Brasserie Ten Ten

We've gone to happy hour at Brasserie twice in the last week, and had rather different experiences. The first time was super, which is why we returned so soon. The service was great, and Finlandia cosmos and martinis were just $5. They also have deals on beer, wine, and cocktails. "Snacks" are $1, $2, $3, and $5, and are much larger that one might expect for the price. We had WAY more food than we needed, and with two rounds of martinis we were only out $35.

When we returned yesterday, we were rather disappointed. The service was not nearly as good. Plus, the cosmos were $6.75 each for the EXACT drink I had last time. I asked, and the waitress claimed that she'd never seen them for $5. Also, our onion rings were way late and they offered to comp them (we didn't ask), but when we got the bill they were on there. So we had two questions about the bill, and even though I asked nicely, the waitress seemed to take offense (I didn't ask to have prices adjusted or anything, and said I was happy to pay more for my drinks). It's your job as a waitress to serve the customer, so don't get angry when I ask questions. Generally speaking, though, the food is great and it's a nice restaurant. I did notice that it's noisy in there, so I might not go for the romantic upscale dinner that seems like a good idea otherwise.

Happy hour is 7 days until 6:30, Brasserie is on Walnut across from the St. Julien.

Bacaro, II

Despite the bad service, Rex and I went back to Bacaro because I can't resist $3 champagne at happy hour. To our great surprise, we had good service! I have never seen that particular waitress before, but it was like dining at a regular restaurant where your server occasionally stops by the table. As always, the food was great (the pear and arugula pizza is my absolute favorite), and we were able to have two rounds of food and drinks in the remaining 1/2 hour of happy hour. If you go, pray you get the cute petite new blonde waitress.

Bacaro happy hour: 7 days until 6:30.

Aji

Yesterday, Rex and I went to Aji (on Pearl, east of the pedestrian mall) for happy hour. We are, quite obviously, happy hour junkies. We went for the mojitos and empanadas, which we know to be consistently good. The same bartender is always there for the 7-days-a-week happy hour from 3-6, and we really like him. He mixes up a great $4 mojito (two and I wasn't sure I could walk back to the car yesterday), and they come in flavors like strawberry and occasionally madras. The empanadas are $3.50 for two small ones, and they have shrimp, poblano, and beef varieties. All three are my favorite. Happy hour also offers discounted ceviche, the whitefish being the recommended selection (I've had it, it's tasty). Aji also offers a more comprehensive non-discounted menu if you're too hungry for just the empanadas. All-in-all, I love Aji and keep going back for more.

Cantina Laredo

Cantina Laredo is a relatively new upscale Mexican restaurant in the 29th Street shopping center. Rex and I went for happy hour, to see if any good deals were to be had. We were seated in the bar area, with menus promising happy hour deals from 4-7, but no indication was given as to what the deals might be. After waiting 5+ minutes, someone dressed like a manager finally came over (realizing that we had been overlooked) and we asked what the happy hour consisted of. He told us that is was margaritas and wine. That's all he said. We asked for prices, and he had to go ask the bartender. Not off to such a good start. Anyway, we ordered $5 house margaritas (discounted from $8), and some queso (no food discounts for happy hour). Both were pretty good, but the service was not great (not great at all), and the regular menu was quite pricey. I think it will have been our last, as well as our first, visit. We can get far better Mexican at cheaper prices at Casa Alvarez or Efrain's.

The Med

The Med is a local favorite for happy hour in Boulder, and with good reason. The tapas range in price from $1 to $5 or $6, and are double delicious. It's a mix of Spanish, Italian, and Greek food (hence the name). My favorite is the baba gannoush, served with warm flatbread. Yesterday, Rex and I tried the lamb meatballs (yummy) and the shrimp cocktail (with wasabi pesto!), much to our delight. We also had the fried polenta, which is relatively new to the menu and also very tasty. I've yet to have a bad experience at The Med, and I'm there nearly every week. The cheap, small tapas mean you can try nearly everything.

Drinks are discounted only a little for happy hour. House wine is $4, Sangria is $4 ($4.50 for white), beers are about $3.50, and I don't think cocktails are discounted at all. The service is always good.

Happy hour at The Med is 7 days a week from 3-6:30, and they have an awesome patio.

Mad Greens

An attorney from EPA took me to lunch at Mad Greens today. I'd been wanting to try the gourmet salad place, and was thrilled with it. They have tons of delicious, creative salads to choose from, or you can build your own. They also serve panini and soups for those who avoid veggies like many folks I know. I had an Edgar Allen Poe salad, which consists of baby greens with walnuts, blue cheese, and pears and apples. I had the Mad Vinaigrette instead of the recommended port vinaigrette. The salad is tossed for you, and is SUPER delicious. Plus, in downtown Denver at lunch hour, it was fast (and that's worth something!). We went to the 16th Street Mall location, and I know there's one at 29th Street in Boulder. Check out the website for other locations, because it's a chain and you might be lucky enough to have a Mad Greens near you!

Mountain Sun

The original location of this brewery, located on Pearl Street, was bustling at 9:30 last night when I went to meet a friend (who works 7 days a week from 8am to 9pm for what equals roughly $5 per hour). I've never been a big fan of Southern Sun, the South Boulder sister to this establishment, but it was convenient for all of us to go to Mountain Sun, so there we were. I was pleased with the experience, overall. My biggest complaint is that the place (both locations) is a huge draw for pretentious hippies, and I hate pretentious hippies. But, the beer is good and the food is good. The team service system never seems to work at the south location, which means we never really get service there. At the Pearl Street location, however, service was great. Since I'd eaten, I had just a cup of their vegetarian black bean chili, and it was pretty darn good. Rex had a grilled cheese with bacon, I believe (he was pretty tanked), and gobbled it down in a hurry. All in all, I'd give it a positive review.

Note: Mountain Sun and Southern Sun do not accept credit cards, so come armed with cash.

Bacaro

On Tuesday, Alex and I decided to brave the worst service in town (and possibly the country) to have happy hour at Bacaro on the west end of Pearl St. Luckily, the big waiter wasn't there, meaning we could actually order food, and possibly receive it, within the hour and a half we had left of happy hour. Ambitious, I know. Anywho, I had forgotten about the $3 glass of house champagne, and so had a couple of those. Alex had beer, but we both usually have a few of their outstanding house cocktails/martinis, which are a bargain at happy hour. Because of my gluten-free/dairy-free phase, we avoided the $2 ounces of chevre that we love, and the pear and arugula pizza. We instead ordered chicken skewers (which came with mashed potatoes!), grilled artichokes (yummy!), kalamata olives, and tuna tar tar (that's how they spell it). The service was pretty bad, as usual, and I was overcharged by one glass of champagne that I ordered but never received, but the food, like always, was delicious and affordable. You do truly need an hour and a half for happy hour because it's so slow, but if you've got the time, and are burned out on other places, it's a good bet. Plus, the patio is nice, and great for people watching in the summer.

Happy hour at Bacaro is 7 days a week until 6:30 pm.

Golden Lotus

Golden Lotus is a Chinese restaurant in Boulder on 28th Street, just south of Target (between Pearl and Walnut). It's a nice, white tablecloth-type restaurant, with a decent wines-by-the-glass list (as far as Chinese restaurants go) and cheap, fun cocktails. They offer all the standards, plus a few "healthy" options with no sugar/salt/oil/MSG (none of the food has MSG). Rex and I went last night, and started with some hot and sour soup, which was just as you would expect. He had the sesame chicken (which comes with fresh, steamed broccoli). 'Twas delicious, just as it should be. I ordered the Moo Goo Gai Pan in an effort to avoid sugar, and like the sesame chicken, it was great. Lots of big, crunchy vegetables in a savory white sauce. We both had brown rice to make the meal a little healthier.

In terms of service and atmosphere, the place was very quiet and relaxing. I had a decent glass of wine, and Rex's zombie cocktail came in a skull mug, which pleased him very much. The service was rather slow, and our food came out at different times. Our server did apologize for the slowness, and I think that she was overworked. If you're in a hurry, perhaps avoid Golden Lotus, but otherwise, I would highly recommend it!

Juanita's, and an introduction

I can hear you calling me on it right now... you created that other blog, and never wrote on it! Well, hopefully you can rely on the fact that I eat out. A lot. And I figured, why not share those dining experiences with the world? I've always sought out decent restaurant reviews online, because not only do I eat out a lot, but I'm totally stuck-up about it. I've never found anything worthwhile, so I thought maybe I could fill the void, at least for those Boulder restaurants that I happen to frequent. Here it is: i like stuff eats. Oh, how she eats.

Unfortunately, I'm beginning this blog with a less-than-stellar experience. I would have liked to begin with, perhaps, my first foray into Frasca, or a reprise of the ever-fabulous Q's. But, here I am, writing about Juanita's. Rex and I dined there last night, and it's never been a favorite, but we chose it because on foot in that part of town, the choices within a couple blocks either suck (BJs, Old Chicago, and say what you want about the margs, but the food at the Rio sucks) or are too expensive for my broke-ass (The Kitchen, The West End Tavern). So Juanita's it was. I'm no margarita expert, so I'll leave that review to someone else. My short-and-sweet summary would be that Juanita's is totally unremarkable and average. It's not bad, it's just, well, just ok. The service is average (though sometimes average = great, given how bad it can get) . My complaint about the menu is that it doesn't have enough information. I like to know where my food is coming from, something about preparation, etc. This is one reason that were I to elect to have Mexican anywhere in Boulder, I'd go to Casa Alvarez. I was able to infer from the notation on the "vegetarian black beans" that the pintos were probably cooked in lard. Which means partially hydrogenated lard in this day and age, which means it converts to trans fats in your blood. I'm trying to avoid hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated and trans fatty foods, so I was avoiding the pintos this evening. I ordered the Blue Corn Enchiladas with Cheese and Onions, with the vegetarian beans, naturally. Like everything else about Juanita's, it was unremarkable. Bland, and the rice had peas and carrots in it (like the canned kind). Plus, it took FOREVER to get our food. By the end, I was cranky and ready to get out. It took me several visits, but I've finally realized that Juanita's is not worth the time and effort. If I wanted mild cheddar melted in a corn tortilla with slow service, I'd cook for myself.