Positioned on the eastern section of Boulder, Colo.’s famed Pearl Street walking and shopping district, River and Woods is located within a historic home that served for 40 years as the setting for the city’s popular John’s Restaurant. The building’s culinary legacy continues with the new River and Woods, the brainchild of restaurateur Josh Dinar and chef and partner Daniel Asher. Within the cozy interior, a collection of home-style recipes whipped up with a creative edge incorporates an abundance of outstanding sustainable and organic products. The menu’s clever divisions are The Rivers, The Woodlands, The High Plains, the Coasts and The Farms and Fields. Chef Asher’s goal is to link the new eatery with the surrounding community by inviting diners to submit their own recipes for consideration and possible inclusion in the menu as part of what he describes as “community-sourced cuisine.”

Inside, there’s a mountain-meets-Nordic vibe. In the rear, an outdoor backyard draws diners with a rotisserie, patio and bar. The inviting space also includes a stage set among tall trees where live music invites lingering. You’ll want to sample absolutely everything, but a few local favorites include the Heirloom Blue Corndog with continental elk cheddar bratwurst, Grateful Grits heirloom blue cornmeal, wildflower honey mustard and herb sea salt fries; and Manny’s Seared Local Chicken Diablo with jasmine rice, grilled asparagus and local honey-chile lacquer. Choose from delectable sides such as Lauren’s Smoked Cherry and Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes, Aunt Penny’s Mac & Cheese and Cross Family Red Cabbage Slaw.

While the restaurant may be pretty far from a coast, there’s great seafood on the menu, thanks to Asher’s choice of BELA Sustainable Seafood, hand-packed within hours of being caught (and never, ever frozen). The company sources from family fisheries that use sustainable fishery practices including pole and line fishing in waters located off Europe’s non-industrialized coastline, including villages in Portugal’s Algarve region. Packaging? Fully recyclable in glass and tin. Choices include wild-caught sardines, skipjack tuna fillets and wild-caught mackerel packed in organic oils. At River and Woods, Chef Asher works these tasty tidbits into a wide selection of dishes — but if you can’t get to Boulder right away, you can always access a collection of easy menus available on the BELA website.