Friday, November 20, 2009

I Wish it Were My Kitchen

On Thursday I made a trip to Boulder to connect with some fabulous friends. We had originally planned to visit Salt, the new restaurant in the old Tom's Tavern location on Pearl St. Fortunately, they were booked and we were forced to go to The Kitchen. Thank you Salt! (I still want to visit Salt sometime too, though)

We dined in the Upstairs Kitchen location. There are essentially two restaurants, an upstairs and a downstairs. The Upstairs serves small plates, shared dinners, and offers a great happy hour. The downstairs is more for full course, formal meals.

I arrived early to the restaurant and was able to enjoy the happy hour offerings, which included a "Beer du Jour" for $2.50, red and white wine for $5, and cocktails for $5. I ordered a beer and a wine before the clock struck 6:30 to conclude the happy hour. I also ordered the hummus, which was delicious! Drizzled with olive oil, a sprinkle of red pepper, and served with warm, buttered ciabatta, it was a lovely start to a fantastic evening.

However, it wasn't just the great deals and food that won my affections, it was the FANTASTIC atmosphere. A darker setting, with a bar at the front, large windows looking out onto Pearl St., and cozy booths throughout the rest of the space, it was like walking into a sheek, yet comfortable living room. The waitstaff was absolutely charming and brimming with the essence of Boulder, which as a native of Boulder, I absolutely love. They were kind and soft spoken, focused on making sure their guests needs were appeased.

Then, there was the music...fabulous. I really could have stayed at this restaurant all night. I didn't want to leave. While I sat in my cozy booth, munching on my locally bred lamb burger, delicious tomato soup, and listened to Postal Service play, I wondered why it had taken me so long to visit one of the best restaurants in Boulder.

I highly recommend this restaurant. I promise you, that if you live in the Denver area, you won't regret making the trip up to Boulder to dine in this delightful establishment.

Additionally, if you have time this weekend, I recommend making a trip to the restaurant for their First Bite Boulder event, where you can get a three course meal for $26, $39, with wine. Delicious!

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