Denver's highly anticipated restaurant week starts on February 23 and runs until March 8. All participating restaurants offer a multi-course dinner for the fixed price of $52.80 for two, or $26.40 for one. With a slew of restaurants in the Denver area participating, there are 13 restaurants holding it down in Boulder that will be participating. After sifting through the offerings, here are the five most unique and attractive menus for folks that want to take advantage of Denver's Restaurant Week, in Boulder.
Cafe Aion: Tucked into Boulder's The Hill neighborhood, this Spanish-inspired tapas restaurant from Chef/Owner Dakota Soifer provides a cozy dining room (snag the bay window seat if you can) that makes you feel as if you're dining somewhere in the Mediterranean. Highlights from the restaurant week menu include the Aion fried cauliflower with saffron yogurt & cumin, braised octopus with preserved lemon, chili de arbol, kalamata olives and white beans, and the house-churned vanilla ice cream with extra virgin olive oil & maldon sea salt. 1235 Pennsylvania Ave. | www.cafeaion.com
Arugula Bar e Ristorante: The intimate Italian restaurant in North Boulder is offering a variety of options for all three courses with several gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options included in the menu. Interesting dishes include: prosciutto with fig mostarda and arugula, Bolognese sauce with local bison, broccolini, sweet peppers, and grilled Long Farm local pork tenderloin with apple-oregano-Grappa sauce. 2785 Iris Ave. | http://arugularistorante.com/
Salt: Perfect for people watching, Salt sits on a corner on Boulder's downtown Pearl Street and Chef/Owner Bradford Heap is a proponent of sourcing Colorado local which is what you can expect to find on this menu. Among the intriguing offerings: roasted beet salad, with frisee, hazelnuts, whipped goat cheese, tarragon, and blood orange vinaigrette, pasture-raised boneless short rib with roasted root vegetables, spaghetti squash, and escarole, and beet & carrot cake, served with Haystack Mountain chevre mousse, sauteed apples, bourbon cream. 1047 Pearl St. | http://www.saltthebistro.com/
Q's Restaurant in the Hotel Boulderado: Located in the historic and well-known Hotel Boulderado, Chef/Proprietor John Platt provides a classy atmosphere an interesting wine program and high quality service. Each course offers a variety of opions, as well. Interesting dishes include: blue crab crepe celery, fennel, leek and warm chorizo vinaigrette, smoked Long's Farm pork chop herb with späetzle, red cabbage, roasted apples and grain mustard sauce, and the mango upside-down cake with white chocolate ganache, strawberry coulis, and candied macadamia nuts. 2115 13th St. | http://www.qsboulder.com/
The Greenbriar Inn: Restaurant week is the perfect excuse to venture North, a bit outside of Boulder, to The Greenbriar Inn. Open since 1967, the tavern and elegant restaurant that serves American classics is surrounded by 20 acres of land and they boast a 1200 label award-winning wine cellar. For restaurant week, the Inn features Bibb wedge salad, with tomato, olive, cucumber relish, red wine vinaigrette and bleu cheese, the crispy chicken breast Carbonara, which includes fettuccini, pancetta, hard boiled egg, and scallions, and the warm spiced apple turnover with house made butter pecan ice cream and candied pecan streusel. 8735 N. Foothills Hwy. | http://www.greenbriarinn.com/
· Denver Restaurant Week
· Most Anticipated Openings of 2013 [EDen]
· Eater 38: Denver's Essential Restaurants [EDen]
· 12 Biggest Dining and Food Stories of 2012 [EDen]