Keep reading to find out more and to learn about future food happenings.
Monday, July 27
Toasting with mezcal can be a celebration of life, an honoring of those who have died, or a lifting of the palate before a good feast. Experience all three at Adelitas' Mezcal Vago dinner on Monday, July 27. Mezcal Vago's master distiller, Aquilino Garcia Lopez, passed away earlier this year, so the Mexican eatery's separate mezcal bar, La Doña, at 13 East Louisiana Avenue, is honoring his life's work with five of the distillery's products and food to pair with each one. Enjoy watermelon salad, tostada de aguachile, sope de panza (pork belly), snapper a la Veracruzana, and chocolate enchiladas, all while sipping Vago's Elote, Cuixe, Mexicano, Tepextate and Tobala mezcals from specific years. The dinner is $75 per person, and reservations can be made by calling 303-778-1294. "Preference is given to parties of four due to COVID-19, although we will try our best to accommodate everyone," the restaurant says.
Tuesday, July 28
Chef Jesusio Silva (of Misaki Sushi as well as the recently revamped and reopened Broadway Market) is taking over the kitchen at Pizza Republica, 890 14th Street, on Tuesday, July 28, for for the latest in the Modern Eater Summer Dinner Series. Show up for drinks from local breweries and distilleries starting at 6:30 p.m; at 8 p.m. have a seat on the eatery's patio for a seven-course, omakase-style dinner, with perfectly crafted sushi including salmon sashimi with green tea, grilled shiitakes, Chinese bayberry and balsamic reduction; toro, yellowtail belly, snapper and prawn nigiri; seared yellowtail with Palisade peaches, shishito peppers and sweet sesame oil; and Japanese-style lamb served with purple potatoes, truffle oil ponzu and fried leeks. Tables for two are already sold out, but four-tops, $400, are still available on Eventbrite.
Wednesday, July 29
Longtime readers will note the regularity with which National (insert food item here) Day appears in this space. We assure you, the majority of these days don't merit a second thought — but when you're looking at a steep discount on something as craveable as Smok's hot wings, you'd better believe we're going to crow about it. On Wednesday, July 29 (otherwise known as National Chicken Wing Day), the barbecue joint at 3350 Brighton Boulevard (inside the Source) is offering its flappers for just fifty cents each. A pound of the appendages will run you $14 any other day, so this could end up saving you a pretty penny. Get the cluck over to Smok before they sell out.
A restaurant keeping its doors open for twelve consecutive months is impressive under normal circumstances, but celebrating a one-year anniversary in the wake of a two-month-plus shutdown is even more portentous. That's just what Maine Shack, 1535 Central Street, is doing on Wednesday, July 29 (4 to 8 p.m.), and Thursday, July 30 (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.). Maine beers will be on special for $4, while whole lobsters, steamers and slaw can be had for $30. Bring the kids along, too, because little ones can nab a free red snapper hot dog off the grill (not, sadly, a wiener made from the delectable fish, but a disconcertingly scarlet sausage served on a split-top hot dog bun). Five percent of the proceeds from the two days will be donated to Sophie's Neighborhood, a Boulder nonprofit organization raising funds for the research of ultra-rare genetic disorder Multicentric Carpotarsal Osteolysis Syndrome.
Friday, July 31
2020: The year toilet paper disappeared from store shelves for months, the President of the United States advised citizens to inject bleach, and you could get dinner for two from Mizuna for $55. To be fair, you can't get a seat in the dining room at 225 East Seventh Avenue for that price, but the deal does include booze. On Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1 (and every Friday and Saturday through August 22), folks who have always wanted to try the spendy French restaurant but haven't been able to justify the cost can cut their teeth with two tenderloin burgers topped with chive burrata, Korean-inspired scallion salad and bacon, along with tots and a six-pack of Dale's Pale Ale or Mama's Little Yella Pils. Order on Tock, where you can get the (relatively) inexpensive spread fully prepared or with instructions to finish at home.
Keep reading for future food and drink happenings....
Members of Big Gigantic, the Motet and Lettuce performed at Corrida for the inaugural Dine From Out There dinner.
SilkyShots2020
As the summer draws on, it seems everything restaurant-, bar- or booze-related shifts underfoot with dizzying speed — and farmers' markets are no exception. The latest for the popular Union Station Farmers' Market, 1701 Wynkoop Street, is the introduction of curbside pick-up. Shoppers who can't snag an in-person shopping spot (or just don't want to leave the air-conditioned comfort of their car) can order between 8 a.m. Tuesday and noon Thursday on the market's website and will be assigned a pick-up time between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday.
Sunday, August 2
Dine From Out There, a series of performances by renowned jazz and funk musicians and tasting menus from top Denver and Boulder restaurants, has proven immensely popular, even with the immense price tag of the evening. But there are still a few tickets available for upcoming shows, including the 7:30 p.m. seating at Annette (2501 Dallas Street, Aurora) on Sunday, August 2; Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon) will provide his musical stylings while guests enjoy a four-course meal of grilled squid with confit heirloom tomatoes, pork tenderloin with summery succotash, and more. Tickets will run you $180 per person plus taxes and fees on Live From Out There's website. You can also get your mitts on tickets for future installments on Friday, August 7, and Saturday, August 8, both of which will take place at a private location. Friday's dinner includes music from members of Big Gigantic, the Motet and Lettuce and a sushi menu from personal chef Yoji Yamada ($225), while Saturday's daytime show boasts tunes from the Andy Thorn trio and brunch from Rosenberg's ($135).
Tuesday, August 4
It's hard to launch a new business under any circumstances, but it's even more daunting during these (say it with us, all together now) unprecedented times. And while plenty of people have taken advantage of the past few months of reduced — or no — work and loads of time at home to crank their creativity up to 11, there's a difference between fine-tuning your hot sauce recipe and actually getting a share of that big salsa money. So Colorado Proud is hosting a series of free Zoom workshops dedicated to the down-and-dirty details of running a brand. Tuesday, August 4, brings a conversation with grocery product buyers about how to get store placement; Tuesday, August 11, is a discussion about how to grow your baby business; and Tuesday, August 25, tackles how to strengthen your brand for greater visibility and appeal. Each session runs from noon to 1 p.m. and requires attendees to register in advance; do so at the Colorado Proud website.
Longtime Little Man fan favorites salted Oreo and Space Junkie are part of Denver Beer Co.'s boozy ice cream social on August 5.
Kenneth Hamblin III
Pair one of childhood's greatest treats (ice cream) with one of adulthood's greatest privileges (beer) and you've got an event to scream for: Denver Beer Co.'s annual summer ice cream social. At 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, both taprooms (1695 Platte Street in Denver and 5768 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard in Arvada) will host a real, live, social social, with tables set up for parties of two, four and six. Each pair receives three pints of ice cream from Little Man (salted Oreo, Space Junkie and espresso fudge) paired with two 12-ounce pours (Tart Delight Citrus Sour, Princess Yum Yum Raspberry Kolsch and Churro Stout). Reserve your table, $45 to $135, on DBC's website. Can't click that purchase button fast enough? You can still snag the takeout version (comes with ice cream, six-packs of the sour and kolsch and a Crowler of stout) for $45; pick it up at either taproom Tuesday or Wednesday, then tune in for a live stream via Facebook.
Saturday, August 8, through Sunday, August 16
October's Flatirons Food Film Festival has officially been moved online, and so have the events leading up to it. Instead of in-person fundraisers — which are replete with boozy shmoozing that has a way of torpedoing everyone's best social distancing intentions — the Fest is hosting a series of ten Zoom cooking classes from Saturday, August 8, through Sunday, August 16, where you'll learn how to turn out evergreen classics like sourdough bread and the perfect steak, as well as more esoteric topics like the folklore surrounding shiitake mushrooms and how to make shio koji (a fermented Japanese marinade) and tahchin (an Iranian rice dish with a golden, crunchy crust). Each ninety-minute class costs $30 (or buy all ten for $250); visit the Fest's Facebook page for the complete schedule, and Eventbrite to purchase your tickets.
In previous years, Coohills has packed the railway bridge over Cherry Creek with music fans, but this year patio tables will be spread out for dinner guests.
Coohills
Chef Tom Coohill's namesake restaurant at 1400 Wewatta Street is perfectly positioned to take advantage of outdoor dining; its proximity to the bridge spanning the South Platte River has made it a popular destination for Beats on the Creek in prior years. While the 2020 concert series was canceled, diners can still sit under the stars on Saturday, August 22, at an al fresco wine dinner with seating set up on the bridge. Guests at the five-course dinner can expect a selection of six wines from around the globe poured alongside courses like lobster salad with duck breast and citrus-truffle emulsion; roasted guinea hen with porcini mousse, black mission figs and port reduction; and harissa-spiced lamb loin with dates and braised heirloom potatoes. Call 303-623-5700 or email [email protected] to reserve your spot for the 7 p.m. meal, which will run you $115.
Know of an event or activity that belongs here? Send information to [email protected].
