A95RP installment 1: Lunada Eatery & Cantina (MOVED)

Update January 2022: Moved to Longmont.

Lunada's theme is "delicious southwest cuisine with a Colorado twist." We had dined here once last winter, and I had once been to the old location on South Boulder Road, but that was a while ago. Our server, Angelica, recognized us and told us she follows the RP reports. Thanks, Angelica! That was so nice to hear, and a first for me! It was quiet on a Sunday night, possibly because of the holiday season. We sat in a back corner by the windows and enjoyed the colorful interior and pleasant lighting.

We asked Angelica, who has worked at Lunada for four years, what she recommended, and we each picked one of her favorites: the smothered burrito for G and the enchiladas de camaron for me. I could tell that the corn tortillas were made in house, which Angelica confirmed, and she said the flour tortillas are house-made too. The smothered burrito was larger than even G's head, and he said it was "de-LISH--and you can quote me on that!" I liked the shrimp enchiladas very much; the rich, creamy sauce was moderately spicy , decadent, and a little salty (I like salt, so no worries for me), and everything on the plate tasted lovely. It was a little pricier than most of the other menu items but worth it.

We also had a side of scrumptious plantains that came to the table piping hot from the fryer, and we finished with a churro that was cut into sections and served with chocolate dipping sauce. Angelica said the dessert menu varies depending on what the chef was able to make that day. We'll definitely be back!

House margarita: tasty!

Original smothered burrito: pork, ranchero beans, achiote rice, salsa verde, flour tortilla, pork green chili, cheese, lettuce, queso fresco, crema, and pico de gallo
o be

ans/ achiot

e ric

e/ salsa ver

de/ flour t

ortilla/

pork gr

een chili/ cheese/ le

ttuc

e/ queso fr

esc

o/ cr

ema/ pic

o de

gallo

Enchiladas de camaron: corn tortillas, shrimp, spicy cream sauce, cheese, black beans, achiote rice, queso fresco, crema, and pico de gallo

ortillas/ shrimp/ spic

y cr

eam sauc

e/ cheese/ black

be

ans/ achiot

e ric

e/ queso fr

esc

o/ cr

ema/ pic

o de g

allo

The side of fried plantains was a highlight!

Churro with chocolate dipping sauce

The decor. That's Angelica coming out of the kitchen at lower left.

SBRRP installment 9: Front Range Brewing Company (CLOSED)

Update 2024: Permanently closed.

------------

This is the last installment of the SBRRP, as I could not find any other restaurants that were not fast-food chains. I will post the summary separately. After this, we will be moving on to the Arapahoe and 95th Street Restaurant Project (A95RP).

When I was compiling the SBRRP list, I wondered, "Does Front Range Brewing have a kitchen?" I went to look at their website, and one of the top links is labeled "We Have a Kitchen," so the answer is yes! Apparently I am not the first one to ask that question. The menu is limited to the nicer kinds of bar food: appetizers, a few salads, wraps, quesadillas, flatbreads, and two "brewhouse favs" (brat and grilled cheese). There are also a couple of kids' options (grilled cheese and grilled PB&J).

This brewery has been around for a while, but we had never been there. We thought it had a pleasant interior, with nice lighting, colors, and decorations. It was very quiet when we arrived about 5:45, but they have limited Sunday hours (2 to 7 p.m.). Other nights, they're open until 10. The nice bartender answered a lot of questions and helped me sort out a flight of five beers, and I tried a mix of the small-batch, core, and seasonal beers. I liked them all, but my favorites were the Helles and the Märzen because I tend to favor light, crisp beers. For our food order, we shared a small spinach salad, G had the bbq pork quesadilla, which came with a side of chips, and I had the CAM flatbread (marinara sauce, mozzarella, salami, grilled chicken, and beer-brat sausage). The beer flatbread is house-made, and this meat-heavy version was delicious. I especially liked the slightly sweet marinara sauce and the sausage. G devoured his quesadilla and said the fusion of flavors was tasty. We'll definitely be back!

Quiet on a Sunday evening

My flight, left to right: Prairie Fire Helles, the November-fest Märzen, the Ma Belle Peche saison, the Hogback Double IPA, and the Waneka Lake Session Chocolate Stout. I especially liked the Helles and the Märzen. These were all 5.5% ABV except the IPA (8.5%).

Flight labels

Small spinach salad (very good, with cheese, walnuts, bacon, and balsamic vinaigrette). I especially liked that the nuts were not candied! Plus bbq pork quesadilla with chips and CAM flatbread.

A rare photo of G, featuring his bbq pork quesadilla

The bartop has a collection of 2,700 beer-bottle caps. The bartender was showing me that they had an original Avery beer cap.

 As a side note, we used to frequent this mall when it had a whole different set of restaurants and the FRBC site was a bingo parlor. Obviously, this was a long time ago! We hadn't seen it yet in its newest incarnation and under its new name ("The District"). We liked the new arrangement of the interior mall space with couches, armchairs, and tables, and a few people were hanging out in this area. There is a coffee shop (OTIS) that was closed when we arrived, but the open area would be a nice space to relax with a cup of coffee.

The inner area of the District mall

SBRRP installment 8: Tacos Aya Yay

Many of you already know and love this place, as is evidenced by its appearance in fifth place on this list of "the best Mexican restaurants in the US, according to Yelp" (based on a Yelp algorithm that ranks user reviews). We had not been there before, but we knew it would get very busy around dinnertime, so we went at 5 p.m. on Sunday night and happened to hit a relatively quiet moment (though as we arrived, someone was leaving with a huge takeout order). There isn't a lot of seating inside, and it is all counter seating along the walls and front windows. We managed to find two chairs next to Freddy and Tyler (whom we were meeting for the first time) and had a nice chat with them about the food here as well as the general Lafayette/Boulder County restaurant scene. Freddy, who works in the restaurant business himself, said Tacos Aya Yay is his local favorite and noted that the line is sometimes out the door.

Although I initially thought that I should order tacos, I ended up trying the taco torta with chicken instead--this is a torta with the addition of beans and possibly some other ingredients. It was delicious, with tender shredded chicken, cheese, and very nice flavors. G had a burrito with asada and chorizo and liked it very much too. We washed the food down with horchata and considered ordering more after we finished, but we were too full, so we will have to go back. I'm sorry I didn't photograph the menu because the online versions I found (on sites that post menu photos) are out-of-date, and I don't think there is an official online menu--but it has all the standard taqueria options plus some. Freddy and Tyler both said the barbacoa is one of their favorites, so that is on my list for next time.

It was hard to photograph the food, as all the good stuff was inside the bun.

I couldn't really show all the deliciousness inside the burrito either. But G said it was excellent. 

I took away half so I could show the inside of the torta.

The inside space, with counter seating along the walls. There are a few more seats around the corner to the left and along the front window.

From the outside

SBRRP installment 7: The Simple Greek

The SBRRP has been on a brief hiatus while I was away on a European adventure, but I am picking it up promptly upon my return. This time, we visited the Simple Greek! Originally, I was going to omit franchises, but some friends who are fond of this place argued that I should include it because it is the only one in Colorado, and I decided it wouldn't hurt to check it out. There is a fine line between this kind of place and a fast-food chain, but the distinction is more or less clear in my own mind, so here it is!

You order at the counter, and you select a "base" (pita or rice), a protein (traditional [lamb/beef] gyro, chicken gyro, grilled steak, grilled chicken, and a couple of other possibly vegetarian options that I failed to note), and various sauces and toppings. There is also a selection of sides and a few dessert options. G had a pita with traditional gyro and topped it with the "salad" (a mix of cucumber, tomato, and red onion), some garbanzo beans, and tzatziki sauce. He also had a side of Greek fries, meaning French fries topped with crumbled feta. I had a rice bowl with traditional gyro and topped it with the salad, the Lemonis potatoes and green beans, some additional cucumber, a few kalamata olives, and tzatziki. I also added a couple of dolmas (grape leaves stuffed with seasoned rice), which are served cold. 

When I first posted this on Facebook, I avoided expressing an opinion, but I will add here that I thought the food was just OK. It wasn't very warm, and the gyro was a bit dry.

When we first arrived on this chilly Tuesday evening, we were the only customers, but several others came in while we were eating. The Simple Greek is on South Boulder Road across from Sprouts.

SBRRP installment 6: Acreage

Acreage is an outlier because it is not on South Boulder Road, but it is on the south end of town in an area with no other restaurants. It's at the top of the loop made by Horizon Drive off 120th St. between South Boulder Road and Dillon. I'd been there a couple of times before, but the last time was seven or eight months ago. Acreage is a collaboration between Stem Ciders, which has another taproom in the RiNo area of Denver, and chef Eric Lee. The menu is creative, if a bit pricey (depending on what you are comparing it to), and it changes regularly, probably based on seasonal availability.

It can be very busy on weekend nights, especially when the weather is nice and people can hang out on the nice west-facing deck (with firepits). This past Saturday, it was full but not insanely busy. G was out of town, so my friends Scott and Michelle accompanied me. I got a cider flight (pear, cherry l'acier, banjo, and cranberry cyser). Michelle got a glass of cranberry cyser, and Scott got a glass of Banjo (aged in a whiskey barrel). I thought all four of my ciders were good, and I followed up with a 10-oz glass of pear, which may be my Stem favorite.

Scott and Michelle are vegetarian, so they ordered the veggie burger, the grilled greens, the beets, and a big side of Basque frites that we all shared. The frites were the highlight of the food for me! I was drawn to the mushrooms-on-toast entrée for some unknown reason, so our entire menu sampling was meatless. I did not think the mushrooms on toast was the most successful thing I have tried at Acreage, but that didn't keep me from polishing it off. The mushrooms themselves were delicious, but the lemony flavor of the greens on top didn't quite work for me. However, I like many other food items on the Acreage menu. Did I mention the Basque frites? We also tried two desserts: a lemon cake topped with crème anglaise and poached pears and the cider doughnuts. These were both amazing.

In the background, 10-oz glasses of cranberry cyser and banjo; foreground, a flight of four ciders.

Amazingly delicious Basque frites and beets

Grilled greens. So pretty!

Michelle with her veggie burger

Me with my mushrooms on toast. I was moving some greens to show the big pile of mushrooms. The greens had a lemony dressing.

Michelle tried the hot buttered cider. It was kind of like apple pie filling in a mug.

Lemon cake with creme anglaise and poached pears.

Cider doughnuts with cinnamon sugar and maple ... whatever that stuff is. Topping? Dip? Scott topped it, and I dipped it.

SBRRP installment 5: Mici

I originally planned to exclude Mici because of my no-franchise rule, but I rethought it after a friend pointed out that it is a Colorado-only chain (five Denver/Parker/Highlands Ranch locations plus Lafayette). Then I discovered that it is not actually a franchise, as the original family owns all of the current locations (though they are considering franchising at some point, according to the nice employee who told me a little about it). It is pronounced "Meechy," not "Meesy," and it is in the strip mall just east of Sprouts on South Boulder Road. I had been here once before for lunch right after it opened about a year ago.

It started out very quiet for a Saturday night, but other groups of diners came in after us, including some who were picking up takeout (delivery is also an option within 3.5 miles through the restaurant's own delivery service).

After debating between pasta and pizza, we decided to share a casa salad (gorgonzola, red grapes, candied walnuts, mixed greens, and balsamic vinaigrette) and a Pietro pizza (tomato sauce, family-recipe sausage, pepperoncini, onion, and mozzarella). Note that the restaurant website says their meats contain no preservatives! We liked this pizza very much, and the leftovers reheated well for breakfast this morning. I had a glass of red wine, and G had a soft drink. For dessert, I got the Andes mint gelato, which was also good. We noted the weekday lunch special (M-F, 11-2, choose 2 for $9.29: pizza, pasta, salad, soup) for future reference.

Casa salad with garlic bread

Pietro pizza and Micelli family photo

A pizza-eye view of the front counter

Now a gelato-eye view

Note the kids-eat-free Mondays and bottle-of-wine-with-pizza specials, plus gluten-free options

Pizza good!

Gathering information

SBRRP installment 4: Off-Campus Café

Off-Campus Café is NOT on South Boulder Road, but I had to include a couple of outliers that are on the south end of town and are not near any other restaurants. This place is just south of the medical complex on Campus Drive. It's popular with people who work on the campus, and I have heard others mention it as a favorite breakfast and lunch spot (it closes at 2:30 on weekdays and 2:00 on weekends). We had never been there before, and we decided to go for breakfast, which they serve until 11. We arrived at 10 a.m., which was a nice quiet time on a Friday morning. 

 We were all very pleased with our food. Our dining companion ordered "The Usual Suspect," a traditional Benedict with ham and an English muffin with hash browns on the side. I ordered the "KGB" Benedict, with house-made smoked salmon on potato-leek latkes with chives and hollandaise, topped with roasted pickled beets and with a house-made biscuit on the side. I think the jam might have been house-made too. This was an amazing dish! The latkes stayed crisp even under the eggs. I wonder how they do that? The salmon was tender, and the beets were a nice flavor note. G ordered French toast (maple nutmeg brioche with cinnamon and orange) with a side of bacon. The server told us the brioche is made by a local bakery, and G said it was delicious. We all ate everything on our plates, which is a testimonial to how good it was. We'll be back to try the lunch menu and more breakfast options!

Action shot of G walking in

Traditional Benedict with hash browns

French toast (maple nutmeg brioche) with bacon

"KGB" Benedict: potato latkes, house-made smoked salmon, poached eggs, hollandaise, roasted pickled beets. Amazing! House-made biscuit on the side.

The steam wasn't really pink, but I thought the effect was fun. I liked the round Off-Campus Cafe mugs. 

This says it all--backward.

SBRRP installment 3: Taqueria La Esperanza (CLOSED)

Update January 2023: This place closed after a fire in August 2022. I'm sad because we really liked it.

---------------

Another place we have never been on account of tending to stick to the north side of town. We drew this one out of the jar and then decided whether to go for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, as it is open for all three (8-8 Mon-Fri, 9-7 Sat-Sun). We decided to head over for a late-Saturday-morning breakfast. When we arrived about 10:15, we were the only customers, but several other groups came in right behind us. We liked the diner atmosphere with the checkered floor and the chugging drink mixers on the counter--and there are quite a few tables, as the space is larger than I would have guessed from the outside.

G ordered the enchiladas (cheese) topped with two eggs, and I got the huevos rancheros. Both of our meals came with rice and beans, a little lettuce, and small scoops of sour cream and guacamole, and mine also had chorizo fried with jalapenos and onions. I asked for scrambled eggs, and they were topped with green chile and had a tortilla on the side. We both liked our meals. The green chile was on the mild side with just a little heat, but there is a salsa bar with options ranging from mild to hot if you want to try different flavors and spiciness levels. After photographing the drink mixers, I got a cup of horchata (rice, milk, sugar--maybe cinnamon), and it was tasty. There is a large menu of taco, burrito, torta, and plate options, so we'll be back to try some other options.

Lots of menu choices! I was going to crop this tighter, but then I noticed that you can see me and a couple of other customers in the mirror at the bottom.

The counter

Horchata! Rice, milk, possibly a little cinnamon. I usually avoid sugary drinks but wanted to try one of the aguas frescas.

G's cheese enchiladas with eggs

Huevos rancheros (scrambled)

The salsa bar