Denver Five, the select chef lineup created by promoter Leigh Sullivan, has selected a new 2014 crop of talent.
“This year I want to celebrate all the women in our community who are truly redefining what it means to be a chef in Denver,” Sullivan said about her selections of the all-women team.
The new chefs are innovation chef at Epicurean Catering, Jenna Johansen, of Bravo TV fame; Elise Wiggins, executive chef at Panzano; Carrie Blake, executive chef at Table 6; Aniedra Nichols, executive chef at Elway’s Cherry Creek and Nadine Donovan, pastry chef at Old Major.
Tebow’s first pick a good one
Former Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was almost on the money with his BCS Championship pick before Monday night’s national title game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. In his debut as a college football analyst for ESPN, Tebow predicted No. 1 Florida State would beat No. 2 Auburn. Tebow said in the ESPN pre-game show: “Auburn might be a team of destiny, but tonight, Florida State is deeper from top to bottom … I think they win 35-31.”
Florida State rallied in the final seconds to win 34-31.
Tamale festival at La Sandia
La Sandia hosts its third annual Tamale Festival through Jan. 31 at its Northfield Stapleton and Park Meadows locations to celebrate the culinary heritage and regional ingredients of Mexico. Chef Richard Sandoval has created a tamale menu to showcase this traditional winter dish. La Sandia’s Tamale Festival menu will include tamales, entrée samples and new cocktails. More information is available at www.richardsandoval.com.
Paint Nite comes to Littleton
Is there an artist in you trying to get out? Paint Nite is coming to local restaurants in the metro area that brings people together for a guided painting session. Upcoming dates: 7 p.m., Jan. 21 at Rox Bar & Grill, 12684 W. Indore Place (Littleton) and 7 p.m., Jan. 23 at The Draft, 9150 W. Cross Drive (Littleton).
Seats are limited and event tickets, which include a 16-inch by 20-inch canvas, paints, brushes, a smock and professional instruction, are sold in advance at www.paintnite.com.
Westminster Whole Foods on the move
Bradburn Village, a residential and retail development in Westminster, just announced that a 35,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market is under construction at the site on the southeast corner of Vrain Street and West 120th Avenue. The new store will be a relocation of the current Whole Foods at 92nd and Sheridan.
“We are excited about this new opportunity and look forward to becoming even more connected to the city of Westminster,” said Will Paradise, president of Whole Foods Market’s Rocky Mountain Region. “Each of our stores is designed to reflect the unique character of the surrounding community.”
The Bradburn Village project, which will include roughly 90 townhomes, is being developed by Continuum Partners.
Troy Guard to open new steakhouse
Sure chef Troy Guard just opened Los Chingones and Sugarmill, but that doesn’t mean he’s resting on his restaurant laurels.
Instead, he will open his largest concept yet in February. Guard & Grace (his daughter’s moniker) will be a 9,000-square-foot modern American steak house at 1801 California St.
The new space will offer private dining areas along with Denver’s largest patio with a fire pit, an expansive raw bar, wood-burning oven and exhibition kitchen.
Meanwhile, Guard’s TAG Burger Bar (1222 Madison St.) is serving its January Burger of the Month. The New Year’s Resolution Burger is a veggie patty on a whole wheat bun with a red beet gastrique, golden beet strings and brussel sprout leaves. Served with apple chips or French fries for $13. Proceeds from this month’s burger go to Angel Eyes, an agency that provides free grief support services to anyone experiencing the sudden, unexpected loss of an infant or toddler.
Arvada Farmers Market returns
The Arvada Farmers Market is not letting Old Man Winter stop it. The Indoor Winter Farmers Market returns 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 26 and Feb. 23 with the Indoor Winter Market, which will feature more than 20 vendors with jams, breads, meat, honey, produce, eggs, and homemade items. Attend the Indoor Winter Market at DiCicco’s Schoolhouse at 5660 Olde Wadsworth Blvd.
The seen
In Pueblo at Marisol Therapeutics, a marijuana dispensary, Tommy Chong, half of the Cheech and Chong pot-smoking comedy duo. Chong posted on Twitter: “Just finished my 7th J and boy is my mouth dry. This legalization is tough on (an) old stoner.” Chong told the media at the Pueblo dispensary: “This is one small stagger for a stoner and one giant leap for stoner-kind” … Famed violinist Itzhak Perlman eating with Denver florist extraordinaire BJ Dyer at Seoul BBQ in Aurora (near my former digs) on Peoria Street. Dyer said on Facebook that Perlman “knew just the right Korean dishes to order for the table. What a great sense of humor.” Perlman performed with the Colorado Symphony on Jan. 9 at Boettcher Hall.
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 penny@blacktie-llc.com or at 303-619-5209.
