Reader: Boulder is developing a glut of "me too" restaurants

Zanitas Mexican opened last week in Boulder, offering "chef-inspired" menu that gives a new twist to tacos. Or so its owners hope, since T|ACO opened nearby this spring...

By Patricia Calhoun

August 6, 2012

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Zanitas Mexican opened last week in Boulder, offering "chef-inspired" menu that gives a new twist to tacos. Or so its owners hope, since T|ACO opened nearby this spring.

Says monopod:

I love that they're trying to shake up the standard fast-cas burrito model with grilled burritos, mac and cheese tacos, fried cookies w/pudding dip (that last one sounds especially awesome), and such. Boulder is developing a glut of "me too" restaurants that just copy other successful places in town, usually with diminishing returns, so I'm all for some creativity. Hopefully the quality lives up to the concept and the prices don't keep the masses away.

.

Is Zanitas different enough to escape the "me too" label? What concepts are overdone in Boulder?

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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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