Off the beaten path both geographically and culinarily, this serene little North Boulder sanctuary serves up Tibetan specialties rarely seen in these parts — not just momo and the hand-pulled noodles called thenthuk but also sha bhaley (fried patties filled with beef and onion); laphing (cold sliced bean jelly with chili sauce); and gyuma (blood sausage). It’s all worth trying — and washing down with butter tea.

Seating in the magical backyard would be reason enough to visit this quaintly appointed Pearl Street cottage, but chef Daniel Asher makes sure that what he calls its “elevated comfort food” matches the atmosphere, be it Southwestern-style poutine with Pueblo green chile or a kitchen-sink salad with Colorado-grown quinoa, root veggies, and fruit in honey-poppyseed vinaigrette.

Winning multiple James Beard Awards (among countless other accolades) for its Friuli-centric Northern Italian cuisine, extraordinary wine cellar, and next-level hospitality, Frasca is the premier special-occasion destination in Boulder if not the entire Front Range. At its heart is an ever-changing four-course menu laden with delicacies like foie gras, geoduck clams, and Hokkaido sea urchin, but these days it’s also serving an even more luxurious prix fixe in its yurts and Alpenglobes. Conversely, for a more casual experience at a (much) lower price point, next-door sibling Pizzeria Locale serves up expert Neapolitan-style pizzas.

Operating five locations across the Front Range, the Big Red F restaurant group has proven The Post’s motto for a fact: “Hot chicken loves cold beer.” But there’s more to it than fried-bird platters, sandwiches, and all the trimmings paired with beers brewed at the Lafayette original; other must-trys include the chicken chicharrones with pinto-bean hummus, brunchtime huevos rancheros topped with “thigh fries,” and chocolate whoopie pies for dessert.

Like its smash sibling in LoHi, this bustling Pearl Street Mall food hall boasts two bars and a rooftop deck, but the roster of stalls it houses is all its own (with the exception of Venezuelan hit Quiero Arepas, which graces both locations). Here you’ll find modern deli fare at Rye Society, hummus bowls and pita wraps at Boychik, bao and noodles at Pig and Tiger, pizza at New Yorkese, and market-driven salads and burgers at Rooted Craft Kitchen; for teetotalers, there’s also coffee from Method Roasters.

Eric Skokan doesn’t merely source from local farms — he is the source, with a 425-acre property where he and his wife Jill grow more than 200 organic crops; mill their own grains; and raise heritage breeds of pigs, chickens, and more to supply his gem of a contemporary bistro. In fact, his farm is currently serving as Black Cat’s “dining room,” which is temporarily closed; click here for information on booking a daily changing three-course dinner there. Or keep it casual at Skokan’s rustic gastropub, Bramble & Hare, now back open for business.

Spawning a multi-state empire since it opened in 2004, this farm-to-table pioneer is still worth a trip for the sticky toffee pudding alone — though it’s got plenty else to offer in its airy, convivial dining room, with a freewheeling menu that makes room for roast chicken with truffle cream and fries, black spaghetti with rock shrimp and ’nduja, and fried green tomatoes with crawfish remoulade. The second-floor lounge — aptly named Upstairs — has an effortlessly cool, lived-in vibe to soak up along with cocktails like the green bean–infused Jack the Giant Slayer.

In 2010, Edwin Zoe opened this little counter joint to give his mother, then a recent transplant to Colorado, a place to cook for her new community. Now, it’s one of Boulder’s most-loved success stories (there’s also a branch in Denver). Based on her recipes from Taiwan, the comfort-fueled menu centers on street foods, noodles, and stew, including signatures like pearl meatballs; duck-wonton noodle soup; and the CPR, a one-pot dish of chicken, potatoes, and rice.

With a rooftop patio overlooking the Flatirons outside and a serious butchery program inside, this Spanish-inspired modern steakhouse counts as yet another of Boulder’s top celebration spots. The menu was pared back somewhat during the pandemic to center on a four-course tasting, but its hallmarks remain: Elegantly presented tapas, scrupulously sourced cuts of beef, and a beverage list that celebrates Spain from Sherry and wine to gin-tonics.

Hand-carved and -painted columns, furniture, and all, the stunningly ornate decor of this local landmark was shipped from Boulder’s sister city in Tajikistan and assembled piece by piece as a gift of civic friendship. An eclectic menu with an emphasis on Central Asian fare supplements an extensive selection of teas to make for a leisurely respite beneath the kaleidoscopic ceilings.

A classic for Mexican comfort food, this cozy 23-year-old outpost of the even-older original in Lafayette does it all, from burritos and enchiladas to chimichangas and chiles rellenos to 17 different margaritas. But no meal here is complete without green chile somewhere: fresh-tasting yet fiery and chock-full of pork, it’s some of the best around.

The charm of this colorful breakfast-and-lunch spot run by a native French couple is such that no one who comes here seems able to resist throwing a little something extra — another Kir Royale, a raspberry tart to go — into their original order. But they all start with carbs, glorious carbs, in the form of savory or sweet crêpes and a wide array of sandwiches built on baguettes or croissants. (Unless, that is, they start with classic onion soup, Niçoise salad, or quiche Lorraine.)

Born out of chef Hosea Rosenberg's passion for all things farm-to-fork and nose-to-tail, Blackbelly is now a Boulder staple complete with an adjacent butcher shop. Market-priced entrees of beef, pork, and lamb are the menu’s natural starting point, but seasonal vegetarian dishes such as burrata tartine with fava beans and spring peas or carrot farfalle in parmesan-seaweed brodo also shine. For something completely different yet equally worthwhile, Santo across town is a modern homage to the cuisine of Rosenberg’s native Taos, New Mexico.

Owned by the same family for the majority of its nearly 70 years in business, this special-occasion institution is located a short but scenic drive up Flagstaff Mountain, where it boasts spectacular views of the Rockies — and contemporary American cuisine to rival the landscape from chef-partner Chris Royster. Though seasonal creations such as foie gras over black-pepper crêpe cake or white-asparagus panna cotta with green almonds, wood sorrel, and cured egg yolks are available à la carte, splurging on the former Chopped champion’s multicourse tastings is very much the point of a meal here — especially when paired with wines from the legendary, 16,000-bottle cellar.

Of all the things one might reasonably expect to find at a south Boulder shopping-plaza outlet with a name as all-American as The Breakfast Champion, Turkish food probably isn’t anywhere among them. But that’s exactly what this friendly little cafe specializes in. The full Turkish breakfast for (at least) two includes some 17 small plates — meats, cheeses, olives, nuts, spreads, halvah, and more — as well as fresh-baked bread; also on offer are pastries like borek and poacha; pastirma (cured beef) or sucuk (a type of sausage) with eggs; and traditional Turkish coffee service. Lunchtime highlights include isekender kebab and sandwiches on the bagel-like bread called simit.

Right next door to The Breakfast Champion — yet 4,000 miles away in culinary terms — is this no-frills Chinese find whose name says it all. Hot pot aficionados have got the works in store, with seven types of broth and nearly 70 other ingredients (duck liver, cuttlefish balls, sweet potato noodles, kelp, and tofu skin, to name just a few) to mix and match at tables with built-in induction burners. But the kitchen also turns out wonderfully spiced and textured noodle bowls, rice plates, and a smattering of snacks like lacy tofu fritters with chili sauce.