Boulder provides an embarrassment of restaurant riches, including many that are simply lovely to behold and/or offer wonderful outdoor dining. But nothing — with arguable exception of the Flagstaff House — matches the setting of the historic Chautauqua Dining Hall.
Maybe because we lunched a bit on the late side, two friends and I managed to scores a table on the porch with a park view across the roadway.It was exceptionally pleasant to sit there, of course, with a light breeze and the sun flirting with the clouds.
The Southwestern Chicken sandwich (grilled chicken breast, green chiles and cheddar) comes on focaccia bread with a choice of fries or chips. The thin fries, which came out hot, nicely crisp outside and smooth inside, were a good choice.
I ordered the beet salad (spinach, sliced beets, orange segments, sliced red onion and champagne vinaigrette plus goat cheese, a $2 extra). That salad is precisely what came out of the kitchen. No more. No less. I requested a roll or a piece of bread. Ten minutes later, out came two pieces of focaccia, which was twice as much as I wanted and which added $1 to the check. It’s not about the dollar, which I certainly didn’t dispute, but this was what, to me, seemed like a second example of chintziness. I understand that the old building is expensive to operate, and the seasonal guest fluctuation adds to the challenge of operating there, but still…..
Price check: At lunch, appetizers, $6-$12; soups and salads, $6-$8; sandwiches, $7-$9 (and $14 crab cake); “late breakfast” items, $7-$10; lunch entrees, $14-$16; sides, $3-$4.Dinner is considerably more expensive.