From Beer to Bacon, Sixteen Tastiest Events on the Culinary Calendar

Beer, bacon and rockabilly are all in the cards if you play your hand right — and that's just on Saturday. The weekend also brings art events, free pancakes, chocolate, wine, cocktails and more. But do you really need more? Keep reading for a taste of what's on the culinary calendar.   

Friday, November 6 
 
Coohills will be celebrating the restaurant's four-year anniversary with a special wine dinner tonight. The five-course dinner will feature five wine pairings from Franciscan Estate Wines; winemaker Marla Carroll will be on hand to answer questions and educate guests on the wines. The dinner starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $85 per person; for reservations, call 303- 623-5700. 

The Santa Fe Art District will close off the street for the second time this year to hold a special First Friday, featuring the usual art-walk activities as well as an outdoor saloon with local breweries and distillers. The all-local outdoor eating/drinking area will be set up from 7 to 10 p.m. at 733 Santa Fe Drive, in the parking lot north of Su Teatro. The First Friday Festivities will also serve as the neighborhood's opening event for Denver Art Week, which runs through November 14. For more information, visit denver.org. 

The Chocolate Crisis Center will be getting in on First Friday festivities today with the centers' premiere of "Chocolate EAT Gallery." The event will feature free tastings of over fifteen Belgian chocolate flavor combinations, including the kick-off of holiday specials and flavors. Guests are also invited to "Be Part of the Art" with the center's interactive photography project. And, because few things go better with chocolate than wine, the center will host What We Love Winery from Boulder, which will be handing out free samples of wine to age-appropriate guests. The event runs from 5 to 9 p.m. and is free to attend; learn more here.  

The Republic of Tea will be popping up in Whole Foods SouthGlenn this weekend. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., today through Sunday, the Republic of Tea’s entire collection of 300 premium teas and herbs will be available at the pop-up market. For more information, click here. 

Cook Street School of Culinary Arts welcomes Strange Craft Beer Company for the school's Bites n' Brews class today. The course will guide students through the complexities of cooking with beer, as well as pairing craft beer with food, as they cook and enjoy a menu complete with beer pairings from Strange Craft. The course will run from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Tuition is $99; register and learn more at cookstreet.com.  

Punch Bowl Social will be hosting a Never Summer & Breckenridge Brewery Opening Day Party today from 6 to 10 p.m. The party will take over the parking lot at Punch Bowl and will feature swag giveaways, live art and music featuring Nuns of Brixton (The Clash cover band), a special showing of the Never Summer movie This Ain't a Movie at 9 p.m., free board waxing from 7Twenty Board Shop, plus a mechanical bull, sledge-hammer game, bowling and more. For more information, call Punch Bowl at 303-765-2695.  

Saturday, November 7 


Rock-A-Belly Festival, a local hunger-awareness event and fundraiser for Food For Thought Denver, will bring food tastings, craft beer and live music to the Tivoli Turnhalle today. There will be tastings from some of Denver’s best restaurants and craft breweries, including food from Snooze, Steubens, Jax and Work & Class, as well as craft beer by Tivoli Brewing Co., Backcountry Brewery and more, with live music from Los Straitjackets and the Hillbilly Hellcats. 9News anchor Kyle Clark will be the MC for the evening. The party will be hopping from 5 to 9 p.m. today. Your $50 ticket includes beer tastings, chef tastings and live music; get yours and learn more here.  

Settembre Cellars will be pouring a Sangiovese Vertical tasting today and tomorrow, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The flight will feature wines from 2008 to 2011, including a reserve, for $20. For more information visit settembrecellars.com. 

Warm up for Sunday's Denver Bacon and Beer Festival at the Denver Bacon and Beer Festival Brewers Dinner. The decadent dinner will showcase five Denver restaurants, which will be pairing with five breweries to create five perfectly porky pairings. You can get in on the magic from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Lobby. Tickets are $75 in advance and—if there are any left—$85 at the door. Buy yours in advance at imbibe-events.com. The Denver Bacon and Beer Brewer’s Dinner benefits Metro Caring and Project Angel Heart.

The 9th Annual All Colorado Beer Festival pours into the Mortgage Solutions Financial Expo Center in Colorado Springs today. The beer fest will highlight over 200 beers from 72 breweries, as well as two cideries and one kambuchery. There will be two tasting sessions, the first from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and the second from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets for each are $40 in advance and $45 at the door, get yours and check out the full brewery lineup here.

Grist Brewing Company is celebrating two years of brewing with a Second Anniversary Party today from noon to 11 p.m. The party will feature food from ChurnandBurn and Jessie's Smokin' NOLA  food trucks, special beer tappings every hour until 8 p.m., vendors, brewery tours, prizes, raffles and more. For more information on the party, check out the event's Facebook page.

Join the Denver Urban Scholars in your best Old Hollywood attire for the 2015 Class Act Dinner at the Seawell Grand Ballroom, today from 6 to 10 p.m. To celebrate Denver Urban Scholars’ twentieth anniversary, the night will feature a red carpet entrance, tasting hour with a signature cocktail and passed appetizers, a three-course dinner, live and silent auctions and more. Individual tickets are $150, and can be purchased here.

Cocktails with Class will be classing up the DaVita World Headquarters Rooftop Marketplace this evening, to benefit the Morgridge Academy on the campus of National Jewish Health. The cocktail party will feature small plates from The Palm Restaurant, music, games, prizes and a silent auction. Admittance to the fun, which runs from 5 to 9 p.m., is $100. Purchase your tickets and get all the details at njhealth.org.  

The Pancakes & Booze Art Show will bring free pancakes, live music, body painting, booze and an underground art show to City Hall Amphitheater, today from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. You can experience the pop-up traveling art event for a $5 cover. For more information, visit the event's Facebook page, or check out pancakesandbooze.com.    

Sunday, November 7    

The Denver Bacon and Beer Festival will be sizzling at The Glitter Dome from 2:30 to 5 p.m. today. Indulge in your two favorite vices as @eatboston and Imbibe Events bring together some of Denver’s hottest area restaurants and breweries to cook up creative, bacon-based dishes alongside craft beers. Don't feel too guilty as you nosh and chug your way through the beer and bacon; proceeds from the event will benefit Metro Caring and Project Angel Heart. Admission is $50, and after that you'll be free to sample all the dishes and the beer. Grab your tickets to hog heaven here.    

 For more Food & Drink events, go to our online calendar. If you know of an event that should be included in that calendar, send information to [email protected].