Eighteen Tastiest Events on Denver's Culinary Calendar, August 19-21

Kick the weekend off with a pop-up kitchen called Ash from Basta chef/owner Kelly Whitaker at Infinite Monkey Theorem in RiNo and continue a wine-filled weekend with three dinners sponsored by Veuve Cliquot champagne and the Uncorked festival in Winter Park. If vino's not your thing, we've got plenty of other tasty events to fill you up and quench your thirst.

Friday, August 19
Basta chef/owner Kelly Whitaker and chef Cody Taft bring Ash, their mobile kitchen, to the Infinite Monkey Theorem Urban Winery at 3200 Larimer Street from 5 to 11 p.m. today.  Ash draws inspiration from elemental campfire cooking and will serve a variety of foods that demonstrate the art of wood-fire and charcoal cookery. Think flatbreads made with house-milled grains, produce from local farms and foraged eats. Ash will be at IMT every Friday through August and is also available for catered events, pop-ups and private chef experiences. For a sample menu and more details, see Ash's website.

Chefs Justin Brunson of Old Major and Lon Symensma of ChoLon will be at the the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek today and tomorrow as part of the hotel's rotating summer pop-up restaurant concept. Guests will experience a portable version of the chefs' restaurants with a three- to four-course prix fixe menu. Dinner starts at $55, and reservations are recommended; contact the hotel at 970-748-6200 or on the Ritz-Carlton website.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in Greenwood Village is launching a new beer dinner series tonight starting at 6:30 p.m. For the first in the series, guests will be served a special selection of Odell and Ft. Collins beers paired with a menu from executive chef Mario Hernandez. The dinner will be hosted on the patio (weather permitting) with live music. Call the restaurant at 303-796-0100 for reservations, $75. Menu items will include Scotch quail eggs, wagyu burgers and blackberry gelato.

The Skyline Beer Garden will pop up today at 4 p.m., and remain open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, weather permitting, through September 15. Hosted by the Downtown Denver Partnership and Downtown Denver Business Improvement District, the beer garden will pour twelve Colorado craft beers and will also sell snacks, wine and other cocktails in an outdoor tent setting on Arapahoe Street between 16th and 17th streets.

The patio at the Terminal Bar at Union Station will host an evening of Veuve Clicquot from 5 to 10 p.m., complete with a menu designed by chef Lon Symensma, champagne specials and an opportunity to give back to the community. A portion of proceeds for every Veuve Clicquot bottle sold at this event will be donated to the Children’s Diabetes Foundation. This is part of the Veuve Clicquot Journey continuing at several Denver locations this weekend. For more details, see the Journey's website.

Saturday, August 20
Larimer Street between 14th and 15th streets will be blocked off to traffic for Dining Al Fresco on Larimer Square. Twelve participating restaurants will have tables available outdoors with special menus for the event. Reservations are recommended, so contact the restaurant of your choice. For a complete list of those participating, see the Larimer Square website.

The Edfest Craft Beer and Music Festival runs today from 3 to 10 pm. at Vail's Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater,  with beer samples from more than 85 national, regional and local breweries and a performance by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, among others. VIP tickets are sold out, but you can still buy $39 general admission tickets on the Edfest website.

Keep reading for more events this weekend.
Saturday, August 20 (continued)

La Loma will soon be moving to a new location downtown, but will stay open through the end of September at its longtime home at 2527 West 26th Avenue. That means that its pre-game Broncos tailgate parties will continue as well. For $10 (the pre-season price) you can park at La Loma, enjoy the party and jump on the shuttle (which runs every twenty minutes) to and from the stadium. The festivities will include $8 Don Julio margs, $5 draft beers and $3 burritos outside, along with a DJ, cornhole and giant Jenga. Call the restaurant at 303-433-8300 if you have questions.

Board Game Republic, the new gamers' bar at 900 West First Avenue in the Yard on Santa Fe, is holding grand-opening festivities today from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., including appearances by local gaming celebrities, hourly drawings for prizes, pop-up tournaments, food and drink specials and ticket giveaways for a grand-prize drawing. Call 303-954-9165 or see Board Game Republic's Facebook page for details.

The Veuve Cliquot Journey continues today at Matsuhisa, with 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. seatings. The two-hour tasting dinner runs $125 per person and includes a glass of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. Reservations must be made through the restaurant to secure a spot, so call 303-408-6656.

Head to Winter Park today for the Winter Park Uncorked wine festival, featuring wine tastings, food samples, a champagne cork-off and live music. Ticket for the event, which runs from 2 to 5 p.m. are $35 each, or $70 for VIP entrance, which gets you in two hours early. Go to the Play Winter Park website to purchase tickets or pay an extra $5 at the gate.

Sunday, August 21
The Fifth Annual Rocky Ford Cantaloupe Creations Cook-­off comes to the patio at Little Man Ice Cream today, pitting several top Denver chefs in a competition to wow judges with the best melon-based bites. The cook-off is free to the public and runs from 2 to 4 p.m.

The grand-opening party continues today at Board Game Republic, 900 West First Avenue in the Yard on Santa Fe, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., including appearances by local gaming celebrities, hourly drawings for prizes, pop-up tournaments, food and drink specials and ticket giveaways for a grand-prize drawing. Call 303-954-9165 or see Board Game Republic's Facebook page for details.

The free Tenth Annual Incredible, Edible Gluten-Free Food Fair will be held at the Denver Mart today from 10 a.m. to  3 p.m. Come sample gluten-free baked goods, flours, breads, beers, desserts and more. There will be 100 gluten-free vendors from around the nation, so don't miss out on finding some new gluten-free favorites. The fair also offers kids’ activities, gluten-free cooking demos and speakers throughout the day. 

The Colorado Mycological Society's Mushroom Fair is today at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The fair is free with admission, and you'll be able to behold a giant display of wild mushrooms in all colors and shapes from lawns and mountains; have mushrooms identified by experts; view a display of common city mushrooms; bring the kids to the mushroom “kiddy korner”; and photograph mushrooms in natural settings. There will also be mushroom arts-and-craft activities and demos on cooking and cultivating mushrooms at home.
The last of this weekend's Veuve Cliquot Journey events takes place today from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Table 6. Keep the celebrations going with a multi-course champagne brunch for two, including a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label to share, for $75. The restaurant will then host a champagne-filled Sunday Funday with by-the-glass and by-the bottle Veuve Clicquot specials, a live DJ and a photo wall. Call Table 6 at 303-831-8800 for details and reservations.

Today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Slow Food Market at The Source, Colorado produce hits its prime with two new farms joining the market: Thistle Whistle Farm and Ela Family Farms, which will be selling peaches. This week will feature ‘firsts’ only, but people who are interested in ‘seconds’ for preserving can pre-order for next week. Both farms will become weekly vendors for the remainder of the season.

The Tequila, Taco & Cerveza Fest comes to Mile High Station today from 2 to 8 p.m., featuring tequila samples, live music, beer, tequila olympics, Chihuahua races and tacos from Denver-area taquerias. Tickets are $30-$40 on the festival's website.