I would step into the kitchen when I worked at Lucky’s Market my eyes would narrow when seeing Fernando.  You could cut the tension in the air.  He would glare back at me.  We would work together with minimal pleasantries but only because that was the professional way to handle our mutual dislike of each other.

Here is Fernando making  perfect potato latkes.

Why did we dislike each other? I am not going to venture to guess.   Too many chefs in the kitchen?

We are now the best of friends.  It is funny to see the look of confusion some people at Lucky’s Market get when I come in to see Fernando and usually bring him a treat like some home-made bread or caramel candies.  I am  glad we are now good friends.

Fernando is a talented chef whose palate is educated.  I love eating with him because he has great input on reviewing food.

When we were eating at a local restaurant recently we decided to go out more often and then I said “why don’t we do reviews on my blog together?’

Any excuse to go out to eat with friends.

The restaurant we visited on Tuesday evening is a newer restaurant in Boulder.  The Poppy Cafe opened in November of last year.  The menu is designed as mostly gluten-free but you cannot tell unless you are looking for gluten-free.   The Poppy Cafe offers healthy, scratch made food using only the best ingredients.

Fernando and I agreed that of the dishes we tried the brussels sprouts were our favorite.  Honey glazed brussels sprouts with rosemary and walnuts are a sublime combination.  The sprouts were roasted to perfection.  The sweet glaze and earthy rosemary mingled in my taste buds.  This is truly a happy making dish.

We also tried the crab stuffed, bacon wrapped shrimp.  Of course this dish was excellent. The slightly crunchy and salty bacon gives way to sweet shrimp and then you taste even sweeter crab meat.  All of this deliciousness are napped in a pesto cream sauce.  Oh my….

The sesame scallops were seared perfectly with a light sesame flavor that still allowed you to taste the fresh flavor of the sea in the scallops.

We had a small plate of gorgonzola cheese, olives and walnuts which are some of my favorite foods combined.  I think I ate most of that dish.

The petite Beef Wellington in a demi glace were delicious.  This classic dish with tender beef  wrapped in puff pastry with mushroom duxelle and served with demi glace is made perfect at the Poppy Cafe.

The quality of the food is not reflected in the prices.  This restaurant offers fantastic food at very reasonable prices.

During happy hour they also offer bottomless glasses of wine.  The house wine is Douglas Hill so those bottomless glasses of wine go down easy!

The Poppy Cafe is located at 38th and Arapahoe in the beautiful Peleton complex in Boulder Colorado.