🧀 Happy Tuesday! It's National Cheese Toast Day, which reminds me of the old Sizzler steakhouses and their kids' buffets.

• Good times.

🌧️ Today's weather: Highs in the 70s with a chance of showers and thunderstorms.

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Today's newsletter is 844 words — a 3-minute read.

Christian Glass' family is turning a downtown Lyons property into the kind of place they think he would have wanted: somewhere young people can hang out and be themselves.

Why it matters: Creative Grounds is designed as a low-pressure "third space" for teens at a time when spaces for young people to gather have dwindled.

Driving the news: Sally and Simon Glass are opening Creative Grounds tomorrow in memory of their son, who was 22 when a Clear Creek County sheriff's deputy killed him in 2022.

• After the case concluded, the family invested its $19 million settlement over Christian's death, with plans to use the returns to support long-term community projects.

Behind the scenes: Sally Glass told us the family focused on the criminal case before turning their attention to what could come next.

• The Glasses, who have a cabin in Lyons, saw an empty restaurant for sale at 160 E. Main St. and imagined it as a gathering spot.

What to expect: Over about six months, the walls came down to create more open hangout space and the former kitchen became an art studio.

• The center will offer pottery, painting, photography and other creative programming.
• The café will be open to the public in the mornings and Sundays, with proceeds supporting the center.
• Afternoons and evenings will be reserved for teens and young adults.

The bottom line: "If Christian would have loved to come here," she said, "maybe lots of young people would love to come here."

Read more

⚽ CU soccer introduced a Wall of Honor at Prentup Field last Friday.

• Meanwhile, future Wall of Honor honoree Hope Leyba recorded her third career hat trick in a 6-0 win over Denver. (Daily Camera 🔑)

🏐 CU volleyball pulled off an upset last Saturday, as the No. 23 Buffs beat No. 16 USC in four sets in Los Angeles to remain undefeated at 8-0. (CU Buffs)

🚌 RTD's Board of Directors is weighing whether to name and approve a finalist for the agency's new CEO by year's end — six months before current CEO Debra Johnson's contract expires. (Denver Post 🔑)

Boulder didn't add another Michelin star this year.

Yes, but: The newly expanded statewide guide did recognize a new downtown restaurant.

Zoom in: Frasca held onto its star, while Casa Juani was newly added to Michelin's recommended list.

• Casa Juani, from husband-and-wife duo Eduardo Valle Lobo and Kelly Jeun, opened this spring at 901 Pearl St. and was also named to Bon Appétit's 2026 list of the 19 best new restaurants in America.

What they're saying: Valle Lobo called the honor "a dream come true."

• "We're honored to bring more international recognition to Boulder, a place we're so proud to call home. We want to show that you can do something big in a small town, and we truly love being part of this community," the team said in a statement.

Odd Rabbit, another of Boulder's buzziest new restaurants and a spot some local food media predicted to earn Michelin recognition, was left out entirely.

The bottom line: More stars would've been a tasty appetizer ahead of the Sundance Film Festival, but the city still has plenty of Michelin cred to serve up when Hollywood comes to town.

Go star grazing

In light of Michelin largely keeping its stars in Denver, I've decided Boulder County needs a culinary honor of its own.

⭐️ Meet: The Mitchellins ⭐️

Why it matters: Michelin has been judging restaurants for more than a century.

• The Mitchellins have been doing it for about 15 minutes.
• Yes, but: We're focused on what local diners really want: Good food, fair prices and full stomachs.

How it works: Restaurants must be within a reasonable distance of Boulder County or Broomfield. From there, we're judging on:

• 😋 Taste: — this one requirement is pretty universal.
• 🫃 Portions: We're looking for quality AND quantity. I'm not trying to leave dinner hungry.
• 💰 Prices: Everyone's looking to save money these days. Affordability matters.
• 🎯 Vibes: Give us unique dining rooms, game-day vibes, kooky decorations, coherent themes, cool history and friendly staff.
• ⁉️ Completely random stuff I like: These are the Mitchellins. I reserve the right to award completely arbitrary points.

Most importantly: We want to hear from you, the people, about the things that actually matter to everyday diners.

• Where would you take friends from out of town?
• Where do you take the kids who get straight As?
• Where do you go solo when you feel like treating yoself?
• What's your delivery go-to?

Send us your favorites

🍔 Mitchell will come out with his first Mitchellin category winners as soon as he figures out the categories.

Thanks to Gigi Sukin for editing.