Friday, November 24
So the hungry horde at your house for Thanksgiving swept through your kitchen like a swarm of army ants, destroying everything in its path and leaving nothing behind but the perfectly picked-clean bones of the bird. And they're not leaving until Sunday! What to feed them in the meantime? Visit Olive & Finch Eatery & Bakery's Feast at the Finch, a three-course dinner offered each Friday through Christmas. For just $20 ($10 for kids over four, free for little ones four and under), everyone can eat their fill of a garden salad, their choice of O&F's dinner entrees and a dessert from the eatery's excellent pastry case. It's a hell of deal, and even if you have a fridge full of leftovers but just aren't a fan of turkey sandwiches, your secret is safe with us. Note: This deal is available only at the Cherry Creek location, 3390 East First Avenue.
If you're not up for another big dinner with the family, run away to C Squared Ciders, 2875 Blake Street, for some liquid fortification. The cidery will be releasing Cousteau, its first high-end, barrel-aged cider, at 4 p.m., when a limited number of bottles will be available for purchase before they hit liquor stores the following week. Hang out at the release party until the wee hours, and your last few hours with your nearest and dearest will go swimmingly.
Help this little guy out at Saturday's Cat Crawl.
Flickr/Carolina Barría Kemp
Your kitty companion can get turned on with Cat Wine and Fur Loco; now it's time to take it to the next level and head out on the Cat Crawl. Clip on kitty's harness and join the fun on Saturday, November 25, at a pub crawl benefiting the Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue. The fur will fly and claws will come out....okay, maybe don't bring your feline. But you can dress up like one as you drink at five fine Uptown establishments, starting with the Denver Bicycle Cafe, 1308 East Seventeenth Avenue, at 6:45 p.m. For $15, you'll get four shots and a beer taster along the way, but like any entitled puss, you'll no doubt be able to convince the humans around you to dole out drinks according to your whim. Get your tickets meow at rmfr-colorado.org; the price skyrockets to $25 on the day of the event.
The Beaujolais Community Night is your best bet if you're feeling let down after Thanksgiving.
Courtesy of The Kitchen
We're planning on spending the Sunday after Turkey Day giving thanks that the company has gone home, drawing the curtains, turning off the lights, turning on the Netflix and celebrating the blessed, blessed solitude. But if you're the outgoing type and your guests' departure (or your own) has you feeling a bit lonely, make reservations for the Kitchen's Beaujolais Community Night on Sunday, November 26, at 6 p.m. Both the Boulder (1039 Pearl Street) and Denver (1530 Sixteenth Street) locations will be participating, albeit with different menus. You'll get three courses of French cuisine with wine pairings for just $50; additional wine pairings are available for $25 more. Go to thekitchenbistros.com to check out the menus and to book a seat next to your new best friends.
Keep reading for future food and wine events.
Kamayan laid out on banana leaves.
Flickr/arltzn
There are few things as satisfying as eating with your hands (just think of the scorn that's heaped on those poor weirdos who eat pizza with a knife and fork). The Tagalog language even has a word for it: kamayan. And on Saturday, December 2, you can eat Filipino-style at the Kamayan Holiday Dinner Feast. Cakeheads, 7530 South University Boulevard, is hosting chef Leah Everleigh for a pop-up dinner at 7:30 p.m.; Filipino dishes (which are, sadly, still hard to find in Denver) will be laid out on banana leaves, and there will be no utensils other than the ones at the end of your arms. Tickets are $75 (excluding beer and wine, which will be available for purchase) at eventbrite.com.
Thursday, December 7
It's no secret that Bravo's Top Chef came to Colorado to film its fifteenth season earlier this year. You can finally start planning your watch party, as the show will premiere on Thursday, December 7, at 8 p.m. The contestants traveled from Sports Authority Field to Telluride to Aspen Food + Wine and were tasked with preparing everything from the innocuous Denver omelet to the infamous Rocky Mountain oyster. Tune in to see how they fare — as well as to catch a glimpse of local legends (and a former winner!) Alex Seidel, Hosea Rosenberg, Jennifer Jasinski and Frank Bonanno.
Festivus: there has to be a better way.
Flickr/Kimberly Vardeman
Put up the aluminum pole, brace yourself for the Airing of Grievances and start training for the Feats of Strength — it's Festivus! And while traditional Festivus dinners involve covertly sipping from a flask while those around you look on soberly and disapprovingly, Denver Beer Festivus gives you the opportunity to celebrate the season with like-minded lushes. From 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 16, join your real tribe at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, 7711 East Academy Boulevard. Tickets will run you $40 to $65 and are already on sale at denverbeerfestivus.com. ’Tis the season!
If you know of a date that should be on this calendar, send information to [email protected].
