitchen, three women are doing what they’ve done for over a decade—feeding people, not just with food, but with care.

At T/aco, everything begins with heart. The rest—flavors, drinks, secret menus, merch—is just the good stuff that follows.

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The post Off Menu: The Craft, the Crew, and the Community Behind T/aco appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Tucked away on the West End of Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, C Bar is a world where hot dogs, caviar, and clever libations live in harmony.

This alluring new cocktail lounge is the latest venture from Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality, the dynamic restaurant group behind Oak at Fourteenth, Corrida, Brider, Bellota, and C Burger.

Big city inspiration is evident throughout the undeniably sexy space. Deep jewel tones, walnut accents, mid-century modern furnishings, and delicate glassware were meticulously curated to create an inviting atmosphere that is distinctly different for downtown Boulder.

 C Bar is the first cocktail bar concept by Bryan Dayton, one of Boulder’s most prolific restaurateurs. “It’s a place I want to hang out,” said Dayton, who spent two years quietly bringing the project to fruition. Prior to developing his diverse portfolio of restaurants, Dayton worked as a bartender for most of his career. He cut his teeth bartending at Pearl Street’s since-closed Juanita’s Mexican Restaurant before spending five years running the bar program at Frasca Food and Wine. In 2011, the cocktail connoisseur notably won Bombay Sapphire’s Most Inspired Bartender competition, landing him on the cover of GQ Magazine’s ‘Men of the Year’ issue. All this to say, the man knows a thing or two about the art of preparing a well-made drink.

One element that sets C Bar apart from Boulder’s existing lineup of watering holes is the emphasis on exceptional food. That’s right – patrons can pair their cocktail with more than olives and nuts. However, olives and nuts are certainly on the menu. Chef and Partner, Samuel McCandless, described his menu as “a simple, elegant, classic interpretation of bar food that isn’t boring.” C Bar’s shrimp cocktail, with tiger shrimp, red yuzu kosho cocktail sauce, and horseradish, could easily go head-to-head with a certain neighboring seafood mecca.

McCandless also serves as the Executive Chef and Partner of Corrida, a Spanish-inspired steakhouse, and C Burger, a fast-casual burger concept.

On a fateful day in 2021, McCandless was walking to work at the now-closed Supermoon (Formerly Arcana) on Walnut Street, when Dayton asked if he would be interested in setting up a tasting. The timing was right for McCandless, who took the helm of Corrida’s kitchen in the fall of 2021. McCandless was a part of the opening team for Frasca over two decades ago, where Dayton joined shortly after. The pair remained acquaintances throughout the evolution of their careers until a chance encounter ultimately led to a fruitful partnership.

Between McCandless’s culinary expertise and Dayton’s extensive bar background, the team is fluent in beef and booze. In addition to their restaurant partnerships, Dayton and McCandless are co-proprietors of Corrida Cattle Company (CCC), a distributor of high-quality, 100% regeneratively raised beef. The private label beef company uses a ‘whole animal’ approach, committed to “making the world a better place,” through sustainability, transparency, and regenerative practices. 

Unsurprisingly, C Bar’s burger is damn good. Featuring two 3 oz. CCC beef patties with beef tallow bordelaise triple-cream brie, crispy onions, and beef garum aioli, this standout menu item is the epitome of decadence.

In many ways, the dazzling drinking destination is a collaborative effort. The first page of C Bar’s menu reads, “A BD and DB collab,” referring to Bryan Dayton and Diego Baud. Dayton and Baud also met while working at Frasca.

The cocktail menu is 50% BD and 50% DB. Grand Som, with green Chartreuse, cucumber, and pineapple Peychaud’s bitters, is a BD original. Queen’s Elixer, with añejo tequila, lapsang, hibiscus, and egg white, is all DB.

While master mixologist Diego Baud currently oversees the bar program at P41 Bar & Coctelarium in Barcelona’s 5-star Hotel Arts, his influence has helped bring this Boulder concept to life.

For Dayton and McCandless, Boulder is not only their longtime home but also a community they cherish. After decades of gathering inspiration from cocktail bars around the globe, they are proud to bring what Dayton called “a super unique product with its own personality for our little town.” McCandless described C Bar as “upscale without being unapproachable.” When asked what their individual go-to “meals” would be at C Bar, Dayton went with caviar and chips, the West Side Dog, parmesan and truffle fries, and soft serve vanilla ice cream with caramel flakes. For McCandless? The tartare, Mikan Buri Crudo, and a fried chicken sandwich with 15 grams of Sturia Vintage caviar.

Despite the obvious frills, C Bar is a place to party. Sumptuous sophistication, straight up, with a twist. This not only describes the signature martini with a custom dirty mix and an optional side of caviar. The overall vibe is soft, sexy, sophisticated, and, most importantly, a lot of fun. Guests can expect live music on Friday nights. Down the line, there will be guest bartenders and interactive “Liquid Journey” cocktail classes with Diego Baud. As Dayton is currently working to expand the non-alcoholic beverage menu, spirit-free sippers can enjoy The Daisy Day N/A, with Ritual, orange, Pathfinder, and lime, as well as a ‘NOgroni’ and N/A Margarita. There is truly something for everyone. Dayton’s goal? “Have some fun in downtown Boulder and get after it.”

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The post Off Menu: C Bar appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

In the heart of Colorado, a unique wave of establishments is quietly reshaping the way we socialize—kava bars. With just four in 2021 and nearly 25 now operating across the state, the trend piqued my curiosity. Maybe, like me, you’ve driven past one and thought it was a quirky coffee shop. Kava, Java. I’m a simple woman. But step inside and you’ll discover something far more unexpected.

These venues offer a serene, alcohol-free alternative to traditional nightlife. They attract people seeking relaxation, sobriety, and genuine community—something increasingly rare in our fast-paced, digital world.

Among the pioneers in this movement is the Colorado Mountain Kava Company in Longmont, founded by Sam Monastra. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Monastra embarked on his journey to sobriety in 2018. His path was influenced by kratom, a Southeast Asian plant known for its mood-enhancing properties. Working in kratom stores throughout Ohio, Monastra gained firsthand experience in the plant-based wellness industry. When the pandemic led to the closure of these stores, Sam saw an opportunity to create something meaningful. With his dad and a silent partner with a shared vision for holistic living, the Colorado Mountain Kava Company was born in October 2021.

What started as a business quickly became something more. By collaborating with local businesses and focusing on connection over commerce, Colorado Mountain Kava evolved into a haven for those embracing sobriety. “In the early days, it felt like a business,” Monastra told me. “Now it feels like a community.” That sense of belonging is immediate when you walk in and are greeted by name—sometimes even by someone you’ve never met.

Kava, a root native to the South Pacific, has been used ceremonially for centuries. It promotes calm and relaxation without the cognitive fog of alcohol. That makes it an ideal choice for people in recovery or simply choosing to drink less. Monastra notes a growing trend among younger adults, especially 18- to 25-year-olds, who are leaning away from alcohol in favor of clearer minds and calmer vibes.

The Colorado Mountain Kava Company mirrors this trend by offering a welcoming environment equipped with pool tables, arcade games, and TVs—elements reminiscent of a traditional bar setting but centered around sober socialization.

To deepen the kava experience, the Colorado Mountain Kava Company has introduced several unique offerings. For the summer, their Kava Passport Program invites patrons to try every drink on the passport menu to collect stamps; complete it and you earn a custom rock glass. It’s fun, social, and perfect for the adventurous palate.

The recently launched mocktail menu is another hit. Kava Margaritas and Kava Mojitos combine favorite flavors with a mellow kick—minus the booze. For something different, try the Cream Soda Kratom, which comes in red, green, or white strain infusions for varying effects. Or sip a Lemon Drop Shot, made with kanna, a South African succulent known for its euphoric lift.

These offerings not only cater to diverse tastes but also align with the bar’s mission to provide enjoyable, sober experiences.

Just a short drive from Longmont, The Root Kava Co. in Boulder has been serving the community since 2018. As Boulder’s first traditional kava bar, it offers a similar ethos of relaxation and community. The Root Kava Co. prides itself on serving noble kava sourced from the South Pacific, ensuring high-quality and authentic experiences for its patrons. They also partner with several local businesses to provide additional ingredients for their menu.

Beyond beverages, The Root Kava Co. fosters a vibrant community through events like open mic nights, art showcases, and game nights. Their “All-You-Can-Drink” Wednesdays (with a $30 wristband) and First Friday celebrations highlight local artists and musicians, reinforcing the bar’s commitment to supporting the local creative scene.

The surge in Colorado kava bars speaks to a larger cultural shift—one that prioritizes wellness, connection, and consciousness. These spaces offer more than drinks; they’re redefining how we gather. No loud music, no hangovers, no pressure to “just have one.”

If you’ve been hesitant—if you, like me, mistook “kava” for coffee—consider this an invitation. What you’ll find behind those unassuming doors is a different kind of buzz: warm smiles, open minds, and a growing tribe of people rewriting the rules of nightlife.

So come in. Pull up a stool. Try something new. You might just find your people—in the cups.

The post Where Sober Meets Social in Colorado’s Kava Bars | In The Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

LONGMONT, Colo. — “I was born into it,” says Chef Jeremy McGrath, calm and unassuming, without a hint of bravado. It’s not a line rehearsed for effect—just a simple truth shaped by heat, repetition, and time. His father was a chef. McGrath grew up not so much in a home as in a kitchen, raised by timing and trial, honed by mistakes and discipline. From the beginning, it was clear: nothing would be handed to him. “He bought me a cookbook and said, ‘Read it. I’ll help, but do it on your own—see what you get.’” 

So he did. But he wasn’t memorizing recipes—he was following instinct. Learning by doing, failing, tasting. Listening more to silence than to instruction. “A lot of it was on me,” explains McGrath. At first, he was just trying to follow his father’s path. But over time, imitation gave way to ambition. 

“Life was always a competition. I wanted to beat it—but I kept moving forward.” Eventually, the torch passed—not ceremonially, but with a quiet nod. Explains McGrath, “When I was in my 20s, he said, ‘Yeah, you got me there.’” 

McGrath didn’t arrive here by climbing a single ladder. He took the long way—through the hard brunch shifts and deep fryer burns of Gainesville, Florida, deep in college football country. “The place I worked was packed on Saturdays—everyone getting brunch before the game.”He learned speed. Survival. The unglamorous kind of hustle that makes or breaks cooks. But New York changed everything. 

He states, “when I got to New York and worked for David Chang, it shifted my whole focus. Suddenly I thought—‘Oh, I can actually do something here.’” New York demanded more than effort—it demanded obsession. “In Florida, you do your eight hours and you’re done. In New York? You come early. You prep. You don’t clock in. You just get it done.” 

Even after service, the work kept going. McGrath recounts, “Clean. Prep for the next day. Write your list on the train home. It was nonstop.” Not glamorous. But formative. Today, McGrath is executive chef at Duets in Longmont. And the question he’s asking isn’t what can I make?—but what does this place need from me? 

His answer is deliberate, grounded. “We lean into French technique when it makes sense… but I don’t believe food has to fit in a box.” His style is rooted in structure but open in spirit. One night it’s delicate ravioli. Another, wings braised in Coca-Cola. The only rule: make it cohesive, and make it good. “It’s about finding combinations that feel right—for everyone.” There’s no ego here. Just curiosity, and momentum. He says, “we’re always trying to do something.” 

McGrath has worn every hat in a kitchen—line cook, sous, chef de cuisine, and executive. Now, he balances vision with logistics. Art with operations. “One side is: does this feel right, creatively? The other side is: does it make sense?” It’s a constant tension. But he’s not alone. “The team manages itself well. That gives me space to look ahead—to plan specials, build things,” he says with here’s gratitude in his voice, and trust. 

The irony of being a chef is that you cook for people you rarely meet. McGrath has spent years in the back, anonymous. But that hasn’t dulled his need for connection. “The hardest part is connecting with guests. I’m not naturally forward-facing. I let the food speak.” Still, he’s reaching for something deeper—connection from farm to kitchen to table. “How do I connect my farmers to the people eating this food?”

That seed was planted at River and Woods in Boulder, where he met the growers behind his ingredients. But the system isn’t easy. “It’s backwards. I pay the same prices at the farmers market that I’d pay wholesale. It should be cheaper to buy direct.” He’s not moralizing—just naming a broken system. And he’s not done asking hard questions. 

“My end goal? Get good, local food to people at prices they can afford—and make sure farmers get paid.” McGrath isn’t just chasing flavor—he’s chasing what food used to mean. “I want to get back to when eating was something we did to connect with each other.” He’s seen it done differently—in Taiwan, at his wife’s family table.  He dreams, “there’s a lazy Susan in the middle. We’re all passing dishes around. Talking. It’s an experience.” 

That’s the spirit he wants to bring to Duets. Not just food, but presence. “I haven’t done it yet… but I want to create family-style dinners. Meals that bring people back together.” It’s not just a culinary goal—it’s an emotional one. Some dishes stick. For McGrath, it’s the tuna tataki—a plate he ate every day for two years at a now-closed New York restaurant. “Never get tired of it. That dish became part of me.” 

It’s on the menu at Duets now. Not as a flex—but as a memory. A marker. “I wanted people to see what I loved.”  Jeremy McGrath isn’t chasing attention. He’s not selling spectacle. His fire burns quieter than that. He cooks with purpose, with questions, with the hope that someone out there is listening. “I let the food speak for itself.” And if you’re paying attention—it does. 

The post The Drive Behind Duets | Off Menu appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Not many Americans take time to think about their food as a whole, let alone the environmental consequences of wasteful eating. Chef Ryan Taylor, however, has the future in mind, not just with sustainable eating, but also in how he treats his employees and patrons.

“A Modern American Meatery,” we find Hickory & Ash in the Broomfield Arista area. This diverse, whimsical, and creative restaurant fosters a family-oriented culture. Executive Chef Ryan not only shares what he has learned from 22 years of falling in love with cooking, but also what makes a great chef tick. He details how he stays inspired when facing burnout while  also offering wisdom on how to push against rush culture; Deeply emphasizing the importance of regenerative farming: “The earth is not re-growing itself.”

Head Chef Ryan Taylor

More than 80 billion land animals are slaughtered every year for human consumption. While erradicating consumption is impossible, there are sustainable solutions. Chef Ryan explained, “We didn’t set out to be a steak house, but it was more or less of us calling ourselves a modern American meatery focusing on the whole animal. We try to be as sustainable as possible, using any ground scraps in the meatballs or sausages, and then any good trim goes into tartar.” From braised short ribs, Chef Ryan’s favorite, to beautifully crafted vegetarian dishes, Hickory & Ash offers a diverse and unique menu.

It is important to Chef Ryan that Hickory & Ash feels comfortable and welcoming, not stuffy. “We want people to feel comfortable. I think the hard part about being called a higher-end restaurant is that we still want to maintain a casual atmosphere. You can come in wearing flip flops and shorts, but still be able to have a nice meal.” The formalities are not important; he believes that the food and the inviting atmosphere of the restaurant are the most important aspects. Chef Ryan’s goal is to make classics with a spin on flavor. Combinations you would never expect!

Chef Ryan began his culinary career in rebellion, following his father’s advice to avoid the industry. He says the moment that sparked it all was… duck liver. Yup, you heard it right. Ryan said, ‘When I was 12 or 13 and this may sound pretentious, but I tried foie gras for the first time. It was so cool, and I was like I’ve never had this kind of protein before and it just snowballed into what else could I do with this, and me wanting to go into the industry.”

For many creatives, it is easy to burn out and lose motivation. Chef Ryan shares how he keeps going: “For me, traveling, getting out of the kitchen, trying something new, eating out, going to a new city, stuff like that kind of sparks this inspiration in you again. You have to stay relevant with what other people are doing, too.” After living in Spain, Chef Ryan often revisits the flavors and fondly looks back at his memories for rich inspiration. At the end of the day, the most important thing to Chef Ryan is the people.

Many chefs have a different definition of what makes a great dish, but Chef Ryan’s answer just might be the best one. He said, “Respecting your staff, feeding off of each other’s creativity. Making it a team thing, not like this is my food and we’re doing it my way, but building that camaraderie, throwing around ideas, and everyone feeling comfortable about it.” Chef Ryan mentioned that all of the staff at Hickory & Ash are like family. He said, “I’m always on the line with these guys cooking and cleaning. I think if you show that you really care about the people who work hard for you, it makes a big difference in the food. We have a great crew right now, they are all a part of my family.” Walking in the door of Hickory & Ash, you can surely feel the warmth of this family-driven business. Creating a sense as though you had just walked into a close friend’s home, knowing you will eat well, feel valued, laugh, and make joy-filled memories.

Being a young cook in the industry can be incredibly challenging, especially in this day and age, where rush culture is all the rage. Chef Ryan offered wisdom on how to handle that pressure and succeed. He said, “So if I could teach anyone anything, be patient, put your head down, work hard, and people will notice. You don’t have to push people out of the way to get to the top; it will eventually come to you. I have seen young people rush to the top, and it was too soon; then, all of a sudden, it burns them out, and they crumble. You might as well learn everything you can on someone else’s dime before you start your own thing.”

Chef Ryan’s greatest mission as a chef is to foster and guide the next generation of cooks, leading them in a positive direction. He expands, “I think that some of it has gotten skewed by social media and television shows like The Bear. I think they are painting a very bad outlook of how much anguish and hardship there is. Some of our chefs are brand new and just graduated from Escoffier, so for me, it’s just being a good leader and taking out the drama, bullsh*t, yelling, and that you don’t have to run a kitchen like that. You can still respect the people, and we can learn together and bounce ideas off each other. That’s me personally in my position.”

Furthermore, Chef Ryan says that as a chef, he holds a tremendous responsibility to the earth. He said, “The world is not regrowing itself, so you have to support these people who are doing regenerative farming. You can tell the difference in these vegetables and meats; they don’t need to be pumped full of all this garbage. Highlighting this to people and showing that there can be more to just a carrot is a huge responsibility.” Regenerative farming not only produces delicious produce but also fosters ethical living conditions for animals. Animals are given abundant room to graze, which removes the use of chemicals and antibiotics. These animals have an overall healthier, happier existence on this earth. Conventional farming treats animals with contempt, miserably squeezing them in cages side by side, too tight to breathe. All the while they are pumped with carcinogens, chemicals, and antibiotics. At Hickory & Ash we can see how to support regenerative farming, and the earth can heal once we take active steps in the right direction. 

The post A rising modern meatery | Off Menu appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Tastes of Ireland with a Local Spin

The primeval fields and fells of Ireland are thousands of miles away, but in Niwot, Colorado, you can be transported to the lively streets of Dublin. Cruagh, a food truck owned and operated by the husband-and-wife duo of Darragh Byrne and Margaret Stewart-Byrne, features Irish cuisine with a sustainability spin.

Margaret, the American, met Darragh while attending college in Ireland. They met while both working at a farmer’s market, bonding over their shared passion for sustainability and food. In 2021, they relocated to Boulder to be closer to family after having their daughter. Darragh, a native of Dublin, was inspired after working at several high-end restaurants, including The Flagstaff House, to bring authentic Irish cuisine to Boulder County.

In 2023, they began a catering business. Building their following with unique dining experiences. In 2024, an opportunity to purchase a food truck came up, and they jumped on it, spending the majority of their time outside of The Wheel House in Niwot, but traveling up to two hours for events. Their menu is one you would expect to see at a cozy pub, rich foods to soak up alcohol; burgers and fries with an option for a salad. It is simple, yet exactly what you want for a rompus night with friends, or while indulging with your family.

The Dublin Burger has a fennel quality, topped with Ballymaloe Relish, Greek aioli, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. The Dubliner cheese has a richer taste, elevating the burger without adding too much weight. The summer menu also offers an American smashburger, a kid’s burger – without all of the extra spices, salad, and Irish-style fries -or chips, made with either cheese or red curry. “The curry is almost a Japanese-style,” says Margaret, “it is the classic ‘after-a-night-out Irish staple.” Craugh also changes their menu for special occasions, having a bacon bar-b-que burger for the Fourth of July and a brie and Palisade peach burger for the summer kick-off.

In the fall and winter, the menu will shift to something a little bit more hearty, comfort food from the Emerald Isle. Stews, shepherd’s pie, and curry will be featured on the menu. “Last year,” recalls Margaret, “we had some people coming to us three times a week for a shepherd’s pie.” She explains that they really try to listen to what people want, and will adjust the menu based on request or popular items.

The flavors are refreshing, yet familiar, which, for Margaret and Stewart, was the point. “We want to make food approachable,” says Margaret. “He [Darragh] really wants to make it friendly, we both worked in a lot of restaurants: upscale, French, slow foods, cafes, and we love that style.” But, they realized that it is not realistic for a large percentage of patrons. Says Margaret, “[We] felt that when we became parents three years ago, that like suddenly our access and our ability to get these things was really limited and we couldn’t afford to go to the farmers market every weekend and buy the nicest groceries anymore. So we want to make the food at a more affordable price for really good food that’s going to fill you up.”

The philosophy has also inspired their connection with local farms and creating a farm-to-table experience. Throughout the summer, Craugh has partnered with Ollin Farms to host a monthly Farm Dinner, combining farm-fresh food with Irish fare. “These meals are plated,” says Margaret, “so while there is still a casual feel, we can elevate the meals a little bit.” The meals are eaten at communal tables,  putting guests in groups of sixteen with the intention to build community while gathered around specially-made local food. Reservations are required for these meals, and if you choose to pair with wine, you must bring and pour your own.

The taste of Ireland may not be a total substitute for wanderlust, but it can transport you to feeling like you are at a pub across the pond. Take some time to enjoy an artfully crafted burger while savoring a crisp drink, whether alcoholic or not, and make the most of the remaining days of your summer.

The post Foodie: Cruagh Food Truck appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

As a former sales executive, going out for drinks was a huge part of my job. As a non-drinker, it became a tricky dance with awkward questions and an embarrassing level of peer pressure from adults. I found myself ordering a glass of seltzer with a twist of lime — tasteless, lifeless and sad. Recently, more and more mocktails are popping up on menus, so I grabbed my better half and went on a Tuesday night sober bar crawl in search of the best local mocktails.

Cosmo mocktail from Erie Social Club

We started in our hometown of Erie and found two excellent spots for mocktails right off the bat. At Erie Social Club, bartender Talon Seitz brings five years of experience and a passion for mixology to craft mocktails that blend classic flavors with modern flair. One of the highlights of their menu is the Bee’s Knees, a non-alcoholic take on the classic gin cocktail, featuring special botanical blended non-alcoholic spirits sourced from England. The Coastal Spritz and Margarita are also top sellers, with options for refreshing ingredients like yuzu whipped cream, which adds an unexpected touch of luxury to these alcohol-free beverages.

Talon’s approach to crafting mocktails is simple: while some bartenders might aim to create entirely unique concoctions, he finds success in playing with the classics that people are already familiar with. “Messing with the classics works best for us. People know what they’re getting, and it sells,” Talon said. However, for those looking for something truly special, Talon has been known to whip up custom drinks for patrons, offering a more personalized mocktail experience. For me, he created a non-alcoholic Cosmopolitan with cranberry juice, lime juice, a house-made orange simple syrup and a non-alcoholic aperol — shaken, of course.

Next up, just around the corner from Erie Social Club was Piripi, a frequent Yellow Scene Magazine Best of the West winner in multiple categories. Serendipitously, we arrived on the day that Piripi was debuting an expanded mocktail menu, boasting a full page of custom crafted mocktails and non-alcoholic beers and wines.

At Piripi, bartender Madyson Veve takes a different approach to mocktail crafting, focusing on creating innovative mocktails with quality, locally sourced ingredients and premium non-alcoholic spirits. Madyson highlighted the shift in the restaurant industry toward health-conscious drinking, noting that many customers are now seeking good non-alcoholic options. “We also have many customers in recovery who want to enjoy the same social experience without the negative effects of alcohol,” Madyson explained.

One of Piripi’s standout mocktails is The London, which features Earl Grey tea from the local Bridge Refill Market, Lyre’s non-alcoholic gin, lemon, and lavender — a drink that brings together soothing flavors with a sophisticated twist. For something a little more refreshing, the Pirip-a-tini features CleanCo non-alcoholic vodka paired with lemon juice and lavender simple syrup, muddled with cucumbers and mint. It’s a spa day in a glass. Piripi custom crafts every one of their simple syrups and takes the time to add special touches to make each drink feel fancy, such as fresh floating herbs for a gorgeous presentation. Madyson suggested pairing the Fre non alcoholic red wine with the very popular chicken parmesan for a balanced meal.

In Boulder, we stopped at Postino on Pearl Street. The restaurant has a chill, modern, yet slightly upscale vibe to it. As a wine bar, Postino obviously has an excellent selection of non-alcoholic wines that have brought them notoriety as the place to go to get a good non-alcoholic drink. We explored the mocktail menu under the capable direction of bartender Emma Walker who serves up a diverse and creative non-alcoholic drink menu that is sure to please both mocktail newbies and seasoned aficionados alike. Postino’s mocktails, like the Glow Up and Mockingbird, are crafted with vibrant fruit-forward flavors and non-alcoholic spirits to provide a celebratory, refreshing experience without the alcohol. Emma suggested pairing the Glow Up with fresh, seasonal dishes like their burrata. For something sweeter, the Mockingbird pairs beautifully with sweet potato wedges or their charcuterie board, offering a rich and slightly sweet flavor profile. The Mockingbird, incidentally, was my personal favorite of the night with Lyre’s dark cane, Lyre’s italian orange, pineapple and almond bitters at just 78 calories.

Emma Walker at Postino holding custom mocktails

Postino uses premium non-alcoholic spirits, which allow them to replicate the flavors of cocktails like tequila or rum, but without the alcohol. “Spirits give you the flavor without all the sugar, and the non-alcoholic versions offer a fantastic way to celebrate with friends while still enjoying something that feels special,” Emma explained.

For our last stop, we grabbed some dinner at Rosetta Hall in Boulder which is essentially a very upscale food court anchored by a bar. The sense of community in Rosetta Hall was palpable, with long shared tables and more intimate seating options as well.  At the suggestion of several recent CU grads in my life, we went and tried the Divine Coast, a lemon lavender fizz and the Parakeet, a sweet and spicy blend of pineapple, passionfruit and ginger. With eight different food options in the hall, there were plenty of options for excellent food and spirit pairing.

Sloshing back to the car full of liquid it was clear — Northern Colorado is emerging as a hub for creative and indulgent mocktails. Whether you’re avoiding alcohol for health reasons, in recovery, or simply exploring new flavors, the local bar scene is offering more sophisticated alternatives than ever before — making it easier to enjoy the social experience of drinking without the alcohol. Now that I know what to order, I can kiss goodbye to the sad seltzer and join in the flavorful fun.

The post Mocktails | In The Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

As a mom of six, teacher and coach, I have planned countless celebrations. The moments we create for our children need to last forever, and I take my responsibility as steward of their core memories seriously. After 22 years of being a mom, I have found I’m running short of ideas. This summer, we have a graduating 5th grader and senior (hopefully), an 18th birthday, and celebrating our first granddaughter added to our typical family events. I set out to find something extra cool to set apart these parties from others. Experience dictates that schlepping presents, food and trappings to a location is not fun, so I focused on unique experiences for an at home party,

I ran across an at home hibachi party where vendors bring the whole Benihana-like teppanyaki show experience to your backyard. Since that requires precise timing of guests and we are hosting open houses, I had to clock that idea for a special family dinner. Sarah Shepherd, Senior Catering Manager at University of Colorado’s Folsom Field weighed in with the trend of interactive city food tours. Think build-your-own pizza for Little Italy, Dim Sum for Chinatown, crepe stations for the French quarter, and so on. Another fantastic idea, but a little too big for this event.

Feeling like Goldilocks in search of the perfectly-sized party option, I stumbled upon Honey & Brie 303 located inside Stacy’s Kitchen in Erie (see Off Menu) where a customer was picking up their 21st birthday board. I was struck by the intricately and colorfully displayed meats, cheeses, nuts, fruits, cookies, pickles and spreads and found something that was just right for me.

Mallorie Lang and Becca Tobin, both from Erie, are partners in ownership of Honey & Brie 303. We met at a local coffee shop while they were finalizing their spring break plans and St. Patrick’s Day orders to make sure they had everything coordinated. Friends and baseball moms first, Lang and Tobin bonded over a shared love for food and entertaining. “Mallorie makes enough dinner for two families every time she cooks and I love the art of food,” said Tobin. “My entire instagram feed is charcuterie,” she added, noting that she constantly saves fresh inspiration to create pretty food. “You wouldn’t believe how many ways there are to make a salami rose.”

Honey & Brie 303 offers a breadth of customizable options including individual boxes, varying sizes of charcuterie trays, intricate crudite, charcuterie cups and meandering, elaborate multilevel tablescapes large enough to host a platoon of bridesmaids and guests. “We work closely with our customers to understand their event so we can provide the detailed touches to make each event feel custom and special,” said Lang. Tobin added that they take the time to ask a lot of questions about the event and will look to find special cheeses, edible flowers, nuts, fruits, spreads and candies to add that final unique flair. “That’s what sets us apart from our competitors,” said Lang. “People can tell when it’s one of our boards because we are very intentional with what we put on it.”

At that moment, kismet intervened and a voice from a table over chimed in with “Are you from Honey & Brie 303? I just ordered from you!” Rachel Leachman, an Erie resident, overheard the interview and shared her excitement for the medium charcuterie platter and vegetable crudite she ordered for her (adorable) child’s upcoming first birthday. “I wanted to create a fun party and not worry about putting together pretty food. I want to be present,” Leachman added.

Special events drive the core of their business, and Lang and Tobin are always seeking seasonal inspiration for their boards. “We incorporate different colors, ingredients and textures for different seasons,” said Tobin. “We have cheeses with black rinds, green marble, and different colors for all the holidays. We use a lot of herbs on our winter boards and local Tabor Farm flowers on our spring boards.” They are excited for the Farmer’s Market to open so they can source more of their vegetables and fruits locally in season.

Honey & Brie 303 collaborates with a few local businesses including Charmed 33 and Lottie Lane to host charcuterie workshops to create seasonal boards. These workshops sell out as they provide each participant with step by step instructions and a board to take home. Lang and Tobin are generous with their tips and said that most people overlook adding different textures of cheeses, enough accouterments and a diversity of color.

Building a business together hasn’t come without some challenges. Tobin and Lang burst into laughter recalling a particular event involving an overloaded wagon, loose pea gravel, steep hills and dripping sweat. Aside from those small snafus, Lang and Tobin said their biggest challenges have come in juggling motherhood and the pressures that come with owning and growing a business. They have their sights set on a brick and mortar in Old Town Erie where folks can come and pair some wine and charcuterie.

In the end, I’ll hold on to a couple of these ideas for later and set my group of carnivores loose on some charcuterie that’s really too pretty for my grubby sons to eat. And I’ll take the advice from Rachel from the coffee shop and just be present.

The post Creating Core Memories | Foodie appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Sugarbeet’s name is an homage to Longmont’s history where the Great Western Sugar Factory was an anchor of the local economy from 1903 until when the factory closed in 1977. The restaurant is nestled in a cozy corner close to the old depot on the train tracks that served as Longmont’s lifeblood. As a restaurant with a focus on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients, it’s fitting that Sugarbeet has such a deep connection to Longmont’s history

Ari Kara and Ben Wheelon, partners in business, purchased the restaurant eight years ago. Sugarbeet is a perennial favorite in Yellow Scene Magazine’s Best of the West competition and hasn’t let up in adhering to the ever-evolving farm-to-table concept they have mastered with Sugarbeet. The quality hasn’t diminished as they haven’t relented on their attention to the little details, including the adorable salt crocks on the table complete with miniature antique spoons. Kara quickly ticked off the keys to their success. “Our focus remains the same. Scratch kitchen. Customer first. Fresh and local ingredients. No gimmicks.”

Right at opening on a Thursday at 4 pm, an eclectic blend of guests began to steadily pour into the restaurant. A table for six of well-heeled sexagenarians were greeted with a familiar and warm welcome from Kara who was pulling duty as host for the evening. He hopped into host mode throughout the interview offering the same genuine smile to newcomers and regular patrons. Wheelon sprang into action as the guests were seated as he worked behind the bar. “We pitch in to do what needs to be done: mop a floor, wash dishes, whatever is needed,” said Kara.

Running a successful business hasn’t come without its challenges — the same faced by many business owners in a post COVID world. They each commented that labor is always an issue and costs have gone up significantly with overhead in the price of rent, food, labor, everything. To compensate for that, Kara and Wheelon have found themselves even more hands on than they expected to be eight years into owning their business. As experienced business owners, though, they are used to adapting to keep up with the changes.

In fact, change is constant at Sugarbeet. Crafting a creative menu comes with many intricate steps and considerations. Wheelon described the process of menu ideation where they get to have fun and be creative. “We start with an idea and then look at how we will source the ingredients, balancing cost and local availability,” said Wheelon adding that careful thought is put into every aspect of the dish including how efficiently it can be plated. No detail is left unplanned to deliver the best possible experience to the customers. Now imagine doing that four times per year. That’s what Kara and Wheelon clearly love about their business. When discussing the process of menu creation, their entire demeanor changed, voices became more excited and smiles broadened their faces.

Their passion for food extends to cooking at home. Wheelon’s dog, Coach Steve, who sadly passed a week before our interview, was the center of attention at family pizza night. Wheelon suggests a classic preparation of mission olives, mushrooms, and manchego cheese served with a gorgeous greek salad. Like many of the best chefs and restaurateurs, Kara took his inspiration from his mom and grandmother and loves to feed his friends Greek classics from his childhood like moussaka and stuffed peppers served with some daily fresh made bread.

As for the food, holy moly, buckle up and be ready for an adventure. Devin Nolan, who has worked for Sugarbeet for seven years, said that this particular menu is one of his favorites ever. “Just about every table has a Sea Bass on order and the Bistro Steak is also a favorite,” said Nolan. The current menu includes a tempting and creative variety of beginnings including Potato Croquettas that felt weightless in my mouth as I crunched into the most delicate puff of manchego cheese flavored potato.

Salads include a classic greek salad, which Kara said belongs on every menu. The roasted beets with Chevre panna cotta was served with a frisée, sunflower seeds, pickled shallots and a pink peppercorn vinaigrette. The panna cotta was velvety smooth and had the depth of flavor you expect from a quality cheese. A whimsical touch was the beet carved into the shape of a sugarbeet as a tip of the hat to the name of the restaurant.

The mains have eight solid choices including a gorgeous risotto, quail, and a rack of lamb. The Verlasso Salmon, which this Pacific Northwest girl absolutely needed to try, was cooked to perfection and served with a celeriac puree that I could eat daily, fingerling potatoes and garnished with a perfect pepper relish.

With a dining room capacity of 65, and this being a popular hotspot, you will want to book a reservation, especially if you want to eat early. “We often are packed with every seat filled and then no reservations after 7:15 PM. Longmont is an early town,” said Wheelon. 

The post Off Menu with Sugarbeet appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

In an old grocery store with a car wash attached in Old Town Erie, Stacy’s Kitchen has quickly become a beloved destination for hearty sandwiches, fresh-baked pies, sweet treats, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. For owner Stacy Gustafson, this isn’t just a business; it’s the culmination of a lifelong passion, a deep connection to food, and a desire to bring quality food to her hometown.

Stacy’s journey into the world of food started long before the doors of her sandwich shop ever opened. It traces back to her childhood in Virginia, where she spent summers with her grandmother on a 16-acre patch of land. “I remember baking pies with her when I was just nine years old,” Stacy recalled, her voice lilting with nostalgia. “There wasn’t anything else to do. She taught me how to make the best, simplest pie crust. That was my first real connection to food.”

Fast forward to the early 2010s, when Stacy began to entertain the idea of opening a diner. “I was raising my girls and doing childcare at the time, but I knew I could do this,” she said. She put together a business plan, but a divorce and several life changes made her question whether she could manage it all. But a supportive friend, Ronda Grassi, kept encouraging her. “Ronda wouldn’t let me quit. She kept saying, ‘You can do this,'” Stacy remembered with a smile. In 2022, an unexpected opportunity emerged when the previous owner of a local shop decided to close. Stacy signed a lease in December 2022, and by March 3, 2023 — on her birthday — Stacy’s Kitchen opened its doors.

“Why Erie?” is a question Stacy gets asked often. She answered simply: “I live here, and I love Old Town. It reminds me of the small town where I grew up in New Jersey.” The decision to open Stacy’s Kitchen in Erie was about more than just location — it was about creating a sense of community. “I wanted my business to be in the same town where I raise my girls. I wanted to serve food I believe in, and be a part of the fabric of this town.”

Stacy’s Kitchen has quickly become a favorite stop for both locals and visitors. “I think we stand out because we offer simple, affordable food,” Stacy said. “There are a lot of fancy, sit-down places in Erie, but we’re here to provide something different — good food at a good price.” Whether it’s a fresh, hand-cut sandwich or a slice of homemade pie, Stacy’s Kitchen prides itself on quality and simplicity.

For Stacy, crafting a great sandwich is all about fresh ingredients and a commitment to quality. “You can’t have a great sandwich without good bread, freshly sliced meats, and fresh vegetables,” she explained. “We buy veggies fresh every day — nothing stale, nothing pre-packaged.” Stacy’s sandwiches have earned a loyal following, with favorites like the toasted Italian, Reuben, and egg salad sandwich regularly flying off the counter.

When she steps into the kitchen each morning, Stacy is filled with excitement. “I work in the quiet and the dark, say good morning to my shop, and then I get started.” There’s no rush, no pressure — just the joy of doing what she loves every day. Her approach to food is simple: “Just make it good. That’s my philosophy. If I wouldn’t eat it myself, I won’t serve it.”

While Stacy’s Kitchen has enjoyed much success, it hasn’t been without challenges. One of the hardest lessons, she admits, is learning to never over-order ingredients. “That’s a real challenge in this business,” she said. Despite the ups and downs, Stacy has never doubted her decision to open Stacy’s Kitchen. “I’ve never had a moment where I thought this wasn’t going to work. This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” she said with conviction. “I love what I do, and I love the people I work with.”

What truly sets Stacy’s Kitchen apart is the emotional connection Stacy shares with her customers. “It’s not just about the food — it’s about the relationships,” she explained. “One of my regulars, I call him the ‘Apple Pie Man,’ has been coming in since we opened. He is in his late 70s battling cancer and asked her to promise something: “He said, ‘If you don’t see me for a while, look at the sky, wave, and I’ll wave back.’ It was such a special moment,” Stacy reflected, tears welling in her eyes. “He’s still doing well, and we’re still happy to see him every week.”

Looking ahead, Stacy has big plans for Stacy’s Kitchen. “I’d love to acquire the entire space and open up more seating with garage doors,” she said. “I’d love to offer dinner a few times a week and expand the menu, but for now, I’m limited by the space I have.”

For Stacy, running a bakery and sandwich shop isn’t just a job — it’s a life’s work. It’s about food, yes, but it’s also about connection, community, and creating a place where people can feel at home. Stacy’s Kitchen offers more than a meal — It offers a taste of something much deeper: the warmth of a place that feels like home.

The post Off Menu with Stacy’s Kitchen appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Chicken soup has been used as a comfort food for illness and a natural remedy for somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 years. In fact chicken soup has roots in southeast Asia, where medicinal texts indicated its invention around the same time as the domestication of fowl. It’s a classic dish for a reason, but even classics can benefit from re-invention sometimes.

Over the past decade the Front Range has seen a huge increase in soup shops including everything from Vietnamese-style pho to deli-style soup buffets. While pho, like chicken soup, has been around for thousands of years, often existing as a humble street food, the recent rise in pho shops could be attributed to a rise in Vietnamese immigration across the United States since 1975.

Pho-Ever

Erie, Colorado is known for many things, among them its classic Vietnamese restaurant, Pho-Ever. A casual restaurant with a wide variety of pho choices, Pho-Ever’s strength lies in its ability to bring tradition to the table. Dishes like pho tai gan take rare beef and turn it into a juicy, delectable soup with spices like star anise, coriander and cardamom to top it all off.

Among Pho-Ever’s long list of chicken-soup alternatives, diners will also find contemporary dishes like meatball pho. But what really makes pho an exciting alternative to chicken soup is its customization options.

Boulder Pho and Boba Tea

Another iconic Front Range pho restaurant is Boulder Pho and Boba Tea, which is located in North Boulder slightly off the beaten path. Boulder Pho and Boba Tea takes great pride in its dishes, creating traditional pho options as well as contemporary ones. Like Pho-Ever, this restaurant’s careful blend of ingredients yields itself to a high-caliber soup that makes a great alternative to chicken soup.

At-Home Pho

Soup season comes in the dead of winter when everyone is moving at a slower pace, which can make dining out feel like a chore. This often results in more home-cooked meals and kitchen experimentations. Fortunately, pho is one of those cuisine types that can be replicated with the right ingredients, techniques and spirit.

The base of any good pho is its broth. Traditional pho involves a bone broth, which is created by all-day simmering on the stove (those with little time on their hands can also create bone broth with a pressure cooker). Every bone broth is slightly different, but a traditional vietnamese broth usually involves the addition of anise, coriander and cardamom.

At the same time, pho lovers can prepare their choice of meat, which is generally thinly sliced, and placed into a bowl before becoming slightly cooked by piping hot broth. The addition of rice noodles, and vegetables to taste completes the dish, leaving foodies with a delectable, comforting bowl of soup at the end of a hard day.

Culinary tips:

• Pick the best ingredients: Sub-par meat and fowl contribute to a sub-par pho. For best results, look for quality cuts of meat or birds with a higher fat concentration. This contributes to a full, delicious tasting pho.
• Nail the broth: The makings of a good pho start with the broth. Learning how to balance salt and acidity contributes to a well-rounded soup to get you through the winter.

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The post Bored of Chicken Soup? Try Pho appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Kombucha isn’t just a trend— it’s a movement, and the Front Range is embracing it with open arms and sparkling drinks. Whether you’re a seasoned ferment fiend or just curious about this tangy, probiotic-packed beverage, there are plenty of local spots serving kombucha on tap. Here are some of the best places to get a fresh pour of ‘booch in Boulder and beyond.

The Root Kava

A hub for relaxation and community, The Root Kava in Lafayette offers more than just its namesake beverage. Here, you can find a rotating selection of locally brewed kombucha on tap, perfect for those looking to enjoy a refreshing, non-alcoholic option and a probiotic boost.

Vision Quest Brewery  

Known for its experimental beer offerings, Vision Quest Brewery in Boulder keeps kombucha on tap for those seeking a refreshing, NA alternative. Whether you’re enjoying a beer flight or choosing not to drink alcohol, their kombucha selections provide a flavorful option with a probiotic twist.

Acreage  

Nestled in Lafayette with sweeping views of the Front Range, Acreage — a collaboration with Stem Ciders — offers a sophisticated drink menu that includes kombucha on tap. Enjoy a glass alongside their farm-to-table cuisine while taking in the lovely mountain vistas above Boulder and beyond.

The Old Mine

Best known for its exceptional ciders, The Old Mine in Erie also embraces kombucha culture. With locally sourced options available, it’s an ideal place to sip on something crisp and revitalizing while enjoying their rustic, welcoming atmosphere.

Mountain Toad (Golden)

Located in the heart of Golden, Mountain Toad Brewery may be a craft beer haven, but they also pour kombucha for those looking for a lighter, gut-friendly alternative. Their rotating selection ensures there’s always something new to try, making it a great stop whether you’re craving a beer or something non-alcoholic.

With kombucha gaining popularity, these spots prove that a quality brew doesn’t always have to be beer. Whether you’re in the mood for something tart, floral, or fruity, the kombucha scene along the Front Range has plenty to offer. Raise a glass to good health and good flavor!

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The post Kombucha on Tap | In The Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

It all started with a pair of shoes and a mother’s love. Sitting with Rene Cervantes, Jr., you can see the prideful smile glance across his face as he recalls how his parents, Rene and Maria Cervantes, began their American dream. “My mom wanted to buy me a new pair of shoes for my first birthday,” said Cervantes. With money tight for this young loving family, every morning Rene and Maria made breakfast burritos together before they went to work. Maria suggested Rene take some to work to sell to fellow stonemasons and from there a family business and dream were born. Rene sold the burritos for $1 a piece on the honor system because asking for money was awkward. Maria and Rene were able to not only buy a pair of shoes for their son from that small act of love — the Cervantes family now owns five restaurants across Northern Colorado and an entertainment venue in Denver specializing in Mexican music events.

There is room for celebrations both large and small. Whether it’s hosting a rehearsal dinner or a small intimate birthday, La Mariposa provides the extra touches to make the day special. Guests celebrating their birthdays are serenaded and served dessert topped with a sparkler candle. The entire location, dripping with thoughtfully-sourced natural materials produced by local artisans, shows great attention to detail. “We took all our ideas into a big mixing pot and this is what we created,” Cervantes Jr. proudly stated.

Cervantes Jr. credits a lot of their success to the community that has supported them over the years, following them as they opened new locations and remodeled old ones. He shared the story of one of their regulars who jumped in to help Maria and Rene get their first liquor license when a language barrier was tough to overcome. Another early supporter was a banker named Jim at Valley Bank who consistently believed in the Cervantes family and gave them chances to continue to succeed. “We created this space for them. They shared in our excitement as we succeeded,” he said.

“The changes began with revamping our menu. We wanted to add more authentic Mexican dishes and more seafood,” said Cervantes Jr. “We’ve done away with the mariachi music and bright colors.” La Mariposa has kept the traditional Tex-Mex favorites with smothered burritos, enchiladas and other standby favorites. They have also added some new options including traditional molcajetes which are hearty dishes served in hot stone bowls overflowing with fresh seafood, slow-braised pork or juicy strips of sirloin and chicken. All of their dishes are accompanied by their sauces. “Everything is made fresh daily. We even grind our own spices in our kitchen,” said Cervantes Jr.

Moving beyond the traditional old school Tex Mex offerings, explore one of the ten different fajita creations including Al Pastor Fajitas which incorporate the popular street taco flavor to a new preparation. The most popular item on the menu is the Birria Tacos. The Cervantes family wanted to introduce this love letter to Mexico. The dish takes 13 hours to prepare, with slowly braised beef as the hero of the plate. The fat from braising the beef is skimmed off the top and then used to fry the tortilla, further embedding the spices and flavors of the beef into the dish. Served with a consomme or spicy red dipping sauce, it’s easy to see how this has quickly become the best-selling item on the lunch and dinner menu. La Mariposa is also open for breakfast starting at 8 am and offers brunch on Sundays with live omelet and waffle stations, posole, tamales, chimichangas, and a fruit bar. “The whole experience is very fun and interactive,” said Cervantes Jr. Breakfast items include many sweet and savory options including Tres Leches pancakes, hearty platillos, a variety of benedicts, breakfast tacos, and burritos.

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Food has been drawing communities together for centuries, weaving a tapestry of cultural identity, laughter and connection. Often described as a sort of “social lubricant,” food isn’t just nourishment, it’s a way of life. This reality is one of the many driving factors behind the kitchen walls of El Rincón.

The traditional Argentinian-style restaurant specializes in empanadas, offering everything from the classic steak, onion, and bell pepper option to a parmesan cheese empanada. Guy Fierialso visited the location last year, and popularized a favorite dish of owner and founder Christian Saber’s: La Milanesa Napolitana. The thinly sliced steak comes breaded, and topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella while paying homage to a Buenos Aires classic. Although the dish’s name seems to indicate that it might have roots in Italy, it was invented in Argentina in the 1940s, and it sustains the perfect combination of crunch, seasoning, and gooey cheese.

Saber was born in the same place as the Milanesa Napolitana, but his curiosity brought him to Colorado‘s mountains, where he eventually met his wife, Colorado-local, Karly.

Saber tells Yellow Scene,  “On Sundays I cook for the whole family and friends. During the week I cook for people in Boulder and people who decide to come to our restaurant. I cook breakfast for our kids. At night we get together at the table and we are around food.” Food is the connective tissue in most of Saber’s social circles. Now he’s the father of three boys and the mastermind behind El Rincón.

And he gets just as much satisfaction out of creating community in Boulder as he does at home “I love to see the happy faces coming out of the restaurant. That’s one of the most important things,” says Saber. He added that many of his staff members have also been with him since the day the restaurant opened, 13 years ago.

One quality that sets El Rincón apart from other restaurants is its traditional take on food. The Argentinian diet is meat-heavy. In fact, Argentinians eat more beef than any other country in the world. As a result, classic dishes like asado (a barbeque-style slab of meat that’s often served at large gatherings), la milanesa, and empanadas can be found in El Rincón.

Saber explains, “The supplies we have here are very similar to the ones we have in Argentina,” which makes it fairly easy for him to curate the most authentic dishes. What’s more is that he emphasizes quality ingredients, “We do use, for example, natural ingredients. No hormones. Organic. I don’t put a sign that says that but I care about cooking with good ingredients. It’s not for marketing, it’s just for a way of life,” he adds.

After 13 years of living and breathing all things restaurant related, it’d be easy to assume that Saber might grow tired of the same dishes, but such an assumption would be wrong, “I eat at the restaurant all the time. It’s been 13 years. I still love empanadas. I love all of them. I don’t get tired. They make me feel great. It’s a healthy dish. I could eat this every day.”. 

Although Saber spent many of his early years laboring in the kitchen, his duties have since become more complicated, “I’m not in the kitchen all the time,” he says. “More than anything I’ll develop recipes and work with the quality of our recipes and the quality of our ingredients.”

As for he and his family, they don’t have any immediate plans to return to Argentina, but they hope to continue to bring a piece of Argentina to Boulder — an endeavor that’s evident from the decor and color that can be found within the restaurant, “Inside here, there’s Argentina music, food, smells, and soccer.” He points at a picture of a colorful string of buildings on the wall and added that the style of the restaurant mimics that of La Boca — a port town that’s full of immigrants in Argentina. He explained that immigrants would paint their houses the color of whichever paint they could find. This resulted in one of the most colorful streets in Argentina, and El Rincón mimics this character on its interior.

Another thing that sets El Rincón apart from other restaurants is the environment, “Everyone feels comfortable and welcome here,” says Saber. “It doesn’t matter if you’re dressed in a certain way or talking in a certain language. I think that they feel very welcome. I’ve been hearing this for years.”

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The post Off Menu with El Rincón Argentino appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Creativity is an essential but overlooked component of delicious food. While many chefs develop a culinary equation that results in a dish that falls into a classic category, others like Gemini’s Chef Brian Pierce take the cooking process a step further to push culinary standards by adding nuance to food.

Pierce began dabbling with cuisine in college using a blend of curiosity and guidance from his mom to master a handful of dishes. But it wasn’t until he moved to New York City that he began taking his calling seriously. It was there where he gleaned inspiration from the cultural diversity.

“I spent a lot of time going to farmers markets. I would also go to ChinaTown and buy dried shrimp, sweet potato leaves, and dried mushrooms that we used in integral ways. We went to a Spanish store in SOHO because it was right there,” explained Pierce. The food diversity was a key component to his culinary development. It was also in New York where his understanding of farms became integral to how he thought about food.

Eventually he landed in Estela — an iconic modern American eatery that’s under the creative supervision of Chef Ignacio Mattos. Then he began working for Andrew Tarlow for five years, a man he describes as the “Alice Waters of Brooklyn.”

“Andrew Tarlow owns several different concepts in Brooklyn and Manhattan. I worked at Marlow and Sons, Romans, and Reynard (which is now closed),” explains Pierce. He credits Tarlow for ushering in a new era of Brooklyn food. Borgo, Tarlow’s newest restaurant, even received a Michelin star shortly after opening, demonstrating the standards under which Pierce worked for many years.

Although New York molded Pierce into the chef he is today, he eventually made a homecoming in 2017. In 2021, Gemini opened its doors for the first time, taking a contemporary spin to traditional Spanish dishes and tapas to captivate the palate of Pearl Street passersby. Busy even at 12:00 on a Monday afternoon, Gemini’s menu features classic dishes like seafood paella with lobster stock, PEI mussels, and chorizo for a hearty, delicious meal. But the menu’s tapas are more prone to shift with the seasons and to garner attention with their flavors.

“The change keeps me engaged and people in the community engaged,” he says.

He adds, “I think the creativity in appetizers is more playful. Restaurants can take more risks there. I think that’s where the underlying excitement came from.”

Beginning on Valentines day, Pierce is ushering in a new change to the restaurant as well. Gemini will begin featuring a number of menu items from a raw bar like oysters, and some type of crude fish. Despite a common assumption that claims Colorado’s land-locked location make seafood an uncommon and unsafe delicacy, Pierce explains that Denver is actually a travel-hub that’s a convenient stop over for food from both the east and the west coast. As a result, a raw bar like Gemini’s may feature some of the best seafood in the nation.

As Gemini continues to captivate foodies across Boulder, Pierce added another project to his culinary empire: a new restaurant called High Country, which is located right next to Gemini and brings a laid back atmosphere with elevated dishes like the vaquera flank steak and poached salmon and appetizers like cast iron cornbread.

Both restaurants are operated by Chef Pierce, managing partner Michael Mehiel, pastry chef Catherine Neckes, and Elizabeth Neckes. High Country opened its doors for the first time in April of 2024, and it continues to carve its space out amongst Pearl Street’s classic restaurants. With decades of combined culinary experience, Pierce, Mehiel, and the Neckes sisters are bringing new and unique flavors to Boulder. 

The post Off Menu with Gemini Boulder appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

I recently walked past a sandwich shop that displayed a whole range of delicacies in the window. There were three-story creations that were expectedly packed with ham, lettuce, and mayonnaise. There were croissants that had been sliced and stuffed with cheese, and buns with diced beef on the inside. But then my eyes drifted to something unusual – a colorful jam-looking substance that was oozing out of two slices of bread and mixed with cheese. It looked delicious. I stepped in the door, and a quick exchange landed the sandwich in my hand. It did not disappoint, but I wasn’t quite sure that I’d classify it as a classic sandwich, either.

I knew that this sweet and savory French-style sandwich combination was not the first of its kind. In 1901, the first peanut butter and jelly recipe was published in the Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science.What’s more is that some culinary masters have been using touches of sweetness to enhance savory flavors in sandwiches for many years (think cranberry sauce and turkey, or a BLT with a touch of honey).

Denver and metro-Denver’s sandwich scene is always strong, and evolving. Snarf’s has been an iconic fixture across the state for nearly 30 years, for example. Some of the latest developments reflect this sweet and savory trend, which is easiest to find in local bakeries although businesses like Gates Deli have also added their own take on this French-style sandwich by combining brie with fig jam.

After my own run-in with my jam-filled sandwich, I wondered if it had the capacity to woo people on a bigger scale. So, I decided to create a sandwich board (which is basically a charcuterie- style board with an array of meats, cheese, condiments, and jams that can be assembled by the individual) and test it on my roommates. It was sure to be a small study, but helpful nonetheless.

A quiet weekend evening brought us together for game night and snacks. But when our appetites started to rage, we began assembling our masterpieces. My friends’ instincts told them to gravitate toward the classic sandwich — ham and cheese, or bacon lettuce and tomato. Admittedly, humans are creatures of habit. Evolutionarily, certain tasks become second nature in order to reduce energy expenditure: We like BLT, we eat BLT.

But after a bit of prodding we started to get creative. First there was ham, brie, and basil. Then there was a BLT with a fried egg on top. We even carmelized a few onions to tickle the palate. Some sandwich combinations were … less than delicious. However, to our surprise, others completely transformed our understanding of the humble sandwich. Maybe humble didn’t have to mean basic, but rather simple and exquisite.

At the end of the experience, we all agreed that some sandwiches will never go out of style. The hoagie and the Italian are classics for a reason. Yet we also found that creativity pays when it comes to the kitchen. Sometimes, taking steps like pushing the boundaries of the simple sandwich is one sure way to form a foodie. 

The post Pushing the Boundaries of the Humble Sandwich | Foodie appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

We all love a good cup of tea, especially during the winter months. Besides a heart and body warming experience, tea has long been a ceremonial ritual in many countries across the world. Whether you’re drinking tea as a way to stay warm, as part of a ceremony, or as an alternative to coffee or alcoholic drinks, there are many great tea houses in and around Boulder. Each one offers a unique experience, with the common thread of good tea.

Tea can be a great addition to your routine. Health benefits are plentiful, and the rituals and history that accompany traditional tea houses can be a refreshing break from the everyday hustle and bustle of life.

Chinese tea houses date back to the Tang dynasty where they first served as ritualistic spaces. Since then, an entertainment component was added, and it was common to see jugglers, storytellers, actors, singers perform in these spaces, much like bars today. China is not the only country with a rich culture of teahouses. Many countries have their own traditions and rituals associated with tea. While tea houses may not be as popular as bars or coffeehouses, Boulder County offers a variety of tea houses representing several different cultures, countries and traditions. These tea houses range from The Boulder Dushanbe Tea House in downtown Boulder to the Day Day Up Tea in Lafayette.

Dushanbe offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in a traditional experience from Tajikistan, all in a beautifully artistic space. The Dushanbe Tea House is a part of the Boulder Dushanbe sister city project, and is named after Tajikistan’s capital city, and is a word meaning “Monday.” Traditionally, Mondays are the days that bazaars are held in Tajikistan. Dushanbe is also part of the Three Leaf Family concept, which also includes the following Boulder establishments: Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant, The Chautauqua Dining Hall, Zucca Italian Ristorante, The Huckleberry, Three Leaf Farm, and The Boulder Tea Company.

If you’d like to visit the Dushanbe Tea House, it is best to make reservations. They offer lunch, tea time, and dinner reservations.

Nana’s Dim Sum, another traditional tea house staple is part of the experience here and one you will not want to miss.  Dim Sum is a traditional Chinese meal consisting of small plates of dumplings and other snacks. It is normally accompanied by tea and served during the brunch hour. The tradition of dim sum is thought to have originated in China in the later half of the 19th century after opium dens were banned. Today, dim sum is served across the world and enjoyed both as a tradition, as well as simply for the enjoyment of the delicious dumplings, teas, and other small plates it offers

Day Day Up Tea is a relatively new, traditional Chinese teahouse in Lafayette. It is a casual teahouse which offers a full menu of Kung Fu teas, as well as bubble teas. The Day Day Up Tea House is open to the public and no reservations are required. Try stopping in for an afternoon tea time treat in the winter, or a refreshing bubble tea during the warmer months. In addition to being able to enjoy a cup of tea at the tea house, Day Day Up Tea House also offers online ordering of loose leaf tea for delivery or pick up. You can head to their website for a full menu which includes green, white, yellow, oolong, black, red, and herbal (technically an infusion) teas. The food menu here also does not disappoint with an assortment of traditional Chinese foods, including dumplings, springs rolls, and moon cakes, served daily. If you are looking for a more immersive experience, Day Day Up Tea House offers reservations for tea tasting classes, Chinese Gonfo Tea Art, and “A Taste of China” menu. This last menu requires a 2 day in advance reservation.

Just like a good coffee house takes pride in their brewing equipment and ingredients, so does a good tea house. Ingredients are often imported and carefully prepared, steeped to perfection and served just-so to give you an authentic experience in your drink.

With more and more people choosing not to drink alcohol, teahouses could see a comeback as a gathering place–somewhere to enjoy a good (nonalcoholic) drink, spend time with friends, and maybe even enjoy some entertainment. The atmosphere in teahouses provide a relaxing, tranquil space to unplug from life’s busy pace and reconnect with oneself as well as others.

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The post Boulder Tea Houses | In the Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Food authenticity isn’t just a matter of mixing the right ingredients together to create a culinary masterpiece. It’s all in the technique, which Aloy Thai (“delicious Thai”) aptly demonstrates meal after meal. The flick of the wrist at the proper time, the right amount of water to create the ideal noodle consistency, and the right temperature are just a few components that go into making some of Boulder’s best Thai food. Another vital component is the 55 years of culinary experience that Sorawee “Momma Kim” Makapadungsuk brings to the table.

Makapadungsuk grew up in Bangkok with her 10 siblings, and countless cousins. As the third oldest, the responsibility of cooking typically fell to her. At the vibrant age of 10, she walked to the market twice a day to retrieve the freshest ingredients for her concoctions. Arisa Bode, Makapadungsuk’s 41-year-old daughter, explained that there were always, “at least like 30 people in the house at all times,” and her mom was the one who fed everyone. This is the same intensity that Makapadungsuk and Bode bring to Aloy Thai’s three locations today.

Boulder’s Aloy Thai is the mothership location. It’s an unassuming restaurant that’s tucked into the corner of a complex at the intersection of Arapahoe and 28th street. If you’re not looking for it, you could blink and pass it without a thought. Yet the interior of the building is a buzzing city with fragrant smells wafting across the space.

The original Aloy Thai opened its doors to patrons in 2006 – the same year that Makapadungsuk moved to America. After spending most of her life behind a stove, Makapadungsuk spends her days teaching and demonstrating those top-secret techniques that contribute to her restaurant’s success.

Som Tum (Papaya Salad)

Bode explains that the most popular dishes in the restaurant are what you might expect: Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles. But there’s something on the menu that she’s been eating regularly since she was a child that rages on the palate: Som Tum (Papaya Salad). As a girl, Bode picked the chilis out of the salad as a pre-meal snack, making her mom giggle at her child’s love of spicy food. The dish is made with green papaya, carrot, tomato, and peanuts and doused in a spicy lime dressing. Light, refreshing, and as spicy as the patron decides, the salad is a prime example of the restaurant’s delicate and intentional cuisine.

While Aloy Thai takes a traditional approach to Thai food, the family business has also grown to include locations in Capitol Hill and Ball Park, and another one is expected to pop up in Englewood in 2025, with each spot featuring its own character. The Ball Park modern Thai eatery is, “mixed up with Korean, mixed up with Japanese, mixed up with Chinese [influences],” explains Bode. Like much of the contemporary food that travelers find in Bangkok, the restaurant takes inspiration from multiple cultures, and the menu rotates.

Aloy Thai’s Boulder location

The Capitol Hill location provides more of a light-eatery experience, allowing diners to grab and go as they please, which is a response to the cultural food shift that’s taken place since COVID-19. Aloy Thai is finding that more and more people want to bring takeout home where clients can relax. Today, 60% of business flows through third parties like DoorDash and Uber Eats, while 40% remains in house. It’s the same shift that’s contributing to changes in server pay in places like Chicago.

The mothership Aloy Thai takes a more traditional approach to Thai food. Bode explains that authentic Thai is a little bit different from the classic recipes that many of us envision. “I think it’s curry. Curry,curry, and stir-fry.”

Since moving to Boulder to assist her mom with the restaurant in 2006, Bode has come to love all kinds of international food, but her mother stays loyal to her roots. She says, “I only love Thai food.” And retaining that authenticity that sets Aloy Thai apart from other restaurants is a process. Bode and her mother work diligently to monitor the food chain, ensuring that their restaurant only provides the best ingredients. This is not only because they take pride in their dishes, but Bode says it’s also because they eat at their own restaurant all the time. The result is a diverse range of dishes that you might find on the streets of Thailand.

Drunken Noodles

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When you think of something thick, meaty, and juicy to bite into, are you imagining a mushroom? Maybe not, but perhaps you should. Mushrooms as a meat alternative is a growing trend that is not showing any signs of slowing down. This begs the question: why? Why specifically are mushrooms gaining so much popularity? The answers range from health to environmental reasons and many in between.

As we all know, meat alternatives have been booming and gaining popularity over the last decade, with complex substitutes that almost taste like the real thing. However, one of the main questions is the nutritional value of these alternatives; are they good for us? Are they nourishing our bodies? Or are these simply ways to avoid eating meat and feel better about our impact on the environment?

Mushrooms are an interesting alternative choice that could just be the ticket to avoiding animal products and receiving excellent nutritional value at the same time.There are several possible health links to mushrooms, including immune boosting and cognitive function enhancement properties. One answer to why mushrooms are being used as a meat alternative is mycelium — the main root-like structure of fungus — which is rich in protein, fiber and B vitamins.

Born from science and a desire to help the environment, Eat Meati is a local company making a splash in the meat alternative industry. In 2015, Tyler Huggins and Justin Whiteley were Ph.D. students in Boulder researching mycelium. By 2023 they were launching their first mega ranch (a massive operation to grow mycelium) and today they are available at Sprouts, Target, Meijers and Whole Foods, among other establishments.

Eat Meati, which “provides delicious, nutritions, and Earth-friendly nutrition to everyone,”  is blowing up. With the launch of their Mega Ranch in January 2023, they are quickly becoming a leader in the industry. Boulder country is the perfect place for their homebase, but they are reaching far beyond local retailers and restaurants.

There are environmental as well as health related benefits to their products, including the minimal processing. Many alternative meat products are highly processed which not only means they are not as healthy, but they also use more natural resources simply to grow and produce. Eat Meati created the first-ever alternative protein steak, as well as chicken analogs.

Several restaurants in the Front Range are capitalizing on this trend. Snooze,the popular local breakfast chain, says they hopped on the trend because it is popular with Gen Z and Millenials, and most of their customers fall into these generational categories.

According to the American Mushroom Institute, pound per pound, mushrooms produce less than one sixth of the carbon dioxide produced by chicken, and an eleventh of the amount produced by pork. In addition, they contain a flavor protein called umami  that not only has flavor qualities similar to meat but also enhances meat. Umami is the reason mushrooms are so often served on burgers and steak.

Last but not least, unlike meat, mushrooms are a carbon neutral food source. They do emit methane, but at the same time they increase the carbon uptake of trees, so they are considered CO2 neutral.

Although mushrooms have long been a part of many cuisines, their use as a meat alternative is a newer trend. Their health and environment benefits are many and some even argue that they surpass meat sources, such as beef. Even if you’re a die-hard carnivore, I’d encourage you to give mushroom alternatives a chance. If you choose Eat Meati or something similar, you might even have a hard time telling that you’re not biting into a big, juicy beef burger.

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The post Mushrooms Instead of Meat | Foodie appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Speakeasy bars were born in the 1880s and became popular during prohibition. The name emerged as a reference to the tone of voice in which patrons were encouraged to speak while frequenting the establishments. The American government banned the production, distribution, and sale of alcohol, which led to the invention of secret spaces that were often found in cellars, hotels, and even basements. Speakeasy bars have been making a comeback since the early 2000s, as much for their illicit feel as for the vintage cocktails they create. Follow us through the dark alleyways and corridors of Denver to find your way to some of the best vintage bars in the city.

Run for the Roses

1801 Blake Street #10

Self-described as an “underground cocktail-lair,” Run for the Roses promises one of the biggest adventures of all the local speakeasies. Cellphone maps take you to a large market-style building that looks vacant and locked late at night. If you can spot the little “Run for the Roses” sign in the alley, you just might find yourself connecting the dots to get to a well-hidden, vintage-style bar.

In the same way, you might imagine a prohibition-style bar with a gentle, hushed tone, Run for the Roses adopts a somewhat quiet and contained experience that’s accommodated with elevated food and both vintage and specialty cocktails with names like “Parliament” to celebrate Blake Street’s origins as a temporary home for government meetings.

Parliament: Ingredients include wild turkey 101 Rye, Maison Rouge Vsop Cognac, Punt e Mes, Pedro Ximenez Sherry, and Little Owl Coffee

Blunderbuss: A beautiful mixture of Divino Maguey Espadin Mezcal, Averna, Overproof, Jamaican Rum, Sweet Vermouth, and Pineapple Orange Bitters

Union Lodge No. 1

1543 Champa Street

Unlike Run for the Roses, the Union Lodge No. 1 is fairly straightforward to find. Once patrons step inside, however, they find an environment with some of the same aesthetics and culture. The leather couches and worn-looking walls only add to the appeal of the bar, appearing similar to a place you might frequent underground in a city like New York.

Red, White & Blue Blazer: Ingredients include 15-proof Demerara Rum, 100-proof Bourbon, Applejack Brandy, Cinnamon, and House Bitters. Union Lodge’s skilled bartenders create a spectacle while making this drink, lighting flames that shine blue before garnishing and slinging the drink to its patron.

The Groovy Bar, Post Chicken & Beer

1575 Boulder Street

Williams and Graham is an extremely popular speakeasy style bar in the city, but it tends to come with a long wait list. While waiting for that coveted invitation to ping in your phone, you might wander down the street to The Groovey Bar – a 70s-style speakeasy that’s located in the basement of a well-known restaurant. A few short steps down the stairs will take patrons to a mini arcade with a photo booth, and, ultimately, the bar with funky chairs and antique decorations.

Grasshopper: Made with Creme de menthe, creme de cacao, heavy cream, and nutmeg, this drink is the perfect classic beverage for those with a sweet tooth.

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Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 24 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

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The post Prohibited Treasures | In the Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Fall is chile season in Colorado and many like to debate the merits of Hatch over Pueblo chilis. But this year, I had the pleasure of growing and learning about an option that’s rarer, more complex and more coveted than either of those: the Chimayo pepper.

I bought the pepper earlier in the season, as a plant from Harlequin Gardens. To be honest, I bought it for the name recognition for the New Mexican town 30 miles north of Santa Fe in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. An old friend attended the Good Friday processional and brought me back some of the famed holy dirt from the Catholic chapel there, the Santuario de Chimayo.

I grow in a plot in Kenosha Farms Community Gardner, and with that much abundant space, am not afraid to try new plants. I placed the pepper in the ground, and after a few months of care, I was rewarded with about 15 or 20 fruits the single plant I bought. The peppers were smaller than Hatch or Pueblo peppers, but I’d still consider them medium-sized. They were beautiful to look at, gnarly and curved.

Then I learned what I had grown was smokier and earthier, with a nuanced heat that makes them ultimately a more sought out counterpart to New Mexico’s Hatch chile. It’s locally planted and has a much smaller acreage then Hatch, with even fewer farmers expected to grow them in the years ahead due to the next generation of potential growers leaving farming as a profession and moving to cities. It’s a cult favorite and its rarity is reflected in its cost. Counterfeit versions are available.

Chimayo pepper fans also pay attention to the chile’s genetics. That’s not surprising given that these plants are grown from seeds passed down through the generations. They’re also known to be hearty, though they grow best in New Mexico because of the mountainous region’s hot days and colder nights, they can tolerate adversity. Including and especially a lack of water. That’s something that occurred this season in my garden.

At first, I harvested them when they were green, but learned that the proper way is to wait until they’re bright red, then pick them and let them dry. In Chimayo, the few existing producers who plant seeds frequently grow them in their backyards, create ristras and let them hang dry.

Ultimately, I’ll make a powder with it and then use it to season fajita meat where the smoky flavor will stand out. I may also see what a difference it makes in my chili, salsas and enchiladas.I may also try it in beverages. Chili hot chocolate? A cocktail? We’ll see how much I have after it’s dried and ground.

In the end, I’m thrilled to have grown these, although the only thing I think I’d have done differently is to use three or four more. I can try to save the seeds for next year, though, and plant plenty.

My biggest takeaway is to encourage anyone to do the same. Plants might be available through Harlequin Gardens again, or purchase them online, though choose your source with care so your plant is as authentic as possible. At the end of the season you might find that one of the most coveted peppers is easily within your reach. 

The post Discovering Chimayo Peppers | Foodie appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

In an unassuming strip mall, nestled among a nail salon, a math tutoring center, and a handful of other businesses, you’ll find a restaurant looking to bring Broomfield and the surrounding area elevated dishes. But not just of any cuisine. Cuisine from India and Nepal.

The name might look familiar. After all, the husband-wife-duo Suman KC and Sonali Sapkota KC bought the existing restaurant, serving similar dishes, and kept the name.

“I wanted to keep it because, in Nepali, Durbar means palace,” said Suman KC. Which is quite fitting, considering the duo’s goal is to elevate the Indian and Nepalese dishes offered in Colorado.

Opened in March of 2023, this isn’t the couple’s first foray into the restaurant game. They also owned restaurants back in Nepal before moving to the United States in 2016. Once they arrived, Suman KC worked in restaurants around Colorado for a couple of years. But all the while he and his wife were planning and dreaming of opening their own location one day.

Well, on March 11 in 2023, that dream came true and Durbar opened its doors to the public— with a ribbon cutting attended by both the mayor of Broomfield and Boulder.

Now, “We’re promoting Nepalese and Indian food every day,” said Suman KC.

Why the combination?

“I have always loved to cook,” said Suman KC. “And there are just so many flavors in Nepalese food that I love. And, of course, the country neighbors India. And both regions have similar ingredients, spiciness, and flavors in their dishes. So they were easy meals to cook and combine.” As for the location, “I didn’t see a lot of Indian and Nepalese fine dining in the area and I wanted to bring more elevated cuisine to Broomfield,” said Suman KC. When it comes to customer favorites, he calls out the Chicken Tikka Masala; Saag Paneer, which is made with spinach and homemade cottage cheese; and Chicken Vindaloo, made with kashmiri chiles, turmeric, cinnamon, and a whole host of other spices. And for those who might be a tad cautious around spiciness, don’t worry. You can order your food on a hotness scale of one–five.

Of course, running a restaurant is not without its challenges, notes Suman KC. One must manage staffers, keep the customers happy, and, naturally, cook the same dishes with such consistency that one knows what to expect. All that, and tack on the fact that the restaurant is only just over a year old, and running one these days is certainly not an easy task. But when talking about the dishes he offers, you can hear the smile in his voice. Plus, running Durbar Nepalese and Indian Bistro is truly a team effort—a family affair, if you will.

“The reason I have found success,” said Suman KC, “is because I have my wife beside me, helping me through everything for the entire time.”

The post Off Menu with The Restaurant Bringing Colorado Elevated Indian and Nepalese Cuisine appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Chef Yong Chen peers over the shoulders of his fellow cooks at work, scrutinizing and approving, then moves down the line to his own station to continue mixing his dough. As head chef at Nana’s Dim Sum and Dumplings in Boulder, he believes the perfect dumpling is about a commitment to exactness. Achieving the perfect texture for the wrapper requires using the precise ratio of water to flour every time. Even the amount of time spent mixing the dough is crucial, so much so the chefs set a timer for each batch.

“The process of making the dough, mixing the water and the flour — it’s always the same ratio that we’re using,” he explained. “How long we need to mix all these — there’s math involved in all of it.”

After filling the wrappings, they go into the steamer, where cooking time becomes equally essential down to the second. “If we take it out too early, then it will be undercooked. If we let it steam for too long, then the meat will be dry,” Chef Chen said.

Walking into Nana’s, diners can immediately see this philosophy in action. The restaurant’s layout stretches deep into the building in an alleyway-like fashion, with the kitchen on one side and tables on the other. Guests can see down the line of chefs working at their delicate art: rolling and shaping dumpling wrappers, filling dumplings, steaming dim sum in large stacked bamboo steamers, pan-frying, monitoring dough rising times, and preparing scratch-made sauces and seasonings.

The challenge of dim sum is maintaining a high standard while working with urgency. The rhythm of the meal is vital, and the efficiency that the cooks have honed to serve large groups carries over seamlessly into this fast-casual setting. It’s quality craftsmanship at pace.

A map of Southern China.Image by: Croquant, licensed under CC A3U.

Chef Chen learned to cook in his home province of Fujian in southern China, where he attended culinary school. Fujian neighbors Guangdong, the province considered the birthplace of dim sum. His first job was at Zhen Xing restaurant in Fujian, where he perfected traditional Chinese dishes.

When asked how Nana’s differs from other typical Chinese restaurants in the U.S., Chef Chen emphasized his respect for the subtlety and quality of ingredients. “We pursue more of a natural taste over the other Chinese restaurants. A lot of [the other’s] stuff is deep fried and overly seasoned, too salty, or too spicy,” he said.

Boulder’s Nana’s is one of three restaurant chain locations, which started in Denver. The first Nana’s opened as an experiment to see how Coloradans would embrace traditional Chinese dim sum. It became a success almost immediately. The Boulder location opened in December 2023 and was the second in the chain, followed by a third in Aurora in March 2024.

This rapid expansion was part of a plan by a group of owner-chefs, including Chen, who spent years perfecting their menu and philosophy. Now, they are implementing their great dumpling vision in the Boulder location and beyond. Everyone involved embraced the calculated risk, bolstered by their confidence in the quality of their food. Chen believes that as long as they continue to make great dim sum, people will recognize it with their taste buds.

Yellow Scene asked Chef Chen what advice he would give aspiring dim sum chefs in America. He chuckled before answering that hard work and stick-to-itiveness are the most important qualities. You need to improve your craft throughout life constantly.

He said, “It mostly comes down to your own determination and willingness to learn, so you can keep improving.”

Staying true to his culinary background has not always been easy, and maintaining authenticity in a new cultural landscape can feel like an uphill battle. Yet, he and the other owners of Nana’s have managed to do just that, and Boulder’s diners are better off for it.

The post Off Menu with Yong Chen of Nana’s Dim Sum and Dumplings appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

When thinking of farming in Colorado, you likely picture crops like wheat or peaches. But the Centennial state has a long history of apple cultivation that dates back well over a century. Here’s a brief look at how a fruit from Kazakhstan made its way all over Colorado and some of the state’s early apples.

A Very Short History of How Apples Got From Kazakhstan to Colorado

According to North Carolina Historic Sites, long before settlers landed on North America’s shores, 8,000ish years or so, the apple was cultivated in what is now modern day Kazakhstan. Over time, these apples eventually cross pollinated with European species and gave rise to the Malus domestica pumila, which are most of the wild and cultivated apples found today, according to “American Cider: A Modern Guide to a Historic Beverage” by Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo.

Fast forward many, many centuries to the year 1620, when the Mayflower embarked on a 66-day journey across the Atlantic carrying 102 Pilgrims to the New World. And what did many bring along to help start their life in America? Apple seeds that became bearers of a fruit Americans enjoyed for decades.

In the 1860s  a mass migration to the Western portion of the country, including Colorado, brought apples to our state, according to Pucci. Many of the settlers traveling to the state were looking to start their own farmstead, get involved in the fur trade, or strike it rich during the gold rush. And like the Pilgrims before them, they brought apple seeds.

It wasn’t long until Colorado became one of the largest apple producers in the young country, thanks in part to counties like Boulder, according to The Boulder Apple Tree Project, which aims to find and revive Colorado’s lost heritage apples. Later, during the industrial revolution, more laborers moved off farms to work in factories, and during the prohibition years, orchards declined partially as the result of the country’s 13-year zero-booze fest. Law enforcement often destroyed apple orchards as they were still more associated with cider than the healthy eating they’re known for today.

Michael Pollen, in “The Botany of Desire” explained that “ Up until Prohibition, an apple grown in America was far less likely to be eaten than to wind up in a barrel of cider.” Many of these historic orchards fell into disrepair and, as they did, the country lost quite a bit of apple species.

Yet as hard cider has taken more of a hold in the culture, and organizations like the aforementioned Boulder Apple Tree Project and the Montezuma Orchard Restoration aim topromote and educate the public about the growth of heritage apple trees in Colorado, there’s been a revived interest in apple production.

What Are Heritage Apples, Anyway? And Which Are Colorado’s? 

Defining heritage apples isn’t a straightforward proposition. Any consideration of heritage apples needs to take into account that  the crab apple is the only apple species native to North America. When we label an apple as heritage, we are only referring to varieties that are a hundred or so years old.

Complicating things further, historic apple species can be hard to pin down because apple trees need to cross pollinate in order to produce. Sharon Perdue, owner of YA YA Farm and Orchard in Longmont, explained that “These old trees aren’t going to be the same as they were 100 years ago. For example one of my old trees has three or four different types of apples growing on it.”

To make matters a bit more confusing, there isn’t a clear cut definition of heritage apples. But as Susan Lundy wrote in “Heritage Apples: A New Sensation,” we typically call apples heritage if they were bred and cultivated before the 1950s. The history and definition of heritage apples are fascinating, but what does that mean for someone looking for heritage apples in 2024? Here are a list of some of Colorado’s more prominent, currently available, heritage apples.

5 of Colorado’s Heritage Apples

Winesap Apple 
These apples were likely cultivated in the seventeenth century New Jersey, according to “American Cider.” And we know they were in Colorado by the 1800s. “Winesaps are just full of all kinds of flavors,” said Perdue. “It’s one of those apples that’s a whole meal—not a snack—on its own. And it makes the most amazing apple pie.”

Maiden’s Blush
A beautiful golden fruit with a touch of pink blush, this apple was also found in Colorado in the early 1800s stated Pucci in “American Cider.” According to Trees of Antiquity, a nursery that grows and ships organic fruit trees around the U.S., Maiden’s Blush trees grow well and bear fruit young.

Pewaukee
The Pewaukee is known for its golden yellow and red skin as well as slightly heavy flesh that’s sweet with “hints of vanilla” according to New England Apples, an organization that helps growers decide what to plant.

Jonathan 
According to Perdue this red-skinned apple does not get nearly enough credit. Along with having lovely sharp and sweet flavors, Perdue says it’s the best apple for making pies.

Colorado Orange Apple 
No, it’s not an orange hybrid. Its skin just has an orange blush according to The Colorado Sun. Initially, the same story reports, apple enthusiasts thought this once popular fruit was gone forever. But it was rediscovered in 2019. And after DNA testing (and hunting down old wax models) the Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project determined with almost 100% certainty this is the apple they previously thought went extinct.

apple diagrams from the USDA Pomological Watercolors

The post A Brief Intro Into Colorado Apple Growing | Foodie appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Crisp, flavorful apples are one of the best parts of Fall. Picked from orchards, baked into pies and cakes, or sliced with cheese, we’ll take it all. But one of our favorite ways to enjoy apples is fermented and with a kick. Colorado local ciders range from crisp to sweet, made with pure apples or blended with other fruit, and there are plenty of craft options from skilled cideries.

We’ve listed autumn-appropriate options from three of Boulder County’s most well known cideries and from one cidery that requires a road trip. Then we finished it off with our favorite apple-based winter warmer, that’s also made in the state.

St. Vrain Cidery
350 Terry St. #130, Longmont

St. Vrain Cidery has been operating out of a taproom and production facility just off of an Alley in Terry Street since 2016. Enjoy their ciders in their taproom, or find it at select restaurants or in liquor stores.

Ginger cider – Dry but with a kick of ginger, it’s tart, refreshing and citrusy. Perfect for those fall days that still feel like summer.
Gingerbread – Showing off the sweeter side of ginger, this is the cider to turn to when the weather cools. With cinnamon and dark sugars, it’s less refreshing, more apple pie.

The Old Mine
500 Briggs Street, Erie
4035 NE County Line Rd, Erie

With two taprooms both based in Erie, The Old Mine is a locals favorite. The main location includes a full menu and is packed with families and parents during farmer’s markets, parades and other community events. A second, adults-only location called The Factory, opened a few blocks away next to it’s production facility for imbibers who want a quieter night out.

Handlebar Cider – The Old Mine’s flagship cider is on the sweeter side, but still offers crisp, refreshing flavor. It also works well blended with other cider flavors, with dark beer, with kombucha or in cocktails.
Dry Hopped Vanilla Colorado Sunshine – A lighter, more refreshing version of the Cidery’s original.
Vanilla Bourbon – This is the cider version of a winter warmer. It’s the Old Mine’s Handlebar cider, aged in Bourbon Barrels with Vanilla.

Acreage by Stem Ciders
1380 Horizon Ave., Lafayette

Cider makers don’t get any larger than Stem Ciders. With a full menu and an uplifted outdoor town that boasts a bonfire, playground and elevated views of Lafayette, it’s a place families and singles can relax with friends. If you can’t get to their taproom and production facility, their cider is packaged and widely available

Off Dry – This is stem’s pure take on hard cider. No fruit additions, just fresh pressed apple juice that’s fermented. It will please drinkers who like their cider on the sweeter side but not cloying.
LaChene– Stem has pressed juice from four carefully selected varietals including the Jonathan heirloom apple. It’s fermented dry and aged in charred red wine barrels for 2 years. It’s dry, complex and interesting.
Pommeau – Apple-based dessert wine, originally made in France from fermented apple juice and apple brandy. If you’re trying it for the first time, expect tastes of baked apple, winter spice and brown sugar and a warm, alcohol-laden finish.

Big B’s
39126 Highway 133, Hotchkiss

Though many front range drinkers know Big Bs for it’s juice, including ciders, it’s production facility and taproom site is a satisfying Fall road trip destination for hard cider lovers. The taproom is accompanied by a farm store, restaurant with a full menu, a performance stage for musical acts, u-pick orchards, and camping sites located right in the orchard.

Harvest Cider – A semi-sweet cider made with fresh pressed, organic apples. It’s a traditionally classic approach to hard cider.
Grizzly Brand – Bourbon Barrel Aged Hard cider is unfiltered and bottle conditioned, with a combination of bourbon, apple, wood and vanilla.

Spirit Hound Distillers
4196 Ute Highway, Lyons 

Boulder County is lucky enough to have proximity to this award winning distiller, located just outside of downtown Lyons. Though the company just expanded into Denver, we have a preference for the original location with has been newly renovated with expanded seating.

Bourbon and warm, Big Bs non alcoholic cider – Bourbon and fruit are a winning combination perfect for the cooler fall season. We’ve found that warming high-quality, rich apple cider and adding a shot of smooth bourbon is simple and ideal. Spirit Hound’s Bourbon was made in a copper still and aged on American oak It goes perfectly with a nonalcoholic cider, no need to add anything else or use a hard cider.It’s dessert in a glass.

The post Apples for Adults | In the Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

We have all had the experience of seeing something or hearing about it and then it shows up everywhere. For example, you get a new car — an alien green Kia Soul, for example — and then you see the exact thing everywhere when before you never noticed it. Or a friend tells you about a band they have recently discovered and suddenly you hear their music and see the band name everywhere: playing on the radio, printed on t-shirts, mentioned on social media — well, the last one is probably because your phone is always listening… There is a name for this studied psychological phenomenon, Baader-Meinhof. It is basically selective attention bias and it happens to pretty much everyone. And now that you have read this far, you might well see this subject mentioned a few more times this week, thus proving the existence of the very thing.

My most recent go-round with this fascinating brain trick has been with biryani. It is not surprising that my attention is selectively focused on food, my attention is practically always focused on food. But in this case, the item in question is this delicious rice dish. A couple of weeks ago I met a couple of friends for dinner at my favorite Indian/Nepalese restaurant in Lafayette – Tandoori Kitchen. I have my favorite dishes there — paneer makhni, aloo gobi, saag, lamb vinadloo, Himalayan chilli chicken, daal tadka…now that I get started I realize that I love everything. And I am hungry now! But my eye and attention were caught by the biryani. I have eaten and enjoyed biryani but it isn’t top of mind when I order. This time, however, something about it seemed just perfect. And when I suggested we order it one of my friends said she had made biryani the night before, which inspired me and I made it at home the next night. And just today a work colleague was having biryani for lunch. All of these seemingly unusual biryani incidents have led me here — a dive into this spiced, flavorful, filling, delightful rice dish.

It is commonly believed that biryani by that name was introduced to India by Persian traders sometime around the 15th Century AD. There is a history of rice dishes being eaten in the area long before then, but this specific codified dish — the word biryani is thought to derive from the Persian word birian — fried before cooking, is surely related to pilafs, pilavs, and pilaus, traditionally eaten in a wide swathe of the world including parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa and following human migration to the rest of the world in the past couple hundred years.

Tandoori Kitchen’s Biryani

The most common biryani found in American Indian restaurants is probably the Hyderabadi version. Not surprisingly, there are dozens of regional varieties of biryani, but the Hyderabadi version seems to reign. It is often spicier, more savory, and highly aromatic. Basmati rice, ghee, onions, generous portions of toasted ground spices, and often a marinated chicken layer bring so much flavor to this dish that there are songs about it. I am not kidding, look it up! The dish is both satisfyingly filling and fancy enough for a special occasion. Cooking it is involved, this is not a 1-pot, 1-hour dish for a busy weeknight. This dish requires forethought, planning, time, a nimble hand, and patience. But oh mama, it is worth it.

There are many recipes for biryani to be found online and in myriad cookbooks. I won’t include a recipe here as, see above, the dish is complex and time consuming. Instead, I will put a recipe for raita, a cooked cucumber yogurt dish often served with biryani to complement the flavors and cool the burn of the spices. You can find versions of raita that include radishes, carrots, or onions. This one, though, is a very basic recipe using ingredients that you probably have or can easily get, that you can make in advance, and that you can eat with pretty much everything from biryani to falafel to simple raw vegetable salad.

Basic Raita

• 2 cups Greek yogurt (full fat is always the best choice)
• 2 English cucumbers or 4 smaller Persian cucumbers (you can use standard cucumbers in a pinch, just remove the tough skin and the inner seeds)
• ½ tsp granulated salt (Himalayan pink salt is great here) 
• ¼ tsp ground cumin (to be fancy, toast the seeds then grind them)
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro or a combination of cilantro and mint
• (optional – 1 small garlic clove, finely minced – do not used jarred garlic, you will taste the difference here)

Peel and trim the cucumbers. If there are seeds in the cucumbers, remove them with a spoon. Grate the cucumbers into a bowl. Add all the other ingredients, holding out a tablespoon of the fresh herbs, then stir to mix. Taste and adjust with salt. Top with the remaining herbs. Enjoy.

Happy Baader-Meinhof everyone.

The post Culinaria – Biryani appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Longmont is about to experience a new callback to the kind of mid-century diners road trippers of the past loved. A new gathering space — part restaurant, part bar, part event space, and part time machine — is coming to Prospect in the next few weeks. Johnson’s Station is the reenvisioning of a 1950s-era service stop that fed hungry travelers mentioned by Jack Kerouac in “On the Road.” Chef Steve Queen is excited. With good reason.

The restaurant is housed in an intriguing building — a service station, which was moved from Longmont’s Main Street to the Prospect neighborhood. It sat for years behind fencing until it was financially redeveloped. Now, it’s been revitalized and Queen gets to lead the menu development and kitchen teams that will take diners back in time.

Queen plans to marry key parts of what’s important to him in cooking, with elevated versions of what 1950s travelers might have expected to be passed across a diner service window. Burgers. Hot dogs and hot chicken. Ice cream Cocktails. Smoked pork sandwiches. Classic Americana fare.

This kind of food feels fairly expected, but Queen has plans to elevate it. “I’ll never throw ingredients into something for the sake of throwing thirty things there. I’m very forward and when I describe something I’m cooking, you’re going to taste what I’m describing. An orange, a carrot, ginger sauce will taste like those things, in that order. It’s stripping away filler and distractions. I like things flavorful. Reduced down.” To further illustrate his point, he talked about how he makes hot chicken. Marinated in buttermilk and then made with both butter and lard, it’s spicy with a crust that’s present but not overwhelming. It is also about texture. It just also happens to be gluten-free.

Aspects of the Johnson’s Station environment play to Queen’s personality as well. The space calls back to some of his most formative years in high school, where he not only discovered he appreciated cooking through a class, he also discovered he liked photography and architecture. “The exposure to it is what makes the difference. There’s so much that you’re not exposed to in high school as far as careers. The things that stuck with me the most from those days are those things that were hands on and used in real life, long term.”

Of all the things he was fortunate to try in school, cooking ultimately stuck with him. He went to Johnson and Wales in Florida, then worked at a series of restaurants including in places owned by his parents. Like a lot of other people, he came to Colorado for the mountains. But, unlike a lot of people, he cooked in Cherry Creek. Then he worked for River and Woods owned by the same group, Working Title, that owns Johnsons Station.

Throughout his journey, there wasn’t one person that was his mentor but he said he felt that it was to his advantage. He focused on purely developing his own techniques based on his instinct. What was consistent was how he pushed himself to learn more. His philosophy about restaurants is that there’s always more to learn. Culinary professionals should be looking deep into techniques, ingredients, and how to do things better. There’s always something to know, or know more deeply.

And now it appears his next learning chapter is in Longmont, in an Americana-road trip fueled (pun intended) preserved service station.  One can only imagine the rabbit holes of learning and creation he has going forward into the future, to diners’ benefit.

The post Off Menu with Steve Queen of Johnson’s Station appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

On a warm, though partly cloudy day, I walked into the counter-service location situated just off Highway 287 and south of the Kaiser Permanente campus to meet with chef and owner of Off Campus Cafe, Mariano Rodriguez. I noted the cozy café atmosphere and cleanliness of the dining room. While much of the menu centers on standard American breakfast and lunch fare, the Yucatán options and specials are particularly appealing.

I settled into a booth seat and before long Chef Rodriguez brought out a veritable smorgasbord of food to sample. The colors of his coconut shrimp salad were striking, and the mango dressing was delicious. He presented an achiote marinated chicken tamale, wrapped in banana leaves rather than corn husk, smothered in salsa verde, and topped with gooey cheese. The fluffy masa was cooked melt-in-your-mouth perfectly, and the chicken was tender and juicy.

Perhaps my personal favorite was the panuchos. A specialty of Yucatán where the handmade tortillas are stuffed with refried black beans and topped with the same fantastic chicken, tomato, lettuce, pickled jalapeño, avocado, and pickled red onion. The black beans inside the tortilla took the tacos up a notch and gave an inexplicably savory flavor to the dish. Chef Rodriguez’s wife, Norma, helps in the kitchen and makes a delightful habanero salsa for those who want a little extra kick.

The tortillas and beans being made in house is unique, but most unique is that Chef Rodriguez’s brother makes the achiote condiment in Mexico and sends it to him here. When asked why, Chef Rodriguez said, “I tried to make it here, but the annatto seeds are totally different.” His response showed that terroir applies to more than just wine and that it matters where the food is grown too.

We spoke about what inspired Chef Rodriguez to begin his cooking career. He said, “My mom used to make grilled chicken, and right off the grill, it was really good.” He continued, “I’ve been cooking since I was 16 or 17, and I would help my mom a lot.” He attended culinary school in Merida and Cancún and worked in Mexico before coming to the U.S.

Chef Rodriguez talked about how he likes to mix things up and offer specials. He told me a story about how the cafe has semi-regular guests, two of whom are a mother and her young daughter who enjoy going to Off Campus Cafe because there’s always something different to eat. He said he made them sushi rolls, one of which was a twist on his Baja chicken sandwich. He said, “I like to play with food and make something different.”

The heartfelt stories he shared about his guests gave a personal touch to the family-owned and operated eatery. He spoke about an older couple who finally succeeded at bringing their friend to Off Campus Cafe and made a regular customer out of him as well. Another guest had plans to visit Yucatán about a month after his visit to the restaurant. Chef Rodriguez said, “I was kind of joking with him, but I told him my brother lives in my hometown. If you visited him, he would give you a tour.” The guest returned to the restaurant some time later and showed Chef Rodriguez a picture with his brother, having taken him up on the offer of a tour.

Another personal touch that Chef Rodriguez brings to the restaurant is that he does all the shopping, rather than ordering from a purveyor. “I like to go buy it because I can pick what I want, what I like, and what I see is good.”

The care, love, and personal touch that Chef Rodriguez brings to Off Campus Cafe can be seen and tasted in his food. “One thing that really inspires me to cook is my family. We like to eat almost anything.” He brings a taste of his home with tamales, panuchos, and more. When he wants to switch things up, he’ll create a special dish. He gets to know his clientele and provides service that reflects the family atmosphere of the restaurant.

The post Off Menu with Mariano Rodriguez appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Cristine Ruch found the building that would become Fresh Thymes Eatery in 2013. Before it opened several renovations were needed; including opening up the kitchen and putting in a massive marble countertop. Ruch hired a contractor, got the necessary permits, hired staff, and ordered the needed equipment by opening day just four months after signing the lease.

Fresh Thymes Eatery became an instant hit, earning Daily Camera’s “People’s Choice Award” for the best new restaurant. The menu was completely gluten-free, the ingredients came from local purveyors, and Ruch worked with nonprofits that helped food-insecure families.

Fast forward to 2021, and she had the opportunity to expand her business by opening up a grab-and-go bodega-like store. “When I signed the lease I was optimistic. Surely, the pandemic is going to be over soon, right? It’s been over a year.”

What Ruch found was a permitting nightmare. “During Covid, everyone went remote,” explained Ruch. “They made no effort to prioritize small business projects.” By the time she was able to open the adjoining restaurant a full year had passed. She was paying rent for nine months — she was given a three month reprieve — while not making any money. With tripled shipping costs, supply shortages, and rising wage expenses, it proved impossible to keep the lights on.

After nearly 10 years, she closed Fresh Thymes Eatery on December 16, 2022 and the newly-opened Bodega closed in January 2023. While there were many factors at play, Ruch blamed Boulder government officials for not being able to get her permits, inspections, and approvals done in a timely manner. “This caused a highly respected, decade-old business that was doing good for the community to close because they couldn’t get their act together.”

Closing after closing

Fresh Thymes Eatery was just one of many restaurants over the past years to shut its doors. Staples like Mateo (2024) — which was one of Boulder’s oldest restaurants — Murphy’s North (2021), Minor’s Tavern (2021), The Local Boulder (2024), and 1914 House (2024) all either closed or will be closing. Many cite similar reasons to Ruch — labor costs, rising rents, inflation, energy costs, and the lengthy permit process.

Shine Restaurant & Potions Bar, owned by three triplet sisters, Jill, Jessica, and Jennifer Emich also closed in 2021 after opening in 2018 — prior to that they had several other restaurants and gathering places in Boulder for 23 years. Similar to Fresh Thymes Eatery, Shine’s menu was entirely gluten-free, and almost entirely organic, and community oriented. “We worked with local farms for our ingredients; had art on the wall from local artists; and we had live music, poetry, and networking events. It was a place for locals to gather, share their gifts, and shine from within. That’s where we got the name,” said co-owner Jill Emich. In 2020 everything came to a grinding halt. Like many restaurants Shine pivoted to takeout. “It felt like we were missing the community aspect of Shine.” Both she and Ruch emphasized that they respected Covid concerns but the constant rule changes surrounding reopening put an incredibly difficult strain on staff.

Emich found if they wanted to stay afloat, they would need to compromise standards. “We served really healthy food made with high-quality organic ingredients. That costs money.  I felt like I was going to have to start making sacrifices for sub-par ingredients and I wasn’t going to do it.” Couple that with the rising cost of everything else, when they did decide to close it was “Honestly a blessing,” said Emich. The sisters have since pivoted to Shine Living Community, which offers classes in yoga, dance, breathwork, and nutrition. “It’s the same vision with a whole new format that reaches far beyond the four walls of the restaurant,” says Emich.

Looking Forward

“The consequences go far beyond the crime of not being able to afford to stay in business because of Boulder County errors,” said Ruch. “I have had so many personal ramifications because you don’t just close a restaurant like that.”

Many of us have put Covid in the rearview, but the restaurant industry hasn’t. Going out to eat is expensive. And it’s likely going to stay that way. “I don’t think consumers understand what it takes to put that plate of food on the table,” Emich said. “Especially in the post-pandemic world that we live in where costs have gone up. We need to form a deeper understanding and perhaps pivot to making going out to eat a special occasion.”

Like in any community, small businesses are a vital component of Boulder’s makeup. It’s likely safe to say Boulder County residents don’t want to walk down the sidewalk and just see chain after chain. “I hope people continue to support local,” said Emich. “I always tell people when you spend your money you’re voting with your dollars of what you want to see more of in our world.”

The post Restaurants Across Boulder County Permanently Close | In the Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Main Street in Longmont was bustling with people on a sunny Saturday as I made my way through the throngs to Teocalli Cocina. The blue and white color scheme and the traditional Mexican geometric pattern on the wall produced a modern aesthetic that noded to the rich cultural history of Mexico. Executive Chef Julio Gaspar who oversees all three locations has been spending most of his time in Longmont since opening two months ago.

We settled in a cozy booth to chat and before long Chef Gaspar went to retrieve a gorgeous plate of shrimp ceviche and a basket of tortilla chips. The color palate of the dish was surprisingly vibrant and whetted my appetite, giving proof to the adage that we eat with our eyes first. The shrimp mixture sat atop a mango habanero sauce drizzled with chile oil that had just the right amount of heat, it was garnished with sliced radishes and beautifully fanned avocado.

A myriad of flavors and textures danced in my mouth. It had the perfect balance between the sweetness of the mango, the acidity from lime, and the gentle warmth from the chiles. He told me about the process for their ceviche which varies just slightly from the traditional lime marinade where the acidity of the citrus cooks the shrimp. He said, “For me, it’s a weird texture. So, what we do is plunge the shrimp in lime and hot water for five seconds, then we finish the cooking in the lime.” Having sampled ceviche from all over, I can say that this was the best iteration I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.

Teocalli’s Unique take on a Banana Split

Chef Gaspar then brought me the banana split, another beautiful dish of banana brûlée, strawberry ice cream, dulce de leche, — garnished with a peanut and sesame seed brittle called palanquetas — a traditional candy from his hometown in Oaxaca. It is a popular dessert, and he said, “Last week we sold sixty pounds of bananas, and it’s one banana per dish.” On tasting it, it’s not surprising that it’s so popular. The palanquetas lend a slightly savory note to the dessert that truly completes the balance of flavors and textures.

Teocalli Cocina’s full bar is equally enticing, and I’ll have to return soon for a cocktail, beer, or Mezcal. Chef Gaspar informed me of their great selection of small batch tequilas and Mezcal, he said, “We just got a new one that has guava and it’s a little sweet, for people who are just starting to get into Mezcal.” Additionally, they have a Mexican Lager that 4 Noses Brewing produces exclusively for the restaurant.

When I asked him how he got the bug for cooking he told me, “My mom used to have a restaurant in Mexico, and she said, ‘You need to help.’” He shared with me his vast experience, that he cooked in Mexico, New York, California, Denver, and more. It was clear from our conversation that his passion, and love of Oaxaca, drive and inspire him. He told me about his favorite food memories, “we have a Mole that we fly the chiles from Oaxaca, it’s a lot of work, but it’s just beautiful. We have a lot of seafood too.”

Longmont is a town on the rise, and we spoke about why he chose it. Chef Gaspar said, “We wanted to look outside of Denver, and we like the town.” He shared with me the plan for the next year to turn the lower level of the building into a speakeasy. “I feel like Longmont needs something like that.” Indeed, Teocalli Cocina’s chic and modern vibe fits right in on Main Street.

As our conversation reached its conclusion, I noted the influx of diners coming in for lunch, particularly for the patio. I wondered to myself how many would order the ceviche, as it felt like the perfect dish for a summer Saturday afternoon on the patio. Longmont is fortunate to have the third location of Teocalli Cocina. Chef Gaspar truly presents his culture, and passion with every dish.

The post Off Menu with Julio Gaspar appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.