Jordan and Delphy Ranieri had a vision:
Junk food that’s not made of junk. A cafe where you can enjoy a burger and fries without the belly blahs that often come afterward.
“Nobody else in the area was doing anything similar,” Jordan said.
The Ranieris, who both have plenty of experience in the food industry, went to banks for help with start-up money. (They later self-financed.)
“They laughed in my face,” Jordan said. “They all said that people who go out for a burger want a greasy burger. They’re not interested in a healthy burger.”
The lines of customers ordering non-stop at the counter of The Happy Cow cafe would suggest otherwise. The Happy Cow is located in the historic City Hall of Old Colorado City (2902 W. Colorado Ave.) which formerly housed Agia Sophia and the Pop Kitchen.
“The crowds. It’s been fantastic,” Jordan said during a break after the Tuesday lunch rush. “We are getting tons of regulars, and they not only appreciate the food, they also appreciate the education piece, as we explain what’s in the food, all the organic ingredients we use, and why it’s better than fast-food places. That’s a big part of it.”
Having three young children was part of what put the couple in mind of opening a healthful cafe. The other was Jordan’s rheumatoid arthritis, which has had him eating gluten free, particularly foods that reduce inflammation.
Their quest for healthy food sources led them to Ranch Foods Direct – a leader in humane, regenerative ranching – which makes organic burger patties that are tastier and more healthful than anywhere else in the region.
You’ll find a few other places in town serving Ranch Foods Direct burgers, but The Happy Cow may be the only ones that offer one on a bun made of hashbrowns, a brilliant option for gluten-free diners. (My wife, who eats gluten free, loves it.) And I don’t think you’ll find another place in town serving a side of home-cut fries cooked in organic tallow instead of seed oil.
The milks and cheeses here are all A2 dairy, which are generally more easily digested than regular dairy, and they don’t use refined sugars, only maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar.
They also have chicken sandwiches and nuggets, the latter a must for kids.
How does it all taste?
Most of it certainly stacks up to or surpasses the best fast-food fare. The juicy burgers, especially topped with Ranch Foods crispy bacon, cheddar, red onions, pickles, and garlic mayo, are outstanding. They’re great with the aforementioned hash-brown bun or on a fresh brioche.
The fries cooked in tallow are nice and crispy, though I can’t say I detected much of a different flavor with the tallow.
The chicken – served as fried breast sandwiches or as nuggets (they call them “herd fritters”) – are coated with a rice flour batter. They’re cooked just right, fairly juicy, but the flavor doesn’t stand up to that of Birdcall, a phenomenal regional chicken chain.
The specialty lattes here are insane, in a good way. Made with organic local A2 milk and syrups all made in-house, the choices include Banana Pudding, Honey Bear, Shakerato, and Funky Monkey.
I went with the Funky Monkey, a delicious blend of banana, carmel, mocha, vanilla, honey and maple. Surprisingly, it’s not too sweet and beats the heck out of anything you’d get at Starbucks.
They plan to soon add shakes and maybe ice cream. I’m excited about that. There’s a healthful burger place in Boulder, Wild Pastures, that serves sugar-free shakes (sweetened with monk fruit, stevia and date syrup) that are some of the creamiest, most-addictive, guilt-free dairy delights I’ve had. I hope they can follow in those footsteps.
More info at https://happycowcolorado.com/.
