Story Tidbits
Shorter tidbits from contributors
Alphabetical by first name.
(Last initials are used unless I was specifically given permission to use full name.)
As of 1/26/24
Al D.
I actually worked at the dark horse when it was the Zodiac Cabernet (Caberet) ran by Al Fink (Fikes?). I remember BB King playing there on New Years before I moved.
David V.
February 2013—When I was there in sept I walked by the old Don’s location on Pearl- wasn't it west of where Starr's clothing used to be? Also, anyone remember the candy company building? It was strictly wholesale and there forever—I think on Pearl, east of the mall. The building is still there but I don't remember what is in it now. Marcella Berardi has a whole explanation of the history of roman arches and Berardi and sons somewhere on this site [I was in Boulder in the ‘70s Facebook page]. Her grandfather Jigs started Roman Arches, her dad Dick had Berardis. He was also my Burke school gym teacher! A great guy.
Don Hobbs
February, 2023—While I was only involved in restaurants during college, my cooking and waiting career included Round the Corner (Hill), Canyon Inn, Jolly King, Good Earth and Harvest.
Chicken Delight was definitely real and was operating in 1971-72. They would deliver to the dorms. One night the cops came to our dorm door and asked, "Who's got the chicken?", which in our hazy state we found incredibly funny. Apparently, someone had broken into the delivery vehicle and stolen a bunch of chicken and then gone into our dorm, Baker Hall.
I'm pretty sure this restaurant [Tsiao] was called Tao Tao. The daughter was a CU student named Victoria (Vivi) Tsiao if my memory is correct, she was a roommate to a friend of mine in Kittredge dorms in 1971-72. She worked there from time to time, her family definitely owned it.
My dad went to CU from 1946-50 on the GI Bill after serving in WWII. He had lifelong friends who lived in the "cabin up the mountain" during that time that later became the Flagstaff House. They got up and down Flagstaff in a rickety 1930s car. And I remember them telling the story of shooting mice in the kitchen. Apparently, the place was pretty shoddy and rent was super cheap.
I think Pete's is the same location as Chris's Kettle. It was on west side of Broadway just north of 13th Street. The family of Sam Kent (RIP) who is Greek and whose last name is actually Kapantais owned this for many years. Pete was a cook, maybe bought it and renamed it for a while?
Interesting bit on La Paz, they used to host ladies’ night but that got caught up in equal rights kerfuffle so they made it "Skirt Night" where gender wasn't considered if you wore a dress or skirt. Newsworthy at the time.
I remember Viet Hoa as being on the west side of Broadway midblock between Pearl Street and Spruce. Would have been there in the late 80s to early 90s. I got takeout there while my wife was in labor at Boulder Community so I'm sure of the general dates. They had fantastic egg rolls. Maybe they relocated to 28th Street, but I don't have any memory of that.
I think Praise the Lard was a motto on the back of the t-shirts the staff wore at Juanita's? I don't remember any restaurant with that name.
To my knowledge 300 Prime never opened in Boulder and likely won't ever, given their sudden closing in Longmont last fall. The building on Pearl Street is still vacant and the former West Flanders owners have removed all the brewing equipment that was originally installed by BJs. BTW, that building is owned by the extended Skodras family that used to own the Aristocrat. They also own the building that had Voula's where Penny Lane and Full Cycle ultimately landed.
There is another category of interest to me, all the failed chain restaurants in Boulder. We are a unique town, what plays in most communities just doesn't cut it here. Another compilation could be the restaurateurs that drove this town like Frank Day, Eddie Mallett, Dave Query, Wayne Dozier, Warren Fabrigio, the Turleys, the Monettes, etc.
While many of the restaurants are quite forgettable, there are some places deserving of expanded remembrance like Green Mountain Granary, Carnival Cafe, Nancy's, The James, Good Earth (both the restaurant and the nightclub), The Walrus, Ticos, Peggy's HiLo, Shannon's, Buff / Golden Buff, etc. that were seminal to the Boulder restaurant/bar scene.
Kelly Home
Regarding this entry below, CHEERS was actually a Vietnamese restaurant but they touted Chinese food since few knew of Vietnamese cuisine. The owner/cook/waitress/dishwasher came into USA after the Vietnam war. She told us that she was sending her son to Harvard and that when he graduated she could retire and he would take care of her. I hope her hard work paid off. We dined there when Albertson’s was the anchor store in that mall – the first time we ever heard of Pho! It would be approximately 1985-2008 or longer?
Miscellaneous (didn't get or forgot to record name or date, etc.)
There is a mention of Fred Borra (his mom owned the Village, and they owned the rolling skating rink north of Walnut...then became partner with Ed Novak in The Broker) and Mr. Call...I don't know if Call actually owned a restaurant with Borra, may have just worked there. He also was associated with the Berardi group of restaurants, maybe all the way from Jigg's Place at 95th and South Boulder Road to the one on North Broadway and their places in downtown Denver.
I remember (or hallucinated) a little diner in the funny little space in front of the Aion building right next to the alley on Pennsylvania in 1963, across from the Sink. I remember this as being called the Buff Top Hat Diner, but I have never found anyone else, including long time Boulderites, who remembers it. I heard an urban legend-like story back then that it was operated by a man who was on a mission to feed starving students with cheap hamburgers. Wherever it was, I did not hallucinate eating a hamburger there. It was a small classic metal diner with just a few stools. I don’t know when it vanished. Since I rarely left the Hill in ’63, it could not have very far afield.
"Praise the Lard", was the motto of Juanita’s. It was owned by Roger Berardi (Berardi & Sons/Roman Arches).