Although we found Nederland, Colorado, to be a fun little town, the most important adjective here was little, and thus surprisingly somewhat lacking in four star hotels, room service, and French restaurants. On the other hand, Boulder, Colorado is only fifteen miles down the road from Nederland and has all those things. So we stayed there while attending the Frozen Dead Guy Days.
This was our first trip to Boulder ever. We've been saying for years that we ought to drive up state sometime and visit Boulder but it wasn't till we decided to attend FDGD that we had a good excuse to go. Perhaps it was something to do with the perception that Boulder is the world capital of people who don't live in the Bay Area but still like to wear Birkenstocks. Granted the perception is apparently all my own and not shared even by my wife, the traitor. Still it's important to go with your gut, even in the absence of any valid evidence whatsoever. That said, empirical data indicates that Boulder and the surrounding areas are a hot bed of beer brewing innovation so I said Northwards, Ho!
We stayed in the St Julien which was conveniently located on the outskirts of town closest to our intended destination of Nederland as well as on the same street as several of the more interesting culinary establishments that Boulder has to offer. The hotel includes a large spa, which a substantial number of women seemed to be attending, in groups. We tried to interest some in the Frozen Dead Guy Days festival in Nederland but few seemed terribly motivated to sample the festivities. A real puzzler.
St. Julien Hotel
The St. Julien is fairly new, having opened in 2005. Overall, the hotel design incorporates clean lines and minimalist décor. Lots of brick and stone. Parking is a pain throughout downtown Boulder or so we'd been given to understand, so we decided to stick with valet. The room was comfortable and a nice size with all the standard amenities. The king bed was a four poster, a decidedly interesting choice. From a design standpoint it was attractive. On the other hand, from a practical standpoint watching television from the easy chair was a bit difficult as one of the posts was in the way regardless of how much to the side you tilted your head. Mary loved the bathroom which was large and attractive. The pocket door on the alcove for the toilet was out of plumb a good inch or more which was just amusing and not really something we felt needed to be screamed about to the front desk staff.
I skipped the spa but did check out the exercise facilities which could have been bigger, and the pool which was undergoing some repairs while we were there. It was a nice sized indoor two lane lap pool, a good choice considering the kind of winters we get here in Colorado.
We did try the hotel restaurant (Jill's) for breakfast our first morning and found that arriving just before they closed the buffet was not the best plan. What wasn't cold, however was quite tasty. Probably worth a try if you're one of those people that likes to get up before noon. The menus for lunch and dinner looked appealing and we'd try it out if we found ourselves back there sometime. The bar and lobby were quite the happening scene on both Friday and Saturday night. Live music and lots of thin, pretty people, none of whom seemed to be wearing Birkenstocks. Strange.
Brasserie Ten Ten
We made reservations through Open Table for our last night in Boulder. Brasserie Ten Ten is, as the name implies, a brasserie though in a strange twist of fate, the restaurant is really similar to a real brasserie and not just a restaurant that is using a term brasserie to make themselves sound fancy.
It had many of the standard accoutrements that we think of when we think of brasseries (which we think about more than most people, I suppose) like tile floors, lots of brass and mirrors and wood. Interestingly enough, even though the place was doing land office business, the noise level was not bad at all, which isn't much like a brasserie now that I think about it, but I approve anyways. The menu has many of the dishes one expects and hopes for in a place like this, lots of shellfish, steak frites, duck confit and so on. As befits a brasserie there was also a nice selection of beers.
Mary had her new favorite salad consisting of a strip of bacon, potatoes, and a fried egg. Oh, and there was some lettuce in there as well. For her entrée she enjoyed pappardelle pasta with meatballs. I, on the other hand started with brandade de crab and followed up with a daube of beef which was excellent. A very nice piece of cheese concluded my meal while Mary insisted on ruining hers with ice cream. Really, really good ice cream.
Service was excellent and atmosphere every thing we look for in a nice Saturday night brasserie. All in all, we both felt the restaurant delivered in all particulars and we'd seriously consider driving all the way back up there to experience it again whenever we start jonsing for something French.
