Shine On: Downtown Restaurant Puts Health and Wellness at the Forefront

For most folks, a new year brings new ambitions and wavering promises to put down the burger and beer and set forth on a health-conscience journey filled with homemade kale chips and treadmills. But there’s one place in Boulder where you can still grab something off the grill and indulge in a locally-made brew without experiencing that nauseating sensation of guilt.

Shine Restaurant & Gathering Place, located just off the bricks in downtown Boulder, is the latest successful venture put forth by the Emich triplets.

Blissful Sisters, Jessica, Jill and Jennifer recently celebrated the second anniversary of their second restaurant to establish some healthy roots in the area. It seems that when it comes to opening up shop on 13^th Street in Boulder, the sisters have the magic touch. For a decade, the ladies owned and operated Trilogy Wine Bar & Lounge at 2017 13^th Street—just a stone’s throw from the present day Shine. The Emichs’ first restaurant venture was a reflection of the triplets’ love of wellness, hospitality and positive energy—a combination that kept the place hoppin’ for ten years and allowed the Emichs’ to sell the business while still on top.

“I think part of our success is that we work really well together,” said middle sister and Shine’s co-owner and events and PR coordinator, Jill Emich. “We’re triplets so we’ve been working together and negotiating with one another since the womb”.

These days, the Emich sisters are putting a welcome twist on the idea of dining out with a focus on wellness and clean living. In a time when huge portions and high calorie meals and drinks are a standard in the restaurant scene, Shine deviates from the norm, offering up a healthy take on gourmet dishes and staying honest with their cliental by putting forth a straightforward menu that includes locally-grown ingredients and plethora of vegan and vegetarian items that would tempt even the most die-hard meat-eater. Shine’s burgers are juicy and served with that comforting smell of the grill. The Mac ‘n Cheese can be ordered dairy free. The slaw isn’t engulfed in mayo, it’s hugged with probiotics. Even the adult beverages will leave you feeling healthy.  

Behind the bar at Shine, you’ll find a knowledgeable bartender waiting to tell you about the selection of craft brews made in-house—including a popular gluten-free beer that will quench your thirst but won’t weigh you down. And if beer doesn’t cure what ails you, then tell the bartender your troubles and enjoy whatever deliciously-smelling potion is placed in front of you. If it’s clarity and focus you seek, try the Owl Eyes—a concoction made with herbs to “naturally uplift one’s mood.”  If 2014 is the year of you and you’d like to amplify your synchronicity, serendipity and luck—order an Upside Down Fu. The Reset Button will help you let go and begin anew, and if it’s simply a fun night on the town that you seek—order your favorite potion as part of a cocktail, mixed with fair-trade alcohol, served in a whimsical glass and garnished with fresh herbs.

“No one else is doing anything like this in the world right now. It’s definitely really authentic and really intentional,” Emich said about the potions.

Shine recently announced that they’d be selling a selection of their potions to-go, enabling fans of the restaurant to take the refreshing and healthy Shine experience home with them.

Shine Restaurant & Gathering Place is located at 2027 13th St. in Boulder. Stop in during happy hour from 3-6:30 p.m. every day for $1-off Shine beers and discounted prices on a selection of small bites items.