writer + photographer
Denver may not be known for America’s favorite food, but as it turns out, there are myriad excellent versions around town (we should know; we ate them all). No matter how you slice it, there’s never been a better time to be a pizza lover in Colorado.
A written collaboration with 5280 Magazine. Read the full article here.
Filipino cuisine has been gaining traction nationally for a few years, and Denverites in the know go to Aurora’s Filipino-Thai joint ChowSun to get their fix. Housed in a nondescript strip mall, the four-year-old fast-casual eatery serves a full Thai menu, but we go for the bold, pork-centric Filipino fare, which marries Spanish and southeastern Asian influences. Our ideal meal starts with “lumpia” (crispy Filipino-style egg rolls) dipped into sweet chile sauce. Next, a savory-and-sour bowl of pork adobo or indulgent “lechon kawali” (fried cubes of juicy pork belly) served with a Filipino staple: fluffy steamed white rice. For dessert, order the halo halo sundae, a layered shaved-ice treat made with “ube” (purple yam) ice cream, sweetened condensed milk, red coconut jelly, jackfruit, and coconut slivers. 830 S. Buckley Road, Aurora, 720-410-2135
Written for 5280 Magazine‘s “Where We’re Eating in November”
Nocturne began holding cocktail classes earlier this year, but the new Champagne classes give Denverites the opportunity to dive deep into the terroir and culture of the famed French wine. As founder and co-owner Nicole Mattson says, “It’s a fun opportunity to educate the people of Denver on why it’s a lifestyle splurge.”
At a recent Champagne introduction course, I was welcomed to the chic, industrial venue with a flute of prosecco. While I was initially befuddled—why on earth would wine experts serve prosecco at a Champagne class?—the Italian sparkling wine served was a teaching moment. Prosecco’s quick process from harvest to glass can’t touch the complex flavors produced by the time-consuming methode traditionelle of true French Champagne. Soon, we were sipping samples of crisp, apple-y Nicolas Feuillatte and yeasty, effervescent Charles Heidsieck, nibbling on black lentil falafel, charred corn and smoked hominy fritters, and black cod croquettes, and jotting down tasting notes as our knowledgeable instructors shared their expertise. At the end of the class, we voted for our favorite sips; the winning bottle of bubbles from each class in the series will be featured at the October 29 dinner.
There aren’t many things better than biting into a perfect Colorado peach. Turns out that our best chefs, brewers, and artisans agree—and they’ve been busy utilizing the famed stone fruit in a wide variety of dishes and products. Here, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorites.
See the full listicle here. Written for 5280.com.
Perhaps you’ve been to Balistreri Vineyards’ 17-year-old north Denver tasting room for glasses of Colorado-sourced wine or an Italian-inspired lunch. But you may not know about its outstanding seasonal wine dinners, which owner and winemaker John Balistreri launched 13 years ago.
You can experience one for yourself at the family-owned winery’s lush garden this Friday, August 4. The Showcase Wine Dinner promises six courses from chefs Ariana Pope and Chris Teigland, veterans of Blackbelly Market and Honor Society Hand-Crafted Eatery, respectively. They’ll be preparing summery dishes such as tuna carpaccio, Talbott Farm peach caprese, a play on surf and turf involving Snake River Farms wagyu beef and butter-poached lobster, and a sweet Olathe corn custard. All will be served on grandson John Domenico’s ceramic plateware, baked in a 30-foot Japanese kiln a few hundred yards away from the winery.
Of course, there will be wine, and lots of it. Balistreri plans to break out library wines as well as a never-before-released orange-style wine, which gets its color from the skins of white grapes that are left on during the fermentation process. At a recent spring barrel-tasting supper, my fiancé and I (and 108 others guests) were wowed by Balistreri’s fruit-forward 2016 Colorado Syrah, the green pepper notes of the 2016 Colorado Cabernet Franc, and the bold, oaky-vanilla flavors of the 2016 Colorado Cabernet Sauvignon. All are made with grapes sourced from Palisade vineyards and will be available in the tasting room this fall. Between the delicious food, familial hospitality, and award-winning wines, it was an experience that I look forward to repeating.
Written for 5280.com. Find the original story here.
Claire Lardizabal 