If Cirque Kitchen can do this with a piece of beef and a few mushrooms, imagine how great its Thanksgiving dinner will look.
Being an adult is hard. Among the most dreadful of grown-up responsibilities? The shitshow that your calendar becomes as soon as the holidays are within spitting distance. If you're one of the lucky few with one (and only one) functional, politically synchronous family that is happy to host Thanksgiving dinner, you may not have started considering the implications of your Turkey Day meal yet. For the rest of us, planning dinner two and a half weeks from now is already a fraught exercise, but Cirque Kitchen is making it a bit easier. Those who don't want to cook (or can't fit a turkey inside their oven) can order a Thanksgiving meal for ten for $150 from Cirque through November 16. You'll get a ten-pound bird (brined and roasted), stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce and an apple or pumpkin pie (there's also green beans and roasted carrots in there, if you're the kind who cares about the veggies). Vegetarian and vegan options are also available; call 720-833-8122 or email [email protected] to get your gobble on. The mobile kitchen will be taking orders until November 16 for pickup between 1 and 7 p.m. on November 20 and 21 (you'll be given instructions on where to pick up once you place your order).
Tuesday, November 6
Democracy is hard (see above). With America in the throes of a two-year-long dumpster fire, voting on Tuesday, November 6, is not just a right, it's a damn mandate. (Not registered? You can do it online or in person on Election Day. No excuses.) And if the prospect of a power shift isn't incentive enough, you can get free food for doing your civic duty. Duo Restaurant, 2413 West 32nd Avenue, is offering a free dessert when you come in after 5 p.m. with your "I Voted" sticker; the current menu offers apple-prune cake with date toffee and cardamom cream; an anise Napoleon with pumpkin butter, maple mascarpone and hazelnut gelato; and a French silk tart with milk jam and cocoa nibs, among others.
Meanwhile, all Illegal Pete's locations will be handing out a free draft beer or house marg with entree order if you have your "I Voted" sticker. Whether you're celebrating your civic engagement or drowning your sorrows about the current political landscape — or both — this is one more reason to get to the polls.
100% of ticket sales for Denver Beer Co. and The Mighty's beer and slider pairing will go to ELK.
Mark Antonation
The great outdoors isn't that great if you can't take advantage of it — which is why Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) works with underserved urban students in Denver, Adams and Arapahoe counties to get them out of the city and into the wild. On Wednesday, November 7, even city dwellers (sort of) can get behind that mission as Denver Beer Co.'s Arvada taproom, 5768 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, hosts a beer-and-slider pairing to benefit the organization. For $35, you'll get three sliders from The Mighty, the taproom's resident food truck, and three twelve-ounce beers; the fun starts at 5 p.m. Pick up tickets in advance at the brewery's website; the cost goes up to $40 at the door.
These thirteen wines are the best Colorado has to offer, and they can all be tasted at Colorado UnCorked this Thursday.
Courtesy Colorado UnCorked
If you're a casual wine drinker with a desire to eat and drink local, you may think that Colorado wine begins and ends with Infinite Monkey Theorem. Spoiler: It doesn't. This year's Governor's Cup Wine Competition included almost 350 wines from 49 different wineries, and the best will be showcased on Thursday, November 8, at Colorado UnCorked, a tasting event with the top thirteen wines and bites from some of the city's best chefs. Yes, IMT will be represented, but so will a nineteen-year-old port from Colorado Cellars, a riesling from the excellent Whitewater Hill Vineyards, and a teroldego (a lesser-known Italian red grape) from Red Fox Cellars. Kyle Foster (Julep), Justin Brunson (Old Major and Masterpiece Delicatessen) and Eric Skokan (Black Cat and Bramble & Hare) are just a few of the chefs who will be in attendance at History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets, $45, are available at coloradowine.com.
Friday, November 9
How much would pay for four long, long hours of unlimited spirits sampling? If your guess is over $25, we've got a deal for you. On Friday, November 9, Making Spirits Bright is taking over Exdo Event Center, 3500 Walnut Street, with eighteen craft distilleries (including Golden Moon Distillery, Leopold Bros., Rocker Spirits and Woods High Mountain Distillery) serving up nearly 100 spirits and cocktails from 5 to 9 p.m. for a mere $25 ($50 VIP) — and if you're still upright after that, an after-party from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. with a cash bar and DJ is included in the ticket price. Get your tickets at comakingspiritsbright.com.
Keep reading for future food and drink events.
Saturday, November 10
Fans of the soft and creamy mouthfeel of nitrogenated beers won't want to miss Left Hand Brewing Company's fifth annual Nitro Fest on Saturday, November 10. Colorado breweries will be well represented at the invite-only festival (Upslope and 4 Noses are our favorites), but in keeping with tradition, national and international outfits (including brewers from Italy, South Korea, Japan, Croatia, the U.K. and Hungary) will also be on hand pouring exclusively nitro beers. The fun runs from 5 to 10 p.m. at the brewery, 1265 Boston Avenue in Longmont, and includes performances by marching bands, aerialists and fire dancers while encouraging drinkers to show up in something called "voodoo masquerade formal." (Does that fall somewhere between "black tie optional" and "fancy cocktail"? Perhaps Miss Manners will know.) Tickets are $75 or $100 and are still available, along with a complete list of participating breweries, on Left Hand Brewing's website.
Saturday, November 17
Amaro is having a moment, with restaurants around town embracing the bitter Italian liqueur or even making house versions. On Saturday, November 17, Coperta, 400 East 20th Avenue, is bringing amaro to the masses with its Amaro: The Bitter Truth cocktail class. From 3:30 to 5 p.m., attendees will nosh on bites from chef Paul C. Reilly while tasting a selection of amari and learning how to use it to enhance the flavor of mixed drinks. The holidays are inexorably advancing, so learn how to turn your bitterness on your cocktails instead of your kin for $45; call the restaurant at 720-749-4666 to reserve your spot.
If you know of a date that should be on this calendar, send information to [email protected].
