Colorado Road Trip: Just A Little Bit Boulder (Pt. 2)

Part 1 of our Boulder day trip can be read at this blog post link:

Of course, we couldn't not visit Boulder without sampling some of the city's eateries. Our experiences in this mountain town includes an eatery bringing a touch of South America to Colorado and a space that combines coffee, cheese and charcuterie.

Rincon Argentino: Empanadas and all their hand pie cousins are something of an underrated culinary commodity. While the general concept (baked dough with some savory filling) is the same, the slight variations in preparation make cross-cultural and cross-border comparisons viable, not unlike another dough-related construct (the donut...or should that be beignet? Malasalada? Paczki?) Opened in 2012 in The Village shopping center, Rincon Argentino has been providing their country's version of these portable eats as well as other staples of Argentine cuisine to the residents of Boulder to much success.

Two things stood out as we made our way into the eatery and to the front counter to order. The first was a small chalkboard sign outside that invited folks to join them for mate; indeed, Rincon Argentino brings their country's tradition to the forefront, offering a "Mate Power Hour" every afternoon. Diners who partake in this ritual will get their of yerba mate tea served in a traditional gourd. For those not into mate, the usual fizzy beverages are available as well as select Colorado craft beer taps (on our visit, beer selections from Upslope, Odell and Avery were on draft.)

The second was the main chalkboard, detailing not only their numerous empanada varieties but also other Argentine specialties such as their milanesa (basically, a breaded and fried protein of some sort) and lomito (steak) sandwiches.

Top Left to Right: A collection of Rincon Argentino's empanada; a menu
board that makes it hard to decide; a shrine to Argentine sports stars,
including lengendary Maradona; tubs of their "Super Dulce de
Leche" ice cream; and an invitation to diners for Mate time

As tasty as the sandwiches sounded, we were here this day for the empanadas. We decided to order a swath of these pockets of deliciousness and were not disappointed; out of the six, the standouts were the two spicy steak (Carne Picante) and ground beef (Criollo) empanadas as well as their wild mushroom (Hongos). The two accompanying green and red sauces both had a nice kick to them; it was fun figuring out which sauce went best with each empanada variety. For locals, packs of frozen empanadas are available for taking out and preparing in their own home.

We did not indulge in any desserts during our stay, but it wasn't like we weren't tempted. This eatery has tubs of "Super Dulce De Leche" ice cream in the freezer case, as well as a delicious Pasta Frola tart (made with quince paste.)

As we sat down, we noticed a shrine to various Argentine athletes across all sports. Being Boulder, it was cool to see the race bib of an Argentine triathlete on the wall, as well as one of the first names I became familiar with when I started paying attention to the sport of tennis (Guillermo Vilas.) However, it was not surprising to see most of the display devoted to soccer and Argentine legends Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

Rincon Argentino

2525 Arapahoe Avenue
The Village - A05
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 442-4133
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The entryway to coffee, cheese, charcuterie and a whole lot more

Boxcar Coffee Roasters/Cured: We were here actually to visit Boxcar Coffee, based on a tip from some of the folks who work at Columbus' own One Line Coffee. What we discovered upon arrival was that their Boulder-based space (their home city; they also have a location in Denver proper)  was co-shared with Cured, a local provider of cheese, charcuterie and a lot more.

On one side of the space, Boxcar Coffee brews their coffees. Opened up in 2011, Boxcar specializes in small batch single-origin bean roasting, using a German-manufactured machine built around 1930. They also have adapted their preparation of coffee to account for the lower water boiling temperatures caused by their city's altitude and the requisite lower atmosphere pressures that result. As stated on their website, their "Boilermakr" is inspired by traditional so-called "cowboy coffee" preparation and allows maximum extraction from every brewed cup.

Clockwise from Top Left: A dapperly-dressed Boxcar barista runs their
their "Boilermakr" brewing device; yes, we "heart" cafe au laits;
some of Boxcar's pastry noshes as well as their tea and coffee menus

Boxcar's baristas know how to make a visual impression, attired in a dapper combination of long sleeve shirts, vests and dress pants. The staff was also as accommodating as they were nattily dressed - they were happy to oblige my spouse's off-the-menu request for a cafe au lait, Meanwhile, with the warm day ahead, I was in the mood for something iced and went with their latte. Both drinks were well made and quite tasty.

Similar to One Line Coffee, Boxcar's coffee and tea menu is fairly select, with a selection of single-origin brews, basic espresso drinks and teas along with a selection of pastries and other sweets. They even have a cold brew that they bottle in the form of their "Bottlerocket."

Cured's offerings go beyond just cheese and charcuterie

Meanwhile, it is Cured which occupies most of the interior of this co-shared space (both business share a guest seating area.) Cured's main focus lies in its cheese (I spied a few familiars in their cheese case, including Cowgirl Creamery and Oregon's Rogue Creamery) and charcuterie, with the usuals like coppa, chorizo, pancetta and lardo available for purchase.

However, they also offer a pretty decent selection of gourmet food products, freshly baked breads and pretzels and variety of wines to the visitor. They also provide lunch-time eats, with a daily menu of various sandwiches and a couple of sampler cheese plate options. If you are inclined to grab something for an outdoor outing, Cured offers partially-customizable picnic platters that will feed various-sized groups.

While we did not indulge in any Cured's wares on this visit (lunch today would be at the previously mentioned Rincon Argentino), we liked and were tempted at times by the plentiful culinary eye candy they provided. In a way, the space was something like cramming Columbus' North Market vendors Stauf's, Brezel, Curds & Whey, Omega Artisan Baking and The Barrel & Bottle into a space roughly the size of where Hot Chicken Takeover now resides.

Boxcar Coffee Roasters
1825 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 527-1300
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Cured Cheese Shop
1825 B Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(720) 389-8096
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Colorado Road Trip: Just A Little Bit Boulder (Pt. 1)

In the center of downtown Boulder Colorado's East End.

Boulder Colorado, perched roughly one hour (depending on traffic) northwest of the Denver city limits, wears several faces. One face is a sweaty one: the city has over the years become a top residence and training destination for pro triathletes and other elite endurance athletes. In general, the Boulder population is highly geared toward outdoor activities, not surprising in an area where mountains, rivers, hiking trails, and roads friendly to bicycle traffic abound.

Another face is the academic type: many of the pedestrians we saw on the street the day of our visit were students, most of whom are associated with the Boulder-based University of Colorado. In a city of approximately 100,000 people, the roughly 45,000 students who attend this state university have a big effect on the goings-on around town.

Lastly is Boulder's political face: this city is one of the more liberally minded populaces in the state, with the more exclusive parts of the town reminding me a bit of Marin County in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their moniker as "The People's Republic of Boulder", and all the pros and cons that this entails, reminds me a lot of how the city of Berkeley is perceived.

On the day we visited, these and any of Boulder's other faces seemed just in perfect working order, a lot this of attributable to the gorgeous weather. All manner of people were out to walk, bike and run through and outside of town, often accompanied by their pets or their toddlers in tow. Students were also evident everywhere, but their thoughts seemed more focused on the weekend ahead rather then upcoming academic challenges. Even the bicyclists putting in some hard miles seemed to have smiles on their faces, as if that it was a mandate from the city for the day.

The tiny dip we took into this town's charms this day proved to be a perfect way to while away a Friday.

Just a few of the sights you'll see along Boulder's main strip

Pearl Street: Boulder's main downtown district is anchored by Pearl Street, and, perhaps not surprisingly, has a West End and East End. This street bears some resemblance to High Street through Columbus' Short North neighborhood in that it has a host of eateries, art galleries and plenty of shopping opportunities. Like the Short North, the area acts as a destination for locals and visitors alike through numerous events; however, the mountain setting really distinguishes these two respective destination areas, from the surrounding mountains themselves to the various wilderness-related public art works and play areas for the kids.

One's attraction to stay long hours in the area will be tied to how much of a shopping fiend you are (at the time of this post, the Downtown Boulder website listed around 170 places to shop); my spouse are not much as much into this aspect as others, but we did find a couple stores that drew our attention.

Into The Wind, operating for over thirty years, offers a cornucopia of the most colorful wind-riding kites you can imagine. The interior is lined with these wind-riding constructs overhead, offering a multi-hued tapestry as you walk through their space. They also have a neat collection of toys, similar to the offerings you'd find at German Village's The Book Loft and the Short North's Big Fun.

Meanwhile, Zuni offers up some really beautiful Native American art, fetishes and other crafts mainly from the southwestern portion of the United States, within their quaint store at what seem to be fair prices. My spouse, who has a small stock of native arts and crafts, picked up a pretty little basket to add to her collection.

Into The Wind
1408 Pearl St
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 541-0314
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Zuni
1424 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 443-9575
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Boulder offers numerous hiking and walking trails both in and outside
of town, including the North Foothills Trail and Boulder Creek Path

North Foothills Trail/Boulder Creek Path: We love going out for hiking during our excursions, but we unfortunately forgot our more rugged hiking shoes and walking sticks. Thus, some of the more challenging trails around the area were out of the question. However, Boulder offers enough trails to allow even the regular couch potato to burn off a few calories and/or grab a view of the mountains.

The North Foothills Trail, located on the northern outskirts of North Boulder, isn't that terribly long in distance (a trail that traverses higher up into the foothills is available for those looking for a longer excursion) but actually offers a bit more of a rocky pathway than its "easy" rating suggests. Other than the crest line of the nearby foothills, the trail gives the hiker a view back down toward Boulder itself against on what was this day a clear blue sky. It also shows clearly where civilization has bumped squarely up against nature; right next to the houses are fields full of prairie dogs. Some of thee critters looked to be quite wary of our presence and sending off alarm chirps; however,  many seemed idly curious as we hiked by, as if they were saying, "Oh, it's another human again. Whatever..."

The Boulder Creek Path, on the other hand, plays the same role as does the Olentangy Trail in Columbus. Just south of the downtown area, this paved path provides an easy way for walkers and bikers to get across Boulder east to west and passes by the elegantly constructed Boulder Library as well as the University of Colorado campus. Numerous places to hold a picnic or setup a pickup football game abound; artwork and information about the creek can be found scattered along its length as well. The creek itself is accessible in numerous places and, on this fairly warm day, quite a few people took the opportunity to dip their feet into its cold flowing waters.