Boulder's Sherpa Village
by Geof Wollerman

Boulder has long held a fascination with Tibet—its people, its culture, its religion. In neighborhoods from North Boulder to Martin Acres, the pale colors of tattered Tibetan prayer flags are often a more common sight than the Stars and Stripes. But there are few places in town besides Sherpa’s Adventurers Restaurant & Bar that come close to embodying the uniqueness, free spirit and generosity of the Tibetan and Nepali way of life.

Owner Pemba Sherpa also has an adventure-travel
company that operates trips to Nepal (above) and
other mountainous parts of the world.

In the foyer is a wall covered with the profiles and photographs of “197 Who Got the Rest of Them There”—“there” being the windswept, sought-after summit of Mount Everest. The photographs are described as “faces of character, dependability, perseverance and dedication,” and this simple testament to bravery is the first clue to customers that Sherpa’s is not only a restaurant.

The name Sherpa is as ubiquitous in Nepal as the name Smith in America. It describes the Sherpa tribe, which is from the Mount Everest region and a village called Namche—“the gateway to Everest.” But Sherpa also describes the tribe’s profession of Himalayan guiding and a way of life that is profoundly different from the frenetic bustle of urban America.

Owner Pemba Sherpa (on the left) with members of his staff.

Sherpa people “just have this bigger-picture perspective,” says Pete Ferrara, the manager of Sherpa’s restaurant. “They don’t get rattled, and no matter how busy we are, they don’t get upset.” Most of the servers have been with the restaurant since it opened four years ago. At least two of them knew each other as kids in Tibet, when they used to walk to school together across the rocky terrain. And no matter what night of the week customers show up, it’s a given that the same two cooks are preparing their meals. This offers a level of consistency that is hard to find.

“People come in to interact with [the staff members], and they come in for the experience,” Ferrara says. “They come in to get that vibe. [Sherpas have] this thing about them that rubs off in a way that people aren’t really sure why they enjoy it—they couldn’t articulate it, maybe—but that it’s different.”

A Gathering Spot

Sherpa’s doesn’t offer any specials, other than $2 pints of beer on Thursdays, but it does offer delicious food at reasonable prices—and that’s part of the point. The restaurant is a community gathering spot, a place to unwind and an outlet for Tibetan culture, not a business focused on turning a quick dollar.

Appetizers, soups and naan breads can all be sampled for less than $7. One particular starter, onion pakora, is dusted with spiced chickpea flour and lightly fried, and it is dangerously addictive. The saag dip, a creamed-spinach dish seasoned with garlic, cumin and ginger, and served with naan, may be the best in town.

Sherpa’s menu includes many healthy, hearty dishes, such as vegetable momos (above) and vegetable stew (below-right).

Comfort Spiced with Danger

Without being pretentious, the dining room décor is elegant: Simple woodwork and white tablecloths give the restaurant a comfortable, homey feel. But at the same time it proudly displays owner Pemba Sherpa’s rugged origins. Retired mountaineering equipment is scattered throughout the restaurant, hung on walls between photographs of Himalayan treks. A bookshelf near the bar is loaded down with titles like “Addicted to Danger,” “Annapurna Circuit” and “Wild Snow.” Above the bar a TV plays silent videos of backcountry skiing, while in the corner of the foyer a signpost points the way to Telluride, Jackson Hole and Kilimanjaro.

Pemba Sherpa, the owner, also owns an adventure-travel company that operates trips to Nepal, Tibet, India, Bhutan, East Africa and South America. Through both of his companies, he says, he hopes to teach other Sherpas the value of a good education. He works closely with nonprofit agencies that promote a better understanding of, and respect for, the environment and culture of the Himalayan region.

Situated on Walnut Street between 8th and 9th, Sherpa’s enjoys an off-the-beaten-path atmosphere suits its local clientele. Ferrara says the restaurant has been successful from the beginning and that it plans on being around for a while. He feels that the business has done well “because of who [Pemba and his staff] are inherently.”

Whether you are returning from a cross-country ski trip, about to embark on a peak-to-peak trek, or just looking for a quiet place to dine, Sherpa’s offers a little bit of everything. It also offers authentic Tibetan culture that may make you think twice about food, Tibet and what adventure is all about.

| Sherpa’s Adventurers Restaurant & Bar, 825 Walnut St., serves lunch daily from 11am-3pm. Dinner is from 5-9:30 pm Sun-Thurs; 5-10 pm Fri & Sat. 303-440-7151; www.sherpaascent.com.

| Boulder native Geof Wollerman, a former Boulder Magazine editor, is managing editor of The Metropolitan, the weekly newspaper of Metro State University.

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