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Todayâs Nibbles chronicles my unplanned taste tour of Boulder Countyâs roster of cafĂ©s, bakeries and stores operated by French immigrants. Much butter is involved. Plus: A Boulder winery bids adieu, immigrant chefs are feted, a coffee shop celebrates 20 years of lattes, and, as a lifelong tangerine fiend, I share a juicy quote.
Which Boulder County restaurants and bars do the best job of displaying art on their walls? Send nominations to nibbles@boulderreportinglab.org.
â John Lehndorff
Somewhere between the croissant with house-made berry jam at Maisonette and Le Frigoâs Royale sandwich on a buttered baguette, a truth dawned on me.
I realized I was on an unplanned tour of French cafés, bakeries and shops in Boulder County. When I had work meetings, celebrations and get-togethers scheduled over the past two months, I was always asked to pick a restaurant.
I ended up suggesting French cafés, bistros, pùtisseries and sandwich shops operated by French immigrants.
OĂč puis-je manger de la cuisine française Ă Boulder?
As it turns out, there are lots of local destinations on the Boulder taste tour de France.
Croque Madame, sâil vous plaĂźt
A sunny Saturday afternoon called for brunch at Le French Café. I skipped the pastries and sweet treats for a Croque Madame.
Thick-sliced bread filled with ham is topped with creamy béchamel sauce and GruyÚre and grilled until brown and bubbly. Add a fried egg, which makes a nice dip for the pile of herbed frites.
Le French CafĂ© is co-owned by French-born Agnes Garrigou and her chef husband, Quentin. Her mellifluous âmadameâ and âmonsieurâ greeting prompts folks like me to resurrect our school-level conversational French.
I grew up with neighbors who had Québécois roots, took French class every day in school and spent four college years in French-speaking Montreal.
As a result, I am proudly bilingual, sort of. I speak fluent Culinary French, truly the language of modern cooking. Iâm proud of the fact that I can spell bouillabaisse without looking it up.
Also, I just love French accents.
Croque Madame with herbed frites at Le French Café. Credit: John Lehndorff
A flaky pastry escape in Lafayette
A discussion about gathering community around long tables naturally found us at Jeannotâs Patisserie and Bistro.
The glass counter is a tempting gauntlet of classic desserts and pastries crafted by French-born, globally trained master pastry chef Julien Jeannot, who co-owns the eatery with his wife, Teresa.
I settle in with a latte and a slice of galette de rois â French king cake, a soothing cream-filled treat and a bout of culinary dĂ©jĂ vu. Jeannotâs joins a long Boulder County history of French food spots including Mateo, LâAtelier, La Chaumiere, Pour La France, Sebanton and Bistro St. Tropez.
I learned to make omelets, Hollandaise, crepes and French onion soup at the short-lived French Peasant restaurant. Today, the kitchen staff at many local bistros were trained at Boulderâs Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, named for the iconic French chef.
The dayâs pastries at Jeannotâs Patisserie and Bistro in Lafayette. Credit: John Lehndorff
Baguette, butter, charcuterie and bliss
Walking into Le Frigo is a little European food vacation. The shelves and counters are filled with charcuterie, pastas, olive oils, cheeses, candies and ready-to-heat dishes.
The shop only has a couple of tables, so I always get one of the ready-made sandwiches. Besides classics like Le Frigoâs Royale, the board also offers Le Deviled, essentially a deviled egg and bacon sandwich on a baguette, and Le Au Jus, a fine toasted roast beef and Swiss with French onion soup for dipping.
A ready-to-go Le Frigo Royale sandwich on buttered baguette at Le Frigo in Boulder. Credit: John Lehndorff
A peaceful quiche moment at Maisonette
I finally got to experience the newest taste of France at Maisonette, a major addition to downtown Boulderâs cafĂ© society.
Maisonette was opened in 2025 by Lille, France natives Florian and Nali TĂ©tart.
I enjoyed a near-perfect slice of quiche Lorraine, far removed from the rubbery wedges in frozen pie shells one sometimes encounters. Instead, this was a soft, creamy layer of eggs, ham and melted cheese in a simple crust, sided with fresh greens in vinaigrette.
Maisonette is one of the few local spots that bakes authentic breads like baguettes and brioche, as well as croissants and pastries. Florian TĂ©tart stopped by my table to talk about ripping out windows and walls to move in a huge commercial oven.
Maisonetteâs croissant joins my local hit parade of favorites with a traditional version, a small buttery delight filled with multiple flaky layers. They have a certain je ne sais quoi that supermarket bakeries canât duplicate.
Brioche loaves baked at Maisonette French Bakery in Boulder. Credit: John Lehndorff
Boulder Countyâs French food corps
A French accent can be heard across Boulder County. For instance, Boulderâs new Crepe Therapy is owned by chef Mawa McQueen, who grew up in CĂŽte dâIvoire and trained in Paris. Lafayetteâs Button Rock Bakery is operated by French-born Julien Renaut, owner of Broomfieldâs La Belle French Bakery.
Other Boulder French-inspired menus can be sampled at Brasserie Ten Ten and the Brasserie Boulder half of the menu at Cafe Aion.
The French dominance can also be seen from the Flagstaff House, with the stateâs largest cellar of vintage French wines, to Longmontâs Cheese Importers, which boasts Coloradoâs largest French cheese selection within a Paris-focused food and gift shop.
Boulder winery to bid adieu in March
Blake and Tracy Eliasson opened Boulderâs Settembre Cellars in 2007 to craft wines using Colorado grapes. The cool mom-and-pop winery will close on March 5. Settembreâs inventory, including the acclaimed 2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, is on sale. Details are here.
The Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide will expand its restaurant selections beyond Denver, Boulder, Vail and Aspen for 2026. Now, deserving eateries in Lyons, Aurora, Colorado Springs and elsewhere in the state will be considered. However, they â like those other cities â will have to ante up and invest in the Michelin Guide process.
Who cooks your huevos rancheros?
The past year has been terrifying for the corps of immigrant cooks who work in Colorado restaurants, as well as gratifying in that many of the stateâs chefs gaining national recognition are also immigrants to the U.S.
That dichotomy sets the table for âSazĂłn & Liberation,â a new documentary from Cocina Libre, an organization founded in 2024 by Julia Roncoroni. The psychologist and University of Denver professor recently discussed immigrant issues with the Boulder Reporting Lab.
Local chefs interviewed include Michelin star-winning chef Byron Gomez of Boulderâs Id Est Group, Dana Rodriguez, Manny Barella and Edwin Sandoval. The documentary is primarily in Spanish with English subtitles.
Julia Roncoroni and guests will show the film and lead a community discussion on Feb. 23 at the Museum of Boulder. Tickets are here.
Byron Gomez, awarded a Michelin star at Bruto, is among the immigrant Colorado chefs interviewed in a new documentary. Credit: Id Est Group
Congratulations to Laughing Goat, which celebrates 20 years of coffee and community with a Feb. 20 party at its Pearl Street location featuring the Logo Ligi African Dance Ensemble.
A Feb. 21 Chili Cook-Off at GrossenBart Brewery will benefit Longmontâs Annie and Millieâs Place, which helps those experiencing homelessness keep their pets. Tickets are here.
(Get your upcoming food event, festival or class listed free on Boulder Reporting Lab using the self-submission form on our events page.)
âYou can see everything in the universe in one tangerine. When you peel it and smell it, itâs wonderful. You can take your time eating a tangerine and be very happy.â â ThĂch Nháș„t HáșĄnh
Sumo, Golden Nugget and Nibble âcrunchyâ mandarins (or tangerines) from Sprouts Market. Credit: John Lehndorff
Want more Boulder bites?
After 51 years, Boulderâs Dark Horse will close March 14 as community begins farewell gatherings
The longtime Boulder bar will close on its anniversary as redevelopment moves forward and weekly drop-in gatherings begin. Continue readingâŠ
Longmont pizzerias launch âPizza With Purposeâ to fight food insecurity
Three Main Street pizza shops are donating proceeds to hunger relief and planning a statewide pizza festival to support local communities. Continue readingâŠ
Check out recent editions of Nibbles:
đ« Chocolate meets mushrooms in Boulder
đČ Saigon District One brings Boulder County a taste of Vietnam
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