Once upon a time, I asked my coworker err, woodsmen, about his favorite place to eat in Boulder. “You must go to River and Woods,” he chimes in. His bearded smile grows talking about the delicious food, classy atmosphere, and exceptionally reasonable price for the quality of the meal. So, I pack my basket and I am on my way.

Over the river and through the woods to 2328 Pearl St. Boulder I go. I arrive at grandma’s house. Foolishly realizing it is a popular place and in hind sight I should have called to say I was coming. They were able to seat me though, as it was only a Wednesday night.

I order a braised Colorado short rib. It comes with the smoked cherry goat cheese smashed potatoes, organic zucchini, roasted pan jam, and pomegranate molasses. I stick with a water for the evening even though the drink menu looks long and varied.

I look around at the soft lighting, soft chatter, and enjoy the longer wait time. The atmosphere is one that would be perfect for a second date, meeting up with an old friend again, or perhaps a family gathering. I doddle amongst the chatter and food enjoying the atmosphere. I am surprised at how much it feels like a cabin. It is housed in such a quaint blue home, with little windows, lights that glow, and unique wooden tables. The bathrooms are unisex, something I appreciate, and the wallpaper has cute forest animals on it. The cottage feel is so cozy and familiar, while the modern decor and wonderful tasting food give it a five star feel.

“My what big plates you have!” I think to myself as my food arrives. The short rib is perfectly portioned and the display of the meal is beautiful. I enjoy the small pink edible flower placed upon the meat. The goat cheese is hard to even taste. The potatoes are not like usual mashed potatoes. They are so much better. It is rich and feels like it is melting in my mouth. The meat is hearty and slides off onto my fork. The milky potatoes, mixed with the rich meaty taste, coincide perfectly with the outer rim of sweet pan jam and pomegranate molasses. Every bite was worth so much more than I paid for. My table mate opens his large mouth and tries to dive for my food! I fight him off with a knife and resume. One must be careful as a little girl in the big woods, everyone wants to munch on your food!

I ordered gluten free cake and cookies. The cookies came with a sweet almond milk. The cake was very rich and I preferred it to the cookies. I adored the metal kettle they poured my hot chocolate from. The menu had many gluten free options as well as recipes from locals! It made the place feel even more home grown. River and Woods is an idyllic delicious meal with marvelous atmosphere, sure to please almost anyone! All the better to eat your heart out, my dear.

Sierra Brown

Sierra is a recent graduate with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She loves creative writing and gut wrenching stories of people and their lives. Sierra is a gluten free snacker with an attention to food allergies, and is a self professed super taster. Her current obsessions include social justice, photographing human subjects, and binge watching Netflix shows. Sierra has lived in Rifle, Gunnison, and Fort Collins. She currently divides her time between Boulder, Denver, and Loveland soaking up all that the Front Range has to offer.