A95RP installment 5: Morning Glory Farm Fresh Café

I know the Morning Glory very well, as it has been one of my go-to breakfast and lunch spots since it first opened (at a guess) about 10 years ago. For a short time, there was a sister restaurant in the Peloton in Boulder named Poppy, but it closed down. I miss it sometimes when I am in Boulder around lunchtime. G and I went to the MG for Thanksgiving just a couple of months ago (excellent roast turkey!), and I've been there for brunch and lunch at least twice since then. 

This time, we met three friends for dinner on a Friday night. The mall where it is located, at Forest Park Circle and Arapahoe, with four restaurants that were open for dinner, was hopping, and the parking situation was insane! Most of us ended up parking out on the street a little distance away. It was nice to see such a lively scene. We walked into the MG at 6 p.m. and did not have to wait for a table, but half an hour later, there would have been at least a short wait. One thing I liked, being moderately hard of hearing, was that the noise level was not too bad even with a full house.

Here's what we ate! From the "Brinner" menu, one dining companion ordered the vegetarian migas (eggs, green chilies, tomato, vegetarian chorizo, and crispy tortilla chips) with a side of french fries and a side salad, which was reported to be tasty. Two people ordered the hand-made seasoned beef sirloin burger and said it was delicious. G had the black and blue tuna (with sauteed spinach, shiitake, and onions, mashed potatoes, and bleu cheese) and enjoyed it very much. I am still on a restricted carb intake, so I tried the steak with rainbow vegetables and asked to double the veggies and leave off the mashed potatoes. I also had to leave off the blue cheese sauce, but there is an espresso spice rub that I said they could leave on. I ended up scraping most of this off because I didn't care for the texture, but the flavor was nice, and the meat was very good. 

The MG staff do not flinch at special requests! They were very kind and efficient considering how busy they were. Note that the MG has many GF and vegetarian/vegan options and emphasizes fresh, organic ingredients. I know several people who swear that their GF pancakes (the only kind they serve) beat most regular pancakes.

Vegetarian migas with a side of fries and a side salad

Black and blue tuna

Burger no. 1

Burger no. 2

Me with my steak and rainbow veggies

A95RP installment 4: Super Mini Walnut Café (CLOSED)

Update January 2022: Permanently closed during the pandemic.

The SMWC serves only breakfast and lunch. I had been here once when it first opened, G had never been, and the two friends who met us have been a few times. It's a pleasant space with colorful walls and plenty of natural light, and the patio would be nice on a day when the wind wasn't blasting through. I have been to both Walnut Cafés in Boulder many times over the years, and this one has the same menu with a wide variety of breakfast and lunch options. We met for brunch on a Friday at 11 a.m., and it started out quiet but was mostly full by the time we left.

Two of our group, including G, had the Jump scramble (scrambled eggs, sausage [pork, turkey, veggie or vegan], breakfast potatoes, onions, cilantro & cheddar, smothered in Green Chili), one had French toast with a side of bacon, and one had an egg-white omelet. That last one was actually me! I'm on a restricted diet for a 2-week period, and I thought it would be interesting to see if this restaurant project choice would support something that was on the plan--and it did. The omelet was very tasty because the mushrooms were good and were cooked just right, and I took the sides home for G to eat later. Everyone else also liked their food. The French toast eater said she might have preferred fewer almonds on top as a texture issue--but at least they were movable.

I asked the server why it is called "Super Mini," and she said, "Because we were originally supposed to be smaller." She didn't exactly know where the "super" part came in. Maybe "super mini" equates to regular size? Note that the SMWC menu has gluten-free options for pancakes, waffles, and breads. Pie is a Walnut Café specialty, and I know from experience at the other locations that the pies are good (especially, I should mention, after GS cookie time, when they sometimes have a coconut-cream pie with a crust made of samoas!). However, we did not indulge today. 

Jump scramble

Egg-white omelet with spinach and mushrooms and sides of banana bread and potatoes

French toast with side of bacon

The counter 

The front room; there's another room on the other side of the counter (not shown) 

Southwest corner of Arapahoe & 95th

A95RP installment 3: Martino's Pizzeria

This was our first visit, though it has been on my list for a while. Like most other places, it was quiet on a Sunday night, though other customers came and went for both takeout and dine-in--and the football game was showing on a TV in one corner. Our friend Julie came out from Boulder to join us. She and I tried the Upslope kolsch, which was poured from cans into mason jar glasses. I thought it was good, but it was a bit on the bitter side for Julie.

The three of us shared a large Caesar salad, which we all thought was delicious--very good dressing and nice crisp romaine. We also shared a large Primo pizza, which the menu says is the most popular pizza. I don't like green peppers, but the other two do, so we got them on just half of the pizza and added black olives to the whole thing. We all thought this was a very good pizza, and we had plenty of leftovers even with three of us tackling it. The crust was very crisp, and the ingredients tasted fresh and delicious. G said the green peppers were especially good, and there certainly were a lot of them, but I cannot contribute my opinion, as I steered clear of them. The sausage and pepperoni were excellent, as was the mozzarella. The pizza came to the table very hot, but we suffered only minor burns when trying to eat it too quickly. ;)

We tried a couple of cannolis for dessert. We decided we are not real cannoli fans, as the sweetened cheese filling was a bit much for us, and I can't tell you how they compare to cannolis from other places. They were drizzled with chocolate and had a very crisp pastry shell.

We'll definitely be back to try other pizza varieties! There was also an intriguing list of appetizers, sandwiches, and pastas that we did not sample. Note that Martino's offers gluten-free pizzas and other GF items; has lunch specials Tuesday-Saturday; and has takeout special prices for 14" cheese pizzas M, T, and W after 5 p.m. 

Upslope kolsch for Julie and me

Excellent caesar salad

Very crisp, hot pizza: a large Primo (Martino's natural Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and pepperoni). We got green peppers on just half and added black olives to the whole thing.

The pizza was a bit overexposed in this shot, so I added a special effect for fun.

The interior and exterior of Martino's plus action shot of the server bringing us chocolate-drizzled cannolis.

A95RP installment 2: DosWapos Mexican Cocina (CLOSED)

Update 2024: Permanently closed.

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This was our first visit to DosWapos, though we visited this location at least once in the past when it was a different Mexican restaurant. We went on Sunday night, which has turned out to be a nice quiet time to go to restaurants. Coincidentally, while we were still there, I happened to see a request on FB for local Mexican food restaurant recommendations, and quite a few people mentioned this place. There is a Wapos in Boulder in addition to DosWapos at Arapahoe and 95th (southeast corner), and our server explained that "Wapos" is a corruption of "guapos," which means handsome (or beautiful in the feminine form).

G had the tacos al carbon with beef and said they were simple but very good. I had the pick-your-own combo plate with a pork tamale, a soft stuffed relleno (in a poblano pepper), and rice and beans. The tamale was very good, and the relleno was also good but a bit too cheesy for me (which I could have predicted if I had been thinking). I liked the red Mexican rice (which I have always wanted to learn how to make) and the refried beans very much. We also liked the chips, which were thin, very crisp, and just the right level of salty, and the medium-spicy salsa.  I also had a house margarita and liked that it was very limey and not too sweet. I would definitely go back to try more things on the menu, especially the tacos and some of the breakfast items.

Action shot of G entering

House margarita

Build-your-own combo with chile relleno and pork taco

Tacos al carbon with beef

Detail from art that G liked

Front section of the restaurant and the bar area