Keep reading for the best food and drink events over the next few days, as well as others coming up later in October.
Monday, September 28
The Modern Eater podcast is kicking off its fall dinner series on Monday, September 28, with a five-course dinner from chef Corey Baker. The series, which runs nightly through Friday, October 2, presents five Denver chefs with the same ingredients; diners are encouraged to buy tickets ($100 plus tip on Eventbrite) to all five dinners and to compare differences between the menus. A quick perusal of the menus shows you'll be feasting on golden beets, apples and pears, Hazel Dell mushrooms, Fruition Farms cheese, trout, lamb and short rib. Dinners start at 5:30 p.m. at Logan Street Restaurant and Bar, 400 East Seventh Avenue; participating chefs are Corey Baker (Monday), Kyle Mendenhall (Tuesday), Alex Seidel (Wednesday), Scott Hybenneth (Thursday) and Rebecca Weitzman (Friday). Find details on the Modern Eater website.
Tuesday, September 29
The Inventing Room, 4433 West 29th Avenue, is closed for the fall and winter, but you can still get your mitts on the ice cream imaginarium's treats at its Science of Dessert Date Nights, which kick off at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29. This is a grown-up version of the popular kids' series the Inventing Room hosted over the summer, in which chef/owner Ian Kleinman will host a demo on Really, Really Cold Cheetos, Nitro Space Foam and a rotating list of other goodies. You'll also get to stroll through the glow-in-the-dark room and sip on mocktails while having a discussion of booze and aphrodisiacs in dessert. Tickets to the one-hour presentation, $20, are available on the Inventing Room's online storefront; sessions take place at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through October 28 (with a few exceptions). As each slot is limited to twelve people, a few sessions have already sold out, so get your date scheduled now.
Tuesday, September 29, is National Coffee Day. For most of us, the bitter beverage is required drinking every day — but on Tuesday, you can stop by Boyer's Coffee, 7295 Washington Street, for a free cup of drip coffee, as well as half off specialty brews and 25 percent off select beans (those deals don't show up every day). Drop in between 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to take advantage of the savings.
Ironton Distillery's summer distiller's dinner included Palisade peaches on the plate and in the glass.
Ironton Distillery
We have mixed feelings about the arrival of autumn this year. While we're thrilled to no longer be battling 100-degree days, the prospect of cooler weather has been a bugbear for bar and restaurant owners (as well as diners who aren't thrilled to dine inside with other disease vectors...sorry, people) since May. Luckily, it's still pleasant enough for al fresco eating on Wednesday, September 30, when Ironton Distillery, 3636 Chestnut Place, will host a Harvest Moon Distiller's Dinner. Menu details for the $100 dinner are scarce, but you can expect to warm up with four tasters of the distillery's barrel aged rum, bourbon, spiced rum and pumpkin spice liqueur, as well as four full cocktails paired with four courses. Snag tickets for the 6 p.m. dinner on Eventbrite.
Thursday, October 1
This year has been topsy-turvy from the beginning. (Yes, we know that technically, March isn't the first month of the year, but admit it: You feel like we've been living in this weird world of contagion, civil unrest and combative politics for way more than seven months, right? Right.) Now you can add one more thing to the shroud of strangeness that hangs over our country: Oktoberfest is being celebrated in October, at least at Spice Trade Brewing, at 8775 East Orchard Road, which is currently offering a Teutonic-themed menu through the end of the month. Eats include bratwurst, currywurst, a charcuterie board that boasts housemade sauerkraut, Westphalian ham, beer mustard, housemade spent-grain pretzels and more, and that classic German dish, mac and cheese (this one comes with kraut and an optional bratwurst). Pair it with a liter of the brewery's Festbier for even more German goodness; see the website for details.
Temaki Den starts serving sushi rolls this week.
Stephan Werk/Werk Creative
Ah, those innocent April days, when you canceled your vacation to Tokyo and were offered a voucher to rebook before December 31, 2020 — and believed that eight months would be plenty of time for the U.S. to get its act together and contain COVID. But face it: You're not leaving the country anytime soon. The next best thing you can do is fork over $40 to attend the opening of Made in Japan, an installation of Japanese retail brands that coincides with the opening of Temaki Den on Friday, October 2. Temaki Den, a casual hand roll and seared sushi bar from the folks behind Sushi Den, Izakaya Den and Ototo, is opening inside the Source, 3550 Brighton Boulevard, and you can get the first bite at 5:30 or 7:30 p.m. Tickets include two hand rolls, four pieces of nigiri, sashimi, seaweed salad and miso soup from the bar, as well as a Japanese pottery demo and a "tour" of retail brands. Openings are also available at 11 a.m., and 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 3; secure your spot for the reservation-only opening on Eventbrite.
Keep reading for future food fun....
Members of Big Gigantic, the Motet and Lettuce performing at Corrida this summer as part of Dine From Out There.
SilkyShots2020
Start out Sunday Funday at LeRoux, 1510 16th Street, which is unveiling a new brunch menu along with some goodies for giveaway on Sunday, October 4. Reserve your seat on LeRoux's website or by calling 720-845-1673, and you'll get to listen to tunes from DJ Manos while scarfing brand-new dishes like lemon ricotta pancakes or short rib eggs Benedict. In addition, every table will get a complimentary cinnamon roll, and if you can convince five friends to join you, you'll score a free bottle of champagne.
Dine From Out There, this summer's popular dinner and live-music series, is returning on Sunday, October 4. Boulder's Greenbriar Inn, 8735 North Foothills Highway, is the site of the 6 p.m. meal, which includes two sets from phoffman (of Greensky Bluegrass) and Holly Bowling (of Ghost Light), as well as a four-course dinner from chef Merlin Verrier (of the upcoming Street Feud). For $225 per person (gulp...but proceeds benefit the Independent Restaurant Coalition and Save Our Stages), you'll get bathtub gin-cured salmon, coconut and squash bisque, Wagyu ravioli and pumpkin cheesecake, along with drink pairings; a vegan menu is also available. Tickets for two- and three-tops are already sold out, but you can still nab tables for four or more on Tock. Visit Live From Out There's website for more info and to join its mailing list so you'll be notified when tickets for other events go on sale. Note: As of Monday, September 28, this event is sold out.
An impressive of array of Del Maguey mezcal bottles, several of which will be poured at Santo's upcoming mezcal class.
Santo
If you still think most mezcals have a worm lurking at the bottom of the bottle, or that the spirit is good for shooting instead of sipping, you need to sign up for Santo's virtual Mezcal 101 tasting ahora mismo. On Friday, October 9, the New Mexican eatery is teaming up with reps from Del Maguey (one of the most recognizable mezcal producers, thanks to its colorful labels) for a webinar from 7 to 8:30 p.m. You'll get 2-ounce tastings of three different selections, each distilled in a single Oaxacan village (Chichicapa, Minero and Santo Domingo Albarradas), three copitas (adorable handmade cups commonly used to sip the spirit in Oaxaca) and a bag of Santo's green chile popcorn to munch on while you learn about the mezcaleros and terroir that influence each bottle. The kit runs $55 and can be picked up at Santo, 1265 Alpine Avenue in Boulder, on October 9 prior to the start of the online event. Visit Tock to secure your spot (where you can also order from the regular dinner menu if you don't consider popcorn a complete meal) or the restaurant's website for more info.
Wednesday, October 14
On Wednesday, October 14, chef/restaurateur Jen Jasinski is teaming up with nonprofit organization National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) to raise funds for its mission of offering adaptive lessons in action, adventure and competitive sports for folks with disabilities. There are two ways you can join in: with an in-home experience as well as dining out. To enjoy a meal at home, order a four-pack of dinners ($125 per person, $500 total) and have your best friends over for a swanky dinner that includes cocktails; cauliflower-curry soup with poached pears and pickled carrots; roasted salmon (or beef filet) with corn and ricotta ravioli; squash stuffed with eggplant and pine nuts; and Japanese cloud cake. The meal kit will be delivered straight to your doorstep, and you'll also get access to a 6 p.m. live stream where you can prepare your feast along with Jasinski. If you'd rather eat out, make reservations at any of Jasinski's restaurants — Rioja (1431 Larimer Street), Bistro Vendôme (1420 Larimer Street), Ultreia or Stoic & Genuine (inside Union Station at 1701 Wynkoop Street) — and make sure you mention the fundraiser both in your reservation notes and to your server to ensure that 10 percent of your bill is donated to the NSCD.
Know of an event or activity that belongs here? Send information to [email protected].
