Boulder Eats: Leaf

Boulder is one of my favorite places to visit. Set against a backdrop of gorgeous mountains, wide-open plains, and an amazing and ever-changing cloudscape, it's a cute town of unique shops, hip bars, super-friendly people, and some really REALLY yummy eats. The best of these eats, in my opinion, can be found at Leaf. This vegetarian (not vegan, but with plenty of options) haven will win over even the most heavy-duty carnivore, including the friends I brought along to dinner when we were there. I mean, just look at this food:



I, and one of my pals, started with this Sprout Salad. Crunchy sprouts and seeds on a bed of creamy butter lettuce and topped with tart pickled onions and a lip-smacking sherry vinaigrette makes for an tantalizing beginning to your meal at Leaf. My omnivorous friend told us all - more than once - what a delicious salad it was.... and she was right!

For my entree, the Polenta Napoleon was calling my name. This rustic delight includes polenta cakes that are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, perfectly savory braised greens, artichokes that melt in your mouth, and roasted tomatoes that blend seamlessly into a smoked tomato broth, creating a dish that is comforting, hearty, and satisfying.

So satisfying, in fact, that I had no room for dessert, which is sad because with options like vegan carrot cake and chocolate raspberry cake, in addition to ice creams and sorbets, I'm sure it would have been delicious. No worries, though. I'm sure that I'll be back to Boulder one day in the relatively near future, and I'll make sure to save room then!

Next up: Eating well with others at a Boulder brunch. Yum.