Black Cat Bistro

an interminable succession of nightmares. I would rather never see those particular parts of animals again. I think this experience may cause me to become a vegetarian.

My spouse and I discovered Black Cat last year, and since then it has acted as the restaurant against which we rate all other restaurants. Here are the things I love about it:
1. The food: Usually, I’m not a fan of what Unilocal dubs «American (New)». However, Black Cat is like going to a talented chef friend’s house for dinner. You *have* to get the tasting menu. Seriously. Please do it; it is MORE than worth the cost! Basically, they’ll ask what you don’t like or cannot eat (e.g. I say «no goat cheese» and my spouse, strangely, says «no molasses»), and then they’ll work around that, surprising you with every course. Some of their flavor combinations are simply out of this world! Last time we went, we had some sort of walnut cake that eludes adjectives; I am doing it a disservice when I say it was delicious. The walnut cake was paired with foie gras, which sounds a bit strange but was incredible. Another time we went, they served us carpaccio that they’d totally knocked out of the park — and I’m not the kind of girl who will normally eat carpaccio. The flavor combinations are clever and yummy, and the ingredients the chefs use are extremely fresh.
2. The flexibility: My mother has lived her entire life in rural Kansas, and had never been to a restaurant like this before. She hasn’t really gotten a chance to, even when traveling, because she’s a vegan who doesn’t do refined flour or sugar. I was very hesitant to take her to Black Cat because I wasn’t sure they could meet her dietary needs — especially if we got her the tasting menu. However, a couple of weeks ago, my spouse and I decided to take our chances and dragged her to Black Cat. Amazingly, the chefs were able to churn out dishes that she went crazy over. To be honest, some of her vegan courses were better than our omnivore courses! Now she can’t wait to go back; she said it’s an experience she’ll remember for the rest of her life, and wants to repeat in the near future. This restaurant doesn’t get enough credit for being vegan-​friendly; you can take any of your strict-​diet friends or family members along, and they’ll love it!
3. The ambiance: It’s fancy, but somehow unpretentious. If you look around as you’re having dinner, you’ll notice that some people are dressed to the nines, and others have chosen to dress very casually. If you get the tasting menu, the servers are very conscientious about taking and replacing your utensils, but the utensils are delightfully mismatched vintage silver pieces. Service is polite without being stuffy. In short, it’s kind of like Frasca, but a lot more down to earth.
I have so much more to say about this place because I truly do love it, but I don’t want to take up all your time with my gushing. In closing, I’ll leave you with a couple of tips: 1. Again, get the tasting menu. 2. When you call ahead to reserve, ask for one of the chair and a half/​loveseat tables, especially if you’re going there for a date. These tables are partitioned off by curtains, and are amazing for enjoying a night out with your number one guy or girl. 3. If you are going out with people who have specific dietary needs (e.g. gluten-​free, vegan, vegetarian), this is your restaurant. They cater to everybody!
I hope that you decide to try Black Cat — you won’t regret it. :)

My BFF and I had the tasting menu and wine pairings… Other than the slightly one note foie gras and Sauternes every single pairing was unexpected, interesting and impressive. The gnudi… OMG! Many offerings not on the main menu and many I wouldn’t necessarily order… sometimes it’s nice to leave the thinking to the Chef and the Somm! Fabulous service — funny, not fussy! Worth every penny and I can’t wait to go back!

I think I died and gone to foodie heaven. Somebody please pinch me and tell me this reality!
Black Cat is the largest (or one of the largest) farm-​to-​table restaurants in the world. Please fact check me, I was slightly inebriated when the server gave the monologue. Nonetheless, chef Eric Skokan and his wife have a 130 acre farm located right outside of Boulder that grows both livestock and seasonal produce. This is the key element that sets them apart from the rest. Nothing beats fresh, home grown ingredients.
I was accompanied by 4 fabulous ladies as we were celebrating our annual «ladies only weekend». We opted for the 6 course tasting menu with wine paring, which is a «black box» until the courses are served. Don’t be alarmed, most of the course are smaller a la carte offerings. Just after we finished one course, we would say that the next couldn’t get any better… but it did. Again and again and again. Yes, please, and thank you.
Servers were on point, wine was delicious, and I loved the open kitchen layout. I love watching the chefs preparing the food. And I get excited when I know my course is being plated.
I am not a local and I wish Skokan had a restaurant like Black Cat in Southern California. But it is just a short 3 hour plane ride away! I would even go as far to say it is worth booking a trip just to dine at Black Cat.

Truly truly delicious, every single thing, from the butternut squash soup to the Colorado steak. AND, really excellent friendly, attentive service. Came in from Ann Arbor, MI, and would dine here in a heartbeat.

Expensive but worth it. Really amazing food. We did the tasting and it was more than worth it. It was fun and the flavors building through each plate was really amazing.
The beef tenderloin was the most tender I’ve ever had. Truly amazing.
The dessert was also great.
This is a farm-​to-​table restaurant. The ingredients come from the farm, so the tasting was a great way to get to see what they could make with their harvest.
I’d say the most hallmark of this place, food-​wise, is their attention to flavor — each dish wasn’t just one sauce or one flavor, but layers of flavor that exploded in your mouth.
Staff really attentive, and friendly. Food and wine descriptions maybe a touch pretentious, but when you’re spending that much money on such excellent food, maybe that’s part of the experience.
I would definitely come back here. Excellent place for a date.

Wow — amazing meal in Boulder. Nice intimate dining room and wonderful staff! We started with the foie gras terrine and a beet salad. The foie was great — wonderfully buttery with nice accoutrements. For the main we had the Colorado beef duo which was equally superb. Would love to come back for their tasting menu.

I did not have the sampler menu so I can’t review that part. I had the butternut squash soup which was out of this world and the beef duo. The plates are very creative but the sauces may need some refinement on the texture side of it.
I think what makes this place good is their ingredient selection, everything is fresh and locally sourced.
The servers are very knowledgeable and helpful with wine pairing.
Ambiance is really nice, perfect setting for a date.

Wow, incredible dinner. We were torn between the duck, the duo beef and the Tuni lamb. We went with the 7 course chef’s choice sampler. It was amazing. We will go with the wine pairing with the sampler next time. The wine sommelier (I think it was Sean) was friendly, knowledgeable and spot on. Our waiter, Kellen was exceptional and knew the details about how each dish was prepared. I’m a foodie and it is so nice to have a waiter be able to answer detailed questions about how the food was prepared. This is as good as Bar Tartine in SF, and even better in my opinion because it is close to home. My new favorite restaurant.

The anniversary evening we had here was truly memorable! The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and not pretentious like some of the other «higher end» restaurants in Boulder. We opted for the tasting menu with the wine pairings and we were not disappointed. The tuna sashimi appetizer melted in my mouth! I love the fact that the restaurant is based in their own farm so the pork belly was super fresh and tender. The portions were perfect, so after 6 courses we were not hungry but not feeling disgusting. I’ve never had wine bring out the flavors of food and vice versa, as I did this evening. The value felt really good as well– again, not like other places in town. Give them a try!!!

It was wicked good and awesome. I like the food and people that work there, they are also wicked good and awesome

We decided on this place after reading several awesome reviews! We eloped in Boulder and wanted a romantic dinner afterward. This places atmosphere was cozy and romantic. We failed to make a reservation but they were able to get us in after someone was 30 minutes late to their reservation. This restaurants owners grow their own vegetables and livestock. The food was so amazing!!! Ridiculously fresh and each bite is flavorful, scrumptious, and you don’t want it to end! We had goat cheese and meatballs for an appetizer and it was delicious! Our waitress gave us complimentary bean soup which was wonderful also. My entrée was risotto and my husband ordered the lamb. Both were so amazing! The waitress picked my wine and did a superb job! This restaurant is pricey but absolutely worth it!

Excellent from start to finish! Tasting Menu was sublime wine pairings were perfection. Had a phenomenal and exquisite evening on all fronts. Worth every penny, nickel, dime, quarter, dollar and all their multiples and divisions!!!

The great thing about Black Cat is that it’s quite unique. They offer many dishes that you simply don’t find at many other restaurants. The service is great and many times, they even provide a nice little appetizer on the house before serving the meal. To me this is not an absolute selling point, but farm to table is also another great aspect of Black Cat.

Oh. My. Gawd. I just had the most amazing meal for $ 50 including tip. And the service was phenomenal. These guys are perfectly willing to bend over backwards to make you happy, and they’re all really sincere. I’m doing an extremely restrictive cleanse right now and I can’t have any wheat, soy, sugar, dairy or legumes. They didn’t bat an eye at modifying the dishes to accommodate me. And even after all those restrictions, they managed to make it one of the most delicious meals I’ve had in a long time. If I were a local this would be a weekly indulgence.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have an obsessive love of bacon. Well, they served me 3 different cuts and preparations of local, organic pork! Needless to say, I’m in heaven right now.

Excellent organic farm to table food. The beet salad was fresh and the duck was amazing. We also tried the charcuterie plate which had about 10 different things to sample. While we shared this, I could have easily eaten one all to myself.
I can’t wait to try the Black Cat again next time in Boulder.

A group of us went last night. They were running a little behind for our reservation, so the staff treated us to a glass of champagne. Classy move! Every aspect of our service was top notch. The tasting/​pairing menu was incredible and well thought out. It was a complete treat, with courses including pâté, beef tartare, salmon, beef. The restaurant itself was beautiful and cozy.

The Black Cat isn’t a casual drop-​in place. Seating is limited and the food is expensive and the meals take a while to complete.
But it’s all more than worth it for fresh field-​to-​fork goodies, out of the ordinary, exquisitely prepared. We’ve done a la carte in the past, but the chef’s tasting menu is a spectacular way to go, especially with the wine pairings (and, yes, there’s even a distinct difference between the regular and premium wine pairings). It took us over three hours this last time, and we enjoyed every minute of it, small portions but rich and flavorful, an eveing neither dawdling nor rushed, leaving sated and mildly inebriated when all was said and done.
Definitely a locale for special events and best of friends and family.

Black Cat is truly an exquisite farm to table dining experience. It’s located just off Pearl Street so not everyone knows about this gem. We found it about five years ago at the Denver International Wine festival. We usually choose to dine here on special occasions like Anniversaries or Birthday’s.
Chef Skokan creates masterpieces using ingredients brought in from his own farm. The quality is absolutely top notch. The menu changes day to day due to that days harvest. Unbelievable! They offer an extensive wine list that includes some wonderful wines from all over the world. We even had a few amazing wines from our very own Colorado.
The Chefs Tasting Menu is the way to go. They surprise you with about six courses. Then you can purchase a wine paring for each course. They ask if you have any allergies and make sure you are completely satisfied. Their Foie Gras Mousse is one of our favorite items on the menu. I also loved the Colorado Striped Bass. You cannot go wrong with anything that they bring you.
If you are looking for an amazing meal that offers farm to table freshness, you need to make your way to this adorable little bistro.

A friend and I went into this experience not knowing what to expect. What an incredibly pleasant surprise! In the spirit if adventure we did the chefs choice sampler, and we were not disappointed. Here’s our line up:
–carrot soup w/​ginger swirl
–foie gras with pear, onion and apple
–trout with lemon sauce, potato and asparagus
–pork belly with kimchi and gala apple w/​cilantro sauce
–roasted salmon served over lentils and asparagus with wine seared currents (with a root on top that the chef was excited about, can you say farm geek!)
–beef tenderloin fresh beats and beat greens from the beginning of the season and quinoa with red wine sauce
–hazel nut cake with goat cheese, red wine cherries and vanilla bean ice-​cream. With a lovely glass of charade née
I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a classy farm to table experience.