Happy May Day, everyone! In lieu of protesting the corrupt capitalist culture and celebrating the proletariat, we present for your consideration a pair of trivia nights, a pair of pizza events, and the return of a slew of food trucks, a meal mark of spring. Have a tasty week, then get back to laboring. Here are the eight tastiest events on Denver's culinary calendar through May 5. (Watch for a Cinco de Mayo-specific list coming later this week.)
EXPANDMonday, May 1
Never kicked off your week by winning a dildo at trivia? Well, here's your chance to rectify that: Marion Street Tavern, 1223 East 13th Avenue, is welcoming DJ Rockstar Aaron to host Forbidden Bingo tonight. From 7 to 10 p.m., you'll get happy-hour pricing and the chance to win prizes provided by Romantix. Chances are the host will make you blush as much as the prizes; if that happens, just knock back another dirty martini and your embarrassment will be a thing of the past.
Tuesday, May 2
It's a Denver tradition much like the salmon run: Every May, food trucks return to Civic Center Park, swimming upstream until, exhausted, they find their birthplace, spawn and then die. Okay, not really...but Civic Center EATS is a highly anticipated annual event — and like ravenous grizzly bears, Denverites will stand in the middle of the park, grabbing food left and right. Channel your inner bear and head to Civic Center Park, where the feeding frenzy kicks off today. Food trucks will be on site Tuesday through Thursday this year, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check out the Civic Center Conservancy website for a complete vendor lineup and schedule.
For dinner, teachers and school employees should check out Chipotle (various locations) today from 3 p.m. to close. Show your school ID — pre-school through college — and receive a buy-one, get-one-free entree as a token of Chipotle's appreciation and support of education. Sorry, hungry students don't qualify; this BOGO deal is only good for teachers and support staff.
Wednesday, May 3
Boulder's Pizzeria Locale, 1730 Pearl Street, will seem a bit different tonight when the folks from Pasquale Jones, the lauded and very of-the-moment (think: no phone number, no reservations, just come in!) NYC restaurant, take over the joint and makes use of Locale's wood-fired oven. Check out Pasquale's website for its take on wood-fired food, and if it looks smokin' to you, call 303-444-3003 for reservations. This is a one-night affair, and seatings start at 4:30 p.m. More info about the takeover team is up on Pizzeria Locale's website.
EXPANDIf you can't make it to Boulder tonight, Pizzeria Locale at 550 Broadway also has a deal going on: Over the past few months, the joint has been running occasional monthly pizza specials, with 50 percent of sales going to benefit food-based organizations. Today the beneficiary will be Culinary Quick Start, a training program offered by the Emily Griffith Technical College. Enjoy a pie (check out May's special creation, a delicious carbonara pizza we wrote about here, or select from the regular menu) from 4 to 9 p.m. and contribute to the free four-week program that trains unemployed youths and adults to work as prep cooks in Denver's exploding restaurant scene. Unfortunately, the donation isn't automatic, so make sure you mention the fundraiser at the register to ensure your dollars do good.
Keep reading for more events.
Thursday, May 4
May the Fourth be with you, especially if you're going to Star Wars Team Trivia tonight at Govnr's Park Restaurant & Tavern, 672 Logan Street. Organize your fellow Rebellion forces, slap some cinnamon buns on the sides of your head (R.I.P., Princess Leia) and be prepared to answer the the eternal question: Who shot first? Galactic food and drink specials will be on hand, and prizes will be awarded for best costumes. The geekiness reaches fever pitch at 7 p.m.
The West End Tavern, 926 Pearl Street in Boulder, is hosting a Satellite Tap Room tonight, with Denver Beer Co. personnel pouring everything from Denver Beer's flagship ales to rare vintages (you know, all the way back to 2011). There's no cover, and no need to RSVP; just show up at 6:30 p.m. with a hankering for Graham Cracker Porter.
Friday, May 5
The Real Dill, Denver's favorite local pickle purveyor, is turning five, but unlike most five-year-old's birthday parties, this one promises to be fun. From 5 to 10 p.m. tonight at 33 South Fox Street, you'll find bars, bars and more bars: a cocktail bar, a cider bar, a beer bar and a Bloody Mary bar. Add music from the Raritans, food from Quiero Arepas, the Ethiopian Food Truck and Rocky Mountain Slices, and you have an event that not just parents will want to hang out at. Tickets are a steal at $5, and while the drinks are technically free, we suggest a donation of at least $5, because this toddler is willing to share: 105 percent of the night's proceeds will go to The GrowHaus, which serves the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood. Tickets and a complete list of participating breweries, distilleries and food trucks are available on the event website.
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