Birthday happy hour at Riffs

Pearl Street mall on July 4th offers some of the best people watching in the country. I know this because I've lived in a whopping three different states. We obviously need to have a happy hour snack at one of the restaurants on the pedestrian mall, and after much debate, settled down at one of our regular eateries, Riffs.

Unless you live in a Prius, you have probably figured out that most happy hours in Boulder offer a menu laden with compromise... good food and mediocre libations, great libations and so-so food, or just a bunch of no-frills everything. Riffs breaks this tradition with an excellent selection of cocktails, unique wine, a short but fun list of beer, and ten or so small plates. All of this is discounted up to 40 percent! Naturally, the three of us all ordered the burger, medium rare and the kitchen grilled it perfectly to temperature. And they have white cheddar. And the fries are salted and crispy. And it's really only $8 with cheese. Awesome.

On to the drinks. Our server[and consequently the bar manager], informed us of a rosé of Cabernet Franc fresh out of Chinon. Upon first sniff and taste, the wine showed strawberry and a little funk, typical of this region, but not for rosé. After completely embarrassing our party with an obligatory table side experiment, I was absolutely sure it was flawed. Our server eventually agreed, opened another bottle at the table, and poured a fresh glass. The wine was perfect at $11, but on happy hour it rings up for under $7!

Name another restaurant with excellent service on the pedestrian mall, where you can sit outside, devour a perfectly cooked burger made with local beef, sip world-class wine and beer, and leave completely satisfied for $15/pp before tax and tip. I lied. We had two drinks each. Theoretically you could have self-restraint and only get one drink. If you have never eaten at Riffs, you also need to try the daily specials. Most are reasonably priced, offer top-notch local ingredients, and expert preparation.

Happy Birthday America!