Best “we are not in Colorado anymore” experience: Frasca

Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson and Bobby Stuckey take us some place else. Unparalleled service transports diners to New York or Napa. The food—the rustic, simple dishes of Friuli—takes you to Northern Italy. Then dessert, always with bright flavors and heavenly textures, sends you to the moon.

Best foodie fantasy shop: Cured

I’ve dreamed of opening a little gourmet food shop where people pop in to pick up artisan bread, farm-fresh eggs and maybe a wedge of cheese and salumi. Will and Coral beat me to it. Cured is exactly what I want in a gourmet food emporium: a comfortable, well-curated selection of exquisite products, both local and national, deliberately chosen wines—and a coffee bar serving up some of the best java in town. If they’d let me live upstairs, it would be perfect.

Best comeback: Oak at Fourteenth

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Oak at Fourteenth came back from a devastating fire that gutted the place months after it opened. Now the space is gorgeous, the menu innovative, and the beverage program award-winning. Is it possible the new Oak could be better than the original? Really, it doesn’t matter as long as this one is here to stay.

Best Food-Truck-Turned-Restaurant: Comida

When asked for his favorite restaurant in Colorado by Travel +Leisure, chef Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson of Frasca picked the luridly pink Comida food truck. Now Comida can live up to MacKinnon-Patterson’s declaration with its brick-and-mortar location in Prospect. No need to sign in to Twitter to find your taco fix.

Best Way to Throw a Party: Bradford Heap Catering

Let’s pretend you’re throwing the party of the century. You’ve coaxed one of the best chefs in the area to cater. No need to dream any more; chef Bradford Heap of Colterra and Salt has opened Bradford Heap Catering, bringing his killer cooking to you. Your friends will be awed and your party will be epic.

Best New Couple: Hosea Rosenberg and James Lee

Not to start any salacious rumors or anything, but we were just tickled pink to find out that Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg and mixologist extraordinaire James Lee were pairing up with a catering company, a farm and—hopefully sometime soon—a restaurant concept. All we can say is please hurry, guys.

Best New Foodie Creation: Glacier Ice Cream and Kim and Jake’s Cakes

Cake and ice cream is a pairing as classic as peanut butter and jelly, but cake in ice cream? Brilliance on a spoon. That’s what happens when the ice cream creators at Glacier Ice Cream take, say, an entire red velvet cake with icing from Kim and Jake’s Cakes and dump it into the ice cream mixer. The result is a creamy, dreamy velvety scoop of awesome.

Best New Trend: Chef-Owned Distilleries/Breweries

We are all for this new trend: Chefs are stepping out of the kitchen and into the distillery and brewery. Chef Bradford Heap and his Salt beverage director Evan Faber announced they are teaming up to start a distillery, and chef Ian Clark of Centro recently announced he is starting a nano-brewery. Talk about a beer and food pairing.

Best New Facebook Page: Boulder Food News

Started by blogger and social media guru Grace Boyle of GraceFullPlate.com, the Boulder Food News Facebook page is a central place to find out what’s going on with the Boulder restaurant scene. Like them on Facebook and get the scoop on special dinners, events, menu updates and tons more from your favorite Boulder restaurants.

Best CSA: Isabelle Farm

Sure, you can find different types of CSAs, or community supported agriculture. But we prefer the CSAs that offer the most stuff. Isabelle Farm in Lafayette allows members dibs on local produce as well as Western Slope fruit, grass-fed beef and coffee. We give them two cobs up!

Best way to spend a Thursday afternoon: Local Table Tours Cocktail Tour

You made it to Thursday afternoon; you’ve earned a break, don’t you think? Sign up for Local Table Tours’ Thursday afternoon cocktail tours and learn everything you ever wanted to know about cocktail styles, all while tasting at some of Boulder’s finest bars.

Best Dessert  on Wheels: Tasterie Truck

Nathan Miller of chocolate fame and Shannon Aten started this mobile patisserie, offering ridiculously tasty cakes, cookies, whoopee pies, bars, cupcakes and more, along with lunch specials and goodies like bacon- and gouda-filled croissants. The pair Tweets the truck’s whereabouts: When you’re a mobile pastry shop, “If you bake it, they will come.”

Best place to wait in line for breakfast: Snooze

Head to Snooze on a Sunday morning, and you’ll be in for a wait. Thankfully, they’ve got a carafe of free, hot coffee to wake you up while you watch plates of specialty pancakes Benedicts, and eggs bustle by. No matter. Take a sip and rest assured: Breakfast will be worth the wait.

Best spot to get sushi at a Chinese restaurant: Spice China

In 2010, Spice China opened up a sushi bar within its airy Louisville restaurant, and ever since, they’ve been turning out plate after beautiful plate of unique sushi rolls (You’ll love the Caribbean dream roll with arugula, shrimp and garlic butter) and sashimi. It’s the best kind of fusion.

Best Southwestern Find: Richard’s on Third

Now that spring is here, we will start craving Southwestern fare and margaritas. Richard serves up just that at his funky little Longmont restaurant. Try the mango chicken enchiladas and hit the patio.

Best bang for your Buck: La Botana

La Botana is an unassuming Mexican restaurant in the heart of Thornton. But once you sit down in a cushy booth and check out the menu, you’ll realize you’ve stumbled onto something special: large portions of delicious, authentic Mexican food for less than $10 a meal. We love the ceviche, but you’ll find a favorite.

Best cultural experience in a mall: Wine and Cheese

Sitting at the bar with three sparkling glasses of bubbly sitting in front of me and a heaping plate of artisan cheese, olives and nuts, I can pretty much forget that I am at a shopping center in Westminster. It’s not Paris, but it tastes like it.

Best take on a traditional steakhouse: Hideaway Steakhouse

Sometimes you don’t want Asian fusion or contemporary American. You just want a steak. Just a steak, and maybe some potatoes. When the meat craving calls, head to Hideaway Steakhouse in Westminster, where you can reacquaint yourself with a classic steak.

Best place to embrace your inner Johnny Cash: Waterloo

“God bless Johnny Cash” is the motto of Louisville’s Waterloo, and that reflects the cool restaurant’s atmosphere (except, of course, there’s no cocaine). Come for a beer or whiskey but stay for a burger, live music and maybe more whiskey.

Best surprise: 503 International Café

I heard rumors around Lafayette about 503 International Café from the day it opened: I heard it was good. Like, really good. At the time, nothing decorated the walls and the space looked empty. But my chicken marsala and my date’s pork chops with parmesan risotto were amazing. We’ve been back many times, for lunch and breakfast, and each dish is a new and wonderful surprise.

Best take-out: Georgia Boys

No need to cook every night of the week, especially in Longmont, where a couple of Georgia Boys are changing the local barbecue scene one pig at a time. Try it family style for a feast of Southern proportions.

Best expansion of an Empire: Pizzeria da Lupo

Not many chefs would be able to jump from cooking burgers, crispy calamari salads and steaks to serving wood-fired pizzas. But Jim Cohen makes it look easy. Last year, Cohen opened Pizzeria da Lupo in Boulder after years of success at Louisville’s Empire. We feel it’s one of the most successful additions in recent history.

Best exhibition of simplicity: Pizzeria Locale

I was once told that the definition of elegance is the combination of simplicity and beauty. If that’s true, then the pizzas coming out of Pizzeria Locale are pure elegance. Here, atop a chewy bed of dough, toppings are olive oil, garlic and oregano, or maybe tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala and basil. Less-is-more at its greatest.

Best use of beans: Paul’s Coffee and Tea

At Paul’s, they take their coffee seriously. They should—as coffee-drinkers, we take our coffee very seriously. All their beans are Fair Trade, organic, fresh and micro-roasted in house. Serious, indeed.

Best longtime gem: Carelli’s

Restaurants come and go, but Carelli’s in Boulder is a never fail—like your favorite pair of jeans. Whether it’s the garlic bread or chicken parm or just the warm glow of the fire, it always seems to be the perfect fit.

Best meaty techniques: Café Aion

On my last trip to Café Aion, I ate pork prepared at least four different ways: cured coppa, fried pork skin (chicharones) and house-cured salumi…and then something I believe was part of the pig’s head. But it don’t matter. It was not only impressive—but these techniques were soooo tasty.

Best healthy, good food: Morning Glory Café

Not long ago, a friend asked, “Where do I go to get a healthy lunch in East County?” There was a pause. Hmmm. It took us a good 15 minutes to think of a spot. That was before Morning Glory opened at 95th and Arapahoe. The café makes healthy, gluten-free, vegetarian dishes that are jaw-dropping good.

Best small town spot for Big city flavors: The Parkway Grille

In Erie, there are only a few options for lunch. So, our staffers are often found on the patio of The Parkway Grille, having lunch and drinking beer (shhhh, don’t tell our boss). A little bit bistro, a little bit sports bar, it’s a much-needed addition to Erie’s eateries.

Best way to make the lactose intolerant jealous: Sweet Cow

The heavenly Sweet Cow in Louisville has something for everyone, even the lactose intolerant (blueberry sorbet?). Still, every time I’m there, I feel like bragging. Just try the Dr. Pepper ice cream.

Best bar for journalists to convene: Pumphouse/Red Zone

Word on the street is that a group of local journalists turn up at Longmont’s Pumphouse once a month for beers and gossip. While a dark, cramped Irish pub would feel more journalistic, the Pumphouse satisfies with ever-flowing beer, good service and a central location.

Best cocktail program: Salt the Bistro

There are cocktail menus, and then there is Salt’s cocktail program. Beverage director Evan Faber has developed a DIY menu to demystify mixology for drinkers. Pick your poison from beginning to end. Bring in your vinyl to play while you hang out in the downstairs lounge to boost the sensory experience.

Best pho destination: 120th and Main in Broomfield

When someone posits the question, “Where do you find good pho?” there is only one answer. Head to the intersection of 120th and Main in Broomfield. There, find at least six different pho places. Try one, try all.

Best menu: Lyons Fork

I recently overheard two foodies discussing the Lyons Fork. Neither one had ever been, but both were gushing over how good the menu looked: grilled NY strip, scallops with an herb popover, roasted brussel sprouts and bearnaise or salmon with mushroom risotto and lemon marmalade. Just wait until they try it.

Best Place to gather: Mateo

Some restaurants just feel like a gatheringplace: whether it’s happy hour over a cheese plate and cocktails or for a birthday with mussels, frites and wine, Mateo is pure celebration.

The post Best of the West: Critics’ Food and Wine Picks 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.