I spent $62 on lunch at The Kitchen, a restaurant owned by Elon Musk's millionaire brother
Photos courtesy of Emily Hart, Tyler Le/BI
- I've lived in Boulder for years and have heard many people recommend The Kitchen to visitors.
- The Kitchen is co-owned by Elon Musk's brother, Kimbal Musk, and chef Hugo Matheson.
- When I went for lunch, The Kitchen had delicious food at reasonable prices and great service.
As a longtime resident of Boulder, Colorado, I've found we have a handful of restaurants that are frequently recommended to visitors.
One of those is, without question, The Kitchen.
The American bistro has been a local staple since it opened in 2004. And, almost every time someone suggests it, they'll also mention it's partly owned by Kimbal Musk, Elon Musk's brother.
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A few years after making millions from a deal with his brother in 1999, Kimbal attended culinary school in New York.
The South African-born businessman later moved to Boulder, where he worked with chef Hugo Matheson at a restaurant on Pearl Street for a few years until the pair co-founded The Kitchen Restaurant Group in 2004.
Although it began in Boulder, the group now has restaurants in Chicago, Denver, and Austin.
Kimbal is also now somewhat of a local celebrity here. Many residents, including myself, have spotted him eating at The Kitchen's flagship location or walking around its surrounding area.
Emily Hart
After not visiting The Kitchen for several years, I decided to pop in for a late weekday lunch to see what the seasonal menu looked like and if it continued to live up to its hype.
I went to the original location on West Pearl, a historic district with a pedestrian mall that's perfect for residents and visitors alike.
As a Boulder resident, I consider it the heart of the city. I love walking to the popular area to dine, drink, or shop.
Emily Hart
When I arrived at The Kitchen, just a few other groups were dining.
Although the restaurant has been open since 2004, its interior looked like it had definitely been updated throughout the years.
The bar was well-lit and looked elegant with a mirrored wall and simple stools. The back dining area looked cozy and intimate, with dark woods, exposed brick, minimal decor, and artsy orb-shaped light fixtures.
The atmosphere felt casual but still upscale, which I appreciated.
Emily Hart
The lunch menu at The Kitchen includes handhelds, plates, and sweets, with a wide variety of shareable dishes — crab fried rice, burrata, carrots, and lamb arayas, to name a few.
Despite the interesting choices, I stuck with my basic perennial favorite: hand-cut garlic fries. I got a large portion of fries served with a bearnaise aioli for $9.50.
Although I enjoyed the fries, the garlic was a little overpowering for my taste. The creamy, flavorful aioli was the best part of the dish.
Emily Hart
During my visit, the lunch menu featured dishes like a fried-chicken sandwich, lobster roll, steak frites, Halloumi naan, quiche, and rigatoni.
Although many sparked my interest, I was most curious about the crispy cauliflower for $24.50. When my server told me it was one of his favorite dishes even though he doesn't like cauliflower, I knew I had to try it.
The breaded and fried cauliflower was paired with carrots, chickpeas, tamarind chutney, coriander chutney, mango, pickled red onion, and an herb salad.
I loved the combination of flavors, but the texture of the cauliflower stood out the most. It was perfectly crispy and almost resembled fried chicken.
The portion felt nearly too large, but I was happy to be able to take leftovers home.
Emily Hart
To end my meal, I couldn't resist ordering the cheesecake with a brown-sugar pecan crust, poached pears, and fig coulis.
The slice was beautifully plated and I loved the fresh taste of the cheesecake, which didn't feel too heavy. The star, though, was the crisp brown-sugar pecan crust.
It seemed reasonably priced at $12.50 for a slice.
Emily Hart
As a frequent solo diner, I've found restaurant service can be hit or miss when I'm alone. Sometimes, staff don't spend enough time checking in on me or ask me to sit at the bar instead of a table.
Fortunately, at The Kitchen, I was given the same level of service I'd expect if I'd been there with a group.
The professional, knowledgeable staff I encountered seemed available to answer my questions and bring me what I needed at any point during my visit.
Emily Hart
Before this, I'd had dinner at The Kitchen several times. I'd always enjoyed my experience but found the space could get crowded, so I'm glad I came here for a quieter lunch.
The prices felt very reasonable for the quality of the dishes, attentive service, and the amount of food I received — I spent $62 for a starter, main, and dessert, including a 22% tip.
Overall, The Kitchen lives up to the hype, with professional and friendly service, a great location, fair prices, and fresh, inventive dishes that left me wanting to return for another lunch.
