It’s been five months since we moved to Boulder, CO and in that time we’ve gotten to know the local restaurant scene pretty well (but certainly have many places yet to go). In summary, Boulder restaurants get gluten-free. Almost all have a significant amount of gluten-free options on their menu and, for the most part, the servers are very well trained to understand the cross-contact issue.
There are three restaurants, however, that have become my go-tos. They all have dedicated gluten-free kitchens and prepare delicious farm-to-table food, with lots of great vegan and vegetarian options.
I’m sharing a little bit about each of them, so if you are ever in town you know where to go.
Fresh Thymes Eatery is a really cool place. They serve a delicious array of locally, responsibly-sourced dishes and they do vegan, vegetarian and meat-centric equally well. The common denominator is that the entire kitchen is gluten-free. To give you an example of their dishes, last night I had their Whole Roasted Kirin Squash on a bed of wild rice and sprouted chickpeas with a lovely sauce of coconut milk, caramelized onion, garlic, turmeric, cumin and coriander. What a perfect dish for a cold autumn evening.
The coolest thing about Fresh Thymes, though, is that it’s a Community Supported Restaurant. Just like you can buy shares of a farm’s seasonal harvest, here you can purchase a share to help fund the restaurant. You get your complete donation back (and more) through gift certificates at the restaurant. I’m purchasing my share this week. Can’t wait to support this wonderful concept of a restaurant.
Fresh Thymes has a warm, inviting ambiance and caters to lunch meet-ups, family dinners, as well as take-out.
Darren and I discovered Shine before we even moved to Boulder. The entirely gluten-free menu is what attracted us, but it has become so much more as we’ve spent so much time there. Shine was the first meal we had as official residents of Boulder. We packed up our house in New York, drove across country for four days, arrived at our new home starving, and went straight to Shine for an early evening dinner on a beautiful day in June.
As it’s name and tagline imply, Shine is a vibrant, social gathering place. There is restaurant dining space, a large bar area including an open out-door space, and additional rooms to regularly host bands and community events.
Every time we have visitors in town, we take them to Shine. To us, it embodies what we love about Boulder. They ask us what’s good to eat, and we always say “everything.” From their unbelievably satisfying Raw Salad, to vegetarian comfort food, like their Coconut Curry, to their locally-raised, grass-fed beef burger and gluten-free pastas, you really can’t go wrong. Brunch is awesome, too.
You might think a completely vegan, gluten-free bakery and cafe would serving boring food. Oh no, no, no. Julia’s Kitchen serves excellent nourishing, soul-feeding food. And lucky for me, it’s walking distance from my house, so easy for a quick lunch or take-out. They have daily soups and an outstanding Hearty Salad, in either a side dish or entree portion. Their daily vegetarian burger, veggie pancake platter, breakfast porridges and sweets are all excellent. And what I love about the sweets is that they are not-so-sweet. But the one dish I always come back to is the kitchari, a savory porridge of mung bean, basmati rice, vegetables and spices. It’s comfort food that is very light and easy on the stomach. You can get a small cup, large (and I mean large) entree-sized bowl, and they also sell it for take-out.
Julia’s has a bohemian ambiance with just a few tables. The only adornment on the tables is holder for handmade, re-usable napkins. If you are looking for a place to dine, Julia’s is not the place. If you are looking to stop in for some nourishing, vegan, comfort food made by people who care, then you’ll love Julia’s.
