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Spring is traditionally a season of rebirth. In this week’s Nibbles, I note the revival of the Wild Oats brand, Boulder’s legendary natural foods retailer.
As a kid, I began Easter mornings by rolling over and biting the ears off a chocolate bunny. These days, I appreciate annual rituals like the first farmers market of the year on April 4. Plus: Bread meets cheese in Longmont; Jolly Rancher candy banned in Britain; and a recipe for pinto bean peanut butter cups.
Send comments and information about Boulder County restaurants, food classes, events, tastings and tours to nibbles@boulderreportinglab.org.
— John Lehndorff
There was a time in the ’90s when Boulder was awash in “Oaties.” These were the diehard devotees of Wild Oats Marketplace, a groundbreaking natural foods store born and bred in Boulder.
Mike Gilliland and Libby Cook opened the all-vegetarian Crystal Market on Pearl Street in 1987. It grew into Wild Oats Marketplace, a natural foods retailer with more than 100 stores in 23 states.
Wild Oats was known for its stringent sourcing and for championing organic and vegan foods.
The name made total sense.
From its earliest days, Boulder has been a magnet for young people ready to sow their wild oats and try something new, ranging from miners and cowboys to religious zealots, hippies and the 20-somethings who would change the way America ate and shopped through natural foods.
About 20 years ago, Whole Foods Market absorbed Wild Oats Marketplace and the brand, but not the Oaties, disappeared.
Wild Oats is alive again
In March, KeHE Distributors, a Boulder-based natural foods company, announced that Wild Oats is being revived as a natural food product line.
“Wild Oats was an early pioneer in the natural foods movement. It really had a focus on clean ingredients, transparency and helped bring organic to the mainstream and move the industry forward,” Will Rosenheimer says.
He is the brand director for KeHE and is in charge of reintroducing Wild Oats to America starting in June with “Regenerative Organic Certified” eggs and cold-pressed juices and smoothies in glass bottles.
“We did a recent national consumer study with over a thousand respondents and validated the fact that Wild Oats still means something to a lot of consumers. Forty-four percent recognize and remember the Wild Oats brand,” Rosenheimer says.
“In fact, a couple of original Oaties are working in our Boulder office and very much involved in bringing the brand back to life.”
The new Wild Oats products will be labeled Regenerative Organic Certified, a partnership with the Regenerative Organic Alliance.
“It goes far beyond organic to include strict standards around soil health, animal welfare and social fairness,” he says.
Rosenheimer says the new Wild Oats will not be a quiet bystander in the industry.
“I think consumers are increasingly aware of some of the harmful practices of big agriculture, we’re going to be pretty explicit in calling them out. We see regenerative practices as the perfect antidote to moving the system forward,” he says.
Decades have passed since Wild Oats first opened in Boulder, and it seems fitting that it will be born again here.
“Boulder remains a hub for natural organic brands. The consumers here were early adopters and really share those food values.”
The confluence of bread and butter, my favorite flavor scheme, brought me to the recently opened Moxie Bread Co. at Cheese Importers in Longmont.
The little shop is tucked inside this large culinary attraction featuring a giant cooler full of cheese and charcuterie and a French food and gift market.
Moxie’s menu features coffee drinks, pastries like Moxie’s famous buttery kouign amann and sandwiches, including the Sicilian with ham, cotto salami, provolone and giardiniera on ciabatta.
There is inside seating, or you can enjoy a simple Parisian-style pleasure. Grab a loaf of Moxie’s sourdough Frobrod coated with sesame and poppy seeds and a wedge of triple crème cheese or a French butter block. Enjoy them on the Cheese Importers’ quirky, colorful back patio with lots of plants, shade, patron saints and a Front Range view.
An anniversary, tasty awards, and a kale-free CSA
Happy birthday to Wapos Cantina! Juan and Adriana Gonzalez opened a little place in North Boulder 15 years ago and now also have restaurants in Arvada, Westminster, Erie, Thornton, Denver and Englewood.
Boulder Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey brought home a gold medal from the 2026 World Whiskies Awards. The award tasting notes describe: “A nutty and fruity nose … a spicy and nutty palate with velvety deep fruit … (and) a sweet, spicy and malty finish.”
Congratulations to Martini’s Bistro. The Longmont eatery earned the 2026 Award of Excellence from Distinguished Restaurants of North America, recognizing a long-term commitment to hospitality.
YA YA Farm & Orchard in Longmont has a different marketing approach than other local farms for its 2026 CSA shares, announcing:
“Join the only CSA that proudly says: NO KALE. ZERO. ZILCH. Just pure, glorious FRUIT.”
Opening
Oakberry has opened at 2014 Broadway offering Brazilian acai bowls, smoothies, iced matcha and juices.
Coming attractions
Cafe Meets Boba is set to open at 3350 Arapahoe Ave., the former location of Cuji Foods, the cool South American food market. Award-winning Denver chef Duy Pham will open The Temaki Joint upstairs at the Pho Kitchen at 2900 Baseline Road.
No Jolly Ranchers in British Easter baskets
When you drove through Wheat Ridge in 1996, it was easy to tell which hard candy flavor the Jolly Rancher factory was producing because the city smelled like green apple, cherry, watermelon and the most popular flavor: cinnamon. Jolly Rancher was cranking out about 125,000 pounds of candy per day before the company was merged and production moved to Canada.
According to a recent alert from the British Food Standards Agency, Jolly Rancher candies are now banned in Britain because of their petroleum-derived ingredients: “Consumption of the affected sweets is of toxicological concern, especially in younger age groups and where consumers eat a lot of the products or eat it regularly.”
Farmers Market season kicks off in Boulder, Longmont
The trees are flowering, but the surest sign that spring has arrived is the opening of the Farmers Markets. Starting April 4, the Boulder Farmers Market is open Saturdays 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on 13th Street between Arapahoe Ave. and Canyon Blvd.
The Longmont Farmers Market is open Saturdays 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. The casual Wednesday evening Boulder Farmers Market launches on May 6.
Dining, art converge at Boulder events
Food Is Art, a benefit event April 25 at Community Food Share in Louisville, features six local chefs, live music and art, and a performance by the Boulder Ballet. Tickets here.
Set the Table, a group exhibition with a food theme opens at the Dairy Arts Center on May 15. The exhibition explores the dinner table as the place where culture, the environment, good food and art are discussed and debated. Details here.
(Get your upcoming food event, festival or class listed free on Boulder Reporting Lab using the self-submission form here.)
Yup, bean-filled PB cups
Colorado’s elevated climate produces some of the nation’s finest, creamiest pinto beans, according to Colorado Dry Beans. You could make refried pintos, but take a leap instead. Blend the state’s best into high-protein, high-fiber, chocolate-covered pinto peanut butter cups. Recipe here, video included.
“What we need in this country is a general improvement in eating. We have the best raw materials in the world, both quantitatively and qualitatively, but most of them are ruined in the process of preparing them for the table.” — H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)
Check out recent editions of Nibbles:
🍝 Boulder’s ‘untouchable’ dishes locals won’t stop ordering
