Food, Fun And Shopping At Stanley Marketplace In Aurora

Photo courtesy of Kevin Austin

Hello my fellow foodies and welcome back. I love summertime in Colorado. It gives me a chance to go exploring for new foodie adventures in our beautiful state. On this bluebird day, I have decided to take a little road trip to Stanley Marketplace in Aurora Colorado to experience all that it has to offer. Stanley Marketplace is not a shopping mall, and not a typical food hall. It is a community of “50+ independently owned Colorado businesses collectively offering a place to eat, drink, shop, work, exercise, play, grow, gather, and explore,” as it is written on the website. Stanley Marketplace is housed in the old Stanley Aviation manufacturing facility. Stanley Aviation was the largest employer in Aurora in the 1950’s, and this 75,000 sq. ft facility is now home for everything Colorado. The “Stanifesto” sits on the wall at the entrance stating “We are locally inspired and community desired. We asked ourselves what would make the best marketplace in the universe? Then we asked our neighbors. And then we built it”. In speaking with the General Manager Ally Fredeen, The word “community” came up about 50 times. I love the community, so I was excited to go immerse myself in the marketplace. Off I popped to eat, drink, shop, and explore.

When entering Stanley Marketplace, I was a bit overwhelmed with all that it has to offer. It is truly mind blowing when you look at all the vendors. I was hungry so first on the agenda was lunch. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the marketplace is a restaurant oasis called Boychik. Boychik is a modern Mediterranean restaurant that uses the freshest ingredients. The restaurant is new to Stanley Marketplace, but not new to Colorado, as they have a location in Boulder. Owners Charles Troup and Chase Devitt grew up together and have worked in many restaurants together including Oak at 14th, and Acorn. The airy restaurant was very inviting, complete with a patio, open garage doors, and beautiful bar. I ordered a few cocktails first, and my favorite was their take on the Negroni called Rose of Jericho. Think of it as a Negroni, but with pomegranate and rhubarb. It was inventive and delicious. The traditional hummus with pita is not to be missed here. It is silky and flavorful and goes perfectly with the whipped feta spread.  

Next up was the falafel plate. To my fellow foodies, their falafel is a 100 out of 10! It is not greasy, so light and fluffy and different from any other falafel I have had. The chicken as well as the lamb entrees were also stars of the show.  Sliced fresh off a Shawarma Spit, the flavors were so amazing. These are served with pita, pickled red onions and the secret Boychik sauce which I would like to have an entire bottle of.  If you are in the mood for a salad, the Tel Aviv Caesar is a go to. Served with a sunny side egg on top and pistachio dukkha, it is the perfect Mediterranean play on the traditional Caesar. I was full and happy and cannot wait to return to Boychik to explore other menu options, so stay tuned. This restaurant is a fabulous find in Aurora, and a great addition to Stanley Marketplace.

After lunch, I was ready for some shopping, so I explored the labyrinth of stores, and there were so many good ones. I stopped at Urban Cowgirl. A western inspired boutique filled with boots, custom hats, and graphic tees. This store gives me that Old West feeling. It’s the place to go for all your western needs with a little extra flair. I had my husband with me, so we had to make a stop in another new addition here called Iron & Resin. This menswear shop is chock full of the latest rugged jackets, shorts, eyewear, and accessories. Iron & Resin makes their own apparel and is of the highest quality.  If you are looking for a great corduroy button down or a fun t-shirt and a pair of outdoorsy pants, this is your place. The mission at Iron & Resin is “To create purposeful and quality-built provisions and make them last a really long time”. After buying a few pieces of clothing there, I headed to Zero Market. Zero Market is a store all about zero waste, which I love. They want customers who shop there to embrace as close to a zero-waste lifestyle as possible. The shop is full of soaps, laundry needs, body care and other household essentials. All soaps and detergents are refillable in glass containers and are toxin, preservative, and cruelty free. This was my kind of store, and I will be back to refill everything I bought there. I am trying my best to go plastic free, and this store will help with that.

I had a sweet tooth, so my last stop was at Churreria De Madrid. I had no idea that Churros had become a thing, but they have, and this place has got it dialed in. They offer the Spanish hand held snack filled with many different ingredients including pastry cream, apricot preserves, and chocolate. Don’t forget to get a side of creamy chocolate to dip your Churro in.  I had to try all three and I must tell you, now I get the Churro craze. I am a forever fan.

After four hours at Stanley Marketplace, it was time to depart, but I cannot wait to come back. Stanley Marketplace is like an amazing jigsaw puzzle of shops, workout venues, restaurants, and many more places to explore and play. All the pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly to make a cohesive and fun place to have a great Colorado adventure. They are always having events there, so check the website. If you haven’t been to Stanley Marketplace, go, and if you have, go back and adventure more. After all, isn’t that what Colorado is all about? The best adventures. Until next time my fellow foodies, eat well, drink well, and be well.