use real butter

For the second stop on my sandwich chronicles, we hoof it across town to Gunbarrel. I used to work in Gunbarrel when we first moved to Colorado, so I got to know the area a bit. A popular lunch stop with my co-workers was Cafe Blue. It’s a nondescript restaurant in a nondescript strip mall in a nondescript part of Boulder. The service is consistently friendly despite how wildly the quality of service varies. I poked around on the menu for the first few visits, trying out sandwich options. Nothing really spoke to me until I honed in on the big kahuna. There is one sandwich that pretty much has a lock on my order: the blackened tuna sandwich.

cafe blue in gunbarrel

cafe blue’s blackened tuna sandwich with a side of mac and cheese

What you get for $11.25 is a nice ahi tuna filet, crusted in seasonings, blackened to your requested doneness, served on a toasted onion roll with basil aioli. On the side you get lettuce, tomato, and onion. Want cheese with that? Your choice of: provolone, American, Swiss, blue cheese, feta, cheddar, or pepper jack. Pick one of their side dish offerings: mac and cheese, shoestring french fries, mashed potatoes, house salad, cup of soup, or cottage cheese. There are extras on offer as well for $.75 each: mushrooms, onions, bacon, jalapeños, artichokes, peppers.

from a different visit: sandwich cross-section

To the sandwich: Rare. I order this sandwich rare. I’ve never had it any other way, so if you order it well-done and complain to me that it isn’t juicy, I’m going to ask you to please refrain from ruining good food. It’s a lovely combination of a lightly toasted onion roll that cradles a hunk of beautiful blackened ahi tuna with basil aioli dripping down the side. The tuna drips juices when you take a bite. The tender interior of the ahi tuna contrasts with the delicately crisp blackened exterior without being overpowered by the herbs and spices (although I do love to get my spice on). You can skip the vegetables, but I like to stack my sandwich with the lettuce and tomato on offer. It rounds out the textures and temperatures nicely.

Where: Cafe Blue at 5280 Spine Road in Gunbarrel – Boulder, Colorado.

When: You can order the blackened tuna sandwich at lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Contact: Call Cafe Blue at 303.530.4345. Visit their Facebook page.

Full Disclosure: The opinions expressed here are my own (duh). No comps for the chomps.

Previous sandwich research:

1) The Pinyon’s fried chicken sandwich

As any long-time reader of use real butter knows, the sandwich is one of my favorite categories of food. It happens to be perfect for my favorite meal of the day – lunch. Whenever I’m in Boulder around lunchtime, I begin to think of all my sandwich options. It’s hard to keep track and my brain tends to bias toward the ones that float to the surface the most. I realize there are probably several places I’ve never been to that serve up a great sandwich and that this would require some research on my part. I’m chronicling my sandwich research in Boulder to explore and uncover the hidden and not-so-hidden sandwich gems of this town. Mostly, it’s a compilation of my favorites.

My guidelines:

1) Only restaurants in Boulder.

2) One sandwich from the menu even if they offer a gazillion sandwiches (basically, the one that appeals to me at that moment).

3) No burgers. This was discussed at length with Jason as we drove the 4.5 hours back from the sandhill crane shoot. “If you allow burgers, then that busts the whole thing wide open.” True that. But barbecue sandwiches are allowed (yes!).

Let’s kick off the research with a stop at The Pinyon. There are a lot of items to love on their lunch menu, which might explain why I hadn’t tried the fried chicken sandwich yet. I was working my way to it, you see. Several of my friends had told me, “The fried chicken sandwich is the best thing on the menu.”

you can find the pinyon on pearl street just east of the pedestrian mall

the pinyon’s sleeper hit: the fried chicken sandwich

Chef Theo explains, “It’s my riff on the Chick-Fil-A sandwich.” Please… the Pinyon’s fried chicken sandwich is ten times better than any Chick-Fil-A sandwich. Just look at that beaut: buttermilk fried chicken, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onions, and special sauce on a milk bun. You can choose fries (these are duck fat fries – no foolin’) or salad with that delectable sandwich for $12. If you’re feeling especially naughty, top it with tender bacon belly, American cheese, Grafton 2-year cheddar, or Gruyère for $2 each. Chick-Fil-Who? I thought so.

To the sandwich: The chicken is juicy and tender, fried to perfection. The outside is crisp and well-seasoned. There is a mild sweetness in the soft milk bun that works perfectly with the tang of their special sauce and all of the fresh vegetable toppings. You’ll be full by the time you clean your plate, but I guarantee within 24 hours, you will be craving that sandwich again.

Where: The Pinyon on 1710 Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado.

When: The fried chicken sandwich is offered at lunch M-F 11:30 am – 2:30 pm and at brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Contact: Call The Pinyon at 720.306.8248. Follow them on Twitter @thepinyon. Visit their Facebook page.

Full Disclosure: The opinions expressed here are my own (duh). The Pinyon comped the fried chicken sandwich on the bill, but I added the cost of the sandwich to the tip.

Edit: I’m sad to report The Pinyon has now closed, but hopefully Chef Theo will have new endeavors to follow in Denver. Stay tuned, locals.

Restaurants come and restaurants go. It’s a high turnover kind of industry and Boulder is no exception. When a place isn’t so good, you can wait a year and the space will likely free up. Folks in Boulder know what they like. I can’t even keep track of all the newish places opening up around town – and there are a lot because I get plenty of invitations to grand openings, special blogger dinners, media functions, etc. I guess there is some sort of directory for Boulder/Denver food bloggers. I don’t usually have the time in my schedule to attend. And really, I prefer to visit on my own dime, as a normal patron… with a camera.

from pearl street

So The Pinyon opened up last year. I caught it in my peripheral vision as I frequented favorites on East Pearl Street like Frasca, Pizzeria Locale, Atlas Purveyors, and L’Atelier. Another restaurant… I gave it some time and began to hear happy murmurs about the joint. Summer was so insane that we never had a chance to go. Then friends of mine started tweeting me: “@userealbutter have you been to @thepinyon?” It merely increased the urgency to pop by for a meal.

roomy interior

view toward the bar

These days if I like a restaurant, then I’ll visit more than once. I think that’s important to get a proper and honest assessment of a place. So even though the first time I dined at The Pinyon was in September and it was terrific, I made a point of returning a couple more times. Also? It’s an excuse to sample more of the menu, in the name of research. Ahem.

The Pinyon doesn’t offer an enormous selection, but it does offer a nice variety. This is American cuisine. They source locally as much as possible and serve seasonal fare. The food is bright, fresh, and perfectly seasoned – nothing overdone, but certainly done well. Ingredients are allowed to shine on their own for their quality. Tender mixed greens, sweet heirloom tomatoes lightly dressed, or a smooth and sweet golden beet soup with a touch of acid for added zest.

mixed lettuce with herb vinaigrette

heirloom tomato salad

golden beet soup

I dined here three times in as many weeks. After the first visit, I couldn’t wait to go back. There’s a reason for all of the hype among my Boulder twitterati – the food is terrific. In addition to the salads and daily soup pictured above, they offer small plates of house farmer cheese, country ham, pnynwings (a sriracha take on buffalo wings), and a selection of charcuterie and friends. Some side dishes include: pickled watermelon rind, duck fat french fries (how could you not?), English muffin with house made butter and jam, sweet corn and fennel, and cheddar grits.

the four-freaking-fabulous-hour meatball and spaghetti

shrimp and grits with a fried egg on top

fried chicken with scallion pancake

**Jump for more butter**