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!
Food-Related Events and Announcements: September 18, 2026
Image courtesy of Visit Boulder
Happy Friday, Foodies. Downtown Boulder has plenty to celebrate following the release of the 2026 Colorado MICHELIN Guide. Seven downtown restaurants have returned to the guide, while Casa Juani joins the list for the first time as a MICHELIN Recommended restaurant. With eight recognized culinary destinations, there is plenty to discover across Downtown Boulder’s MICHELIN-recognized dining scene.
Frasca Food and Wine retains its MICHELIN Star, an honor awarded for high-quality cooking that is worth a stop. Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, Casa Juani, Oak at Fourteenth, Stella’s Cucina, Zoe Ma Ma and Bramble & Hare are all MICHELIN Recommended, recognizing restaurants the guide’s inspectors consider worthy of inclusion. Cozobi Fonda Fina returns with a Bib Gourmand, which highlights excellent food at a particularly good value.
Congratulations to the chefs and teams behind each of these restaurants. Their creativity and hospitality continue to strengthen downtown Boulder’s place on Colorado’s culinary map. We are equally proud of the entire downtown dining community and the talent that makes a meal here worth experiencing.
The celebrations continue at Pasta Jay’s, which is marking 38 years in Boulder. For nearly four decades, this downtown favorite has served up comforting Italian dishes and plenty of memories along the way. Congratulations to the Pasta Jay’s team on 38 years!
Looking ahead, A Bite of Boulder: Volume 2 is celebrating its official launch at Rosetta Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. The evening will feature tastings from six local restaurants, drinks, raffle prizes and plenty of time to mingle with the chefs and community members who brought the cookbook to life. Guests can also be among the first to pick up a copy and have it signed.
More fall flavors are arriving downtown, beginning with Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant’s autumn rolls. Farm-fresh napa cabbage is filled with ginger and chestnut, then served with a sake sesame emulsion, crispy onion and Korean chili.
Björn’s Colorado Honey is also embracing the season with a new ice cream menu. Salted licorice, orange blossom honey mango, lavender honey and Swedish summer strawberry are among the flavors making their debut, with even more available to discover.
At Boxcar Coffee Roasters, the fall specialty drink menu has arrived in full force. The Black Velvet pairs espresso with house-made sesame syrup, orange blossom and vanilla, while Pumpkins After Dark tops vanilla cold brew with pumpkin cold foam. The Autumn Cloud brings together orange maple cinnamon syrup, matcha and ube cold foam. For something a little different, the Cascara Cider blends cascara tea and chai with apple miso syrup.
The seasonal mood continues at Snooze with the return of pumpkin spice and Pumpkin Pecan Pie Pancakes. It is a sweet, cozy way to welcome fall, whether you order a full stack or convince someone at the table to share.
Wellness Counter has revealed a new cocktail called the Yuzu Veil. Reposado tequila and Japanese yuzu meet house-made hibiscus syrup, with a touch of yuzu kosho adding a savory finish.
For dinner, SALT is serving seared ahi tuna over creamy polenta with Toohey & Sons eggplant caponata. Toasted pine nuts, basil oil and micro amaranth complete a plate that is just as striking as it is satisfying.
Monday Night Football comes with a full lineup of drink specials at Avanti. Broncos fans can find $4 Snowmelt Seltzers, $5 Odell Lagerados and $6 Avery IPAs. A Jack Daniel’s and Montucky Cold Snack combo is $10, while a Ratio Cityscapes and tequila shot pairing is $12.
Anyone beginning to plan holiday gatherings can also look to Vinca on Pearl. Its downtown dining room, food and wine selection make it an inviting option for seasonal events before calendars begin filling up.
Finally, Savory Spice is highlighting its Zanzibar Curry Powder. Warm spices, subtle sweetness and tangy mustard come together in a distinctive blend that can bring a little extra warmth to dinner as the cooler evenings settle in.
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.