Food and Wine event returns over four days

Hey folks, it’s that time of year again when Denver welcomes Denver Food and Wine, its biggest food and wine event of the year, with events taking place from Sept. 9-12 with the grand tasting on the Auraria Campus on Sept. 12.

This year, DF&W has celebrity chefs Gabe Kennedy, winner of ABC’s “The Taste,” and Rick Tramonto, owner of Tru, one of Chicago’s best restaurants, demonstrating their skills at various events.

Here’s the breakdown of events:

Sept. 9: Sunset Idea House – Tour, Food & Wine Pairing featuring celebrity chefs Frank Bonanno – The Bonanno Group, Gabe Kennedy – winner of ABC’s “The Taste,” Paul Reilly – beast+bottle, Hosea Rosenberg – “Top Chef” winner and owner/chef of Blackbelly, and Elise Wiggins – James Beard winner and executive chef, Panzano. Wine pairings and specialty cocktails by Southern Wine & Spirits of Colorado. Starts at 6 p.m. – 5131 E. First Ave., Denver. Reservations: 303-830-2972.

Sept. 10: Panzano Wine Pairing Dinner featuring celebrity chef Rick Tramonto and Panzano executive chef Elise Wiggins. Starts at 6 p.m. – Panzano – 909 17th St., Denver. Reservations: 303-296-3525.

Sept. 11: “End of Summer” Cocktail Party, cocktail competition, food and entertainment. Runs from 6:30-9:30 p.m. – Ninth Street and Auraria Parkway (next to the Tivioli); Riedel Wine Glass Seminar, 5:30 p.m. MSUD Hospitality Learning Center.

Sept. 12: Grand Tasting with tastes from 35 of Denver’s finest restaurants, over 700 wines and spirits, Viking culinary stage, featuring celebrity award-winning chef Rick Tramonto from Chicago and Gabe Kennedy, winner of ABC’s “The Taste,” spirit lounges, silent wine auction and more. Runs from 1-4 p.m. (starts at noon for VIP and 1st Tasting attendees) – Auraria Campus – Ninth Street and Auraria Parkway (next to the Tivioli).

For tickets and more information, go to www.denverfoodandwine.com.

Frasca folks coming to Union Station

The team behind Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder will open a restaurant in Denver by the end of 2016. Master sommelier Bobby Stuckey and chef Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson are partnering with the Continuum subsidiary to bring a yet-unnamed restaurant to the A Block at Union Station development.

Continuum owns the forthcoming adjacent 200-room hotel managed by the Kimpton Group. The development, located on 16th Street between Wewatta and Wynkoop, will also include an office building with retail and restaurants and a subterranean parking garage, all of which are currently under construction – just look for the large red cranes cranking away there every day.

“We are thrilled to be part of such a dynamic and vibrant hospitality and real estate project in the heart of downtown Denver,” said Stuckey, who had previously attempted to bring his team to Denver as part of the original Union Station redevelopment project. The bid to redevelop the train station, which was rejected in 2011, had Stuckey and Patterson operating a conglomerate of retail establishments that could have included a coffee shop, a pizza restaurant, a wine and cheese shop, a bakery and a gelato shop, among others.

Metro State adds beer courses

Metropolitan State University of Denver has added four beer courses for fall 2015 and named a new faculty coordinator for its growing Beer Industry Operations program to facilitate a real-world, hands-on educational experience, including use of Tivoli Brewing Company’s new $ 7 million campus operation.

New classes have begun with the fall semester, and include Brewery Operations, Fermentation Science, Beverage Sales and Marketing, and Cooking with Beer. Instructor Scott Kerkmans is the new coordinator of the Beer Industry Program within the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Events. As a former brewer at Alaska Brewing and one of the first five Certified Cicerones in the world, Kerkmans is a leading professional educator for beer distributors, retailers and brewers.

Students will learn all elements of beer industry operations and management in a historic facility that has the brewing capacity to be among the top 20 craft breweries in the state. The Tivoli Brewery will be the first full production brewery in the country on a college campus. In 2012, a group of native Coloradans formed the Tivoli Distributing Company, ending the 43-year hiatus and once again brewing Tivoli beer after more than 100 years as one of the largest breweries in the state.

Tivoli Brewing Company has already hired students in roles such as certified beer server, brewer’s assistant and restaurant service.

Overheard

Eavesdropping on a woman: “How you know you’ve chosen the wrong Realtor to find a rental in Colorado Springs.”

Real estate agent: “You’re moving here from Denver? Are you aware that Colorado Springs is Denver’s bedroom community?”

Me: “Wait, what?!”

Penny Parker’s “Mile High Life” column gives insights into the best events, restaurants, businesses, parties and people throughout the metro area. Parker also writes for Blacktie-Colorado.com. You can subscribe and read her columns (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) at www.blacktie-colorado.com/pennyparker. She can be reached at parkerp1953@gmail.com or at 303-619-5209.

 

 

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