Photo by Casey Wilson.
There’s a word chef Eduardo Valle Lobo uses to describe his (and Boulder’s) new Pearl Street outpost, Casa Juani, that should tell you everything you need to know: fun. Not fine. Fun.
After years leading the kitchen at Frasca Food and Wine, one of the city’s most decorated restaurants, Eduardo and his wife/co-chef Kelly Jeun could have opened something hushed and reverent, white tablecloths and strict dress codes. But they didn’t. Instead, they opened something that feels like you’ve been invited to a really good dinner party, one where the food happens to be exceptional, and the vibe never disappoints.
The restaurant takes its name from Eduardo’s mother, Juanita, or Juani, whose resourceful, soulful cooking out of Madrid shaped his earliest understanding of what food is, or what it should be. “Her philosophy has always stayed with me,” he says. “Simple dishes, great ingredients, and food that brings people together.” That ethos is baked into everything that Eduardo is doing here. At the center of it all is a marisquería, a raw seafood counter, which is a bold call for the landlocked state of Colorado. Eduardo isn’t bothered, or worried. “Being in the center of the country, with access to a major international airport, actually allows us to bring in really fresh product from all parts of the world.” Clams, sea urchin, lobster: coastal and seasonal, handled with care.
But Casa Juani is more than its showpiece. The arroz con setas was among the first dishes the couple knew had to exist here, a rice dish rooted in the food Eduardo grew up eating at home. Stews, braises, Ibérico pork: the menu reads like a love letter to a country and a mother who taught him why cooking matters.
Kelly, who spent time at Eleven Madison Park and Del Posto, brings her own precision and perspective to the collaboration. “This is really the first time that we’re able to express our own story as chefs together,” she muses of the pairing. “We’re able to take the reins and shape every detail with our own personalities in a way that feels very authentic to us.”
What that looks like in practice is a room that feels lived-in and warm, wine poured without pretense, and a meal you won’t want to rush. Casa Juani isn’t asking you to be impressed. It’s asking you to stay a while.
For print-exclusive stories, download the digital magazine or pick up a copy from select local King Soopers, Safeway, Tattered Cover, or Barnes & Noble locations.
