use real butter

Well, it’s only been six months since my last restaurant review! Considering the extravagant dining I (we) did in Sydney this past spring, I might hazard to say that June is a little early to be indulging in the good stuff again. But…

I had heard from a director at my old workplace that Frasca had a disappointing Community Night. It was unfortunate that this was the first impression I got of Frasca because that person has neither taste nor sense (nor ethics, as we later discovered – but apparently the board of directors don’t seem to care if their people are unethical). Frasca doesn’t put on a Comm Night like The Kitchen, they have a prix fixe tasting menu on Monday nights paired with wines. Then I read that Frasca was voted best restaurant in Boulder. I’m always a little skeptical of what Boulderites vote “best of” for food just because this is technically the Midwest – on the flats – and you know what I think of mid-western culinary culture. More recently, Tom told me that his friend said he had the best meal of his life at Frasca. My curiosity was piqued!

John’s restaurant is an unassuming 104-year old house, removed from the bustle of the Pearl Street Mall by several blocks. The chef-owned business is run by a brother-sister pair: Cory Buck (chef) and Ashley Maxwell (pastry chef), both natives of Boulder. It’s a charming place. Curiously, during our dinner, one of the fellow patrons came over to ask if I was a public television personality… I wonder if he thought I was Kylie Kwong (because a lot of folks have asked me if I am). Sorry dude, I’m just a geologist, but I would so rock that Australian accent of hers.

Orchid Pavilion is touted as the best Chinese restaurant in Boulder. I hope you will forgive me if I am skeptical of Boulder residents’ ability to judge good Chinese food, but I am skeptical… very skeptical. At 9 pm on a Friday, the restaurant was fairly busy, although we had a heck of a time finding it because there were no signs on the outside on the street unless you walked right up to the door and saw that it was indeed, the restaurant.