Welcome to Nibbles, my weekly food newsletter. Look for it every Tuesday in your inbox for a smorgasbord of Boulder County food and restaurant news, dining tips and cooking hacks.
Know a foodie? Encourage them to sign up for this free community culinary resource.
The Boulder Farmers Market opened with huge crowds this weekend, a far cry from its modest beginnings nearly 40 years ago. I visited the April 4 market to see what’s new and what’s familiar along 13th Street.
This week also marks the debut of a new weekly recipe series, “Market Meals,” spotlighting fresh, local ingredients from the farmers markets. We start with a spring quiche.
Plus: CBS Sunday Morning reports on hunger in affluent Boulder County; classes that can make you the GOAT when it comes to cheese and pasta; and new dining spots on the way.
Send comments, questions and tips about Boulder County restaurants, food classes and events to nibbles@boulderreportinglab.org.
— John Lehndorff
With nearly perfect bluebird skies overhead, the season’s opening Boulder Farmers Market on April 4 was mobbed with eager shoppers from the moment it opened.
“The weather today is exceptional. A lot of times we see wind, rain and chilly temperatures for the April markets,” says Liz Thomas, senior markets manager for the Boulder County Farmers Markets.
There were no crowds when the first, modest Boulder Farmers Market opened with a handful of growers on Pearl Street’s Courthouse Lawn in 1976. The event sparked such enthusiasm for locally grown food that the little market is now regarded among the best in the United States.
As we talk, a steady stream of vendors stops by to pepper Thomas with questions. Both Souperstar Soups and Kinship Bread reported that they had sold out of everything by mid-afternoon. Kinship sold out twice, having been resupplied at noon by the bakery.
“We estimate that close to 4,000 people visited the market today. It has become such a big annual event that everyone looks forward to,” she says.
Fresh Boulder kombucha – by the keg
After being a guest vendor in past years, Rev Kombucha will be at the Boulder market every Saturday, says Fred Williams, co-owner of the Boulder organic kombucha brewery.
“We focus on sustainability and only offer our kombucha in bulk, mostly to restaurants. We don’t bottle or can it. At the market customers can refill their own bottles or we offer bottles they can reuse,” Williams says.
Rev produces fresh beverages infused with organic botanicals. I’m a huge fan of Rev’s easy-sipping Honeyoak flavor made with fermented Texas Yaupon, Guayusa and African Honeybush smoothed with pina colada notes of pineapple, papaya, coconut and vanilla.
Rev offers its kombuchas kegged with a self-serve kombucha vending machine.
“Boulder is a place where people who care about sustainability can come and be innovative with their products. The idea isn’t to have one giant brewery in Boulder shipping kombucha all over the country,” Williams says.
“We hope to replicate the idea nationally with small breweries that are truly connected to local communities and agriculture.”
Market Meals: Introducing fresh local recipes
Figuring out how to use summer’s produce can challenge even experienced cooks. That’s why Boulder Reporting Lab is teaming up with the Boulder County Farmers Markets to offer a recipe a week through the fall harvest. These Market Meals highlight seasonal, locally grown produce, plus other foods available at the markets in Boulder and Longmont.
Our first recipe for spring quiche spotlights local veggies, eggs, dairy products and freshly milled flour. I’ve included my pie crust recipe, but feel free to use a premade crust.
Find the recipe here. The Boulder County Farmers Markets is a nonprofit organization that operates the Boulder Farmers Market and the Longmont Farmers Market on Saturdays, and on Wednesday evenings in Boulder starting on May 9.
Looking for a new distraction at Rockies games? A new giant hot dog is on the menu.
The persistence of hunger in Boulder County
A CBS Sunday Morning report on April 5 noted that nearly 48 million Americans, including about 14 million children, do not get enough to eat each day, according to Feeding America. The report focused in part on Boulder County’s Community Food Share. Watch it here.
Congratulations to chef Johnny Curiel, owner of Cozobi Fonda Fina in Boulder and Denver’s Alma Fonda Fina. He is a national finalist in the Best Chef: Mountain category for the 2026 James Beard Awards.
Closing
Originally opened in 1989, Wendy’s has closed at 5350 Arapahoe Road.
Coming attractions
Odd Rabbit, at 5845 Arapahoe Ave.
Morso, an Italian eatery from Blackbelly chef Hosea Rosenberg, at 627 S. Broadway.
Pearl Street Coffee, at 2232 Pearl St.
Logan’s at The Armory, at 4790 Broadway.
The Second Annual Sandwich Lady Face-Off Finale
Who makes Boulder’s best grilled cheese and tomato soup? I’ll be one of the judges who decide between the combos created by friends Marcy Miller (of Organic Sandwich Company) and Lindsay Shaw at 1 p.m. April 12 at Lindsay’s Boulder Deli. Stop by for a bite and say “Hi.” Proceeds benefit CASA, Voices for Children and Blue Sky Bridge.
Be the GOAT when it comes to cheese. Longmont’s The Art of Cheese and Cheese Importers offer a hands-on April 17 class in making fresh goat cheese followed by a tasting of some of the world’s best goat cheeses. Sign up at Cheese Importers, or call 303-772-9599.
Once you make cheese, learn how to fill tortellini and cappelletti with a hands-on Italian pasta workshop April 25 led by Pastificio owner Claudia Bouvier. Registration here.
The annual Earth Day Vegan Dinner at Jill’s Restaurant on April 22 features jackfruit bao, yakisoba noodles, lentil “meatballs” and a Bavarian chocolate layer cake. Tickets here.
Plan ahead
It’s still spring, but if you want to attend one of the summer farm-to-table meals at the Farmette in Lyons, get seats now. The events feature fare from Blackbelly (July 15); Rosetta Hall (July 29); Corrida (Aug. 26) and others. Reservations here.
After a five-year hiatus, the Boulder Valley Wine Festival returns on May 30 in downtown Lafayette.
(Get your upcoming food event, festival or class listed free on Boulder Reporting Lab using the self-submission form here.)
Untouchable miso-glazed eggplant
A recent Nibbles newsletter focused on the Boulder menu items we have loved for years at local eateries.
Readers have suggested additional Boulder delights to our list including the Mondongo Burrito at Efrain’s of Boulder, and the smoked rib burnt ends at the West End Tavern.
According to one reader, the Nasu Dengaku (miso-glazed caramelized eggplant) served at Amu is “possibly the best thing I’ve ever eaten, and I would die if it ever left the menu.”
“Why should there be hunger and privation in any land, in any city, at any table when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic necessities of life?” — Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
Want more Boulder bites?
New Boulder restaurant Casa Juani brings Spanish seafood and tapas from Frasca alumni chefs
Frasca alumni chefs Eduardo Valle Lobo and Kelly Jeun open their first solo restaurant on Pearl Street in downtown Boulder. Continue reading…
Check out recent editions of Nibbles:
🛒 Wild Oats is back — starting in Boulder as a new brand
