Oak

"Ahead of the curve when it opened 14 years ago with an emphasis on wood-fired cuisine, the fittingly named flagship of chef Steven Redzikowski and beverage director Bryan Dayton is now an old reliable. The seasonal menu mixes influences liberally — think arancini with blue cheese and spiced honey next to cod tempura with Thai chili sauce and peanuts next to wood-fired lamb belly with grilled eggplant, falafel, and cucumber harissa — but the apple-kale salad with almonds and togarashi is an all-time favorite, and the same goes for the bourbon-based, Bénédictine-laced Across the Atlantic cocktail." - Ruth Tobias

"This longtime go-to for polished New American cuisine is now taking reservations for its four-course prix fixe tasting ($110 per person): The naturally sophisticated menu includes a choice of such dishes as crispy duck confit salad with mimolette and hazelnuts, lobster gnocchi with Meyer lemon and saffron, and pan-seared scallops in salmon roe beurre monte with pear-celery root chutney and crispy leeks, as well as warm chocolate cake with Green Chartreuse ice cream for dessert." - Ruth Tobias

"Bryan Dayton and Steven Redzikowski’s beloved New American fixture off Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall has a four-course repast in the works for Christmas Eve revelers. Available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for $105 per person, it kicks off with a choice of citrus-endive salad with gorgonzola dolce and pistachios or butternut squash soup with foie gras and a chai-spiced marshmallow, followed by truffled tortellini in maitake brodo or lobster arancini with caponata; red wine–braised short rib with brown butter potatoes or wood-fired striped bass with forbidden black rice in tom kha beurre blanc; and bananas foster chocolate tart or sorbet for dessert." - Ruth Tobias, Eater Staff

"Smack dab in the heart of charming downtown Boulder, Oak at Fourteenth invites guests to settle in to a space where light wood floors, white walls and a minimalist design aesthetic set a modern tone. The kitchen echoes the contemporary mindset with a hearty menu focused on meat, but with equal care shown to vegetarian dishes. To begin, a vibrant disc of beet tartare is served with mustard ice cream and a beet-colored rice cracker for a dramatic start. Rotisserie chicken with a green apple and celery root slaw is a go-to, but save room for a slice of their peanut butter tart. With its thick cookie crust, thin layer of cherry gelee and a quenelle of celery sorbet balanced on chopped peanuts, it's a nod to that childhood classic: ants on a log." - Michelin Inspector

"Ahead of the curve when it opened a decade ago with an emphasis on wood-fired cuisine, the fittingly named flagship of chef Steven Redzikowski and barman Bryan Dayton is now an old reliable. The seasonal menu mixes influences liberally — think oak-roasted branzino with lentils, capers, and tomato butter next to cider teriyaki pork shoulder with crispy rice and gochujang next to cavatelli scampi — but the apple-kale salad with almonds and togarashi is an all-time favorite; the same goes for the bourbon-based, Benedictine-laced Across the Atlantic cocktail." - Rebecca Treon, Josie Sexton, Ruth Tobias, Nisa Sedaghat