Ristorante L, formerly Laudisio, closed on Saturday after almost 25 years in Boulder. Was the restaurant killed off by nearby chains? Or by independent restaurants that had raised the bar on what people now expect in Boulder?

See also: - Laudisio, aka Ristorante L, closes in Boulder - Trader Joe's finally breaks ground on its Boulder store - Review: Oak at Fourteenth rises from the ashes in Boulder

Says Fred Kaplan:

It is unfortunate that many family-style restaurants are closing. Too many Americans' taste buds have been killed by eating at Taco Bell, McD and same-food chain restaurants.

But Monopod disagrees:

It's a bummer Laudisio's (or whatever it was called at the end) closed because it's such a Boulder institution, but they didn't close because of the chains -- if anything, they got the benefit of being the one non-chain restaurant near the movie theater, and I know a lot of folks that went there just for that reason (plus the gorgeous bar area).

What do you think of the closing of Laudisio? What's your favorite restaurant in Boulder -- and why?

• Cafe Society