Masterpiece Kitchen Falls Flat, Heifer and the Hen Raises the Ice Cream Bar

Restaurant critic Gretchen Kurtz skewered Masterpiece Kitchen in her latest Westword review. "Masterpiece Kitchen should've had me at hello. Instead, numerous flaws had me ready to say goodbye," the critic laments noting the stark difference between the refinement one would expect from the restaurant owned in part by chef Justin Brunson and the casual sports bar vibe that guests experience at the Lowry spot. The lowlights of Kurtz's experience includes the steak frites, "a few thin strips of meat came draped over weak green chile [...] as to those fries, they weren't hand-cut or even all that hot," and the Greek pork chop that she called an "unimaginable disappointment."

Boulder's Heifer and the Hen provided a much sweeter experience to critic Clay Fong of the Daily Camera. An ice cream shop created by chef and brewer Ian Clark of BRU Handbuilt Ales & Eats, the six month old business brings a modernist twist to the classic scoop shop. Fong discovered some 20 flavors over two visits and zoomed in on the exotic squid ink and lemon the most, describing it as "both bright with citrus and full-bore creamy, resembling a top-notch lemon custard, though with a deep midnight appearance and a whisper of brine."  A major highlight was the wood fired peach with bourbon and biscuits, the best flavor the critic tasted all year.