As far as Boulder restaurants go, when you’ve got a large amount of people in town that you need to get in one room and you want tasty food at a fair price, it’s difficult to find a better choice than The Med. The Mediterranean Restaurant (referred to by most as “The Med”) is located in the heart of downtown Boulderand offers a wide range of (yes, you guessed it) Mediterranean style cuisine.

Most popular for their tapas menu, particularly the happy hour version, The Med gives diners a wide array of choices, from hot to cold (“frios y caliente”), savory to sweet, meat to vegetarian. The actual menus are huge and when you sit down to a table and the server hands you one, it’s a bit overwhelming at first.

Once you pick up a pencil from the table, however, and start marking off what you want — one of this, two of that, etc, you’ll find yourself building out the perfect series of bites just for your taste. With prices under $6 on the happy hour menu, you can feel good about grabbing at least a few options and a drink without breaking the bank.

If I had to pick 3 choices for my perfect happy hour, I’d go with a glass of the house red and:

• Datiles Con Ajillo – dates wrapped in bacon and baked. Fatty, creamy, sweet, savory goodness.
• Insalata Caprese – A caprese salad to keep things bring and fresh. Somehow, they manage to keep fresh tomatoes and basil on the menu year round and the mozzarella is delicious.
• Pinchon Miruno – Skewered, grilled, local Colorado lamb with tzatziki & pita. I always feel like I am getting away with robbery when I get this. At $3.95 per plate, this is a great deal.

Those who might be looking for a bit more substantial fare can order from the dinner menu which offers a selection of salads, entrees, pizzas, paellas and more. My personal favorite off the dinner menu is and always will be the Speziata Pizza. When I first got it, I thought, “Wow, The Med does pizza?” I gave it a try and I am hooked. The Speziata is topped with roasted garlic, grilled chicken, roasted jalapeños, cilantro, avocado and fontina cheese. The avocado really makes this one pop.