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!
Photo courtesy of Cliff Grassmick, Daily Camera
Food-Related Events and Announcements: December 19, 2025
Happy Friday, Foodies! This week, we want to take a moment to say thank you, and to acknowledge that the past few days haven’t been easy. With the recent power outages, downtown Boulder’s restaurants, cafés, and bars have faced their share of challenges, but thanks to your support, our restaurants are still here, cooking, serving, and keeping our community vibrant.
As the holidays and colder months approach, there’s never been a better time to support local. Every meal you enjoy, every coffee you sip, and every friend you bring downtown helps keep our doors open and our streets full of life. Come celebrate the season with us and help keep downtown Boulder buzzing with warmth, flavor, and connection.
Happy Birthday to Food Lab Boulder! This month marks 10 years of hands-on cooking, community, and creativity in downtown Boulder. From thousands of classes to countless memories made in the kitchen, Food Lab has become a beloved place to gather, learn, and celebrate food together. Cheers to a decade of growth, grit, and great meals, and here’s to many more years of cooking up something special.
This week, the Daily Camera highlighted how Boulder’s restaurants are using gift cards to keep business going during the winter months. Lindsay's Boulder Deli @ Häagen Dazs is offering discounted gift cards and free treats to encourage local dining, while T/aco is using December gift card sales to give year-end bonuses to their kitchen staff and support families in need at Whittier Elementary. These efforts show how a simple gift card can do more than cover a meal. You can purchase a gift card for yourself or a friend and even score special deals along the way.
Bring a little extra warmth and flavor to your holiday season with Pasta Jay’s Holiday Sauce Box. For just $36, you’ll get a hand-picked selection of their signature sauces, crafted to make every meal feel special. Whether you’re hosting family dinners, looking for the perfect gift for a foodie friend, or simply want to treat yourself, these sauces add a homemade touch without the work.
Celebrate the season at Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar! On December 23, break out your wildest holiday gear for Ugly Christmas Sweater Day. On December 24, join them for their annual Feast of the Seven Fishes, a five-course, ticketed prix fixe dinner celebrating holiday tradition with fresh, flavorful seafood. And ring in 2026 on December 31 with a special New Year’s dinner, perfect for toasting with friends and savoring the last night of the year.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Rosetta Hall with a night full of music, bubbles, and fun! Live music kicks off at 9 PM, and general admission is free for guests 21 and over. For those looking for a little extra, the $75 VIP package includes access to the lounge, snacks, bottomless bubbles, and a chance to win the champagne raffle.
Warm up this winter at Avanti! Every Wednesday, cozy up with their hot chocolate bar featuring $5 classics, $6 boozy options, and fun toppings! And for the ultimate celebration, ring in 2026 at Avanti with a live DJ, specialty cocktails, a photo booth, and a champagne toast at midnight. From sweet winter treats to a sparkling New Year’s Eve, Avanti has something for everyone this season.
This holiday season, every meal and visit downtown helps keep Boulder’s restaurants and community thriving. Thank you for supporting local, see you downtown for good food, festive cheer, and warm moments together.
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.