If Thanksgiving gluttony is already a distant memory, keep reading — and even if it isn't, man cannot live on memories of mashed potatoes alone, so carry on perusing our list of six great food and drink events this week (then carry on carrying on for events in December and beyond).
Monday, November 26
If you like booze pairings, you know that just about every sweet treat has already been paired with beer, wine or cocktails: cookies, cupcakes, chocolates, candies, pie (that last one never gets old). Next up? Kimchi, foie gras and tacos (for something less sugary, we hope). But on Monday, November 26, the Infinite Monkey Theorem Urban Winery, 3200 Larimer Street, is sticking to the tried and true with a doughnut and wine pairing at 6 p.m. And since the pastries (from Hotbox Roasters Cafe) and wine are both delicious, who are we to argue with an established formula? Email [email protected] to reserve your spot for the $20, three-course event; details are up on the winery's Facebook page.
Tuesday, November 27
Bistro Vendôme will be thinking outside the boîte on Tuesday, November 27, as it sets aside its usual French fare for Sicilian cuisine. Starting at 6 p.m., the kitchen at 1420 Larimer Street will be turning out southern Italian dishes (albeit with French-inspired flavors) in honor of local author Jude Randazzo's latest novel, The Gray Fedora, which chronicles the travels of a young Irish-American to Italy in the 1860s. For $92, diners will indulge in a four-course meal and wine pairings and leave with a signed copy of the book. Call the restaurant at 303-825-3232 or email [email protected] to reserve your posta al tavola.
Wednesday, November 28
What comes to mind when you think of Colorado mountain cuisine? There's the good stuff (great craft beer) and the not-so-good (really, really overpriced ski-resort bar food). But mountain food isn't all the same, as Firenze a Tavola, 4401 Tennyson Street, proves at its community table on Wednesday, November 28, when the menu will be inspired by Italian Alpine flavors. The four-course menu ($35) includes four-cheese rigatoni with peas and crispy pancetta; roasted pork with mushrooms and rosemary and garlic potatoes; and a ricotta tart. Find the full menu at parisidenver.com/firenzeatavola, then call or text 940-367-2977 to secure your seat for a meal that will be much more satisfying than that $18 order of gelid mozzarella sticks you had the last time you were in Vail.
Thursday, November 29
You need dinner tonight, right? And it's Thursday — practically the weekend! There's absolutely no reason to start that weekend with the laborious task of firing up the stove and cooking, so choose from one of the restaurants that are participating in Cooking Matters Colorado's Dine Out to End Childhood Hunger on Thursday, November 29. Visit any of the thirty eateries partnering with the nonprofit that teaches parents of infants and toddlers how to shop smarter and cook healthy food, and 10 to 20 percent of your bill will be donated to the organization. GQue Championship Barbecue, the Kitchen, Modern Market and Four Friends Kitchen are just a few restaurants teaming up for the cause; find the complete list on the Cooking Matters Facebook page.
Charcoal Bistro, 1028 South Gaylord Street, is showing its Scandinavian side on Thursday, November 29, as it brings in Great Divide brews for a beer dinner starting at 5 p.m. The four-course, $49 meal includes northern European flavors such as smoked salmon and potato pancakes with mustard, sour cream and dill paired with Hibernation English Style Old Ale; caraway schnitzel with Colette Farmhouse Ale (which also features in the braised cabbage and apples that accompany the pork); and a decidedly un-Scandinavian, defiantly American state-fair dessert of fried chipotle corn dogs, devils on horseback, candy bars and doughnuts served with Strawberry Rhubarb Sour Ale. Visit charcoalbistro.com to find the full menu; call the restaurant at 303-953-8718 to reserve your table.
Friday, November 30
As Christmas draws ever closer and temperatures (theoretically) continue to drop, keep cozy by visiting Frisco for its long-running Wassail Days. The ten-day fest kicks off on Friday, November 30, at 5:30 p.m., with carolers, cider and mulled wine at the town's tree-lighting ceremony; afterward, visitors can sample different wassail recipes from more than sixty local businesses through December 9 and judge the Soup Cup Classic on December 2. Free tubing sessions, sleigh rides and Nordic skiing and snowshoeing are also on the calendar for the week. Visit townoffrisco.com for the complete schedule before bundling up and heading up to the hills for a bit of holiday cheer.
Keep reading for future food and drink events.
Wednesday, December 5
If you haven't made it to Comal yet — and unless you work near the Taxi Building, 3455 Ringsby Court, chances are you haven't, since it's only open for weekday lunch — you've got a rare opportunity to grab dinner at the eclectic Mexican/Syrian joint on Wednesday, December 5. From 6 to 8:30 p.m., the restaurant will serve its final Impact Dinner of 2018, with proceeds benefiting nonprofits Focus Point Family Resource Center and Colorado Village Collaborative. For $75 (tickets are on sale at Eventbrite), diners will get a five-course Mexican feast with wine and cocktail pairings; highlights of the meal promise to be fried chicken in a pepita and tomatillo sauce and and consomme de res, braised beef short rib served in a rich bone broth over rice. If you're feeling extra-hungry, chef's-counter tickets are available for $125 and include additional courses of king crab, scallops and winter truffles, but hurry: Only four counter tickets are available for this dinner.
Saturday, December 15
Is it too early to be training for the Feats of Strength? Not if you want to crush your family and friends (physically and emotionally) at this year's Festivus. Nor is it too early to start planning for this year's Denver Beer Festivus, which takes place on Saturday, December 15, at the Sports Castle, 1000 Broadway, from 3 to 6 p.m. Over fifty Denver breweries will be pouring brews to take the edge off all that family time; our favorites include Black Project, the unique Dos Luces and brand-new Liberati. Tickets are on sale now for $40 or $65 at denverbeerfestivus.com; get yours quickly, or you'll be the subject of your drinking buddies' Airing of Grievances.
Friday, February 22, through Sunday, March 3
During the fifteenth annual Denver Restaurant Week, hundreds of Denver’s top restaurants will offer multi-course dinners for three tasty prices: $25, $35 or $45. Stay tuned to Visit Denver for a list of participants and menus.
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Beer festivals in this town are serious business; there's at least one happening somewhere in the metro area every weekend, and many are long-running ventures with the attendee count growing each year. Some people (not us, of course) even plan their fests a year in advance. Collaboration Fest is hoping you're one of those people, as tickets for the Saturday, March 16, event are now on sale — even though the beers won't touch your lips until March. Early bird tickets are priced at $55 and $80 at collaborationfest.com, where you can get a few details about the festival, which will run from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Denver, 650 15th Street. The upside to snatching up those tickets now? By the time the fun rolls around, you'll have forgotten how much you spent to have it.
If you know of a date that should be on this calendar, send information to [email protected].