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Boulder is already spoiled with an incredible roster of restaurants, but you can never have too many choices when it comes to good food and drink. Here are five new spots to check out in the People’s Republic.
Pho Mi
If you’re familiar with chef Edwin Zoe’s Pan-Asian restaurants Zoe Ma Ma and Chimera Ramen, then you already know that the man doesn’t take shortcuts. (And if you haven’t yet tried his scratch-made noodles and umami-loaded ramens, get to it.) His new Pho Mi, which opened this month and shares an entrance with Chimera Ramen, is no exception. To make the broth, Zoe simmers beef bones; roasted onions and ginger; and toasted coriander, fennel, cardamon, and other aromatic spices, for about 24 hours, resulting in a collagen-y liquid that’s delicious to the last slurp. Order your pho crowned with meatballs, thinly sliced rare steak—or our favorite, ultra-tender, house-smoked brisket. 2012 10th St., Boulder
Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen
It’s fitting that Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen is opening in Boulder—that’s where owner/bagel master Joshua Pollack originally dreamed up the concept as a hungry college student at the University of Colorado Boulder. Missing those East Coast Jewish delis at which he grew up eating, Pollack thought that Coloradans might appreciate killer bagels and sky-high sandwiches, too. As evidenced by the lines out the door of the original seven-year-old Five Points outpost, we sure do, and now Pollack is bringing Rosenberg’s to Boulder’s University Hill on May 25. Even better? It will serve favorites from sister restaurants Lou’s Italian Specialties and Famous Original J’s Pizza. Oh, and there’s a full bar, because Pollack knows how to please the masses. 1262 College Ave., Boulder
Little Fish Sushi House
Scratch Kitchen, a delivery- and takeout-only collection of clean-eating restaurants, launched in spring 2020, right as delivery and takeout became our only options. Perfectly timed for pandemic eating, Scratch’s additive-free to-go menus were a hit, and as of early May, it threw Little Fish Sushi House into the mix, offering fresh, reasonably priced sushi rolls for your at-home dining pleasure. Try the California rolls, made with real, wild-caught crab (not krab), and spicy, roasted sweet potato rolls, laced with a kicky sesame-sriracha sauce. 2299 Pearl St., Boulder
My Neighbor Felix
Besides the Mexican favorites you’re expecting—like burritos, enchiladas, and oodles of tacos—nearly one-month-old My Neighbor Felix has a couple other things you need to know about. First is the weekend brunch, which features both tres leches waffles and churro French toast; two things we didn’t know were missing in our lives until now. The next is the megaritas, or 56-ounce margaritas. (Meant for sharing, obviously!) Because what’s summer without almost two quarts of a watermelon marg? 901 Pearl St., Boulder
Ash’Kara
Boulderites already know chef Daniel Asher from River and Woods, but residents and visitors get to meet a different side of him (and his delicious cooking) at Ash’Kara, the modern Israeli restaurant in LoHi exploring flavors from the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Northern Africa. Boulder Ash’Kara, a sequel of the Denver outpost that debuted in the former Pepper the Noshery space on Pearl Street Mall in mid-April, has a similar veggie-, falafel-, and lamb-packed menu, but with the addition of a speakeasy-style basement bar filled with swings and couches. (Note: the bar is currently available for private parties only.) 1043 Pearl St., Boulder
