Where to eat on Pearl Street between screenings

Festival scheduling gives you two kinds of meal windows: the 45-minute scramble and the 9pm “everything is full” problem. Here’s how locals handle both.

The 45-minute scramble

Sherpa’s Kitchen (825 Walnut) turns momos around fast enough to make a 2pm block after a 1pm lunch, and the thukpa will un-freeze you from the walk. For grab-and-walk, the counter at Café Sole does pressed sandwiches you can eat in a rush line.

The 9pm problem

Skip the reservation apps. The Buff stops serving at 2pm (it’s a breakfast house — go before your morning screening instead), but the bar seats at Front Range Brewing turn over constantly, and the kitchen runs until midnight during Film Week. Show your ticket stub; the pint discount is real.

The one splurge

Book one nice dinner for a non-screening night the moment you buy your badge. Boulder tables during festival week go the way of Snowshoe Cinema tickets: suddenly.