Giro Sandwich
Cured, 1825 Pearl St., Unit B, Boulder, curedboulder.com
With everything from culinary knickknacks to obscure cheese to great wine finds, Cured is a foodie’s heaven. But perhaps our favorite part of the shop is the walk-up deli with its rotating menu of Euro-style sandwiches. We had the Giro on a recent visit (name inspired by the Giro d’Italia bike race, not the gyro lamb sandwich). It’s got prosciutto di Parma, the crown jewel of Italian cured meats, along with fresh mozzarella cheese, peppery arugula and healthy drizzles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The baguette on which it’s served is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, making it a perfect vessel for all the goodness. $11.98.
Crisp Pear Hard Cider
The Old Mine Cidery and BBQ Pub, 500 Briggs St., Erie, theoldmine.com
The cider revolution is in full force. No longer a saccharine side show, craft cider is everything from herbal to citrusy to super dry to hoppy, and everything in between. If there’s one avenue cideries have yet to crowd, it’s pear cider, but Erie’s The Old Mine puts out a really good one. Made from 100% pear juice, it tastes ripe, just sweet enough and, overall, refreshing. Try The Old Mine’s other, apple-based varieties, available in cans throughout Boulder County. Prices vary.
Italian Sausage and Rabe Pizza
Brooklyn Pizza, 1647 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, brooklynpizzaboulder.com
Boulder’s Brooklyn Pizza does its namesake borough proud with its menu of New York-style pies. We opted for the Italian sausage and rabe pizza on a recent visit. Chunks of sausage burst with fennel, and the broccoli rabe is deeply (and pleasantly) earthy and savory. It makes for a great flavor combination. But where Brooklyn Pizza really shines is in the pizza’s crust. Crispy and charred on the bottom, very thin but exceptionally chewy on the inside, it’s one of the best crusts in Boulder County. Simple, bright tomato sauce and well-apportioned mozzarella cheese help round out the pie. $16-$20.
Limoncillo Boilermaker
Boxcar Coffee Roasters, 1825 Pearl St., Unit B, Boulder, boxcarcoffeeroasters.com
Boxcar’s baristas are coffee artisans, and watching them whip up beverages makes you feel silly about your Keurig. Take the Limoncillo boilermaker — Nicaraguan Limoncillo coffee is ground, then slowly heated to a boil. Ice is added to the mixture to stop the brewing, and then it’s strained to get out all the ground bits. It makes for a robust brew — think Turkish coffee — and the Limoncillo variety of coffee is on full display, with a bunch of banana and pineapple on the nose. $4.
