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Best of Boulder County '01
Sure, Boulder has its share of problems and Boulder Weekly is always more than eager and willing to dredge them up and cast them into a spotlight, but once a year we like to take inventory of all that's wonderful in Boulder. We call it "Best of Boulder," and we ask for help and guidance from our readers in determining what people, businesses, places and things make our city so great. This year, readers sent in more than 1,000 ballots, voting on everything from the best liquor store to the best place to eat raw fish. Then our staff chimed in, selecting some of what we think stands out in The People's Republic. We thank our readers and advertisers for their never-ending loyalty, and for making the 2001 Best of Boulder another whopping success and the best Best of Boulder ever. We hope this issue will help you get just a little more out of living here, in the Best Small City on earth. Please enjoy this issue, and then pass it on to a friend!
Reader Picks
Best Overall Restaurant Deep in the heart of Boulder lies a restaurant with no equal. The Med offers the citizens of Boulder a wide selection of tasty morsels from the countries of the Mediterranean. From Spanish to Italian to Greek, the Med has food that belongs in a restaurant none of us could afford, but prices that are within anyone's budget. For a restaurant with exceptional service, wine, food and music, visit the year's runner-up, Trilogy. It may be relatively new to Boulder, but it's welcome by all our readers. To take a taste, visit during happy hour and get some killer deals on wine and appetizers.
Best seafood restaurant "Les poissons, les poissons. Hee, hee, hee. Ha, ha, ha..." If you too are a true seafood lover, then you've probably frequented Jax. You're familiar, then, with the delectable menu‹which includes an expansive selection of light and luscious dishes‹and the restaurant's posh but by no means stiff ambiance (the waiters serve up crayons with the first course). Added bonus: This is a great date place. With crayons and oysters, you'll always have something to talk about.
Best Chinese Restaurant For authentic, flavorful, consistently delicious Chinese cuisine, Boulderites have been visiting Orchid Pavilion since it opened 15 years ago. The business is best characterized by friendly service, a menu with broad appeal and a comfortable setting. Among the more popular items on the menu are the sesame chicken, steamed whole fish, crispy whole fish and Grand Marnier. Perhaps best of all, the Orchid Pavilion doesn't leave those who pick up the bill with spending hangovers. With evening entrees priced at $10-15, it's price-competitive with far more average restaurants up and down the Front Range.
Best Indian Restaurant There are a handful of B.O.B. categories that provide little suspense, sort of like the outcome of a Nora Ephron movie (Sleepless In Seattle, You've Got Mail). With plenty of great choices for authentic Indian cuisine, Weekly readers have remained loyal to three local favorites. In a classic example of the student surpassing the teacher (reminiscent of the first time I beat my dad at arm wrestling), The Taj, which is actually an offshoot of Himalayas, wins top honors, as it did last year, and the year before, and the year before that. Lest our dynamic readers become mis-categorized as being set in their ways, there was one change in the results of this year's balloting: Delhi Darbar broke last year's tie with Himalayas for runner up. With only a narrow margin of votes, though, this could change again next year. Stay tuned.
Best Vegetarian Resaurant Newcomers to Boulder are sometimes confronted with a term they have never heard of before: vegan (vee'-gun). They quickly learn that this newfangled word refers to a dish prepared without a trace of any ingredient that comes from an animal, including dairy. It appears that Boulderites are also confused about the meaning of the term "vegetarian," since perennial Best Vegetarian Restaurant winner, Sunflower, also serves seafood, poultry and wild game. Perhaps it's merely wishful thinking on the part of frustrated vegetarians who have long been befuddled at the lack of vegetarian restaurants in town. In any event, Sunflower caters to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, and does so with such remarkable style, quality and attention to detail that it came in fifth in the balloting for Best Overall Restaurant. We predict that once Sunflower escapes the stereotype associated with the term "vegetarian," they will continue to rise in the Best Overall category. Placing second is an up-and-coming restaurant that we are thrilled to see getting some well-deserved recognition. Panasia, on Walnut Street, serves a creative mix of Japanese, Chinese, Thai and other Asian dishes. Once again, though, the menu could hardly be characterized as vegetarian. Perhaps next year we should change the category to "Best Vegetarian Restaurant Serving Non-Vegetarian Cuisine."
Best Sandwich/Sub You can lead a New Yorker to Boulder, but you can't make him eat. Unless, of course, you take them to your perennial favorite Salvaggios, where most tofu-championing, animal-rights pretensions are dropped for a carnivorous orgy of fresh meats, cheeses‹and customer service‹served up in the in-your-face, I'm-a-tough-guy-from-a-real-city, East Coast style. While the attitude is a little saucy, and bordering on absurd, considering their two idyllic Rocky Mountain locales, the Philly-style burgers add an interesting twist and texture to the staple grub. And the cheese steak and beef brisket are quite popular with our resident Jersey boys. Runner-up Snarfs gets bonus points for their meatball provolone and an equally thought-provoking attitude issues.
Best Mexican Restaurant Nothing quite takes the edge off a sun-drenched day of consumer consumption on the Pearl Street Mall like crossing the border (11th Street) and dunking into the dark, almost third-world ambiance of Juanita's. While the unpretentious retreat lacks the soft, tropical cubby hole booths of runner-up Casa Alvarez, the restaurant continues to provide top-notch chili relleños, great specials, short quarter queues at the pool table, and an impressive selection of top-shelf agave products for the discriminating lush. Silver-medal winner Casa Alvarez takes the gold for dessert. Their sopapilla delight‹a sopapilla with vanilla ice cream‹is a wonderful companion to their vast veggy fare and bottomless chips and salsa.
Best Thai Restaurant The Siamese Plate is an adventure in Asian cuisine. Offering Thai as well as Japanese, the dishes here instantly transport customers to cuisine heaven. Not only do they have an incredible selection of sushi, you can order online. Pushing the culinary arts into the 21st Century, Siamese Plate offers a full menu, and ordering via the web. You can get Thai delivered straight to your laptop.
Best Japanese Restaurant Considering that we in Boulder are landlocked, we have some fine sushi at our fingertips. The evidence is in the excellence of this year's winners‹two longtime favorites, Sushi Zanmai and Sushi Tora and newcomer Hapa. All three offer exceptional cuisine and atmosphere. And for those of you who just can't stomach the thought of raw fish, visit anyway‹you'll see diverse menus of cooked and uncooked delights. We should count ourselves lucky for the number of high-quality Japanese restaurants in our town. A little healthy competition can only mean the food will get better and better.
Best Pizza No gourmet food in the world beats a great slice of hot pizza. However, everyone has their preferences and it shows in their choices for best pizza. If you can't get enough of that New York style thin crust, dripping with cheese kind of pie, Abo's is your pizzeria. Classic, to-the-point, delicious pizza is what has made Abo's Boulder's favorite. However, if you're in the mood for a pie to take and bake in the comfort of your own home, skip the frozen foods section and head straight for Nick & Willy's. Now, if the gourmet in you has a pizza craving, it's definitely time to head for Jalino's, with their mix-and-match, anything goes, fantastic concoctions that never lack for flavor or toppings. Any way you go, you can't help but hit the mark.
Best Bagel For many Boulderites, Moe's has become more than a bagel joint. It's a way of life. For a mere 60 cents, you can buy so much more than a bagel‹you can pick up a new attitude. As soon as you walk through the door to any of the Moe's locations, it's like the world downshifts. Suddenly, fretting over everyday responsibilities doesn't seem quite as important as "chillin' like a villain". For those of you who aren't interested in purchasing a new outlook on life, Moe's still offers the tastiest and cheapest bagels in town. And since it was recently purchased back by its original owners who plan to continue its tradition of greatness.
Best Breakfast/Brunch Imagine rolling out of bed on a warm Sunday morning, slipping on a comfortable pair of jeans and then leisurely strolling over to a bright and busy cafe to enjoy a fresh cup of OJ and a delicious southern-style breakfast. Well, my friend, this dream can be a reality at Lucille's, Boulder's own "Creole Cafe". The long wait list is a testimony to the restaurant's cozy atmosphere and delicious food‹chose from an array of New Orleans-style food, including Eggs Benedict, the Cajun Breakfast and Lucille's Ettouffe. We suggest starting off with Lucille's warm and gooey beignets. As an added bonus, you can make new friends as you munch on breakfast at the communal tables on the patio.
Best Hamburger The restaurant scene on Pearl Street seemingly changes with the wind, or at least with each new fashion and fad that comes along. Through it all one Boulder institution never changes: Tom's Tavern, just west of the west end of the Pearl Street Mall. Tom's is that place people crave when they've had enough of the trendy spots and the all-vegetarian menus, and they want a simple, tasty hamburger fixed to order with a plate of hot steaming french fries and a coke or a shake. At Tom's Tavern, time stands still. It's distinctively non-Boulder with it's no-frills meat-and-potatoes menu, yet somehow a staid institution of local dining that makes no apologies and never longs for customers. It's also a great place to hang out and talk about local politics. If you talk loud enough, you might influence Boulder's most famous and powerful burger flipper‹owner and founder Tom Eldridge, a Boulder City councilman.
Best Margarita There are no worms in the bottom of these margarita glasses. If you've ever had a margarita at the Rio, you know that they've created about as near margarita perfection as is humanly possible‹every one goes down easy and packs a powerful punch. Three's the limit of these blissful tequila concoctions that come how you like them‹frozen, on the rocks, strawberry or with a rim of salt. They're worth they're weight in Jose Cuervo Gold. If it's after ten and you've still got that craving for salt and tequila, head across the street to Juanita's. They'll serve you up a killer margarita that they've refined to perfection after all these years in the bosom of Boulder night life.
Why? Why? Why? Does any other business in Boulder slap us harder across the face, as we stroll our erstwhile uniquely colorful outdoor mall, with the harsh reality of corporate infiltration, no, domination, than the Cheesecake Factory? With a plethora of creative, blood-sugar-raising options in town, such as those offered by our runner-up, Zolo Grill, and honorable mention winner, the Med, having to give the Best Dessert award to the Cheesecake Factory is akin to choosing to have lunch at the McDonald's on the Champs-Élyées. Nevertheless, this is a reader survey, and our readers have made their selection. Despite our disappointment with our readers' judgment in this case, we'll try to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that the presence of the word "Cheesecake" in the winner's name led to a "knee-jerk" decision, rather than the more thoughtful choices that were made in most of the other categories. From our perspective, the word that lingers within the name of this undeserving winner is "cheese."
Best Street Food Cheeborger-cheeborger-cheeborger, Pepsi-Pepsi-Pepsi. No Coke, Pepsi. No hamburger, cheeborger. Ooops. Wrong act. That's Chicago's Billy Goat Tavern, as portrayed in the '70s by the Not Ready for Prime Time Players on Saturday Night Live. In Boulder, a slightly different version of Chicago-speak gets repeated by imitators who've recently strolled down the Pearl Street Mall, usually near the south lawn of the old Boulder County Court House. It goes: "Hot dawwwgs, hot dawwwgs, cheep-cheeps-cheeps (meaning chips)." "Fast" Eddie Ermoian, a Chicago native, long ago brought his act to downtown Boulder. He didn't bring the hustle, bustle and traffic of Chicago with him, but he did bring one of the Windy City's finer amenities‹good, affordable street-vendor hotdogs and an aroma that makes ex-Chicagoan's feel at home on at least one city block in Colorado.
Best Burrito Even though you'll probably get it in less than five minutes, this is no drive-thru quality burrito. It has fresh ingredients and your choice of salsa (if you like corn, the spicy corn salsa adds an unexpected kick). But what really found this burrito its place in the hearts of Boulder is its affordability. Unlike so much food in Boulder, Pete's doesn't think of skimping. You'll have enough killer burrito to last lunch and dinner, for pretty much the price of a cup of coffee. If you'd rather have a full Mexican meal, head on over to our reader's second choice for best burrito‹Masa Grill in north Boulder.
Best Sports Bar It doesn't matter if you want to watch the Broncos and Avs win it all or watch the Nuggets and Rockies flounder in mediocrity, Lazy Dog is the place to see it. With a television covering every angle you can see, its easy to get distracted from your meal. And Lazy Dog doesn't serve up just wings and burgers‹it is a step above. Offering everything from Portabella mushrooms to salmon steaks, you can eat in style as the Yankees win yet another World Series. And if you're one of those rare sports fans who happens to like beer, the Dog has a wide selection of brews to quench your thirst.
Old Chi's "free" World Beer Tour allows you to drink your nose purple while taste-testing over 110 beers from around the planet. As you sample their global grog, you become eligible for prizes, like hats, bottle openers, and special Old Chicago catheters, which will eliminate annoying trips to the head. Those successfully completing the expedition‹which some delirious Boulderites have taken 15-20 times‹win the tour sweatshirt, a place on "The Famous Hall of Foam," and a spot next to David Crosby on the U.S. liver donor request list. While Old Chicago gets credit for coverage, runner-up Mountain Sun gets props for originality‹in both atmosphere and brew.
Best Happy Hour The clink of martini glasses and the aroma of hops fills the air during the Med's happy hour. It's rare to find a place to drink that provides both an air of sophistication and great prices on drinks. Offering imported beers like Guiness, local brews like Twisted Pine and a bar that would make Ted Kennedy proud, the Med has just about any drink under the sun.
Best New Restaurant With new restaurants popping up all the time in an already restaurant-saturated city, every additional one that springs up better have a pretty darn good raison d'tre. This year's Triana has more than validated its existence with an a tasty menu, a classy decor and an exotic array of cocktails. Here at Boulder Weekly we suggest heading down to Triana after work one day, ordering a sangria and some tapas and unwinding at a patio table. You'll feel like shouting, "Olé!" Congrats also to Trilogy and BD Mongolian Grill for their original additions to Boulder cuisine.
Place to Eat Meat Boulder has that reputation as sort of a hippie-dippy-veggie town where restaurants primarily serve organically-grown leaves and sprouts to vegans with menus that editorialize about the rain forest. There's some truth to the reputation, but Boulder is also one of the great Front Range cities for meat. After all, it's home to the Red Lion Restaurant nestled in Boulder Canyon, where one can indulge in some of the best meat entrees on earth while taking in breathtaking views from inside the cozy mountain. The menu features an array of wild game choices that change with the seasons, and among the more popular is the elk steak. For those wanting beef, nothing beats the Chateaubrianne or the Steak Diane, each prepared by the chef right at the table. Don't be surprised if you see one or more black bears in, or near, the parking lot of the Red Lion. You can look , but don't go near them, since they like meat too. For a slightly more urban experience, The Cork also offers an elaborate meat and wine menu that's more typical of a Kansas City or New York dining experience than the standard Boulder fare.
Best Juice Bar As the heat of summer rapidly approaches, there's nothing quite like a cold fruit drink to keep you from wilting. You're in luck‹Boulder is booming with fantastic juice bars, all of which offer their own unique concoctions of juice, yogurt, sherbet and fruit. At this year's winner, Jamba Juice, you can not only get your favorite fruits and juices blended up in healthy servings that can count as breakfast or lunch, you can get your daily vitamins and supplements as well. With every smoothie, get one free boost‹anything from protein to immunity. And as for a recommendation to get you started, the Caribbean Passion and Mango Madness are some of the fruity favorites.
Best Restaurant to Take Kids Junkies have crack houses; kids have Red Robin. The kitschy chain traffics in balloons, video games, bottomless fries and soda, phat burgs‹like the venerable mushroom Swiss burger‹and dessert servings large enough to string out hundreds of kindergartners on a 24-hour sugar jag. Parents can take advantage of the booze and broadcasting; beers and wines are available, and when used in conjunction with the abundant television sets, they can provide a healthy distraction from little Billy upchucking candy sprinkles on little Suzy. Conveniently located across the street from the Arapahoe Avenue movie theaters, the back-to-basics eatery is an informal place to drag the younguns before or after viewing Disney's latest animated attempt at historical revisionism. What more do you need for the classic suburban night on the town?
Best Microbrewery A beer always tastes better when it comes with atmosphere. Mountain Sun's fine brews could stand on their own in any taste test, but they are far better shared with friends in a booth down on the east end of Pearl Street. You will never feel rushed out of Mountain Sun‹you can sit and enjoy a variety of light and dark, amber and ale brews for hours. Topped with great burgers and weekly live music, Mountain Sun has everything a great brewery could offer. If you want to play some pool or are looking for a slightly less intimate setting, runner-up Oasis, with its well-known brews, is a great option. A favorite on the drinking menu: Scarab Red.
Best Salad Bar With a salad bar about 20-feet long, it's not hard to wonder why the salad bar at Whole Foods was chosen this year. The bar is a sight to behold, filled with veggies, croutons and dressing. A salad from here can reach incredible proportions; sometimes it is just impossible to stop pilling on the goodies. Whatever salad fantasy you can conjure up, it's here. Despite its size, the bar is always full and is cleaned on a consistent basis. If you can deal with crowds of people; make your way to the salad bar and feast.
Best Ice Cream Ben and Jerry (Greenfield, not Garcia damnit!) have taken their operation from a renovated Vermont gas station to such Libertarian hippie meccas as Haight Ashbury and the Pearl Street Mall. While the company's pinko-leaning labels‹"Cherry Garcia," "Jerry's Jubilee," "Phish Food," "Half Baked," "Doonesberry"‹probably play the biggest part in B and J's success story, the cream-peddler's progressive 7.5 percent pre-tax donations to social charities, sweet, ultra-fresh ice cream, and tangy sorbet continue to please Boulderites seeking to salve their consciences while padding their waistlines. And if they finally come out with "Devo's Daiquiri Ice" this year, next year's prostitorial will be nothing but praise.
Best Bartender "I like to sell a lot of drinks, and make people happy," says 13-year member of the bar, and current Trilogy 'tender, Jeff. Sounds simple. Too simple. But what else do you want Jeff to do? Twirl bottles of Captain Morgan's and juggle limes with Michael Cain while flirting with bitter, middle-aged women just in from out of town? No, of course not. A Cleveland native who moved out to Vail nine years ago, Jeff sounded extremely sincere when he said Trilogy is the best, most fun place he's ever worked. So while you wanna go where everybody knows your name, know J-E-F-F when ordering your next Stoli or Beaujolais Nouveau at the fabulous Trilogy Wine Bar and Lounge.
Best Place to Hear an Entire Barroom Singing Along With Dave Matthews "He wakes up in the morning, does his teeth, bite to eat, and he's rolling," a seriously uninhibited college-age crowd belts out over booth-tops covered with pitchers of Bud and crushed peanut shells. With jaws gaping, shiny folks have been seen singing their faces off to downy-soft, archetypal mainstream acts like "Dave" at the Walrus. Manning the vast middle ground between the plastic fantastic, yuppie scene at the Foundry and the sketchy biker bar, the Erie Inn, the Walrus is a great place to hang if you're an elephant, a cigarette-smoking bachelor/ette, or a sonic philistine apprehensive of the pseudo-sketchy milieu at the Sundowner. The seemingly bottomless peanut trough provides much-needed protein, ammo for peanut wars, and a pulpous mass with which to soak up beer and vomit; the smoking stockade is a great place to be offered a ménage à trois for a menthol and lose a couple of years of your life to secondhand smog; and the Dave Chorus is soothing to the soul. Not.
Best Bakery When Breadworks opened about seven years ago, it was a great little bread shop with a few selections of organic loaves and morning pastries. It caught on so quickly that today the business has added a cafe and a wholesale bread and pastry shop that supplies other stores in the area with its goods. What makes Breadworks unique is its artisan breads, which are baked in a 17-foot round brick oven. All bread loaves are shaped by hand and made from stone‹ground organic flours, naturally leavened without commercial yeast in most cases. The handful of morning pastries that became popular in the early '90s has grown to a selection of five dozen varieties that are baked fresh daily. Soups in the cafe are made fresh with natural ingredients each day, and all sandwiches are made with Breadworks homemade bread. It's no wonder people like this bread joint.
Best Waitperson Our readers chose Liza as Boulder's best waitperson because it's obvious she loves her job, which makes her pleasant to be around. And because she loves her work, she serves up orders quickly and accurately. Liza, 23, has been a waiter for less than two years, and has worked at Panasia Fusion for only a year. She plans to bring her positive attitude into her future career at a business consulting firm. "To excel, you have to love what you do," Liza says. "One's personal attitude toward work affects the outcome, in any job, and especially in service-sector jobs where you work with a lot of other people."
Best Takeout/Delivery Some places cook pizza, or Mexican, or both and also do takeout and delivery. The difference between them and Siamese Plate on the Go is that Siamese Plate loves the business of takeout and delivery. One can order Thai, Japanese and Sushi from the comfort of a favorite recliner, and get it fast and cheap. Nerds can order without ever picking up a phone or leaving the computer. Just go to siameseplateonthego.com and order online. The business also offers frozen-packaged entrees to cook at home or in the office; cafeteria-style, in-house dining; and beer, wine, sake and soft drinks galore. It's open until 11 p.m. every day, so it's seldom too late to indulge.
The dark side of the changing complexion of our community is clearly illuminated by our readers' choice of West End Tavern as the Best Place To Eat Outdoors. As plans develop to build a 3-story, multi-use building on the corner of 9th and Pearl, immediately adjacent to the West End, doubts about the future of this beloved Boulder institution have been raised. According to West End owner Steve (Beaver) Goren, the proposed building will eclipse the Flatirons from view atop the Tavern, forcing Boulder's Best Place To Eat Outdoors to close its doors! Is this what the People's Republic of Boulder wants? Hell, no! Can we do something about it? Hell, yes! For starters, stop by the West End and sign Beaver's petition. Next, raise hell. Write your City Council members, send letters to the editors of local newspapers, spread the word to your friends. Then, hike to the top of the 1st Flatiron and shout at the top of your lungs: "I'm mad as hell about seeing the little guy squeezed out of Boulder by greedy investors and cutthroat corporate chains, and I'm not going to take it anymore." Finally, vote with your dollars: Steer clear of the businesses that are tarnishing the unique character of our community. If the Cheesecake Factories, Starbucks and Olive Gardens of the world get wind of the fact that Boulderites simply won't support their plans to increase their already-obscene wealth, they'll stay away. It's that simple. And it's up to you!
Best Italian Restaurant This year's winners for Best Italian Restaurant fit into three categories: The old, the new and the old in a new location. Laudisio has been a Boulder fixture for more than a dozen years at it's off-the-beaten-path location at Iris and 28th Street. Locally owned by Antonio and Patricia Laudisio, the restaurant's old-country approach to Italian cuisine is every bit as authentic as what you might encounter on "the boot" itself. Runner-up Bacaro has recently burst onto the local dining scene and made an instant name for itself with a modern Italian approach that fits perfectly in a town that loves style as much as substance. There are few places more enjoyable to dine outdoors than Bacaro's sidewalk cafe on Pearl Street just east of 9th, and their rooftop dining area offers an incredible view of the Flatirons. Owners Dante Medri and Corrado Fasano provide the warmth and charm that seem to come naturally to native Italianos. Honorable mention goes to Cafe Gondolier, which after 40 years under the same ownership at its old location on 28th near Valmont, has recently taken over the former location of the Harvest on Pearl and 18th.
Best Coffeehouse A good coffeehouse must have two things: good conversation and, most importantly, a good cup o' joe. The Trident has been serving both for the past 15 years. It's the one coffeehouse in Boulder where you can always find a lively, caffeine-fueled debate. The Trident also attracts the antisocial patron, with a huge stack of newspapers updated daily, a pile of coffeehouse games like checkers and chess and isolated corner tables. But to this, the true coffee, aficionado says, "Et, alors?" Well, to top it all off with a big dollop of whipped cream, the Trident's barristas really know their stuff. One of Boulder oldest coffeehouses, the Trident is still Boulder's best.
Best radio station Indigo Girls, Counting Crows, Indigo Girls, our readers are KBCO! Boulder traditions such as the Mall Crawl and cold beers at the Buff games paved the way to the grave for genuine diversity that once was Boulder. It is no wonder why "alternative" is now "pop" and KBCO is World Class Rock! A "dry" campus is no more evident than at Kinetics, and if you want to hear it first before perpetual heavy rotation just tune into New Music Mondays. But, don't get us wrong‹World Class Rock is ever-present at any Studio C session or KBCO concert, especially their annual holiday concerts. Winston Rodney, New Grass Revival, Johnnie Johnson, our readers are KGNU where diversity is supported by readers like you. Where Alternative is defined by alternative to and new music by Utah Philips. Whichever camp you hang your hat in, Boulderites love their radio waves!
Best Art Gallery Art in Boulder is booming, and Art & Soul's success is testament to that. Within the last year, Debbie Klien opened her gallery and this year's winner on the east side of Pearl St. Art & Soul's greatest asset, and perhaps its key to Best of Boulder status, is that they are unlike anything else in Boulder. You won't find anything musty in this gallery‹just fun, inspired, contemporary art. They feature everything from junk-drawer sculpture to more traditional hang-on-the-wall paintings. They even carry art to wear around town‹one-of-a-kind jewelry and knick-knacks for your homes. It's no wonder that you voted Art & Soul as your favorite.
Best Place to Run You better run‹fast. The Boulder Creek Path combines the scenic wonders of a babbling brook and arched bridges, all hermetically sealed from Boulder's red-headed stepchild of a pet peeve, traffic‹ at least the easy to see, horn-blowing traffic. The gas-guzzling, SUV and Volkswagen bus parade. Traffic that turns Boulder's thoroughfares into hazardous mean streets, where neophyte motorists balk at traffic signs as wordy as War and Peace and crash into self-righteous joggers as if to remind them of their mortality. But this repeat favorite place to run has its perils as well. Bicyclists (militant and civilian), stroller jockeys, skate punks, and lycra-pimp roller bladers all vie for pole position on the picturesque pathway. It's enough to get the juices flowin' and keep it, kind of, real.
It's Saturday morning. You've been up until the wee hours partying and indulging yourself. The last thing you feel like doing is dragging your ass out of bed, putting on your sweats and heading to the gym to take a step forward, opposed to the few steps backward you've just taken. Joe Weller and Scott Carew, owners of Mountain's Edge Fitness Center, say, "Do it anyway." And you know, they're right. This pair of courageous entrepreneurs have created an truly outstanding environment, which enables Boulderites to embody the characteristics we're known for throughout the world: young (at heart if not chronologically), fit, lean, healthy and happy. Mountain's Edge, in South Boulder's Table Mesa Shopping Center, is a friendly place where serious body-builders and beginners feel equally comfortable. However, a recent cross-generational poll determined that a majority of Mountain's Edge members would prefer it if the club's staff would stick to "classic rock," rather than "alternative" music being piped in through the sound system.
Best Billiards Boulder Weekly readers named the Foundry the best billiard's hall in town, and who can blame them? Where else can you find such an expansive array of pool tables packed into such a stylish scene? The fortunate Foundry clientele can shoot pool while pretty waitresses, dressed all in black, serve exotic cocktails and local musicians belt out smooth, jazzy tunes. Note to smokers: The Foundry has one of the best smoking rooms in town. If you're looking for more pool and less scene, try Quinn's, this year's runner up.
Best Golf Course There's a rumor floating around the Weekly that the discreet but somehow obvious absence of the Publisher and Operations Manager on Thursday mornings (once the paper is out, of course) has something to do with an advancing golf addiction. Several clues have been identified, headlined by an early afternoon arrival, Polo shirt and shorts apparel, a tan and wind-blown appearance, and, above all, hat hair. Assuming these rumors are based in fact, we're guessing that they've been frequenting Flatirons Golf Course, once again voted Best Golf Course by our readers. A rare tie between Haystack and Coal Creek begs for a playoff. And we know just the two players to carry it out, so long as a tee time can be scheduled for early on a Thursday morning.
Best Non-Profit Sorry fido, even though your owners have achieved "guardian" status, Weekly readers still place mankind above pets. Serving as both an outreach and information center for frisky young folks, and a support system for those suffering from HIV and AIDS, Boulder County AIDS Project spearheads the assault on a virus that continues to ravage those next door, and those halfway around the world in Africa. A heartfelt congratulations goes out to all those involved with this truly humanitarian organization.
Best Local Website When surfing becomes 10GB instead of hangin' ten, and "teach your parents well" has once again become a teenage mantra, it is no wonder why Boulder's top two favorite websites are bouldermusic.com and jambands.com. Both are jam-packed with the where-to-go and what-to-do musically, and plenty of links to explore. Not often do websites pertain to a local scene, but these two sit right on the pulse of Boulder County.
Best Hiking Trail The results are in‹out of all the splendid hiking trails to choose from in our county, Mt. Sanitas is your favorite. And it's easy to see why. The trail, a giant loop, starts off by winding slowly and steadily up the mountain and along a cliff that looks out over Boulder. Then, all off a sudden, it climbs up, and up, and up until you reach the summit where you can enjoy an amazing view of both Boulder and the National Forest. Instead of turning around and going back the way you came, you can trek down the other side on a narrow and winding trail shaded by evergreens and slabs of rose-colored sandstone.
Best Religious Institution "When you see the Jesus in the road, should you kill him?" "What's the sound of one wounded palm clapping?" On a spiritual journey, it's the questions, the questions. While the best place to worship is still in seclusion, Unity Church and Jack Groverland's meta-Christ interpretation of the New Testament continue to be all the rage among Boulder County Christians seeking alternative spiritual guidance and Zen-like enlightenment. Afterall, Christ died for your sins so that you may be free to live a happy, healthy life unburdened with silly guilt.
Best Local Celebrity From Louisville, Kentucky to Louisville, Colorado, Hazel Miller has made a significant impact wherever life takes her. Almost 20 years ago, fate smiled on the Boulder/Denver when Hazel broke down in the Mile High City on her way out to California. Since that time, her soft, soulful voice has nourished Boulder institutions like E-Town and Big Head Todd and the Monsters, while she continues to spread her wings around the world. After returning from gigs in Chicago‹where she is performing for Working Women magazine‹and Dallas, she will perform at Boulder Theater on May 19 for you, the voter. Asked what she liked most about Boulder audiences, Miller said their vast musical knowledge and undying support. Taking the silver is Olympic gold medal winner and local running hero Frank Shorter. While Miller and Shorter seem like an odd combo to win Best of Boulder, they're not nearly as odd as last year's winners: the Ramseys and "Big Head Todd Mohr."
Best Local Music Group Epitomizing the funky, pack-another-bud-in-the-glass-bong-and-pass-me-the-bongos Boulder sound, the sextet-size Motet blends Cuban, Brazilian and African rhythms in a wiggle-friendly groove. Formed by Berklee-grad Dave Watts (Tony Furtado Band, Skin), the loose lucy band of gypsy-like, kinda-Cabaret-Diosa dudes continues to pick up steam in the wake of their recent release, Play. While the percussion section spends a lot of time "studying drumming" in Cuba, they have yet to be blacklisted in our reader's hearts. Congratulations Dave. Now stop calling. Yonder's "fully resonated bluegrass for the high country" takes second, but will definitely be giving the Boulder/Ned scene a run for its money come B.O.B. '02.
Best Non-Profit Sorry fido, even though your owners have achieved "guardian" status, Weekly readers still place mankind above pets. Serving as both an outreach and information center for frisky young folks, and a support system for those suffering from HIV and AIDS, Boulder County AIDS Project spearheads the assault on a virus that continues to ravage those next door, and those halfway around the world in Africa. A heartfelt congratulations goes out to all those involved with this truly humanitarian organization.
Best Local Website When surfing becomes 10GB instead of hangin' ten, and "teach your parents well" has once again become a teenage mantra, it is no wonder why Boulder's top two favorite websites are bouldermusic.com and jambands.com. Both are jam-packed with the where-to-go and what-to-do musically, and plenty of links to explore. Not often do websites pertain to a local scene, but these two sit right on the pulse of Boulder County.
Best Hiking Trail The results are in‹out of all the splendid hiking trails to choose from in our county, Mt. Sanitas is your favorite. And it's easy to see why. The trail, a giant loop, starts off by winding slowly and steadily up the mountain and along a cliff that looks out over Boulder. Then, all off a sudden, it climbs up, and up, and up until you reach the summit where you can enjoy an amazing view of both Boulder and the National Forest. Instead of turning around and going back the way you came, you can trek down the other side on a narrow and winding trail shaded by evergreens and slabs of rose-colored sandstone.
Best Tattoo/Piercing Parlor Neurosurgeon, tandem parachute instructo, and tattoo artist‹these are people in your life you need to trust. Luckily, all those brave, tattooed souls living next to you in Boulder County have taken the risks for you. If you plan on getting your nipple pierced or your beloved's name written across your shoulder, you can trust that the folks at Bolder Ink will do a great job. So get creative, or let the artists on the Hill put their genius to work. Let your skin be a canvas.
Best Computer Store A seemingly endless maze of aisles that feature the latest and greatest in technology, Comp USA is like a giant candy store for nerds. It is to the technophile what the world's largest hardware store is to the weekend home-improvement, Bob Villa-wannabe types. Want a laptop computer with a big screen that plays full-length movies for the kids? Comp USA has a full line. Want a writable CD Rom to record your next Karaoke party? Then buy one at Comp USA, or buy an entire gross. It's also a great place to shop for digital video and still cameras. And feel free to bring the kids, because they'll be kept busy with the few video games set up for their use.
Best Copy Center Kinko's got the name that every chain of sex toy stores covets. Despite the moniker, you won't find inflatable love dolls here. Nope, just an office away from the office, with a branch probably nearby anywhere you go in the United States. Kinko's has literally revolutionized American business, making it possible for businesses large and small to mass produce letterhead, business cards and marketing packets affordably, quickly and easily with all the latest duplicating equipment. Copy machines are expensive, a giant maintenance hassle and Kinko's has plenty, so the headaches are all theirs. They're in the business of owning that burden, selling the rest of us small amounts of time on equipment that's outdated shortly after it's bought. And there's nothing kinky about that.
Best Bookstore In a world where chains of bookstores are popping up next to, and inside of, every Starbucks, it's incredible to behold a thriving independent bookstore. Located on the Pearl Street Mall, the Boulder Book Store has a mammoth selection of works, covering everything from fiction to East Indian prayer ceremonies. An inviting place to sit down and read, Boulder Book Store has an atmosphere of relaxed dignity.
Best Used Bookstore The heart of the Pearl Street Mall, Boulder Bookstore has long been the place for a good book and quiet contemplation. Part of your affection for this independent store has been that it conforms with your ideals of the reduce/reuse/recycle concept. Books only get better when they're passed from friend to friend and generation to generation. Boulder Book Store proudly serves up the treasures of old books alongside brand-spanking new ones. If you'd like a genuine coffeeshop atmosphere with your rare find, Trident, right down the street from Boulder Book Store, offers a slightly more intimate, less retail feel to its used book browsing.
Best Record/CD Store In an industry that is changing as fast as the weather along the Front Range, Bart Stinchcomb has proven that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Music lovers adore Bart's CD Cellar because they offer an incredible selection, a knowledgeable staff and an atmosphere that makes it a joy to cruise the stacks the same features that have made for successful record stores since vinyl. Plus, Bart's is well-connected; how else could they get top musical artists to play at their now-famous in-store shows? Coming in second by just two votes over last year's runner-up, Albums On The Hill, is Wherehouse Records, nee Rocky Mountain Records.
Best Used Clothing A clothing outlet that throws techno fashion shows with women scantily clad in kinky, retro mini-skirts and androgynous men in pleather banana hammocks is bound to stand out in the land of sheik, independently owned boutiques that don't think twice about slapping outrageous sticker prices on goods produced for pesos south of the border. At the Buff Exchange, you can reclaim the hip from hippie by finding, selling and trading trendy attire, without losing your shirt. While lacking the saucy sex appeal of the winner, runner-up Savers is still the place for the truly down-and-out and the trustafarian to sift through a warehouse full of secondhand goodies with stories of their own. Wash before wearing.
Best Men's Clothing They not only have cheap, luscious fruit, affordable labor, and accommodating governments with top-notch security, Banana Republic's keep costs down for the consumer with minimal human rights violations... Oh wait, you mean the clothing store. Yeah, well you can't beat them sassy boxer shorts‹you know, with the wide elastic waist bands‹and the convenience of one-stop shopping. Tour the Republic, try on a uniform, and 15 minutes later you're ready to converse with the cigar-smoking hotties at the Purple Martini regarding the oft-overlooked merits of the World Trade Organization.
Best Women's Clothing The best thing I have to say‹as would most struggling young students or professionals‹about Banana Republic, is that it has some killer deals on its sale rack. All those fabulous designs and delicious fabrics eventually make their way to the back of the store, maybe even in your size. And while they may never make it on sale, the Banana Republic for women does have exceptionally fine underwear, the essential starting place for any woman's wardrobe. If you want to avoid the corporate giants, the Weekly's readers recommend the upscale, but more original The Max
We love our readers and respect their intelligence and taste. Their collective selections in Best of Boulder categories traditionally reflect the fact that Boulder is an enlightened, cultured, well-educated city. But once in a great while, during the course of Best of Boulder voting, the planets align in such fashion that a strange phenomenon takes place, leading to a criminally insane selection. Case in point: Gap Kids. The combined disciplines of science, religion, psychology and sociology may never explain how Weekly readers could have chosen Gap Kids for anything other than "Best Business to Close Down." Therefore, Boulder Weekly has entered an award not withstanding the verdict, which we'll call: Best Kids Clothing Store to Ignore. We suggest our readers shop at Applause, a locally-owned business. Gap Kids is a company owned by a family that likes to clear-cut ancient redwood forests. Their chain outlets don't give crap about the communities they do business in and the Boulder store is particularly rude. While taking photos of Best of Boulder winners, local businesses welcomed our staff with open arms, some offering food, drinks and desserts to show their hospitality. Gap Kids, by contrast, kicked us out of the store, saying corporate headquarters doesn't allow photos. (We took them anyway, lots of them, and can't wait to post them on one of the many "Gap Sucks" websites that can be found by typing "Gap Sucks" into any Internet search engine.) While being kicked out of the store, we tried to explain that the public had chosen Gap to win this award. A surly employee said "that's nice," making it clear she doesn't care much what the locals think. Consider their name, and put a huge gap between yourself and this store.
Best Pet Store In your travels in and around Boulder you may have noticed that people have quite a few pets‹every other house has a dog staring at you from a window as you pass by. So in a town where the night air is filled with the howls of dogs baying at the moon, the store where people choose to take their beloved mascots is of some importance. Petsmart is this place, a giant warehouse filled with toys, food and fish. Whether you want to get a pet, groom a pet, feed a pet, or get a toy for your pet, Petsmart has it. While you wait for your little Mittens to get a haircut, you can check out the tropical fish, look at the kittens or meet the wide variety of dogs wandering the aisles. For a more local touch to your pet-parenting, visit Colorado Canines for all your animal needs.
Best Liquor Store If Liquor Mart was an illicit stockpile during the dark days of Prohibition, it would have taken Elliot Ness an ammo hoard the size of Liechtenstein to drain the libations from this centrally located booze compound and perennial B.O.B. champ. Thankfully, our modern government is more concerned with eradicating dangerous drugs like ecstasy and weed. But seriously, as far as price, selection and convenience goes, Liquor Mart's aisle upon bloody aisle of temperance-testing treats goes unmatched in Boulder County.
Best Bank Wells Fargo (nee Norwest), has become a marriage of convenience for Boulder bankers. Last spring's merger added the convenience of high-quality online banking and omnipresent ATMs with a solid reputation for Colorado banking, boosting the financial institution from second place last year, to first in 2001. While Fargo ATMs have yet to dispense prophylactics, neatly packaged with their "symbol of reliable service" stagecoach logo, the mini-banks do dispense U.S. postage stamps, thereby eliminating potentially homicidal jaunts to the post office. Runner-up First Bank has officialy been renamed Second Bank by our readership.
Best Flower Shop The minute you enter the European Flower Shop you will take a breath of the most fragrant air in Boulder County. European Flower Shop is home to many unusual flowers from around the world, as well as local flowers grown here in Boulder County. Customers boast about their long-lasting flowers and love the 2-for-1 deal on Fridays. European Flower Shop was recently purchased by Suzanne Carroll And Kristina Sutcliffe. They'll soon be adding more unique plants such as orchids and container gardens, as well as decorative items for the home and garden.
Boulder's a great bicycling city, featuring extensive bike trails that gun-under busy intersections and take cyclists almost anyplace in town. So it's fitting that a great cycling town is home to a classic, full-service bicycle shop: University Bikes. This isn't some one-brand dealer with a lot of proprietary pedals, sprockets and chains. This place sells all the serious major brands, and services them too. Looking for a hard-to-find, out-of-production bearing for a vintage-model Schwinn? If so, your fist stop should be University Bikes. They're likely to have it. The store is also chock full of bicycling accessories, such as the latest in back packs, tools and trail survival goods.
Best Ski/Snowboard Shop When you sit on top of a mountain and look down into the abyss you ask yourself the question, am I snowboarder or skier? Whichever side of the cosmic debate you fall on, you can find your gear at Boulder Ski Deals. They have a great selection of not only larger companies like Salomon and Burton but carry smaller companies wares, like NeverSummer. They have a great shop and excellent technicians, who know their way around your board and skis; the salespeople are all fanatics about their sport and are experienced riders who have their experience to share and genuine advice to give; and to top it all off, they have great prices on a huge selection of last years models. An unbelievable place to go for people who love the snow and curse the summer.
Best Hardware Store A hammer-and-sickle symbol of entrepreneurial determination in a world wrought with sprawling Home Depot-esque hardware stores, where 2x4's are peddled like Big Macs and your friendly customer service representative has a pimple the size of a ball-peen hammer. A mainstay in the Boulder area since fisherman Billy McGuckin opened for business in '55, McGuckin (singular) doesn't skimp on service or selection. With more than 300 well-trained, full-grown employees, 60,000 square feet of you-name-it, and a great central location, McGuckin's is the place to McGo for McJustaboutanything.
Best Video Store Furthering our theory that the best video stores inevitably stock large quantities of porn, wee Video Station upsets prudish Blockbuster, again, as the best place to rent movies in Boulder. The reasoning is simple. Video stores that are not adverse to peddling hardcore are more likely to be open-minded regarding obscure, small-time flicks and eccentric foreign films. Therefore, the more Ron Jeremy, the more Luis Buñuel. Comprende? Opposed to loser Blockbuster's Nazi Youth brigade, who feign compassion while notifying clients that they don't even stock The Deer Hunter, Video Station's employees have almost 60,000 films to offer. One need only approach one of the friendly, Tarantino-esque staffers with title to walk into a celluloid world of his own creation.
Best Grocery Store Boulder's biggest and best soup kitchen offers a cornucopia of free samples for the weathered and weary. On any given day, the fare may include smoked salmon pate, Cherve and Watercrest crackers, habanero stuffed olives, and of course pesticide-free, nitrate-free bacon. So it's no wonder why, in the global race to the $100.00 bag of groceries, Whole Foods is Boulder's odds-on favorite. Coming up second for best grocery store is King Soopers, whose First Bank affiliation and self-checkout make shopping more convenient for all of Boulder.
Best Health Food Store Soy milk (vanilla), soba pasta, wheat grass, edamame beans, lettuce (not iceberg), golden kiwi's, roma tomatoes, grapefruit soda, dried red lentils and tamarri almonds (bulk), Horizon butter, Redbird chicken, salmon fillets (not Atlantic). Our grocery list is probably similar to yours, for we are no strangers to the evils of enriched wheat, nitrates, gluten and the devil's oven‹the microwave. Spelt is much more than a grammatical error. Our bodies are temples, our meals prepared fresh, we make our bi-monthly pilgrimage (payday) to Whole Foods for its overwhelming abundance of all that is good and that nourishes our souls. Depending where our travels take us, we also venture to Alfalfa's where the suplimentalist is also welcomed and appreciated.
Best Day Spa I like to think of a visit to a spa, not as pampering, but rather body maintenance. Europeans have known for years that massage, facials, manicures, wraps and mud baths rejuvenate the body, keeping it looking and feeling better. We in Boulder are lucky enough to have the benefits of expensive weekend spa retreats at our fingertips. This year's winner, Essentials Day Spa, specializes in both relaxing and invigorating your body and senses with an extraordinary form of TLC and state-of-the-art techniques. So save your traveling money for a trip to the beach and indulge yourself in the most luxurious of ways right here in Boulder.
Best Musical Instruments After the welcomed demise of Prosound, Boulder's best musical instrument stores Robb's Music and HB Woodsongs‹as voted by you our readers‹remain the musician's source for quality service and instruments. Whether it's a lazy river road to that mansion on the hill or telegraph road to the love shack, these two stores are where deals can be made and all the instruments can be played‹even if you're just looking. For whatever moog you're in, at Robb's Music and HB Woodsongs, the song remains the same.
Best Photo Finishing Unlike Safeway or King Soopers, when you pick up your photos from Mike's, well-trained employees are available to critique your work. Which can be good or bad, depending on your photo proficiency. Regardless, with cutting-edge photography classes, an enormous selection of photo and video equipment‹and a plan to conquer the world (well, at least the U.S.)‹the monolithic camera store remains impenetrable to the opposition. Sorry Motophoto.
It's one of those stores where you don't just go to buy, you go to play. Grand Rabbits is no box outlet with the latest TV toys. Sure, it carries all the latest fads. But it's also that place where parents can still find constructive toys that aren't commercialized and require children to use their imaginations. One whole section of the store features educational toys, such as science kits, a plastic see-through, build-it-yourself car engine, rock polishers and construction kits. One can find enormous stuffed animals, and every kind of doll the toy industry has ever conjured up. Visit Grand Rabbits, but be careful. Even for a grown up, hours can pass by in what seems like minutes. Time flies when you're having fun.
Best Hair Salon Every once in awhile, we all need to be pampered. Coincidentally, we also all need to get our hair cut. So, here at Boulder Weekly we always say, why not combine the two. One of the best things about Boulder's best hair salon is the personal attention you get by the well-trained and talented staff. This factor combined with the oh-so-lux ambiance and that one responsibility-free hour will leave you feeling like a muy, muy importante person, until of course you walk out of the salon and down the street‹and nearly get lambasted by an oversized, out-of-control SUV.
Best Outdoor Gear Ok, so you're the outdoor type. Lucky for you, you live in Boulder, Colorado and every possible gear need you have can be fulfilled by one of the fantastic outfitters at your fingertips. EMS, Boulder's favorite this year, carries the larger brands, and their own respectable line of outdoor gear. Always friendly, the staff is also more than willing to look for an item in their nationwide system. Neptune Mountaineering, as runner up, is one of the best independent options we in Boulder have going, with exceptional quality of less-known (and often still independent) brands such as Moonstone. Besides the gear, you can always find someone in Neptune with the know-how or tall tales to flesh out any adventure you may be planning.
Best Shoe Store If you take the pressure of the atmosphere and add that to the stress that you carry around on your shoulders every day, it would not be unlike carrying the weight of a pack of elephants around with you to work, school and the gym. And if you think about it, the square area of your feet really isn't all that big compared to the size of their job. It's obvious, then, how well you should treat your feet. That's why Weekly readers chose Pedestrian Shops as their favorite. They care about feet, so you can go on abusing them in your favorite ways‹backpacking, running, dancing.
Best Travel Agency It's springtime and the itch has set in‹you've got to travel. Kayaking in Baja, snorkeling in the islands of Greece, touring the Alps or rubbing elbows with the high society of Paris‹if you want to do it, James Travelpoints or Boulder Travel can make it happen. They can help you find the best airfares and put together your dream vacation from start to finish. Drop in and find out about their special packages, or just to get ideas about how you really want to spend your vacation days.
Buying a car can be an anxiety-ridden, frightening experience that causes one of those "I didn't study for the test" jittery feelings in the stomach. Car buyers invest more in their cars, on average, than in anything other than their homes. Too often, a car buyer's fate rests in the hands of some fast-talking car salesman who's been on the job six months and won't be there a year from now. Not at Flatirons Acura Subaru. This company has built a loyal customer base in Boulder by carefully hiring and rewarding a staff of professionals who stick around for years at a time. Turnover among the sales, business and maintenance staff is nil. "Consumers in this community are extremely well educated and savvy," says Fred Ziffer, Flatirons Acura Subaru general manager. "The games that are typical to the car trade don't work here. People in Boulder want to develop a relationship with a sales technician, and maintain that relationship for year. We have families buying their sixth, seventh and eighth cars from the same technician. We have created a company that people like working for. Customers know instinctively when they are dealing with people who genuinely like their jobs. It has created a lot of customer loyalty." As a result, Flatirons Acura Subaru has been recognized by Subaru as the top volume dealer in a region of 17 states. It's the fourth-largest of some 700 Subaru dealers in the United States, and last year won the prestigious Acura Precision Team Award. Don't expect Ziffer and his staff to rest on their laurels. Boulder Toyota was a close second, and Ziffer says most car dealers in Boulder are far better than average.
Best Furniture Store If you are sick and tired of buying generic, overpriced furniture, Good Use is just for you. Conveniently located on Pearl Street, the small store is full of wonderful surprises for both thrifty college students and stylish decorators alike. Good Use is a local business run by five women who refinish old furniture and create charming new pieces of art. Styles range from retro and Chevy-chic to classical antique. With all of its charm and originality, it's no wonder that Good Use was voted the best furniture store in Boulder.
Eyeglasses Aspen Eyewear is a family business that has been in Boulder for 15 years. It's one of those great examples of a locally-owned family business simply doing it bigger and better than the national chain corporation competition. With literally thousands of eyeglasses frames on displays made by owner and founder Heinz Ebner, Aspen Eyewear has the largest selection in Boulder and arguably the largest in the state. Customers say they like the wide selection, but are mostly pleased by Aspen Eyewear's friendly, caring customer service.
With a gazillion independent vendors hawking everything from affordable silver rings, necklaces and bracelets to mock Indian artifacts and other hippie kitsch, Pearl Street Mall's Art Mart is the place for tourists, and true-blue Boulderites to support starving artists, or pick up a last minute gift, before chowing down at the Cheesecake factory. Props go out to recent newcomer Art & Soul for their funky, hand-blown glass jewelry and Classic Facets, for their antique booty.
Auto Repair Laurie Farmen, owner of Hoshi Motors, would like to think Boulder Weekly's readers chose her business as best Auto Repair because of good service and trust. "I know we are trustworthy, and I think good, savvy customers can sense that," Farmen says. She said one factor that has built trust is a near lack of turnover of employees in the 17 years she has been in business. Of 12 full-time employees, six have worked at Hoshi for 10 years or more, and two have been on board for 16 years. "I keep employees around by making it a nice place to work," Farmen says. "This business is not only here to support our customers, but the people who work here. Good employees who like their jobs results in a good, solid, loyal customer base. Any formula for success in business starts with treating your employees better than average."
Best Car Wash Our review of the categories included in the "Best Of" editions published by other alternative weeklies around the country did not reveal even one that had a Best Car Wash category. Nevertheless, because of the particular environmental conditions which present themselves to drivers in our community, we feel that this category represents Boulder County perhaps like no other. Keeping your car clean in this climate is more than a challenge‹it's an art. And, judging by the lines of cars at the Puddle on 28th Street during the first sunny day after the most recent snowfall has melted, it's a form of art tantamount to a rite of passage upon which Boulder County residence is predicated. The Puddle can transform your car from a muddy, filthy embarrassment into a clean, sparkling source of pride in a matter of minutes‹depending on the length of the lines, which can be reminiscent of the gasoline shortages of the '70s. For a few bucks less, if you're willing to accept a less impressive, but adequate, result, try the drive-thru offered at most Conoco stations.
Best Downtown Store You don't have to like to cook to enjoy a visit to Peppercorn. They have everything from candles to beautiful wooden bowls. If there is someone in your life who likes a little spice, Peppercorn features a mind-boggling selection of hot sauces and curry powders. And for any and all aspiring chefs, Peppercorn can outfit your kitchen cookbook to crockpot. The runner up this year, Boulder Bookstore, is no stranger to Boulder either. Take an afternoon and browse the books, find one you like and find a corner to curl up in at this downtown favorite.
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Boulder is arguably the most sophisticated city of its size in America, replete with many of the cosmopolitan amenities one expects only in New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. Yet unlike residents of our nation's largest cities, Boulderites have ready access to some of the world's quietest, most inspiring trails, streams and open spaces.
