Tangerine’s a little far for the average college crowd, but the brunch makes the extra ten minutes worth it.
Tucked into a shopping mall at the intersection of Iris Avenue and 28th Street; the location, paired with the fact that my friend and I went on a Wednesday at 9 a.m., meant that the restaurant was only about half full and we were the youngest people there.
(Courtesy Tangerine)
Tangerine has a clean, modern design, mixing in bright orange décor everywhere in the restaurant without being overwhelming.
Minutes after we walked in, my friend and I had been seated, handed menus and had our drink orders taken. I ordered the freshly squeezed orange juice, which arrived as quickly as we’d been seated. The orange juice was tangy and sweet, and it was obvious that it was real orange juice.
The first thing I noticed on the menu was the gluten free and vegetarian options. Most of the menu has “veggie” or “gluten free” – or both – written next to its choices, and while I eat both meat and gluten, it seemed very appropriate for the Boulder health conscious crowd.
I ordered the chicken and waffles, and my friend ordered a BLR pancake, or a ricotta and lemon pancake with blueberry sauce. We were crunched for time, as we had gotten up a little later than we’d planned on, and were worried about being late to class if the food took too long. But our food came out not long after we ordered.
The two halves of a Belgian waffle sandwiched the pan fried chicken breast, topped with cashew cream and served with a side of maple syrup and Yukon Gold home fries. I liked the waffles better than the chicken – which isn’t saying much as they were some of the best waffles I’ve ever had – but all together, the food created the perfect sweetness and texture.
I was excited to try the home fries, as they were chunky, golden and looked perfectly seasoned. However, they turned out to be bland and only slightly seasoned, leaving me disappointed. They tasted decent with ketchup and hot sauce on them, but alone they were pretty underwhelming.
My friend’s BLR pancake was sweet, light and lemony, with soft ricotta and blueberries on top. The blueberries were small and there weren’t many of them; however they complemented the lemony pancake and ricotta well.
My friend and I left the restaurant full of good food, only about 30 or 45 minutes after we’d arrived. The service was fast and efficient, although that could be chalked up to a slow Wednesday morning. The employees were friendly, and they chatted with regulars as they worked, creating a welcoming atmosphere.
Tangerine offers a delicious, quick brunch that is worth venturing away from The Hill and 29th Street Mall for. The extra distance is more than made up for by the food and service.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ainslee Mac Naughton at Ainslee.macnaughton@colorado.edu.
