City: Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (303) 442-4640

Address: 1138 Flagstaff Road

Description: When the Emperor and Empress of Japan came to America in 1994, they dined at only one restaurant on their entire national itinerary: Boulder’s Flagstaff House. Chef Mark Monette offered their entourage pan-smoked salmon salad with caviar, tossed with local greens in wasabi vinaigrette, along with lobster consommé with spring vegetables and black truffles. Entrees were Boulder trout from the Cline Trout Farm and rack of Colorado lamb with Provencale vegetables, goat cheese, and Japanese eggplant chips. Desserts included Golden Egg Surprise, a cocoa sorbet wrapped with 24-karat gold leaf to make it look like a gold egg.When legendary French chef Paul Bocuse set up a cooking event with great American chefs from both coasts, he chose the Flagstaff House. Zagat calls it one of Colorado’s top 20 restaurants and it makes every “best” list that covers the Rocky Mountain dining scene. You get the idea?The Flagstaff House, perched high on Flagstaff Mountain, has the most romantic, panoramic view of Boulder around. The Monette family has owned it for more than 30 years, and chef Mark Monette has trained at the Taillevent in Paris, the Trogois Brothers in Roanne, La Poularde in southern France, and also in Singapore, Tokyo, Thailand, and Hong Kong. His rich blend of culinary knowledge has brought the restaurant increasing fame. More than 40 entrees grace the menu, which changes daily but always includes a commendable selection of meat, seafood, and game. The food is extraordinarily well prepared and artfully presented, and service is excellent, too. The wine list is nationally renowned, and the sommeliers are knowledgeable and helpful. The tasting menu with paired wines is a fine way to tap into the best and freshest ingredients that have inspired the chef’s creativity that very evening.The Flagstaff House is by and large an expense-account restaurant, where a full-course dinner for two will easily run into the three figures, but it is definitely worth a once-in-a-blue-moon, all-out grand dinner. Wise locals drive up at sunset or after the lights start twinkling in the valley below and order just appetizers and wine or dessert and wine or coffee—not as grand as a full-course meal but easier on the pocketbook. It’s open daily for dinner. Reservations are highly recommended, although drop-ins often can be accommodated.