Legacy restaurants add to the fabric of the community.

There are so many ways to run a restaurant. From fish ‘n’ chips to fine dining, I looked into three longstanding Boulder County institutions to see how they’ve survived and thrived through ownership transitions, family legacies, a global pandemic, and at least one misspelling of the owner’s last name on an Irish-themed sign.

Palpable Energy on the Menu

When I first moved to Longmont, there was one place I walked past nearly every day that was always buzzing. Tuesday at lunch, 9 p.m. on a Thursday night, there was always some energy to it. In 2026, in this economy, I was curious about a place with that kind of pull.

A few months later, Pumphouse Brewery had become a regular in my rotation. The firehouse-themed eatery draws beer-drinking sports fans and families alike, built on a reputation for good service and generous portions. On a recent visit, I noticed a new menu celebrating the restaurant’s 30th birthday. As a ’96 baby myself, I couldn’t help but wonder how this place had stood the test of time.

Who better to pull back the curtain than long-time General Manager Ross Hagen. Hagen was a law school student when he started serving tables at Pumphouse in May 1997. He quickly gelled with the original owners, four friends who happened to also be aerospace engineers, and worked his way up through the ranks, buying in as a partner in 2000. After deciding law wasn’t his true calling, he found that the pace and energy of the restaurant world was exactly where he wanted to be. He’s been all in ever since.

Running a broad menu isn’t simple, and Hagen doesn’t pretend otherwise. “It’s gotta taste good. It’s got to be something we can execute consistently,” he said. He knows the “something for everybody” model isn’t for everyone. “Most operators starting up would shy against the breadth of what we’re doing.” What makes it work, he says, is structure: strict recipe standards, plating consistency, and a management team larger than most comparable restaurants. “It really requires that everybody’s on the same page, absolutely busting their butt, every day. There’s no way around that.”

That broad menu is also strategic. Hagen knows Pumphouse’s staying power depends on becoming the neighborhood’s go-to for both date nights and family dinners. “You have to develop regulars and keep them. It’s what matters.” A dedicated back-of-house staff, many of whom have been with the restaurant for decades, has made that consistency possible.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a hard look at Pumphouse’s future. The answer, original ownership decided, was a transition to employee ownership. In 2022, the business was sold to Teamshares, a company that converts acquired businesses to employee-owned models over time. Every Pumphouse employee, from longtime chefs to part-time dishwashers, became a 20% owner, receiving stock and dividend checks nearly every month.

The goal is 80% employee ownership within 15 years. Hagen sees it as the best available path. “If it’s not going to be a fully independently owned restaurant like it was from the five of us, maybe the next best thing is to have it employee owned, as opposed to just selling out to some restaurant group that may or may not keep the character in place.” Though no longer an owner in the traditional sense, his commitment hasn’t shifted. “As long as I’m here, I’ll continue to run the place with an owner’s eyes and the mentality that this is a legacy business, and I don’t want it to decline on any level.”

A 40+ Year Longmont Fixture

Less than a block down Main Street, you’ll find a place that has the Pumphouse beat by 15 years. Mike O’Shays has been a fixture in downtown Longmont since 1981, when New Jersey natives Mike and Nania Shea opened the Irish pub, their last name slightly altered on the sign in a spelling that just stuck. Shea was once quoted calling it a “stay with it” place, and walking in today, you understand exactly what he meant.

General Manager Jen Burchette is the engine of Mike O’Shays. On any given afternoon, she might be welcoming a regular, interviewing a prospective bartender, and signing for a liquor delivery, sometimes in the same 10-minute window. Burchette says Shea built something that didn’t need much propping up. “This place stands on its own.” His hands-on ownership style cultivated a loyalty that has proven remarkably durable. Burchette says they’re generations deep into regulars now, and she hopes it just keeps going. Head Chef Martín, who has been with the restaurant for 30 years, has grown alongside the menu, finding creative freedom in exploring Irish cuisine.

The restaurant has navigated change, including a shift in ownership that brought menu updates and operational adjustments with mixed reactions from longtime patrons. Through it all, Mike O’Shays has held onto what it’s always been: a neighborhood place built on a little bit of grit and a lot of community.

A Generational Dining Destination

From Longmont’s Main Street, head up Baseline Road into the Boulder foothills, and you’ll find Flagstaff House, a fine dining institution with a view to match and a family story spanning three generations. Adam Monette is the restaurant’s co-owner and general manager. He’s the third member of his family to hold that role. His grandfather, Don Monette, bought the property in 1971 and moved his family onto the five-acre mountainside lot where he set about turning what had been a home — possibly destined to become a cabin or ranger station — into a year-round restaurant. Don liquidated three downtown restaurants to make it happen. “It really never should have existed in the first place,” Adam reflected. “But with his foresight and ability to put things together, he saw an opportunity that really wasn’t there at the time.” At its peak, 18 members of the Monette family were working within the restaurant’s ranks. “It was, quite literally, a family affair.”

Don’s connection to Colorado began in the 1950s, when he was stationed at Camp Hale in Leadville as part of the 10th Mountain Division. The mountains left a mark, and after marrying his wife Carol in Michigan, he insisted they move back to the Centennial State. Adam still speaks of him with reverence. “Don is honestly the foundation of this restaurant. But certainly, in many ways, he was my idol.”

That reverence shows up in how the place is run. Flagstaff House is fine dining, but Monette is deliberate about the atmosphere it projects. “Fine dining comes off as pretentious and snooty more often than not. You don’t hear those words here, because we make sure that we’re not.” Staff longevity mirrors the family’s own investment. Employees with over 35 years of service have retired from their posts while promotions into management have nearly always come from within. “Every time we’ve promoted into management, with very few exceptions, it’s been someone who has proven themselves from day one, probably starting as a food runner,” Monette said.

Another example of their commitment to the community can be found on their awards shelf. Flagstaff House recently received the Snail of Approval from Slow Food Boulder County, a non-profit dedicated to fostering a “good, clean, and fair” food system in the region.

From employee ownership to navigating a new proprietor’s vision to stewarding a grandfather’s dream, there is more than one recipe for longevity in the restaurant world. But a few ingredients keep showing up: people who refuse to treat the work as temporary, communities willing to keep coming back, and an understanding that the restaurant belongs, in some way, to everyone who walks through the door.

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The post More Than One Recipe appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Boulder County is known for its culinary achievements, with award-winning restaurants, wineries and a culture that not only appreciates food but relishes in the diversity of dining options. We want to know what’s cooking and who’s cooking it. Follow along as we talk to chefs to find out what fuels them – mind, body and soul.

Alex Schuler

It’s Saturday morning at Tangerine; brunchers have occupied every table, every bright orange booth. Owner Alex Schuler meanders between the narrow aisles stopping to check in with diners in between bites of tempeh hash.

At 46, Schuler is no longer working on the line shouting orders to sous chefs, sweating over a hot station or plating dishes, though he is first and foremost a chef, even as he tries to balance his cycling with raising four kids and running three restaurants.

Like his approach to life, his approach to food is a balanced one. It’s not about one dish, or one ingredient; it’s about the whole of what’s being presented, balancing delicate European cuisine with Americana tastes. “In Boulder, there’s this inability to leave American sensibilities off the menu.”

Schuler didn’t grow up with an American diet. A first generation American born to an English mother and Swiss father, he spent a lot of time cooking with his mom, who called him “the little gourmet.” His upbringing drew him to Italian and French cooking as he worked toward “mastering restaurant kitchens.”

Arugula was that restaurant where Schuler did things his way, elevating the palates of locals who wanted more than just biscuits and gravy (although he’s made that a part of his Tangerine menu per customer demand).

His mission to chip away at the hardened dietary preferences of those who are stuck to our decadent diets is apparent in his menu, which offers ‘breakfast classics’ with options to eat more (and eat better) than a sandwich and chips. He wants us to appreciate the authenticity of local ingredients and tastes with a bit of sophistication. We are supposed to be a foodie town, but apparently our tastes don’t match our reputation.

“It’s amazing in the small city of Boulder most strip malls have a hidden gem of a restaurant or two. Like in many parts of modern Europe, there is great independent food on every corner. Boulder County is getting there and compared to what was here 30 years, it’s a vast improvement,” he says. He isn’t wrong.

Chris Royster

Tall and still baby-faced, Chris Royster, smiles as he slides into the seat opposite mine as we imbibe on Colorado lamb shank and braised watermelon. Overlooking the city, the low-key Chopped champion and past Zagat 30 under 30 winner, looks out the large glass window, reminiscing on the landscape of now and then.

Growing up in Hyde Park, New York, Royster is comfortable in the quiet solitude of nature; it’s where his connection to food began – as a child smoking venison on the porch with his father and grandfather.

“To be able to take the animal from the woods behind my grandfather’s house and see it all the way through to being marinated and on the smoker was such an incredible experience and one that not many can say they’ve had.”

Royster’s experience brought him close to food; he understands its origins. Food often means life or death, something folks consuming in a modern world are apt to forget.

Royster, vacationing in Cape Cod as a young child, learned to fish and clam, spending the day fishing, taking what they caught back to the house and breaking it down for dinner. He can still smell the fish on the grill, the clams steaming in butter. “Once we were taught, from then on, it was our responsibility. I’m grateful to have learned that lesson.”

We’ve become dissociated from our food supply, something that troubles Royster. We don’t know where are food comes from, how many miles it travels and what resources it takes to grow in order to sate local demand.

Royster admits BOCO is more in touch with the food chain than most. We are a farming community and educated populace that value sustainability and local crops.

“The farming community that surrounds us, the plethora of great chefs and restaurants, this real focus on great food defines our city.”

The post Off Menu With Alex Schuler/Tangerine & Chris Royster/Flagstaff appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Have food news? Have a dish pick? Let our editors know where to look by sending us an email to editorial@yellowscene.com!

Openings/Closings

2020 Food + Wine Bar opened last month in Prospect at none other than 2020 Ionsophere St. in Longmont. After shifting around, the restaurant situation at the Hotel Boulderado is finally settled with Spruce, which opened on August 5. Alfalfa’s opened their second location in Louisville, complete with hot and cold food bars. Saving best for last, the Cinebarre Boulder opened on August 1 where the old Louisville Regal Colony Square Theater once lived. The cinema/eatery—which includes a fully stocked bar with 24 taps—provides paper and pencil for you to place your order after taking your seat in one of the leather chairs. After years of pizza recon from around the world, the good folks at Rosalee’s Pizzeria in Longmont will be opening for business by the end of the summer. Boulder’s farm-to-table Beehive has closed its doors, and a wine bar called PMG will be taking its place by mid-August.

News

With a smaller food menu and a more neighborly feel aimed at getting people to stay longer with fancy cocktails, The Bitter Bar in Boulder unveiled its new look that has been in the works all summer. PETA named Mustard’s Last Stand (located in Denver and Boulder) one of the top five places to get vegan hot dogs in the country. The owners of Salt, Colterra, Black Cat and Bramble and Hare in Boulder are on a quest to completely eliminate pesky GMOs from their restaurants. Purely Elizabeth, a new natural foods company, has relocated its headquarters to Boulder from NYC for reasons that seem to be quite clear. After a brief Listeria scare, peaches, plums and other pitted fruits have been deemed safe to enjoy in once again (while the summer prices last). Flagstaff House won Wine Spectator’s Grand Award for the 31st year in a row. Great job, guys.

Events

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse hosted its 15th annual Rocky Mountain Tea Festival at the beginning of August with lectures and tea tastings. Frasca Food and Wine celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special menu offered from August 4-9. Arguably the best seven days of the year, National Farmers’ Market Week runs through August 9 with the Boulder County Farmers’ Market hosting events like “Yoga and Wine in the Gardens” and veggie-harvesting workshops. Want to learn how to cook like a Native American? Head over to Kachina Southwestern Grill in Westminster and Chef Bolton will teach you how. Bring $20 on August 21 at 6pm and get ready to learn while enjoying traditional dishes.

The post Sampler Plate appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Starting as a dishwasher at Twist in Hyde Park, New York, and working his way up to executive chef there, Chris Royster knows how to run a restaurant from the ground up. He worked as sous chef at Zucca Italian Restaurant in Louisville and next door as executive chef at The Huckleberry before moving up the hill to become sous chef at The Flagstaff House.

The post Chef De Cuisine Adam Royster, Flagstaff House appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

I recently pondered arugula. What does one do with arugula besides tossing it on a plate with dressing? How does one make the peppery green really shine outside of the salad realm?

In an ode to spring, we challenged the masters of high-end, luxurious Colorado cuisine to create an inspired dish that puts arugula at the forefront.

“At first, I thought, ‘Well, we do an arugula salad. We have items on the menu that include arugula,’” said chef and co-owner Mark Monette. “But then we realized that it needed to be creative and out of the box, that’s when we really got thinking.”

Monette and his sous chef brainstormed over text and didn’t have the dish finalized until 30 minutes before our photographer and I showed up. But when we arrived, the dish was ready: Three dainty glasses filled with oyster shooters (yes, shots!) bathing in a tomato puree and an arugula-infused vodka. The whole plate was laced with  bright green arugula dust and accompanied with cucumber, celery and Kalamata olives as accoutrements.

It was a far cry from any iteration of arugula I had every seen. Monette said—as soon as they started thinking of all the ways of preparing arugula—they began tossing around ideas about spring, about Mother’s Day, of vodka and how arugula would work with it, about fresh flavors. They thought of brunch, and then the conversation went to oysters…and then to cucumber-wrapped Wianno oysters. They then added the tomato, and infused Kettle One vodka and arugula.

Together, it’s a beautiful little bite—a whirlwind of fresh flavors and textures. The cucumber-wrapped Wianno is a piece of heaven, bringing a nice, subtle texture of the cucumber to the slightly sweet, salty oyster. With the peppery vodka and a splash of tomato, it’s lovely, and oozing of spring. And the arugula flavor lightly coats it all.

My only suggestion (yes, I’m gonna offer culinary tips to the Flagstaff House) is to add a hint of spice: A tiny splash of Tabasco or finely chopped jalapeños on the side. I’m a heat-seeker, so it may just be my sedated taste buds, but I felt the flavors were calling for a spicy punch.

With that said, this dish is delightful, a spring awakening, downed in the natural beauty of Flagstaff’s setting.

Flagstaff House is located at 1138 Flagstaff Road in Boulder. They will serve up their oyster and arugula-infused vodka through April. flagstaffhouse.com

The post Challenging Elements: Arugula at Flagstaff House appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Openings/Closings

Murray’s Cheese Shop has opened inside two of Boulder’s three King Soopers stores. / Tossa, a new fast-casual concept from the owners of Smashburger, opened at 2400 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder. / Minglewood, a Grateful Dead deli, opened on Conestoga Street in Boulder. / Robin Chocolates celebrated the grand opening of its new retail location on Airport Road in Longmont. / Oak at Fourteenth announced it would re-open Dec. 15 after nearly a year of post-fire rehab following a booming first six months. / At 1035 Pearl St., in Boulder, Pearl Street Steak Room, opened in late November, owned by Mara and Peter Soutiere of Sushi Tora and Tahona Tequila Bistro. / Nothing Bundt Cakes opened at 10449 Town Center Dr. in Westminster. The shop, you guessed it, sells only bundt cakes. nothingbundtcakes.com.

News

Boulder’s Amu Sake Bar and Restaurant hired a new chef, Mune Taira, the first to be dedicated solely to Amu. / Naraya Thai and Sushi Restaurant in Boulder celebrated its first anniversary. / Former Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg and celebrity bartender James Lee have announced they are partnering on a farm, a catering company and a restaurant. / Flagstaff House Restaurant was one of only four Colorado restaurants awarded Forbes Travel Guide’s four-star award. / The Meritage Restaurant at the Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield has a new menu inspired by French cuisine. / Comida taco truck signed a lease on a permanent space in Prospect New Town in Longmont. / Beloved chef/owner of Strings in Denver, Noel Cunningham, died unexpectedly at age 62. / Frasca Food and Wine was recognized as one of OpenTable’s top 100 American restaurants. / Colorado-based Smashburger took the top spot in Forbes magazine’s America’s Most Promising Companies list. / The owners of Boulder’s Frasca Food and Wine announced they will operate the fresh-food market at Denver Union Station if Union Station Neighborhood Co., one of two teams competing for the bid, gets the thumbs up to redevelop it.

Best of the Month

Excellent duck quesadillas and fried sweetbreads at Tahona Tequila Bar in Boulder.  / Sweet and spicy molasses cookies and habanero mole truffles at Robin Chocolates in Longmont. / “Sandwich I Am” egg and sausage sandwich with smoked cheddar hollandaise at Snooze AM Eatery in Boulder.

Events

The Greenbriar Inn, 8735 Foothills Hwy., Boulder, will host a Christmas Eve Dinner Dec. 24. Reservations are suggested, call 303.440.7979

Have food news? Have a dish pick? Just email editorial@yellowscene.com.

The post Eatery News: Dec. ’11 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Openings/Closings

Pearl Street Steak Room opened early this month in a small space behind Tahona Tequila Bar. /Bombay Bistro owners opened a second restaurant in Vancouver, BC, and plan to rebrand Bombay Bistro to match the new restaurant’s lounge vibe. /The latest in the self-serve yogurt trend, Boom Yoghurt Bar opened at 3303 30th St. in Boulder, offering fresh and frozen yogurt as well as cottage cheese and many toppings. /The Butterball plant in Longmont will close by the end of the year. /Snooze opened its fifth Colorado restaurant on Pearl St. in late September.

News

Google acquired Zagat, causing some foodies to worry that the venerable restaurant ratings service will begin to look more like Yelp than Michelin. /Mike O’Shay’s Restaurant and Ale House in Longmont marks its 30th anniversary this month. /Culinary Connectors began offering walking dining tours of downtown Boulder. /Foodie Registry (foodieregistry.com), a wedding registry for restaurant gift certificates, launched in Denver. Boulder-based Conscious Coffee took the national Roaster of the Year award. /The Kitchen launched The Kitchen Community this month; each Monday, proceeds from kids meals sold at The Kitchen [Next Door] will be donated to school garden projects in the BVSD. /Bryan Dayton, owner of Oak at Fourteenth, took first place in the national GQ Bombay Sapphire cocktail competition and will be featured on the cover of GQ. /Denver ranked No. 13 on Travel + Leisure’s America’s Best Cities for Foodies list. /And The Sink was featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Colunching, a Paris-based startup, launched its food-based networking program in Boulder this month: colunching.com.

Best of the Month

Buffalo dumplings and a Kona coffee cocktail at Tastes on the Terrace at the Flagstaff House. /A fabulous duck taco with goat cheese and apple butter at Tahona in Boulder. /The raw wrap with rainbow chard and cashew ricotta at Leaf in Boulder.

Events

Flagstaff House Restaurant officially celebrates its 40th year with an Anniversary Gala Oct. 16, with a menu by many of the area’s favorite chefs. Reservations required. Proceeds will benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation. flagstaffhouse.com. /Amaro will host its inaugural wine dinner Oct. 25 with wines from Alpha Zeta winery. /Oct. 28 and 29, HUSH Concepts will host Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg and mixologist James Lee for a two-night-only “pop-up” restaurant. Reservations at hushdenver.com. Rumor has it, the two are working on a permanent restaurant concept together. /First Bite Boulder set this year’s dates for Nov. 11-19. /Café Aion will host three Sunday night dinners this fall; with only 15 seats by reservation only, the evenings will be an opportunity to chat and engage with wine director Kenny Rowe and chef Dakota Soifer.

The post Eatery News: October 2011 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Openings/Closings

Tiffin’s, a vegetarian Indian restaurant opened at 416 Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder, specializing in vegetarian proteins that go beyond tofu. While a date has not yet been set, Oak at Fourteenth hopes to reopen early this fall, after a fire earlier this year required a complete remodel of the space. Magnolia Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Lafayette closed and has reopened under new ownership as 95a Bistro and Sushi. Cured cheese shop opened at 1825 Pearl St. in Boulder, offering cheese, meats, some produce and specialty items. The Super Mini Walnut Café opened at 2770 Arapahoe Rd., Suite 116, in the Atlas Valley shopping center in Lafayette. Riff’s Urban Fare is slated to open this month at 1115 Pearl St. in Boulder serving small plates of seasonal, international dishes.

News

Lucky’s Market in Boulder added its own organic farm and now offers produce “organically grown 3 miles away.” Bon Appetit named the wine list at Pizzeria Locale one of its top-five one-page wine lists.

Best of the Month

Tasty Waldorf-style chicken salad sandwich and fries at Off Campus Cafe in Lafayette. Melt-in-your-mouth beef and lamb kebabs with roasted eggplant and a pickled lemon margarita at Pickled Lemon in Boulder. An astonishingly beautiful squash blossom galette from Terroir. Linguini with pesto, corn and green beans at Salt that tasted like summer on a plate. Tostada with nectarine and smoky bacon at Tahona—a fascinating taste sensation. Roast pork loin with pickled “tongues of fire” beans and green tomatoes at The Pinyon that made us want to lick the plate. Strawberry margarita cake and the amazing vegan, gluten-free Boulder Chocolate cake from Kim and Jake’s Cakes. A fresh, nut-crusted filet of trout with house-made farmer’s cheese and peaches on bed of fresh greens at Zucca in Louisville.

Events

On Sept. 25, Bloom at Flatiron Crossing will host cooking demonstrations paired with a three-course meal. Call 720.887.2800 for reservations. Centro Latin Kitchen hosts its Hatch Green Chile Festival & Cookoff on Sept. 11 featuring street food, restaurant specials and fresh roasted chiles. The annual “Feast In The Fields” in conjunction with the Colorado Mountain Winefest takes place Sept. 16 in Palisade with chef Eric Skokan at the helm. Sponsored by the Aar River Gallery, the Historic Westminster Orchard Festival Bake-Off will take place Oct. 8 from 10am–6pm. The second annual Boulder Country Dinner, presented by 12Seasons, will be held Oct. 1 in Niwot. Call 303.667.3768 or email 12Seasons@comcast.net for information and reservations. Flagstaff House celebrates its 40th anniversary on Oct. 16 with an anniversary gala. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation. Tickets are $125 and reservations are available
at 303.442.4640.

The post Eatery News September 2011 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Photo by Gray Box Studios

This year, we’re giving our Best of the West winners the red carpet treatment: The readers have spoken, the critics have made their picks and several local celebrities have added their two cents. Here are our picks for the best Boulder County has to offer.

The envelope please…

Best Beer

Mojo IPA, Boulder Beer

Mojo IPA is not a session beer, and it’s not for the faint of palette. But for the hop-lovers out there—and there are many of them—Boulder Beer’s Mojo is the people’s choice.Best Ribs

The Rib House

I remember the first time I had Rib House’s ribs. I had just moved all of my possessions into my little Longmont abode and was still dirty from the morning’s manual labor. But then there was a cold pint of Sawtooth and these amazing ribs, which fell apart so easily and tasted of char and spicy barbecue sauce. You just never forget the first time.

Best reason to go to an industrial park

Sugarbeet

You don’t just happen upon Sugarbeet. It’s a destination parked in the midst of railroad tracks and car-repair shops. But when you get inside, you’re pleasantly brought into an upscale contemporary American eatery serving hearty, piquant dishes. The food is certainly the biggest attraction—the short ribs are a staff favorite and their homemade chips and salsa are a summer luxury.

Best new tasting room

The Tasty Weasel

It doesn’t look like much from the outside…That is, if you can find it. But once you do, The Tasty Weasel’s charisma becomes apparent. It’s part warehouse, part tasting room, part brewery, and it has a funky hipness and ever-flowing Oskar Blues beer on tap (as well as a weekly firkin).

Best family breakfast

Two Dog Diner

On a weekend morning, that’s our favorite time to go to Two Dog, when the sunny space is packed full of families: pancake-craving youngsters playing with mom’s iPhone while waiting for a table and syrup-soaked kiddos yelping with the excitement of finishing off a fluffy waffle.

Best reason to visit Erie

Colorado Coal Company

I once ate a whole plate of Colorado Coal Company’s fried pickles for dinner. And as irresponsible as that sounds, it was worth it. Being right next door to Yellow Scene means the staff at CCC sees us a lot, but if it weren’t for our proximity, we’d still travel for their steaks and burgers and, of course, the fried pickles.

Best New York transfer

Hanna’s

We get a lot of transfers in these parts (because Colorado is totally awesome and everyone knows it), and usually the natives scowl upon their foreign ways. But when it comes to sandwiches, we love Hanna’s (aka owner Susan Yurish) New York style—as long as there is a meatball hero, a Rueben and a black and white
cookie involved.

Best shop for coffee snobs

Vic’s Espresso

What makes Vic’s great is so simple (but not always easy to find): Vic’s has great coffee, espresso and baristas who understand people who love coffee and espresso (the delicious breakfast burritos help too). They pour a lovely Americano, and if you go in enough, they’ll totally remember just the way you like it.

Best menu in a neighborhood joint

The Empire Lounge

Chef Jim Cohen has a unique charm, and it manifests itself in bold dishes that tiptoe the line between American classics with seasonal, contemporary twists and bar food. That means we get to eat a crispy calamari salad in a local hangout.

Best restaurant when you want to casually impress

Arugula

Open for two years, Arugula still impresses us with great food (mmm, orechiette bison Bolognese), a casual-meets-upscale vibe and really nice service. And it impresses the friends we take there and all the people we meet for business there. It’s actually impressive how impressive it is.

Best plate of food that requires a knife

Pizzeria Locale

Rarely does a knife need explaining, but at Pizzeria Locale, when your server sets an entire pizza down in front of you, it becomes apparent that no one will do your slicing for you. The new eatery’s knives are imported from Italy, and they are the only thing standing between you and demolishing an amazingly perfect Neapolitan-style pizza.

Best use of a family heirloom

303 Vodka

If wine is the juice of the gods, then 303 Vodka is the juice of the Viezbicke family. The story goes something like this: Steve Viezbicke discovered his grandfather’s potato vodka recipe in a steamer trunk that was brought to the United States in the early 1900s. Today, it’s one family tradition Boulderites have adopted as their own.

Best meal deal

The Boulder Chophouse

The Boulder Chophouse knows how to wheel and deal. Monday–Friday, between 4 and 6pm, diners get half off wines by the glass and half off the tavern food menu (as long as you’re sitting in the bar or on the patio). You can almost taste the savings!

Best beer fest that’s not GABF

Stout Month at Mountain Sun

Mountain Sun is a favorite, so when they talk, we listen and when they pour, we’re there to drink it in. Especially, and it’s Stout Month, when the local brewpub celebrates the darker breeds of brew.

Best restaurant we hope reopens soon

Oak at Fourteenth

When a fire-shuttered Oak at Fourteenth last month, the Boulder foodie community was devastated. Regardless, the accolades have continued to roll in (Food and Wine named it one of the best new bars in the country) and the restaurant is on the road to recovery.

Best Palestinian food

Arabesque

Don’t worry. Even if you think you’ve never had Palestinian food, the menu here is likely to look familiar: fluffy flatbreads, delicate dolmades, heavenly chicken shwarma and homemade baklava that will make you wish you hadn’t eaten all that hummus.

Best use of alcohol not in a glass

Kim and Jake’s Cakes

The specialty cakes here read like the drink list at your favorite bar. How about a slice of strawberry margarita? Or maybe you’d like a cake made from your favorite vino. Beer cakes? Sure, they’ve got that too. We say combining dessert and happy hour is pretty brilliant.

Best modern wine list

Flagstaff House

This venerable Boulder institution has long been known for its outstanding wine list. But this year, in honor of its 40th birthday, Flagstaff House brought the list into the 21st century, programming it all onto iPads customers can browse through and even use to make a list to discuss with the sommelier.

Best weekday breakfast that feels like a weekend breakfast

Café Aion

The fact that you can walk into Café Aion on a regular Tuesday morning and order fresh, house-made bagels and house-smoked salmon, or eggs and braised short ribs, or even just a made-from-scratch chocolate croissant makes us feel a little giddy. Excellent breakfasts aren’t just for the weekend any more.

Best use of a cow pasture

HUSH

The HUSH Denver secret supper club brought its pop-up restaurant concept to Colorado’s Best Beef last summer—believe us when we say dining in a cow field is a lot more fun than it sounds. Here’s hoping they have more Boulder County stops lined up for 2011.

Best way to go whole hog

Arapahoe Hog Roasters

We used to drive into Erie wondering who was cooking up that delicious-smelling bacon. Now, we happily know it’s Arapahoe Hog Roasters, the area’s source for delicious whole roast pigs with all the fixings.

Best way to get stuffed

Culinary Connectors

Three multi-course meals—with wine or cocktails—in three hours? Good thing you have to walk a few blocks to get to each, or you might just call that overdoing it. Delicious dining tours of Boulder, Denver and Aspen.

Best prix fixe for a good cause

The Kitchen

Every Monday night The Kitchen hosts Community Night with a five-course $35 prix fixe menu, served family style. Twenty percent of the proceeds are donated to The Growe Foundation, so not only do you get great food at a stellar price, you’re eating for the greater good at the same time.

Best royal pedigree

Elephant Hut

Elephant Hut offers excellent, authentic Thai food with European sensibilities and a cool story: according to chef and owner Pi Kasemsant—who is a descendant of King Mongkut of the musical The King and I—the restaurant is named for a herd of elephants the famous king offered to President Lincoln during the Civil War. It does not get much cooler than that.

Best Taos-style Mexican

Richard’s on 3rd

There’s a distinct difference between the kind of New Mexican food you find in Taos or Santa Fe, and the kind you find in Albuquerque or Truth or Consequences. Richard is a Taos man, and it shows in his excellent enchiladas, relleños and killer green chile.

Best Vietnamese

Chey Thuy

Soft shell crab is an ominous animal to see on a plate. But when Chef Thuy gets her hands on these little creatures, it’s magic. In fact, you’ll daydream about her deep-fried crustaceans until your main course arrives: tamarind prawns, crispy duck, lamb chops or one of the many Vietnamese-with-a-twist items on the novel-size menu.

Best place for dogs and people to get a snack

P.C.’s Pantry for Dogs & Cats

What could be better than a bakery? How about a bakery where you and your dog can dine together? P.C.’s Pantry makes it so. Their baked goods—including a choc-o-lab brownie and hushpuppies—are all human grade. And barkday cakes are available, too.

Best bang for your buck

Rags Consignments

Our associate editor is very patient at Rags; she slowly goes through every piece on every rack and is rewarded with several tops for $15 each. Our publisher goes right for the shoes. Our editor moves around, confused and overwhelmed and eventually settles on Prada sunglasses (for $70!!!). Together, we end up spending more than a grand, but it’s what we didn’t spend that makes us smile.

Best place to find little treasures

Adorn Home & Gift Gallery

When you are getting Christmas gifts for your boyfriend’s mom and sister or a birthday present for your bff’s 30th, you go to Adorn. It’s not a huge store with a huge selection, but they have a great inventory of pretty, funky, cool things (jewelry, scarves, soaps, lotions, ornaments, etc.) that are perfect for both a new friend and your best friend.

Best store for women who like shoes

Two Sole Sisters

Pretty pink pumps? Colorful wedges? A classic ballet flat? It’s tough to be a woman, and even tougher when Two Sole Sisters makes life’s most difficult decisions even harder.

Best on-trend, locally-made jewelry line

Frisk Jewelry

We learned a lot about the Rubino family during our February singles issue, and one thing we definitely came away with: the girls know their accessories. The young ladies and their mom started Frisk jewelry in 2004 and their funky/flirty creations are as wearable as they are fashion-forward.

Best shop for classic additions to your home

Fuzzy Antler

Louisville’s Fuzzy Antler is a classy place. The kind of place where you might get concerned glares if you knock over a bowl of fake fruit with your over-sized purse (which has never, ever happened to me). But once you pick everything up and regain composure, you’re sure to find something elegant or eclectic for
your home.

Best makeover

Whole Foods

Really, the only thing that could have made the Whole Foods on Pearl better would be to add more of it—luckily, that’s exactly what they did. The new prepared foods section is like a 30,000-square-foot food court of awesome, with super healthy and not-so healthy (but super tasty) choices from wall to wall.

Best place to keep it local

In Season Local Market

Wanting to try that 250-mile food diet? This place makes it easy-peasy, as they only sell products that come from within a strict 250-mile radius.

Best CSA

Isabelle Farm

With the wide selection of unusual, heirloom veggies, a partnership with a Western Slope orchard CSA and a local coffee CSA, and their own farm-fresh eggs, this is the little farm that could, with the best selection for the buck, as far as we can see.

Best place to score cheap kid stuff

Just Between Friends

With events in Longmont and Broomfield happening every couple of months, these pop-up shops are like gigantic garage sales filled with barely used kids’ stuff: from clothes (so many clothes) to cribs to toys and more. You may never again have to step into another store with a backward R in the name.

Best way to spice up your life

Savory Spice Shop

Whether your spice rack gets regular use or could use a little dusting, Savory Spice Shop is sure to get your creative juices flowing. They’ll not only sell you the spices, they’ll help you figure out what to do
with them, too.

Best place to find regional deals

DenverBargains.com

We only discovered DenverBargains.com a few months ago, and already we’re hooked. The daily posts alert you to the best sales at local grocery stores, deals and freebies at local restaurants and shops, and even call out the best deals on the group coupon sites. So, you only have to follow one website instead of a million to get the best deals for your dollars.

Best all-around athletic experience

Lakeshore Athletic Club

If you want to get in shape—or more likely, if you want to stay in shape and improve your marathon time—Lakeshore in Broomfield has all the tools you need to be a prime athletic specimen.

Best use of nail polish

Evergreen Cottage

Our publisher is a busy woman—but she still takes time to keep her cuticles clipped and her nails nice. Her favorite spot is Evergreen Cottage in Lafayette. And because she demands the best (ugh) from her staff, we know she’s found the best nail people in the business. Try their Caribbean therapy treatment, and you’ll see why.

Best place to splurge on personal pampering

Sunflower Spa

Life is tough, but there are a few things that make life a little easier: friends, family, wine and spas. When we need a good rub down or a cleansing facial, we head to Sunflower Spa in Longmont. Make a day of it: get a package of services, which will not ensure that your life gets any easier, but at least it’ll
feel like it.

Best class to take when you just want to dance

Ballet Nouveau

As young girls, lots of us dreamed of being ballerinas. Now, whether you can remember your pliés from your pas de bourrees or not, Ballet Nouveau Colorado can reignite your toe-shoe dreams with adult dance and fitness classes catering to a variety of needs, interests,
abilities and ages.

Best way to score free yoga

Prana

This yoga-pants enclave is the flagship store for the popular brand and offers as many as 20 free yoga classes and events each week. Full-body enlightenment doesn’t have to cost you a dime.

Best way to balance your body and life

Happy Cat Pilates

At Happy Cat, Susie Haggas not only helps you to strengthen your core and improve your balance, but her work-outs also improve your mind-body balance (you might even be able to watch American Idol and do a crossword at the same time).

Best place to enjoy your own girlishness

Ten20

A marathon of Gilmore Girls and Glee reruns playing on a giant screen make this the perfect place to hang out and enjoy some girl time. You’ll go for the expert manicures and pedicures but you’ll lounge around because it’s cozier than your house.

Best climbing gym

The Spot

It could be the constant presence of a slackline to wear out our legs when our arms stop functioning on The Spot’s two boulders and four walls, but The Spot in Boulder hit our spot this year. Now, if we could just nail those fours on the Hueco wall…

Best small town pride

Erie Town Fair

Working in Erie, we get a good serving of town pride (the Homecoming Parade is priceless). But nowhere is it more obvious than the Erie Town Fair, which packs the Old Town corridor with vendors, booths, bands and lots of residents. This year, they’ll also launch 40 hot air balloons.

Best team to be overlooked for a national bid

CU Buffs Basketball

Dear CU men’s basketball team. If we were in charge of the NCAA tournament selection process, you totally would’ve been picked. But since we weren’t, here’s your consolation prize!

Best venue for Longmont’s artistic muscle

Muse Gallery

Didn’t know Longmont had an artistic community? Then you’ve been missing out. Muse Gallery puts on shows with the best of the region and it stands up to anything the People’s Republic has to offer.

Best place to enjoy Austin without going to Texas

Waterloo

There’s just a certain vibe at Waterloo that exudes that Austin cool. Maybe it’s the barbecue, burgers and beer. Maybe it’s the tiny stage that hosts great big talent. Maybe it’s just the people. Whatever it is, it’s keeping Louisville weird.

Best headline maker

Mystery artist

The most interesting (read: “only in Boulder”) occurrence of 2011 is arguably the mysterious appearance of two giant pieces of installation art on two Boulder properties, home of 80-year-old Donna Coughlin and the Boulder History Museum. The artist is suspected to be a man named Mark Guilbeau, but we prefer to think of him as a masked creative crusader who makes our lives a little more exciting.

Best way to inspire your inner bluegrass fan

Rockygrass

Before going to Rockygrass, I wouldn’t have considered myself a bluegrass “fan.” But now…OK, I’m still not an avid bluegrass fan, but I am a fan of Rockygrass, which brings in stellar acts in the heavenly Lyons setting. This year: Hot Rize, Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers and Sam Bush. See you there.

Best bring-the-family-and-see-everyone-you-know event

Louisville Street Faire

My mama would say, “It’s like old home week.” With tons of food, beverages and music, it’s no wonder the Louisville Street Faire continuously brings out everybody and their dog (no, really) to hang and chat and just feel like part of the community—whether you live in Louisville or not.

Best show of female empowerment

Denver Roller Dolls

Where else can you see ladies elbowing, clothes-lining and shoving in fishnets and roller skates? It sounds nuts, but this is what women’s
empowerment looks like.

Best event that brings Hollywood to Colorado

Boulder International Film Festival

This year’s BIFF brought out the Hollywood types: James Franco, Oliver Stone and makers of indie flicks, documentaries and shorts. With the celebrities come great films that pack local venues for three days.

The best part: No LA traffic.

Best reason to wish you were a kid

WOW Children’s Museum

This place is so cool it makes us wish we were still pint-sized. Monthly special events make it fun to go back again and again—as if that were a problem in the first place.

Visit Gray Box Studios.

The post Best of the West: Critics’ Choice appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

OPEN, CLOSED & COMING SOON

The founding chef at Boulder’s Sushi Tora recently opened Sushi Leo at 2315 Clover Basin Dr. in Longmont. Meanwhile, Yurihana Sushi Bar and Pan-Asian Cuisine is dishing everything from firecracker rolls to garlic pork at 6525 Gunpark Drive in Gunbarrel. And in-between Japanese food fans are offering kudos for Sachi Sushi at 7980 Niwot Road inside the Niwot Market. …Theo Adley—alumnus of the Flagstaff House, Frasca, the Little Nell and Radda has opened the The Pinyon at 1710 Pearl St.  …On the Hill in Boulder, La’au’s Taco Shop is open at 1335 Broadway and Gurkhas on the Hill is serving at 1310 College Ave. …Chef Steven Redzikowski’s Oak is open at 1400 Pearl St., former site of 14th Street Bar & Grill. …Karz Drive-In is open at the former Sonic site, 50 Waneka Parkway in Lafayette. …Bayleaf market has moved to 1222 Pearl St. (near the new Penzey’s Spice store) adding imported and local food to its selection of European goods. …Coming soon: Jim Cohen’s Empire Pizza, 2525 Arapahoe Ave., and Pizzeria Locale, 1730 Pearl St. …Due to open in January:  Backcountry Pizza and Tap House, 2319 Arapahoe Ave. in the former Dolan’s/Pelican Pete’s space. …Longmont’s Cold Stone Creamery has added a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory within its current space at 551 S. Hover St.

FOOD NEWS

Boulder’s organic/free trade Conscious Coffees was recently awarded Roast Magazine’s Micro Roaster of the Year. …Oskar Blues Brewery’s Mama’s Little Yella Pils received a gold medal rating from the Beverage Testing Institute. …The 2009 Petite Sirah from Bookcliff Vineyards took home a win at the recent 2010 Jefferson Cup competition. …The Rib House will be featured on the Travel Channel in January.
Check listings.
 
IN THE MENU

Among the best things I’ve tasted in the past month include: Pho with rare steak and meatballs at Pho Duy, 6600 W. 120th Ave., Broomfield; chicken-fried steak with white gravy, mashers, warm white buns and butter, and a slice of blueberry pie at the Double Tree restaurant, 701 Vasquez St., Platteville; soft chile rellenos and a green chile tamale smothered with green chile at Mi Tierra, 7605 Grandview Ave, Arvada;  warm-from-the-oven pizza dough roll stuffed with salami, provolone, coppa and pepperoni with a pepper and olive relish and a side of creamy polenta at Lucky Pie, 637 Front St., Louisville; and a fluffy spinach, bacon and cheese omelet with Hollandaise sauce at Le Peep, 2525 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder.
 
CULINARY CALENDAR

The best local home foodcrafters will offer their wares for a donation at the second Taste of Place market Dec. 11 at Niwot’s Left Hand Grange. Treats include marshmallows, sourdough bread, apple butter, hemp dog treats, hand-roasted espresso beans, candy wreaths and more. Details: therootsellers.com. …Mark DeNittis of Il Mondo Vecchio salumi company teaches a class in making fresh sausage Feb. 24 at the Culinary School of the Rockies. Info: culinaryschoolrockies.com.
…Chef Cheyne Keith teaches a culinary arts boot camp for home cooks March 30–April 20 at Southern Hills Middle School. Southern Sun, Walnut and Avery breweries host a series of guided tasting classes Feb. 24–March 10. Details: bvsd.org/lll.

…John Lehndorff talks about food on Radio Nibbles, 8:25am Thursdays on KGNU (88.5 FM Boulder, 1390 AM Denver, kgnu.org). …Send info about local restaurants and food events to: nibbles@yellowscene.com.
 
FOOD WORDS

“Pie is the American synonym of prosperity, and its varying contents the calendar of the changing seasons. Pie is the food of the heroic. No pie-eating people can ever be permanently vanquished.”
—From the New York Times, 1902

“Food and people. What’s more beautiful than that? Bringing incredible people together and conflicting people together. I’m as romantic as I’m sounding. I think the table is a brilliant thing.” —Chef Jamie Oliver, 2010

The post Eatery Update: December 2010 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

They say the secret to a great plate of food is the heart and soul that are put into it. And we can’t disagree. Even for those who cook for a living, some meals simply mean more than just sustainence and tastiness. They are about family and friends, history and ritual, and the celebration of tradition. Here, four local chefs spread the love with YS readers, offering recipes for dishes they serve to guests—whether it be customers in their restaurants or family members for a holiday meal.

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Soup with Spiced Mascarpone and Smoked Bacon
~
From chef Alec Schuler at Arugula

Alec Schuler, chef and proprietor at Arugula in Boulder, was born and raised in Long Island, New York, so he feels something of an affinity with the Long Island cheese pumpkins grown at Munson Farms. The squash’s firm flesh holds up well after cooking for use in risotto or salads, but here, it tastes especially creamy when puréed into a delicious soup that tastes like liquid autumn.

Arugula Bar e Ristorante, 2785 Iris Ave., Boulder, 303.443.5100

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Soup
(Makes 16 portions):

Ingredients:
• One 13 pounds (12″ diameter) “Long Island Cheese” pumpkin (can substitute 3 large butternut squashes or equivalent amount of other pumpkin)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound butter
• 3 apples, peeled and rough chopped
• 2 large yellow onions, peeled and rough chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and rough chopped
• 3 stalks celery, rough chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh sage, rough chopped
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• Small pinch of clove
• 1/4 teaspoon of each: allspice and nutmeg (can substitute 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin spice for all spices)
• Up to 2 quarts of either chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar*
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream

*CORRECTION: The original recipe contained a typo, erroneously calling for half a cup of vinegar. The above is the correct amount.