Reader: Pound for pound, Boulder is a much better food city than Denver

Boulder just made Livability's Top 10 Foodie Cities list -- again. "Known for its array of outdoor adventures, the mountain town of Boulder, Colo., contains an equally impressive collection of restaurants, markets and food purveyors," the site reports. "You'll find residents here get just as excited about the opening weekend...

By Patricia Calhoun

June 17, 2014

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Boulder just made Livability's Top 10 Foodie Cities list -- again. "Known for its array of outdoor adventures, the mountain town of Boulder, Colo., contains an equally impressive collection of restaurants, markets and food purveyors," the site reports. "You'll find residents here get just as excited about the opening weekend of the neighborhood farmers market as they do the opening of surrounding ski resorts." Boulder made Livability's first Top 10 Foodie Cities list in 2012, and not much has changed since then -- including the four restaurants that Livability namechecks: Frasca Food and Wine, Dushanbe Teahouse, Amu and Brasserie Ten Ten. Also unchanged: The fact that people have very different opinions about Boulder.

Says ScubaSteve:

I can only hope they're joking.

Responds Jacob:

Of course Boulder deserves to be on the list. Pound for pound Boulder is a much better food city than Denver. The fact they have two JBF winners and Denver only has one is very telling. Criticizing Boulder because their restaurants have longevity is asinine. Most great food cities have a good mix of new innovative restaurants as well as old standbys that become institutions over time. Ten years ago there were no good restaurants in Denver -- don't hate on Frasca because they continue to be successful.

I'm sure the Boulder County Farmers' Market played a big role too. There is really nothing else like it in the state.

What do you think about Boulder's restaurants? And what role do you believe Frasca played in elevating metro Denver's dining scene? Post your thoughts below.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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