While local diners are fawning over the newly opened The Kitchen [Next Door], the real winners are the kids. Chef-owners Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk have created a healthy, scaled-down version of the restaurant's locally focused, seasonal menu.

Forget chicken fingers or mac and cheese, here the short set tucks into slow-cooked pork or lamb sandwiches, The Kitchen’s famous tomato soup, or the "lunch box" with Long Farm ham, organic cheddar, carrots, and celery. Sides such as quinoa and marinated beans take the place of fries or chips. Reward your good eater with an ice cream sandwich bookended with freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies. 

Bonus: With every meal ordered from the kids’ menu, The Kitchen [Next Door] will donate $2 to help plant gardens in local schools.

1935 Pearl St., Boulder, 720-542-8159

Photo: Carol W. Maybach