Foodie Event: The Big Eat

Tickets are on sale now for The Big Eat, a Denver foodie event featuring signaure fare from 50 local restaurants.

While this is the 6th year of The Big Eat, it will be my first time!

Join me! Tickets are $25.

Get your tickets here: The Big Eat tickets.

Playoff Pizza Party

Every year - 22 and counting - my mom throws a Superbowl pizza party featuring 8-10 gourmet pizzas emerging from the oven every 20 minutes or so as we watch the game. Pizzas are sliced in small pieces so we can try all the varieties.

This year, our team - the Broncos, of course - are in the playoffs after unlikely odds. Naturally, this called for a shifting of the party to a Broncos playoff party!

{Eat} Small Business Saturday

Happy "Small Business Saturday"! People across the nation are supporting small businesses today. I plan to support the cause by eating at a local, independent restaurant. Restaurants are small businesses too. And my purchase will be in the form of yummy food!

Eat local, shop local.

Need a bigger helping?:
Small Business Saturday

{Extra Special} Chefs Brunch

Last weekend, I was in foodie heaven with 4 Chefs cooking a special brunch for my friends and me.

For those who missed it, let me recap how this came to be ... In June, Dan and I attended Taste of the Nation – a foodie fundraiser benefiting Share Our Strength. That night, we bid on and won a brunch with local Chefs – cooked in our home!

For brunch, we feasted on the tasty dishes from:

Matt Selby, Vesta Dipping Grill & Steuben's - Pork Breakfast Sausage with Peppers. The sausage was superior to any tasted before. Being a sausage connoisseur, Dan noted just how very tender this homemade sausage was. We waited for the appropriate amount of time after Matt's departure before battling for the leftovers.

Paul C. Reilly, Encore on Colfax - Potato, Leek and Manchego Gratin. The potatoes were creamy, rich and had a nice crunch on top to finish off the bite. To think of this as merely potatoes au gratin summons up pictures of a homemade variety that falls boorishly short of the depth of flavor from this savory and delicious dish. And being one who enjoys crunchy food - you know I devoured my serving!

Beau Simmons, Jonesy's EatBar - Omelets Bar made to the likings of the eater. I ordered the special - a Lamb Shoulder, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Omelet. Even though I am not normally a big lamb fan, this was a perfect time to give it a go. And it was great. The sharpness of the blue cheese combined with the sweetness of the onions and richness from the lamb came together to create one perfectly flavorful and indulgent bite.

Keegan Gerhard, Dbar Desserts - Malted Vanilla Waffle with Bananas Foster, Nutella and Cinnamon Ice Cream. This dessert was all the things you dream of from a dessert - creamy, sweet, a bit of crunch and one that made you want to lick the plate. Having learned a few table manners myself, I opted to wait until the Chefs left before doing so. And that cinnamon ice cream - oh, how I loved thee.

We enjoyed all this while sipping on Blueberry Pomegranate Mimosas and Apple Mimosas. Pure genius! Especially the Apple Mimosa. Such a simple and fresh twist to the traditional mimosa. I am not sure I will ever serve an orange juice mimosa again.

Special thanks to Mom for opening her home for our special brunch. And an even bigger thank you to the Chefs and Leigh from Jonseys who generously donated their time for a good cause. It was pure joy to chat it up with you as you shared your culinary creations with us.

Need a bigger helping?:
Vesta Dipping Grill & Steuben's
Encore on Colfax
Jonesy's EatBar
Dbar Desserts

A Saucy Affair

Last night, I rubbed shoulders with the foodie community at A Saucy Affair – a foodie fundraiser benefiting the 9Health Fair. We circled the room, sampling bites from various restaurants to the smoky tunes of Hazel Miller singing in the background.

During this sauce battle, patrons cast votes for their favorite sauces. The overall dish certainly contributes to votes cast as well. Participants included: Cru Wine Bar, CY Steak, Gourmet Kitchen Catering, Espresso Affair, Helliemae's Salt Caramels, Loews Denver Hotel, Mezcal, Rialto Cafe, Texas de Brazil , The Avenue Grill , The Denver Cupcake Truck, The Lobby, Wynkoop Brewing Company and Zink.

The focus of this particular foodie event is perfect for me because I do love my sauces. I’m pretty into overly sauced food. Dry food is boring. And well, it’s dry. Each year, food trends seem to emerge and set the tone of the evening – last year, duck was the popular ingredient (see post) and the year before that, it was all about BBQ sandwiches.

This year seemed to have more of a range in the culinary creations – although a few restaurants featured chimichurri sauces. And while it is always a fun evening, many of sauces this year were mind in flavor compared to those of previous years. But, that is not to say I didn’t have favorites. My personal palate pleasers were Texas de Brazil, Wynkoop, Gourmet Kitchen and Helliemae’s Salt Caramels.

Speaking of Helliemae, the unnamed winner and recipient of my voting chip was Helliemae’s Salt Caramels for their Salted Caramel Banana Pudding. As for the ‘official’ winners, the Judge’s Choice pick was The Lobby for their Short Rib with Poblano Sauce. My commentary upon winner announcement: The judges panel is comprised of Denver personalities rather than foodies. The patrons did better in casting their votes as is usually the case. The People’s Choice winner went to Texas De Brazil for their Flank Steak and Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Chimichurri Sauce.

Farwell, sauce battle. See you again next year.

Exciting News!

Have you been waiting to hear about my big news from the Best night ever? Well, wait no more… I am excited to reveal that I've got a foodie’s dream coming my way!

In June, Dan and I attended Taste of the Nation – a foodie fundraiser benefiting Share Our Strength. That night, we bid on and won a brunch with local chefs – cooked in our home! Insert image of me with a huge smile on my face, buzzing excitement and the embarrassing moves from my happy food dance.

This fabulous brunch courtesy of the culinary talents of:
Matt Selby, Vesta Dipping Grill
Paul C. Reilly, Encore on Colfax
Beau Simmons, Jonesy's EatBar
Keegan Gerhard, Dbar Desserts


Yes, Keegan is going to be cooking in my home! Well, actually my mom’s home because my kitchen is far too small for the talents of these 4 chefs. I need to start practicing my pretending-not-to-be-star-struck face. Yep, that’s me.

*Thanks to my family who had “reserved” a day without any information about the festivities I had planned. And an even bigger thank you to Dan for being my biggest supporter and co-conspirator.

Amuse-bouche (aka teaser update)

In June, I posted about one of the greatest nights in my foodie life - a fundraiser event for Share Our strength. In that post, I also included a little teaser promising to later reveal something else about that evening. See Best night ever, the report… and Best night ever!

Since then, I’ve heard much speculation about the happenings of said teaser. Some food related and some entirely unrelated to food. So, I thought I’d offer an update … an amuse-bouche, if you will.

It is most definitely food-related and is officially scheduled for October 15th.

I’ve returned…

Hello! It’s good to be safely home. I have lots to share with you from my trip to Africa! I’ll need a bit more time to sort through my thoughts and photos from the trip.

But, I wanted to let you know about an upcoming event…

A Saucy Affair is a foodie fundraiser and if you missed it last year, here's your chance to support a good cause AND sample small plates with inspired sauces.

Who: You and all your friends!
Where: Infinity Park Event Center, Glendale, CO
What: Good eats while helping to support an organization with the mission to "promote health awareness and encourage individuals to assume responsibility for their own health".
When: Thursday, September 22nd; 6-9 pm

Click on the links below for more information and to purchase tickets. Let me know when you get tickets - I'll look forward to seeing you there!

Need a bigger helping?:
A Saucy Affair

Get your tickets here.

Best night ever, the report …

Taste of the Nation – fundraiser for Share Our Strength – has been rated the best food event in Denver. That’s a pretty strong statement, right? I thought so. And now that I’ve attended the event myself, I can say that I whole-heartedly agree with the boasting. In the life of a foodie, it was an amazing night.

Let me highlight a few things that made this event great …
• Inspired food from 30+ local restaurants
• A libation competition offering adult beverage creations
• An entire section devoted to tasting the products of local, small food businesses
• All this whilst supporting a good cause

It’s easy to imagine that such an event – with its overindulgence of decadent food juxtaposed against the raising of funds to support children with hungry bellies - would inspire a giving spirit.

On a personal note, the evening was “one of the best” for a couple of reasons: 1) I was recognized for the first time! Somebody recognized me from this, here, little food blog. And in my book, that's pretty exciting. 2) Something else came from the evening. But it’s too early to share. It will come, in time. Follow along this summer to find out what’s to come – all thanks to this great night.

All I have left to say is that a night like this is only made better when sharing the experience with somebody you love. I’ll raise my glass to that.

Need a bigger helping?:
Share Our Strength

Find a Share Our Strength foodie fundraiser in your town:
Share Our Strength Events

Best night ever

Spent the evening at “Taste of the Nation”. More to come soon … In the meantime, who can name this famous chef?

(Hint: You don't have to be local to know the answer, you've likely seen him on your tube.)

Got tickets?

Taste of the Nation is one week away! This foodie fundraiser raises money for Share Our Strength, an organization devoted to ending childhood hunger. While philanthropy is reason enough to attend, let me also add to the temptation by telling you this event features over 30 Denver area restaurants and was voted Best Food Event in Denver.

Do you have tickets yet? If yes, I will see you there! If you still need tickets, use coupon code FF15 for $15 bucks off admission - courtesy of Food Events of Denver writer, Jeremy Kossler.

Need a bigger helping?:
Taste of the Nation - Denver

Food Trucking ...

Along with my food adventuring friends, I raced around town today in pursuit of the food trucks from The Great Food Truck Race t.v. show currently being filmed. To start off, we successfully chased down the Roxy’s truck at Washington Park. We sampled Roxy’s Rosemary French Fries drizzled with a savory garlic and herb cheddar sauce. We also tasted the Vermont Cheddar Melt with applewood bacon and caramelized onions. Roxy’s sure knows how to turn out a delicious gourmet grilled cheese sandwich! We also tried the Mint and Pear Lemonade. It was quite mild in flavor but hit the spot on a hot day.

The next food trucks we caught up to were the Hodge Podge and The Lime Truck parked on Colfax outside the Denver Biscuit Company. From the comfort food menu of Hodge Podge, we sampled the Lobster Roll. This dish was light and generously filled with 5 ounces of beautifully red lobster and topped with bright green arugula.

From The Lime Truck, we missed the chance at tasting the sold out Crab Burger and went with the Fat Mussels. The “Fat” referred to the sauce being made from our local Fat Tire beer. The mere ordering of mussels from a food truck proved that the offerings of modern day food trucks are nothing short of gourmet. We quenched our thirst with Lime’s Mango Lemonade. One word – yum!

With full stomachs, we made our way to the Café Con Leche truck parked outside of the restaurant, Cuba Cuba. While the menu offerings were tempting, our afternoon of eating left little room for more. So we supported the truck by ordering a Café Con Leche which was very hot and wonderfully sweet. It served as a perfect dessert for our food trucking day.

My favorites from today’s sampling were the Rosemary French Fries, Lobster Roll and Mango Lemonade. Also, the food truck guys from Roxy’s were especially fun. They even gave my momma a Mother’s Day gift of Vermont Cheese. So very nice of them.

If you missed the trucks today, there is still time to try them tomorrow. The buzz is a couple of the trucks will be at Washington Park and another at Great Divide Brewing Company.

Keep on food trucking …

Food Truck Race!

Have you heard of the Great Food Truck Race? No need to worry because while it sounds reminiscent of childhood pastimes of chasing after the music from the ice cream truck that’s 2 blocks away, no actual running is required.

Instead, this particular food truck race is a foodie competition show from the Food Network. In its second season, Food Truck contestants from around the country travel together to compete for bragging rights and a hefty cash price.

Want to actually taste the food fare from these trucks? Well you can. Their racing journey has already begun and will be making a pit stop in Denver this weekend! This means, we all have the chance to be part of the show and taste the trucks’ fare before watching it on television. Track down the trucks this very weekend.

Need a bigger helping?:
Westword - Food Trucks
Food Network
Food Network - Food Truck Race, Season 1

Restaurant Week

It’s here! The best time of year in the life of a foodie: Restaurant Week! Actually, it’s a bit of a misnomer because a few years ago, they extended it to be 2 weeks instead. Foodies all around the city cheered at the thought of additional nights to experience restaurant bliss. As you know, I use this time of year to sample restaurants I have not yet dined at. This is the most important criteria for me when selecting Restaurant Week venues. And tonight we will be dining at our first selection. Dine and Dish to come soon …

Restaurant Week Update

In anticipation of Restaurant Week (Feb. 26th – March 11th), I eagerly announce my restaurant selections. Thus far, reservations have been booked for ZINK Kitchen + Bar and Fogo de Chao. I am considering making one more reservation but haven’t yet settled on my final selection. Stay tuned …

Restaurant Week!

Its almost here! My favorite event of the year – Denver’s 5280 Restaurant Week! It’s a great time to try out a new restaurant with friends and family. Really you can’t get much better than $52.80 a couple. I look forward to this week for many months and tomorrow the menus of the participating restaurants will be revealed. Stay tuned for the D&D (Dine & Dish) reports of the places I select this year. A tip for newbie Restaurant Week diners ... make your selections and reservations early.

Need a bigger helping?:
Denver Restaurant Week

Foodie Fundraiser

Foodies feasted, funds raised, and voting chips were cast for favorite sauces at A Saucey Affair. This year, duck was the trendy ingredient in the tastings offered. Normally, duck is not my ingredient of choice, but with a flavorful sauce, almost anything can be transformed into a great bite. I especially enjoyed the Stranahan’s Whiskey Duck Sauce from Black Pearl. Other restaurant samplings included: Roast Duck Benedict, Roast Lamb Belly with Baby Spinach Salad, Duck Confit with Sweet Potato Puree, Almond and Bacon Liver Mousse Date, and a Duck Drummette with Maple and Blood Orange Sauce.

And the awards went to… Avenue Grill and Encore! Avenue Grill’s Strawberry Margarita Sauce won the Judges’ Choice Award and Encore took home the People Choice Award for their Poblano and Pumpkin Seed Cream Sauce.

Got tickets?

This is a foodie’s reminder to get your tickets for A Saucey Affair. It’s a fundraising event and a great excuse to enjoy the tastings of several local (delicious!) eateries all in one night.

A Saucey Affair: benefiting the 9Health Fair, Thursday, Oct. 21st 6-9, Infinity Park Event Center

Need a bigger helping?
Saucey Affair Tickets

A Taste of Colorado

Labor Day weekend is upon us and this means two things: the end of summer is here and a great foodie festival is waiting to satiate your hunger. A Taste of Colorado is a fun way to sample the fare from over 50 Colorado restaurants. Enjoy the live music, dining from a variety of cuisines, food demonstrations, and all the people watching you can handle. There is no admission fee but bring cash for the menu items you wish to taste. I’m already wondering which restaurants will be the favorites this year.

Need a bigger helping?:
A Taste Of Colorado

Eating for a cause

Mark your calendars … tickets for a great foodie-inspired fundraiser are available soon! Tickets go on sale August 23rd for A Saucey Affair. “What’s that?” You ask? A Saucey Affair features small plates and sauces from 15 of Denver’s locally owned restaurants and benefits the 9Health Fair. A few restaurants on the menu include: Snooze, Black Pearl, Root Down, Steuben’s and Table 6. You also get to cast a vote for your favorite sauce of the night. The event is a great way to support an important cause and sample some of Denver’s top dining spots. I attended this event last year and had a fantastic foodie time!

A Saucey Affair: Thursday, Oct. 21st 6-9, Infinity Park Event Center

Need a bigger helping?
A Saucey Affair