Kids have been back in school for weeks, but it's never too late for grownups to brush up on their ABCs: amaranth, Broncos and cider and charcuterie. And let's not forget the Ds and Es: distilleries and excessive eating. Here are seven of the best food and drink events from Monday, September 10, through Friday, September 14, and five to continue your culinary education in the months ahead.
Monday, September 10
The great American tradition of co-opting other cultures' holidays for fun and profit arguably peaks in September and October, when slapping "-toberfest" on the end of any- and everything becomes the default marketing move. From Monday, September 10, through Wednesday, October 24, all Snarf's Sandwiches locations are jumping on the bandwagon with Snarftoberfest and the temporary addition of the German Dog to the menu. Stop into any location for the wiener topped with bacon, Swiss cheese (Nicht Butterkäse? Der horror!), mustard, horseradish, sauerkraut and hot peppers. Hot dog!
Just a day after after the hungry-for-victory Denver Broncos unleashed the Chubb on the Seattle Seahawks, the team is opening Mile High Stadium, 1701 Bryant Street, to Denver diners hungry for food, booze and NFL stars. On Monday, September 10, Taste of the NFL welcomes more than thirty of the town's top eateries (Mister Tuna, Beast + Bottle and Stoic & Genuine are just a few), which will take the field from 7 to 9 p.m. to offer unlimited food and drinks to ravenous diners. Current and former players will be mingling (and resignedly accepting your sports analyses and coaching advice); cheerleaders and chefs will also be on hand. Tickets start at $100 and benefit Food Bank of the Rockies. Get yours on the Broncos' website.
This week, you don't have to drive to Blackbelly Butcher to get a taste of its charcuterie.
Mark Antonation
Denverites interested in the excellent cured meats coming out of Boulder's Blackbelly but uninterested in driving up Highway 36 for a taste can enjoy charcuterie without the hassle on Tuesday, September 11, when Stem Ciders brings in Boulder's best to its Denver taproom, 2811 Walnut Street, for an evening of pork and cider. From 5 to 8 p.m., $20 will get you four charcuterie offerings paired with four ciders. Reservations aren't required; just show up (preferably early, as there are a limited number of pairings available).
Wednesday, September 12
Comal Heritage Food Incubator, 3455 Ringsby Court, is closing out its Native Flavors Cooking Class series this month, but there's still time to get in on the action — and, more important, dinner. Don't despair if you've missed the first three weeks of the series; there's still time to register for the last two classes ($55 each or $105 for both at eventbrite.com). The penultimate class takes place on Wednesday, September 12, at 6 p.m., and will teach you how to whip up amaranth corn pudding while you sip on beer and wine. The last in the series is more a dinner than a class, though there will be a bonus lesson thrown in while you munch on a variety of delicious and comforting indigenous dishes from the Americas.
Thursday, September 13
West Highland (or the Northside, if you're an old-Denver devotee) is a great restaurant neighborhood, so it's no surprise the sixth annual Taste of Highlands at West 32nd Avenue and Osceola Street in Highlands Square on Thursday, September 13, is set to be a great evening of eating. Tickets, $40 to $60, entitle attendees to tastes from fifteen uber-local eateries, including the Wayback, FNG, Mizu Izakaya, Duo and Mas Kaos, from 6 to 8 p.m.; there will also be live music and adult beverages for purchase until 9 p.m. The event benefits food recovery and redistribution organization We Don't Waste; visit tasteofhighlands.com for details, tickets, and a list of all participating restaurants.
Landlocked locavores can find plenty to love in the Centennial State: beer, spirits, chiles, game. One thing we're sadly lacking? Seafood (unless you count Rocky Mountain oysters). That doesn't mean you can't get good fish in town, though — and you can even sit down to a seafood-heavy meal with a local twist, thanks to Mario's Ocean Club. On Thursday, September 13, the fish house at 560 South Broadway is hosting a distiller's dinner, with four courses paired with six cocktails, all using Mile High Spirits products. Three seatings (6, 7 and 8 p.m.) are available for $50; call the restaurant at 303-777-3474 to reserve your spot.
Step inside Arcana's kitchen to learn how to make fall flavors last through the winter months.
Danielle Lirette
It's harvest time, and if you want to preserve the taste of fall apples, pears and cantaloupes into the cold winter months ahead, Arcana, 909 Walnut Street in Boulder, will help you out at its canning and preserving class on Friday, September 14. From 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., chef Kyle Mendenhall will welcome a lucky few into the restaurant's kitchen and teach them how to create fruit preserves (though the techniques you'll learn can be equally applied to veggies and herbs.) Everything you need to go home with four jars of summery goodness will be provided, though overachievers are welcome to bring extra fruit and jars for additional jam. Call the restaurant at 303-444-3885 to reserve your spot; the class will run you $65 or $100 per couple.
Keep reading for upcoming food and drink events.
Monday, September 17
One of Denver's few (very few) chefs specializing in Filipino food, Leah Eveleigh, is at it again with with one of her bountiful feasts. On Monday, September 17, The Seasoned Chef Cooking School, 999 Jasmine Street, will be the scene of an extravagant spread: Both savory and sweet lumpia; chicken and pork-belly adobo; cassava cake brûlée; pancit bihon (a rice noodle dish with soy and fish sauces); shrimp and mussels in coconut sauce; and, of course, the show-stopping lechon are all on the menu. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. and will cost you just $65; nab your ticket at bossdefrost.com.
Thursday, September 20
We never thought we'd see the day: Great American Beer Festival tickets are still available. Sure, your choice of sessions is limited (you'll have to call in sick Friday morning), but mere mortals, not just craft-beer royalty or Ticketmaster bots, can currently get their hands on tickets for Thursday, September 20. Whether you opt for beer alone ($85) or beer and food pairings ($160), the debauchery starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th Street, and goes until you're wandering around in a stupor, eyes glazed, stomach sloshing, happy, sated and wondering if you'll ever be able to fit another brew down your gullet for the remainder of your life (aka 10 p.m.) Get tickets while you still can at GABF's website.
TRVE Brewing will be pouring (in a considerably more cheerful venue) at MCA Denver's Sown Together.
Danielle Lirette
MCA Denver has a habit of hosting excellent food and drink events — and its Sown Together Beer Tasting on Saturday, September 22, will be no exception. The museum, at 1485 Delgany Street, is tapping into the zeitgeist yet again by bringing in breweries whose stated goal is to use local ingredients, suppliers and producers. From noon to 4 p.m., Colorado outfits Goldspot, Horse & Dragon, Our Mutual Friend and TRVE will be joined on the rooftop patio by Indiana's Upland Brewing Co., Illinois's Scratch Brewing Co. and Texas's transcendent Jester King Brewery, which puts out the Lone Star State's second-best export (the first being barbecued brisket, of course). Get your tickets, $35, at eventbrite.com before the event sells out.
Sunday, September 30
It's never too early to start planning for Feast, Westword's annual celebration of Denver's restaurant scene. This year's party returns to the McNichols Building, 144 West Colfax Avenue, on Sunday, September 30. There will be unlimited bites from over forty local eateries, live entertainment, unlimited drink samples and unlimited merriment from noon to 3 p.m., especially if you opt for VIP tickets, which get you in an hour early and include an open VIP bar. Tickets start at $30 and are on sale now at westwordfeast.com.
Sunday, October 7, through Thursday, October 11
The ninth annual Harvest Week, hosted by EatDenver and the GrowHaus, will run Sunday, October 7, through Thursday, October 11. Each night, six chefs will come together to create a one-of-a-kind pop-up dinner at the GrowHaus, 4751 York Street; Sunday through Wednesday's dinners will focus on meat and produce from a particular region in the state (Boulder County, North Fork Valley, Arkansas Valley and Denver County), while Thursday's effort will be a zero-waste dinner. Tickets, $85, are on sale now; get to harvestweek.com right away to snag yours, as previous years have sold out in just two weeks. In addition to great food and good company, all the festivities of the week will benefit EatDenver and the GrowHaus.
If you know of a date that should be on this calendar, send information to [email protected]
