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: March 19, 2026
The Spring Equinox has arrived, and downtown Boulder is beginning to go into full bloom (literally!). As day and night find their balance and sunlight stretches longer, check out the tulips popping up around town while you sip, savor, and celebrate the season’s fresh beginnings.
Start your seasonal adventure at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse for Navruz, the Tajik New Year on Sunday, March 22. From 1-5 pm, enjoy Persian appetizers, sweets, traditional music, dance, crafts, and more. Sip on a Tajik-inspired afternoon tea from 2-4 pm for $29 per guest, or stay for a four-course Tajik dinner from 5-9 pm for $45 per guest, perfect for marking the equinox with flavors that honor tradition.
Celebrate spring at Taste of Pearl! Stroll downtown Boulder on Sunday, March 29, 2–5 PM for delicious bites from 16 local restaurants, paired with Colorado beverages and hidden gem shopping. VIPs get early access, chef demos, dessert pairings, and cocktail tastings. Tickets are selling fast, grab yours today!
Frasca Food & Wine is hosting a special Pasta Omakase Night on April 27with James Beard Award-winning chef Marc Vetri. For 40 guests only, the night begins with a Champagne reception at 6 pm before diving into a multi-course pasta journey showcasing the bold, creative flavors Vetri has perfected over a lifetime.
Big news for Boulder foodies! The Boulder Farmers Market has been nominated for Best Farmers Market in USA Today’s 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards, selected as 1 of just 20 markets nationwide. As they gear up for their 40th Market Season starting April 4, they need your help to bring the award home, voting is open now through April 13 at 11:59 a.m. EDT, takes less than 10 seconds, and anyone over 18 can vote once per day. Show some love for this beloved Boulder tradition and help share the vibrant community they’ve built over four decades.
Sushi lovers can try the new Black Crystal Roll at Hapa Sushi Grill & Sake Bar. Tender albacore tuna, sautéed spinach, and charred grilled negi are crowned with crispy onions, then drizzled in velvety atari goma (creamy sesame) sauce and finished with a dusting of black sea salt. Smoky, salty, and sophisticated, the perfect bite for spring evenings.
Pasta fans, take note: Pasta Jays just got an interior makeover, go check it out!
For hands-on fun, Food Lab is rolling out a new Korean BBQ class. Think bold marinades, communal grilling, and banchan that takes over the table. Menu highlights include Kimchi Fried Rice, Samgyeopsal (thick-cut pork belly grilled and wrapped in lettuce with ssamjang), Dak Galbi (gochujang-marinated chicken, sweet, spicy, and addictive), and a Kimchi Trio featuring napa cabbage, radish, and cucumber.
Sip into spring with a Waikiki Watermelon Margarita at Bartaco (through March 31), or warm up with Sweet Onion and Almond Soup at Gemini. For a little spice, Rio Grande is serving up Mexican City Hot Chicken Tacos that hit all the right notes.
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.