City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 449-1922

Address: 1922 13th Street

Description: If you’re only going to have one Irish restaurant, let it be as close to authentic as possible. This one is, right down to the wood paneling, bar, and antiques all shipped directly from the isle known for its traditional pubs and hearty beer. Speaking of that, you’ll find a large selection of draft im­ported beers and a wide variety of Irish and Scotch whiskeys. Entrees include traditional fish and chips served with coleslaw and malt vinegar; shepherd’s pie with lean ground beef, lamb, leeks, carrots, peas, and onions simmered in Bass Ale and topped with roasted garlic mashed potatoes; and steak-and-cheddar boxty. Along with daily beer specials, there is also live music. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 938-8800

Address: 2480 Canyon Blvd.

Description: Alba is the successor to the critically acclaimed Full Moon Grill, which owner Rick Stein opened in 1992. The Full Moon became one of Boulder’s best-loved restaurants, renowned for its delicious food, friendly and attentive service, and its acclaimed wine list. Over his thirty years of traveling to Italy, Rick Stein became especially enchanted with the Piemonte region and its beautiful towns and rolling hills. He was inspired by the many unpretentious ristorantes, osterias, and trattorias throughout the region. He particularly liked the city of Alba and its warm and generous people. In 2006, he decided to open a restaurant that would reflect Piemonte’s wonderful food and wine in a relaxed, congenial setting.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 444-4888

Address: 921 Pearl Street

Description: Located on the west end of Pearl Street, Bácaro has a simple decor and more complicated Northern Italian cuisine. A house antipasto specialty is carpaccio, thinly sliced raw meat drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. Fresh homemade pastas include spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli, angel-hair pasta with fresh tomato sauce, and black and white tagliolini with mixed seafood in a lightly spiced tomato sauce. Entree highlights include veal scalloppine topped with prosciutto and sage, served with creamy baked potatoes. The desserts are as extravagant as the pastas, and the wine list is comprehensive. The service is also excellent. Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 443-5015

Address: 1600 Pearl Street

Description: Owned by the same family for more than 40 years, this Boulder restaurant has moved to 17th and Pearl Streets but still offers fresh, homemade, and affordable Italian cuisine in a casual atmosphere. A variety of Italian breads, soups, and antipasti are served as appetizers. Eggplant parmigiana, lightly breaded and fried eggplant, spaghetti, fettuccine Alfredo, and fettuccine pesto are just a few of the entrees. Desserts include homemade lemon cheesecake and tiramisu. The special on Tuesday and Wednesday is all-you-can-eat spaghetti for $4.69. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday and for dinner only on Saturday and Sunday.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 938-9300

Address: 645 30th Street

Description: Another Boulder favorite, Carelli’s meals are prepared with the finest imported and domestic ingredients and all-natural chicken and beef. Specialties include pesto di penne, shrimp scampi, chicken picatta, and steak pizziola. Carelli’s has a cozy fireplace for winter dining and a garden patio in the summer. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner weekdays, dinner only on Saturday; it’s closed Sunday.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 786-9004

Address: 3970 North Broadway

Description: This unique Italian eatery in north Boulder has an intimate atmosphere with food to match the romantic surroundings, making it hard to believe it’s located in a strip mall next to a grocery store. There is a chicken breast in artichoke heart cream sauce, or black ravioli stuffed with salmon that shouldn’t be difficult to complement from the extensive wine list. The service is excellent, and will make you wish this restaurant was open all the time rather than just for dinner nightly.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 444-8434

Address: 835 Walnut Street

Description: Filling Italian fare, mostly of the traditional Southern Italian variety, is served in this amiable, casual restaurant. Spaghetti, ziti, and fettuccine, the most popular pasta shapes, dominate the menu and are available with an assortment of sauces. Perennial favorites include eggplant parmigiana, lasagna with or without meat, and shrimp fra diavolo. Some seafood, some poultry, and some meat dishes are served, and there’s pizza, too. D’Napoli is open for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. nightly.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Address: 1738 Pearl Street

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Address: 1710 29th Street

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 444-5800

Address: 1001 Pearl Street

Description: It’s no surprise why Pasta Jay’s has a huge following. The food is amazing. The menu is constructed on a solid foundation of the most popular Italian dishes: manicotti, spaghetti, and various tubular pastas with several flavorful sauces, and pizza, too. Fans love Pasta Jay’s mixed salad, drenched in a flavorful dressing, and warm herb and garlic bread. A good selection of robust domestic and imported wines is available. Pasta Jay’s serves lunch and dinner daily. Be prepared to wait, it’s a very popular place.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 442-6100

Address: 1265 Alpine Ave.

Description: New to the restaurant scene, Radda Trattoria is a popular North Boulder neighborhood restaurant inspired by the cuisine and culture of Tuscany, Italy. Radda is the second creation of chef Matthew Jansen, after the much-lauded Mateo Restaurant Provencal that opened in 2001. The spirit, beauty and hospitality of Tuscany are transported to the very neighborhood that Matthew grew up in. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 938-1981

Address: 2609 Pearl Street

Description: Looking for the best sandwich in town? Boulder newspaper readers say you’ll find it here. Try the hot prime rib or pastrami; both are served on freshly baked rolls. Salvaggio’s serves special Italian sausages and Boar’s Head–brand meats—among the highest-quality domestic cold cuts you can buy. Prime-rib sandwiches are slow-roasted in the rotisserie oven, and when it comes to popularity, they blow everything else away, hands down. The Cajun roast beef and mortadella ham are knockouts. Roasted red bell peppers and fresh mozzarella can be added, too. The sandwich bread is homemade. Order your meal to go, or eat it on the premises. The deli is open for lunch and dinner daily. No credit cards.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 544-0008

Address: 1430 Pearl Street

Description: Tucked into the east end of Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall is Trattoria on Pearl. Chef Daniel has taken seafood cuisine to a new level. Each day a new menu of specials is printed that features the great catches he has scouted out from vendors who fly in their fresh ingredients from around the world. This charming cafe also has a menu that includes saltimbocca prepared with veal, pork, or chicken and marinated duck breast over roasted potatoes, apples, and mushrooms in a honey-burgundy glaze. Pasta choices include penne alla vodka, asparagus and cherry tomatoes sautéed in a light vodka tomato cream with your choice of chicken, salmon, or shrimp. Pizza is also included in the menu. The Trattoria has a 300-plus-bottle wine list that will complement any meal. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 448-1500

Address: 4580 Broadway #D-1

Description: This neighborhood restaurant located on Uptown Broadway features food emphasizing flavors of the Mediterranean including Portugal, Greece, and Spain and a beautifully paired wine list. Reservations are recommended.

City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 440-4167

Address: 2226 Pearl Street

Description: This richly decorated, exotic restaurant is as much about entertainment as fine dining. While sitting on plump pillows under tented ceilings and listening to Moroccan drums, you will eat with your fingers, but you won’t be eating what we think of as finger food. Dine sumptuously on five-course meals such as couscous with vegetables, lamb with artichokes, and delicious Moroccan tea and pastries. There is a selection of meat and vegetarian dishes. But best of all, belly dancers entertain Thursday through Sunday. Belly dancing originated to encourage women through childbirth—hence the focus on strong abdominal movements. This is not Las Vegas belly dancing, which is why children are welcome. This restaurant serves dinner daily.