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Boulder CO: Riffs

Rhonda, Karl and I enjoyed an evening of fellowship and good food at Riffs. It's in bustling downtown Boulder on the Mall. Some of their menu items are small plates while others are full-sized entrees. They serve several types of dishes but their menu featured plenty of excellent seafood on the night we visited. The service was very gracious and effective.

I ordered two small plates. The first was a beet and goat cheese salad; beets are a big crop in Colorado. The second was smoked trout, also a local favorite. Both dishes were flavorful, subtle, and excellent. Rhonda and Karl reported that their dishes were superb. As I recall, Rhonda ordered octopus and Karl ordered salmon.

We couldn't resist ending the meal by sharing this beautiful and delicious cobbler. As Rhonda pointed out, this little dish had a lot going on. The ice cream was rich, creamy, and fairly subtle. A bit of salted caramel snuck in the middle. The fruit was very fresh and the pastry flaky.

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