Boulder Reporting Lab’s August 2024 food roundup features three restaurant and specialty food openings, Palisade peach menu specials, a farm market cooking demo and food-related fundraisers for community nonprofits. Have news about a local restaurant? Heard rumors of openings or closings? Or simply have a question? Send your food and drink news and insider tips to food@boulderreportinglab.org.
Meals for firefighters and evacuees
With several fires in the Front Range in or near Boulder County, there are a lot of first responders working around the clock. Georgia Boys in Longmont has set up an order form for people to donate $10 per meal and they’ll deliver to the crews.
Update: Due to a generous response from the community, Georgia Boys BBQ has paused their donation page. The restaurant says it has delivered several hundred meals to firefighters who are fighting the Front Range fires.
“Strongmont” is restaurants coming together in emergencies. Rosalee’s and Antonio’s in Longmont teamed up to take 30 pizzas to firefighting crews on July 31.
JEFES Longmont is offering free meals to fire evacuees. This is a dine-in only option, and available at any of their four restaurants — Jefes, The Roost, Swaylos and 99 Bar Saloon. Send them a private message on Facebook or call the restaurants directly if you have questions.
We’ll update this as we’re made aware of other meal support for firefighters and evacuees.
Open, and opening!
Whistling Boar Provisions, a farm-to-table and fresh bakery catering company, recently opened a restaurant in Gunbarrel next to the Hampton Inn & Suites at 6315 Lookout Road. They’re offering Sunday brunch service, pop-up dates throughout the summer for lunch, and a rooftop happy hour on Aug. 28 from 5 to 8 p.m. You can find their special event farm dinners and a Caribbean family-style dinner and dominoes event under the “Boar Store” on their website. The 360-degree rooftop views are stunning, and the location is within easy biking or driving distance from Boulder and Longmont.
Believe this is butter: Savory and sweet, herb-infused and fresh buttermilk hand-crafted butters are coming to Boulder County. Bella La Crema is a butter shop and dairy market opening the first week of August in Longmont at 931 Main Street. The grand opening is scheduled for Aug. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They’ll also have homemade ice cream treats to keep you cool in the sweltering heat.
Johnson’s Station has changed their opening date from Aug. 15 to a grand opening Friday, Sept. 13 in the Prospect neighborhood of Longmont at 1111 Neon Forest Circle. An historic “oasis” that was once Johnson’s Corner Gas is a retro-inspired restaurant said to be a “beacon of hospitality.” Check their website for events and menu updates.
Things to know and do in the local food scene
Palisade peach season in full swing: You can find bags and boxes at farm markets, roadside stands and in numerous restaurants’ seasonal salads and desserts. Brasserie Ten Ten, located downtown Boulder on Walnut, offers “Burrata aux Pêches,” with sweet Colorado Palisade peaches, fresh basil, mint, cucumber, a hint of chili oil and aged balsamic. Urban Field is featuring a peach pizza with caramelized onion cream, chorizo, prosciutto and two cheeses. If you want to try something fun at home, halve the peaches and place them open side down on the grill to caramelize, then flip to sear, and serve with fresh mint or basil and a scoop of your favorite ice cream.
Farmer’s market food demo: Chef Brian Pierce (Gemini and High Country) is doing a cooking demo at the Savor booth at the Boulder Farmers Market on Aug. 10 from 10 to 12 that is open to everyone. For those who want a private tour experience, you can sign up for a culinary field trip that begins at 8 a.m. Tickets are $20 and available until sold out.
Diners decide the winners: Postino Cafe on Pearl Street is having a “Battle of the Bruschetta” contest for diners to choose which of the four flavors will get a permanent spot on the menu. From Aug. 1 to 31, the choice is between buffalo cauliflower and Philly cheesesteak. The July winner (french onion is in the lead) will be announced to go against the August winner for the final September bracket.
Tasty dates for oyster lovers: National Oyster Day is Monday, Aug. 5, and in honor of its 30th anniversary this year, Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar is throwing it back to 1994 prices to celebrate. From 4 to 6 p.m. on Aug. 5, each Jax location will serve 700 proprietary CrackerJax oysters on the half shell at their 1994 price of just 50 cents apiece.
On Thursday, Sept. 19, Jax will host the High West Oyster Fest, a benefit for local nonprofit There With Care. Jax has shucked more than seven million oysters since first opening in Boulder in November 1994. The seafood and raw-bar will continue to celebrate its three decades in business with specials and events all year long.
Neighbors feeding neighbors: Meals on Wheels Plate it Forward summer challenge needs to fund 3,000 plates of food. The organization seeks donations of $10 per plate through Aug 24. Meals on Wheels of Boulder, founded in 1969, is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year. Since then, they’ve delivered over 2.7 million meals, averaging 6,400 meals per month. And if you add the Eat Well Cafe downtown, they serve over 8,000 meals a month.
“The majority of people we deliver to are unable to shop for food and do not have the ability to make a meal for themselves due to physical,mental health, or financial challenges. Many have said they didn’t know how they would eat without us, and we are keeping them alive,” said Shoshana Fanizza, development and marketing manager.
“The social interaction, another positive component our volunteer delivery drivers give to the clients, is equally important. Some of our clients may not see anyone else during the day aside from our friendly volunteer drivers. Being too socially isolated recently has been dubbed as bad as smoking to a person’s health,” she explains. “With each meal, each delivery, we are making a difference in someone’s life.”
Shroom season: The Mushroom and Wild Food Festival is in Eagle, Colorado, Aug. 9 to 11. Tastings, educational programs, foraging and cooking classes. Need a taste of fungi closer to home, visit Fort Collins grown Hazel Dell Mushrooms at the Boulder Farmers Market.
Restaurant leaders
Have you ever wondered who makes decisions about menu changes in restaurants? It can be a chef and their team, an owner, a culinary director or a combination of those roles. Centro Mexican Kitchen announced it has a new culinary director, Sheila Lucero, who also holds this role at Jax. Both restaurants are within the Big Red F group. A culinary director is part culinary creative and part administrative strategist — responsible for aligning with the availability of products, selection of ingredients, innovations in the food scene and financial sustainability.
There are a lot of menu changes happening around town right now to add seasonal ingredients or new flavor profiles.
Boulder Reporting Lab talked with a few other restaurant owners about the necessity of changes to adapt, like this feature story on Farow, where we learned that menus can change a vibe and attract new customers. Lucero’s goal is to implement stringent sourcing standards for responsible seafood and plant-based options so diners can align with environmental values.
Diners also have a say in menu items with their orders. Even when something is seasonal, if it sells well, it is likely to be brought back.
What happened to Dedulus wine, previously
Cured on Pearl Street? One day it was open,
the next day poof! it was gone
Joan, it looks like the parent company closed them down. I had called and left messages on their voice mail, but no response. Article from Vermont: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/food-drink/paradiso-hi-fi-temporarily-closed-cutbacks-at-dedalus-41508947
Due to such an amazing response from the community, Georgia Boys BBQ has paused the donation page for people to donate to provide firefighter meals. We have delivered several hundred meals to firefighters who are fighting the Front Range fires. We are working with the Boulder Emergency Management office to assess ongoing needs.
Georgia Boys BBQ is also providing free dine-in meals to evacuees at all three of our restaurant locations (Longmont, Frederick and Greeley).