Twenty Tastiest Events on Denver's Culinary Calendar, August 8-12

This week you can cool off on National Frozen Custard Day or with a free sundae on Natural Grocers' birthday, hit a culinary grand slam during Ballpark Plates, or rub elbows with a few Certified Master Chefs. And those are just a few of the tasty events on our culinary calendar; keep reading for all the details. 

Monday, August 8 

In honor of National Frozen Custard Day, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers will sell $1 single-scoop cake cones and dishes of its chocolate and vanilla frozen custard. Fifty cents of every $1 single scoop sold will be donated to charity, and you can vote for which charity you'd like your money to go to: Kids in Need Foundation or Playworks. Click here for more information. 

Frasca Food and Wine will explore Italian wines with guest Neal Rosenthal at this week's Monday Night Wine Dinner. The evening is $50 per person for four courses, not including optional wine pairings. For reservations and more information, call Frasca at 303-442-6966.

Tuesday, August 9 

Golden Beer Talks will feature wildlife biologist and photographer Cristi Painter discussing "Thunder Basin National Grassland—A Visual Tour." The gathering is free and starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Windy Saddle in Golden; find out more on the Golden Beer Talks Facebook page.

History Buffs and Brews uncaps the history behind Colorado's brewing scene at History Colorado Center every Tuesday, when Great Divide Brewing Company and the Rendezvous Cafe offer $3 beer specials, tasty appetizers and a full bar, as well as the opportunity to engage with Colorado history and the museum’s collection. Buffs and Brews runs from 4 to 7 p.m.; head to historycolorado.org for more information. 

The Coohills Beats on the Creek summer concert series continues from 6:30 to 9 p.m. today with a performance by Under a Blood Red Sky. The music is free; a portion of the proceeds from food and beverage sales will go to the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado. Check out the complete summer lineup at coohills.com. 

Ototo is holding a six-course sake-pairing dinner at 6 p.m. today. The evening will kick off with a twenty-minute sake seminar with specialists discussing sake basics and how to pair sake with food. Tickets are $100; find yours here. 

Take a swing at Ballpark Plates from 5 to 8:30 p.m. today. For $40, you can explore the great bars, restaurants and shops of the Ballpark neighborhood by sampling food and beverages at participating locations. Register at either The Lobby or ViewHouse between 5 and 6:30 p.m., then head out to visit over two dozen neighborhood businesses. You can purchase tickets and find more information here; all proceeds go toward Ballpark Neighborhood improvement projects. 

Civic Center Eats is still rolling out food from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in Civic Center Park through early October. Get your food truck fix today.  

Keep reading for more events on the culinary calendar.


Wednesday, August 10 

Euclid Hall will be celebrating its sixth birthday with six days of $6 specials, which start today. You can choose from three Euclid Hall favorite menu items offered at $6 each for the six days, and there will be special $6 beer tappings to keep your whistle wet. Call Euclid Hall at 303-595-4255, for more information. 

The Steamboat Wine Festival brings five days of wine tastings, seminars, wine dinners and more to the mountain town today through Sunday, August 14. Tickets for individual events range from $65 to $230; to buy them and see a complete schedule, go to steamboatwinefestival.com.

Firenze a Tavalo at Parisi hosts a Montalcino wine dinner with Mario Scanu at 6:30 p.m. Find out more here.

 Thursday, August 11 

In celebration of the company's 61st anniversary, Natural Grocers will attempt to wiggle its way into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people hula-hooping at multiple venues simultaneously. The world-record attempt will take place at 4:45 p.m. today at all 122 of the Natural Grocers stores; it will be streamed live on Facebook. Dress in your best '50s attire, grab your hula hoop and head to your nearest Natural Grocers, where you can also enjoy a free 1950s style ice cream social featuring dairy and non-dairy sundaes and root beer floats from 4 to 6 p.m. There will also be giveaways, sales, samplings and more. Check out naturalgrocers.com for more information. 

Sink your teeth into the fourth annual Taste of Highlands from 6 to 9 p.m. today.  The event will feature food from neighborhood restaurants, live music and a beverage garden. Tickets for the taste are $30 in advance, $40 at the gate and $50 for VIP; pick yours up at tasteofhighlands.com. A portion of all proceeds will go to Project Angel Heart. 

Culturehaus is throwing a tiki-themed Polynesian Picnic at Backyard on Blake from 6 to 9 p.m. today. There will be food from Taste of the Philippines, tiki cocktails, surf-rock DJs and talks from some of the makers of Backyard on Blake. Tickets are $35 for non-members and $25 for members; grab yours and learn more here.

Food Truckin' will bring food, drinks and music to the Seniors' Resource Center,  3227 Chase Street, from 4 to 8 p.m. today, all for a good cause. Hazel Miller will provide the tunes, and there will be a variety of food trucks to choose from. Tickets are $35 for adults, $25 for children twelve and under; get yours here. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Seniors' Resource Center, which provides seniors with the services and assistance they need to remain living at home. 

Palm Denver is holding a Jackson Family wine tasting at 5 :30 p.m. today. For $30, you will get wine and appetizers; for reservations and more information, call the restaurant at 303-825-7526.  


Friday, August 12

The recently resurrected Tivoli Brewing Company will be celebrating its first anniversary with a festival of music and beer from 5 to 10 p.m. today. The party will feature live music, burgers, brats and beer from a dozen breweries. Admission to the event is free, but for $25 you can purchase a tasting glass that will get you unlimited samples from all the breweries. For more information, visit tivolibrewingco.com.  

The Posner Center for International Development will host Cooks for Books at 5:30 p.m. today. For $35, you get an interactive Cambodian cooking class and three-course dinner, as well as beer and wine. Purchase tickets and learn more here; all of the proceeds will support Children's Future. 

More than half of the country’s 68 Certified Master Chefs will be in Denver today, where they will team up with local chefs and farmers to cook up a masterful spread of Colorado cuisine. The event will take place at the Governor’s Residence starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased here. 

Vail will once again celebrate its local harvest with a Farm to Table dinner featuring top local chefs and farmers. The dinner, which is $95 per person, will run from 6 to 8 p.m. on West Meadow Drive in Vail Village. Get tickets and all the details at vailfarmersmarket.com. 

For more Food & Drink events, go to our online calendar. If you know of an event that should be included in that calendar, send information to [email protected].