VOTED BEST SUSHI RESTAURANT

Food

Place To Go On A First Date Acreage By Stem Ciders

1380 Horizon Ave., Lafayette, 303-227-3243

Longmont Winner: The Roost

Erie Winner: 24 Carrot Bistro

Acreage’s exquisite views, numerous lawn games and refined-but-unpretentious fare make it a great place for a first-time rendezvous. If sparks are flying, the cider doughnuts are a good way to score you some extra points with your date. And if the date is bad, the doughtnuts are a great way to console yourself.

Restaurant Dessert The Roost

526 Main St., Longmont, 303-827-3380

Lafayette Winner: Eats & Sweets

Louisville Winner: The Melting Pot

Niwot Winner: Farow

Erie Winner: 24 Carrot Bistro

The Roost is a crowd favorite from start to finish. It’s a place that does the classics right, with a dessert list that features German chocolate cheesecake, a key lime tart and carrot cake. But at the center of it all is the brownie sundae, a hulking, surprisingly glutenfree dentists’ favorite, complete with Shelley’s vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate, caramel and Raspberry Chambord sauces, whipped cream and caramelized almonds.

Restaurant Service The Roost

526 Main St., Longmont, 303-827-3380

Lafayette Winner: Ruby Ru’s Street Eatery

Louisville Winner: LuLu’s BBQ

Erie Winner: 24 Carrot Bistro

The Roost can truly do no wrong. Guests know they can count on the Buckner lamb gyro or the blood orange sazerac. But it’s not just the cuisine. The staff is always courteous and professional, attentive but never overly doting.

SANDWICH SNARF’S SANDWICHES

6652 Lookout Road, Boulder, 720-622-0107

Longmont Winner: Cheba Hut

Louisville Winner: Moxie Bread Co.

Lafayette Winner: Ruby Ru’s Street Eatery

Niwot Winner: Niwot Market

Since “The Shack” days, Snarf’s has been one of the Front Range’s pillars of serious sammich eminence. Today, with more than 25 years under its belt and locations extending as far as St. Louis and Austin, the menu remains largely unchanged. These are timeless hoagies, with classics like the Italian — salami, pepperoni, capicola, mortadella and provolone — and originals like the hotdog, bacon and American cheese all acting as vehicles for the famous house hot peppers.

SEAFOOD REELFISH FISH & CHIPS

2770 Arapahoe Road, Lafayette, 720-630-8053

Longmont Winner: Tortugas

Louisville Winner: 740 Front Erie Winner: 24 Carrot Bistro

Dan Wolfson has proved that fastcasual seafood can be done right. With Reelfish, the team offers sizzling baskets of Alaskan cod, Atlantic haddock and walleye alongside fried shrimp, oysters and clam strips that taste as good as if they came straight off the boardwalk.

Sushi Sushi Hana

2065 Main St., Longmont, 303-485-1055

Lafayette Winner: Sushi Aji Louisville Winner: Sushi Yoshi

Sushi Hana has been a Best of Boulder favorite since 2008. Dishes like the soft shell crab with sweet sauce and the seven-piece all-tuna sashimi are a clear indication why. For anyone coming hungry, the Tekka Donburi is the way to go.

Taco Teocalli Cocina

103 N. Public Road, Unit C, Lafayette, 303-284-6597

Longmont Winner: Jefes Tacos and Tequila

Lyons Winner: La Mariposa Restaurant and Margarita House

Guests can’t go wrong with a single dish on Julio Gaspar’s filling and fabulous menu. But the tacos may indeed serve as the list’s real show stopper. The carne asada, pork belly and birria are all stupendous, but it’s the pescado tempura-style that shows Gaspar’s knack for both the grand and the graceful.

TAKE-OUT BUSABA

133 McCaslin Blvd., Unit H, Louisville, 303-665-0330

Lafayette Winner: Tip Top Savory Pies

Longmont: Santiago’s Mexican Restaurant

No matter the season, we turn to the subtle delights of opening a container of one of Busaba’s curries, its warmth inevitably combating chills both climactic and circumstantial. The crab fried rice is always packed to the gills with fresh lump, and the potstickers hold their shape and texture from delivery to that first perfect bite.

Thai Restaurant Busaba

133 McCaslin Blvd., Unit H, Louisville, 303-665-0330

Lafayette Winner: Panang Thai Cuisine

Longmont WInner: Jai Thai Kitchen

Whether enjoyed at home or on-site, there’s no denying that Busaba has got Thai classics down to an artform. Drunken noodles are always a good choice, but the dry seafood Tom Yum is one of the place’s best-kept secrets.

VEGGIE BURGER LONGS PEAK PUB & TAPHOUSE

600 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont, 303-651-7886

Lafayette Winner: Morning Glory Cafe

Louisville Winner: The Waterloo

Longs Peak Pub & Taphouse is the Longmont offshoot of one of Boulder’s uncontested institutions, The Mountain Sun. So it should come as no surprise that the veggie burger is a crowd favorite, adorned with all the classic toppings and laid out on vegan ciabatta.

WINGS LULU’S BBQ

702 Main St., Louisville, 720-5831789

Longmont Winner: Pumphouse Brewery & Redzone

Broomfield Winner: Outlaw Wings

Erie Winner: The Old Mine

LuLu’s does all things barbecue with panache. The ribs fall off the bone and the brisket is properly slow smoked. The wings are a clear standout, but are best enjoyed as part of a full-fledged feast.

Bar

PUMPHOUSE BREWERY & RED ZONE

540 Main St., Longmont, 303-702-0881

Louisville Winner: /pôr/ wine house

Lafayette Winner: Romero’s K-9 Club & Tap House

Hot off the heels of back-to-back championship seasons from the Avalanche followed by the Nuggets, it’s no wonder our readers voted Pumphouse Brewery & Red Zone as their go-to watering hole. Although it’s doubtful this year’s Broncos squad will see that success, the sports bar’s high TV-to-human ratio (33 HD TVs!), 8,000-square-foot space and casual atmosphere will keep our readers returning all year round. If you aren’t there for sports, try out the seasonal beer list that frequently has one-time brews you won’t find anywhere else.

BEER SELECTION AT A RESTAURANT AVERY BREWING CO.

4910 Nautilus Court N., Boulder, 303-440-4324

Longmont Winner: Pumphouse Brewery & Red Zone

Lafayette Winner: Romero’s K-9 Club & Tap House