Bars in Boulder

At Legends of Aurora, philly cheesesteak could mean a traditional sandwich, a pizza, or a 24-inch sub food challenge. For more than 20 years, Legends of Aurora‘s hand-tossed pizza dough has formed the foundation for this and other pies, including the supreme and the White pizza, a sauceless number with cheese and tomato slices. And though their patrons order enough pizzas each year to pave a route from Peoria to Buckley, they somehow find time to nosh on pepperoni pizza rolls, Rocky Mountain oysters, calzones, chimichangas, salad, and wings as well.

Named for the basement vault hidden beneath the historic building for more than a century, the Blake Street Vault embraces its history. The dining room bears the original tin ceilings and exposed brick walls, and the menu is inspired by the food of early Denver immigrants. Dishes such as smoked green chili, burgers made from Colorado buffalo, and flaky chicken pot pies hearken back to campfire cooking, while only slightly more modern treats such as the restaurant's signature moscow mule cocktails impart an old-fashioned touch by being served in copper mugs. After eating, guests can explore the 150-year-old building, venture into its mysterious vault, and track down Lydia, the ghost whose high heels have been heard clicking across the saloon floors when the eatery is empty and trying in vain to start a conga line when it's full.

Along the walls of Tessora's Barra di Vino, a cultivated selection of boutique wines from across the globe perch on handsome wooden racks while bistro tables invite patrons to relax and indulge. A rotating list of wines by the glass (usually $9–$15 for a six-ounce glass) features more than 20 varieties at a given time, each of which may find a delightful dance partner amid the sweet and savory small plates. Sip a slightly spicy pour of the Yangarra Shiraz, hailing from Australia's McLaren Vale, with eucalyptus and anise on its breath, and prop your subsequently tipsy head up on pillowy squares of roasted-pepper and basil focaccia, served with olive oil and balsamic vinegars from Campbell's Olive Bar ($8). Asparagus fries—fresh stalks outfitted in phyllo and baked to a crisp and buttery finish—lounge beside roasted-pepper aioli ($9 for a order of eight). Allow your veggie fries to waltz with a glass of the Two Angels sauvignon blanc from the Mayacamas Mountains, where bouquets of thyme and sage dress buffets of kiwi, melon, and basil, or order up three pulled-pork sliders in rosemary barbecue sauce ($11.50) with an intense malbec and cab-sauv blend from Mendoza that is full of wood smoke, black currant, and blueberry. Tessora's also offers beers, salads, cheese and antipasto plates, desserts, and, on Thursdays, pizza.

Vino 100’s experts selectively pluck wines from wine trees around the world and offer their bounty to discerning oenophiles for $25 a bottle or less. This Groupon is only good at the Loft Bar, which offers all of the bottles at Vino 100 (plus a $5 opening fee), as well as a rotating menu of wine flights and glasses. Scour the thoroughly vetted selection of 100 bottles for that palate-bending pinot with subtle notes of square watermelon using Vino 100’s innovative Wine Barometer. Affixed to each bottle, the Wine Barometer shows two scales, rating body from light to full and flavor from fruity to dry. Labels also include essential information about vineyard and vintage. If you take your wine with Cheetos, the Wine Barometer will advise whether your cabernet will better accompany the Original or Flamin’ Hot variety.

To make the search for fermented grapes almost as enjoyable as drinking them or throwing them at passing busses, Vino 100's friendly and knowledgeable staff of winetrepreneurs assists customers in making informed wine selections without the need for clunky vinometers and high-powered wineoculars. Vino 100 stocks more than 200 wines priced at $25 or less and more than 200 wines priced at $26 and up, as well as dozens of bottles costing equal to or less than the square root of the daily NASDAQ index. Amid its charmingly rustic décor, visitors can grab a bottle of Seven Hills Riesling ($15), De Tierra Merlot ($18), and more. The type of bottle all depends on whether they want to massage taste buds during dinner or inject a giggly romanticism into an evening that's usually spent playing Yahtzee and watching dance-contest recap shows. You can also peruse a wide selection of craft beers and savory meats and cheeses.