What better way to celebrate the end of summer than an evening of fabulous food and drink! Thirty of Denver’s favorite restaurants will be at the Exdo Event Center tomorrow night (September 22nd) for the Westword Dish 2010 event. Ticket prices start at $30 and that gets you a fun evening of food, an open bar, live music and entertainment. The Appaloosa Grill, Second Home, Sexy Pizza, The 9th Door, Wazee Supper Club and Wynkoop Brewing Company are just a small sampling of restaurants that will be providing food for the event. The Informants will be playing and the drinks will be shaken and stirred up by local mixologists just for you.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Volunteers of America and GrowHaus.

Westword Dish

Exdo Event Center (35th and Walnut in downtown Denver)

7:30-11:00 on Wednesday, September 22nd

Loving life in Denver!

Kim Beethe Byers

Photo: Koocbor via Flickr

Sadly, summer is technically over in a couple days but one would never guess with the perfect weather we have in September.  So why stop all the summer fun?  Working with home buyers relocating to urban Denver I often get asked about the ‘feel’ of certain neighborhoods.  Well, there is no better way to check out a neighborhood than jumping on your bike, cruise with a pack of people who already live in the ‘hood all while stopping by a handful of local restaurants along the way.  Sounds like fun?  Then you should go to the Sunnyside neighborhood Cruiser Sipper Happy Hour.  The bike cruising happy hour is on Wednesday, September 29th from 5:30 – 9:30PM and you can visit the event’s Facebook page to get more details.

The cruisin’ happy hour will start at Ernie’s Bar (2815 W 44th Ave.)  then Boston Fish Shack then Gaetano’s then LoHi Steakbar.  The entry fee is $2 for SUNI members and $5 for non-members and proceeds will go to Sunnyside United Neighbors Inc – SUNI.  The restaurants will be providing snacks so bring your bike and great ready to have some fun with the SUNI bunch.

Loving Denver Life,

Vali Hooker

Lodo's Bar and Grill rooftop deck

Take advantage of the gorgeous weather and all of the fantastic restaurant patios that Denver has to offer. I’m going to list some of my personal favorites and please add yours to the list!

Black Pearl- I love the big table out in front with the fire-pit built in. It’s the perfect patio for enjoying some wine and truffle fries with friends.

Izakaya Den- This is one of the few sushi places I’ve been that has a patio. The name Izakaya means “sake house with small plates” so they have plenty of tapas for you to enjoy as well as the sushi.

Lodo’s- No list of rooftop dining would be complete with Lodo’s Bar and Grill. The original location is, of course, in Lodo. The rooftop deck looks out at Coors Field and is always packed with baseball fans before a Rockies game. They also have expanded to Highlands Ranch and Westminster. I usually prefer the downtown location but the mountain view from Highlands Ranch is gorgeous!

The Tavern Downtown – Also has a huge rooftop deck that overlooks Coors Field. Go early to take advantage of their great happy hour!

Vita – Huge rooftop deck overlooking downtown and great happy hour deals on food and wine. I recommend trying the Kobe beef sliders to enjoy with your vino!

Lola’s- Located right next door to Vita and it also has a great patio with a fabulous view of downtown to enjoy while also enjoying one of their margueritas and I definitely recommend the guacamole that is made to order at your table.

What’s your favorite patio in Denver??

Loving life in Denver!
Kim Beethe Byers

Hug a Goat! Photo: Brecken Pool via Flickr

:: Today ::

Get out and meet some of your urban farm animal neighbors at Farmfest happening at Stapleton’s Urban Farm.  Gates open at 1PM and live, local bands will be playing from 3-7PM – hear “Jux County,” “I’m a Boy” and “Gata Negra.” Proceeds will go to TUF programs at The Urban Farm.

There will be family farm fun with chickens, goats and horses – oh my!  Bring your own lawn chair and don’t forget to participate in the silent auction.  Auction items include a Thanksgiving turkey and urban trail ride.

Tickets range from $5-20 and kiddos under 5 are free.

Yeehaw little buckaroos (of all ages)!

Loving Denver Life,

Vali Hooker

As Summer starts winding down, we’re heading into my favorite time of the year…fall! I love the cooler temperatures, the leaves changing, the crisp morning air and I usually think of Oktoberfest as the kickoff to fall. This weekend there are plenty of Oktoberfest celebrations in Colorado starting with the 41st Oktoberfest Denver in the ballpark district downtown. Oktoberfest kicks off tonight (9/17) and is every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through September 26th. It’s now located in the ballpark district on Larimer Street, between 20th and 22nd Streets. There will be plenty of polka music for dancing along with cold beer and great food.

There are other Oktoberfests that are taking place this weekend and two of my favorites are the Breckenridge Oktoberfest and the Vail Oktoberfest in Vail Village. It’s a great excuse to get out of town to do the chicken dance and to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage!  

Loving life in Colorado!

Kim Beethe Byers

Photo: HeatherMG via Flickr

Yes, I know I’m posting about a Fall Harvest during our 90 days of summer but technically it’s still Summer in Denver for a few more days! We are going to keep it rolling until the official end of summer.  I don’t believe anybody will argue with me with the 80-degree days and the breezy evenings that it’s pretty much perfect here.  Not to mention my table is overflowing with harvest fruits and veggies.  Colorado peaches, pears, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, basil, rosemary, squash, carrots and more. I love this time of year for cooking and sharing the harvest from the garden.  There is always such an abundance and a perfect time to share is at the Urban AgriCULTURE Fall Harvest Celebration.  A potluck & networking party for the 2010 Grow Local Colorado Edible Gardens in Denver Parks.  A scene for the Colorado agriculture peeps to share information about projects and share yummy food.

The theme is Colorado Harvest so bring dishes made from local produce, chefs or Colorado wine.  The event will be Friday, September 17th from 6-9PM at Earthlinks (2828 Larimer, Denver, CO). Come ready to meet others interested in urban agriculture and please bring your own plate, glass and flatware.

Loving Denver Life,

Vali Hooker

Justice League of Street Food

Food trucks seem to be the hot new thing and Denver has plenty of them. Many of the local food trucks and food carts have banded together on Facebook to form the Justice League of Street Food. You may already be familiar with the Gastro Cart, Stueben’s Cart or the Cupcake Cart but when you put all of these fabulous food trucks together, it’s a party! Tomorrow night (Thursday, September 16th) is the Justice League food truck/food cart party. Tomorrow from 5:00 to 10:00pm, at 29th and Huron in downtown Denver they’ll be serving tacos, burgers, pizza, vegetarian fare, sausage, hot dogs, cupcakes and biscuits. No RSVP is required, just come early and come hungry! The first party thrown by the Justice League of Street Food drew more than 2,000 people for a night of great food, alcohol and entertainment. In fact, they were a little caught off guard with the huge turnout so they’ve promised to be more prepared tomorrow night so they will have plenty of volunteers on hand to help clear trash and keep the area clean. And most importantly, they’ll have plenty of food and drinks on hand!

The featured food trucks for tomorrow night are Steuben’s, Deluxe Little Orange Rocket, Gastro Cart, Steamin’ Demon, Pinche Tacos, The Biscuit Bus, Inventing Room, Sully’s Slice Truck, Biker Jim’s and the Cupcake Truck. The Great Divide Brewing Company and Infinite Monkey Theorem will be providing the beer and alcohol for the party. They will also have DJ Bobby C spinning his tunes for the crowd. It should be a really fun evening! There is talk that the street parties will become a monthly event featuring live music and maybe different themes for the evening…you’ll have to stay tuned to the Loft Chicks website to find out.

Loving life in Denver!

Kim Beethe Byers

Photo: Atilla Kefeli

Most Denverites know that Colorado packs a mean punch when it comes to microbrews.  There are just so many to try and sometimes all you want is your good old go-to beer.  Colorado thinks it’s important that you have a well-rounded beer palate so they bring the sampling to Denver beer lovers every year.  This weekend is the time where beer lover unite  to sample some of the world’s best beers and really just enjoy a weekend of all things beer at the Great American Beer Festival.  The festival runs September 16-18th and is held at the Colorado Convention Center.

What about the designated drivers?  Fear not, the fest has a Designated Driver Lounge complete with craft brewed root beers & sodas.  DDs can also get a complimentary chair massage too.

Sadly, the tickets have been sold out for a bit now but my suggestion is to look on Craigslist as it’s possible to find them there.  Cheers to all you beer drinkers out there, may you find a new go-to beer or two!

Loving Denver Life,

Vali Hooker

If you like ice cream then you’ll love the Little Man Ice Cream Shop located in the lower Highlands (Lo-Hi) neighborhood. You can’t miss the huge, milk tin can building with a bunch of tables and large umbrellas out in front. And the Little Man is not just an ice cream store, it’s become a neighborhood gathering place with lots of fun events throughout the year. This Friday, September 17th, they are having a 50s Sock Hop. There will be a DJ playing classic tunes on the dance floor, photos with Elvis, hot dogs, ice cream (of course), and lots of poodle skirts! So, come dressed up in your best 50′s attire this Friday from 6-9pm. Every Sunday afternoon, they have live bluegrass music playing. Wednesday’s are retro movie night. There will be a pumpkin carving contest in October and there seem to be quite a few hula hoop contests throughout the year.

The Little Man is a fun and unique ice cream shop that also makes a point to give back to the local community and with their Scoop for Scoop program, they’re also helping 3rd world villages. For every scoop of ice cream purchased, Little Man Ice Cream donates one scoop of rice to hungry villages in Ethiopia and Myanmar. 

With all of the fun events and community service, I almost forgot to talk about the ice cream…. really yummy, homemade ice cream and gelato with all kinds of unique flavors such as Cupcake, Salted Oreo and Mexican Chocolate just to name a few. The lines can be long, especially on hot summer days, but it moves quickly and is absolutely worth the wait!

Loving life in Denver!

Kim Beethe Byers

Photo: Joshua Lawton via Flickr

Palisade, Colorado during this time of year is well-known for some of the best peaches on the planet.  And a lesser known fact is that the area’s warm days and chilly nights and lower ‘mountain’ elevation make for a perfect grape growing environment.  Hello Colorado wine harvest season! And to welcome the harvest Western Slope locals celebrate with the The Colorado Mountain Winefest.  September 16th -19th are the dates when 56 Colorado wineries will be participating in the 19th annual Colorado Mountain Winefest.  Make plans to stay for the entire weekend or just a night.

Winefest makes my personal top 10 list of Colorado events to catch at least once in a lifetime.  Every year it surprises me that Colorado produces more and more great wines and this is the place to discover your favorites.   Along with the activities centered around the wine tasting there will be cooking demonstrations, seminars, winery tours by bike, golf & wine, art contest and wine tours – just a little something for everybody.

Pricing for the event varies depending on the day and type of tickets purchased.  It’s suggested that you purchase tickets in advance to avoid them selling out first.  The weather in September on the Western Slope is perfect and I recommend grabbing your bike.

Loving Colorado Life,

Vali Hooker