It's Holiday Flea season!
Image c/o Denver Flea
It's thaaaaaaat tiiiiime of yeaar when the egg nog flows, the downtown ice rink arrives, & we're all scurrying either toward or far, far away from the city's holiday cheer. Whether you're decorating by the 1st of November or donning earmuffs to not have listen to another Christmas carol, I assure you attending Denver's Holiday Flea this weekend will ease you in the perfect mood to kick off the last month of 2017.
Returning to Broadway's Sports Castle, the Holiday Flea brings the party-- boasting crafted wares from almost 200 hundred Colorado makers and offering signature cocktails from some of Denver's loveliest bars and restaurants, you're sure to start your holiday shopping spree in style. Grab a pint of Great Divide's Yeti, or a coupe of Headlocks & Apologies and join us this Friday night from 6 to 9 as dance our way through the kick off party-- an exclusively 21+ preview night filled to the brim with brews, booze, and grooves.
The Holiday Flea runs Saturday from 10AM to 6PM and Sunday from 10AM to 5PM. Oh, and if you happen to need a morning pick me, they've got ya covered with Kahlua & Corvus Coffee, or a slew of offerings from their breakfast bar. You can find tickets for the Friday night festivities here, and admission to the weekend shenanigans, here.
Marcella's Ristorante | Italian Favorites & Our New Favorite Happy Hour
Outside & Inside
Italian cafe and restaurant, Marcella’s Ristorante, Pizzeria and Wine Bar, recently opened on Central St. in LoHi. Just by the looks of the beautiful façade and the extremely inviting, comfortable yet upscale interior, we knew this place would be a worthy addition in the distinguished Highlands restaurant scene.
Marcella’s was named after a house manager and chef at a villa in Tuscany, Italy, that founder Cameron Mitchell visited with his family. Cameron is an Ohio-based restaurateur who also runs two Marcella’s in Ohio as well as Ocean Prime on Larimer Square. Their Executive Chef Jacob Glowacki worked at several Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and also relocated to the Denver venue to head up Marcella’s here.
Braised Veal Meatball
The menu features dishes such as a braised veal meatball with tomato sauce, wood-fired pizzas, pastas, chicken entrees, and Italian desserts. Their drink menu is just as expansive with a selection of 50 Italian wines served by the bottle, half bottle or glass, sangria, draft beers, and over a handful of interesting, Italian-geared cocktails with house-made liquors and syrups. What we were most impressed by was that such an upscale, lovely place offered such an incredible Happy Hour every Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm! All the drinks are half off, meaning all the beer is only $3 and fancy cocktails $5.50! For Happy Hour food, the entire menu is half off minus the entrees, so salads, cured meats, cheeses, antipasti, appetizers, and even pizzas (gluten-free available) are half priced!
From Left: Milan Manhattan, Grapefruit Basil Fizz, Italian Rye
We sampled so many of these Happy Hour dishes that by the end it was clear Marcella’s definitely has one of the best bang-for-your-buck and largest Happy Hour selections in Denver. Our favorites were Grappa Cured Salmon, Braised Veal Meatball (they are known for this one), Melted Pecorino with crostini, apple and truffle honey, their Sweet Sausage with roasted peppers and cheese, and of course the Pizzas. We sampled the Crispy Potato Pizza which was a flavor overload in a good way, and the lighter, more mild Pesto Shrimp.
Crispy Potato Pizza top, Pesto Shrimp bottom
After all of this Happy Hour goodness we really didn’t need anymore food, especially as we already had full to-go boxes, but we forged ahead and tried their Gnocchi Bolognese and Spaghetti alla Carbonara. The Carbonara is made of only a few basic ingredients but was overly saturated with oil or butter, the Gnocchi was great however, hearty, flavorful and melted in our mouths. Other entrées we didn’t try but want to include a daily risotto, chicken marsala, linguine & clams, and the Chianti braised beef short rib.
Tiramisu and Chocolate Almond Cake
For dessert we were treated to a traditional Tiramisu, a moist Chocolate Almond Cake, and their flaky Cherry Crustada that has a hint of almond and vanilla gelato on top. All three were delicious and met different flavor palettes, but the Cherry Crustada was our favorite.
We recommend you make your way to Marcella's someday soon to fully indulge in all their Happy Hour has to offer - it's worth skipping out of work early for or fighting that 5 o' clock traffic! https://marcellasrestaurant.com/locations-menus/marcellas-denver/
Words by Tiffany Candelaria Photos by Samantha Bliss
The Story On The New Breckenridge Brewery Artist Series Snowboard
For those of you living under a rock, every year the snowboard and ski season arrives in Denver with the traditional Opening Day Party put on by our good friends at Breckenridge Brewery and every year they pick an artist to design the snowboard for that year. Never Summer Industries in conjunction with Breck Brew giveaway a bunch of these boards all across town at bars and liquor stores. We were fortunate enough to chat with the designers of this years board and how the partnership and inspiration came to be. Check out our interview with Hari &Deepti below.
U5280: How long have you been doing this type of art?
H&D: We started experimenting with paper cut in 2010, so we have been practicing this art form for about 7 years now.
U5280: Where did the idea for the medium come from and what influences are they associated with?
H&D: Our idea for this medium came by chance. We had signed up to participate for a charity event and had to donate a piece of of our art and we did not realize that the deadline was the next day so we got hold of whatever we had at our disposal - some paper & watercolors and came up with a colored diorama. Later Hari being a graphic designer wanted to work with minimal color and decided to work with white paper and Deepti had this idea of adding lights to it. We tried it out and the result was beyond words. Subconsciously we do derive from the art that surrounds us especially growing up in India. India has a rich culture of hand made arts and one of them is Tholpaavakoothu which is a form of shadow puppetry similar to Wayang Kulit from Bali. We interweaved these influences with our love for nature, and the wilderness in Colorado along with our passion for story telling. We feel our life in Colorado, being around the mountains has had a big effect on our work. We continue to get inspired by the places we travel and try to tell a story of exploration, living among magnificent giants and the nature.
U5280: It seems that the origin for using paper as a primary medium comes from areas of Japan and China and even Mexico and other latin countries, why is it more popular in those regions than say here in the United States?
H&D: We are not sure if we can throw more light on this. But we do feel in Japan, it is culturally been a very important part of their life. Right from the washi paper screens to the temple lamps, paper is always the main element and there is a respect to the process and the medium. Similarly other cultures have been working with paper for a long time, and there is definitely an increased interest in paper. Especially in this day and age when information is easily accessible, it is really easy for people to connect with artists and art forms. We get a lot of inquiries from teachers & students regarding our artform and we are really happy to see students interact and interpret this artform in their way and to suit their narratives.
We feel in this fast paced digital word paper is tactile and if forces you to be patient. It is relatively accessible and cost effective in terms of raw material. So maybe thats why there is a lot more interest in paper arts.
U5280: How did the Breck Brew project come to fruition?
H&D: Ryan Workman from Breckenridge had seen our work and had written to us few years back that he would like us to be a part of the Breck Brew project. So in late 2016 we heard back from him saying he was still interested and we jumped on this opportunity. It was a great way giving back to the community and Colorado which has been an integral part of our art journey. The project was an amazing experience, we had a great team at Breck, who gave us a free range in what we wanted to create and the outcome is the result of that collaboration.
U5280: You have been commisioned from everything like bookcovers to window installations and now a snowboard. What is the craziest idea you have ever been approached to work on?
H&D: We think the craziest project we have done is remotely designing an installation for Pure Leaf which was displayed in multiple cities. We got our friends at Wigwam Creative to collaborate with us and we digitally designed the artwork in India which was then laser cut in the Denver and then assembled via facetime/live camera. The final assembly took place in Connecticut and then the artwork travelled multiple cities within six months.
U5280: Living in Denver the idea from the Breck Brew project has a lot of nods to our amazing landscape, seeing as how your work translates into stories how would you describe (in a story) the idea for the snowboard.
H&D: Colorado has a huge impact on our work and we wanted to capture the spirit of Colorado and the mountain life. This artwork captures a snapshot of when you are hiking /snowboarding and you take a moment to look at the majestic mountains overlooking the lakes with pristine reflections and star filled skies, and this was just an attempt to capture that feeling which every person in Colorado can relate to.
Denver's First-Ever Sneaker Bar | Sneekeazy
Calling all cocktail enthusiasts and sneakerheads, Denver’s first cocktail lounge paired with specialty sneaker store, Sneekeazy, is now open. Located above Element Kitchen & Cocktail in an expansive second floor loft, the Sneekeazy offers a combined boutique and bar experience where you can sip on expertly crafted cocktails, shop the world’s most coveted shoes and enjoy a unique take on Denver’s downtown nightlife scene.
Sneekeazy showcases Jordans, Yeezys and rare footwear and in addition will utilize its network of collectors to track down one-of-a-kind pieces for the public. The store also boasts a “SneakerSom” who serves as the resident sneaker expert and will offer cobbler services and specialized custom footwear. Once you’re done shopping, continue to a saloon-style lounge offering specialty cocktails, small bites, and live music and DJs every night. The cocktails are complimented with a lofty lounge atmosphere, complete with free-to-play pool tables, shuffleboard and classic arcade games! Enjoy the lounge areas and cozy up with comfortable living room furniture to retreat for a little privacy and intimate conversation. The small bites menu was created by celebrity Chef John Tesar and is available until 1 a.m., satisfying late-night cravings and featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients. Each dish is priced at $10.
“We’re really excited to bring a fresh and exciting concept with another late-night option to Denver’s nightlife scene,” says Element Hospitality’s Jon Spadafora. “The speakeasy is much larger than typical hidden bars and boasts several different lounges. We’re also featuring Colorado beer and spirits, as well as a rooftop deck offering views of both the state capitol and downtown skyline.”
Catering towards the late-night crowd, Sneekeazy will be open Wednesday - Saturday from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m., with DJs starting every night at 8 p.m. The space also features art from local Denver creatives that will rotate through on a regular basis. Upcoming happenings include custom designed sneaker giveaways by local tattoo artists, acoustic nights on with local musicians, and more.
Immerse Yourself in Theater & A Wild Party
“You’re invited to leave your inhibitions (and Prohibitions) behind for a decadent 360° party in the Roaring Twenties. Indulge your inner flapper as you mingle with an unruly mix of vaudevillians, playboys, divas, and ingénues in a Manhattan apartment lost in time.” From the creators of last year’s immersive, experiential theater performance that we also covered, “Sweet & Lucky” the DCPA’s new Off-Center show “The Wild Party” is a similar experience but different. Confused? That’s good – the creators and two-time True West Award-winning Director Amanda Berg Wilson, want the audience to be surprised, it makes for a more exciting experience. Read on if you would like to know a little bit more of what to expect.
The audience begins the experience all together in a main room and is free to mingle about, have a seat, and buy drinks. Then the show begins with a fun musical act and the performers weave through the audience dancing, singing, and chatting with the crowd. They playfully ask groups of us to follow them into another room until the entire audience has been transported to the other side. Unlike “Sweet & Lucky” where the different groups of audience members are separated and experience different scenes in different rooms, all of the audience members of “The Wild Party” end up in one room together to watch one big show play out all around them.
The First Act is one big party, full of fun, flappers, booze and tunes, accompanied by a seven-piece band! You really feel like you’re at the party with the scenery (and almost everyone in attendance dressed up), the music, and the actors interact with the audience, teaching us to dance for example. We saw people of all ages around us, from 21 to 70’s, dressed up and having a fun night out. “Our goal with each audience member is that they are going to experience a kind of release that you only have when you have had a really wild night," Director Wilson said.
Debauchery turns disastrous in the Second Act as the party’s guest’s gin sets in. The plot thickens dramatically as the actors’ songs and actions reveal their feelings bubbling under the surface and themes such as race, gender, and religion are brought to the forefront. Accompanying this we hear adult language, see uncomfortable situations, nudity and violence. The mood gets real serious towards the end and almost makes us loose our buzz too, even after we all just had a complimentary shot of gin. The show’s tagline is, “When the night is over…No matter what happens…Blame it on the gin.” We came away with many different interpretations of the true moral of the story and left wishing the best parts of the party weren’t over.
The Wild Party is a musical by Michael John LaChiusa and a book by him and George C. Wolfe. The story is based on the 1928 Joseph Moncure March narrative poem of the same name. The show features all local actors, and runs most nights October 11 - 31, 2017 at The Hangar at Stanley Marketplace. Tickets for Sat, Oct 28 and Tue, Oct 31 include a post-show party with a costume contest, music, and dancing!
Immerse yourself in a sinful good time; hurry tickets are almost sold out.
https://www.wildpartydenver.com/get-tickets/
By Tiffany Candelaria
Westword Delivered a Fabulous Feast (on the cheap!)
Denver dining has evolved over the past twenty years — and so has Westword's celebration of the remarkable culinary scene we have here in Denver. Over the years the names and venues for this culinary food and booze frenzy have changed and this year’s newly named, Feast, was a success! Held Sunday 15th at the McNichols Building in Civic Park, the event offered guests a spectrum of dishes from over forty favorite restaurants selected by Westword food writers and readers. There were also plenty of boozy beverages from 90+ Cellar, Tito's Vodka, Silvercoin & Exotico Tequila, Stranahan's Whiskey, Stella Artois and many others.
This event did not leave its guests thirsty or sober, and definitely provided plenty of food! We were actually very impressed by how much food each restaurant provided, because with many of these events they tend to gradually close down as they run out of samples. This event stayed strong to the very end and even saw some of the restaurants and local brand booths giving away handfuls of samples to happy guests! We walked away with a bunch of cupcakes from Milk & Cake and jerky from Duke’s, along with a whole bagful of coupons and swag we’d acquired.
What made this event one of the best food & booze events we’ve been to all year was the fact that general admission tickets were only $25 and really did get you as much as you could eat and drink. You left super full and happy because you weren’t wasting your time standing in long lines or being told they’ve ran out! Guests could truly try everything in the three-hour, or four-hour if you had a VIP ticket, time frame and even enjoy their food while sitting at a table outside. Another factor was the event was spread among three levels of the McNichols building so people weren’t cramped and stayed moving and exploring. It was a much more enjoyable and relaxing experience than most of the food festivals we’ve been to in our tenure.
Our best bites range from BBQ, to salad, to tacos and sweets; here are the top eight greats: Pig Out Smokehouse pulled pork & coleslaw, Roaming Buffalo’s pork belly burnt ends & coleslaw, Good Trip’s super smooth coffee, Taste of Thailand’s Northern Thai Garden Salad, Brider’s rotisserie Lamb Leg with couscous, Frijoles Colorado’s plantain with roasted pork, beans and rice, Chuey Fu’s tacos, and La Fillette with a huge selection of French pastries.
We really hope Westword Feast can repeat this success again next year with its winning combination of great food/restaurants, adequate amounts and variety of food and booze, an enjoyable environment, and affordable (cheap even), ticket prices!
Written by Tiffany Candelaria Photos by Jared Cody
Denver Food + Wine Festival 2017 Recap
Photo credit Nick Adorni at Grand Tasting
The six-day celebration of fine wine, food, and spirits known as Denver Food + Wine Festival features an array of events ranging from dinners, discussions and demos, and pajama brunch parties! DF+WF is co-sponsored by the Colorado Restaurant Association and Southern Wine and Spirits and is the only food and wine festival of which all proceeds directly benefit charities. This year’s charities are Colorado ProStart, operated by the Colorado Restaurant Foundation, The Denver Post Community Foundation, and Metropolitan State University of Denver.
DF+WF returned last weekend for it’s thirteenth consecutive year featuring over 40 top Colorado restaurants and more than 700 wines and spirits from the region’s most lauded wine professionals at the Grand Tasting. It is completely worth the $125 ticket price if only the event were a bit longer. It’s impossible to try and sample even half of the wines, let alone the spirits and fun cocktails scattered throughout.
And on top of trying all that, there’s the amazing food! We really enjoyed the large variety of food this year – from hearty BBQ, sliders & bratwurst to light tuna poke, shrimp and fruit, to sweet pastries. There was something for everyone, as it should be, and hundreds of perfect drink pairings. After getting a new food dish we ended up just asking for whatever wine would best compliment the dish at the wine booth closest to us. It was a great method and made the day absolutely delicious! We also loved that everyone received a Riedel wine glass to use and keep (they’re the best), but wish they gave out the food & wine carrier trays like in previous years. Overall, the Grand Tasting is a really fun event and offers the largest, most diverse selection of wine than any other festival or tasting in the Denver area.
Two nights before the Grand Tasting, instead of the night before like last year which was tough on the body, celebrity bartenders from the Colorado Bartenders Guild competed for Denver’s “best cocktail” at the ShakeDown. Along with cocktails, wine and Fuji water were available and a handful of restaurants were competing alongside the bartenders for “best bite”. Live music enhanced the event with a special acoustic set from Dragondeer, which we enjoyed.
Andreas Pejov's cocktail
The cocktails were sample-sized, but they were unlimited until they ran out, and we definitely drank the three-hours worth of samples! Attendees also received a "best cocktail" token to turn in to the bartender who’s drink you decided was your favorite and they would give you a full size pour! It was a tough call for us between about three of the cocktails and two of our favorites ended up receiving the award:
“Fake Rolex” by Andreas Pejov of Oak at Fourteenth in Boulder & “The Sophomore” by Shawn Williams of Bar Dough in Highlands.
Shawn Williams' cocktail
After a very fun and boozy few days, the DF+WF culminated in their Rise + Dine brunch party at Stanley Market. This event was the least impressive for us as the brunch food was not substantial or varied enough. There were just a couple restaurants giving hardy samples, like mini burritos and empanadas, but again they were just samples and they ran out. The other places just had little pastry dishes or tiny morsels of a dish. And the “world’s largest Bloody Mary bar” definitely fell short of the expectations they advertised. Not only were there not that many toppings, most of them were carb and cheese based. The good points of the brunch party included patio games, a fun Boomerang-style photo booth, plenty of tables and chairs, and bottomless mimosas that we can happily report never ran out!
Cheers to another year at Denver Food + Wine Festival!
Rise + Dine
~ Tiffany Candelaria
Denver Food + Wine Festival Returns with Even More to Explore!
Denver Food + Wine Festival (DF+WF) returns next week for its thirteenth consecutive year September 5-10! This event has gradually expanded from one attracting epicureans and oenophiles into a multi-day extravaganza attracting all types of foodies and wine and spirit drinkers. The Grand Tasting event not only has a huge selection of wines and eats, but also has entertainment, themed lounge areas,cocktails, sake, even beer, I hear. It is a really fun event and is offers the largest, most diverse selection of wine than any other festival or tasting in the Denver area. In addition the the Grand Tasting, there are various other DF+WF events that week to explore with varying price points.
To kick the week off the Dinner Under the Stars event, Sept. 6, celebrates the best that Denver’s culinary and beverage scene has to offer with a unique alfresco pairing dinners on the Coohills pedestrian bridge. This curated, six-course meal features a wine pairing with each course, hand-selected by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits’ Master Sommeliers. Each course is prepared by a lauded Denver chef, representing some of the hottest restaurants in the Mile High City. The menu can be found on the website.
On Thursday 7, local celebrity bartenders from the Colorado Bartenders Guild will compete for Denver’s “best cocktail” at the ShakeDown. Guests are invited to mingle from 6:30-9:30 while trying as many food bites and cocktails as possible and voting for their favorites of each! Live music from a special acoustic Dragondeer set, featuring members of Dragondeer, will accompany the evening’s festivities. This was a boozy blast last year, but come prepared to drink or you may miss out on the best cocktail!
On Friday 8, join Riedel and the DF+WF for an educational and entertaining program that will change how each guest enjoys wine. In a unique wine glass tasting, Riedel ambassador Doug Reed will demonstrate the relationship between the shape of a glass and the taster’s perception and enjoyment of various varietals. After the seminar, guests can take home a four-glass Riedel kit, valued at $120, containing one glass for each varietal explored in the seminar.
DF+WF’s Grand Tasting takes place outdoors on Saturday 9 and unites the region’s culinary leaders, award winning chefs, mixologists and wine professionals, for a day of exploring and celebrating Colorado’s food and beverage traditions. The all-inclusive layout allows guests to explore creations from more than 40 top restaurants, and more than 700 different pours from wine and spirit professionals. In addition, the 5280 Home VIP Lounge, will pair specialty wines selected by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Master Sommeliers with 12 upscale restaurants for an exclusive experience. Celebrity, award-winning chefs will offer demonstrations on the Wolf Specialty Appliance Culinary Stage and guests can participate in a silent auction.
And to wrap up this incredible week of DF+WF is a fun brunch festival featuring what will be the world’s largest Bloody Mary bar, with over 65 toppings! Rise + Dine will also feature delicious breakfast bites, bottomless mimosas, and encourage guests to wear their pajamas if they’d like!
http://www.denverfoodandwine.com/
Tacolandia's Top Tacos And More
One of the many tasty tacos at Tacolandia. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
Tacolandia put on by Westword was a fiesta to say the least. The festival celebrated authentic street tacos by offering unlimited samples from over 40 taquerias and Mexican restaurants around Denver. Guests also enjoyed live entertainment, a car show, cash bars and great people watching in the heart of Civic Center Park.
Taco pimps slanging their warm tortillas with morsels of heaven. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
A VIP ticket gave you early access to the festival grounds, which was worth it, depending on how fast you can eat tacos. A full hour of early entry without the lines caused us to go into a taco-eating frenzy, followed by a taco coma. The coma timing was just right, coinciding with GA entry at 4pm, whence we made our way over to the VIP section to relax at a nice table in the shade, with drinks of course. VIP tickets included 2 cocktail or sangria drinks and a Bud Light, which pays for itself at most events where beers and cocktails are $7+, which was the case at Tacolandia. The VIP ticket holders were also treated to Lola Costal Mexican based in the Highlands. They had three tacos to choose from, including one of the only fish tacos we saw at the event, a "sustainably sourced red fish". After picking your tacos you moved to a toppings table with different salsas, a Serrano creama, kimchee vegetables, hot carrots, onions and cilantro. And last, they provided two aguas frescas, one a cherry base and one with a medley of melons. Those were delicious and so very vital on a hot day full of hot tacos!
Los Chingones with our favorite taco of the day. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
One of the non-traditional tacos featured Octopus. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
So let’s talk top tacos, because we all want to know where to eat bomb tacos in Denver. El Tejado was notable, as not only did they give you three tacos, but they were so tasty! They also had a very homey, welcoming feel, which translated in everything we tasted there. Los Chingones served up one of the best looking tacos, with a colorful veggie slaw, pineapple and cilantro atop seasoned short rib. This taco was one I wanted to eat over and over again, but literally couldn’t because we had to try as many tacos as possible. Garibaldi's had a red chorizo taco that was so simple (there were no toppings, maybe they ran out) yet so delicious. Whatever they season their chorizo with and soak it in made it very flavorful, juicy/greasy(?) and so red that the juices stained our hands! Chuey Fu's food truck was onsite with four different taco options: roasted corn & black bean, char shu pork, Korean beef & the ancho chicken taco with peanut sesame sauce that was one of our favorites. Our final favorite was not a taco at all, but a shrimp ceviche from Suerte. Simple, fresh, and traditional. Overall, there were only a couple veggie tacos, a couple seafood items, we found a lamb taco, but mostly it was beef and pork varieties with onions and cilantro as the popular topping.
Overall the event was a success, as we heard from random attendees that it was an easy decision to purchase GA tickets to the event and that they had in fact eaten enough tacos to make the price a bargain. Despite most lines becoming enormous once general admission was let in and vendors running out before close, we still heard happy remarks for the most part.
Aside from tacos, there were vendors sampling some tasty treats. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
Tacos and Classic Cars = A match made in heaven. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
Plus, in addition to tasty tacos, the GA sections also offered refreshing treats and drinks from Jarritos, Neveria Jadeney, Little Man Ice Cream and Aiko Pops. There was also live music, dance performers and the Tacolandia Car Show presented by the Saints & Sinners Car Club and seating options throughout so people could relax, eat, dance, etc.
We’ll be back, and we suggest you come VIP with us!
New PALEO Cafe Will Please the Whole Family
Its no surprise the Denver food scene is becoming more and more health conscious as we are such a fit, foodie, on-trend city. As Denver expands so too do the amazing variety of dining options and new to the scene is Just BE Kitchen in the Confluence Park/LoHi neighborhood. Just BE Kitchen is pretty unique however for a few reasons.
The main standout is that everything on the menu is PALEO, which means no gluten, grains of any kind, or refined sugars! They’ve also designed the place to inspire presence and mindful eating with calm colors and quotes hung on the walls. Everything on the menu is healthy and delicious, offering salads, burgers, hashes and sweet treats like cookies, muffins and “milk” shakes! The other main difference is their hours are 7am – 3pm daily and feels more like a café with their order-up counter, coffee offerings and cozy/cute interior.
Given those hours the menu at Just Be is a bit breakfast-centric with many egg and (coconut milk) yogurt dishes, but also offers a few salads, a cheeseburger, green chili and a … Meatzza! The Meatzza is their paleo take on a pizza with a pasture-raised, grass-fed pork sausage patty taking the place of normal dough crust. A sugar-free, house-made tomato sauce and a bacon pineapple jam are spread on the base. To top, they fry fresh kale in tallow and sprinkle nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. I hear it is every bit as indulgent as it sounds!
We went for breakfast and of course tried as much as we could. We started with the Chia coconut yogurt topped with a great grainless granola and berries that tasted light and creamy with the only sugar coming from the berries. Then we had a lovely seasonal salad called Enchanted with arugula, pickled onion, roasted beets, their granola and almond feta. This was really tasty with all the ingredients perfectly coated by the almond feta and vinaigrette.
For our main dishes we ordered their burrito and the seasonal veggie hash. Both were delightful and filling without leaving us weighed down or bloated. The burrito’s tortilla was very much like a regular flour tortilla, except better because it’s free of grains, refined sugars and dairy! It was soft and doughy but dense enough to keep the hearty fillings wrapped inside (even after a night in my fridge it stayed put together and as good as when it was served). The shredded sweet potatoes in both dishes were so flavorful and sweetened up the basic eggs in the burrito, along with the savory, juicy sausage inside. Add a side of their pork green chili and it was the tastiest healthy burrito I’ve eaten! The veggie hash was beautiful, seemed much healthier, was full of flavorful and texture, making it an amazing meal for a vegetarian. We topped ours with a poached egg shown at top.
In addition to their menu being gluten-free, so many of their dishes are easily made vegetarian, making it a really wonderful place for friends or couples with different dietary needs to eat together. Their manager explains, “Our goal is to cater to many different food sensitivities with a very modular menu.” There’s even a yummy kids’ menu priced at only $6. For drinks you’ve got bullet coffees and lattes, espresso, fresh juice, Kombucha, and natural sodas. There’s even a “bone broth bar” with 48-hour broth that comes with a handful of toppings to choose from. This place is seriously a unique gem in the Denver dining scene and we hope you find the time to treat yourself to something satisfyingly delicious and nutritious!
Sunday Funday @ Punch Bowl Social
While Punch Bowl Social, the giant bar, game venue, diner, lounge, whatever you know it as, is nothing new, it’s food and beverage menu is always changing. If you have yet to go, you really should as it offers so much in every category: food, drinks, games, fun. This large, two-story venue greets guests with a diner-style restaurant, then a 360 degree bar area and bowling lanes, then a back room featuring a “holiday lodge” lounge, two more bowling lanes, and a long line of bocce ball, shuffle board, foosball and corn hole. Upstairs you’ll find vintage arcade games, private karaoke rooms, pool and ping pong tables, another bar and mixed seating. PBS is a destination where you can spend the whole day and offers food and fun for every mood.
We went for a super Sunday Funday to sample the new Brunch menu and Bloody Mary bar and play some games. Brunch is served Saturday & Sunday until 3 p.m. most of the menu is made in-house, including drinks, desserts and condiments. The brunch menu offers a variety of fresh juice creations, an amazing build your own Bloody Mary bar we were blown away by, and a host of other breakfast drinks and concoctions. PBS is continually changing their menu to reflect the seasons, the trends, and the talents of their chefs. This summer brings a renewed brunch menu that launched July 15th showcasing culinary partner and celebrity chef Hugh Acheson’s Southern spirit.
Hugh Acheson's fresh approach has earned him a great deal of recognition including Food & Wine’s Best New Chef, the Atlanta Journal Constitution Restaurant of the Year, a six-time James Beard nomination for Best Chef Southeast (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) and the James Beard award in 2012. He has been both a contestant and a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef and now he’s leading the helm of Punch Bowl Social’s culinary creations.
We ordered the Hash Brown Skillet, the Mushroom Biscuits 'N' Gravy, and asked to put their OMFG gluten free fried chicken atop their malted waffle. Our chicken & waffle mash up was delicious with strawberries, crispy basil and this thick chipotle pecan maple syrup (not pictured) that made this dish really delicious. We could eat that thick jam-like syrup on anything. The chicken was close to being as crispy as a flour-fried chicken and juicy on the inside with good flavor. The dish overall was good, but the sauce enhanced it for sure, and ordering it on the side is a smart way to get the right amount with each bite.
The Hash Brown Skillet had layers of hash browns, Tasso Ham, onions, shiitake mushrooms, cheddar cheese and eggs. It was good but didn’t pack the flavor punch we were expecting, some of their special hot sauce helped put some punch in though! The Mushroom Biscuits 'N' Gravy were the standout, looking as good as they lasted. PBS makes a good biscuit in general, and then this dish adds a great gravy, beautiful eggs, perfectly cooked potatoes and a bright side of avocado. Bang for your buck and palette right here!
PBS has locations scattered across the U.S including Portland, Austin, Cleveland and Detroit with another CO location in the works for Stapleton. “at PBS we believe in a ‘dirty modern’ mash up of chandeliers, ‘Gangster’s Paradise,’ food for foodies, PBR tallboys, and craft beverages. We believe in brunch turning into a bowling party and bowling parties turning into all-you-can-sing karaoke. We believe in exploring evenings filled with shuffleboard and made-from-scratch chicken and waffles.”
Go explore Punch Bowl Social for yourself, open everyday with daily happy hour and late night food and fun.
http://www.punchbowlsocial.com/location/denver
The Best Images From Day One Of Comic Con San Diego
Our good friend and cosplay extraordinaire photographer Jason Pendleton is coming to us live all weekend from San Diego from Comic Con. One of the most respected photographers in the game Jason will be chiming in all weekend with the best images from each day.
Slow Food Nations Recap!
Taste Marketplace
Colorado’s first ever taste of the Slow Food Nations took over Larimer Square last weekend with a plethora of events, interactive workshops, tastings, educational talks, and many exhibitors, companies, and producers of foods from around the nation and globe. The Taste Marketplace at Larimer Square was the main focal point with over 100 exhibitors of good, clean, fair food, and was free and open to the public Saturday morning through Sunday evening. Various renowned chefs, leaders in the Slow Food Movement and in sustainability, curated dinners, and hands on workshops made this event truly unique and marked Denver as increasingly relevant in terms of a foodie city that values various cultures, sustainability and accessibility.
Taste Marketplace
The event drew people from all over the state, as well as from different parts of the globe as their involvement with the Slow Food Movement encouraged their members to attend either as guests or as participants. The movement is focused on peoples’ access to grow and share good, clean and fair food throughout the world.
CO-Made Block Party
To kick off Slow Food Nations, they held an all-inclusive Colorado-Made Block Party on Larimer Square to celebrate Colorado farmers, ranchers, producers and chefs. Unfortunately, we were disappointed by their poor start to the festival as it was the low point of the weekend and hopefully didn’t discourage people from attending the other offerings or the Taste Marketplace that took place over the next two days. There was a line by 6p.m. and when you entered at 6:30 you were struck with the thought, “is this it?!” Yep, not even an entire street block was designated for the CO-Made Block Party and only about 4 tents, with two restaurants each made up the event. There was certainly no demonstrations or hardly even conversations between the chefs/restaurants and guests as the lines were so outrageous and the chefs were busy trying to keep up.
CO-Made Block Party
It was shocking almost and I heard nothing but complaints from the other guests, even the restaurants participating were upset because they were told to provide bites for 250 and ended up running out or having to serve even smaller bites in order to last the two hours. I feel bad for the 250 people squeezed in that little square who shelled out $70 to experience a “taste of Colorado” and only got about 10 bites if they showed up when it opened and waited in every line. For a two hour event on Larimer Square and touted as the kickoff party to the Slow Food Nations Festival, we all had much higher hopes, but instead were left squeezing through crowds, waiting in lines, and needing to buy dinner after.
Luckily the Big Bad Breakfast on Sunday was a much better experience. It featured Southern dishes from John Currence, a James Beard Award winner and Top Chef Masters contestant, along with notable chefs from select Southern cities. The ten or so booths served up a wide variety of tasty, hearty Southern cuisine.
Big Bad Breakfast
CO-Made Block Party
This event was also held in the same small square as Friday’s Party, and cost $70, yet there were far fewer lines and seemly less people. One big factor I can attribute to this was every place served a full size portion, not just a few bites, and the dishes themselves were hearty and took time to eat. This meant people would get a dish or two and then sit down to eat and socialize for a while. It also helped that there were plenty of Bloody Mary’s ready to take from the team at Snooze & The Real Dill, they even had servers walking around with trays-full! The event finally provided cups next to the water jugs today and had jugs of tea too, which was a life saver as it was a hot morning full of spicy food and Tabasco products!
The free Taste Marketplace at Larimer Square was also really enjoyable and offered a really great selection of booths with products from around the US. It was designed much like a farmers market, where you have all your great food and health products with the growers/makers right there to talk with you about their items. However, unlike the local farmers markets we regularly frequent, every vendor was new! There were about 20 different cheese makers from around the US, various honey and chocolate booths from around the world, healthy snack companies, lots of charcuterie, coffee, lotions, and even crickets! Turns out kids are much more willing to try a cricket than the adults.
Everything in the marketplace was available to sample and to purchase and there were lots of great eats. Slow Food Italy, Mexico, and Turtle Island were featured in international pavilions on Larimer Square itself and offered full meals to purchase and information. We were surprised how easily two and a half hours passed in the Taste Marketplace and were happy the main event was a success for Slow Food Nations Fest! I heard rumors it will be back again if you missed it!
https://slowfoodnations.org/
Review & Photos by Tiffany Candelaria
Big Bad Breakfast
Big Bad Breakfast
Slow Food Nations Festival | Coming to CO for the First Time
Have you heard, Denver is gearing up for Slow Food Nations, a unique food festival coming to Colorado for the first time! Their movement focuses on peoples’ access to grow and share good, clean and fair food throughout the world. The weekend will combine the energy of a street food festival, the rigor of an academic conference, and the inspiration of a cultural exchange allowing guests to pick and choose their experience. Enjoy dozens of interactive workshops, delicious tastings, local tours, educational talks, and many meals and parties around town. Slow Food Nations connects farmers and families, leaders and eaters to share our stories and shape the future of food. The main festival is free and open to the public, with select-ticketed workshops, talks, dinners and tastings.
The free festivities include an array of culinary demonstrations, guest appearances, tastings, and other entertainment. The Taste Marketplace at Larimer Square will feature international pavilions, local producers, and a variety of concessions. Slow Food Italy, Mexico, and Turtle Island will be featured in international pavilions and over 100 exhibitors of good, clean, fair food will be featured in the Taste Marketplace to tell their stories and let you sample and buy their delicious products. The exhibitor space will be open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 15th and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 16th. Also ongoing, The Food Underground, is a series of discussions, workshops, talks and panels located in the gallery rooms in the basement of Union Station. These free talks will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, focusing on topics like food justice and access, agricultural policy, the science and history of food, sustainable seafood, and more. Outside you’ll find The Denver Union Station Farmers Market on the plaza from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday featuring over 40 local Colorado producers and live music.
To kick off Slow Food Nations Friday night, they’ll be throwing an all-inclusive Colorado-Made Block Party on Larimer Square to celebrate Colorado farmers, ranchers, producers and chefs. Featuring Colorado food through demonstrations and tastings and drinks at the Colorado-Made bar showcasing the best spirits, beer and wine Colorado has to offer. Tickets are $69
Saturday, July 15, Chef Sheila Lucero from Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar will host an Oyster 101 Workshop with celebrated Baja Chef Drew Deckman as well as Chef Renee Erickson from Seattle. As part of Slow Food Nations’ educational curriculum, guests at this special event will get to learn about oysters from 3 different regions—Baja, the Pacific Northwest, and Virginia—and taste a signature dish from each chef, showcasing the unique qualities of each oyster. “We are so excited for Slow Food Nations,” Chef Lucero, “some of the country’s most talented, informed, and influential chefs and purveyors are coming to our city to share ideas and celebrate our country’s incredible culinary traditions.” Tickets $40
If you’re still craving more on Sunday, you should get tickets to Big Bad Breakfast Block Party with John Currence, James Beard Award winner and Top Chef Masters contestant. John gathers his big bad friends to cook up the ultimate southern brunch and Bloody Mary bar. Recipes from his best-selling book, Big Bad Breakfast, will be highlighted in this all-inclusive brunch party 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tickets $69
Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization, founded in 1989 to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, counteract the rise of fast life and combat people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat and how it affects the world around us. Since its beginnings, Slow Food has grown into a global movement involving millions of people in over 160 countries working to ensure everyone has access to good, clean and fair food.
There are so many amazing events, demonstrations and tastings to choose from it can be hard to coordinate them all, so the site provides some curated sample schedules to help you find the best events to match your interests: https://slowfoodnations.org/sample-schedules/
Free Taste Marketplace: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 15th & 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 16th.
https://slowfoodnations.org/
Denver Comic Con Continues To Grow | Review and Photos
Wonder Woman cosplay was a big hit this year. Photo by Jason Pendleton
Mike Colter and Finn Jones. Photo by Jason Pendleton
Another year, another Denver Comic Con in the books. The three day festival took over the Colorado Convention Center this past weekend much to the delight of over thousands of eager fans. The con which continues to grow year after year had it's usual exhibitors, vendors, celebrity guests, and fans dressed in their finest cosplay. Highlights included the celebrity kids of the hit show Stranger Things. Millie Bobby Brown (see below) had a separate panel from her costars Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McGlaughlin. Other notable panels included Jon Heder and Micheal Rosenbaum, as well as Nathan Fillion and the cast of Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones). Most of the panels were well attended during all three days. Kids had a chance to participate in many of the on-site activations (labs) ranging from Lego building to drawing, after all the con was setup from its initial beginning to promote and support Pop Culture Classroom.
The setup at this years con was a bit confusing to many of the attendees as evident across many message boards and those in attendance. In the past years the front of the convention center (Blue Bear) lobby has always been open to those attending. It made for a great meet up spot and easy navigation to the main hall. This year due to booking another event the main area was closed off and attendees had to walk around the building in order to enter. Aside from that the convention went off without a flaw. Exhibitors and artist from all over the country setup shop in the main hall slanging everything from one of a kind art to Superman t-shirts to posters. Our good friends at Breckenridge Brewery once again had their traditional beer on hand with plenty of pint glasses this year to go around. The after party scene got things started off Friday night with Planet Cosplay at Summit Music Hall, Breck Brew had their hand in two parties both Friday (at The Paramount) and Saturday (at The Hard Rock Cafe). Kudos to the amazing staff and hundreds of volunteers that make this event happen each year. Always one of our favorite events to cover we hope to continue to see the con grow in the future.
-Robert Castro
Photo by Robert Castro
Photo by Jason Pendleton
Photo by Jason Pendleton
Photos courtesy of Jason Pendleton contributing photographer to Ultra5280 and Robert Castro Editor-in-Chief. All images are reserved do not use without permission.
Denver Comic Con Set To Invade Denver This Weekend: We have All The Info You Need
It's that time of year once again, Denver Comic Con is ready to take over The Mile High City. The 3-day, family-friendly pop culture fan extravaganza, featuring the best in pop culture entertainment is set to embark at the Colorado Convention Center June 30-July 2. DCC is a program of the Colorado nonprofit Pop Culture Classroom, whose mission is to inspire a love of learning, to increase literacy, celebrate diversity and build community through pop culture education.
The proceeds from this annual event benefit Pop Culture Classroom’s overall education endeavors.
This will be our fourth year covering this amazing event and like every year we are looking forward to some amazing panels, cosplay, speakers, celebrities and more.
Highlights for this year would have to include some members of the hit show Stranger Things. Set to appear are Millie Bobby Brown (Saturday 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM), Caleb McGalughlin (Friday 1:30 PM, Saturday 5:30 PM, Sunday 11:15 AM) and Gaten Matarazzo (Friday 1:00 PM, Saturday 6:00 PM, Sunday 11:45 PM)
If you have never been to Denver Comic Con (or any Comic Con for that matter), let us break it down for you. The main area consists of vendors shelling out everything from comic books to one of a kind hard to find toys, to anything you can plaster a superhero on. With that being said, be ready to spend some serious coin. The other part of Comic Con is Celebrity Summit, this is where you get to meet and get items signed by the guests of the con. Past guests have included everybody from the cast of The Karate Kid to Mr. Stan Lee himself. This year we look forward to meeting last minute surprise guest John Cusak.
Panels give guests an opportunity to hear casts talk about certain aspects of thier specific shows and other notable topics in thier respected industries. Check out the Events Guide Here.
Another part of Comic Con is the participation by our friends at Breckenridge Brewery and their "Official Beer" of the con. Every year they hold a contest to name the beer and put together a limited pint glass for the event. This years winning entry was "I Am Brewt", a take on the successful Guardians of The Galaxy franchise. We had a chance earlier this year to head out to the brewery to take some amazing photos of the characters in cosplay brewing the beer.
This may all seem a little overwhelming but remember you have three days to get all of this in. Pace yourself, schedule your panels accordingly, bring a camera for some amazing cosplay costumes and last but not least make sure you make it out to one of the amazing after parties and grab yourself a beer to celebrate.
2017 Denver People’s Fair Sat 6/3 & Sun 6/4 Civic Center Park
Since its inception in 1972, the People’s Fair has been a staple of Denver arts and culture as the largest community-based festival in Colorado! People’s Fair features an eclectic mix of national and local entertainment, live music, nearly 100 artists and hundreds of local food and craft vendors. A long-running Denver tradition, the 46-year-old event will open its doors in celebration of the local community and the creative instincts that have inspired the city for nearly a half a century.
With musical performances by Guster, Night Riots, and Jeremy Garrett’s Fiddle Science - a supergroup featuring members of Leftover Salmon and The Infamous Stringdusters, and other great bands Gipsy Moon, P O P F I L T E R, Kayla Marque Band, Gasoline Lollipops, and SkyLaw. There will also be over 30 other performances including bands, artists, drag shows and creative community entertainers. Visit https://peoplesfair.com/schedule/ for the full scheduled lineup!
Aside from music, there is a strong focus on community engagement and interactive programming, so the People’s Fair will offer events like free morning yoga hosted by Kindness Yoga and Art In The Park where attendees can enjoy an Infinite Monkey Theorem beverage and art instruction as they create their own painting. There will be countless lawn games, local community dance and theater groups, local food trucks, and a chance to get to know some of the most innovative upcoming local businesses.
This year’s People’s Fair sets the stage for a massive cultural showcase event that is uniquely Denver. The Denver People’s Fair is free to the public, however VIP tickets are on sale now for $20 that includes premium stage viewing, a shaded VIP lounge, two free drinks, a VIP bar, and separate VIP entrance all weekend. Proceeds go to benefit the Capital Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN). More info on the event can be found at www.peoplesfair.com
Brider | Fine Food, Casual Setting
Executive Chef Steven Redzikowski is known for his restaurants OAK at Fourteenth and Acorn, which regularly appear on the list of best restaurants in Denver/CO. He now leads Brider, a casual rotisserie and seasonal market concept on Platte Street that doesn’t require reservations or a special occasion to fine dine. “Our new restaurant Brider is about delivering a more casual environment, but still delivering what our guests at Acorn and Oak expect from us,” says GM Jason Isch. Brider’s passionate team delivers a level of quality and craftsmanship that is unmatched in casual dining, promising only made-from-scratch, ingredient-driven offerings prepared with the utmost care and attention. “At Brider, we'll be sourcing the same great products but simplifying them, that also makes them easy to package for take-out, which has been popular here” explains Isch
Brider offers breakfast, lunch and dinner menus focusing on a selection of composed, rotisserie-centric dishes straight from Brider’s state-of-the-art Rotisol oven along with seasonal soups, salads, and sandwiches. We ordered the OAK meatball sandwich and the rotisserie porchetta dinner plate with a side of sweet potato tots. The OAK meatball was delicious and very hearty making it worth the $12. The meatballs were seasoned and juicy, surrounded by melted provolone, pesto and fresh marinara. Overall it was one of the best meatball sandwiches we’ve eaten.
The rotisserie porchetta dinner was wonderful as well, very succulent with an herb-laden, crunchy crust. The dinner plates offer a selection of “styles” for your dish, which gives the diner different flavors and sides to choose from. We chose the lemon and chili wilted kale “style” which was a delicious accompaniment of greens with zest. Speaking of zest, Brider even makes their own dips and hot sauces which we tried a few of. There was a cilantro jalapeno aioli that came with our order of tots that was an elevated alternative to the normal ketchup or ranch dressing and an amazing hot sauce they compare to Chalula, but is much better. It has really prominent smoked/roasted chili flavors, a mild to moderate amount of heat and the right amount of thickness so it wasn’t as runny or vinegar laden as some popular hot sauces. We loved it and apparently so do many other patrons as Brider has decided to bottle and sell it!
The drink menu, led by Beverage Director Bryan Dayton is just as impressive, with as much attention to ingredients and craftsmanship going into their lineup of beer, cocktails, coffee and wine on tap. “It’s Brian’s thing, being a former ‘Bartender of the Year’, to come up with a selection of craft cocktails and homemade drinks, which then led to doing everything in house, from sodas to coffee syrups,” explained GM Jason Isch. “He’s also gotten the staff involved in the fun by teaching them all how to make homemade Kombucha and letting them get creative with flavors that change regularly.” The taps also change, with 6 for beer and 4 for wine, and the other 8 are cocktails, Boxcar Roasters nitro-tap coffee, and house made ginger beer and root beer. We ordered the root beer and it tasted like the old-fashioned, less-sugary version of todays typical can and their Chai Latte, which we were surprised to learn (we hadn’t caught on yet apparently), they also make themselves! The Chai was robust but the right blend of sweet and spicy, and would be a great complement to one of their homemade pastries.
We were told their Fritter was actually an award winner and a must try. We of course did try and fell in love with the flaky, sugar coated, treat that was somewhat reminiscent of a funnel cake but with more flavor. Their lemon meringue cake and coconut cream pie was also featured that day and they were too delicious not to finish. As you walk into Brider you are presented with their beautiful array of desserts and specials for the day. It makes it really hard to pass up on the desserts and we recommend you take one to go.
Our dining experience was just how GM Isch described it: laid back, top-quality, delicious and easy. We were very impressed with all of the flavors, homemade drinks and desserts, attention to detail, diverse menu options, and price point. They even have free parking and fun music! We will be back~
Open daily 8:00am - 9:00pm - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Carryout.Happy hour specials 3-6 p.m. featuring $3.50 beers, $1 off all drinks, and $2 pizza slices. http://www.denverbrider.com/
Dazzle Jazz Re-opens in Former Baur's
The new space will feature three unique stages: The Main Stage (to be completed July 2017) will be suited for well-established acts requiring a larger seating capacity. The original Baur’s Stage will continue to be used for acts in an intimate setting while the Gallery Stage will feature music accentuated by unique works from some of Colorado’s finest visual artists. Patrons of the new location will be offered a new menu created by Dazzle’s team of culinary artists led by Chef/Owner Mario Godoy and Chefs Benjamin Erickson and Daron Edgar.
Tuesday, May 23 - Thursday, May 25th Dazzle Jazz is giving its patrons a chance to peek into their much-anticipated re-opening at the historic Baur’s Lounge on 15th and Curtis. Dazzle will embrace the community that it loves, dedicating its first productions to non-profit organizations with missions centered on music education and programming. “We have dedicated our new home to artists and the community that loves and nourishes them," says Owner Donald Rossa.
May 23, 6pm-8pm: Jam Session hosted by Paul Romaine benefiting Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts. 9pm-11pm Jam Session hosted by Todd Reid, Dan Schwindt, and Jean-Luc Davis benefiting the scholarship program for the University of Colorado - Denver's Music & Entertainment Industry Studies.
May 24 Celebrating World Music benefiting the Music Appreciation Society (MAS).
6pm-7pm Purnell Steen & LeJazz Machine. 7pm-9pm Tanner Harris. 10pm-Late “Pain and Art” Wes Watkins Ensemble.
May 25 KUVO Jazz 89.3 Benefit – A Dynamic Evening Featuring Three Unique Sets of Music. 5:45pm-6:45pm Ritmo Jazz Latino. 7pm-8pm Tyler Gilmore’s Candy Shop Ensemble. 8pm-10pm Ritmo Jazz Latino again.
Tickets range from $10 - $30, the later performances being the lower price, and most include a food tasting and premier seating.
"Everyone is invited to listen, taste and feel."
The Secret Garden - Now Playing!
The classic story The Secret Garden, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett in 1911 still finds itself being told to audiences today. Our Denver Center for the Performing Arts has adapted the novel into an all-ages theater musical at the Stage Theater downtown. The show has two Acts totaling 28 original songs by Marsha Norman, composed by Lucy Simon and directed by Brooklyn-based Jenn Thompson who has worked all over the US.
The story follows a child named Mary who is sent to live with her uncle after the death of her parents. She is sent to a big, solitary mansion on the Moors of England where she finds herself in a creepy, old estate left to her Uncle Archibald who lives in a state of grief and fear. Mary slowly learns the stories of the people both living there and deceased and uncovers all kinds of secrets. But when she uncovers the key to her late aunt’s long-lost garden, she becomes determined to turn things around for everyone by reviving the beauty that once flourished. Surrounded by spirits of the past, she uses the magic of hope to help the world around her grow once again.
The cast of 22, orchestra and a stage crew of about 30 people make all the magic happen on and off stage such as smooth backdrop and scene changes, lighting and fog effects, and overall flow and presentation so the story comes to life. The vocal acrobatics and the abnormal amount of contrapuntal pieces in this musical made it a full-sensory experience. The plot line was well developed and the characters, half of who were deceased spirits guiding the living, created a complexity for the adult audience. Most of the play was more adult in tone and plot in our opinion, especially as it was set in a haunted mansion and dealt frequently with death, hardship and loss on multiple levels. Alas, all is not lost and the characters and garden find renewed life.
The show runs approximately 2 hours 10 minutes with one 15-minute intermission. Ticket prices vary by date and availability, and there are both matinee and evening performances on the weekends through May 28th.
https://www.denvercenter.org/shows/specific-series/Get?Id=4652359c-77e8-4812-9917-4b5dd5f9ffcf
Words by Tiffany Candelaria
