Foodie Friday
There's a good reason Bon Appétit called Boulder, America's Foodiest Town. This weekly blog will help you understand why! Every Friday, check out downtown's food scene and all the incredible opportunities available to tantalize your taste buds! Check out this list of restaurant specials and promotions compiled weekly - just for YOU!
Pictured: Leaf Vegetarian
Food-Related Events and Announcements: January 9, 2026
Happy 2026! 🎉 Downtown Boulder is kicking off the new year with exciting openings, cozy winter traditions, and plenty of delicious reasons to get out and explore. From buzzy restaurants on the horizon to snow-day sips and family-friendly fun, here’s what’s happening around downtown this week.
One of the most anticipated openings of the season is Casa Juani, arriving this February. From Eduardo Valle Lobo, longtime culinary director of Frasca Food and Wine, and his wife and chef-owner Kelly Jeun, this Spanish-inspired spot is named after Lobo’s mother and rooted in his childhood in Madrid. Expect seafood-forward tapas like tortillitas de gamba cristal, comforting rice and noodle dishes such as fideuà de cangrejo with Dungeness crab and padrón peppers, and standout plates like churrasco with mojo sauce and wrinkled potatoes. It’s a heartfelt new addition to Boulder’s dining scene and one to keep on your 2026 list.
The new year also means fresh starts at Leaf Vegetarian, which is celebrating Veganuary with a special dinner series. Each week features a themed three-course vegan meal paired with a crafted mocktail, making it easy (and delicious) to kick off 2026 with something plant-based and creative.
For younger food lovers, Food Lab is starting the year with a kids’ after-school baking program. Budding bakers can get hands-on in the kitchen, learn new skills, and have fun creating sweet treats after school.
Snowy days come with extra cheer at West End Tavern, where snow beers are back. Anytime it’s snowing, enjoy two-for-one draft beers, because nothing says winter in Boulder like warming up with a cold one downtown.
And for a festive winter treat, Pizzeria Alberico is serving up a frozen espresso martini, blending bold coffee flavor with a frosty twist that feels just right for the season.
Ways to Help
Emergency Family Assistance Fund (EFAA) helps those in our community whose immediate needs for food, shelter and other basic necessities cannot be adequately met by other means, and supports their efforts toward financial stability or self-sufficiency. You can help them with a financial contribution, volunteering, or donating non-perishable food and cleaning supplies.
Emergency family assistance fund
Harvest of Hope Pantry's sole mission is food assistance. They offer clients a choice shopping experience where individuals select preferred foods within their shopping allowances. You can help them with financial assistance, volunteering or by hosting food drives.
Boulder Food Rescue aims to create a more just and less wasteful food system by facilitating the sustainable redistribution of healthy food that would otherwise be wasted to low-income communities, by bicycle. The best way to help them currently is to donate or volunteer.
Meals on Wheels Boulder provides nutritious meals and a daily well-being check to Boulder residents, regardless of age or income. The number one way to support them during this time is to contribute financially.