Leaf, Boulder

As one of the few vegetarian restaurants in Boulder, Leaf is well-known throughout the area.  After having dined here last year, I was looking forward to another great experience and I was not disappointed.

When you first walk in, you see a very cool looking bar displaying a wide variety of liquors. Then, when you turn the corner into the dining area, you see dark wood tables and chairs with Mooi Random lights above (my favorite lamp ever!).  I was having lunch with April, a fellow food blogger whose blog is called, "Epicurean Vegan." It was so great to have lunch with a fellow blogger! I also met another good friend of mine, Corey, at the restaurant.  We all sat down in a booth near the window and immediately proceeded to order drinks.  We were just there for lunch so we all ordered juices. I had the Hibiscus cooler, April had the mint lemonade, and Corey had an Izze.  Corey and April liked their selections. Mine was okay – it was just a bit tart, but hibiscus can be that way.

The waiter was very helpful with explaining the dishes as well as recommending certain entrees over others. All of the dishes are clearly marked as to whether they could be made vegan or not, which made it easy to narrow down.  I decided to order the Jamaican Jerk Tempeh dish while April ordered the Beer Batter Tofu Sandwich and Corey ordered a vegetarian sandwich. 

The Jamaican Jerk Tempeh entrée was absolutely delicious and the presentation was spectacular.  It was layered vertically with Black Emperor’s forbidden rice on the bottom, a deliciously seasoned tempeh in the middle and sautéed Swiss chard on top, then it was topped with fruit salsa and a crispy sliced plantain.  The sauce was a coconut plantain sauce that was scrumptious. The dish had just the right level of spiciness. The flavors were just wonderful together.

April also enjoyed her Beer Batter Tofu Sandwich and although I didn’t try it, I was quite impressed at their ability to batter and fry silken tofu as I know how difficult that can be.  Corey also enjoyed his sandwich.

As it was just lunch, we did not order any dessert, but the last time I was here, I really enjoyed their desserts as well.  If I was in Boulder for just one day, this is one of the two restaurants I would visit with the other one being the Black Cat.  The food is delicious, creative, and well-presented; and at $9-12 per entrée the price point is just right. Highly recommended.

Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant
2010 16th Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302
303-442-1485