On my plate this week: OAK at Fourteenth. I’m taking you out of town for date night this week with a trip to Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall for a decadent dining experience worthy of any special occasion. (Pro tip: Get to Boulder a little early to peruse Pearl Street before sitting down to dinner. Then, if you get the table in the corner of the restaurant, like we did, it’s perfect for people-watching.) OAK has been a mainstay on Boulder’s ever-evolving Pearl Street Mall since 2010. The fine-dining “new-American”-style fare comes to us from culinary mastermind Steve Redzikowski, an award-winning, Bobby Flay-beating James Beard Award finalist.
With a menu that rotates seasonally, I stopped by to check out some of OAK’s new fall offerings, and I was NOT disappointed. We ordered the Colorado Corn Hushpuppies ($15) featuring blistered shishitos, calabrian chiles, and fresh basil on a creamy tomato almond sauce bed; the 8-ounce Colorado Bison Striploin ($49) accompanied by creamed corn and huckleberry jus; and the highly-recommended Roasted Alaskan Halibut ($39) in a leek-based “clam chowder.” (For sips, I opted for the non-alcoholic “Lights Out” mocktail, featuring notes of blackberry, thyme, and chocolate bitters — do not sleep on this!)
If you’ve been following Peyton’s Plate for a while, you might already know that I try to recommend a variety of restaurant styles and price options — everything from fast-casual to fine-dining. So I want to be upfront with you all: the prices here are fine-dining prices. But after the meal, I didn’t regret a single dime spent. Looking for something new, fancy, and worth the price? OAK is your place.
Rating: 9/10; worth every pretty penny!
In Other Food News:
- 📽️ Following a two-year pandemic-hiatus, the Flatirons Food Film Festival is returning for its 8th and final iteration, tonight from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.
- 🍜 Competitive eater and social media influencer Raina Huangrecently made a trip to the Mile High to tackle (and decimate) a few local food challenges, including slurping a 6-pound noodle dish and a 5-pound bowl of ramen at top speed.
- 🌎 Craving authentic Italian sausage? Bosnian butter tea cookies? Imported Indian spices? Korean-caliber kimchi? Check out this 5280 list of the best international food markets in Metro Denver.
