Audio By Carbonatix
Wasted youth. When I first walked into Centro, the reconcepting of Cafe Rhumba by Dave Query (who also owns Lola, Jax, West End Tavern and Zolo), I immediately knew that I would like it. Even though the food at Rhumba was far from stellar, I always enjoyed the place: Query is a guy who understands the beauty of a fine patio, good bar food and great cocktails. And while I think the (possibly) tongue-in-cheek subtitle of “Latin Kitchen & Refreshment Palace” may be a bit of oversell for a joint that serves margaritas and Mexican food, I couldn’t help but love the location (Pearl Street Mall) and ambience (laid-back). And I really loved walking into a bar when it was full of cute college boys misspending their youth but not their parents’ money, as they were double-fisting $1 Cuba libres and Modelo Especial cans during happy hour (which runs from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday). Since I was in a “palace,” though, I decided to forgo the insanely cheap, if oxymoronic, Cuba libres and try the Grapefruit Margarita ($8) made of 1800 Silver Tequila, Patrón Citrónge and grapefruit juice served with a sugared rim. I was still sipping this delicious drink as the clock struck 5:31 and the boys at the bar disappeared, only to be replaced by boisterous moms wearing Patagonia and Croc (aka nouveau Birkenstock) and hard-drinking middle-aged men whose ear piercings healed up years ago. But in the never-never land of Boulder, youth is just a state of mind. And inebriation.
