The Twelve Tastiest Events on Denver's Culinary Calendar, December 5-9

It's a wild week in December, staring with Repeal Day parties and Colorado Gives Day, and then pre-holiday parties will ramp up to the end of 2016. Cocktails, wine and music abound, with opportunities to support local nonprofits. Get dressed in flapper finery or dig up your ugliest sweater and take a look at the tastiest food events on the culinary calendar.

Monday, December 5

Today marks 83 years since the repeal of Prohibition on December 5, 1933, and Denver will celebrate with — what else? — plenty of booze and merriment. Larimer Square subterranean speakeasy Green Russell is marking the occasion with a party offering live jazz by Jean-Marie and Prohibition-era fare, plus cocktail specials. Period attire is encouraged, and the best dresser will win a $50 Bonanno Concepts gift card. The kegs will be cracked starting at 5 p.m., and the music starts at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

24 Carrot Bistro in Erie is commemorating the end of Prohibition with a 1920s-themed dinner service from 6 to 9 p.m., with period-inspired food like oysters Rockefeller and coq au vin, as well as cocktails and live jazz. Costumes are encouraged and reservations are required; call 303-828-1392 to get yours.

Boulder's Eureka! will be offering $5 Templeton Rye Old Fashioneds in celebration of Repeal Day.

Tuesday, December 6

Today is Colorado Gives Day, and Appaloosa Grill is pitching in with a holiday benefit for Art From Ashes, a nonprofit that offers literary programs and workshops for at-risk youth. From 6:30 to 9 p.m. tonight, the 16th Street Mall restaurant will host performances by local youth poets as well as music from DJ Check One; proceeds from the sale of drinks and appetizers will go to Art From Ashes. Find out more at the event's Facebook page.

Dine at the Pizzeria Locale at 550 Broadway and support a cool nonprofit. From 4 to 9 p.m. today, mention the US-Brazil Connection fundraiser, and 50 percent of your purchase will be donated to help promote community connections, youth leadership and international relations. Pledge your support at the event's Facebook page.

Wednesday, December 7

Firenze a Tavola's final wine dinner of 2016 will take diners through the ABCs of fine wine. Mario Scanu and some tasty, accessible vintages will provide a crash course on wine-tasting fundamentals, along with a five-course classic Italian meal. The dinner costs $65 with wine; make reservations online at OpenTable or by calling 303-561-0234. (By the way, Firenze a Tavola has added Monday and Tuesday hours through December only.)

Dining at Chipotle in Lakewood will do more than stuff your stomach: It'll help the arts in your community. From 4 to 8 p.m. at the Colorado Mills Chipotle location, 50 percent of your tab will benefit the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra. So, yeah, get that extra guacamole. Just make sure to print out the online flier or show it on your phone to the cashier.

Frasca's Tastemaker Dinners always have special guests, and tonight's meal welcomes Argentinean winemaker Piero Incisa della Rocchetta and his varietals from the Rio Negro Valley of northern Patagonia. The $240 dinner includes five vintages paired with Frasca's tasting menu. See if reservations are still available at 303-442-0608.

Read on for more tasty food events this week.
Thursday, December 8

The end of food-truck season has everyone feeling a little peckish. Luckily, on the second Thursday of every month until April, Civic Center Park will host Nosh & Posh, bringing in food-truck favorites like Chuey Fu's and A Taste of the Philippines as well as mobile fashion and gift shops, including the Denver Fashion Truck and the Funky Trunk. The event returns today at 11:30 a.m., and trucks will be serving until 1:30 p.m. Check out who's scheduled to be part of Nosh & Posh at the Civic Center Conservancy site.

Tonight Nocturne will unveil its latest themed tasting menu, this time evoking the spirit of iconic Gypsy-jazz pioneer Django Reinhardt. Nocturne's culinary team drew from Django's catalogue for inspiration, and also looked to such French food as foie gras and gougères with an infusion of Provençial textures. Tonight's debut will be accompanied by music by Denver's Gyspy Swing Review interpreting Django along with the menu. The event is sold out, but you can call 303-295-3333 to put your name on the wait list. The five-course tasting menu will be available Tuesday through Saturday until mid-February.

Cheese + Provisions in Sunnyside will teach home cooks about the fine points of pairing cheese and bubbly. The Holiday Sparklers + Cheese class at 7 p.m. will walk you through the basics of selecting and presenting the perfect fromage-and-champagne combo, with plenty of tastings, of course. Tuition is $50 at the Cheese + Provisions site.

Friday, December 9

Raid the closet, because Finkel & Garf Brewing near Boulder is throwing an Ugly Sweater party. There will be cookie decorating, prize giveaways, and a competition for the ugliest sweater. The party goes from 6 to 9 p.m., and admission is free; RSVP at the event's Facebook page.

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].