Party Weekend Roundup | Cinco de Mayo & KY Derby
CENTRO MEXICAN KITCHEN | Cinco de Mayo
What - Cinco de Mayo Pig Roast: Slow-roasted in the caja china, the pork will be doled out in tacos and served alongside borracho beans and fresh grilled street corn. There will also be $5 Suerte Coins and other drink specials!
Where - 950 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO When - Friday, May 5, 11 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
LOLA COASTAL MEXICAN | Picnic of the Pig
What - Annual Celebration of All Things Swine on Cinco de Mayo! Lola’s own Jamey Fader and Sharif Villa Cruz will collaborate with five of Denver’s most talented chefs on an a la carte menu that celebrates all things swine. Gross-A$$ Man Band will perform live from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. and Sixty Minute Men will perform live from 9:00 - 11:00 p.m.
Where - 1575 Boulder Street, Denver, CO When - Friday, May 5th, doors open at 2:00 p.m.
Illegal Pete’s | Cinco de Mayo
What - All day for happy hour pricing on margaritas and pacificos. May special offering “P.S. I Love You”, a Pacifico and a shot of Sauza Tequila for $5.
When - Friday, May 5th, open - 2am. Where – All locations
ViewHouse Ballpark | Cinco de Mayo
What - All Day Food & Drink Specials and Features with DJ & dancing all night.
When - Friday, May 5th, open - 2am. Where – Downtown Ballpark location.
The Lobby | Annual Derby Party
What – Free entry, lawn games in the Courtyard, killer food and drink specials and lots of chances to win cool stuff!
When – Saturday May 6th, 9am – 5pm. Where - 2191 Arapahoe St.
ViewHouse Eatery | Kentucky Derby Party
What - It’s that time of the year to bust out those BIG hats, summer dresses & seersucker suits. Moses Jones Band will kick things off in the courtyard at 1:00pm. Live Derby Broadcast on the 200” outdoor LED TV & dozens of flat screens at 4:00pm with drink specials and contests all afternoon.
Where - 2015 Market St. Denver CO 80205 When – Saturday 6th, 1pm – 2am.
The Real Dill | 5th Anniversary Party
What – Cocktail, cider & beer bars, food trucks, live music from The Raritans and 105% of proceeds will benefit The GrowHaus, a nonprofit indoor farm, marketplace, and educational center in Denver.
Where - The Real Dill 33 S Fox St Denver, CO 80223 When – Friday 5th from 5-10pm
The Big Wonderful | Kick-Off Weekend
What - Kicking off over Derby Weekend on May 5-7th, The Big Wonderful has a new location in Globeville and lots of exciting features for the summer. The Big Wonderful 2017 Derby Weekend has a slew of live bluegrass, including headliners Jeff Austin (Formerly of Yonder Mountain String Band) & Friends, The Drew Emmitt Band, Andy Thorn & Friends, Rob Drabkin, and DeadPhish Orchestra. Saturday 6th, from 3-6pm is BEERFEST featuring over 20 craft breweries and distilleries pouring a handful of their finest flavors into commemorative BEERFEST sampling glasses. Each participating brewery and distillery will offer unlimited tastings of select brews, ciders and spirits, while Pickin' on Beatles (DeadPhish Orchestra) provides the live soundtrack.
250+ Restaurants Donate Thursday!
This Thursday, April 27th, Project Angel Heart is holding one of its most important fundraisers of the year: Dining Out For Life. We encourage you to dine out for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and/or drinks at one of 250 participating restaurants and breweries around Denver because 25% of your check will be donated to Project Angel Heart. Project Angel Heart has hosted this event for 23 years, raising awareness and support for the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The link to all of the restaurants is below, but some of our top picks include Angelo's Pizzeria, City O’ City, Cherry Cricket, Denver Biscuit Co, Jax Fish House, Panzano, Park Burger, Root Down, Sweet Action, Tamayo and Vesta. Especially great is Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs will donate 100-percent of Thursday’s earnings (they’ve even created a signature frankfurter, the Angel Dog), and Voodoo Doughnut is donating proceeds the entire month of April from sales of their School Daze doughnut!
Project Angel Heart is a large organization of volunteers making meals and delivering them directly to home-bound people. There are three shifts of volunteers working every day, cooking up a myriad variations to suite every type of patient. For variety’s sake, there are very few repeats of a menu item in a 90-day time period, with exceptions being ones that are popular with clients. Project Angel Heart also modifies each day’s menu to best suit the nutritional needs of its clients, making multiple variations of dishes suited towards specific nutritional needs based on their illness, allergies, treatments, and religious beliefs. Volunteers are also crucial to Project Angel Heart’s mission, doing everything from bag decorating to meal prep and delivery. Vesta alum Chef Brandon Foster helms the kitchen, ordering, preparing, and executing operations at a massive scale.
Dining Out for Life is a national fundraising event for organizations that provide services to people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and Canada. Don’t miss your chance to dine out (or get drinks, or ice cream) for this incredible organization on Thursday!
Troy Guard's bubu | Healthy, Delicious Bowls to-go
Denver restaurateur Troy Guard is at it again with a slew of new restaurants slated to open this year around town. In addition to a second downtown location of bubu and third location of Los Chingones in Stapleton, Guard has, “…spent months developing the new concepts, Hashtag and FNG. The details are really starting to come together now. We’re all about having a good time and not taking ourselves too seriously. These two concepts really speak to that philosophy.” Hashtag will be a new casual breakfast joint featuring playful interpretations of traditional breakfast dishes, fresh baked morning pastries, and a selection of creative hashes and morning cocktails. FNG (short for “F’in Good”) will be a casual, neighborhood eatery and social gathering destination in Denver’s Highlands neighborhood. They will serve a menu of Guard’s elevated interpretations of comfort food favorites, centered on the restaurant’s wood-fired grill, along with a selection of house-made prepared foods at retail.
We got to try the fast-casual healthy eatery bubu in its second location that opened a few weeks ago at Republic Plaza. Branded as Chef Troy Guard’s “Fresh Revolution”, bubu serves healthy spins on build-your-own bowls. The eatery is a great lunch option as you don’t waste anytime waiting for a table, server, or your order. Instead, it’s a walk up counter and you order and pay right away. You can order a custom crafted bowl that lets you choose your base and protein or create your own from a long list of fresh or cooked veggies, nuts, seeds, and dressings. Guests will find a few exclusive offerings at the Republic Plaza outpost, including the Indian Bowl and the Troy Aloha “Poke” Bowl, as well as breakfast bowls and made-to-order smoothies coming soon. There are fresh pressed bottles juices and brewed teas and lemonade available as well as gluten free chocolate chunk cookies. In fact, pretty much the entire menu is gluten free except the Chinese and Soy Onion dressings and the crispy shallots and wontons.
For our lunch we went with the Paleo Bowl with a salad mix base and steak protein, keeping it truly Paleo, and the Indian Bowl with half brown rice half salad base and chicken protein. The Indian Bowl was incredibly flavorful as you expect with Indian food and contained roasted chickpeas, shredded carrot, harissa cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, Indian-spiced granola and yellow curry yogurt vinaigrette, topped with a dusting of togarashi. Every ingredient was delicious on it’s own, and all mixed together is was an amazing concoction of flavors, colors, textures and nutrients. We ate every morsel, and it’s a big bowl. The Paleo Bowl came with our steak perfectly medium-cooked, (it is not cooked to order) along with fresh green beans, diced bell pepper, half an avocado, and toasted almonds and dried apricots sprinkled on top with a side of carrot mustard dressing. With our salad mix base this was a very healthy bowl and very crunchy too, yet delicious with the dressing really complementing the flavors and steak. In addition to chicken and steak, protein options include top grade raw salmon, raw tuna, chilled shrimp, and tofu, unfortunately they cannot cook the salmon or tuna if you preferred as they prepare the proteins offsite.
The eatery offers community seating with upbeat music or there are all kind of tables outside in the Plaza. There was a constant stream of people coming through and taking their bowls minutes after ordering. We think they will do great and look forward to what they dream up for breakfast bowls. We hear it will include egg dishes and smoothie and granola bowls. Both Larimer Square & Republic Plaza locations are open Mon-Fri 11-5pm and offer catering, and will stay open a bit past 5pm for those who call ahead with to-go orders for after work pickup. So whether you’re looking for a convenient breakfast, lunch or a dinner to-go, bubu has the Downtown Denver area covered with its satisfyingly delicious and nutritious bowls.
https://www.bubu-denver.com/
The Magic of Mole & Mezcal | Centro Mexican Kitchen
Centro Mexican Kitchen celebrated two of Mexico’s most time-honored culinary traditions—mole and mezcal—at their second annual Festival de Mole y Mezcal last Thursday, March 23. Their head Chef Duane Walker prepared three different moles, rojo, verde and negro, while the bar offered three rare, specially crafted Oaxacan mezcals not on their normal menu. Let us explain why mescal and mole are so special to the Mexican heritage and why they are so delicious and often hard to come by here in the States.
Mole is the classic, ancient Mexican sauce made from chilies, seeds, nuts, and spices, among other ingredients. There are as many legends about its origins as there are types of mole, with variations ranging from negro and coloradito to poblano and almendrado. Some moles have as many as 30 ingredients, and family recipes are heavily guarded and passed down from generation to generation. “So much history, heritage, passion, and love goes into making a solid mole,” says Chef Walker. “It's all about building flavor, which takes time. To me it's the foundation of Mexican cuisine.” His recognition of mole’s history and his attention to detail was apparent in the rich, flavorful negro mole and toasted coconut coating the duck leg dinner special we tried. He had paired it with a dulce de leche sauce as well and served the duck with broccolini and risotto style rice with nuts and raisins. The dish was so savory and the sauces were much more succulent than sweet and matched perfectly with the various flavor profiles of the duck and sides. The duck was filling and full of flavors like warming spices, chilies, chocolate, smoke, game and we learned it was dry rubbed overnight until cooked in duck fat. Talk about a decadent duck dish!
Taking our meal up several notches on the delicious and memorable spectrum was a flight of mezcal. Mezcal is a Mexican spirit made from the heart of the agave plant, or piña. Unlike tequila, which is made using only blue agave, mezcal comes from over 30 varieties of agave. This, coupled with countless variations in the distillation process, allows for an astonishing variety of mezcals across the country. Some heirloom recipes include ingredients like cinnamon, pineapple, plums, cloves, and even raw meat. The three on special for their Festival were Mexicano, Madre Cuixe and Ensamble en Barro from the Mezcal Vago label. They were amazing, but because they aren’t offered here any other time I will tell you about some of the mezcals you can order anytime at Centro.
We tried three small samples from the Del Maguey family – Minero, Chidricapa, and Domingo Alban. They were all especially great with a bite of lime or orange and paired with food. The Minero was refreshing, but unlike most tequila, it has tasting notes of vanilla and caramel in addition to the agave taste. The Chidricapa was lighter and crisper than the other two, and resembled typical tequila in its agave and citrus forward taste, but with a bit of wood/oak flavor found in aged tequilas. The Domingo Alban mezcal was a bit sweet, agave forward and crisp, but with a smoky aftertaste. If you’re a fan of tequila and whisky/bourbon, mezcal is your kindred spirit and you’ve got to try a few varieties. As mentioned, mezcal comes from over 30 varieties of agave and is coupled with countless variations in the distillation process, thus you absolutely should not judge based on a past experience or just a couple of mezcals. There are so many flavor profiles to match many palettes, unless you just hate tequila/agave. So head over to Centro Mexican Kitchen for one of the best selections of mezcal in Boulder and Denver. They even have mezcal in a couple of cocktails or you can add it to a margarita to make your first time a bit more approachable.
In addition to their great mezcals and mole, Centro has a large menu of soulful, imaginative Mexican cuisine. Centro also packs their calendar with fun events and weekly specials that continue to make their restaurant a fun, affordable and popular place to dine and drink. Two upcoming events include Easter Sunday and Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Centro is celebrating Easter Sunday with a festive brunch, happy hour, and dinner specials. Cinco de Mayo at Centro will have a pig roast on the patio, and served out in the form of tacos, tamales, and enchiladas all day long. There will also be $5 Suerte Coin Margs (while supplies last), $7 Shot & Beer (El Charro Silver and The Post Brewing Co. Top Rope Mexican Style Lager), and $15 Top Rope Buckets. They've also got some awesome weekly programing—Breakfast Burritos, Sunday Family Night (live music, dancing, kids eat free), Monday All Night Happy Hour, Tamale Tuesdays, Weekend Brunch, and Happy Hour food and drink specials daily!
http://www.centromexican.com/
Review by Tiffany Candelaria
Game Of Thrones: Live Concert Experience
Have you ever experienced the overwhelming feeling of excitement, joy, pride, anger, sorrow, vengefulness, relief, laughter, and hope all in 2 hours? Well, that feeling could be described as simply “watching Game of Thrones”. Before I go any further, it’s no secret that spoilers may lie ahead.
On Sunday night in Denver, Colorado, the Pepsi Center fills up with the biggest nerds to roam the Seven Kingdoms. Fans wait in long lines to take their photos in front of Meereen, The Wall, and even Kings Landing on a fun green screen PhotoBooth provided by HBO. As we head toward our seats, the lights begin to dim and the voice of Cersei Lannister (actress Lena Headey) projects throughout the arena. "Should you not silence your phones, I will burn cities to the ground and the blood of your children will pay for your crimes for generations to come”. This receives a huge round of laughter and applause from the audience.
A moment later, the German-Iranian composer, Ramin Djawadi, who has written all of the music for series, starts the show by conducting an 80-piece orchestra and choir on a 360-degree stage. (Most of the choir being a local Denver choir group). Their voices sound like indescribable angelic instruments accompanied by the band of traveling talented musicians. The violinist and all of the percussion members all dressed head to toe in Westeros attire.
The beginning of the musical journey opens up with the extremely iconic “Main Title” theme from the show which immediately gives me goosebumps. During which, the imagery on the screens captures every house one by one. Cheers are heard throughout the entire arena as audience members begin to shout for their favorite characters as they see the Stark family, the Targaryens and finally the Lannisters appear on the gigantic screen above us. The house banners appear at the end of the song, showcasing every family and their Sigil with their iconic words. Then suddenly, there are fire sparks and sword sharpening sounds as the Iron Throne rises from the middle of the stage. This is a mic drop moment.
Every single piece of music is timed flawlessly to the video montage clips on the screen. Only a very few times were words spoken from the clips, because the music and imagery said enough for the fans. The entire show chronicles the journey of various individual characters as well as family story lines. One of the first being The Starks. A violinist heads to the very front of the stage and plays a lullaby song as the iconic red and white Weirword trees forms around her. The leaves eventually fall off of the tree and into the audience, symbolizing the start of Winter and the major deaths of those in the Stark House.
The rest of the experience portrays all of the major story lines of the fight to the Iron Throne. They begin with Stannis Baratheon, then the Greyjoys, the Lannisters, the Boltons, and of course follows Dany’s epic journey to become Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons.
As Dany’s story is told, the crowd cheers “Mhysa!” in support of her claim to the Throne. When her dragons appear, actual fire shoots out from the stage at the exact moment that they spit fire on the screen. Directly after this, the concert cuts to Jon Snow being brought back to life- and the audience screams together in solidarity. Actual snow (white pieces of paper) begins to fall from the sky as the orchestra plays along to Jon’s battle against the White Walkers. I think everyone had chills.
The show ends with the beautiful standout piece that plays during the final episode of season 6 (the most recent season) as Cersei Lannister prepares to send the High Septon and the Tyrells to their deaths. No words were spoken during this scene in the show, making it a very memorable composition that the audience immediately recognized with a collaborative sigh insinuating “Oh no… we know what’s coming next”. The piece is beautifully arranged to the images on screen, the editing of these montages to the music is so precise.
If you don’t already know, Cersei lights Wildfire underneath the building holding the religious fanatics who plan to put her on trial for her incestuous relationship with her brother Jaime. As the fire lights up, hundreds in Kings Landing are blown up, and actual green fire shoots from the stage as the music rises.
We have to say, this show is correctly labeled an “Experience”. It truly pulls you into the world that George R.R. Martin has created. After a standing ovation from the entire arena, the level of appreciation for Ramin Djawadi and his vision greatly increased. The new season starts July 16th, and although it has been unseasonable warm in Denver lately and definitely will be in July, Winter is Coming!
Words and Images- Stephanie Mathena
"An American In Paris" | A Celebration of Art
The Broadway Theatre is here to dazzle Denver yet again with its multi-award winning musical, "An American In Paris" through Sunday, March 19th at Buell Theatre. The basic story under this title was first a book by Craig Lucas and became a Hollywood movie in 1951 starring Gene Kelly. The musical film was inspired by the 1928 orchestral composition "An American in Paris" by George and Ira Gershwin. The film won a number of Awards including Best Picture at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. So if you can't make it out to the Denver Performing Arts Theatre in the next week, at least the film sounds like it does the story justice.
The film was adapted to the stage in the 2000s and again adapted in 2014 and performed in Paris and then New York City's Broadway March of 2015. Thus, this is a new musical with a long past and a legendary soundtrack of unforgettable songs from Gershwin, that along with acclaimed director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, has earned it more awards than any other musical in the 2014-2015 season!
The story begins as an American soldier continues to encounter a mysterious French girl and an indomitable French city, each yearning for a new beginning in the aftermath of World War II. The backdrops and projection were one of the first standouts as the musical began. They make the city come to life with projections of Paris being water colored right before our eyes, which plays into the introduction of the lead character Jerry Mulligan, the American soldier and artist who decides to remain in Paris after the war. As he pursues the French girl, he leans her name is Lise and she is a very talented, but sad, ballet dancer. In fact, both of the characters and actors are very talented ballet dancers and the play, as well as the story, both heavily revolve around ballet and dance.
We see some very intimate and intense dances, as well as some big Broadway, spectacular dance numbers complete with tuxedos and feathers. We also see a marvelously composed culminating performance that matches modern art with classical ballet, a performance worthy of awards in and of itself. We watch many interesting characters develop in the story as they try to pursue their dreams and find happiness in the post-war era. These dreams all revolve around some form of artistic pursuit and of course the pursuit of love. Some chase money, some chase fame, some yearn for their authenticity to shine while others choose to hide or put on appearances. While the main theme is the pursuit and celebration of art and its ability to bring joy, there's also an underlying look at gender roles and stereotypes, as well as doing what is right or expected versus following your heart.
When you see past all of the dancing, singing, and vibrant art on stage, you will see a poignant story about the trials and tribulations of figuring out how to pursue a happy and fulfilling life. It's no wonder this story continues to win the hearts of so many.
http://www.denvercenter.org/shows/specific-series/Get?Id=20d44ce2-4382-4b11-b7d9-ed33d6a8ab29
By Tiffany Candelaria
Food Hall & Marketplace Hybrid Opens in Aurora
Food halls, collaborative work-spaces, artisan and urban markets are a trend on the rise here in Denver and the U.S. in general. Joining the club here in Denver is the new Stanley Marketplace, fully opening in April 2017, in the former Stanley Aviation headquarters in Aurora, CO. The hip, industry-style marketplace will feature a variety of carefully curated dining concepts, local shops, boutiques and a few other businesses.
Comprised of more than 100,000 sq. ft. on 22 acres, the adaptive reuse development aims to become the communities’ new centerpiece. In addition to the culinary options, it will be home to a spacious community park, indoor/outdoor event venue, office space and a wide array of shopping and recreational options, as well as residential offerings. What we learned on our visit was how this marketplace sought out and brought together a community of like-minded businesses and people who believe in doing things differently with sustainability, creativity, passion, and their customers' happiness forefront in their business practices.
We tasted a wide selection of dishes offered at the various Colorado-based eateries and found there is something for everyone. Another great feature is you aren't limited to one eatery, as many are designed to take-away if you'd like to keep exploring/shopping or grab more additions (or alcoholic beverages) to your meal. It's an informal, laid back space with storefronts of beautiful trinkets, treats and welcoming people. We invite you to take a look and have some things to eat and drink.
Dining options include:
Annette, Comida, Cheluna Brewing, Denver Biscuit Co., Glazed & Confused Doughnuts, Infinite Monkey Theorem, Logan House Coffee, Maria Empanada, Miette et Chocolat, Mondo Market, Rolling Smoke BBQ, Rosenberg's Bagels, Sazza, Stanley Beer Hall, Sweet Cow Ice Cream, and Yellowbelly Chicken.
Photo Credit: Robert Castro
Artopia | A Collective Showcase of Art, Music, Fashion, & Local Vendors
The Artopia fashion show was full of local designers and models was a was a high energy showcase of approachable fashion statements. However, the fashionable aspect was lost in many of the audience members and attendants of the event. Has no one gotten the fedora memo? Some audience members were wearing suits, some were wearing jeans, and this was only the beginning of the clearly undefined vision of this event.
Admittedly, the vendor part of this event felt unnecessary. It fell under the category of another kitschy Denver market where you can find standard Colorado gear, sunglasses, snapbacks, locally made soaps, jewelry, and overpriced, thrifted clothing of course!
I will say that some of the artists exhibits stood out. But much of the work seemed kitschy, poorly curated, and not representative of what is actually present in the Denver art scene, which is wonderful, progressive art and the people behind it. On the flip side, when the leftover fashion show mess was cleaned up 45 minutes later, live painting began to happen and redeem some of the earlier work we saw.
A silent disco on the top floor was also a twist we weren't expecting, nor were we expecting it to go so well. Three DJ’s played simultaneously while guests wore headphones that they could tune into any one of the three channels and dance in chaotic synchronization. People danced in synchronized chaos while actual chaos ensued around them. Too many people and mix of things happening on every floor, made moving around feel like we were cattle being herded, unable to enjoy each element to the fullest.
Live music is a factor that in most scenarios makes everything better, and in this case the variety of genres kept the night lively and evolving. Overall, I think this is an event with a lot of potential if executed better, and we look forward to watchingArtopia evolve.
By Lina Skrzypczak
Jax Fishhouse | Specials & Brunch
Brunch is often most popular among the ladies, but Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar in Glendale is getting the guys involved with its new Bottomless Crab Sunday Brunch. In addition to the regular Jax brunch menu, from 10am – 2pm Chef de Cuisine Matt Lewis will offer endless Snow and Dungeness crab, plus sides, for $48. Guests can also enjoy unlimited Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s for an additional $15. The crab is served hot, a half-pound at a time with butter, lemon, and sides.
We were invited to this crab party and ate as many crab legs and sides as we could and loved every minute of it. The first round we had the Dungeness crab with their crispy potatoes, and were happily surprised by the sweet and spicy Cajun seasoning all over the potatoes. Next we tried Snow crab, which we really liked for its taste and the ease of getting the meat out of those clippers. Jax thoughtfully provides you with a cool bib, cracker, and a tiny fork for extracting the goodness. We then ordered the Bacon Braised Collard Greens and the Biscuits & Country Gravy sides and were very impressed. In fact, the guy who orders biscuits & gravy 90% of the time at brunch said both the biscuit and the gravy were top notch, and would be excellent if there was meat in the gravy. Lucky for him, the regular brunch entrée we ordered had spicy pork sausage in it and you can also order 3 pieces of tender belly breakfast sausage for $5 as a side.
The regular Brunch entrée we tried was The Hash: scrambled eggs, spicy pork sausage, shrimp, potatoes, grilled onion, arugula, and whole grain mustard vinaigrette. It was a perfectly composed brunch providing tons of protein, a good helping of greens, tasty potatoes, and a coating of mustard vinaigrette that really elevated all of the unique flavors. There is a lot going on in this dish and a lot of actual food, so it is very filling, delicious, and nutritious. Jax regular menu has many great seafood, meat, and combination plates like The Hash, such as Chicken & Crawfish Gumbo, omelets, bennies, French toast and waffles, peel n’ eat shrimp, etc!
All the Jax locations, Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Glendale, and Kansas City, have a great dinner, dessert, and happy hour menu as well. They’re also known for the various events and specials they hold throughout the year, like their Mardi Gras Crawfish Boil Tuesday 28th. All of March is Oyster Month at all Jax locations and they are celebrating with weekly chef specials, contests, giveaways, pints of Emersum Oyster Stout, and culminating with the fifth annual High West Oyster Fest at Boulder Theater April 4th. And, a portion of sales at this event and from Oyster Month at CO locations—Boulder, LoDo, Fort Collins, and Glendale—will be donated to their local charitable partners. The weekly oyster features will be different at each restaurant, created by the chef de cuisine and inspired by oyster-loving cultures from across the globe. Jax will also feature an expanded mignonette and oyster menu throughout the month.
Jax is the first restaurant in Colorado certified by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program. The chefs work with sustainability-minded fishmongers from both coasts on a daily basis to ensure their seafood is of unmatched quality, flavor, and abundance.
Go crack a crab for us, or an oyster! www.jaxfishhouse.com
Circus 1903 | The Greatest Show on Earth
What a spectacular show we saw last night at Denver’s Buell Theater! “Circus 1903 – The Golden Age of Circus” thrilled us with its amazing performances, death-defying feats, extraordinary puppet elephants and comical ringleader. We were on the edge of our seats for nearly every act, along with all the kiddos in attendance. So yes, we think this is likely the greatest circus show on Earth right now!
This Broadway play isn’t exactly a play, but rather a re-creation of the vintage-era Circus, showcasing all of the hard work, diverse personalities, odd talents, glitz, danger, and showmanship that the Circus was known for in its heyday. The show pairs producers of the world’s largest magic show, “The Illusionists” with the award winning puppeteers from “War Horse”, and an incredible cast of people who are top notch performers from all four corners of the world. During the show I wasn’t sure if the ringleader was just saying these performers were from Italy, Germany, France, etc. because it would heighten the thrill, but reading the program after the show these performers are by no means pretending, not even the ringleader. They are all bona fide award-winning performers of their craft from across the globe. A few of the performers have been in Cirque du Soleil, most have been on TV, and nearly all have won numerous awards for their talents. This show and its performances are the real deal and we still can’t believe the incredible things we saw! We also can’t imagine what casting must have been like, but it’s always the best of the best to make it on Broadway and we were truly blown away.
To give you an idea of what you’ll see, and we absolutely encourage you to go see this show, is a blend of comedy, puppetry, and a slew of incredible, unique, death defying performances. The show is nonstop entertainment and had us laughing so hard we had tears at times, holding our breath and looking away for moments, and frequently clapping and shouting at the top of our lungs to show our amazement. As the ringleader reminded us, “A lifetime of dedication goes into these performances that last a few fleeting moments under the big top.” These people are literally risking their lives in front of our eyes, so the least we can do is support them in the craft they’ve pursued. From various acrobatic acts, to out of control contortionists, to aerialists, jugglers, cycling tricks, highwire acts and puppetry, you’ll see it all at “Circus 1903” except clowns, which is fine by us.
The show itself runs two hours with a 20-minute intermission to catch our breath and get some popcorn. Curtain times are 7:30pm Thursday – Sunday with 2pm weekend matinees. Family Four Packs for $99 are available in Level 2 and 3 for all evening performances with promo code SAVE. You can also save 50% on Level 2 seats with promo code CIRCUS17THX.
http://www.denvercenter.org/circus1903
Review by Tiffany Candelaria | Photos by Mark Turner Images
DCPA's Motown The Musical!
Opening night of "Motown The Musical" hosted by the DCPA at Buell Theater was a delight for people of all ages to enjoy. We know a lot of people say that, but it's true. We were seated next to two older gentlemen getting a kick out of all the references to highlights of their own lives and seeing some of their favorite tunes come to life. Behind us, a girl no older than 10 wiggled around in her seat along with the dance numbers with a smile bigger than her mother’s seated next to her. It was everything we wanted in a musical and would recommend this one to everyone. Hurry over as the show only runs through Sunday the 19th before the magical "Circus 1903" takes the stage on February 21st!
The story of Berry Gordy, creator of Motown, begins in 1938 in Detroit where Gordy feels defeated by the music industry and not getting enough credit for the hits that he is writing. His solution? Start a recording company and compete to your best ability. Gordy ends up launching the careers of Motown legends Diana Ross and the Supremes, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and many more. This musical performs all of their hits arranged alongside their stories acted out onstage.
The show not only covers Gordy’s personal life, but the rise of the young Diana Ross and a very politically charged and racially divided past, specifically through Gordy and his artists' struggles in the music industry. An essential piece to making a story come to life is the characters and the actors that play them. So trust us when we say it came to life with this cast. Allison Semmes as Diana Ross, is a dream, and the whole cast was wonderful when it came to portraying the personas of Motown hotshots on the come up. Seeing characters like Marvin Gaye and Rick James come to life through hilarious mannerisms, angelic singing voices, funky dance moves, and great costumes was a wonderful way to spend a Wednesday night.
Diana Ross’s debut in the song “Reach Out And Touch” was an interactive piece where two audience members joined Semmes (Ross) in singing the song, while the crowd was asked to hold hands and sway. Definitely the cheesiest part, but after experiencing the whole thing, we all felt like a Motown family, haha! Grooving to songs like “Do You Love Me”, “My Girl”, and “Brick House” reminded everyone in the room of not only some of our favorite songs, but also the man behind them and the struggles he endured to make “black music” into popular music. This production also reminded us, as I’m sure it did many others, that our country is in a similar state of social and political disorder, but proved there are ways to remind folks of that while also bringing them together. And that's how Motown was born!
denvercenter.org Review by Lina Skrzypczak
Winter Wine Festival | Celebrating Colorado's Other Craft
You may not think rolling fields of vineyards when you think of the Colorado landscape, but unbeknownst to most CO residents the precious grapes have been thriving here since before prohibition era. And this past Friday we paid tribute to our boozy grape enthusiast ancestors in true Two Parts fashion. From sweet rose to full and inviting red blends, the Winter Wine Festival covered all of our favorite grapes and was an eye opening introduction to Colorado's second favorite craft to harvest.
This sold-out event took place in the newly remodeled McNichol’s Building and was spread over two levels. The first hour saw a line of young and old alike waiting out to the street, but once you made it inside the festivities began as you were greeted with a glass of Molly’s Spirits Cider. From there you went upstairs and began wine tasting!
With an open mind and an empty glass, we began to make the rounds to each station. There were of course a few favorites, a few we had to skip because of their long lines, and a couple of go-to tables. #UltraTip: Grab a cup of cider before taking on the long wine lines, they were quite tasty and came with a larger pour - definitely made the wine lines less begrudging to wait in. The ciders and wines were all Colorado-based as promised and showcased the variety of flavors our state can create, from deep reds, to Rose’s, to whites of all types. In fact, one of our favorite white wines wasn’t even made with grapes, but with our famous Palisade Peaches. A sweet treat!
With all that wine you do need/want food no matter how much you already ate for dinner. Luckily there were savory snacks and sweet treats to quell our cravings and without much of a wait, if any! We noshed on breads, cheeses, meats, chocolates, doughnuts and pie while we sipped wine and listened to Fresh Noise play live.
Wine tasting is an intimate outing, normally accompanied with harrowing tales of the grapes and the winemaker's jigsawed vision of the libation. The long lines and beer festival setting made it a bit difficult to get a clear understanding of the wine or a taste of all their different grapes. But what the festival did accomplish is a broad and captivating view into the expansive wine of Colorado. We had no idea what was being grown on the outskirts of our four-cornered state. We cannot wait to school our dates this Valentine's Day with our newly garnered wine knowledge.
Cheers to Colorado! A state dedicated to transforming their inhabitant's drinking habits into bonafide hobbies!
Treat Yourself this Valentine's
Now that the Super Bowl is behind us, we can turn our/our s.o.’s attention towards Valentine’s Day! No matter your “status”, it’s a great excuse to treat yourself, and we like to do that with a night out at a new restaurant. Valentine’s is next Tuesday and many Denver restaurants are offering special dinners, menu items, or events. Here are a few on our radar that showoff the delicious diversity of the Denver dining scene. Cheers love bugs~
Ace Eat Serve is offering a luxurious prix fixe meal for two for $100 Friday, February 10 – 14th. Or if you’re looking for a more affordable, fun vibe, consider entering the weekly Tuesday ping pong tourney on Valentine’s evening, or simply gather a group to play a few rounds for fun (Ace has 11 ping pong tables). Plus, the $1 spicy Asian BBQ wings, $5 Bulleit Bourbon specials, and $20 bottles of Prosecco are the perfect pairing.
Beatrice & Woodsley, the beautiful wooded restaurant on Broadway, is throwing the ultimate Galentine’s Day dinner party for 16 guests, below the main dining room in their private wine cellar. Along with a cupid piñata filled with secret gifts and treats, bubbles and delicious food will be bountiful at this female-only, community-style dinner! For $48 per person, guests will enjoy a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception at 6:30, followed by a three-course prix fixe menu, with optional wine pairings available. Reservations are required (303) 777-3505.
11th annual Wine & Chocolate Weekend at Bonacquisti Wine Co, February 11th, 6p-9p and Feb. 12th, 1p-4p. 2016. The pairings include: Sparkling Riesling with Cashew S'more Toffee
[d] RED with Jamon Serrano and Manchego Cheese Truffle
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon with Manhattan Truffle
Sangria with Sangria Truffle
Tickets are $30 ($25 for Wine Club members). https://www.bonacquistiwine.com/collections/frontpage/products/2017-wine-chocolate-weekend
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House is celebrating Friday, Feb. 10 – Feb. 14 with Oysters & Pearls For Two, $48 Chilled Oysters on the Half Shell, Caviar Mignonette paired with 2 Glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne or Grey Goose VX Vodka. Or Chateaubriand For Two, $130 Roasted & Sliced Tenderloin, Butter Poached Lobster, Green & White Asparagus with Hollandaise, Peppercorn Sauce and Bordelaise.
Guard and Grace downtown is offering a full weekend of Valentine’s Day features February 10-14. Specials include an extravagant 45-Day Dry-Aged Ribeye with Périgord black truffles & sauce perigueux and for dessert an Aphrodite’s Sphere with macadamia pecan brownie, milk chocolate mousse, passion fruit cream, chocolate five-spice ganache, and caramel.
Infinite Monkey Theorem GALentine's Day! Ladies will receive 20% their tabs all night long 4-10pm. So grab your gals and head down for a little “Valenwine”. The following night, IMT will be holding a “Wine & Cheese Me” night, February 15th. 6:30-8:30pm. The Truffle Table will be there to host a wine and cheese pairing of 5 wines and 5 cheeses at $35/person. Reservations are required - email or call 303-736-8376 x4 to reserve your spot.
Jax Fish House in Glendale is offering a romantic prix fixe menu of sustainably-caught seafood specialties. Dinner begins at 4pm and is $65 per person for 3-courses, and an a la carte menu will be available at the bar as well. In addition, Jax will offer 25% off bottles of wine $50 or over.
Jax Fish House in LoDo is also offering a special prix fixe menu for the evening showcasing some of the finest delicacies of the land and the sea, with raw bar selections and an optional wine pairing. The 4-course dinner is $75 per person and the wine pairing is an additional $35.
La Sandia Northfield and Park Meadows Valentines Day 4-course modern Mexican dinner $32 each or ala carte option. Includes soup or salad, tuna tartar, tamales, pollo, steak, and a Mexican cheesecake or chocolate mousse to savor.
La Guera, Richard Sandoval's new gastro-cantina, is having an anti-Valentine’s Day special, with all drinks buy one get one free and $2.00 tacos.
LOLA is making date night all the more romantic this Valentine’s Day with a complimentary glass of bubbles and chef’s specials like Whole Maine Lobster Zarandeado, Lover’s Parrillada, and Mexican Chocolate Covered Strawberries (ordered in advance). Dinner reservations start at 5:00 p.m. and are not required but are strongly recommended. An abridged version of the regular menu will also be available. And the Saturday night before LOLA is hosting a Singles Salsa Mixer 9:00 -11:00 p.m. with DJ Joseph Snowhawk spinning some spicy Latin tunes for guests to get down to, cover free.
Los Chingones locations in RiNo and DTC have created a Valentine’s Day feature called Aphrodisiac Valentines Taco. It has seared swordfish, artichoke & smoked Fresno chili puree, fresh arugula salad tossed in rose water/pomegranate/honey vinaigrette, and chili-spiced pepitas for $5 each.
Mister Tuna, trendy new cocktail bar and Hawaiian-influenced restaurant by Troy Guard, is offering a 4-course prix-fixe menu for $69pp or $99pp, with beverage pairings. http://www.mistertuna.com/
Nocturne Jazz invites you to celebrate Valentine's Day in proper fashion with a special four-course tasting menu set to the music of Nat King Cole performed by the Paul Musso Trio. Tickets/Reservations required and you can choose between an early 5:30pm set or a late 8:30 pm set.
Postino Wine Café will have $5 glasses of Mercat Sparkling Rosé and Ioppa Rosé of Nebbiolo, from open ’til close (11 a.m. – 11 p.m.). Got a date? From 8 p.m. on, take advantage of the Tuesday night Board and Bottle special: a bruschetta board and bottle of wine for $20. It’s easily to fall in love with a deal that good!
Punch Bowl Social is a great escape from a dull night with darts, wall size scrabble, giant foosball table, ping pong, skee ball and bowling! Try out the featured February punch, Shot Through the Heart, made with Old Forester Bourbon, strawberry cinnamon shrub and Teakoe pear tea. Don’t forget to grab a photo in front of the famous I Love You wall.
Retrograde Speakeasy & Frozen Matter Ice Cream are a dynamic duo, scooping up sweet treats in front and crafting cocktails behind the freezer door in one dynamic space. If you haven’t heard of this place yet, it’s a great date spot and they’ve made a special batch of ice cream for February. Rose Tyler has rose water, elderflower liqueur and vanilla. And/or you can get a bottle of wine or two cocktails of choice and an ice cream sundae for $45.
Vesta has been named the “Most Romantic Restaurant” or “Best Date Night” spot in Denver year and again. This year, new Executive Chef Nicholas Kayser has cooked up a menu of sure-fire romantic dishes perfect for sealing the deal along with their special craft cocktails.
Denver Is Stronger Together: Women's March 2017
Last Saturday will forever remain one of the most powerful, uplifting and hopeful experiences in my life, as I’m sure it will for an abundance of people globally. For two weeks I’ve been trying to find the right words and to form adequate sentences, to try and piece together every positive occurrence, pertaining to the largest collective, international protest the world has ever seen. Disturbed by Donald Trump and his administration's looming agenda, on Saturday January 21st, 2017, women across the world marched, however long, however far, in however many numbers, for equality, for women’s rights, for their children’s future and for our nation’s future.
Image from: http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/01/19/womens-march-against-trump-turns-global-day-action
Sister marches in large international cities such as Madrid, London, Montreal, Sydney, Dublin, Berlin, Paris and Amsterdam all showed their support in large numbers. Even more awe-inspiring were the small, but still significant, protests that expanded over all seven continents. 15 women in Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia, marched down a local highway and with them Kenyan citizens in the capital of Nairobi, a small fishing village in Esterillos Oeste, Costa Rica, 30 people on a small expedition ship in Antarctica and my little home town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. They were all among hundreds, if not thousands of Women’s Marches around the world. They stood tall with their signs and chants, holding the hands of their children, partners and friends to send a message to the world: Our voices are strong but stronger united.
Here in Denver, I had been watching the Facebook event’s numbers grow with anticipation for weeks. I had no idea the size and attention of the protest as initially I clicked “interested” on my invite back in November. Denver’s numbers grew from 2,000 to 10,000 to Facebook’s final event numbers at almost 50,000. As we know, those numbers still don’t properly reflect the size of the attendance that day. The Denver Post is now estimating more than 100,000 women, men and children marched on our city. No wonder I couldn’t find any of my other friends!
Rebecca Shook, 60-year-old Hawaiian resident, is the powerful initiator behind this historic movement. She was, like a many other women November 8th, 2016, devastated with the election results. She called into question if women could march on Washington on Inauguration Day as she expressed her anger and frustration on a Facebook post. With the help of her friends, she created a Facebook event. Shook was unaware of how receptive people would be to her idea. Shook’s event was shared on popular intersectional feminism, LGBT, racially and religiously inclusive secret Facebook group “Pantsuit Nation.” That got the event the media attention it needed to spark the fire. 10,000 people confirmed their attendance in less than 24 hours. Over the last couple of months, the fire traveled: Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Denver and Seattle were among the largest other U.S. cities in attendance.
Denver’s crowd was lively and emphatic from Civic Center Park up 15th Street, Glenarm to 17th, 17th to Champa, Champa to 14th and back to Civic Center Park creating our 1.5 mile loop. All the while, our voices filled the streets and bellowed through the crowds, “Love not hate, makes America great!” “All four years, we’ll be here!” “This is what Democracy looks like!” “Her body, her choice! My body, my choice!” Police lining the streets appeared almost bored as the march was 100 percent non-violent. From local office windows and restaurants, messages and posters displaying love, equality and resistance were seen throughout the march route. One construction worker held a sign of “Peace” 10 stories high in an unfinished apartment complex as we all waved our appreciation in return. The amount of love and unity was astounding to say the least. Strangers complimented each other’s messages and art, friends and lovers shared hugs and kisses, and generations stood together, fighting for their family’s future.
Denver, I know a lot of us are hurting. A lot of us feel scared and deceived, powerless to the fate of ourselves and our nation. There’s still a lot we can do to increase and expand awareness, and to remain positive and proactive. Call and email your senators and representatives. Senator Cory Gardner, Senator Michael Bennett, House of Representatives members Ken Buck, Jared Polis, Ed Perlmutter, Scott Tipton, Mike Coffman, Mike Lamborn and Diana DeGette, have all of their contact info listed in the link below.
http://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/24/how-to-contact-colorado-congressional-delegates/
Contact our state legislation and let them know what issues are important to you.
http://www.cairco.org/legislation/colorado-legislators
Create, and/or sign petitions to express and voice your opinion on what you believe in. There are many petition websites currently: Change.org, Petitions.whitehouse.gov, iPetitions.com, act.credoaction.com, etc.
Join one of the many peaceful protests and events happening in our great city. Check Facebook for the latest organized petitions and gatherings. Upcoming events this week include: “STOP Colorado’s 3 Anti-Choice Bills” this Thursday February 9th. Protesters will meet to voice their disapproval of the three new anti-choice bills in the Colorado General Assembly. This Saturday protesters will join at Skyline Park to show their support for Planned Parenthood outside Senator Gardner’s office in the “Colorado Stand With Planned Parenthood” event. Saturday, February 18th is the “Defend Our Constitution March” at Civic Center Park where protesters will stand united for our rights and against hatred. Also February 18th is the “One Billion Rising Denver: 2017 March & Rally” at the Denver Pavilions. One Billion Rising is a global movement to end violence against women. Monday, February 20th is the “Rally for Justice,” where you can speak up in the fight for integrity in education.
Next month on the 25th is the “Women’s Day of Service Denver.” Volunteers can choose a daily task that contributes to the community including refugee assistance, feeding the hungry, community gardening, and helping low income women, families and youths.
The link to register is listed below.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Xp-W_HGsKNniIW5taoQ7bE13wXfF7FVosV26e3psoZk
This Earth Day, April 22nd the “March for Science - Denver,” will march for evidence-based policies for the common good of the public and to include all individuals in the education and career paths of science.
These are just a few of the organized upcoming gatherings to get involved in. Be sure to keep up with happenings in our city on your Facebook events page.
You can also donate to organizations you care about and need your support.
ACLU:
https://action.aclu.org/secure/donate-aclu
350.org:
https://act.350.org/donate/build/
The Human Rights Campaign: https://give.hrc.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1954&ea.campaign.id=51848
National Immigration Law Center:
https://nilc.z2systems.com/np/clients/nilc/donation.jsp?campaign=15&
The many speakers at Denver’s rally urged us to run for office and control from within. If you or others deem your voice powerful and have good intentions, run for your local office, be a leader in your community, start an awareness group on topics you feel strongly need to be discussed and given attention to, join or create a student organization group on campus, or just spread goodness in your community. Hold open the door for the person behind you, compliment a stranger in line at the grocery store, express your appreciation to your barista when you get your morning coffee. Help others, appreciate others, empower others, praise others. Of course a lot of us already to these things in our daily lives. As Coloradans, we’re some of the kindest, compassionate and tolerant people in the nation. Keep doing good. Goodness changes attitudes. Good attitudes generate hopefulness. Spreading love and kindness with small, daily actions is the easiest way to create empathy and to spread ripples of change in your local community. Where there is empathy and compassion, things like racism, sexism and intolerance are diminished.
Whether you were a supporter of the marches or not, you can’t deny their numbers. Women of the world have come together to not only support their sisters, but also people of different races, religions and sexualities from themselves. This unity is a powerful force and one that can awaken the world to change the course of history. We’ve shown those in power that our voices will not be silenced, we are not afraid and we will not disappear. If you were as stirred by the Women’s Marches of the world as I was, hold onto that feeling–now is the time to act. If you’ve experienced fear that your rights are in danger, or sadness or outrage at the world around you, hold onto the strength you felt at the march and do not sink back into complacency. Fellow marchers, I still stride forward with you. Saturday, January 21st I was so overjoyed with unity and hope in this community. I love you, Denver. Stay awake.
Cited Sources:
● http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/womens-march-world-cities_us_58836f38e4b096b4a231ee64
● http://fortune.com/2017/01/21/womens-march-photos/
● http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/01/21/womens-march-on-washington-antarctica/96882184/
● https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/21/world/womens-march-pictures.html?_r=0
● http://www.vox.com/identities/2017/1/21/14346500/women-march-world-photo
● http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/01/21/womens-march-on-washington-antarctica/96882184/
● http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/22/trump-inauguration-latest-womens-marches-held-around-the-world-in-solidarity-with-dc-demonstration.html
● http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/01/19/womens-march-against-trump-turns-global-day-action
A Newer Generation Of Athletes Ushered In The Latest Installment of The Winter X-Games in 2017
Another edition of the Winter X Games descended upon Aspen, Colorado this past weekend. With record crowds and an abundance of some of the best musical acts around. Aspen/Snowmass was the place to be seen and heard. This edition of the games will be known for the youth movement taking over. Hailey Langland all of 16 years old became the first woman to land a cab double cork 1080 in competition. Others such as 17 year old Marcus Kleveland landed the first-ever quadruple cork in competition on the big air course. Kelly Sildaru who last year at the age of 13 became the youngest athlete to win a Gold medal was at it again as she captured her second Gold in Women's ski Slopestyle.
Some of music's best know artist also took residency as Bassnectar, Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals, and The Chainsmokers played unforgettable sets in between competitions.
All images courtesy of Austin Voldseth (All Rights Reserved)
Winter X-Games Ready To Takeover Aspen January 26-29
Jubilant fans enjoy some of the sights and sounds during X Games in Aspen, Colorado
X Games returns to Aspen, Colorado's Buttermilk Mountain from January 26-29 for the world's best action sports, music and festival experience -- on snow! All sport competitions are free and open to the public. All musical performances will take place at the stage at Buttermilk Mountain. There will be many different type of ticketing options this year see Ticketing Information Here.
Here are some of this years storylines:
Olympics: This is an Olympic qualifying year and we’ll have more than 100 Olympians competing this year including Big Air, which will be an Olympic discipline for the first time in Pyeongchang.
Rising Stars: The Next Generation of Athletes – Up and coming competitors like Chloe Kim, Kelly Sildaru, and Marcus Kleveland are all less than 20-years-old and taking the slopes (and pipe) by storm.
Local Athletes: Torin Yater-Wallace and Alex Ferreira have pushed passed the clutter in their hometown to prove themselves in the limelight.
Siblings: Darcy and Cassie Sharpe, Mark and Craig McMorris, and Arielle and Taylor Gold have all kept it in the family – with medals all the way around.
Five Years of Music: With performers Bassnectar, The Chainsmokers, Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals, and G-Eazy, this marks the fifth year of X Games music, creating a true festival experience at Buttermilk Mountain.
New Sports: This year, X Games Aspen features the first Ski Big Air at a U.S. event, snowmobile freestyle, and a Snow Bikes, a crossover discipline featuring popular Moto athletes.
Winter Wine Festival Feb 10th
Twenty Colorado wineries will gather for the second annual Winter Wine Festival this February 10th from 6-9pm at The McNichols Civic Center Building. The Festival pairs wine tastings and gourmet bites with local vendors and great music for an approachable and delicious night. Event Company Two Parts has gathered a wide range of Colorado's best wines for the Festival so guests can try everything from big, bold reds to crisp, dry whites and all that's in between! And staff from the wineries will be available to tell you all about their vineyards, grapes, wines, and can even sell you a bottle to take home right then and there.
Tickets are on sale for $50 and includes unlimited pours, small bites, wine tote and commemorative glass. Last year’s event sold out, but this year's location at the McNichols Civic Center Building will provide more room for attendees and vendors, about 700 tickets are available this year! Ticket sales benefit the Colorado Association of Viticulture and Enology (CAVE), Colorado’s only trade non-profit that supports the wine and grape growing industry. This event is also sponsored by the Grand Junction Visitors Bureau, to support wine tourism in Colorado. It's always more rewarding to drink to a good cause, so don't miss out this year on all the great wines, bites, music and fun.
Fresh Noise, a funky, jazzy collaboration between vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Joseph Lamar and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Mikey Smith will be performing during the festival. The local restaurants and vendors will be announced as the event gets closer. The Colorado wine scene is growing and this event is a great way to sample everything that Colorado has to offer and grow your own repertoire on the fancy grape drink. Cheers~
Allis Ranch Winery
Augustina's Winery
Avanti Winery
Balistreri Vineyards
Bijou Creek Winery
Black Arts Cellars
Black Forest Meadery
Bookcliff Vineyards
Byerscellars Wines
C Squared Ciders
Carlson Vineyards
Catriona Cellars
Climb Hard Cider
Colorado Cellars/Rocky Mountain Vineyards
Colorado Cider Company
Cottonwood Cellars/The Olathe Winery
Creekside Cellars
DeBeque Canyon Winery
Decadent Saint Winery
La Güera | High End Eats Meet Low Prices
You probably know by now the Ultra5280 staff loves tacos and that we also love delicious but affordable food. While there are many great places in Denver for tasty tacos, mile high nachos, and cheesy quesadillas, there aren’t as many that serve it in style and at a great price.
This Mexican beauty is internationally known chef-restaurant owner Richard Sandoval’s newest culinary venue, La Güera. It’s styled as a casual gastro-cantina with an order up counter by day, perfect for short lunch breaks, but transforms come 5pm into a more swanky, sit down, full-service restaurant. However, no matter the time from 11am-11pm the affordable, a la carte menu remains. The prices get even better between 3-7pm Monday through Friday during Happy Hour though, when you can get the quesadillas, nachos, tacos, margaritas, beers and wine for a fine $4!
Starters at La Güera include Crispy Bacon Guacamole and Tortilla Soup, which we had to try. The bacon guacamole is fully loaded with bacon crumbles, onion, pico de gallo, cilantro and cotija cheese, to the point where every one of those ingredients are in each scoop you take. The Tortilla Soup was thick, flavorful and not spicy, which really surprised us that it didn’t have cream added. Instead it was all just hearty, healthy chilies! Taking the soup to the next level is shredded chicken, avocado chunks, crema fresca and tiny tortilla strips. This soup is a must get, and for $3 I seriously don’t know where you could find a better soup, at this size, at this price. Really, I’ve been on a soup hunt since our first dusting of snow.
Antojitos are the main courses here and display the inventive cuisine for which Sandoval has become famous, yet in the form of favorites you crave when heading to a Mexican restaurant. You’ll find Carne Asada Sopes, Chicken Flautas, Enchiladas, Nachos and seven types of tacos. We tried the veggie taco with roasted peppers, guacamole, and smoky seasoned pumpkin seeds. It was a delicious dish with winter warming flavors. The chicken enchilada was also good, but not drenched in a red or green sauce like you usually see. Instead it had pickled chilies and a light dollop of sour cream, cheese and salsa on top. The chicken flautas were also tasty and topped with chopped romaine and pico de gallo that added some healthy freshness to chicken wrapped in a deep fried shell. We also thought it important to try one of the less traditional Mexican dishes on the menu, perhaps a Sandoval original, the Tlayudas. This was described as a Mexican pizza, and while it comes close in appearance it’s very different in taste. Instead of dough it has a crispy, thin corn base then bean puree is spread on and topped with Oaxaca cheese, pico, salsa, and avocado. You can also add on spicy shrimp, chapulines, or chorizo. Sandoval displays his creative talent yet again with this Mexican pizza.
While at first glance the menu may seem small, that’s really just the size of the paper fooling you. The menu covers all the bases and leaves room for the sweet stuff with a couple of homemade desserts and Aguas frescas, Café, cocktails, craft beers, wine and more than 200 tequilas! And if all this isn’t reason enough to go, the interior ambiance of the place is really inviting, comfortable and fun. Inspired by the streets of Mexico, La Güera features hand painted murals from local artists, Mexican blankets on the booths, and other thoughtful touches. All of these qualities were important to Sandoval in creating La Güera as a place people could come to relax and transport themselves away from their busy days, whether it just be for quick lunch or for a leisurely dinner or drinks with friends. We definitely recommend you go try La Güera, as it offers many great eats one would find at a refined Mexican restaurant with ambiance to match, but with prices you’d expect at a hole in the wall. Viva los tacos!
http://www.richardsandoval.com/laguera/
Tiffany Candelaria
DCPA's "A Christmas Carol" | A Classic for All Ages
The holiday season is here, the time of year where we celebrate with friends and family, drink champagne and eggnog, and see the city covered in twinkly lights! There are so many delightful things about the holidays, which for some include listening to Christmas music, watching holiday movies, or seeing “The Nutcracker” or “A Christmas Carol” performed for the twentieth time. In fact, this is the 24th season for Charles Dickens’ famous story “A Christmas Carol” at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) Theater Company, that was first published December of 1843. It has managed to really stand the test of time thanks to the Theater Company’s diligent work and because the story’s themes still ring true to both children and adults today.
Over the years the DCPA production has gone through many changes, some big like venue spaces, sets, and script, and many small changes to keep the audience interested and entertained, and they do a great job (watch out for that trap door!). This year marks a couple of noteworthy changes with a new director, Melissa Anderson and a new main actor as Scrooge. Sam Gregory now plays Scrooge after having played six other roles in this production and is 26 years younger than the past years’ Scrooge. This younger Scrooge brings new life into the character and the story’s message can live longer through Scrooge now that he is younger when he learns his lessons. However, despite age, Gregory says, “We want to focus on the fact that this is a really incredible play about redemption and how anyone can be redeemed and can change at any age into a better human being.”
Gregory does a great job in his new role portraying the grumpy, greedy businessman and then slowly shows the audience signs his cold heart is melting as the Ghosts of Christmases past take Scrooge moment by moment through events of his life. By the time the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge his likely future, Scrooge/Gregory has displayed a whole array of emotions on stage. By Christmas morning (spoiler alert) Scrooge is a changed man and he sets out to change the lives of his fellow townspeople for the better as well! Gregory is a dynamic actor who, alongside a fantastic cast of characters dressed in exquisitely crafted classic costumes, makes this show a worthy tradition of Christmases past and Christmases yet to come.
“A Christmas Carol” plays through December 24th at the DCPA’s Stage Theater with multiple show times and is great for all ages. There are a few startling parts, and ghosts, so if you’re bringing young children I don’t recommend sitting too close to the stage. . . you’ll see!
By Charles Dickens. Adapted by Richard Hellesen. Music by David de Berry. Directed by Melissa Anderson. Runs approximately 2 hours, plus a 15 min intermission.
https://www.denvercenter.org/shows/specific-series/Get?Id=de96942d-2f07-401c-8622-ad726f693b4f
Reviewed by Tiffany Candelaria
"SantaLand Diaries" | A Snarky Holiday Show
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) has a whole slew of shows lined up over the holidays, from Christmas favorites we've known since childhood to very nontraditional shows, and stories you have to see to believe! This December's performances include "A Christmas Carol", "An Act of God", "Finding Neverland", "Hedwig and the Angry Itch", "Rudolf" and "SantaLand Diaries".
"SantaLand Diaries" is one performance that is difficult to categorize. While the story itself revolves completely around the Christmas holiday, it doesn't quite fit into the cheery and warm Christmas themes because of it's nontraditional, super snarky, offbeat and angsty tone. And that's exactly how the story's main character Crumpet the Elf feels during his time working in SantaLand. The story is based on a job satirical writer David Sedaris took on one winter in a desperate attempt to make some extra money over the holidays.
This is a one man show is played by Michael Bouchard, who has received multiple honors for his acting here in Denver, and chronicles Sedaris' season as a Macy's Elf in all of it's cringe worthy, agonizing, hilarious glory. He goes from a respectable looking man in the opening scene to a humiliated Elf in fluffy polyester from head to toe, that must go through interviews, tests and training just to get the un-glamorous position. Once elf-ed, his roles vary between getting everyone from families to unexpecting foreigners into line to see Santa, guiding guests along and keeping them entertained once in line, acting as right hand man to Santa filling him in on the child's name about to enter, that half the time Santa is too old to hear correctly, and cleaning up messes and the frequent vomit that happens with kids' excitement or fear that overcomes them when they finally meet Mr. Santa man himself.
Audience members get a good glimpse of how the Holidays can drive people to do crazy things and the capitalism surrounding it all. In the end though, Crumpet learns some valuable lessons about people, life, love and all that warm, fuzzy Christmas stuff this show leaves out until the very last scene. And that's what makes it an awesome alternative to the typical Holiday stories.
Off-Center Theatre Company
The Jones Theatre
1101 13th St.
Denver, CO 80204
(303) 893-4000
www.denvercenter.org