4 29 10 best of boulder by Boulder Weekly

staff

Publisher, Stewart Sallo Editor, Pamela White Managing Editor, Jefferson Dodge Special Editions Editor, Katherine Creel Associate Editors, David Accomazzo, Quibian Salazar-Moreno Art Director, Susan France Graphic Designer, Mark Goodman Ad Assistant/Office Manager, Casey Modrzewski Production Interns, Alex Martineau, Richard Anthony Cortes Circulation Manager, Cal Winn Inside Sales Manager, Dayna Copeland Associate Director of Sales & Marketing, Dave Grimsland Senior Advertising Executive, Allen Carmichael Account Executives, Rich Blitz, Francie Swidler, Joe Miller Circulation Team, Hakla Brunerova, Dave Hastie, Dan Hill, Alan Jones, George LaRoe, Jeffrey Lohrius, Elizabeth Ousley, Lowell Schaefer, Karl Schleinig Assistant to the Publisher & Heiress, Julia Sallo 10-Year-Old, Mia Rose Sallo cover photo: Susan France

Jim Richards/University of Colorado

CONTENTS Staff Picks 3 Food 11 Drink 23 Entertainment 31 Fitness & Health 41 Retail 49

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Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado

Boulder County is made of win

his year’s Best of Boulder™ was a record-setter, with more county residents casting their votes than ever before. That makes the results more fun — and the competition more fierce. This year we not only had some new names in the winner’s bracket, but a few new brackets, too, like Best Chai Drink and Best Medical Marijuana Wellness Center. Just more proof that Boulder County is always evolving and growing, no pun intended.That doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten old favorites, like Best Music Venue and Best Sandwich, or that you guys have forgotten your old favorites, like Boulder Theater, McGuckin Hardware and Snarf’s, all winners again this year. It would probably take even more than our 150 categories to completely capture the amazing range and quality of Boulder County’s outstanding restaurants, businesses, entertainment venues and cultural scenes, but we’ve definitely picked out the best of the best (with your help, of course). It’s no wonder that our little piece of prairie heaven ends up on lists like “Smartest U.S. Cities” and “Best Places to Live.” Along with your picks, we’ve included some of our own “best of” winners, recognizing the ridiculous and the remarkable, from right here in Boulder to across the nation. The winners in these categories might not be too happy with their prize, but we think you’ll get a kick out of our take on the people, places and events that made this past year memorable. From all of us at Boulder Weekly, we hope you enjoy this year’s edition of Best of Boulder™ and congratulations to all of the winners!

Norlin Quad

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 3

✩ BEST EXCUSE TO GO SKIING Swine flu

ust when we’d run out of sick days, personal days and distant “dying” relatives, nature and the cable news stations came together to give us one more air-tight excuse to ditch work and hit the slopes: swine flu. With panic over a new strain of super flu at a fevered pitch, most employers weren’t going to hassle possible plague carriers into showing up for their shift. A few sniffles on Wednesday, some hacking coughs on Thursday, and we got Friday off with no questions asked — Monday, too, for those who could do a good “sick voice” on the phone. And because hospitals encourage the diseased to stay home and isolated, we didn’t even need a doctor’s note. And for those who actually won the contagion lottery? Sorry, you missed some great powder.

suit against the city that attempted to shield campaign contributions from public view. The race put Longmont on the map as a prime battleground for control of the 4th Congressional District — and as a key factor in whether Colorado becomes a blue state or a red state. It also exposed the fact that unseen forces are often at work in local elections that have historically been sleepy. And it was a sad commentary on the depths to which we’ve stooped in our political discourse as a country. We’d much rather call the other side names than actually have intel-

✩ BEST ACTRESS IN A CORPORATE ROLE

Mary Lee Chin

ast August, when Boulder County’s Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee held a public hearing about the possible introduction of genetically altered Roundup-ready sugar beets on county open space land, someone came to the microphone who was not what she Swine flu scare seemed to be. Mary Lee Chin took the microphone and told the commissioners how wonderfully nutritious and tasty genetically modified foods are but failed to identify herself as a representative ligent debate about the merits of any given issue. of the biotech food industry. Chin, it turned out, was paid ✩ to attend the meeting — and to speak in praise of GM BEST MISUSE OF POLICE RESOURCES foods — by the Colorado Farm Bureau. When confronted by Boulder Weekly, Chin said, “It Boulder cops’ visit to Mall didn’t occur to me to [identify myself as a paid biotech Crawl organizers shill]. I did say I’m a strong advocate of biotechnology.” ast fall, about a month before Halloween, two local Prior to playing this role, Chin made numerous videos guys announced on Facebook that they were going to extolling the virtues of GM foods, at least some of which try to bring back the Mall Crawl, that rite of debauchery are posted on Franken-food giant Monsanto’s website. that used to be held on Pearl Street Mall every year on Already a multi-billion-dollar company, Monsanto stands to Oct. 31. But Boulder cops knocked on the doors of the rake it in through the sale of Roundup-ready crops, first two would-be organizers and reportedly told them that if when farmers buy the seeds, and then when the farmers they went ahead with their plans, they could face legal buy copious amounts of Roundup. Fortunately, the comaction and be saddled with any cost the city incurs dealing missioners were not swayed by Chin’s “I’m just a conwith the event. The good old ACLU jumped in and scolded cerned citizen with no hidden motive” routine. They tabled the city for threatening the two citizens, saying something GM sugar beets, opting to study the matter for a year about the right to assemble and those pesky First, Fifth and before making a decision. Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. Still, the men backed off and changed the name of their Facebook group to “The Artist Formerly Known as ‘Bring back the Boulder ✩ Mall Crawl!’” BEST EXAMPLE OF DIRTY POLITICS But the point is this: don’t the police have better — Katie Witt’s supporters and more important — things to do? The year before, the he Longmont City Council election last fall was a lulu. cops ticketed about a dozen people for putting pumpkins Conservatives were slinging mud at the liberals, and on their heads and frolicking naked across a city block.That vice versa. But the Katie Witt-Karen Benker race reached night, assailants punched a man and questioned his patrioa new low for a small town trying to reconcile its rural, tism because he was Asian American. A few blocks away, a conservative roots with the influx of Boulderites who can’t woman was assaulted and gang-raped while walking home, afford to live in the People’s Republic. In this race, the the first of a slew of terrifying nighttime sexual assaults to conservative mud was especially dirty, and it was bank- happen in the following months. When will Boulder police rolled by an outside group with a history of filthy political focus more on preventing assaults and rapes in our neightactics and ties to campaign law violations. Supporters of borhoods and less on ticketing naked people and stopping conservative Witt included Western Tradition Partnership peaceful gatherings on Pearl Street Mall? (WTP), a Montana group that had funded smear campaigns ✩ against liberal candidates in the past. Part of the group’s money went toward pamphlets calling Benker a liar, and BEST DRESSED part went to a “push poll” in which residents were asked Seth Brigham leading questions that implied she was guilty of discriminahis local gadfly pulled the local stunt of the year when tion, among other things. WTP was also involved in a lawhe showed up to a Boulder City Council meeting in

February and stripped down to his boxer shorts. The move not only made a statement about the many ways to exercise free-speech rights, but also about the asinine efforts of some to clamp down on nudity in town, what with those crazy pumpkin streakers and nude gardeners running amok. And then things really got crazy. One council member drowned out Brigham’s comments by rubbing his microphone, while another gestured to police to have Brigham removed and arrested. This lack of tolerance for criticism and public participatoin was consistent with a council that only a month earlier had discussed sending “regulars” to the back of the line during public comment periods. City officials later kinda sorta apologized and agreed not to press charges, but the damage was already done. We know it can get really annoying listening to these kooky regulars who get some sort of sick satisfaction out of attending every single city council meeting, but, hey, that’s tough. It’s easy to listen to someone when they are complimenting you.The tough part — and the reason the First Amendment was created — is to listen to those who are critical of you, especially when you’re an elected official. There’s a basic reason why criticism of the government is one of the most protected forms of speech, and it’s not because Bush was so much fun to hate on. It has to do with that whole thing about having a government “by the people” and “for the people.” You’ve got to let the citizens speak out when their elected officials screw up — even if one of those citizens is wearing only boxer shorts.

✩ BEST East County Restaurant The Pumphouse Brewery

You walk into The Pumphouse, located on Longmont’s Main Street, expecting bar food. But what you get is so much better. Its menu includes all the sports bar staples — burgers, hot wings, French fries — but even these choices are a cut above what you’ll find at most sports bars. Their nachos in particular stand out as perhaps the best in the county and are a B-dub staff favorite. Order them with the killer guac. Or try the sesame-crusted tuna, the shrimp tacos or Greek salad. Salmon in a sports bar? Yes, and it’s delicious, as is the Caribbean pork tenderloin. And did we mention dessert? Make sure to leave lots of room. The Pumphouse also has a gluten-free menu for those with dietary restrictions, as well as vegetarian choices. Is it worth the half-hour drive from Boulder? Without a doubt. And the wait time for a table isn’t quite as long as you’ll face at many of Boulder’s eateries. So pack up your appetite and head down the Diagonal to give The Pumphouse a try.

4 April 29, 2010

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

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✩ BEST EXCUSE FOR VIOLATING FIRST AMENDMENT

‘Budget cuts’

that money to shore up the state’s pathetic budget. But Amazon, being the obstinate Internet giant that it is, gave the proverbial finger to Colorado and its state taxes and closed the accounts of their Colorado associates, costing Colorado residents millions that otherwise might have been spent in the state. Way to help the economy, Colorado lawmakers! And way to stick it to the man, Amazon!

hen CU President Bruce Benson and his henchmen announced the closure of CU’s faculty/staff newspaper a year ago, it wasn’t about the money, and everyone knows it. The administration didn’t control what Silver & Gold Record printed, because the editor reported only to an editorial board of faculty and staff representatives. As a result, the weekly reported news in a way that was ✩ balanced, and sometimes included criticism of administrators.The administration wanted its own Pravda, and when BEST REASON TO GO TO CSU former CU President Hank Brown couldn’t emasculate CU Raises tuition … again the paper in 2007 by reorganizing its editorial board, he left the murder on his successor’s to-do list. If it was here’s nothing like good public education to really really about the money, why didn’t the administration restore your faith in the government’s ability to get simply tell the paper to cut its budget to the $100,000 currently being spent on the unread, online TASS, which things done well. But then again, we live in Colorado, and replaced the Silver & Gold? Because the real point was to most residents of our good state view any form of govtake away the editorial independence of the university’s ernment as a snarling, uncontrollable beast that must be employee publication and stifle the sometimes-critical voice of those who had started it 40 years earlier — CU’s faculty. In a university environment, which is supposed to be about open discourse and free exchange in a marketplace of ideas, that is unconscionable. What is even more unconscionable is that CU faculty allowed it to happen. Apparently the administration has beaten them into submission so many times that they’ve gotten used to it. Or maybe the traditional university model, in which the faculty help run the place, is truly dead. Either way, another local media voice died, which is a shame. Other than the publication you are reading now, what’s left? Not much, other than the wire-heavy PostCameraDaily conglomerate, which has turned recycling and repackaging the same local content over and over Varsity bridge at CU into an art form.

Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado

✩ BEST EXAMPLE OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES Firing of Colorado Amazon Associates

n March, Colorado bloggers and webmasters who partner with online retail giant Amazon.com received an e-mail from the company informing them that their services were no longer needed. Amazon associates, as these bloggers and webmasters are called, place ads and links on their websites that link back to Amazon.com. They get a percentage of the profit made from products sold to consumers who reached Amazon.com from the associate’s website. Associates can thank a dust-up between the state of Colorado and Amazon.com over Colorado House Bill 10-1193, a bill that requires online retailers to notify its Colorado purchasers (and the state Department of Revenue) what they owe in state sales tax. Since the Colorado Amazon associates represented a “presence” for the company in the state, the state felt it could treat them like local businesses and use that as an excuse to impose taxes on them. Their goal was to use

6 April 29, 2010

shackled by legislation such as TABOR lest it roam out of control and drain good citizens of every last penny. Due in part to extreme restrictions on how the state can raise and spend money, the University of Colorado gets just a small portion of its funding from Colorado taxpayers. So, in order to become competitive, the state’s flagship university continually raises tuition. (Don’t believe us? Since the 2003-2004 school year, in-state tuition has doubled). CU still provides an adequate education, and given all the shiny new buildings and iPod-equipped students, walking through campus is like walking through an Applesponsored dream world where the recession never happened. The CU Board of Regents casually approved a 9 percent increase in tuition for next fall, bringing the grand total for in-state tuition up to $7,018 a year.With sky-high rental prices ($750 a month for a room in some 1960s shithole house in Martin Acres?) and pitiful financial aid, CU is looking more and more like an overpriced lift ticket — hey, we all know students come here to ski — and Fort Collins is looking more and more like the better alternative. And when you’re praising Fort Collins for anything, you know something should probably change.

✩ BEST REASON TO GO VEGETARIAN Masturbating deli worker

ost vegetarians can give you a long list of reasons to give up sins of the flesh: vegetarians live longer, meat production really does a number on the environment and, hey, animals are people, too. If you need one more reason to be convinced though, talk to the Louisville woman who got a glimpse of some improper meat handling while shopping at her local Safeway. In January, she reported to police that while talking to a store employee at the deli counter she noticed that the man’s sausage was clearly on display. According to police reports, the employee not only had his fly open and his penis in plain sight, he was apparently masturbating while answering the woman’s questions. We can only hope one of those questions was, “Are you wearing gloves?”

✩ BEST REASON TO LIE TO YOUR DOCTOR Medical marijuana

f all things, you wouldn’t expect a rule-making hearing of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to have such a profound impact on Colorado’s political and economic landscape. But when the CDPHE made a technical ruling last summer on a couple of words in Amendment 20, which legalizes medical marijuana, they opened the door for an explosion of a fast-growth industry in Colorado: medical marijuana dispensaries. Now, as evidenced by a stroll on the Hill, dispensaries are sprouting up like, well, weeds. And since they’re legal (depending on whom you ask — they’re in the grayest of gray areas), never has Colorado been a more ganja-friendly place to be. But with all the cries of shady dealings, black-market connections, and oh-god-somebody-think-of-the-children, people are in danger of forgetting the real victim: drug dealers. Facing a dwindling customer base, your friendly neighborhood pot vendor faces much better stocked competition from an increasing number of legit, taxpaying businesses. Can one simple person compete with a dispensary that employs five people full time? Times are tough for pot dealers, but not if Denver Democrat Chris Romer has his way. Romer has proposed a pair of bills that, if passed, will make life much more difficult for dispensaries and most likely will force many of them out of business. So fear not, pot dealers: you have a friend in the legislature, and with any luck, business will be booming once again.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

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The Fort Collins balloon boy

lunch because you’ve got a deadline to meet? Take it from the staff at Boulder Weekly: You can’t get a better blend of quality and “now” than at the South Side Walnut Café. You know the feeling of seeing your waitperson walk by with an armful of plates that must be yours, given how long you’ve been waiting, only to see him or her pass you on the way to a neighboring table? Well, at the South Side you’ll have the opposite experience: You’ll witness your server walking toward you within minutes of placing your order and be certain that delicious food is headed elsewhere, only to see it magically set before you. Be amazed! Be grateful! Be here … now!

ow, this was a humdinger, wasn’t it? And they would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn’t been for that meddling kid. It was during a fateful interview with Wolf Blitzer when young Falcon Heene was asked why he didn’t come out of hiding when he heard his parents calling his name. His dad, Richard, had to rephrase the question for the boy, to which Falcon replied, “Um, you guys said that, um, we did this for the show.” His mother, Mayumi, responded ✩ with a meek, “No,” and South Side Walnut Cafe owners BEST Proof the gig was up. of Insanity If you had planned this, don’t you think you would have repeatPat Robertson’s Haiti edly rehearsed that part with the kid? “I was earthquake theory too scared to come out because I thought at Robertson is 80 years old, so maybe you would be mad at me.” we should cut him some slack when he But for a few hours there, those of us glued to the live television coverage on that says nutty things like legalized abortion led October day were genuinely sick to our to Hurricane Katrina. One day, God willing, stomachs, especially parents, thinking that we’ll all be that aged, feeble and completely the child might actually be in that balloon as nuts. Then again, he’s been spouting his it soared across the Colorado sky, out of quackery for decades, blaming anything from natural disasters to bad traffic on homocontrol. No real harm done, but talk about one sexuals, the ACLU and women’s rights, so it’s of the most compelling breaking news sto- hard to say if his assertion that a pact with ries of the year. It does make you feel sorry the Devil caused the Haiti earthquake is a for Falcon, who is going to be known the sign of decline or part of a history of insanrest of his life as “the balloon boy,” thanks to ity. Either way, when you get on national his idiot parents. Some people are just a few television and tell a devastated nation that they basically had it coming, maybe it’s time kernels short, you know? to call it quits. Even Jesus at his most pissed off wouldn’t do shit like that. A lot of people probably wish Robertson a worse fate than ✩ a belated retirement, but at least if he gets FASTEST RESTAURANT shipped off to a nursing home, we won’t SERVICE have to listen to him spout hatred on televiSouth Side Walnut Café sion any longer.

here comes a time when you simply need food … now. There are plenty of places where you can get “fast food.” But what if you care about quality and you just finished a workout at Mountain’s Edge Fitness Center or a run or mountain bike ride on the glorious South Boulder trails? Or what if you only have 15 minutes for

8 April 29, 2010

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

✩ BEST DISPLAY OF SEXUAL IGNORANCE

Teabaggers

embers of the so-called “tea party” movement set the “dismiss our message immediately” bar low last year when the older, disaffected white Republicans who make up the movement’s base took the illadvised step of nicknaming themselves. At first glance, the nickname must have seemed safe and logical. “Teabaggers” — shorter than “tea partiers” and much catchier. Plus, it seemed to catch on and ignite a smile on the faces of the younger folks. Win-win, right? But other, more tech-savvy (i.e., had access to the Internet, where teabagging demonstrations can be found on various pornographic websites) were smiling for reasons too graphically obscene to be printed, even in this newspaper. Teabaggers started campaigns on Interwebs nationwide to “Tea Bag Obama” and “Tea Bag the White House,” which, as dirty as it sounds, actually involved sending tea bags via snail mail. It seemed things couldn’t dip any lower when teabaggers made the off-the-ball comparison of President Barack Obama’s policies to those of Hitler and Stalin. Mouths full of vitriolic rhetoric, protesters spat out an endless stream of fallacious political arguments and worked collectively to “teambag” Congress. And though recent events must have left a sour taste in the Teabaggers’ mouths, as defeating health care reform was their No. 1 priority, protests continue to this day, making the tea bag movement one of the most potent movements in recent history.

✩ BEST REASON NOT TO TRUST PALE FACES

New Age guru James Ray

ast October, three people died and 18 others became ill after crawling inside a pseudo-sweat lodge in search of the enlightenment promised by New Age guru James Ray, co-author of The Secret and self-proclaimed personal development expert. The ceremony was part of Ray’s “Spiritual Warrior” retreat in Sedona, Ariz., that also included another ceremony stolen from American Indian culture: a “vision quest.” Participants paid a reported $9,000 each to participate in the retreat. Ray had promised to push these people beyond their boundaries — and, apparently, he did.Three people were pushed so far past their boundaries that their spirits left this earth. As a result, Ray is facing manslaughter charges to which he has pled not guilty. Some people have called for the regulation of sweat lodge ceremonies in the wake of this tragedy. Perhaps it would be more appropriate if they called for the regulation of white folks running ceremonies that don’t belong to them. Of course, the latter is impossible. Freedom of religion means that everyone has the right to pursue spirituality in the way that seems best to them, even if that means cannibalizing other cultures and running

ceremonies in ways they were never intended to be run.

✩ BEST PROOF WHITE MAN CAN’T JUMP All-American Basketball Alliance

he days of Jim Crow laws and the “separate but equal” mindset are long gone, but it appears one man is trying to bring those good ol’ days back. In January, Don “Moose” Lewis announced the launch of the All-American Basketball Alliance, a basketball league that requires that players and coaches be natural-born U.S. citizens and Caucasian. That’s right, a basketball league without black, Latino, Asian or foreign players … just a bunch of American white people. Lewis says that the NBA has moved away from the fundamentals of basketball and that his league will concentrate on those fundamentals, which he believes are more suited to white players. Basically Lewis doesn’t want anymore 360-degree dunks, no-look passes, crossover dribbles, reverse mid-air layups or scores higher than 70 points … You know, the stuff that makes professional basketball fun and interesting. It appears, on paper, that Lewis’ league would make a good cure for insomnia. That is until he hosts an all-star game that pits white players versus black players he dubbed “Snow Ball vs. Bro Ball.” Yeah, he went there … luckily we wouldn’t.

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✩ BEST EXAMPLE OF RACIAL PROFILING

U.S. Forest Service

ast August, a U.S. Forest Service warning urged the public to beware of campers who speak Spanish, play Spanish music, eat tortillas and drink Tecate beer because they may be armed and dangerous marijuana growers. We are not making this up. The Colorado Latino Forum quickly denounced the Forest Service warning, pointing out that it could put Hispanic campers in danger from gung-ho types — people who play country music, eat Wonderbread and drink Bud — who might see a can of Tecate and decide that hunting season has begun early. The warnings were issued after the Forest Service found more than 14,000 ganja plants growing in Pike National Forest. Law enforcement said at the time that Latin American drug cartels may be smuggling people into the state in order to grow pot in remote parts of the mountains. That might be true, but is a person’s choice of music, food and beer the best way to identify who’s working for a cartel and who isn’t? Are these the criteria used by the DEA and the FBI? If so, perhaps that explains why they’re not making headway against cartels.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 9

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✩ ASIAN FUSION Chez Thuy

2655 28th St., 303-442-1700 Runner-up: Hapa Honorable Mentions: Moongate Asian Bistro, Khow Thai he term “fusion” refers to cuisine that blends ingredients and cooking techniques from a variety of origins. Since 1993, chef Thuy (pronounced “Twee”) and her staff have offered Vietnamese food peppered with inspirations from France, China, Thailand and Indonesia, and the result is mouthwatering. The restaurant serves both lunch and dinner, with extensive menus that feature seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes prepared in an array of exciting ways. Specialties include Fire Pot Sour Soup, Sugarcane Shrimp, frog legs stir-fried with curry, five-spice duck and a selection of Vietnamese stir-fries. A separate vegetarian menu is also available that contains nearly 30 meatless entrées. Many of the restaurant’s dishes contain hot spices to add a bit of fire to diners’ plates, and those selections are specially marked on the menu. Traditional beverage options include Thai iced tea and creamy fruit drinks made with Boba (tapioca balls). With the vast selection at Chez Thuy, no diner will go hungry, and the chef’s expertise will ensure satisfaction with each bite. The perhaps best known for their sushi, Hapa offers a great selection of fusion dishes, and Moongate, just a few blocks away, has selection wider than the day is long. Diners who enjoy authentic Thai cuisine definitely won’t leave Khow Thai hungry.

✩ BAGEL Moe’s Broadway Bagel 2650 Broadway, 303-444-3252 3075 Arapahoe Ave., 303-442-4427 Runner-up: Einstein Bros. Bagels Honorable Mention: Big Daddy Bagels

he history of the bagel goes back to at least 1683, when, legend has it, a Jewish baker in Vienna made a special hard roll in the shape of a riding stirrup — bugel in German — to thank the king of Poland for protecting Austria from Turkish invaders. Most historians agree, however, that this story is mostly bupkis and that the bagel has been around even longer. Some theories even trace its origin to China, and bagels, or at least bagel-like breads, are enjoyed the world over from England to Japan. In 2008, they even made it into space when Canadianborn astronaut Gregory Chamitoff brought a bag of 18 sesame seed bagels with him to the International Space Station. However old the bagel might be, the folks at Moe’s Broadway Bagel have been making historically delicious bagels (and cream cheese!) since 1992. Patty and John Sherman, along with their three children Mamie, Audrey and Peter, have been making bagels — along with pastries, sandwiches, breakfast burritos and more — for eight years now. Their line-up includes old favorites — plain, salted, poppy — and treats like cranberry-walnut. And just who is the Moe in shop’s name? The name comes from John’s grandfather, a “lifelong 12 April 29, 2010

bagel connoisseur.” For New York transplants or anyone with a hankering for a taste of the East Coast, stop by runner-up Einstein Bros. Bagels for bagel and a cuppa. Honorable mention Big Daddy Bagels offers all the variety of flavors an adventurous bagel hound could want.

✩ BAKERY Breadworks Café

2644 Broadway St., 303-444-5667 Runner-up: Great Harvest Bread Co.

falafel, hummus, baba ghanouj and tabouleh. What’s nice is that the menu features English translations of the foreignlanguage items, so that you don’t have to attempt to say “Pulpo a la Gallega” in front of your date. You can just say “octopus.” And add “por favor” to make up for it. The runner-up in this category is across the street, so you can head over to Brasserie Ten Ten for a crepe, a slider or just some filet mignon tartar and quail egg toast. At honorable mention The Kitchen, check out their community hour before 5:30 p.m. on weekdays for a shared plates menu. On Mondays, 20 percent of sales are donated to the Growe Foundation and the

Honorable Mentions: Spruce Confections, Boulder Baked he French word for bakery is pâtisserie, a shop specializing in sweets and pastries, and use of the title is legally controlled by the French government: only shops employing a licensed master pastry chef can officially call themselves a patisserie. We’re not quite so, ahem, uptight Katherine Creel about our sweets here in the States, but if we ever did start passing legislation on our éclairs and regulating our profiteroles, Breadworks Café wouldn’t have to worry about meeting code. Specializing in, well, just about everything, this bit of edible Eden offers muffins, scones, popovers, pies, croissants, cakes, tarts, cookies, brownies and, of course, breads. If there’s a bread to be found in Boulder, chances are Breadworks has got it. With 10 varieties of everyday The Mediterranean Restaurant bread and a rotating selection of specialty breads throughout the week, even the French would be hard-pressed to find School Food Project — a great excuse to fault with this North Boulder institution. eat and drink with friends. And any good bread deserves a good soup. ✩ That’s why Breadworks also boasts a collection of nearly 300 soup recipes served BARBECUE throughout the year. If you want to try KT’s Real Good BBQ before you buy, stop in at Great Harvest 2675 13th St., 303-442-3717 Bread Company in the heart of Boulder for a free slice and they’ll thank you for it: one Runner-up: The Rib House bite and you’ll leave with a loaf. Next time Honorable Mention: Daddy Bruce’s you’re shopping in downtown Boulder, stop in Spruce Confections for one of their he world of barbecue can be contenscones or Boulder Baked for a gourmet tious. Arguments exist between various cupcake. Or do both — they’re only four U.S. states and cities as to whose method of blocks apart! barbecue is the right one. In Memphis, pulled

✩

APPETIZERS/TAPAS The Mediterranean Restaurant

1002 Walnut St., 303-444-5335  Runner-up: Brasserie Ten Ten Honorable Mention: The Kitchen

his just might be what The Med is known best for — meeting some friends or a date over a few tapas and drinks. You can get something as simple as almonds or olives, then dabble in some manchego or mozzarella, and move on to distinctive meat or seafood preparations. If you want to add a Middle Eastern flair to the night, there is

pork sandwiches reign supreme — juicy shreds of slow-roasted pork smothered in sweet, tangy sauce, piled high on a burger bun. Having spent a week eating barbecue in Memphis three to four times a day, Kirk and Tricia Jamison have mastered the craft. They put their expertise to work by opening KT’s Real Good BBQ in 1992, which has expanded to four locations throughout the Boulder-Denver area. Boulder’s popular location is on 13th and Alpine. “The Pig Pile,” their signature pulled-pork sandwich, remains the restaurant’s specialty, though other items on the menu include Texas beef brisket and a smoked chicken sandwich. Side dishes notoriously complement barbecue, and at KT’s, options such as cole slaw, Kirk’s Killer Beans and red-skinned mashed pota-

toes do not disappoint. The restaurant also offers catering for parties and business meetings, allowing groups of all sizes to savor the slow-cooked delicacy. And if you couldn’t tell from their name what the Rib House specializes in, just take a walk past their store. That tantalizing aroma is unmistakable. Pedestrians walking down Arapahoe, right around the Naropa campus, know that the little house billowing smoke is on fire — on fire with flavor, that is. It’s the home of Daddy Bruce’s, where you can get delicious, homemade barbecue complete with the traditional white bread.

✩ BUSINESS LUNCH The Mediterranean Restaurant 1002 Walnut St., 303-444-5335 Runner-up: The Kitchen

Honorable Mention: Brasserie Ten Ten

he good thing about power lunches in Boulder County is that compared to places like, say, New York City, they’re pretty laid back affairs. When it’s time to wheel and deal over a meal, most locals put on their best hemp T-shirt and shorts and head over to The Mediterranean Restaurant. The Med, as it’s known by locals, recently opened its new dining area and bar, but still boasts the same quality food options. Located on Walnut Street near the St. Julien Hotel, The Med combines Spanish, Greek, Italian and French flavors, creating one of the most diverse menus in town. Bring your business associates here to talk shop or unwind in the sunny, lively atmosphere. The menu is expansive without being overwhelming and there are plenty of options for the vegetarians in your group. Try one of The Med’s classic pizzas, baked in their wood oven (we suggest the Quattro Stagioni) or indulge in one of their famous paella dishes. They open at 11 a.m. and seats usually fill up fast, especially as the popular tapas happy hour nears. If you can’t grab a table at The Med, trek across the street to our honorable mention, Brasserie Ten Ten and grab a plate of their canard et chevre (duck and goat cheese) crepes or, if you’re looking for farm-to-table freshness and an extensive wine list, head to our runner-up, The Kitchen on Pearl Street.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

DRINK SPECIALS Home to Boulder’s Best CINCO DE MAYO PARTY!

All Night Long! Choose from our Extensive List of

TEQUILA Stay for the

KAMIKAZEE KARAOKE GONG SHOW!

Juanita’s

9:00pm

1043 Pearl St. Boulder – 303-449-5273

Introducing CAFE AION: BOULDER’S BEST NEW TAPAS RESTAURANT

The traditional Italian merenda or Spanish tapa is a simple but beautiful offering. Its presentation is honest and straightforward, its preparation a tribute to the craft and techniques developed over centuries in the homes, farms, and humble taverns of Italy and Spain. It is served in an atmosphere that is convivial and relaxed—a setting to suit the food’s essential virtues. We aspire to cultivate this tradition in our own local soil. We gather our ingredients from farmers, ranchers and fishmongers we know and admire, and we draw upon the timehonored practices of the osteria and tapas bar as we cook for our friends and neighbors.

Open Wednesday – Saturday, 4pm-11pm (happy hour 4-6) Brunch Saturday & Sunday, 9am - 2pm

COME ENJOY OUR AMAZING PATIO!

1235 Pennsylvania Ave, Boulder

303-993-8131 • www.cafeaion.com Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 13

✩ BREAKFAST Lucile’s Creole Cafe

2124 14th St., Boulder, 303-442-4743 Runner-up: Walnut Café, South Side Walnut Café

ead to 14th Street between Spruce and Pine streets on any morning, and you’ll see a mob of people standing around. They’re not loitering. They’re waiting for a table at Lucile’s, a favorite among foodies for Creole-style breakfast, brunch and lunch. The vast breakfast menu features special ingredients such as Louisiana sausage, red beans and rice, grits and buttermilk biscuits. Many breakfast dishes are egg-based, though French toast, a praline waffle and rice pudding porridge are among the non-egg selections. Diners can start their morning with an order of beignets, a homemade New Orleans-style donut which is one of the café’s popular attractions. Lunch is just as robust, with offerings such as shrimp and grits, blackened salmon and Chicken Robicheaux. For waffles straight out of breakfast heaven and lots of delicious egg dishes, drop in to Walnut Café, and when you’re in south Boulder, hit up their sister shop, the South Side Walnut Café.

✩ BRUNCH Boulder Dushanbe Tea House 1770 13th St., 303-442-4993 Runner-up: The Kitchen

Honorable Mention: Brasserie Ten Ten

runch is the perfect meal. You don’t have to get up as early as you would for breakfast, and you don’t have to wait as long as you would for lunch. And while the word conjures images of refined socialites sipping mimosas on a Sunday morning, brunch is actually “a heavy meal meant to take the place of both breakfast and lunch.” Seconds, anyone? At Boulder Dushanbe Tea House, you can have it both ways: elegant and filling, healthy and hearty. Every dish can be paired with a tea from their impressively large and diverse catalogue. And though “Dushanbe” means Monday in Tajik, this brunch is only offered Saturdays and Sundays. Of course you could always eat brunch at The Kitchen, known for its great wines and gourmet meats. And for a French translation of this midmorning meal, hit up Brasserie Ten Ten. (Just so you know, ouefs means eggs in French.)

✩ BURGER Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery 1535 Pearl St., 303-546-0886 Runner-up: Larkburger

egetarians are great people. Most of them care about the environment, animal rights, their health or a combination of all three. While that’s something we should all aspire to, it’s not easy to make that kind 14 April 29, 2010

of commitment. So when you fall off the wagon of whey and into carnivorous perdition, why not land on the best burger Boulder has to offer? Swing by Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery next time you’re downtown and take a bite of beefy bliss in 11 different varieties. From the aptly named “Regular Burger” to the more cryptic “S.O.S. Burger,” all of these meaty marvels are made with all-natural beef. Well, all except one. If you’re seriously abstaining from carnal pleasures, they even offer a Garden Burger. For the swankest burger in town, check out Larkburger, an offshoot of the famous Larkspur Restaurant in Vail.

✩ BURRITO Illegal Pete’s

1447 Pearl St., 303-440-3955 1320 College Ave., 303-444-3055 Runner-up: Chipotle Honorable Mention: Efrain’s

egend has it that the burrito traces its roots back to the days of the Mexican Revolution in Ciudad Juárez, where a humble taco vendor got the idea of wrapping a tortilla around the taco fillings to keep the food warm. Before he could say “mucho dinero,” the popularity of his tacos skyrocketed and somehow picked up the name burrito, which in Spanish literally means “little donkey.” This year, Illegal Pete’s takes the title for Boulder’s best burrito. What makes Illegal Pete’s different from the rest of the crowd, besides the funky bumper stickers, is the fact that they mix all their delicious ingredients together with a metal spoon so that your first bite contains a balanced blend of every ingredient. Runner-up Chipotle offers satisfying burritos available at trillions of stores nationwide, and they’re worth the visit if you’re in a pinch for lunch. And don’t forget local family-owned Mexican favorite Efrain’s, whose authentic burritos have been filling Boulder County bellies for years.

✩ VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT Chez Thuy Restaurant 2655 28th St., 303-442-1700

Runner-up: May Wah

et’s face it, Boulder. Chez Thuy is the popular kid at school, and we all want a seat at that lunch table. Or dinner table. Whichever meal it is you’re sitting down for, Chez Thuy Restaurant is bound to leave you rubbing your own belly in prosperity and satisfaction, as if you were the Buddha himself. The nice price of the lunch menu and the charming desserts will have you wishing you had a bigger stomach. Graduate to the dinner dishes and you could find yourself wanting to test out every one of the 134 items on that menu (often confused for a textbook). Once you’ve stuck a fork in the Black Bean Hotpot or Basil Curry Stir-fry, you’ll surely vote Chez Thuy Prom Queen. Runner-up on Prom Court sits May Wah, another delicious option that offers Vietnamese, Thai, or Chinese choices — for that prom party that just can’t decide which Asian Cuisine they’d like to eat that night.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

✩ CATERING A Spice of Life

Sales: 5541 Central Ave, Suite 272, 303-443-4049 Event center: 5706 Arapahoe Ave., 303-444-3452 Runner-up: Sage and Savory Catering Honorable Mention: Redstone

o-owned by Dan Bruckner and David Rubin, A Spice of Life caters everything from weddings to corporate lunches. They even ventured out to Steamboat Springs to cater a celebrity wedding with a Brazilian steakhouse theme, and they’ve also helped with the Humane Society of Boulder Valley’s Puttin’ on the Leash event. One of the first zero-waste caterers in the state, they recycled more than a ton of cardboard and have composted 4.5 tons of waste in the first quarter of 2010 alone. And if environmental friendliness isn’t enough to make you give these caterers a call, their modern spins on classic dishes will be, like polenta french fries and pork confit sliders.Their employees are always at the ready, sometimes even putting events together with a day’s notice. Sage and Savory’s full range of catering services can handle everything from wowing your wedding guests to keeping your coworkers from getting hungry during those long corporate meetings. The same goes for Redstone, one of Boulder’s premier caterers.

✩ STAFF PICK: CHEESE Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy 1121 Colorado Ave., Longmont, 720-494-8714

here’s nothing like artisan cheese. The creaminess, the richness, the intense flavors — there’s no better complement to a nice bottle of wine. Luckily for Boulderites, Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy has been crafting handmade goat cheeses since 1992. Just take a bite into one of Haystack’s fine cracked-pepper chevre logs or wheybrined feta and you’ll be transported to cheese heaven. For all the flavor of bovine cheese and half the fat, chomp into a chunk of Haystack Mountain goat cheese and see if you can’t tell the difference. Available in area restaurants, Haystack Mountain is a local success story that makes everyone in the county feel proud.

✩ MEXICAN Efrain’s

1630 63rd St., Suite 10, 303-440-4045 101 E. Cleveland St., Lafayette, 303-666-7544 451 S. Pratt Pkwy., Longmont, 720-494-0777 Runner-up: Zolo Grill Honorable Mention: Rio Grande

nce again, Efrain’s takes the cake, er, enchilada. If you’ve only been to Efrain’s II in Boulder, you should also check out their

original establishment in Lafayette, as well as Efrain’s III in Longmont. They all have great character, and the food is consistently terrific. The menu is versatile enough to accommodate both those who like it mild and those who like sweat trickling down their foreheads. A handy temperature gauge is printed next to each item on the menu, so that you are forewarned about what will befall you if you have the cojones to order the “Costillas,” greenchile-saturated Mexican ribs. And check out the “Efrain,” the mystery burrito that the chef prepares with whatever happens to be on hand. Upscale Zolo Grill features creative, local takes on Southwestern cuisine, as well as more than 150 tequilas to pair it with. The honorable mention goes to the place where we once heard a margarita-toting Rio bar regular discover, “Hey, they actually have really good food here, too!”

✩ NEW RESTAURANT Salt

1047 Pearl St., 303-444-7258 Runner-up: Elephant Hut

hen Tom’s Tavern closed in December of 2007, locals who’d been loyal to the longtime burger joint were crushed. Nearly two years later, the location showed signs of life again, behind dust swirls of construction, and passersby were skeptical of the upcoming replacement. Thankfully, the new restaurant did not disappoint. Salt, the creation of Colterra chef Bradford Heap, stepped gracefully into 1047 Pearl Street and has since become a new local favorite. The restaurant includes many architectural components of the beloved Tom’s, but it’s the food that has won locals over. One of the restaurant’s biggest commitments is to source locally, which means menus shift quite often, and diners can take pleasure in knowing the precise origin of their meal. Food at Salt is not outrageously priced, with entrées in the neighborhood of roughly $20. For a swank and delicious Thai dining experience, Elephant Hut is already proving to be a local favorite.

✩ Organic Restaurant The Kitchen

1039 Pearl St., 303-544-5973 Runner-up: Turley’s Honorabl Mention: Leaf

he rustically modern interior of The Kitchen includes chalkboards proudly announcing the local origins of many of the restaurant’s ingredients. The restaurant’s intense dedication to sourcing locally and organically makes it a favorite among eco-conscious, food-loving locals. Of course, the menu changes seasonally, yet always offers a variety of meat, fish, poultry and vegetarian dishes. And after all, isn’t variety the spice of life? The roots of Turley’s casual, organic meals go back to 1977, when the Turley family first tried their hand at “better for you” dining. Leaf, a perennial favorite, serves up delicious allvegetarian organic fare.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 15

✩ CHINESE Golden Lotus

1964 28th St., 303-442-6868 Runner-up: Moongate Asian Bistro Honorable Mention: China Gourmet

hinese food is a staple of life in a college town, but it doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice quality to eat on a college student’s budget. Located on 28th Street between Walnut and Pearl, Golden Lotus offers both traditional and contemporary Chinese cuisine, specializing in Szechwan and Cantonese fare. Open seven days a week, they also deliver to those too busy to get away from the office or too tired to leave home. Golden Lotus also caters to the health-conscious, as they do not use MSG and boast an extensive vegetarian menu. One of the best deals is the lunch combo, with one of 13 entrees, soup, appetizer and rice — all for $8.95. If you’re ready for dinner, try their popular sesame chicken or cashew prawns. Vegetarian options include eggplant with garlic and the sautéed string beans. Payday and feeling adventurous? Splurge on the $26 Seven Stars Around Moon dish, featuring chicken, shrimp, scallops, lobster and fresh veggies in the chef’s special brown sauce. Runner-up Moongate Asian Bistro consistently serves up outstanding Chinese food, as well as Thai and other Asian cuisines. Honorable mention China Gourmet offers affordable Chinese fair and a great place to stop for a quick and tasty lunch.

✩ FINE DINING Frasca Food & Wine 1738 Pearl St., 303-442-6966 Runner-up: Flagstaff House Honorable Mention: The Kitchen

ationally acclaimed as a James Beard award winner and mentioned numerous times in national media such as Food & Wine and Bon Appetit magazines, Frasca Food & Wine remains the embodiment of Boulder fine dining. Crisp white tablecloths and sleek décor offer a formal backdrop to a menu inspired by the cuisine of FriuliVenezia Giulia, a region in northeast Italy. Owner Bobby Stuckey and his business partner, chef Lachlan MackinnonPatterson, are so dedicated to the authenticity of Frasca’s cuisine that they embark each year on a trip to Italy with the entire staff to eat, drink and learn. Stuckey is a Master Sommelier, a title awarded only after the completion of a rigorous examination, and which only 169 individuals in the world have earned. Frasca’s wine list reflects Stuckey’s wine expertise with hundreds of wines from across the world accompanied by insightful descriptions. The menu isn’t cheap — a four-course meal is $68 per person on most nights — but expertly prepared ingredients alongside impeccable service offers the perfect setting for a special indulgence. For a beautiful view to accompany a sublime meal, make a reservation at Flagstaff House. And for a great downtown experience, make a house call at The Kitchen.

✩ FOOD ON THE HILL The Sink

1165 13th St., 303-444-7465   Runner-up: Illegal Pete’s Honorable Mentions: Half-Fast Subs, Abo’s

oulder residents, especially CU students, have been scarfing the food at Robert Redford’s former employer since 1923, and there’s no sign of it letting up. You’ve probably already tried the famous Sink Burger, which you can customize to no end with toppings and sides. But try

16 April 29, 2010

branching out to one of The Sink’s many other choices, from pizzas to sandwiches to calzones. Or, if you’re trying to evolve out of the college diet and into a more responsible, Boulder-like eater, there are several vegetarian items and salads to choose from. And then there is the art on the walls to entertain you while you wait for your order. (If you are among the 2 percent who haven’t checked out the image of Redford in his old job, holding a broom, you better get up to speed.) Illegal Pete’s is the runner-up for Hill food, because their burritos are so good they are barely legal. And in a deadlock for the honorable mention slot are the expansive chalkboard sandwich boards at HalfFast Subs and the late-night pizza favorite Abo’s.

you could go to Himalayas. No, not the mountains, the local favorite for great Indian food.

✩

ITALIAN

ICE CREAM SHOP

Laudisio Italian Restaurant

Glacier Homemade Ice Cream & Gelato

1710 29th St., Ste 1076, 303-442-1300 Runner-up: Pasta Jay’s

4760 Baseline Rd., 303-499-4760 3133 28th St., 303-440-6542 1350 College Ave., 303-442-4400 1749 Main St., Longmont, 303-485-8834 1387 S. Boulder Rd., Louisville

Honorable Mentions: Carelli’s of Boulder, Radda Trattoria

Runner-up: Ben & Jerry’s Honorable Mention: Cold Stone Creamery

f you don’t know by now, Glacier Homemade Ice Cream & Gelato basically owns Boulder County when it comes to ice cream. The past few years have seen the local franchise scoop up most of the local awards — and for good reason. In Boulder County alone, there are five stores, one of them recently opening in Louisville. Each store features close to 80 different flavors of ice cream and gelato and all of them are homemade with all-natural ingredients. Some of the most popular flavors include Coffee Caramel Crunch, Peanut Butter Blast and Chai, which is a mix of Cinnamon, ginger, black tea, cardamom, and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla. You know where we’ll be this summer. Ben & Jerry’s is a staple on the Pearl Street Mall and the perfect pit stop if you need something sweet and creamy after a day of shopping. And although some people balk at the corporate nature of Cold Stone Creamery, there’s no denying the tastiness of their mixology.

audisio’s intimate lighting, warm modern decor and convenient location would be enough to bring diners to its location in the 29th Street Mall. But local patrons’ high regard for the food at Laudisio trumps these other qualities, making it a perennial Best of Boulder winner. Laudisio is lively enough for business dinners but also suits a romantic night out. The restaurant caters private parties in their onsite banquet rooms and also arranges food for off-site affairs. The restaurant has been recognized by Wine Spectator with an Award of Excellence for its extensive and ever-changing list of Italian wines. “Our fettuccine funghi is fantastic,” says Laudisio employee Andrea Sutherland of the restaurant’s dish, which features organic mushrooms, shallots and truffle butter. She also suggests the made-to-order risotto, as Laudisio is one of the few restaurants in the state to make their own risotto in-house. If you’re looking for more familyfriendly fare, bring the kids to Pasta Jay’s in downtown Boulder. Diners with dietary considerations can find glutenfree menus at both Laudisio and at our honorable mention, Carelli’s of Boulder. Need to unwind after work? Check out the three-hour aperitivo at Radda Trattoria.

✩ LATE NIGHT FOOD

✩

Abo’s

1110 13th St., 303-443-3199 For other county locations, go to www.abospizza.com Runner-up: Cosmo’s

INDIAN Sherpa’s Adventurers Restaurant & Bar

Honorable Mentions: Hapa,The Dark Horse

825 Walnut St., 303-440-7151 Runner-up: Tandori Grill

Honorable Mentions:The Taj, Himalayas

hen Pemba Sherpa arrived in Boulder in the early 1990s, Colorado’s mountains reminded him of his home in Nepal. He decided to open an adventure guiding company, Sherpa Ascent International, and Sherpa’s Adventurers Restaurant & Bar followed soon after. The restaurant is decorated with unique mountaineering paraphernalia and images of the Himalayas. The menu features Indian, Nepali and Tibetan specialties, all of which pack considerable flavor. Among favorites are the creamy spinach Saag platter, the spicy tomato Vindaloo and the potato-cauliflower Aloo Gobi. Most of the entrées can be made with either chicken, lamb, shrimp, tofu or just plain veggies. At Sherpa’s, diners experience the best of all worlds. The food is hearty, flavors robust, and service friendly.Tandori Grill offers a great lunch buffet, as well as elegant evening dinners. If you want to pretend you’re looking at the Himalayas while you dine, then you want The Taj, with it’s awesome view of the Foothills. Or

ive it to us flat and round and with the sacred Mana of the Gods flowing down the center of the fold, and what else is there? Chill, brothers and sisters, life is too short to quibble over N.Y.-style versus Chicago-style (deep down, you know what you like, right?). One of Boulder’s greatest pleasures is catching a Friday night show up on The Hill and striding over to Abo’s just before encore for a couple of slices with the Fox PA still clanging in your cranium. Genuine institutions are rare these days, but Abo’s has been wheeling out NY-style perfection for a thousand years and a hundred thousand Friday nights when all that mattered was thin crust perfection. Been there, done that. Cosmo’s is another Boulder institution, recently expanded and pumping the loudest kitchen-crew tunes in town, serving up pies for the vampires of Willy Villyville. Hapa does the late-night sushi thing on The Hill and downtown, and the Dark Horse is one of Boulder’s last truly woolly burger zones. You gonna finish that?

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

k You Than er for Bould us voting ly t n te er consis Bould st of e B the 2003 Since

Locally-Owned since 1993 • Grilled Meats & Seafood • Full Bar • Stir Fry • Vegetarian Specialties • Salad-Style Noodle Bowls

• Curries & Stews • Traditional Noodle Soups (Pho) • Crystal Rolls & Wraps • Kids Menu

CU & Boulder’s

BEST 2010 2655 28th Street, Boulder

‘10

Best of Boulder

Convenient free parking behind building

CU & Boulder’s

BEST 2010 303-442-1700

Dine-in or Carry out. See full menu at: www.ChezThuy.com

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 17

✩ OVERALL RESTAURANT The Mediterranean Restaurant

1002 Walnut St., 303-444-5335   Runner-up: The Kitchen Honorable Mention: Jax Fish House

hile there are lots of reasons to go to The Med, we started going there for that dish with gnocchi, clams and prosciutto in a Brodetto sauce. When we ate dinner there a few weeks back, we were delighted at the beautiful addition of a new dining room to the west, but we couldn’t find the gnocchi dish on the menu. Our server went to the

chef after our outcry and made sure we got what we wanted, simply by substituting gnocchi for the spaghettini in the dish’s successor, the “Pasta Vongole e Prosciutto.” It’s a restaurant that not only can create a dish so delicious you’re traumatized when it changes, but has a level of service that lets you to bring it back if you want. Runner-up The Kitchen has made its mark on Boulder in recent years with clean décor, hip servers and tasty dishes prepared from high-quality, local sources. Jax gets the honorable mention and is a seafood scene standout, which is not surprising when you’ve got the likes of TV Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg at the grill.

✩ PANCAKE/WAFFLE

Original Pancake House 2600 Canyon Rd., 303-449-1575 Runner-up: Walnut Café/South Side Walnut Café Honorable Mention: Turley’s

o enjoy the dishes at your winner of the pancake and waffle award, you’ve got to get up early. “It gets pretty busy on the weekends,” says frequent patron Jon Jacobs. “You might wait 20 minutes, but it’s worth it.” Open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Original Pancake House boasts a homey atmosphere and a “made from scratch” menu of morning comfort food. Pancakes are the star of the show, but it’s the

extras that set this place apart from the rest. Fruit often plays a supporting role, either as a fresh side or as part of their famous apple pancakes, which go great with a side of their homemade whipped cream. The restaurant brands itself as an upscale approach to breakfast. The quality of their food is upscale, but the price isn’t — a pair can eat a hearty morning meal for under $30. So settle in with a pot of coffee and have a leisurely breakfast in the heart of Boulder. Hungry on a Tuesday? Head to the the Walnut Cafe for breakfast and indulge in their Pie Day specials. Want to sleep in? Turley’s serves breakfast all day.

✩ PIZZA Abo’s

1124 13th St., 303-443-3199 For other county locations, go to www.abospizza.com Runner-up: Proto’s Honorable Mention: Beau Jo’s, Nick ‘n’ Willy’s

hether you’re cramming for an exam, are too lazy to cook or are dealing with a case of munchies following your last dose of medical marijuana, pizza is the perfect choice. There’s just something so satisfying, especially for a generation raised on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, about a circular piece of bread smothered in tomato sauce, covered in mozzarella cheese, baked hot and cut into a triangle. Abo’s has perfected this simple formula. With slightly sweet tomato sauce and quality ingredients complimented by a textbook-perfect crust, Abo’s has been a staple of affordable tasty treats in Boulder for decades. For something a little more upscale, Proto’s in North Boulder offers gourmet pies in a cozy and hip restaurant setting. And don’t forget Beau Jo’s and Nick ‘n’ Willy’s — two upstanding institutions that offer their own unique take on the Italian-American classic. Cowabunga, dude.

✩ PLACE TO BRING KIDS Boulder Farmers’ Market

13th Street, between Arapahoe and Canyon, 303-910-2236 Runner-Up: Red Robin Honorable Mention: Noodles & Co.

n the fall of 1986, a small group of local farmers decided to organize the Boulder Farmers’ Market. The site they chose was Boulder’s Central Park, in the heart of the city. Now, about 130 different vendors hawk their wares. There are ready-to-eat meals for breakfast or lunch, musicians, art exhibits and grassy spaces to play on. The proximity to Pearl Street Mall, Boulder Creek and the public library make BFM great place to bring the kids. Runner-up Red Robin provides one of the most family-friendly atmospheres of any restaurant chain around, complete with balloons and clowns. Noodle & Co., a regional phenomenon, offers a unique menu based entirely on various cooked pastas, as their name suggests. Kids of all ages love the mac & cheese.

18 April 29, 2010

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

✩ PLACE TO EAT OUTDOORS Boulder Farmers’ Market

13th Street, between Arapahoe Avenue and Canyon Boulevard, 303-910-2236 Runner-up: Chautauqua Dining Hall Honorable Mention: Boulder Dushanbe Tea House

ho doesn’t love fresh food and the outdoors? At the Boulder Farmers’ Market, locals and visitors can enjoy both. Dozens of local farmers sell their fresh produce, meats, cheeses and other foods in a friendly market setting. A special section of the market is dedicated to prepared foods, with local producers like Laudisio, Sister’s Pantry, Brilligworks Bakery and Boulder Ice Cream offering made-to-order snacks.The market will run every Saturday until November, and Wednesday evenings May 5 to October. The sprawling lawn of Boulder’s Central Park nearby offers an ideal setting for an outdoor picnic. Chautauqua Dining Hall has been a local landmark since 1898, serving up great food against a great backdrop of natural beauty. Though many people go to Dushanbe Tea House to admire the beautiful building, when the weather’s nice, why not take your tea to the terrace and enjoy the beautiful rose garden and some sunshine?

✩ SUSHI Sushi Zanmai

1221 Spruce St., 303-440-0733 Runner-up: Hapa Honorable Mention: Sushi Tora

ere’s a bit of trivia for you: sushi doesn’t mean raw fish. It’s actually the vinegared rice wrapped around or tucked under the fish. The practice of making sushi began centuries ago as a way of using rice to preserve fish in a delicious method known as “lactofermentation.” Yum. The sushi we eat today first became popular in the early 1800s as a grab-and-go snack from street-side vendors. Sushi has since evolved into an elegant dining experience, and only the freshest fish makes it to the sushi counters of Sushi Zanmai, the much-lauded 20-year veteran of Boulder’s sushi scene. Their menu reads like an oceanic Who’s Who?, and their selection is almost endless, from traditional tuna rolls to specials like the Boulder Roll. Downtown is a veritable oasis of sushi excellence, with runner-up Hapa, and honorable mention Sushi Tora both within walking distance of Sushi Zanmai.

✩ TAKE OUT Snarf’s

Several locations in Boulder www.eatsnarfs.com  Runner-up: Noodles & Co. Honorable Mention: Khow Thai

ne of the best take-out experiences we’ve had here in the office was when we were slaving away, editing a special edition, and the publisher (who, at the risk of sounding like a kiss-ass, is a generous and wonderful human

being) announced that he was buying us takeout from Snarf’s. The energy lift from that announcement — and from the tasty sandwiches delivered only a short time later — was palpable, and we proceeded to put out the best special edition in the history of your humble local publishing company. It’s brain food, man, and when you can get it without the lost productivity of having your employees leave their desks, it’s no wonder Snarf’s is the first choice of benevolent managers in Boulder County when it comes to employee motivation. Noodles is always a solid choice for healthy and delicious take-out, because of its consistent high quality. Khow Thai takes home the title for best Thai food every year, and apparently voters like to take it home, too.

✩ THAI Khow Thai

1600 Broadway, 303-447-0273 Runner-up: Chy Thai Cuisine Honorable Mentions: Siamese Plate, Buddha Café

t’s a good thing Toi Newman is confident in her cooking. When she and husband Larry opened Khow Thai in 2002, they faced many obstacles. The location had a reputation for business failure, they didn’t have a big advertising budget, and in 2003, construction on Broadway hindered access to the store. Despite these odds, Toi kept cooking. Boulder diners quickly caught on, and when Broadway went back to normal, the business took off. The menu features traditional dishes like Pad Thai, as well as an array of unique stir-fries and several rice dishes. Runner-up Chy Thai offers authentic Thai cuisine that’s not only good, it’s good for you, because it’s made from scratch by experienced chefs. Siamese Plate is the place to go when you can’t decide between Thai or Japanese (our suggestion: try both).And Buddha Café’s menu is enlightened with a full selection of curries, noodle dishes and desserts.

✩ VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANT Leaf

2010 16th St. Boulder, 303-442-1485 Runner-up:Turley’s Honorable Mention: Ras Kassa’s Ethiopian Restaurant

eaf, a relative newcomer, offers the finest seasonal ingredients to provide vegetarian cuisine for herbivores and omnivores alike. Their full bar features a unique earth-friendly wine list and organic vodka. The mouth-watering dinner menu offers such a wide variety of styles and tastes, any diner can find something to delight the tastebuds, like Genereal Tso’s Seitan, Jamaican Jerk Tempeh or Polenta Napoleon. A brief glance at web reviews confirms the high level of satisfaction enjoyed by their customers, whether they’re vegetarian or not. There are plenty of raves as well for the serving staff and the portion sizes. A favorite for healthy eaters,Turley’s is gem that transcends stereotypes about what a natural food restaurant is all about. Having a meal at Ras Kassa’s is like journeying into another world, sharing the meal with your group, seated on comfy cushions around low tables.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 19

✩ RESTAURANT AMBIANCE

Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

‘10

Best of Boulder

1770 13th St., 303-442-4993 Runner-up: Flagstaff House

alking into the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse is like walking into a work of art. And, in some ways, that’s exactly what it is. Built by the artists and craftsmen of Boulder’s sister city Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the intricacies of the walls, columns, ceiling and furniture are especially striking when you take the time, after ordering, to walk around and examine them closely. A couple of things to check out: The ceiling not only bears the names of the master woodcarvers, but the message, “artisans of ancient Khojand, whose works are magical.” After a hectic morning, arriving at Boulder’s exquisite jewel of a teahouse and slipping into that other world is a breath of fresh air. The environment just exudes relaxation. And we haven’t even gotten to the high quality of the tea and the food. Definitely one of those places to take out-of-town visitors. Runner-up Flagstaff House offers worldclass ambiance, perched high above Boulder’s sparkling lights and its warm, classy interior.

✩ RESTAURANT DESSERT The Kitchen

1039 Pearl St., 303-544-5973 Runner-up: Boulder Dushanbe Tea House Honorable Mention: The Mediterranean Restaurant

ticky toffee pudding with vanilla gelato? Pear and almond tart with Chantilly? Or, to be most straightforward, how about a pot of chocolate with heavy cream? Even a painfully full tummy can’t make a diner to turn away the dessert menu at The Kitchen. There are just seven offerings, all of them heavenly. Perhaps it’s the restaurant’s commitment to local ingredients that makes them so good, or the expertise of pastry chef Nathan Miller. Whatever the secret, The Kitchen’s desserts are absolutely worth every calorie. And at only $8 a piece, they’re worth every penny, as well. After a meal at the Dushanbe Tea House, try a cup of their huge selection of teas with your dessert. At The Med, make sure you leave room to try one of their delicate and delectable desserts.

✩ RESTAURANT SERVICE Frasca Food & Wine

1738 Pearl St., 303-442-6966   Runner-up: Flagstaff House

Honorable Mentions: Mountain Sun/Southern Sun, Walnut Café/South Side Walnut Café

t’s a sign of pretty amazing service when you ask your server about a particular wine and he brings out a book with maps that he uses in a mini-presentation about the Italian region. That’s been our experience at Frasca Food & Wine, and others must

20 April 29, 2010

have gotten the same service, given that it won this award. Frasca is one of those places where the service is as good as the food, and that’s saying a lot. It’s a great place to take a date or a larger party on a special night. What else can you say about runner-up Flagstaff House, where the servers line up behind your entire seated party — even if it’s 15 or 20 people — and lower everyone’s plate in front of them simultaneously? The honorable mentions — Mountain Sun/ Southern Sun, Walnut Café/South Side Walnut Café — have a special place in our hearts, especially their southern halves, which are right across the street from Boulder Weekly and always treat us well.

✩ ROMANTIC DINNER Flagstaff House

1138 Flagstaff Rd., 303-442-4640

Runner-up: Frasca Food & Wine Honorable Mention: Black Cat

hen you take a date to the Flagstaff House, it raises the game to a whole new level. First, the short drive from Boulder up the road that winds among the Flatirons just oozes intimacy. Then, after the valet helps your date out of your cherry-red Ferrari (a guy can dream, can’t he?), the hostess shows you to a candlelit window table overlooking the twinkling lights of Boulder. The wines are top-notch, the food is remarkable, and the service is stellar. Plus, there are some great overlooks in the area where you can park to, um, enjoy an after-dinner conversation. Our runner-up, Frasca, would impress a date because it is the epitome of class and elegance, both in its menu offerings and service. Honorable mention the Black Cat definitely has a romantic atmosphere, and last fall it got a nice mention in the Wall Street Journal as one of Boulder’s best restaurants.

✩ SANDWICH Snarf’s

Several locations in Boulder County www.eatsnarfs.com  Runner-up: Salvaggio’s Italian Deli

nce again, Snarf’s takes the crown. Quite a feat, given that the county has its fair share of great sandwich shops. But the establishment that named its Longmont shop Snarfmont and calls its kids sandwiches “Snarflettes” has more character than the rest, and its creations are top-notch. There’s something about the bread. Or maybe it’s the fresh ingredients. Or the TLC from the sandwich chefs. Whatever it is, there is something distinctive about this Boulder original. We also like its sustainability efforts. Almost everything is either composted or recycled, including the forks and spoons, and there are clearly marked bins to direct customers where to put what. Salvaggio’s resembles an authentic New York deli, where you almost want to bark your order as the sandwich meats come off the slicer behind the counter.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10

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22 April 29, 2010

Best of Boulder County â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10 Boulder Weekly

Chris Haugen

A view from the rooftop patio of the Rio Grande

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10

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Katherine Creel

The Mediterranean Restaurant

✩ BEER SELECTION Mountain Sun/Southern Sun 1535 Pearl St., 303-546-0886 627 S. Broadway, 303-543-0886 Runner-up:Avery Brewing Company Honorable Mention: Oskar Blues

live music and poetry readings that attract Boulder’s cultured clientele. There is also a smaller location in the Norlin Library on the CU-Boulder campus, which bustles constantly as students seek fuel between classes. Both locations are staffed with expert baristas who, if you’re lucky, will decorate your latte with a delightful design. The Pearl Street location also serves wine and beer, extending its service from coffeehouse to evening social venue, with a nightly happy hour from 4 to 8 p.m. With moveable tables, rotating artwork and a wall that opens onto Pearl Street, the café is an ideal place to spend an afternoon with a book, a friend, or simply with a stellar cup of coffee. When you want a great cup of coffee to start your early, early day or a delicious latte to keep your afternoon going, stop by Vic’s. And if you’re on Walnut Street or North Broadway, swing by Amante for a quick pick-me-up and some European soccer on the TV.

eer. A wondrous, bubbly, golden liquid. Quencher of thirst, loosener of tongues, restorer of courage and uniter of strangers; faithful companion to sports, counterbalance of salty foods and food group for college students. The virtues of this beverage, old as written history itself, are many. And we, the fortunate few in Boulder, have been blessed to have many quality practitioners of the frothy faith in our ✩ midst, and the competition for the coveted title of Best Beer HAPPY HOUR Selection is appropriately fierce. Bringing home the title once again this year are the gifted brewers at the Mountain Sun/ The Mediterranean Southern Sun, whose carefully crafted selections like the Restaurant Annapurna Amber, the XXX Pale and the Colorado Kind 1002 Walnut St., 303-444-5335 draw crowds of faithful pilgrims to indulge in the best beer Boulder has to offer every night of the week. And a word to Runner-up: Boulder Café the uninitiated: Try the Kind Crippler, a 50-50 beer combo that might just become your regular order. But don’t forget hy do they call it Happy Hour? Because the Avery Brewery, where creative concoctions, from earthy workday is over, of course, leaving you time to do stouts to sour ales, always come as a pleasant Katherine Creel surprise. And Oskar Blues up in Lyons and Longmont has quietly been turning out outLaughing Goat standing brews for years now, gaining recognition from The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Come enjoy what has given so much joy to so many — or be forever stuck in purgatory drinking Coors.

✩ COFFEE HOUSE The Laughing Goat 1709 Pearl St., 303-440-4628 Runner-up:Vic’s Honorable Mention: Amante

hat makes a coffee house a good place to hang? To find out, head to The Laughing Goat. The coffeehouse uses organic, shade-grown, Fair Trade coffee roasted by the Kaladi Brothers in Denver, to prepare a wide variety of coffee and espresso drinks. But coffee is only part of it. The café’s main location, at 1709 Pearl St., is home to 24 April 29, 2010

what you want to do — drink and eat with your friends. Boulder has named The Mediterranean Restaurant as the top place to go for our favorite hour of the day. From 3 to 6:30 p.m., The Med offers half off all of the tapas, a huge selection of hot and cold appetizers. They have great drink deals during happy hour seven days a week. The popularity of The Med caused them to expand the restaurant to almost twice its original size and it is still packed during happy hour. Known for the great fondue and oysters, the Boulder Café is another great place to spend happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. (3 to 7 at the bar) every day with half-priced beer and house wine, as well as half off all appetizers and raw bar.

✩ LATTE The Laughing Goat

1709 Pearl St., 303-440-4628 Also in Norlin Library on the CU campus Runner-up: Amante Honorable Mention: Vic’s

popular lap-toppers destination within a stone’s throw of the Pearl Street Mall, The Laughing Goat is also a choice spot for local art displays, stage performances, even occasional comedy and poetry. Hearkening back to Boulder’s venerable coffee house traditions, the Goat not only serves as a downtown meeting place, but also offers a variety of java beverages, crafted with care. This is where the latte gets its due and propers. “The coffees we proudly offer you,” states the Goat’s promo literature, “are the finest single origin varietals, organically certified, fairly traded premium coffees of distinction roasted to their optimal flavor profile by the Kaladi Brothers of Denver, one of the finest small batch boutique roasters anywhere.” If that isn’t reason enough to bring your coffee drinking business to the Laughing Goat, just try their vanilla latte. You’ll be back, we promise you. With two locations, Amante brings a taste of Italian chic to downtown Boulder and North Broadway with its coffees and outdoor patios. Vic’s, and Vic’s Expresso, are sprinkled around the city like little havens of java and jazz, with interesting wall decor created by local artists. Vic’s is a great place to meet, read the paper and pop open that laptop.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

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Jax Fish House

✩ MARGARITA Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant 1101 Walnut St., 303-444-3690 Runner-up: Zolo Grill Honorable Mentions: Tahona, Efrain’s

ne tequila, two tequila, three tequila … floor. This common phrase is what makes the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant limit their customers to three margaritas per visit. And, no, you can’t walk out the door, walk right back in and order more. Take our word for it — you might want to do that, but it’s not a good idea. The Rio Grande’s best keep secret is what consistently makes them No. 1 on our list for the Best Margarita in Boulder. With salt or not, the margs at the Rio are legendary. The Rio offers a variety of other refreshing bebidas as well, from an assortment of tequilas to beer or martinis.When it comes to tequila, no other restaurant has more knowledge than Zolo Grill.With 150 tequilas to choose from, their margaritas are for tequila connoisseurs and go well with the restaurant’s unique Mexican cuisine. Both Tahona and Efrain’s get honorable mentions, evidence that the county’s cup runneth over when it comes to margs.

✩ MARTINI Jax Fish House

928 Pearl St., 303-444-1811 Runner-up: The Kitchen

nyone who glances above the bar at Jax Fish House in Boulder can spot a number of thick glass urns filled with colored liquids and slices of fresh fruit. Order an infused martini and you’ll realize those urns are the source of the deliciously flavorful infused vodkas the award-winning restaurant makes in-house. Flavors range from watermelon to orange-mango to coffee, and make a

26 April 29, 2010

tasty, minimalist alternative to the classic cocktail. Other cocktails are equally unique, such as the Wonka Cocktail, a candy-reminiscent mix of blueberry-infused vodka and pineapple juice, and the St. Germaine Bubbly, a sophisticated combination of Grey Goose La Poire, St. Germaine liquor, gently carbonated with champagne. The bustling bar is run by mixologist Jesse Klinker and is a great spot to enjoy good conversation, a fun atmosphere and, of course, a great martini. And while you’re downtown enjoying The Kitchen’s awesome appetizers, take a sip of one of their excellent martinis as well.

✩ TEAHOUSE Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

1770 13th St., 303-442-4993 Runner-up: Pekoe Sip House

hen Maksud Ikramov, mayor of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, visited Boulder in 1987, he announced that his city planned to donate a teahouse in celebration of the establishment of sister city ties between Boulder and Dushanbe. For the next three years, more than 40 artisans set to work creating the intricate decorations visitors see in the Dushanbe Teahouse today.The handcarved, hand-painted ceiling was created without power tools, crafted with patterns of traditional Persian art. A fountain in the center of the restaurant displays seven copper statues, based on the 12th century poem, “The Seven Beauties,” and offers diners a pleasant background sound, as well as the company of fish in the pool below. The teas offered at Dushanbe Teahouse provide a vast, tantalizing selection. Choose from hundreds of teas from India, China, Sri Lanka, Japan and other tea-producing locations. Parties of all sizes are welcome for afternoon tea from 3 to 5 p.m., with reservations required 24 hours in advance to allow for fresh baked goods that day. Boulder-based Pekoe Sip House imports the highest quality teas from around the world.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

TasTe The Love Organic • fair trade locally roasted

✩

beautifully crafted

CHAI DRINK Boulder Dushanbe Tea House 1770 13th St., 303-442-4993

Runner-up: Gold Hill Café

y now, one of your ultra-hip, annoyingly well-read exotic-teadrinking friends has probably told you that the term “chai tea” is redundant. Chai, after all, is the Hindi word for tea. Aren’t you glad you have such smart friends? At Boulder Dushanbe Tea House, you won’t get flak for calling a masala chai a chai tea, a roobis infusion a tea, or a spoon a fork, for that matter. What you will get is one of the best chai drinks in the county — the right blend of spices, milk and, of course, tea. Boulder Dushanbe Tea House And since this category is “Chai Drink,” you’re not limited to the typical latte version either. Who’s up for a Chai tional nonprofit that helps women in need. Russian, a tangy blend of house chai, Kahlua And while most towns would be lucky and Smirnoff? When it tastes this good, who enough to have one top-notch chai microcares what you call it? Let’s all shut up, raise brewery, Boulder is also blessed with Third our glasses and enjoy some of the best Street Chai, a homegrown operation that’s drinks this side of the Himalayas. Cheers to been blending some of the best chai since Gold Hill Café as well for serving up a great 1995. selection of Bhakti and Oregon chai teas ✩ (yeah, we said it).

Bhakti Chai

875 9th St., 303-484-8770

Runner-up:Third Street Chai

aking chai is an art that Bhakti Chai has more than mastered. Based on the masala, or spicy, variety of chai served in India, this blend of fiery spices and sweet tea began as a home operation when founder Brook Eddy couldn’t find the flavor of chai she’d come to love during her travels in India. Now jars of the concentrated mix grace grocery store shelves from Boulder to Breckenridge, and in Boulder alone you can pick up a fresh-brewed cup at more than 50 restaurants, tea shops and coffee houses. Making a decent chai is simple enough if you get your ingredients right, but Bhakti has aimed way above decent and hit the bullseye of delicious. Fresh-pressed ginger, black tea from the hills of the Himalayas and a touch of organic evaporated cane juice are just some of the hallmarks of this local favorite. For now, Bhakti is only in stores in Colorado, but fortunately for the rest of the chai-loving world, it’s also for sale through Bhakti’s website, www.bhaktichai. com. To make this spicy drink even sweeter, Bhakti donates 5 percent of its online sales to the Global Fund for Women, an interna-

BesT Coffee house BesT LaTTe BesT PLaCe To Wi-fi BesT oPen miC Two locaTions: 1709 Pearl sT. norlin library - cU

ThelaUghinggoaT.com

JUICE/SMOOTHIE

✩ CHAI MANUFACTURER

Thanks for voting us:

Jamba Juice

4760 Baseline Rd., 303-499-4760 3053 Arapahoe Ave, 303-247-1170 1695 29th St., 720-565-0407 3325 28th St., 303-938-1271 University Memorial Center, CU campus Runner-up: Rush Honorable Mention: Berry Best his year Jamba Juice is celebrating its 20th anniversary of creating and serving up all-natural smoothies to the public. And even though the store may get the corporate chain stink-eye stare from some locals, their tasty mixes of fruits, juices, yogurts and supplements are undeniable. Plus the energy, immunity, antioxidant and other boosts that are added to the drinks make the beverages that much healthier. And in case you’re worried about calories, being the fit and healthy city that we are, Jamba Juice also offers a variety of lighter drinks like Strawberry Nirvana and Mango Mantra, which has no more than 150 calories in a 16-ounce serving. Can you get much lighter than that in a smoothie? Local favorite Rush has an eclectic mix of flavorful smoothies plus delicious fruit bowls. Honorable mention Berry Best offers up tasty smoothies at Boulder Farmers’ Market and at its shop on Arapahoe.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 27

ER -U

P‘

Best of Boulder

We can prepare our food for: • Personal celebrations • Wedding receptions • Buffets • Cocktail parties • Business meetings, and more Sue Dubach, Chef owner 6325 Arapahoe Avenue • Boulder, CO 80303 303-673-9899 • sue@sageandsavory.com

THE ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE

Susan France

✩ MICROBREWERY Mountain Sun/ Southern Sun

1535 Pearl St., 303-5460886 627 S. Broadway, 303-5430886 Runner-up: Avery Brewing

VOTED

2600 Canyon Boulevard Boulder • 303-449-1575

Hours: Mon - Fri: 6:30 am - 2:30 pm Sat - Sun: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

BEST PANCAKE IN BOULDER COUNTY! WI

‘10

Best of Boulder

ere in Boulder we love huge pints of beer almost as much as we love the pintsized breweries that make them. Sure, bigger is better when you’re pouring it out, but when you’re handcrafting that perfect blend of liquid gold, micro is the only way to go. That’s why Colorado has not only the most breweries per capita in the United States, but some of the Southern Sun best as well, many right here in Boulder County. Even people in Denver are The first Master Sommelier title was given in love with the legendary Mountain Sun in 1973, and since then, only 104 more have and Southern Sun, so much so that they followed within the United States. clamored until they got their own Sun, the Internationally, there are 169 wine profesVine Street Pub, which is the third location sionals who’ve received the title, confirming of this hop heaven. The Suns’ slogan says its rare, prestigious status. Given Frasca “Beer, Food, Music, Love,” and we’ll take all Food & Wine’s comprehensive yet unique four in the biggest size they’ve got. If you’re wine selection of more than 300 wines, not sure which of their award-winning perhaps it’s not surprising that Bobby beers (six gold medals at the Great Stuckey, the restaurant’s co-owner, is a American Beer Festival alone!) to indulge Master Sommelier. Given the title in 2004, in, you can sample their deep amber, ultra Stuckey has been in the restaurant business hoppy Colorado Kind Ale, or the Belgian for 26 years and has worked in renowned chocolate-infused Chocolate Stout or their restaurants including Thomas Keller’s The other dozen or so flavors. And for you French Laundry, where he received the vegetarians out there, don’t worry that James Beard Foundation’s “Outstanding you’ll be on a liquid diet here: they have Wine Service” award. Frasca’s food is dedigreat garden burgers and salads to go along cated to the cuisine of the northern Italian with their delicious microbrews. region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and many handKudos also go out to our other home- picked Italian wines are featured on the town favorite, Avery Brewing, for making menu. Other wine-producing regions are big-time flavor on a craftsman’s scale with featured as well, such as Germany, California perennial favorites like India Pale Ale and and France, and the restaurant features White Rascal to name just a (very) few. special wine pairing dinners each Monday night to complement seasonal flavors in the ✩ food.Wines by the glass range in price from WINE SELECTION $7 to $16, and by the bottle from $24 to upwards of $3,000 for the finest selections. Frasca Food & Wine Frasca’s wine list offers a vast and interest1738 Pearl St., 303-442-6966 ing range in price and in variety — the Runner-up: Flagstaff House qualities of an ideal wine list. Flagstaff House is known not only for its culinary excellence Honorable Mention:The Kitchen and world-class wine list, but its breathtako become a Master Sommelier, partici- ing views as well. And next time you’re pants in the Court of Master downtown and feel like having a glass, stop Sommeliers program must complete four by the Kitchen on the corner of Pearl and levels of rigorous coursework and exams. 11th streets.

28 April 29, 2010

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

BEST

customer service

BEST

& lowest prices

BEST quality

{Our Stage}

9 7. 3 K B C O & N I P P P R E S E N T

S U M M E R C O N C E RT S AT C H A U TA U Q U A Tickets On Sale

to t h e

Nanci Griffith W e d n e s d ay June 9

Gilian Welch & Friends W e d n e s d ay June 16

G e n e r a l P u b l i c M ay 8 t h !

Mary Chapin Carpenter M o n d ay J u ly 26

Joan Armatrading W e d n e s d ay August 4

Joan Baez

Chris Isaak

S at u r d ay J u ly 1 0

S u n d ay August 8

Shawn Colvin

John Hiatt & The Combo, Los Lobos

W e d n e s d ay J u ly 21

S at u r d ay A u g u s t 14

T i c k e t I n f o r m at i o n

• May 1 - May 7 - Membership Advantage Week, pre-sale tickets to CCA Concert Level members may be bought online at www.chautauqua.com and by phone at 303.440.7666 between 10am-4pm. • May 8 - General public tickets may be bought online at www.chautauqua.com and by phone 303.440.7666 between 10am-4pm. • May 10 - Chautauqua Box Office opens for walk-up ticket sales. Box Office hours: 10 am - 4 pm. Monday through Saturday.

E S C A P E , E N G A G E , E L E VAT E • L E A N M O R E AT W W W. C H A U TA U Q U A . C O M SCFD

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Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

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✩ ART GALLERY Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) 1750 13th St., 303-443-2122 Runner-up: Dairy Center for the Arts Honorable Mention: Art & Soul Gallery

group.) But Boulder? The Boulder Philharmonic is a top-notch selection of musicians, and they perform in Macky Auditorium. Let’s work together to make sure that our local symphony can pay the bills. Plus, it’s a great value, given the caliber of musicians and guests that play in our hometown guild. The conductor is talented and charismatic, and the musical selection is fantastic. As for our runner-up, the Colorado Music Festival, where else can you get everything from chamber music to orchestral performances in a setting like Chautauqua? The honorable mention goes to the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, which regularly earns big accolades for its performances.

he Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art has been showcasing excellence in the local artistic community for the past 38 years.And after closing for several months last year ✩ for renovations, BMoCA reopened with its “Pure Pleasure” FESTIVAL exhibit that featured an array of pieces from well-known Colorado artists. Other well-received shows in the past year Boulder Creek Festival included photography from Andrea Modica, paintings from Downtown Boulder, along Boulder Creek Heather Wilcoxon, and currently a powerful exhibit featuring Runner-up: Boulder County Farmers’ Market the work of painter Beverly McIver is on display. But the Honorable Mention: Frozen Dead Guy Days museum doesn’t only show photography and paintings. It goes beyond the expected with the current “Ropes” exhibit by Pattie Lee Becker and Steve Steele’s “Relational Fabric in Space very Memorial Day weekend, more than 350,000 people and other works for the Dark,” an installation that includes 333 come out to the Boulder Creek Festival to celebrate objects, bulbs, platforms and wood panels in a darkened Meg Denbow room. But the best part about BMoCA is the affordable price of entry. Our runner-up, the Dairy Center for the Arts, has played host to a wide variety of superb exhibits and events in its McMahon Gallery, while Art & Soul Gallery hosts some of the finest arts, crafts and jewelry in Boulder County.

✩ BAR Mountain Sun/Southern Sun Mountain Sun, 1535 Pearl St., 303-546-0886 Southern Sun, 627 S. Broadway, 303-543-0886

Runner-up:West End Tavern Honorable Mention: Conor O’Neill’s

arky Mark may have said,“It’s such a good vibration,” when he chilled out at one of these pubs, and Simon and Garfunkel may have said, “Feelin’ groovy.” The workers at Mountain Sun and Southern Sun speak proper “hippie.” Sweet. Never was there a better place to talk about good vibrations, good times and awesomeness. Music, gnarly brews, psychedelic murals, and totally rad people make for the perfect environment to sit and sip. For entertainment, there are jam bands every week, not to mention stand-up comedy. Board games, too.That’s seriously groovin’.And the food? It’s killer, too. And, whoa, what’s that? My server may be my chef tomorrow? That’s totally radical. Seriously though, it’s just a good feeling place, and you don’t have to be a “hippie” or a dude to enjoy it. If you want to get a little more hardcore, but still chill, the West End Tavern has got it going on with more than 50 deluxe bourbons to choose from and a rooftop patio. Conor O’Neills is also seriously awesome for $2 Bloody Marys and $2 mimosas on the weekends, not to mention a wee pint o’ Guinness.

✩ CLASSICAL music Boulder Philharmonic 2995 Wilderness Pl., 303-449-1343

Runner-up: Colorado Music Festival Honorable Mention: Colorado Symphony Orchestra

K, let’s face it. In this economy, one of the first things that people cut down on is the discretionary money for the arts. But that is one of the most important things to invest in to keep a place like Boulder County the vibrant, cultural mecca that it is. Places like Dubuque, Iowa — we can see them taking it down a notch when it comes to their local orchestra. (No offense to the Dubuque Symphony — we’re sure they’re a fine

34 April 29, 2010

Fundraising event KBCO Studio C

4695 S. Monaco St., Denver, 303-444-5600 Runner-up: Puttin’ on the Leash Honorable Mention: Chocolate Lovers’ Fling

t all began on a whim. KBCO Studio C got its start on June 15, 1988, when Melissa Etheridge dropped by KBCO to personally thank the staff for being one of the first radio stations to play her debut album. Etheridge brought her guitar in from the car to protect it from the mid-June heat.With an up-and-coming artist standing in the studio, guitar in hand, a live performance was almost inevitable. KBCO audio engineer Mike Wiley set up a few microphones, and Melissa performed live on the radio in what later became known as the first KBCO Studio C session.The first album of Studio C recordings was released in 1991, and proceeds from the 4,500-album sale went to the Leukemia Society of America. The studio has released more than 20 Studio C albums over the past two decades, featuring artists such as Sting, Stevie Nicks, Dave Matthews, Robert Plant and Sarah McLachlan. Since 1995, Boulder County AIDS Project has been the beneficiary of the sales, and the CDs typically sell out on the day of their release. Not bad for a tradition that started on the spur of the moment. The folks at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley welcome hundreds of guests to their 1920s-themed gala fundraiser, Puttin’ on the Leash, now in its 18th year. Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence has been making fundraising deliciously sweet for 29 years with their annual Chocolate Lovers’ Fling.

✩ MUSIC VENUE Boulder Theater

2032 14th St., 303-786-7030 Runner-up: Red Rocks Honorable Mentions: Fox Theatre, Chautauqua Community House

Boulder Creek Festival

the start of the summer. Right along the shore of Boulder Creek in downtown Boulder, vendors and exhibitors set up shop and provide all types of food, activities and entertainment. One of the highlights of the weekend is the Annual EXPAND Duck Race, where thousands of little rubber ducks are dropped into Boulder Creek. Fans line the creek shore cheering on their $5-sponsored ducks, with the first 50 ducks across the finish line getting a prize. Last year there were more than 7,000 ducks racing down the creek with all proceeds going towards EXPAND, a City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department program that provides recreational opportunities for children, youth and adults with disabilities. It’s a fun event to kick off the summer that also gives back to the community. Our runner-up, Boulder Farmers’ Market, isn’t technically a festival, but it certainly can feel like one with fresh produce, entertainment and lots to see and do. Nederland’s Frozen Dead Guy Days takes honorable mention this year. Where else can you participate in coffin races, zombie parades and attend the “Grandpa’s Blue Ball” dance?

or its size, Boulder is fortunate to have its fair share of respectable bands come through town.We have a small and a mid-sized venue that attract national acts, as well as a slew of bars and coffee shops that showcase local talent. All in all, Boulder’s a pretty sweet place for music lovers. For the third year in a row, Boulder Theater beat out the competition to take the title of Best Music Venue. The 1,000-person venue opened as the Curran Opera House in 1906 and shows no signs of closing any time soon. It offers not only concerts but film screenings, community events and more. The historic venue offers old-time charm combined with modern sensibilities, and its sound system makes sure that your favorite band comes through crystal clear to all corners of the venue. It also offers a friendly neighborhood bar next door, complete with all the right drinks and its own friendly ghost, George. Don’t forget Red Rocks, a Colorado landmark. And then there’s the Fox Theatre and the Chautauqua Community House, which both offer a variety of different entertaining events.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

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LIVE JAZZ

LOCAL CELEBRITY

St. Julien Hotel & Spa

Zip Code Man

Runner-up: Oskar Blues

Runners-up: Hosea Rosenberg, Hazel Miller

900 Walnut St., 720-406-9696

Honorable Mentions: Nissi’s, The Laughing Goat

f in search of the ideal spot to relax, look no further than the swanky lobby of the St. Julien Hotel & Spa. With its clean, welcoming décor, chic T-Zero Lounge and appetizing menu of food and drink, it offers an ideal balance of tranquility and excitement. But undoubtedly, the hotel’s nightly live music enhances the entire St. Julien experience. From Brazilian jazz to blues to music of Zimbabwe, evenings are filled with unique sounds at the downtown hotel. Stroll into the chic T-Zero bar to select one of the tasty martinis or a glass of wine. Peruse the bistro menu for an array of delicious bites to satisfy your taste buds, and enjoy chef Laurent Mechin’s culinary expertise. Live music provides an excellent backdrop for the luxurious experience at the St. Julien. For a listing of nightly bands, visit www. stjulien.com. Oskar Blues has some of the best St. Julien Hotel & Spa brews and tunes in town, and Nissi’s offers up great food along with a lineup of hot musicians, including local faves Face. For a delicious latte — or a cold bottle of beer — with your jazz, head over to The Laughing Goat.

✩ LIVE THEATRE Boulder’s Dinner Theatre

Honorable Mention: Gregory Alan Isakov

avid Rosdeitcher, aka the “Zip Code Man,” is simply a Boulder original. You’ve all seen him on the Pearl Street Mall, with his incredible memory and his chain in the shape of the United States. What’s best is heading down to the Mall when you’ve got out-of-town guests — especially guests from Podunk, N.D., who might have a slight chance of stumping him when they tell him their zip code. This former juggler from New York curled up with a zip code directory almost two decades ago and committed the thing to memory after realizing that he wasn’t the best juggler on the Mall. His act, in which he tells people where they live (and the best restaurants in their neighborhood) after being told only their zip code, became the most popular of the Mall’s myriad busker acts — even better than that dude who can squeeze himself into a small Plexiglass box. Our favorite is when he tells some hot chick that he will produce her name after she gives him her phone number. Not. Runner-up Hosea Rosenberg is the heralded man with the pan at Jax Fish House, and co-runner-up Hazel Miller’s gilded vocal chords have been wooing Colorado crowds for decades. Gregory Alan Isakov, one of Boulder County’s rising folk-pop stars, gets honorable mention.

Humane Society of Boulder Valley 2323 55th St., 303-442-4030 Runner-up: Ecocycle

Honorable Mention: KGNU Community Radio

lone puppy is born in the streets to an guardian-less mother. This puppy, with a spot on its left eye and a bushy black tail, is forced to fight for scraps of moldy day-old bread with the other street animals just for the basic sustenance its emaciated mother can’t provide. Life on the streets has given our puppy — let’s call it Spot — a seemingly permanent coat of oily black grime and a couple of scars from some territory battles, but he scrappily claws his way to survival each night. One day, the puppy is corralled by the Boulder wildlife cops and placed in the back of a van to the kind hands at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, where the saintly staff give Spot a good washing, get him immunized and place the pup up for adoption. Life for Spot is good. While the previous story is completely made up, it’s not too far from the truth about the invaluable work the Humane Society does for animals in Boulder County. Equally important, but less cute, is the work done by Ecocycle, which does its best to protect the environment from all of us. And KGNU Community Radio continues to produce independent programming for Boulder radio lovers, presenting news and views you can only get from independent media.

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5501 Arapahoe Ave., 303-449-6000 Runner-up: Colorado Shakespeare Festival

MUSEUM

LOCAL MUSICIAN

Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art

Yonder Mountain String Band

an’t decide whether to eat before or after the show? Worried that a gourmet dinner on one side of town will make you miss the first act on the other side? Then make it an all-inclusive evening with Boulder’s Dinner Theatre. Since 1977, their performers have been wowing audiences with Broadway-quality entertainment, with productions that have included Little Shop of Horrors, Cats and The Producers. Critics have been pretty impressed, too. Boulder’s Dinner Theatre has nabbed Ovation Awards for best musical, best actress in a musical and best director of a musical, and Henry Awards for outstanding actor and actress in a musical, outstanding director and outstanding production, in addition to a slew of audience-choice awards. The dinner portion of this dinner theatre experience is worth a standing ovation, too. Selections include their popular chicken cordon bleu and homemade seasonal pies baked locally for dessert, and patrons can also enjoy premium wines and cocktails. Boulder’s Dinner Theatre also caters to the littlest audience members with their Kids Kabaret series, perfect for kids ages 3 to 10. And for some Bard under the stars, check out the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, called “one of the top Shakespeare festivals in the U.S.” by Time magazine.

✩ NONPROFIT

Runner-up: Devotchka Honorable Mention: Face

ailing from Nederland, the Yonder Mountain String Band continues in their constant touring. This year alone they have planned shows with the likes of The Blind Boys of Alabama and The Dave Matthews Band. They will share the stage with musical greats like Furthur, Widespread Panic and George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. Last year the band also released their fifth studio album, The Show, which received some praise from Rolling Stone, Billboard and The Washington Post, and got them an appearance on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. But one of the greatest things the band did in the last year was launch YonderMountainLive.com. The new website offers fans the opportunity to download all of the band’s recent live shows in great digital quality for reasonable prices. Currently on the site is every show from their Cabin Fever Tour, classic shows from the past 12 years and, of course, all of their live and studio albums. It’s heaven for the hardcore YMSB fan. This past year was probably the biggest for Devotchka, the indie gypsy punk band, which enjoyed multiple TV appearances, nonstop touring and all-around media domination. We say congratulations on their well-earned success. Even though Face, our favorite a capella group, was voted out early on NBC’s The Sing Off, they’re still loved and appreciated around these parts.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

1750 13th St., 303-443-2122 Runner-up: University of Colorado Museum Honorable Mention: Boulder History Museum

f your idea of visiting an art museum is tiptoeing through silent halls lined with massive oil paintings done by a bunch of dead white guys, then you’ve obviously never been to the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. Founded in 1972 by a group of local artists, BMoCA (beemocah — or however you want to say it) is Boulder’s foremost visual arts gallery for artists, both local and national. While it’s red-brick façade and neat, green-trimmed windows might look quaint and old-fashioned, the galleries on the inside have hosted a collection of thoroughly modern projects like the Urban Chicken Coop Project by students from the University of Colorado and collections of Chinese avantgarde art.They also host events ranging from formal to funky, like the digital arts and music festival Communikey. But don’t take our word for it. On the CU campus, stop by the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and take a gander at their assortment of more than 4 million objects in various collections, including anthropology, botany and paleontology. The Boulder History Museum, located in a historic landmark, the Harbeck-Bergheim House on University Hill, preserves and shares the continuing history of the Boulder region. April 29, 2010 35

✩ PLACE OF WORSHIP Boulder Shambhala Meditation Center 1345 Spruce St., 303-444-0190 Runner-up: Unity of Boulder

n the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala is a hidden kingdom located somewhere in Inner Asia, reachable only by a select few.Alternatively it is seen as a spiritual state, rather than a literal geographical location. Those more interested in the spiritual journey to peace and fulfillment, rather than a physical trek across the Himalayas, can visit the Boulder Shambhala Meditation Center. Established in 1974, it is part of an international community of 165 meditation centers founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, one of the 20th century’s pre-eminent teachers of Tibetan Buddhism. Members at the Center practice and teach the Shambhala Buddhist path, unique in the world of Western Buddhism, combining the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism with elements from Zen and Theravadin traditions. Shambhala Buddhism is characterized by a strong emphasis on mindfulness, contemplation and meditation. The roots of sitting meditation stretch back over 2,500 years, and this practice is at the heart of the center’s activities. Groups or individuals can attend daily public meditation times or attend weekly introductory talks and meditation instruction, all free and open to those of any background. Other classes at the center include ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arranging, contemplative photography and an ancient form of archery known as kyudo, among others. For those who haven’t visited the Shambhala Center yet, the Sunday Open House at 10 a.m. offers an introduction, meditation instruction, discussion and a social. Unity of Boulder, a nondenominational church, encourages everyone to live fully in the present and to see the good in all things.

✩ PLACE TO DANCE St. Julien Hotel & Spa 900 Walnut St., 720-406-9696 Runner-up: Fox Theatre

Honorable Mentions: Round Midnight, Boulder Theater

hat’s more fun than dancing the night away in downtown Boulder? Not much, really, especially when the digs are chic and fancy.You can feel just a little bit like somebody important when strolling into St. Julien Hotel to get your samba on a Saturday night. Live bands in a hotel feel so like the jazz era or some other grand time, when people entertained people in classy joints all over the U.S.A. The event calendar for the St. Julien is full and bright, with an array of world rhythms to get you moving to the beat several nights a week.Tuesday nights are even happening in this fantasmic world of rhythm and fun. The international and classy flavors make this a place worth mucho bailando to come with your comrades over and over again. The Fox Theatre earns well-deserved runner-up honors this year with its intimate dance floor. Going to a show there is the next best thing to dancing to a live band in your living room. Round Midnight has long been a classic disco for hip hop, pop and now dancehall. Whether you’re into hip hop or noodle dancing, Boulder Theater manages to keep it ever alive with a range of talent hitting the stage from all over the world and such a wonderful hardwood floor.

✩ PLACE TO WI-FI The Laughing Goat 1709 Pearl St., 303-440-4628 Runner-Up: Amante Honorable Mention:The Cup

s if the art, bands, or any other innumerable happenings at this shop weren’t enough, The Laughing Goat just makes it so easy to like them and to want to be there. It is going be a feat to top the ambience, customer service and super 36 April 29, 2010

Internet accessibility here. Top it off with Kaladi’s coffee, and you’ve found the next best thing to not ever working at home, especially when the hours are so conducive to both early birds and night owls.There is often quite a bit going on at this place, but there is also plenty of space with different areas to explore.Thank you, Laughing Goat, for helping us connect and keeping us connected. Want to get a bit more hipster classico? Head to Amante, which offers so many things a wi-fi café connoisseur enjoys, including adult beverages. Down the block lies The Cup, where the artistic atmosphere and organic products make you want to stay and wi-fi all day.

✩ Place To PLAY POOL

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Sundown Saloon

PUBLIC SCHOOL

1136 Pearl St., 303-449-4987 Runner-up: Catacombs

Boulder High School

1604 Arapahoe Ave., 720-561-2200 Runner-up: Fairview High School

Honorable Mention: Dark Horse

o play pool you need balls — 15 balls to be exact.And who has the best balls of them all? Boulder has picked the one and only Sundown Saloon as the best place around to have some fun while shooting pool. The underground hideaway is a great place to kick back and relax, especially for people who are sick of the typical bar Katherine Creel scene in Boulder. You can take part in some healthy competition with six pool tables open for free play until 10:30 p.m. The fun bar atmosphere brings people together with a jukebox and great drinks. Locals love this place because it is the perfect dive joint for any Boulderite. You can also take a “cue” from Catacombs, which has a casual yet spirited ambience and a dynamic nightlife with pool tables in Sundown Saloon one area, as well as foosball and arcade games. Another place to work on your pool skills is the Dark Horse.With antique features, this Boulder landmark has offered great entertainment with TVs, pool tables and games since 1975.

K, so we don’t really know how Boulder High School keeps on winning this thing. Now, we might have a slight bias, being Fairview High grads, but come on! Fairview offers both AP and IB programs, as well as a stellar basketball team that hasn’t lost a regular season game in more than two years. The football team wasn’t bad this past year, either. We guess it must be that Boulder High students are among the most socially and politically active in the county. BHS also boasts an AP program of its own, as well as some respectable arts programs. Its mascot, the Panther, is a common Boulder resident, unlike Fairview’s Knight, which is mythical. What BHS lacks, though, is a stellar lake/ foothills view from the senior parking lot. But, then again, Fairview lacks a football field. Call it even. Maybe someday the tides will turn and Fairview will finally win this category. Until then, we will grudgingly admit that our readers have spoken and give credit where credit’s due. Next year, Fairview, next year.

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MOVIE HOUSE

PRIVATE SCHOOL

Boulder Theater

Shining Mountain Waldorf

2032 14th St., 303-786-7030 Runner-up: Century @ 29th Street

999 Violet Ave., 303-444-7697 Runner-up: Alexander Dawson

eceive the children in reverence, educate them in love, and send them forth in freedom.” Those are the words of Rudolf Steiner, who created what is now known as the Waldorf method of teaching, in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany. Steiner envisioned a curriculum that is adapted to the different stages of a child’s development and a learning environment that encourages creativity and independence. Shining Mountain Waldorf has been recognized year after year for providing children from prekindergarten through grade 12 with just such an environment. Fully accredited by the Association of Colorado Independent Schools and the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, Shining Mountain was founded in 1983 by a group of Boulder parents passionate about education. In that first year, the school had 80 students from preschool to fourth grade. Shining Mountain’s eight-and-a-half acre campus now accommodates more than 300 students. The Alexander Dawson School in Lafayette prepares students not just for college — after all, that only lasts four years, give or take — but for their rest of their lives.

lthough the Boulder Theater is mostly known for hosting some of the city’s best shows and performances, it used to be a movie theater. Remember going there to see the original One Million Years B.C. with Raquel Welch? Some of us do. Of course, Boulder Theater still shows flicks. At least once a month, the venue invites the public to come out and join them for a movie. Most of the films shown at the theater may have been out a few months at the discount theaters or on DVD, but the experience at Boulder Theater comes with a sense of community. It’s like watching a film with a bunch of your neighbors. Everybody will boo the villain, cheer for the heroes and clap at the end of the film. Other nights, the Boulder Theater will host an all-out event by showing a film, having a Q&A with the filmmakers and ending it with a surprise musical guest. The Boulder Theater may not have the 35-foot screen, stadium seating or THX Digital Sound, but it does have the community atmosphere and camaraderie that’s missing from your mainstream theater.Which do you value more? Our runner-up is Century @ 29th Street. For the latest and greatest blockbuster flicks, where else would you go?

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

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PUBLIC SCHOOL (K-8)

ADVANCED EDUCATION

Boulder Community School of Integrated Studies

CU Continuing Education CU-Boulder campus conted.colorado.edu Runner-up: Naropa University Extended Studies

3995 Aurora Ave., 720-561-6500 Runner-up: Casey Middle School

here’s a lot of debate over which style of teaching is the best for children, and there’s not even that much agreement on what “best” even means. At Boulder Community School of Integrated Studies, teachers take inspiration from several of the most recognized and respected educational traditions in the world, including the Waldorf method of schooling, the multiple intelligences paradigm of Howard Gardner and the familiar skill-building techniques of traditional Western education. Based on this combined foundation, the curriculum at BCSIS includes art-integrated education as an essential part of the school’s holistic approach to learning. The learning environment at BCSIS is designed to nurture the “head, heart and hand of each child.” BCSIS also cares about the environment and strives to educate students about nature, conservation and sustainability. The school has implemented the Garden-to-Table food program to teach children about gardening and healthy eating, and in 2009 the school was awarded a solar panel system grant from the Center for Resource Conservation. At Casey Middle School, built in 1924, students will start the fall 2010 semester with brand-new facilities after a complete overhaul of the original building.

U’s Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies was created in 1911. Of course, back then, class titles included Farming in Semi-Arid Soil 101,The Promise of Flight and Should Women be Allowed to Vote? Well, they’ve come a long way over there at the old tri-Delt sorority house on University Avenue. Now they offer a host of credit and noncredit courses in everything from technology to business to sustainability. And while many take advantage of CU Continuing Education coursework for professional development, others choose personal enrichment classes in art, creative writing and other courses they didn’t have time — or their parents’ permission — to take during college. At runner-up Naropa University Extended Studies offers innovative, programs such as its Authentic Leadership Certificate and its Wilderness Therapy Symposium. Front Range Community College offers courses in almost everything under the sun, and the Culinary School of the Rockies really sizzles when it comes to spicing up your cooking abilities.

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MUSIC FESTIVAL

Honorable Mentions: Front Range Community College, Culinary School of the Rockies

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LIVE DANCE GROUP

Telluride Bluegrass Festival

Frequent Flyers

3022 E. Sterling Circle, Ste. C, 303-2458272 Runner-up: Boulder Ballet

Honorable Mention: Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet

he Frequent Flyers crew has been soaring and flying for more than two decades, and the dance group continues to grow and get stronger. In January, they opened a new dance school where they’re able to teach flight skills to kids 5 years old and up, along with hosting a two-week summer camp called Flying High and Acting Up. The dance group is also in its 12th year hosting the Annual Aerial Dance Festival, a two-week event that features classes, lectures/demonstrations, discussions, networking and performances. But one of the most wildly popular performances that the company puts on is its annual Theatre of the Vampires. Around Halloween, the group’s members don white make-up and fangs and swing and swoop around their Aerial Dance Theatre and add a little fright to your fall evenings. For close to three decades the Boulder Ballet, our runnerup, has been bringing class and beauty to Boulder’s major venues. In addition to sounding tasty, Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet has made a name for itself with its excellent mix of modern and classic ballet and continues to inspire and innovate.

Runner-up: Colorado Music Festival Honorable Mention: RockyGrass

t may be a seven-and-a-half-hour drive to Telluride, but Boulderites sure love their bluegrass. The Telluride Bluegrass Festival celebrated its 35th year in 2009 with Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck and a host of others on the stage. This year the festival looks just as good, maybe even better, with Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett and Leftover Salmon, among others, playing their hearts out June 17-20. And if you can’t afford to get one of those fancy lodges starting at $150 a night in town, just grab a tent and a sleeping bag and get a spot at a campground for around $50-$60 for the four-day festival. What’s better than heading back to the outdoor crib after the last act to chill or keep the party going by a campfire with some newfound friends? This year the Colorado Music Festival, our runner-up, will celebrate its 34th year with classic music throughout the entire summer. Lyons is home to the excellent three-day RockyGrass music festival, this year’s honorable mention. RockyGrass will feature Patty Loveless, Doc Watson, Tony Rice and others July 23-25.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 37

✩ SPORTS BAR Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill 1346 Pearl St., 303-440-3355 Runner-up: Dark Horse

assured, the kids will have a blast. CU Science Discovery is the perfect camp if you want your child to continue learning during the summer and have fun doing it. Colorado Mountain Ranch offers classic summer fun, like horseback riding, archery and jumping on a trampoline. Why do kids get to have all the fun while we grown-ups work?

Honorable Mention: Walnut Brewery

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he Lazy Dog’s motto is “every drink, every meal, every customer, every time,” and they have won Boulder’s Best Sports Bar every year since they opened in 1997. The Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill lives up to their esteemed reputation by being “the” place to watch sports in Boulder. The friendly staff and numerous televisions do not hurt when it comes to a great place to grab a drink and watch the Buffs, no matter how bad the game. The rooftop deck and downstairs game room create a fun, entertaining place to hang out. With nights featuring live entertainment and trivia, it is the perfect place to gather with friends and have a good time. The Dark Horse comes in batting second for the Best Sports Bar in Boulder, with great drink specials and more than 25 TVs on which to watch your favorite teams — not to mention great burgers. Walnut Brewery, with its easy downtown location and selection of fantastic brews, takes honorable mention this year.

OPEN MIC The Laughing Goat

is feeling at the moment. Every Tuesday, bring your instrument to participate in the open stage bluegrass jam session at Oskar Blues. Or just go to watch and enjoy the beer.

1709 Pearl St., 303-440-4628 Runner-up: Conor O’Neill’s Honorable Mention: Oskar Blues

or up-and-coming poets who want to share their poetry with an audience, getting the courage to stand

✩ PERFORMANCE ART VENUE Boulder Theater

2032 14th St, 303-786-7030 Runner-up: Dairy Center for the Arts Honorable Mentions: Macky Auditorium, Boulder’s Dinner Theater

erched over there on 14th Street like a skeptical diva watching the mall out of the corner of her eye, the Boulder Theater SUMMER CAMP hosts live music, film, comedy, spoken word YMCA Summer Camps and dance with equal aplomb, hitting that tricky balance between a traditional uptown 2850 Mapleton Ave., 303-442-2778 theater venue and sticky-floored nightclub; 2800 Dagny Way, Lafayette, usually too casual for the former (quick, what 303-664-5455 color is your best tie?) and too historic and Runner-up: CU Science Discovery poised for the latter. The sound is great. There isn’t a bad seat in the house (we’ve caught Honorable Mention: Colorado Mountain Ranch some of our best shows from the risers behind the balcony seats, barely three armt’s no secret why the YMCA of Boulder YMCA Summer Camps lengths from the forgotten upstairs bar), and Valley has the best summer camps — there’s usually parking if you don’t mind a because there’s so much to choose from! YMCA of Boulder Valley block-or-two-walk through some of the nicest Whether you choose the Fun in the Sun up in front of everyone is a feat in itself. Every Monday, historic neighborhoods in the time zone. Sadness and joy Summer Camp for the field trips and swimming trips, or Boulder County‘s bravest souls head over to The and lurid tales of Boulder’s nightlife history all resonate the Camp Chief Niwot for the hiking, climbing and Laughing Goat as part of the “So, You’re a Poet” open within its art deco walls. Props as well to the Dairy Center Survivor-themed weeks, it’s guaranteed there will be somemic night, the well-known poetry reading series formerly for the Arts, which has grown to be one of the most thing the YMCA Summer Camps offer that your child hosted at the Penny Lane Café until it closed in 2005. It’s dynamic arts venues in the state, and the estimable Macky will enjoy, even super-active kids. The Skateboarding Camp a community event where poets can join and share their Auditorium (where we’ve walked out on Keith Jarrett and helps those kids dreaming of being the next Tony Hawk written words. And on some nights, the folks at The stayed for Johnny Rotten), as well as the inimitable with structured clinics, exploring different terrain and getLaughing Goat will invite well-known, published poets like Boulder’s Dinner Theater, with its live shows and terrific ting free skate time at local skate parks. There are also Andrew Schelling and Jim Cohn to share some of their food. cycling camps, fine arts camps and science and technology published works and hobnob with the locals. Singercamps that feature an emphasis on building robots with songwriter Danny Shafer hosts Conor O’Neill’s weekly LEGOs. Is there anything cooler than that? The camps open-mic night with singing, poetry or whatever your soul range from day camps to overnight camps, but rest

✩

PRESENTS: by Jonathan Larson, creator of Rent

When:

May 7 – 23, 2010 Where:

The Dairy Center for the Arts Call the box office at 303.444.7328 (SEAT)

ADMIT ONE 38 April 29, 2010

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10

April 29, 2010 39

Susan France

Best chiropractor The Joint

Business Owners & Professionals

Trade online for goods & services to grow your business... and save your cash. 303.747.6616 info@boulderbarter.com Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10

April 29, 2010 41

✩ ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE Charley Cropley, ND 2861 Fifth St., 303-442-6161 Runner-up: Rolf Institute

Honorable Mention: Chautauqua Health

aution: side effects may include dizziness, nausea, swelling, shrinking, sweating, chills, sudden hair loss and sudden hair growth. While most of us wouldn’t be here if not for modern medicine (thank you,

penicillin), it seems nowadays that the cure is often as bad as the illness. For those who want to get away from lab-based living, naturopathic physician Charley Cropley offers health solutions that don’t come in a bottle. A practicing NP, teacher and author in the Boulder/Denver area for the past 27 years, Dr. Cropley focuses on four main skills: nutrition, exercise, thinking and relating with others. Knowing what to eat — and why — is one of the most fundamental aspects of good health. Dr. Cropley offers personal consultation, as well as classes and workshops for people struggling with health and weight problems. With his help, you can

spend more time at the farmers’ market than the pharmacy. Here in Boulder we also have the Rolf Institute, the headquarters of the Rolf Structural Integration method of bodyworks, focusing on getting the body’s connective tissue to function smoothly, as nature intended. Doctors and physicians at Chautauqua Health offers patients a choice of treatments, including acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

✩ CHIROPRACTOR The Joint

2525 Arapahoe Ave., Ste. C2,

303-440-8019 Runner-up: Swan Lake Chiropractic Health

ot a joint? Of course you do — more than 300 of them. Don’t worry though, you’re not in danger of being nabbed for possession. We’re talking about the joints in your body, and more specifically the ones in your spine. While they don’t rotate and swing like the joints in your shoulders or hips, the connections between vertebrae are an integral part of how well you can move. Without them we’d be as flexible as a piece of rebar. With them, we can get ourselves loose and flexible for busting a move on the dance floor. When there’s a problem with those joints, however, we’re not dancing or doing much of anything else. Luckily the chiropractors at The Joint can get them straightened out with a simple walk-in adjustment and keep them on an even keel with regular monthly visits. The two Dr. Davids at Swan Lake Chiropractic Health have been popping our parts back in place since 1979.

✩ DANCE STUDIO Alchemy of Movement 2436 30th St., 303-449-4410

Boulder Ballet

2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-443-0028 Runner-up: Streetside Studios Honorable Mention: Kake’s Studio

e like to move in Boulder: running along trails, scaling walls of rock, cycling down the road. And while watching people do these things is wicked fun, doing them ourselves is often more fun. If you want to get into some movement that’s not only a blast but will draw an appreciate audience, then dance is the activity for you. True to its name, classes at Alchemy of Movement blends a variety of movement from hoop dance to yoga into a magical mixture of fun and invigorating exercise. Their classes include Kundlalini and SoulSweat, a high-energy eclectic dance experience. Owner and instructor Lucy Wallace recently purchased the studio after first taking — and falling in love with — the creative movement classes in 2004. If you’re more a Baryshnikov type, then you’ll definitely want to belly up to the barre at Boulder Ballet, which tied for Best Dance Studio with Alchemy of Movement and has been providing quality ballet training for all ages. They don’t just focus on technical achievement (though they’ve certainly got plenty of that) but on creative and artistic expression. Streetside Studios focuses on hip-hop dance, but also offers an array of traditional and modern forms of dance at drop-in classes or monthly meetings. If you’re not sure which style of dance you’re into, you can sample everything from flamenco and tango to salsa and belly dance at Kake’s Studio on Pearl Street. 42 April 29, 2010

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

Thank You Boulder For Once Ag ain Voting us BEST OPTICAL STORE

✩ DAY SPA Essentiels Spa

2660 Canyon Blvd., 303-440-0711 Runner-up: St. Julien Hotel & Spa Honorable Mention: Sensorielle,Ten 20

✩

ood health isn’t just about exercise and nutrition. It’s also about stress relief and taking care of yourself. And sometimes that means pampering yourself. Fortunately, some of the best spas in all of Colorado can be found right here in Boulder County. At Essentiels Spa you can indulge in a thoroughly relaxing massage, a luxurious mud mask or a professional waxing. If it’s been a particularly tough week, try all three. In a serene and soothing setting, Essentiels beauty experts will have you not only feeling good but looking great. You can also take some of those good feelings home with their selection of top-notch beauty and hair supplies. St. Julien Hotel & Spa offers the world-weary a sanctuary in downtown Boulder with a full menu of spa options. How about a massage with a glass of wine? Meanwhile, Sensorielle, offers natural, organic and sustainable spa treatments for the beautiful Boulderite in all of us. At Ten 20, sit back with some M&Ms and watch a few episodes of Sex in the City while you get a kickin’ pedicure and rockin’ manicure. Other services are available as well.

✩

GYM 24 Hour Fitness

2900 Iris Ave., 303-209-9274 Runners-up: North Boulder Rec Center, Rallysport Honorable Mention:YMCA

ever mind the whole chain-gym thing, 24 Hour Fitness came to occupy the space left by Albertson’s up on Iris a few years ago and quickly established itself as Boulder’s round-the-clock workout spot par excellence.And not a minute too soon, since fitness-crazed Boulder really needed a good place to throw some squats and spin some tread at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday morning. Rallysport has occupied that funny little corner at 29th and Bluff for years. Pools, classes and a terrific facility have kept it a staple on the Boulder fitness scene and high on the Best of Boulder list. Following close behind is the North Boulder Rec Center (does any town this size in America have better municipal fitness facilities?) and the YMCA.

DENTAL

Honorable Mentions: Alpine Dentistry, Stephen Koral

or the metropolitan, man-about-town Viking, nothing said fashion like leather armor, a horned helmet and a little bit of teeth filing.According to archeologists,Viking men had horizontal grooves filed into two or three of their front teeth, for reasons we can only guess at.And while we hesitate (and cringe) to call this a “beautification technique,” it’s just one more bit of proof that good looks and a great smile go hand in hand. Luckily for us, dental procedures are no longer a test of fortitude, but rather a usually painless and often quick trip to our neighborhood dentist.The folks at Comfort Dental will do their best to keep your smile healthy — without sanding off any layers of enamel to do it. Looks like you’ll have to find another way to prove your courage. Dr. Bob Murphy at North Boulder Dental Group can take care of your pearly whites, too, provided you’re not going for the Eric the Red look. Alpine Dentistry and Dr. Stephen Koral, our runners-up, know how to take care of their patients, too, especially the ones who aren’t sacking monasteries and raiding Northern Europe.

in the Village at 2525 ARAPAHOE ❘ 303.447.0210 ❘ www.aspeneyewear.com

✩

Comfort Dental

3400 Arapahoe Rd., 303-444-2129 Runner-up: North Boulder Dental Group (Dr. Bob Murphy)

we’ll be seeing you.

HIKING TRAIL Mt. Sanitas

Half mile west of Fourth Street on Mapleton Avenue Runner-up: Mesa Trail

alking isn’t bad. After all, it gets us from one room of your house to another, lets us peruse aisle after aisle at our local grocery store and makes taking Fido out for a stroll an enjoyable experience. At the end of the day, though, it’s just walking, and walking can’t hold a candle to hiking. We’re not sure exactly what makes hiking and walking different. Location? Terrain? Shoes? But they’re as different as lentils and quinoa, and people in Boulder know it. They also know that the Mt. Sanitas trail is one of the best places to prove that walking ain’t hiking. Rated “moderate to difficult” by the Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks, hikers here rate it “fun to awesome.” And we’re sorry, mountain bikers, but this trail isn’t for you. Dogs and horses are allowed — please clean up after your animals — but no wheels here. This is a hiker’s dream, with access to other great trails, like Dakota Ridge, Eastback Ridge and Hogback Ridge. For an easy hike — but still not a walk — you can take Mesa Trail, which stretches along the foothills from Chautauqua seven miles to Eldorado Springs. But help keep our mountains beautiful by taking nothing but photos and leaving nothing but footprints.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 43

✩ GOLF Haystack Mountain Golf Course & Driving Range

5877 Niwot Rd., Longmont, 303-530-1400 Runner-up: Flatirons

strength, coordination and flexibility. And while Pilates is a great way to help prevent injuries, it’s also great for recovering. Bodyworks offers therapeutic classes for those with special requirements. North Boulder Pilates also boasts six certified instructors to help you get – and stay – fit, and Bolder Pilates is Boulder’s boldest choice for full-body conditioning.

✩

Honorable Mention: Indian Peaks

olf isn’t for the birds, but with terms like eagle, condor and albatross, it sure sounds that way. Shooting at par is nice — taking just as many shots to reach the hole as the course says you should. But how about a birdie, one below par? Not bad.And if one birdie is good, three in a row must be great. So why not call it something proud and majestic, like a turkey? Shoot for two below par and you’ve gotten yourself an eagle. And while you normally wouldn’t want an albatross around your neck, on the golf course it means you’ve shot a smokin’ three under par. And if you can do the nearly impossible and shoot four under par (a hole-in-one on a 5-par hole), you get to brag to your golf buddies about your condor. But you don’t get these avian accomplishments overnight. It takes practice, patience and a good course. A 2,153-yard course set in a beautiful patch of Colorado scenery. A course like Haystack Mountain Golf Course & Driving Range in Niwot. With nine holes and a driving range, Haystack caters to golfers from all levels of skill. And those who want a little help brushing up their game can sign up in the “No Embarrassment Golf School,” run by CJ Ebel, club maker and son of the Haystack Mountain course owner. Named for one of the most distinctive landmarks in the West, Flatirons Golf Course hosts 50,000 rounds of golf each year, and Indian Peaks, named for another beautiful piece of Colorado Vail Resort geography, boasts 18 holes of championship golf, along with a 4-½ star rating from Golf Digest.

✩ PILATES STUDIO Boulder Bodyworks

4865 Riverbend Rd., Ste. 100, 303-444-2739 Runner-up: North Boulder Pilates Honorable Mention: Bolder Pilates

hen Roman governor Pontius Pilate presided at the trial of Jesus in the first century, he had no idea he was making history and launching a fitness program that would last over two millennia. That’s because he didn’t. The real man behind the Pilates regimen of exercise, rehabilitation and fitness is Joseph H. Pilates, born in 1883 in Germany. As far as we know the only judgment he passed was that the soft “modern lifestyle” was to blame for poor health. After a sickly childhood of asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever, he washed his hands of his weakness and got pumped. He studied bodybuilding, yoga, Zen and gymnastics, and in the 1920s began developing his unique method of physical fitness. Nationwide there is now an estimated 11 million Pilates practitioners and 14,000 instructors. The six Certified Pilates Instructors at Boulder Bodyworks teach classes aimed at the same goals Joseph himself had in mind: body and mind fusion, 44 April 29, 2010

SALON

Honorable Mentions: Winter Park/Mary Jane, Copper Mountain

Urban Pearl

1290 Alpine Ave., Boulder, 303-544-1537 Runner-up: Floyd’s Barbershop

Honorable Mention: The Parlour

e all want a good haircut. For some, it’s a kind of Holy Grail. We’ve tried everything from the quick, under-$20 cuts at walk-in places to the overpriced, months-in-advance appointments at salons taking them-

ail Resort is not only consistently ranked as the best ski resort in Colorado, but in the nation. So it doesn’t come as much of surprise that it’s the favorite resort for Boulderites, as well. With more than 5,289 acres of mountain, consistent fresh powder every season and a variety of terrain parks that also includes a halfpipe and a superpipe,Vail Resort is a haven for both skiers and shredders. And when you are finally ready to get off the mountain, there are dozens of different places to get your grub on and kick your feet up. Whether you just want some coffee and pastries next to a fireplace or if you want to go all out and enjoy some fine dining or something in between, you’ll be able to find a spot on the resort. Since it’s the closest ski resort to Boulder County — just three miles west of Nederland — Eldora is the perfect place to shred the gnar and be home in time for dinner. The best part? You won’t find yourself sitting on I-70. What more could you ask for? Both Winter Park/Mary Jane and Copper Mountain, our honorable mentions this year, are also popular with county residents. Hey, this is Colorado, right? We’ve got no shortage of places to slide.

✩ selves way too seriously. Now, the end of our quest is in sight. When you want an upscale cut in a salon where everybody knows your name, you want to make an appointment at Urban Pearl, now at their new location in Ideal Market. Urban Pearl is the go-to salon for modern and alternative styles in a relaxed and hip atmosphere, without any of that “bougie” snootiness you have to stomach at some other upscale salons. And according to owner Masyn Moyer, the five stylists fit in perfectly with the salon’s environment — eclectic and modern. While you’re there updating your coiffure, as some patronizing hairdresser in France might put it, you can get a massage from their in-house masseuse or a professional waxing to take care of the hair you can’t style. For a quick in-andout cut for guys or a to-the-point style for the ladies, check out Floyd’s Barbershop on the corner of 28th and Pearl. The Parlour’s friendly and open atmosphere houses 22 talented stylists, so you can be sure to get the look you’re after.

✩ SKI RESORT Vail Resort 970-476-5601, www.vail.com Runner-up: Eldora

SKIN CARE Avanti Skin Center 2595 Canyon Blvd. #360, 303-440-7546 Runner-up: Sensorielle Spa

o you know what the largest organ in the human body is? If you read the title of this category, then you probably guessed that it’s skin. The average adult carries around eight pounds of it, even though we lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells each minute. Spread out flat, it would cover about 22 square feet. To stay healthy, you’ll want to take care of it. Let Avanti Skin Center help you make the most of your epidermis — and all the layers beneath. It’s an unfortunate fact that Colorado, while being a great place to live, isn’t easy on our skin. Dry air, windy weather and year-round sun all take their toll on our poor hides. Fortunately, Avanti is here to help. With an array of laser therapies, skin resurfacing and tightening procedures and corrective facials, specialists can help treat a variety of skin conditions. Sunspots and wrinkles and dry skin don’t have to be a part of the Rocky Mountain lifestyle anymore. At Sensorielle, you can indulge in luxurious, organic facials and throw in some extras while you’re there, like a luxurious foot massage or professional waxing.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

✩ INDOOR CLIMBING Boulder Rock Club

2829 Mapleton Ave., 303-447-2804 Runner-up: The Spot Bouldering Gym

Presbyopia (the condition of not being able to focus up close as you get older, not the condition of everything looking vaugely Presbyterian). Boulder Eye Surgeons treat all kinds of eye disease and dysfunctions and have performed thousands of successful Lasik operations.

✩

oulder is one of the rock climbing centers of the universe. From Redgarden Wall in Eldorado Canyon State Park to the Maiden and the Matron to the Flatirons themselves, Boulder is gifted with vertical. But what happens when it snows or when eagles decide to build a nest on The Third or when the sun goes down? Sometimes the best rock face can be found indoors. When Boulder climbers look for indoor vertical, they head to the Boulder Rock Club.With more than 10,000 square feet of indoor climbing and bouldering space, Boulder Rock Club offers new routes to redpoint on a regular basis, as well as a myriad of classes from beginner to expert. BRC is one of the nation’s first indoor climbing gyms and one of the world’s best, offering a huge selection of membership options and plenty of opportunities for the novice to get involved, too. The Spot Bouldering Gym is the ideal hangout for those who love to boulder with freestanding boulders up to 18 feet high, as well as a roped climbing wall, gym equipment and guide and instructional services.

✩ LASIK SURGERY Boulder Eyes/ Dr. Craig Beyer 1810 30th St., 303-554-5855 Runner-up: Insight Lasik

MARTIAL ARTS STUDIO Easton Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

1750 30th St., 303-938-1275 Runner-up: Boulder Quest Center Honorable Mentions: Tran’s Martial Arts, International Martial Arts

aston Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers one of the hottest forms of martial arts being practiced today, making it a local favorite. Straight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a grappling-based sport that evolved from Japanese judo. Owner, operator and instructor Amal Easton earned his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt after studying at the famous Gracie Barra Academy in Brazil, and instructors at EBJJ also teach Thai boxing and mixed martial arts for kids and adults. So if you want to learn discipline, or if you just want to get in shape and expand your horizons, give Easton a call. Boulder Quest Center specializes in To-Shin Do martial arts training, but they also offer meditation, fitness and children’s classes as well. Tran’s Martial Arts, focusing on Muay Thai kickboxing, and International Martial Arts, practicing Shotokan karate, round out the list of best places to break a sweat — and perhaps a few boards.

✩

Honorable Mention: Boulder Eye Surgeons

ames Bond never had to stop and take out his contacts before diving into sharkinfested waters to save his latest squeeze, and he never had to worry about his glasses fogging up as he floors it through the streets of Rio. He’s way too cool for that. If you want to be as cool as 007, then your first step should be ditching those geeky glasses and inconvenient contacts. (We’d also like to suggest an Aston Martin DB5 and a license to kill, but that’s your prerogative). Boulder Eyes with Dr. Craig Beyer can have you jumping out of helicopters and rappelling down buildings faster than you can say “Shaken, not stirred.” Well, maybe not. But they can give you some of the best eye care in the county, including Lasik vision correction. The surgeons at Boulder Eyes are some of the most experienced in the field, and patients come from all over the country to see them. Heck, even Kevin Costner came all the way to Boulder to have Dr. Beyer perform his Lasik surgery. And It’s not often you get to have surgery and feel like you’re part of history, at least in a good way. Dr. Craig Beyer was on the original surgical team that performed the world’s first laser vision correction procedure on a human. Now you too can have this living legend work on your very own peepers. InSight Lasik in Boulder treats near- and farsightedness, as well as astigmatism and

MASSAGE Massage Specialists

1640 Broadway St., 303-938-0388 Runner-up: Boulder College of Massage

Honorable Mention: St. Julien Hotel & Spa

stiff neck from sitting at a computer all day. A sore back from moving furniture. Achy muscles from a fall off your mountain bike. There are many reasons for needing a good massage and Massage Specialists is prepared to address them all. With services ranging from everyone’s favorite Swedish massage to the more scientific manual lymphatic drainage, Massage Specialists will make you feel better and help you improve your health. Assessment, treatment and re-education services help you fix and avoid future kinks and twinges and cut down on chronic pain. And listen up CU Buffs! When homework, exams and parttime jobs have you tied up in knots, stop by for their student specials. For a great deal on massages from student masseurs, Boulder College of Massage simply cannot be beat, provided you can plan ahead and book early. At St. Julien Hotel & Spa, a great massage is only one part of their plan to pamper you.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 45

Dispensary

✩ MEDICAL FACILITY Boulder Community Hospital

1100 Balsam Ave., 303-440-2273 Runner-up: Foothills Community Hospital Honorable Mention: Boulder Medical Center

f we were all robots we wouldn’t have to worry about getting sick. An occasional tune-up, a quart of oil now and then, and we’d be good to go. And if we were robots, we wouldn’t care if the service droid handling our routine maintenance was friendly or cold, pleasant or rude. Obviously we’re not robots. We need more than a dose of 10W-40 to keep us going and we like to know that the doctors looking after us are human too, not coolly efficient medi-bots who see us as nothing more than a collection of moving parts. That’s why we go to Boulder Community Hospital, not just to get the latest in cardiac care or to take advantage of the most progressive maternity unit in the area, but to talk to doctors and nurses who know our names, care about our well-being and work hard to keep us truly healthy, not just functional. There’s more to life, after all, than just keeping the gears turning. Foothills Community Hospital and Boulder Medical Center also offer top-ofthe-line care and treatment for all of us who’d rather be treated like a one-of-a-kind person than just another standard-issue bipedal machine.

✩ MEDICAL MARIJUANA REFERRAL SERVICE The Farmacy

845 Walnut St., 303-459-4676 Runner-up: GrassRoots Medical Clinic

mericans generally don’t like being told what to do. After all, that’s why we told the British to hit the road back in 1776. So when the doctor tells us that the only solution to our chronic pain and other health problems is to pop pharmaceuticals full of chemicals we can’t pronounce, some of us simply refuse. That’s what the referral service at The Farmacy understands, and that’s why they’re at the head of a (peaceful) medical revolution. They don’t just tell patients what to do and what to take; they listen to what patients need. Looks like they could teach the Brits a thing or two about diplomacy. Then maybe we’d all be drinking afternoon tea driving on the left side of the road. GrassRoots Medical is another on the front line of this medical revolution, a referral service that believes in the motto, “No medication without consultation.”

✩ MEDICAL MARIJUANA WELLNESS High Grade Alternatives 46 April 29, 2010

3370 Arapahoe Ave., 303-449-1905 Runners-up: The Farmacy, Boulder Kind Care

ost of our everyday medicine comes in a pill. Maybe you can get it as a liquid, more rarely as a shot, but that’s pretty much it. If you can’t choke down capsules, hate the taste of liquid medicine or have a healthy fear of needles, then you’re going to have a hard time getting better. At medical marijuana dispensaries like High Grade Alternatives, however, your choices aren’t nearly so limited.That’s because marijuana is one of the most versatile medicines on the market. So if you’d rather take your medicine in the form of a cookie, brownie or lollipop, swing by this hotspot. High Grade Alternatives boasts not only 30 or more strains of premium medical marijuana, but the knowledgeable staff to be able to tell you which strains will work best for your health problems. The Farmacy’s posh storefront and relaxing atmosphere provide the perfect complement to their service and selection, and Boulder Kind Care offers one of the widest selections of medical marijuana products: ice cream, pastries, cooking oils, salves and more, as well as the traditional smokeable variety.

✩ MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL Boulder Creek Path

Boulder Canyon to 55th Street along Boulder Creek Runner-up: Walker Ranch Honorable Mention: Hall Ranch

hances are you came to Boulder for the lifestyle: outdoorsy, healthy and active. And if you were lucky enough to grow up here, that sort of lifestyle isn’t second nature to you, it’s your only nature. Mountain biking is just one of the dozens of outdoor sports — along with skiing, hiking and rock climbing — that has made Colorado a haven for athletes, enthusiasts and weekend warriors from all walks of life. Originally a way to enjoy ski slopes during the summer, mountain biking goes where other cycle sports fear to tread. The bikes range from slightly modified street bikes to full-on terrainbusting machines. With enough suspension to put a Land Rover to shame, mountain bikes aren’t designed to give you a cushy ride down a garden path. They’re meant to help you blast down rock-strewn trails. A rough ride isn’t just the norm in mountain biking, it’s the whole point: jarring, jamming and fun. And while the Boulder Creek Path doesn’t fit this description, at 5.5 miles long it’s scenic enough and long enough to get you warmed up for the singletrack to be found at higher elevations. It’s also a great start for the littlest road warriors to earn their cycling chops. Winding through mountain scenery, the 7.5 miles of the Walker Ranch Loop offers a much rockier ride, and Hall Ranch just west of Lyons offers a mix of hardcore technical stretches and easy riding trails.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

✩ VETERINARIAN Humane Society of Boulder Valley 2323 55th. St., 303-442-4030, ext. 680 Runner-up: Alpine Hospital for Animals

Honorable Mentions: Boulder Veterinary Hospital, Gunbarrel Veterinary Clinic

mericans own roughly 93.6 million cats, and 22 percent of those were adopted from animal shelters. That’s about 20 million kitties passing through shelter doors into loving homes. As for dogs, we own about 77.5 million, and more than 14 million of those came from shelters. That’s a lot of spaying, neutering and vaccinating going on. With so many furry companions to care for, it makes sense that shelters like The Humane Society of Boulder County would keep some pretty awesome vets on call, not only for their feline patients, but for dogs, rabbits, ferrets and other small animals. The shelter has five veterinarians offering basic services like spay and neuter surgeries, as well as more specialized services like dermatology and orthopedic help. Because Boulder residents often embrace a more holistic approach to medicine, the shelter even has a certified veterinary acupuncturist. Proceeds from the clinic go to support the Humane Society’s work. Assistance is available for low-income households. With a 47-year history of helping animal companions in Boulder, Alpine Hospital for Animals also know a thing or two about caring for our furbabies, too. The Boulder Veterinary Hospital, established in 1941, offers just about any service your dog or cat might need, and Gunbarrel Veterinary Clinic handles anything from the routine check-up to the extreme emergency.

✩ YOGA STUDIO CorePower Yoga

645 27th Way, 303-497-9642 3280 28th St., 303-440-3930 Runner-up: öm time Honorable Mention: Yoga Pod

has to offer. We live in what is arguably the American mecca of yoga, so there’s no reason for you not to get out there and take over that mat! Show it who’s boss! Kill! OK, maybe that’s not the right attitude for approaching yoga, but at CorePower Yoga, instructors do try and create an invigorating environment. After all, not all yoga is about slow breathing and relaxation. You don’t sign up for a class called Yoga Sculpt expecting to just sit on your tush. For an even more dynamic experience, you can try their yoga-pilates fusion for building strength and endurance. Or try their Hot Yoga, taught in studios heated to 105 degrees, to strengthen your body and heal old injuries. At öm time you can sign up for classes, pick up yoga supplies or just stop by for a cup of tea and some inspiration. Yoga Pod offers classes for all levels, from those who can get both legs behind their head without even trying, to those who can just barely touch their toes on a good day.

✩ TANNING Veranda Sun

1670 30th St., 303-447-8844 Runner-up: Tans To Go

ith Colorado’s unpredictable weather there is no guarantee whether the sunshine you see when you get up in the morning will be there for you when you go outside to tan in the afternoon. But if you can’t soak in the sun outside, head on over to Veranda Sun to tan under the lamps at Boulder’s best tanning salon. The recently remodeled salon is the only one in Boulder that offers 18 tanning beds with seven different levels of tanning. Their goal is to help make people look good and feel great, through the various services, specials and packages they offer from sunless Mystic tanning to teeth whitening and Solajet massage. They bring back customers because of high-quality service and topnotch cleanliness.With customers as their number one priority since opening in 1986, Tans To Go is a great option to give you that sun-kissed look with a variety of beds and specials for affordable tanning. First-timers can go to the website and print a coupon for one free tanning session.

f you’ve lived in Boulder County for more than a year and can’t tell an asana from a begonia, then you’re not really taking advantage of all your home

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

303-443-0821 Showroom - 2347 South Street - Boulder

www.mrpoolinc.com

Let us help you make your pool/spa ‘Green’. April 29, 2010 47

The St. Julien Hotel and Spa

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10

April 29, 2010 49

✩ ADULT MERCHANDISE Fascinations

2560 28th St., 303-442-7309 Runner-up: Pleasures

ere’s a news tip: Sex has gone mainstream. So if you’re feeling a little freaky, there isn’t a better place to hang out than Fascinations. Don’t be embarrassed either, because the people hanging out in there are just as freaky as you. And if you’re worried about being spotted walking into the store, don’t fret; the store is open until 1 a.m. (2 a.m. on weekends), so you can slink in and slink out while your friends and neighbors are fast asleep. We got to keep our secrets, right? What you’ll find inside the store is almost every type of toy, for males and females, and a helpful staff that won’t giggle or look at you sideways if you have questions about how a certain plaything works. Not only will you find the latest adult toys, there are plenty of books, magazines, movies and other types of relationship (or solo) “enhancements.” So whether you’re planning a bachelorette party or just trying to spice up your relationship, Fascinations is as classy as you can get when it comes to adult stores. If you’re low on cash but still need some spice, Pleasures is the place to go for adult toys that are affordable.

✩ ARTS AND CRAFTS McGuckin Hardware

2525 Arapahoe Ave, 303-443-1822 Runner-up: Michael’s Arts and Crafts Honorable Mentions: Guiry’s, Hobby Lobby

e already know where you’re going to go when it’s time to pick up that PVC pipe for the sprinkler, the juicer for your kid at school, a new fly zapper, some flowers for the side yard and something nice for the dog. But McGuckin Hardware’s mind-bending selection extends to art supplies and hobby stuff, too. We get a real kick, for example, out of browsing the 24th scale model kits (cars, ships, etc), reminding ourselves of what fun in the pre-PC Stone Age was like, when gluesniffing was merely incidental. Origami paper, drafting scales, airbrush guns, sketching pencils, printmaking brayers (when was the last time you looked for one of those at Target?), pottery tools, model railroad track cleaner … Be afraid, very afraid, if these guys start selling pizza and skis. McGuckin Hardware is a Boulder institution in the best sense of the word. Michael’s, located in the Thunderbird shopping center at Baseline and Foothills, is also a perennial favorite, packed with home décor and hobby stuff. Guiry’s, with its huge selection of paints, and Hobby Lobby, with all manner of hobby, craft and floral supplies, rounds out a crowded field this year.

✩ AUTO DEALER — NEW Boulder Toyota

2465 48th Ct., 303-443-3250 Runner-up: Flatirons Acura and Subaru Honorable Mention: Fisher Chevrolet/Geo/Honda 50 April 29, 2010

or one thing, Boulder Toyota has a popcorn machine. Those are always key, especially if you have the kids with you while you are browsing/negotiating for a new vehicle.And they have a cool little accessories shop where you can buy everything from Toyota hats to old user’s manuals. There’s also a machine that doles out free coffee. But this award is about the vehicles and the staff, and the quality of both is sky-high at Boulder Toyota. Boulder County residents know they’ll be treated well at Boulder Toyota and that they’ll come away with a vehicle that will perform well for your family for years. And thanks to runner-up Flatirons Acura and Subaru, Subarus are about as common in Boulder as joggers. And honorable mention Fisher has been serving the area for 42 years, so it’s doing something right!

most reliable Subaru repair shop this side of the Rockies, will keep your Subie running for those trips into the mountains, rain, snow or 300-plus days of sunshine.

✩ BEST BATH & BODY Pharmaca

1647 Pearl St., 303-442-5164 2700 Broadway, 303-442-0589 645 S. Broadway, 303-867-3400 Runner-up: Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary

✩ BEST AUTO DEALER – USED Blue Spruce Auto Sales 4403 N. Broadway, 303-938-0580 Runner-up: Boulder Toyota

Honorable Mention: Fisher Chevrolet/Geo/ Honda

n Boulder, buying a car is the third biggest investment you can make, after your home and your Roubaix SL2 Saxo road bike. And that car will probably end up having to carry around Investment No. 2, so you’d better make sure it’s a good one. So when it’s time to pick out a new bicycle transporter, pedal on over to Blue Spruce Auto Sales and drive away happy.With more than 14 years of experience in helping drivers pick out their second favorite set of wheels, Blue Spruce carries a great selection of Subarus — one of the quintessential Boulder County cars — as well as several other makes. Each and every car at Blue Spruce has been thoroughly reconditioned in-house and comes with a complete invoice and Carfax history. The prices at Blue Spruce are pretty hard to beat too, so you can make up for that financial damage you did dropping a few grand on your two-wheeler. Boulder Toyota specializes in — wait for it — Toyotas of all models, new and used. Fisher Chevrolet/Geo/Honda has been offering great deals at their family-owned and operated dealership since 1968.

eople stink. No, really. It’s all part of being mammals, active, outdoorsy mammals at that.That wouldn’t be a problem if we weren’t also social creatures who enjoy getting together in big groups. What’s a body to do? One solution is to rub a whole bunch of odorbusting chemicals on your body, like sodium lauryl sulfate and aluminum zirconium, the stuff in most deodorants. But that seems just a bit harsh for our poor, porous skin. For a gentler solution that will still have you smelling fit for civilized company, try browsing the shelves of Pharmaca, a one-stop shop for natural, organic and, most importantly, gentle bath and beauty products. Stocking everything from sea salt body scrubs to aluminum-free deodorants, this store is proof that you don’t have to subject your body to chemicals you can barely pronounce just to smell sweet and look great. And don’t worry if you don’t know your sunflower from your sassafras oil. Pharmaca’s experts are there to make sure you get the right product for the right body part, or to just answer any questions you might have about which ingredient does what. For a wider selection of fragrances than you could find in a whole field of wildflowers, Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary offers natural and organic herbal products in all forms: lip balms, facial toners, body scrubs and powders and so much more.

✩

BIKE SHOP

AUTO SERVICE/REPAIR

University Bicycles

Hoshi Motors

839 Pearl St., 303-444-4196 Runner-up: Full Cycle

2504 Spruce St., 303-449-6632 Runner-up: Super Rupair

t’s too bad cars aren’t more like computers. When your PC starts doing strange things and making weird noises or just stops doing anything at all, shutting it down and firing it up again solves the problem a good 90 percent of the time. Restarting your car doesn’t seem to have much effect on a flat tire or a busted fuel pump, however. Stupid car. At least there’s Hoshi Motors to take care of your mechanical mishaps. Just turn off your car, let their mechanics work their magic, and next time you turn the key, the problem will be all gone, just as if it were a computer. Hoshi specializes in Honda, Acura, Subaru and Toyota autos, and because they’re located pretty much in the heart of Boulder, it would be hard to break down too far from their shop. Super Rupair, the

Honorable Mention: Boulder Cycle Sport

nvented in 1817 by Baron von Drais, the first bicycle looked a lot like a modern-day bike: two same-size wheels, the front one able to be steered, mounted in a frame that the rider straddled. The only difference was that it was made of wood. Oh, and it didn’t have pedals. You moved it along by pushing against the ground with your feet, rolling the contraption forward in a sort of gliding motion. Bicycles have definitely come a long way since then, and Boulder bicycles have come further than most others. With miles of trails and seemingly more bike racks than parking spaces, it’s no wonder Boulder is known for its bike culture. University Bicycles has been supporting that culture for more than 20 years, offering everything from road bikes to street bikes and

mountain bikes, all with pedals and none made of wood. Their selection is only part of the story. The store’s full-service repair shop and experienced staff have made University Bicycles, which started as a used bike shop in a basement, into one of the busiest and biggest bike stores in town. They carry models for all walks of riders, from racers to cruisers and everyone in between. Runner-up Full Cycle has three locations throughout Boulder, so no matter where you are when you get a flat, you’re probably not too far from their service shop. Or while you’re there, just buy a whole new bike from their huge selection. And Boulder Cycle Sport, our honorable mention this year, puts wheels under riders of all levels, from Sunday cruisers to elite-level racers.

✩ CARPET/FLOORING Atlas Flooring, Inc.

4920 28th St., 303-442-3221 Runner-up: Ellie’s Eco Home Store Honorable Mention: Go Green

n Greek mythology, a Titan named Atlas was forced to hold up the entire world on his shoulders as punishment for waging war against the Olympian gods.While the floors in your home generally don’t have to bear quite such a heavy burden, they do endure punishing wear and tear day in and day out. Enter Atlas Flooring, Inc., whose carpet, wood, laminates and tiles have been holding up Boulder for more than 50 years. If it goes on the floor, chances are Atlas can install it. And don’t let the “flooring” in their name fool you. Atlas does pretty much everything from the ground up: hardwood floors for your den, a tile backsplash for your kitchen and the cabinets and granite countertops for your bathroom. And while their storefront isn’t as imposing as some of the big box stores, their selection is wider and their prices just as reasonable. Atlas’ level of knowledge and experience, along with their excellent customer service, are a few of the things you won’t find at the Wal-Mart version of flooring stores. In business at the same location for half a century, Atlas has developed a loyal customer base and an understanding that only comes with decades of service. At Ellie’s Eco Home Store, you can find a selection of natural flooring and building materials, like bamboo and cork floors, natural linoleum and Wheatsheets, a particleboard made from plant fibers. And if you’re looking for linseed oil-based Marmoleum flooring, along with a range of other natural flooring options, check out Go Green Flooring.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

✩ CIGAR/CIGARETTE/ TOBACCO Eads News & Smoke Shop

1715 28th St., 303-442-5900 Runner-up: Johnny’s Cigar & Martini Bar Honorable Mention: Smoker Friendly

o matter how techno the world gets, sometimes it’s just nice to browse through rack upon rack of good old-fashioned, printed-on-paper, hold-in-your-hands magazines and newspapers. Forget Google News, RSS feeds and political blogs. When you want to go back to a simpler (dare we say better?) time, drop by Eads News & Smoke Shop and pick up a copy of Rolling Stone, a pack of smokes and enjoy some serious down time. Or stroll into their walkin humidor for loose tobacco or a stogie or two. While some of the laws and etiquette about smoking have changed since Eads opened shop in 1913, the pleasure of a good drag never will. For those who like a drink while they puff, visit Johnny’s Cigar & Martini Bar. Smoker Friendly has a full line of smokes to suit any mood you’re in.

✩ CLOTHING – KIDS Rocky Mountain Kids

2525 Arapahoe Ave., # H12a, 303-447-2267

52 April 29, 2010

Runner-up: Savers Honorable Mentions: Little Mountain Outfitters, Childish Things

ittle kids sometimes have a unique sense of fashion. Plaid shorts with striped sweater? Sure. Purple skirt over zebra-print pants? Sounds great. Red cape with just about anything? You bet.That’s the great thing about kids: they know what they like and aren’t about to apologize for it. If you want to give them a little style guidance, however, Rocky Mountain Kids can help you find a new favorite to replace that velour tank top your little one just can’t give up. In one quick stop you can make sure your tot is dressed in the cutest styles. Because they grow up so fast, at Savers you can donate the pants that fit two weeks ago and find a replacement pair at the same time without having to break out the plastic. Little Mountain Outfitters has all the clothing and gear children need for their mountain adventures, and Childish Things offers a constantly changing selection of all things child.

✩ CLOTHING – WOMEN’S Anthropologie

1805 29th St., 303-449-4575 Runner-up: Coldwater Creek Honorable Mention: Urban Outfitters

othing changes a woman’s look and gives her a confidence boost like a new hairstyle. Most women, though, only have so much hair to work with, and once those locks have been cut, colored and coiffed, it’s time for

phase two: clothes. Put all those hours of playing dress up with Barbie to good use and be your own fashion plate at Anthropologie. Go for the whimsical bohemian look for a weekend outing to the farmers’ market, or dress it up for the (not too) sexy librarian look for the working week. You can only change your hairstyle so many times each week, but your closet could easily have a revolving door. Coldwater Creek has fashions for all of Boulder’s unpredictable seasons, and Urban Outfitters takes care of our über-hip side.

✩ DIVE SHOP Ocean First Divers

3015 Bluff St., 303-444-PADI (7234) Runner-Up: Weaver’s Dive & Travel Center

ou might be wondering why there’s a dive shop in a land-locked semi-arid state like Colorado. Seems kind of like having a mountaineering store in Kansas, doesn’t it? Don’t forget, though, that the beaches of California are only a short plane ride away, Bermuda makes a great spring vacation, and it’s always a good idea to learn how to swim. Ocean First Divers can take care of all those needs, with swimming classes for all ages and abilities, snorkeling lessons and scuba certification from beginner to pro, as well as classes you’ll want to take before going on that Caribbean vacation, like underwater photography. And it seems there’s enough market in a veritable desert for not one, but two great dive shops. Weaver’s Dive & Travel Center can teach you

how to dive and plan your vacation faster than you can say “Which way to the beach?”

✩ DRY CLEANING Art Cleaners

4800 Baseline Rd., 303-494-2709 1715 15th St., 303-440-8600 1631 Pace St., Longmont, 303-684-8585 Runner-up: Environmental Cleaners Honorable Mention: Boulder Cleaners

e’ve all done it at least once. Looked at a garment, looked at the tag that clearly reads “Dry Clean Only,” looked back at the garment and thought, “What the hell.” What comes out of the washer half an hour later hardly looks like a piece of clothing, let alone our favorite silk dress or cherished designer shirt. If we had just went to Art Cleaners, this wouldn’t happen. When you get your garment back from them, it won’t look like something you picked out of the lint trap.These guys first started keeping Boulder neat and tidy in 1921, and have been doing the same for Mother Nature since 2003, when they switched to the Green Earth Cleaning System. For a list of their six shops, visit www.artcleaners.com. Boulder Cleaners has also been keeping us clean since the 1920s, and Environmental Cleaners offers a range of laundry services. Isn’t it nice to live in such a clean, environmentally conscious place? After all, what’s the point of having clean clothes if you dirty up the environment?

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

✩

GROCERY STORE

HOT TUB/JACUZZI

HOTEL

Whole Foods Market

Mr. Pool

St. Julien Hotel & Spa

ECO-FRIENDLY RETAILER Ellie’s Eco Home Store 2525 Arapahoe Ave., 303-952-1004 Runner-Up: Patagonia Honorable Mention: Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary

t seems almost wrong to call this category Best Eco-Friendly Retailer. After all, when there’s this much passion and devotion, shouldn’t it be called eco-love? Ellie’s Eco Home Store is wrapped up in a torrid affair with all things green. Environmentally conscious county consumers are certainly falling fast for this store. Ellie’s makes smart and sustainable shopping easier because they carry just about everything a shopper could ask for. While some environmentally friendly stores focus on a niche market — and that’s great, we love specialists — Ellie’s stocks everything from natural cork flooring to organic lip balm. The store’s selection of recycled and renewable products, as well as water- and energy-saving devices, makes this store a must for anyone who wants to shop for a cleaner conscience. Patagonia and Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary are the specialists to Ellie’s generalist, and for good reason. Patagonia carries top-of-the-line clothing and gear and uses some of their hard-earned money to support local environmental efforts. Rebecca’s provides Boulder with some of the best-selling and best-smelling organic herbs, teas, tinctures and oils.

2905 Pearl St., 303-545-6611 2584 Baseline Rd., 303-499-7636 Runner-up: Sunflower Farmers Market Honorable Mention: King Soopers

ashion supermodel Kate Moss once reportedly said, “It was kind of boring for me to have to eat. I would know that I had to, and I would.” Poor Kate. She’s obviously never been to a Whole Foods Market grocery store. There are lots of ways to describe their food, but boring ain’t one of them. You can pick up all the ingredients for a delicious seafood paella or take the easy way out and grab one of their ready-to-eat rotisserie chickens. They also have one of the largest selections of glutenfree and organic ingredients in the county. If you want apples and oranges grown as nature intended, or beef and chicken raised with more care than science, then this is the store for you. Next time Ms. Moss feels compelled to choke down some life-sustaining nutrients, maybe she’ll decide to give Whole Foods a try and learn to love flavor like the rest of us. Sunflower Farmers Market’s airy and well-lit store is known for its great selection of fruits and vegetables. And if you need anything from batteries to butter, cat litter to cake mix, King Soopers is open 24 hours a day to keep your larder stocked.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

2347 South St., 303-776-7876 Runner-Up: Mountain Mist Pool & Spa

modern American bathtub is a pretty functional and straightforward piece of work. A person-sized container to hold water with a drain to let it all out when we’re done. Nothing like the deep, sunken tubs common in Japan, where they take their soaking seriously, or the claw-footed, capacious pieces of art from the 19th century. Maybe it’s because our modern American bathrooms just can’t accommodate such luxury. If you want a long, relaxing soak, move outdoors and into a customized hot tub from Mr. Pool, Boulder’s premier water wizards. Whatever your landscape, they can create a getaway worthy of a luxury hotel. Picture yourself relaxing in a bubbling Jacuzzi as snow gently falls around you, or an intimate evening for two on a steamy (and about to get steamier) summer evening. And after the experts from Mr. Pool have set up your wet wonderland, they can provide maintenance as well, so your little piece of paradise is all play and no work. If you want to browse a well-stocked showroom and take a dry run in more 20 models of spas, then be sure to visit Mountain Mist Pool & Spa.

✩ 900 Walnut St., 720-406-9696 Runner-up: Hotel Boulderado

Honorable Mention: Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites

ant to live like Brangelina but don’t have the looks, the acting chops, or the lottery ticket? For a taste of what it’s like to be a zillionaire celebrity, head to the luxurious St. Julien Hotel & Spa. With their beautiful suites, 10,000-square-foot spa and gourmet restaurant Jill’s, St. Julien will provide the pampering you need for a romantic getaway or the perfect place to put up your out-of-town guests. At the St. Julien, you can pass the time sipping martinis in their T-Zero lounge, swimming in their pool, or getting a massage in their awardwinning spa. And if you are one of the 0.01 percent who already lives like a celebrity already, consider booking a room anyway. Variety is the spice of life, after all, and maybe you’ll stumble across a good recipe to take home to your chef. If you want to spend the night in a time machine, check in at the Hotel Boulderado, which welcomed its first guests on New Year’s Day in 1909 and hasn’t changed much since. The Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites, the county’s first zero-waste hotel, can give you a good night’s sleep or keep you rockin’ all night with their full music calendar.

April 29, 2010 53

✩ JEWELRY STORE Angie Star Jewelry

1807 Pearl St., 720-565-0288 Runner-up: Art + Soul Gallery Honorable Mentions: Bill Cronin, Hurdles

uying toilet paper is easy. Find what’s on sale, throw it in the cart, move on to the next item on your list. Jewelry is another matter. Sure, there’s a chance you’ll walk into a department store and fall in love with the first ring you see. If you have an iota of personal taste and discernment, however, you’re probably not going to be satisfied with an off-theshelf design, especially if that ring is going to be the one you put on when you say, “I do.” Angie Star Jewelry can help you design a one-of-a-kind work of art, so you’ll never have to worry about showing up at a party wearing the same ring, necklace or earrings as someone else. Winner of the Best Jewelry category every year since 2005, the metal workers at Angie Star make jewelry that’s not only beautiful but environmentally sensitive, too, created from either recycled or responsibly sourced material. Art + Soul Gallery displays collections from a number of designers, so you have your choice of beautiful and unique rings, bracelets and more. Bill Cronin and his staff at Cronin Jewelers have been designing and fabricating in gold and silver and platinum, and Hurdle’s Jewelry is now in its third generation of familyowned craftsmanship.

✩ BEST MOVING COMPANY Two Men and a Truck

6280 Arapahoe Ave., 303-569-6748 Runner-up:Taylor Moving

nless you’re serving life in prison without the possibility of parole, chances are you’re going to have to move at some point in your life. Maybe several. For college students, the yearly domicile shuffle is just one more end-of-the-term hassle. For the working adults with kids, pets and a garage full of belongings, moving is less frequent but waaaay more stressful.Whoever said getting there is half the fun obviously wasn’t driving a U-Haul. So quick stressing and call Two Men and Truck. Not just any two men with any old truck, but the nation’s largest franchised local moving company.Whether you’re going down the block or up the coast, they can make sure your stuff gets there. (Getting yourself there is still your responsibility. Hey, they can’t do everything.) Taylor Movers, locally owned and operated by the Taylor family, can box up your stuff and deliver it to your new home, or they can store it in their climate-controlled, secure facilities until you’re ready to have it delivered.

✩ NEW BUSINESS Clutter Consignment

1909 9th St. Ste. 130, 303-386-3423 Runner-up: People’s Choice Wellness Center Honorable Mentions: Atlas Purveyors, Mod Market 54 April 29, 2010

OPTICAL STORE

an Everest expedition. You can go light and pick up just a map, compass and water bottle, or spring for a pair of carbon fiber walking sticks and handheld GPS device. They even have those new-fangled five-toed running shoes all the kids are talking about. And while most people know about REI’s great gear, not everyone realizes that REI is the nation’s largest consumer co-op. For just 20 bucks, you can join in and own your own piece of the dream. Oh, and get some great savings, too. For Boulder’s widest selection of tin mess gear and canvas army bags, as well as state-ofthe-art camping and backpacking gear, there’s the Boulder Army Store. For those who’d rather go vertical than horizontal, Neptune Mountaineering has all the gear you could ask for. It’s where the county’s hardcore climbers congregate.

Aspen Eyewear

✩

There’s a touch of irony in the fact that this year’s “Best New Business” winner is actually in the business of reusing old things. Clutter Consignment specializes in highend, unique consignments for the home. One of the best things about consignment stores is the ever-changing selection. If you don’t like what you see one week, come back next week and see who’s decided to clear the collectible treasures out of their attic. After all, one person’s clutter is another person’s long-sought treasure. People’s Wellness Center has started out their business on the right foot: giving patients what they need at a price they can actually afford and offering them an alternative to highpriced Big Pharma products. Talk about power to the people. And if you want to try some new food and drink, check out Mod Market’s specialty flatbread pizzas and salads, or stop in for a pot of tea at Atlas Purveyors, Pearl Street’s newest — and coolest — spot for a cuppa.

✩ 2525 Arapahoe Ave., 303-447-0210 Runner-up: Boulder Vision Center

PET STORE PetSmart

Honorable Mention: College Optical

e’re not sure when wearing glasses went from the nerdy Velma look to the more sexy Daphne-as-a-librarian one, but we’re certainly not complaining. Heck, being able to see and look good at the same time is a necessity. How else will you be able to tell if the guy hitting on you at the bar is more of a Shaggy (if you like that casual, grunge look), a Fred (if you’re more into that clean-cut, ascot look), or the Villain of the Week (if you have a thing for masks). Aspen Eyewear has some of the hottest styles in frames because they carry hundreds of the best brands in eyewear. A family-owned and operated business now in its third generation, Aspen Eyewear boasts an onsite custom lab, as well as an independent doctor of optometry to update your prescription. Boulder Vision Center handles all things ocular, from exam and glasses to laser corrective surgery. College Optical is located so close to campus, you have no excuse not to stop by and have an exam next time you skip class.

✩ OUTDOOR GEAR Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)

1789 28th St., 303-583-9970 Runner-Up: Boulder Army Store Honorable Mention: Neptune Mountaineering

o hear some tell it, Boulderites don’t even have houses. We spend every waking moment we’re not at work running, hiking, cycling, climbing, skiing or snowboarding. And those non-waking moments, we’re camping under the stars. While that’s not entirely true (we do occasionally venture indoors for happy hour), we do require a healthy amount of outdoor gear to get us through the year. Recreational Equipment, Inc. — REI to true outdoor enthusiasts — has enough equipment to fit you out for a Sunday run or

1850 30th St., 303-449-0201 Runner-up: PC’s Pantry Honorable Mentions: Humane Society of Boulder County, Only Natural Pet Store

eep and fulfilling human relationships are the cornerstone of a happy life. Getting to know someone through and through, talking for hours on end about everything from politics to reality TV — it’s damned exhausting, really. There are times when you just want someone to love you because you share your potato chips with them or gave them a saucer of milk.We’re talking nearly unconditional love, dependent only on how much you like to throw a tennis ball or dangle a piece of string. That’s why we have pets. When we need a sympathetic ear that won’t second-guess anything we say, we turn to our dogs or cats or whatever little critter we’ve taken into our home. And when we want to spoil them or just pick up some necessities, like a new toy or studded pink collar, then we go to PetSmart. If you don’t have a four-legged or feathered confidant to tell all your secrets to, PetSmart also adopts out pets from shelters like the Boulder Humane Society and sells others from responsible guardians.Walking into PC’s Pantry smells like walking into a life-sized gingerbread house, except that there’s no evil witch and all of their fresh-baked, natural goodies are for your furry little friends, not for you. Speaking of natural, that’s all you’ll find at Only Natural Pet Store, the place for organic, natural and raw dog and cat food. And if the Humane Society of Boulder County doesn’t know pets and pet care, then we don’t know who does.

✩ REAL ESTATE GROUP RE/MAX of Boulder Inc. 2425 Canyon Blvd. Ste. 110, 303-4497000 Runner-up: Keller Williams Realty

International

eal estate is a hot topic these days. You hear about it in the news, read about it in the papers and talk about it at the water cooler. All this talk of real estate raises the question, Is there fake estate? Imposter estate? Unreal and ephemeral estate? We’ll leave those philosophical questions to the deep thinkers out there and stick to what we know. Well, we don’t know that much about real estate, either, but we know who does: RE/ MAX of Boulder, widely recognized as one of the most successful firms in the business. If you’re looking to buy a home in one of the best (according to dozens of different lists by dozens of different groups) areas in the country, then it’s a good idea to talk to someone who’s been in the business locally since 1977. You don’t want to lie awake at night years after you’ve signed wondering if you really got your money’s worth. That’s just as true for selling, too.Your home and property are some of the most valuable assets you have, so you want to be pretty darn sure you’re getting fair value for them. Keller Williams Realty, as the third largest real estate franchise in the United States, is another real player in Boulder County’s real estate game.

✩ SHOE STORE Boulder Running Company

2775 Pearl St., 303-786-9255 Runner-up: Pedestrian Shops

orses’ hooves are made up of a sturdy wall of hard keratin up to half an inch thick. They’ve evolved over 50 million years, give or take a millennium, to walk, canter and gallop over all sorts of terrain. If even these noble and sure-footed creatures need to wear shoes, then it’s no wonder that we tenderfooted bipeds go shod almost every waking moment of our lives. While comfy kicks are a plus for any activity, they’re an absolute essential for running, especially on Colorado’s rough and rocky terrain. But just like horses need a trained farrier to make sure their shoe fit, human animals need a trained specialist to make sure they buy the right sneaker. Boulder Running Company gives each customer the attention most people would be happy to get from their doctor. If you’re not sure what kind of stride you have or how your foot strikes the ground, then hop on their treadmill and get your feet video-analyzed by one of the shop’s shoe gurus. And while they won’t nail the shoes to your feet, they’ll make sure the fit is so good you’ll never want to take them off. Pedestrian Shops, with two Boulder locations, will put you in a pair of shoes so comfy you might forget you’re wearing them.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

✩

SPRING SALE IN PROGRESS

50% OFF Selected Bras Visit our website for a special offer

TIRES Discount Tire Company

3215 28th St., 303-440-6811 Runner-up: Barnsley Tire Company Honorable Mention: Big O

uying tires can be stressful. You want something safe, something durable, something that won’t launch you into your own personal recession. Wouldn’t it be great if there were somewhere you could go that made tire-shopping easy? A company somewhere that specialized in selling quality tires at discount prices? What do you think a place like that would be called? Maybe we should ask the folks at Discount Tire Company. Oh, that’s right! They are that kind of place. It says so right in their name. What their name doesn’t say is that this local company also has some of the best selection and customer service in the county. When you’re in Longmont, look for the Barnsley Tire Company sign. They sell great tires at great prices, too. Big O Tires sells tires, but also offers oil changes, break service and car repair, too.

✩ Apparel, Lingerie & Swimwear

TRAVEL AGENCY AAA Travel Agency 1933 28th St., 303-753-8800 Runner-up: Boulder Travel

2425 Canyon e 303-443-2421 Mon-Sat 10-6 Sun 12-5 e www.christinasluxuries.com

Honorable Mention: James TravelPoints

ave you ever been to Paris? If you’ve never strolled down the ChampsElysees holding hands with your lover and listening to the romantic strains of an accordion, then AAA Travel Agency has a deal for you. You’d prefer London? They can do that, too. Want to visit the land Down Under and see Melbourne? Sure thing, mate. AAA won’t just get you to your destination, they’ll make sure you have fun while you’re there, too. And if you’re not ready for world travel yet, they can reroute you to Paris, Texas, the second biggest Paris in the world. If you have a deathly fear of koala bears, then head to the beaches of Melbourne, Florida. And there’s always London, Ohio, if you’d rather not drive on the left side of the road. Boulder Travel handles not only the fun vacations, but the less fun corporate travel too, so business trips don’t have to be painful as well as dull. James TravelPoints can set you up with a vacation in the sunny Caribbean one week and a snowy ski resort the next. Just don’t get your suitcases mixed up.

✩ USED TREASURES Feather Thy Nest

1825 Pearl St., 720-406-8781 Runner-up: Humane Society Thrift Store Honorable Mention: Buffalo Exchange

hat’s the difference between an American and a European? To a European, 200 miles is far. To an American, 200 years is a long time. While Feather Thy Nest probably doesn’t carry too many pieces that are more than 200 years old, at least 56 April 29, 2010

they’re not 200 miles away. In fact, they’re on Pearl Street, adding their own unique vibe to the eclectic district. And just because our friends across the pond wouldn’t call the used furniture, jewelry and collectibles here “old,” that doesn’t mean the selection isn’t among the best in Boulder. An ever-changing mix of old and new, the shop has an exciting, energetic atmosphere for both buyers and sellers. If you want to shop and save — save lives, that is — then the Boulder Humane Society Thrift Store, where proceeds support the shelter’s work, is the place for you. Fashionforward, cost-conscious shoppers in the know can be found at Buffalo Exchange, either buying or selling the latest styles.

✩ CAMERA/VIDEO STORE Mike’s Camera

2500 Pearl St., 303-443-1715 Runner-up: Photo Craft Laboratories Honorable Mention: Jones Drug & Camera

he past 20 years have brought massive changes to the world of film and video. High-quality gear was once so expensive that it priced everyone but professionals out of the game. Now you can get yourself an HD video camera for less than a half-ounce of a certain popular herbal medicine. Whether you’re going for a fully manual D-SLR or just trying to track down some Ektachrome, Mike’s Camera can help. This Boulder mainstay has nearly everything you could want gear-wise plus a slew of classes to help turn the listless point-and-shooter into a well-armed amateur photographer. Runnerup Photo Craft Laboratories offers everything you’ll need to print and process your photos and also helps with those old photo slides. And don’t forget honorable mention Jones Drug & Camera, which offers a surprisingly diverse selection of filters, film and accessories. Snap out of your photo funk and check out Boulder’s selection of camera stores as soon as you’re able.

✩ DVD/VIDEO RENTAL STORE Video Station

1661 28th St., 303-440-4448 Runner-up: Blockbuster

ou don’t go to a chain video store to rent a generic blockbuster, just like you wouldn’t go to a Domino’s store to eat in. Some things are just better delivered. That’s why the former kings of movie rentals are losing so much ground to Netflix while continuing to use such antiquated business ideas like “overdue fees” and “physical storefronts.” But the Video Station continues its long success story in a rapidly changing industry climate that has claimed the lives of many of its multi-store competitors. Video Station offers two stories of hard-to-find gems, like Wim Wender’s 1987 masterpiece Wings of Desire or Fritz Lang’s classic M. Nothing beats the experience of driving down to your local video shop to talk Krzysztof Kieslowski’s early years with a knowledgeable clerk, either. Much better than Blockbuster, which somehow is still in business.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

✩

FARM

HYDROPONIC STORE

Munson Farms

7355 Valmont Rd., 303-442-5330 Runner-up: Abbondanza Organic Seeds & Produce

t’s a fact: Most produce consumed in the United States travels 1,500 miles before being eaten. And with most produce in grocery stores coming from out of the country, it’s rare that you are able to find fresh, locally grown produce at affordable prices. But there are signs that things are changing: For example, the fact that it’s not unusual to hear someone question the carbon footprint of a tomato shows that people are increasingly interested in where their food comes from and where to find the most sustainable, locally friendly produce. Speaking of delicious tomatoes, Munson Farms offers all types of produce for the eco-conscious Boulderite looking to stick it to the corporate farming man. For two generations now, Munson Farms has grown tasty fruits and vegetables in the shadow of the Valmont Butte.The farm also delights the county’s children with a cornucopia of bright pumpkins come Halloween. Their produce stand is open every day during the summer and offers the best of that week’s harvest. For those looking to start a garden of their own,Abbondanza Organic Seeds & Produce has a great variety of seeds, as well as an excellent produce selection.

✩ HOME FURNISHINGS STORE The Peppercorn

1235 Pearl St., 303-449-5847 Runner-up: Feather Thy Nest

ooking for a sensory overload to go along with that cordless teakettle you’ve been meaning to buy? There’s no better place than The Peppercorn to overwhelm your shopping senses. With over 12,000 square feet packed with just about every cool gadget and item you could ever dream of putting in your home, The Peppercorn is a Boulder landmark and a hell of a way to spend an hour on a hot summer afternoon. Offering everything from Frasca Red Pepper Jelly to a book describing how to raise a Jewish dog, a visit to The Peppercorn is sure to leave you wishing you had the money to buy things you previously didn’t know existed. The store looks like your grandma’s kitchen spread over two stories; there are more fantastic trinkets in there than there are trustafarians by the courthouse.You truly have to see it to believe it. For those searching out unique home furniture that goes beyond those at the IKEA store, Feather Thy Nest stocks all sorts of chic, fashionable furnishings, all available on consignment. Whichever store you choose, you’re sure to emerge with something to make home living easier — or at least a little more stylish.

Way To Grow

6395 Gunpark Dr., 303-473-4769 Runner-up: Boulder Hydroponics

ydroponics stores seem to have exponentially multiplied these last few years as people have become more involved with growing their own food and herbs. Hydroponics is simply the name given to growing plants without using soil. The technique, whatever the fashionable modern application, has been around for centuries. Sir Francis Bacon and John Woodward were writing about growing plants without soil in the 17th century, and University of California Professor William Frederick Gericke first coined the term while promoting the technique — as a means for achieving high agricultural yields — in 1937. Many greenhouses use hydroponics technology to this day, as do serious orchid-growing hobbyists. Our readers have spoken and have crowned cleverly named Way to Grow, near 63rd Street and Lookout Road, as Boulder’s best source for everything hydroponic. It has everything you’d want from a hydroponics store, from equipment to a wide variety of fertilizers and boosters to all types of soil-less growing mediums for your favorite plants. Plus, the store’s knowledgeable staff is happy to answer any growing questions you may have. Another great choice is runner-up Boulder Hydroponics, offering a great selection of hydroponics gear while showing off the many types of plants (including some tropical ones) that can be grown hydroponically. In this town, you’re never short on ways to grow your own food. Now get out there and grow.

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Specializing in

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1625 Pearl St. Boulder, CO 303.440.7744 www.ourmomentum.com

✩ SKI/SNOWBOARD SHOP Boulder Ski Deals

2525 Arapahoe Ave., 303-938-8799 Runner-up: Christy Sports Honorable Mention: Neptune Mountaineering

round zero for winter sports fanatics, Boulder Ski Deals has everything you need for snow sports. Grown up from a scattered corner lot once slacking its way through the season at Pearl and Folsom, Ski Deals has now long claimed the southwest reach of the Village Shopping Center in the space once occupied by the late lamented Gart Sports. Skis, boards, headgear, handgear, clothing, shades, rentals … the place is a dizzying Valhalla of subzero smackdown that helps anchor Boulder’s reputation as base camp for some of the best skiing and riding on the planet. Awesome salespeople and scary-big selection make this place the pre-eminent ski shop in Boulder. Christy Sports takes second place this year — a class act top to bottom for winter sports that sheds its cold weather skin and becomes Boulder’s patio/summer chill retailer of choice. And Neptune Mountaineering has long been one of Boulder’s most respected retailers for all things alpine.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 57

✩ MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS STORE Robb’s Music

2691 30th St., 303-443-8448 Runner-up: HB Woodsongs

good, independent guitar store is a diamond amongst quartz. It offers more than just musical instruments; it offers an experience. Ask a musical great where they spent their childhoods, and many will answer their local guitar shop. The wide array of brand spanking new guitars and effects pedals at any guitar store is just as tempting a sight to musicians as a pile of cocaine is to Amy Winehouse. Robb’s Music is that candy store to many aspiring musicians around town, and despite a change of ownership and a move across town, the store remains as popular with Boulder Weekly readers as ever, snagging the award for the umpteenth time. It’s a great place to get your strings changed or your amp humming, and it offers everything from shakers to mics to harmonicas. We can only thank our lucky stars for being so fortunate as to have not one, but two fantastic, locally owned music stores in town. Runner-up HB Woodsongs has all things acoustic guitar you could dream of, and their impeccable customer service will have you coming back for more. So whether you’re buying your kid’s first guitar or getting that vintage hollow-body electric you’ve been fantasizing about, Boulder’s guitar stores are your one-stop shop for your musical needs.

✩ PIPE SHOP Mile High Pipe & Tobacco

1144 Pearl St., 303-443-7473 Runner-up: Eads News and Smoke Shop Honorable Mention: The Fitter

here are few categories whose winner is so up in the air from year to year before the voting finishes. But after the smoke cleared this year, Mile High Pipe & Tobacco emerged to take the winner’s crown, just beating out Eads News and Smoke Shop. These two have been jockeying for first place for so many years now that almost everything to say has already been said. We imagine a conversation between these two rivals would go something like this: Mile High Pipe & Tobacco: “Ha! I win this year! And rightfully so, since I’ve got more pipes than the New York City plumbing system.” Eads News and Smoke Shop: “Oh yeah? Well I’ve got more cigars than a Cuban coffee shop.” And so on and so on. Mile High is the best stop in town for all of your glass smoking needs, with hundreds of colorful pipes, bats, water pipes, pollen collectors and vaporizers. With all that selection, you’re sure to find the right piece to fit

58 April 29, 2010

the mood of your tobacco craving. And we have to give a shout to The Fitter on the Hill, which offers enough hippie gear to frighten Bill O’Reilly. Keep on truckin’, fellas.

✩ BOOKSTORE Boulder Bookstore 1107 Pearl St., 303-447-2074 Runner-up: Barnes & Noble Honorable Mention: Bookworm

he Boulder Bookstore is a city staple. They’ve been in business for close to 40 years, they have a 20,000-square foot building with more than 100,000 books and is the go-to spot for indie and mainstream authors to sign or read excerpts from their books. In the past year the store hosted appearances by T.C. Boyle, Jon Krakauer, Dick Kreck, Darren Littlejohn and a host of others. The store also hosts readings and activities for children and an open mic night for aspiring poets. And if you’re the book club type, there is a fiction and poetry book club that meets monthly. There isn’t much more you can ask for from your local independent community bookstore. Our runner-up this year is Barnes & Noble. Sure, it’s your average corporate bookstore, but they have a host of events for kids, teens and families as a whole. It’s no question that Bookworm is the county’s best used bookstore — that’s UBS in hip reader lingo — and the best place to take your old and used books.

✩ CD/RECORD STORE Albums on the Hill 1128 13th St., 303-447-0159 Runner-up: Absolute Vinyl

eah, you can download all the tunes you want from the Internet, but while you’re staring at your computer screen, can you chat in person with a knowledgeable clerk about a local band’s performance last night? Can you slip the liner notes off the vinyl or out of the jewel case and flip the pages to peruse your favorite guitarist’s contributions? Can you hear that satisfying “clack” and “fwap” as you flip through the bargain bin? Can you score some free stickers and posters while inhaling a subtle scent of patchouli? Didn’t think so. Music is not just about hitting the download button for the track you just heard on Pandora. It’s about anticipating the new release of your favorite artist, waiting until “New Music Tuesday,” peeling off the plastic, carefully placing the disc into your CD player, and hitting play to hear the album from start to finish, as the artist intended it. Albums on the Hill is now the venerable grandfather of the local music scene, and it deserves some props. With the recent death of Bart’s CD Cellar, runner-up Absolute Vinyl has filled the gap as the other go-to destination for some of that old-fashioned aural love.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

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CLOTHING/MEN’S

COSTUME SHOP

REI

The Ritz

1789 28th St., 303-583-9970 Runner-up: Patagonia Honorable Mention: Weekends

K, the trip is on. Board the dog, hibernate the Crackberry, find a battery for the satphone. … But where ya going to go to be sure you’ve got the threads? One of the things we’ve always liked about REI is that while the clothing is top quality, it doesn’t always scream with label pretentiousness. Functional and usually understated with style, the stuff you need for that three-week Nepal trek, ice-coring in Greenland or season seats at Mile High stadium is usually there at REI, a store and a co-op franchise that just seems to have been invented with a place like Boulder in mind. Maybe it is like a catnip patch for the bikeracked Subie crowd, because we wouldn’t shop for boots, fleece, hoodies, winter gear, paddling neoprene or cycling stuff anyplace else. And this year, most of you agreed with us. The Patagonia store is another Boulder fave, located downtown on the mall, a little slice that outdoor enthusiasts have known about for years. Weekends, with its cool selection of casuals-around-town stuff, makes a good honorable mention this year.

959 Walnut St., 303-309-2894 Runner-up: Candy’s

hy just play dress-up when you can put on a whole new personality? Tired of being a typical 9-to-5 suit-wearing desk monkey during the week? Let The Ritz transform you into a Vegas swinger in white platform boots, complete with goldfish in the heels, for a weekend of hardcore fashion and flair.Their selection of costumes includes, among many, many other things, rock stars, beer girls, super heroes, pregnant nuns and sexy firefighters. They even stock a selection of fake hairy chests and gold chains for when you simply have to get your pimp on. These costumes aren’t just for Halloween, either. Buy or rent complete outfits for theme parties, murder mysteries, theatrical productions, parades or first dates, if that’s how you roll. Bring your own unique vision of glam and they’ll help you create it. And if Vegas swinger is your 9-to-5 persona, they also have political candidate costumes for that thin veneer of respectability. You can also check out Candy’s Vintage Clothing for some sweet kicks and rockin’ threads.

✩ FLOWER SHOP

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Sturtz & Copeland Florists and Greenhouse

COMPUTER STORE (RETAIL/ REPAIR) Apple Store

1755 29th St., Space 1084 720-4799451 Runners-up: Best Buy (Retail), Mac Shack (Repair) Honorable Mention: Mac Shack (Retail), Boulder Mac Repair (Repair)

pparently the majority of folks in Boulder are on Team Apple. Thanks to such gadgets like the Mac Book Series, iPod, iPhone and now the iPad, lots of Boulderites are spending their time in the Apple Store. Not only does the store have the latest in all things Apple, but they also carry many thirdparty accessories to make your “Apple experience” a great one. And in case something goes wrong with one of your gadgets, it’s no problem to just bring it in to get it repaired. The staff at the store are admitted Apple nerds and junkies who can give you the ins and outs of almost every product the company produces. Aren’t these the kind of people you want to buy your next Mac Book Air from or have fix your busted iPod Touch? For those who don’t want a Mac of any kind, Best Buy seems like the logical choice to find all of your PC needs. And if the Apple Store is not carrying some older items to fix your Apple-related product, the Mac Shack is bound to have it. If a brand new Apple product is a bit too pricey for you, the Mac Shack has a fresh variety of used and refurbished Apple items available. Boulder Mac Repair is a great alternative to some of the other store repair shops around town, with low rates and speedy service.

boulder’s best bIKe rental shop

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• estab

lished 1989 •

Est. 1989

2851 Valmont Rd., 303-442-6663 Runner-up: Fiori Flowers Honorable Mention: Boulder Blooms

n Victorian times, sending flowers was a complicated affair. Send someone a red carnation, and you told them “My heart aches for you.” Send them a yellow carnation, however, and the message was, “You’ve disappointed me.” Pretty heavy meaning for such delicate flowers. And just try to keep the different nuances straight: acacias for secret love, daffodil for unrequited love and purple lilacs for the “first emotions of love,” if you know what we mean. No, we don’t either. But we do know that they sure are pretty, and Sturtz & Copeland Florists and Greenhouse has all the flowers you need to send whatever message you wish to send, along with a truly amazing selection of tropical and blooming plants for your home or office. And if you don’t know your aster from your buttercup, their greenhouse experts have more 80 years of growing experience to set you on the right garden path. Not satisfied with excellence in the earth, they also specialize in custom stationery, so they can take care of not only the flowers at your wedding, but the invitations for your big day, too. Fiori’s Flowers also knows a thing or two (or three or four…) about flowers and specializes in original, long-lasting arrangements. And Boulder Blooms offers eco-friendly, locally sourced flowers and plants.

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 59

✩ FURNITURE American Furniture Warehouse

2525 Arapahoe Ave., 303-443-1822 Runner-up: Home Depot

as there ever any doubt about which store would win this one? We like to say, “If you can’t find it at McGuckin, you’re 10550 Jake Jabs Blvd., Longmont/ not going to find it.” This place carries everyFirestone, 303-684-2400 thing from camping gear to stationery. That Runner-up: Concepts Furniture hard-to-find light bulb for the 40-year-old film projector? Got it. That little doo-hickey that Honorable Mention: HW Home goes in your push-go-shut? Aisle 12. They merican Furniture Warehouse is even stock kadiddle-hoppers, whatever those the first stop for many furniture shop- are. And when you walk in, within five secpers due to the fact that they’ll most likely onds you are bound to encounter a friendly, have everything one could need and special- green-vested helper who can tell you exactly ize in being affordable. Bedroom sets, living where to find that rubber washer that goes inside your hose. Oh, room sets, dining sets, Susan France and they also have outdoor/patio sets, things like hammers home office and every and nails. It’s so conveother set you can nient because you can think of. It’s no secret park near any one of that American their entrances and hit Furniture Warehouse the checkout stand has the biggest selecclosest to your car. tions in Colorado, so Founded in 1955, it’s a there’s a good chance true Boulder instituthat you’ll find what tion that attracts visiyou’re looking for. tors from miles Concepts is a great around. We know, alternative for finding because whenever quality furniture for Uncle Milt comes to your bedroom, dining town, he looks for any area, or office. If excuse to stop by and you’re tired of seeing just browse. We keep the same brands and trying to tell him that styles at the other McGuckin Hardware it’s called “McGuckin furniture stores, Hardware,” not there’s a chance HW Home will have something different for that “McGuckin’s,” but he never learns. And a gift card to runner-up Home Depot is the can’teclectic eye of yours. miss present that makes the guy’s guy pleased ✩ as punch, because it is so easy to spend money there every weekend. GIFT SHOP

The Peppercorn

INDEPENDENT BUSINESS

Honorable Mention: Boulder Arts & Crafts

2525 Arapahoe Ave., 303-443-1822 Runner-up: Boulder Bookstore

ndependently owned and operated since 1977, The Peppercorn has grown from a modest cooking and gourmet kitchen supply outlet into one of Boulder’s most unique and beloved retail operations, nicknamed “the Smithsonian of Cookstores.” The shelves are loaded with unique kitchen implements, imported ceramics, exotic and hard-to-find marinades and spices, crystals, flatware and all manner of accessories that make repast a rare and personalized event. It is a browser’s died-and-gone-to-heaven experience, and we dare you to spend 15 minutes in there without exiting with something extraordinary and probably hard to pronounce. For longtime residents, it’s one of those places that has magnificently defied the retail cruelties of the Pearl Street Mall. Further east on Pearl, Bliss is rapidly gaining recognition as a genuine gift shop of rare class and elan, and the Boulder Arts and Crafts Gallery is the perfect place to discover crafted artworks ranging from metal to photography, wood to glass.

✩ HARDWARE STORE McGuckin Hardware 60 April 29, 2010

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1235 Pearl Street, 303-449-5847 Runner-up: Bliss

McGuckin Hardware Honorable Mentions: Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary, Boulder Weekly

t one time or another, McGuckin Hardware has gotten each and every one of us out of a pinch. With more than 200,000 different items in stock — that’s right, on their store shelves — it’s practically a given that they carry just what we need when a pipe bursts, a bulb breaks or our kid has a school project and needs supplies. One of the most dependable independent businesses in Boulder, McGuckin’s has been around since Bill McGuckin opened up shop in 1955, and it doesn’t look like it’ll be going anywhere soon. And next time our drain starts spewing unmentionable matter across our bathroom floor, we’ll be grateful. Boulder Bookstore, this year’s runner-up, also boasts a pretty impressive stock: more than 100,000 titles on three floors. Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary offers pretty much everything for your herbal needs, from teas to tinctures and balms to bath salts. And Boulder Weekly is proud to continue serving as Boulder County’s only independent weekly newspaper.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

o not take your mother-in-law into The Peppercorn, unless you are willing to spend a little bit of money and you are trying to kill an hour while waiting for a table at one of Pearl Street’s fine restaurants. This place is the local mecca of kitchen and dining supplies. It has everything from whisks to martini glasses, and anything you buy there is sure to get compliments from guests who dine at your otherwise humble abode. That random mortar and pestle is here, as is the charger — that stylish thing that goes under your dinner plate. Oh, and it’s not just kitchen and dining stuff — they also have a plethora of bath and home accessories, too. As for our runner-up, when they say “Beyond,” they mean it. And Savory Spice, the honorable mention, has made a splash as one of Boulder’s specialty niche shops that has any seasoning you can think of, and the accoutrements to go with it.

wine and liquor. Liquor Mart’s huge selection — more than 1,500 domestic and imported beers, more than 6,000 varieties of wine and more than 3,000 liquor products — at rock bottom prices has made it a county favorite for decades. At Liquor Mart, you won’t have to break the bank to tap a keg. In addition to just about every adult beverage under the sun, they also sell ingredients for any mixed drink you can dream up, along with the tools to mix it. And for the eco-conscious souse in your bunch, they also carry one of the most extensive selections of organic and biodynamic wines. Locally owned and operated, Liquor Mart opened its doors in 1968, the year after Boulder finally went from a dry city to wet as a whistle. The first retail liquor store inside Boulder city limits, it’s now the biggest, with more than 30,000 square feet of floor space on two levels. If you’re out in Superior, check out Superior Liquor, a 20,000-square-foot store with, dare we say, a superior selection and great value. At Boulder Wine Merchant, two Master Sommeliers will help you uncork the perfect bottle for your palate, whether you’re a long-time wine lover or an absolute beginner. Also be sure to stop by North Boulder Liquor just a few blocks away for a shot of friendly service and good selection.

✩

NATURAL FOODS STORE

✩ KITCHEN SUPPLIES The Peppercorn

1235 Pearl St., 303-449-5847 Runner-up: Bed, Bath and Beyond Honorable Mention: Savory Spice

✩

LINGERIE

Boulder County Farmers’ Market

Christina’s Luxuries

2425 Canyon Blvd., 303-443-2421 Runner-up: Victoria’s Secret

13th Street, between Arapahoe and Canyon, 303-910-2236 Runner-up: Whole Foods

Honorable Mention: The T-Bar

f only it were as simple as boxers or briefs. For women, undergarments are much more complicated. According to our readers, Christina’s Luxuries provides Boulder County with the best sexy stuff around. The best lingerie not only makes you look great, but it also makes you feel great, and that is what Christina’s is here for — to make every woman look and feel sexy. While men are big fans of lingerie, women on the other hand have mixed feelings about what to wear underneath it all. Christina’s focuses on customer satisfaction and expertise. The store is rooted in 30 years of bra-fitting experience, from a family with generations of fashion and creative style. Christina’s may have won this award for their lingerie, but the store also provides a selection of apparel, from clothing to swimsuits for women of all ages and styles. And who doesn’t love feeling like a Victoria’s Secret Angel, wearing the same kind of panties as Heidi Klum? The name may be deceiving, but the T-Bar is not a local drinking spot — it is Boulder’s premier lingerie boutique, an Old West saloon-style store that sells fashion-forward underwear.

✩ LIQUOR STORE

Play. Stay. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Doggie Play Care Small Pet Boarding Grooming Loads of Outdoor & Indoor Fun!

Voted Best Pet Care, Year After Year!

- Daily Camera & Colorado Daily

7275 Valmont Rd - Boulder – 303.442.2602 7:30am - 6pm Everyday www.cottonwoodkennels.com

Honorable Mention: Sunflower Farmers Market

t might not be an actual “store,” but just because the Boulder County Farmers’ Market isn’t surrounded by automatic sliding doors and shopping carts doesn’t mean it still can’t contain the freshest and most excellent natural food in Boulder. Featuring locally grown flowers, meats, vegetables, fruits — even gourmet wines and cheeses, and handmade jewelry and body care products — Boulder County Farmers’ Market is not just your ordinary trip to the grocery store.You’ll see loyal Boulderites walking up and down 13th Street, picking ripe and local produce to toss into their reusable sack rather than meandering up and down the aisles, blankly staring at processed products shipped in from other states. The Boulder County Farmers’ Market offers everything you need to whip up a complete breakfast, make the kids lunch, cook a fine dinner, and bake an apple pie — all using ingredients from neighboring farms. Now, of course, if it’s not a Saturday between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., or a Wednesday between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., you can always hit up runner-up Whole Foods, or our honorable mention, Sunflower Farmers Market, to get your natural food fix.

Liquor Mart

1750 15th St., 303-449-3374 Runner-up: Superior Liquor Honorable Mentions: Boulder Wine Merchant, North Boulder Liquor

mericans spent more than $100 billion on alcohol last year. That’s a lot of beer,

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 61

✩

STEREO/ELECTRONICS

TATTOO

TOY STORE

USED CLOTHING

Best Buy

Bolder Ink

Grandrabbit’s Toy Shoppe

Buffalo Exchange

1740 30th St., 303-938-2889 210 Ken Pratt Blvd., Ste. 100, Longmont, 303-485-5939 Runner-up: The Apple Store Honorable Mention: Listen Up

t was hard to say goodbye to CompUsa over on 30th Street when that franchise finally succumbed to the tech collapse and the recession, but a baby Best Buy (a store smaller than most of their usual retail outlets) has amply filled the spot, bringing that bluethemed big box selection and geeks-on-amission salespeople to Boulder’s sound and vision junkies. There’s also an enormous Best Buy in Longmont for East County electronics fans.We like to go in to either store and stare at the wall of half a zillion flat screen TV’s, scratching our chin and pretending we can tell the difference in image quality while they all play Shrek in amazing synchronicity. Most of the time we can’t, but someone is always right there to help. Great customer service is the key to this business. The Apple Store has quickly become one of Boulder’s fave electronics stores, with all that play-as-you-ponder fun with all the iGadgets. ListenUp has been an audiophile’s institution on the Front Range for decades now, offering the best in high-end stereo and home theater components.

62 April 29, 2010

2735 Iris Ave., 303-444-7380 Runner-up: Tribal Rites Body Piercing & Tattoo Honorable mention: K&K Piercing & Jewelry

his year Bolder Ink is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Since 1995, the artists at the shop have been putting in work that has customers coming back again and again. The skills from tattoo artists Lance Talon, Darren Hall, Joel Long and others have been commended and recommended to anyone looking to get some ink done. The affordable prices, the shop atmosphere and the consultation with the artists about how and where you would want to put your tattoo makes the experience that more enjoyable. If you don’t believe us, take a look at the shop’s appointment book. Some customers are coming from out of state to get work done. And if you’re planning to get something done, you may have to wait almost a month before they’re available to ink you up. That’s how hot this shop is. So make your appointment early. Runner-up Tribal Rites has been in town since 1998 taking care of students in a convenient spot right on the Hill. Although they’re not known for tattoos, K&K Piercing is the spot to get any type of piercing you need to complement that recent tattoo.

2525 Arapahoe Ave., Unit H3, 303-4430780 Runner-up: Into The Wind Honorable Mention: Play Fair Toys

till located in the Village Shopping Center on Arapahoe, Grandrabbit’s Toy Shoppe first opened in 1977 and remains Boulder’s premiere toy store, offering a huge selection of both traditional and unexpected toys for organically fussy Boulder kids and skeptical parents. Brimming with hard-to-find items, lots of handcrafted wood items, enough plush to sink an island nation and probably the best selection of kids’ books in town, Grandrabbit’s is a unique and cool shopping experience (and a great place for unique knickknacks for adults, too), and a perennial winner in this competitive category. They’ve also just opened a new store in Flatirons Marketplace. Into The Wind is probably the coolest kite store in the time zone, and until they invent wind for the Wii, a great place to visit to help those video-obsessed kids get outdoors once in a while. Play Fair, over on the other side of Arapahoe, is also a Boulder favorite, having been in business here in town since 1986 and offering a selection of nonviolent toys. It’s also “The Planet’s Only Toy Store Run By a (Somewhat Eccentric) Science Professor” (it’s true).

1717 Walnut St., 303-938-1924 Runner-up: Rags Consignment

ou would probably never think that gaining a few pounds could earn you some money, but if your old skinny jeans don’t fit you any more or if you hate that shirt your mother got you last Christmas, or if you just need more closet space, Buffalo Exchange would love to take your new or used clothing off your hands and give you some green in return. It is also a great place to find stylish new digs, at markeddown prices. Buy, sell, trade are three vital words to describe the transactions at Buffalo Exchange. Clothing and accessories can be bought, sold and traded directly with customers. This used clothing store has a continually changing inventory that is more fashionable than any typical thrift store.The pricing depends upon the label, style, condition and other factors, but if your items are accepted you will get cash on the spot. What is a better deal than that? Buffalo Exchange also lends a hand to the world, by protecting the environment by reusing and recycling clothing, and contributes to programs to help local nonprofit agencies. Another place to find quality clothes at a discount is Rags Consignment. It’s like borrowing your roommate’s cute clothes and never having to return them.They’ve got brand names at low prices. Shopping for gently used clothing is great for any broke college student who still wants to be in style.

Best of Boulder County ’10 Boulder Weekly

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Best of Boulder

Boulder Weekly Best of Boulder County ’10

April 29, 2010 63