From Charcuterie to Negroni, Sixteen Tasty Events on the Culinary Calendar

This is not just the start of June: It's the start of the first Charc Week, a meaty new event in Denver. This is also the first day of Negroni Week, and restaurants and bars around the world — including many in Denver — are joining Campari in celebrating a drink for a cause; find out more here. And the entire month of June is dedicated to Eat Red, Drink Red, an international effort to fight AIDS; find out more at red.org. That's just the start of all the delectable events on the culinary calendar; keep reading for a taste.

Monday, June 1 

Frasca and Pizzeria Locale in Boulder are celebrating Negroni Week by serving up the drink for the benefit of Karma Sherpa and the on-the- ground relief efforts in Nepal. Through June 7, one dollar from each Negroni will go to the cause; find more information about Karma Sherpa here, and click here for more on Frasca.

Frasca Food and Wine will also be continuing its Tastemaker Dinner Series into June with the wines of Castello di Ama with Lorenza Sebasti.  The dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. today and is $350. Seating is extremely limited; for reservations, call call Frasca at 303-442-6966.

Through June, Harman's Eat and Drink is offering a special pairing menu in which chef John Little with match rosé with rhubarb dishes.The special is $20; for more information, call 303-388-7428.   



Charc Week, a week-long tribute to charcuterie kicks off today in Chicago and Denver, with some of the Mile High City's most skilled meat masters serving specials through June 6. And from 7 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, the chefs will showcase their wares at Charc Bites, party at 3455 Ringsby Court in RiNo that will also feature craft beer and spirits. Participating restaurants include Colt & Gray, The Nickel, Vesta Dipping Grill and The Plimoth; a portion of the proceeds benefits Slow Food USA's Slow Meat campaign. For more information, visit charcweek.com.  

Tuesday, June 2

Lower48 Kitchen is bringing it home with June's “Prix-Fixe Culinary Tour of the Lower48” rotating menu, which will focus on the tastes of summer in Colorado, rolling out weekly “State Fair”-inspired menus. The special is $34 and available nightly; for more information, call 303-942-0262. And remember, Lower48 Kitchen offers half-price bottles of wine on Tuesdays...

Arugula will hold a wine dinner at 6 p.m. tonight featuring the wines of New Zealand. The five-course menu prepared by chefs Alec Schuler and Sven Hedenas will feature five wine pairings from one of the southernmost wine regions in the world. The dinner is $50; wine pairings are an additional $39. Reservations are required, call 303-443-5100.

Wednesday, June 3 

The Boulder County Farmers' Market opens its Wednesday Night Longmont Farmers Market today on 5th Avenue between Main and Kimbark streets. The market runs from 4 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday though September 30; for more information, visit boulderfarmers.org.

The Mayweather  v. Pacquiao fight may not have had the thunder many expected, but the battle at TAG at 7 p.m. tonight is guaranteed to be explosive. The restaurant will hold a beer v. wine party featuring booze heavyweights Master Sommelier Doug Krenick and Cicerone Shane Stewart, from Denver's Crooked Stave, going head-to-head for drink supremacy. Each course in the four-course dinner will be paired with a wine and a beer selection from the two masters, and the winner will be chosen by the guests. Call the restaurant at 303-996-9985.

Duo Restaurant will hold an Italian wine dinner featuring the wines of Gagliardo Winery, with special guest Stephano Gagliardo. The four-course dinner is $68 per person; call Duo at 303-477-4141. 

Thursday, June 4 

Today and tomorrow Colorado State University will host the 36th Lillian Fountain Smith Conference, an annual nutrition conference. This year's conference will be held at the Hilton Fort Collins, and will tackle questions surrounding the new 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that will be released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture later this year. For more information, click here. 

Dinner Lab Denver will host "Neverland: a Celebration of the Grownup Palate," a culinary tale that will unfold on your plate featuring childhood dishes in a grownup way; the food is the work of Los Angeles-based chef DJ Park of Flour. There are seatings at 7 and 8 p.m. and dinner is $60; the location will be e-mailed to those with reservations the day before the event. For more information, visit dinnerlab.com. 

West End Tavern in Boulder will host New Belgium Brewing for this month's Satellite Tap Room Series. The restaurant will be pouring everything from flagship beers to rare, limited, vintage and extraordinary beers. For more information, call West End at 303-444-3535.   

Fox & Hound in Lone Tree is teaming up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver to support youth engagement programs with a benefit celebration featuring complimentary food sampling, $4 cocktails and $2 draft beers. The benefit will run from 6 to 9 p.m.; for more information, call Fox & Hound at 720-875-9161.  


Friday, June 5 


Today we pay homage to that tastiest of treats, the doughnut. For National Donut Day, LaMar's is teaming up with the Salvation Army and celebrating by giving any customer at any of its locations a free handmade gourmet doughnut — no purchase necessary. But you can donate to the Salvation Army and help the organization take a bite out of child hunger. For more information, click here.   

Get light and bright at Guard and Grace's Rose and Whimsical Whites patio party. The event, which runs from 4 to 6:30 p.m. today, will feature light bites paired with pink and white wines — and suggested attire is whimsical pink-and-white wear. Tickets are $35; for more information, call the restaurant at 303-293-8500.

Take in the magnificent views at Cherokee Castle & Ranch, while enjoying a gourmet lunch with friends on The Terrace. Lunch will be served at noon, followed by a mini-tour of the castle at 1 p.m. Reservations are $45; to register for this event, click here. 


For information on dozens of culinary events around town, visit our online Food & Drink listings — and if you have information for a culinary event you'd like included in our online calendar, send it to [email protected].

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