To celebrate the fact that the Taste of Colorado won't be back for another year, the Denver Five, a cartel of homegrown chefs that get together every so often in each other's restaurant kitchens, are cooking together tonight at TAG, Troy Guard's Asian fusion restaurant at 1441 Larimer Street.
Okay, so the Taste of Crap Colorado part is a slight exaggeration, but not the dinner, which is a five-course culinary journey prepared by Guard, Matt Selby, Jamey Fader, Tyler Wiard and Keegan Gerhard. And while the food is always sensational (this is the third dinner in the series), tonight's wines, all of which are made by Ben Parsons, the local grape wizard who started the Infinite Monkey Theorem, aren't exactly slouchers. In fact, Parsons's wines are some of the best coming out of Colorado right now, and several of the reds being poured tonight are barrel samples, with future release dates.
The wine dinner is $75 per person (tax and tip are extra) and begins at 6 p.m. Reservations can be made by dialing 303-996-9985. (Dial fast; seats are few.)
We've also got the lowdown on the menu and wines.
Matt Selby: Vesta Dipping Grill and Steuben's Food: Chorizo and clams with caramelized fennel mustard seed broth, lobster oil and grilled aioli bread Wine: Gewürztraminer
Troy Guard: TAG Food: TAG summer salad with heirloom tomatoes, lamb sausage, tempura zucchini blossoms and yuzu beet emulsion Wine: Chardonnay
Jamey Fader: Big Red F Restaurant Group Food: Lola street style enchiladas with grilled lobster and shrimp, salsa suiza, agave nectar and roasted yams Wine: Cab Franc
Tyler Wiard: Elway's Cherry Creek Food: Grilled ostrich tenderloin with cipollini onion hash brown, bacon wilted escarole, smoked deviled duck egg and sherry elixir jus Wine: Syrah
Keegan Gerhard: D Bar desserts Food: Vanilla rum roasted pineapple with mascarpone, caramel and coconut ice milk Wine: Petite Syrah
