With the Great American Beer Festival in town, we know you’ll be having a little too much fun this week in Denver. Here’s a chance to satisfy growling stomachs (and to keep the momentum going!) with some of the best breakfast and brunch dishes around town!
Keep posting and checking the Forkly app’s feed for tips and special GABF deals! OH and record all those beer tastings on Forkly: We have some great prizes for the “Beer Post of the Day!”
The Great American Beer Fest begins next week and Denver is ready for the 50K+ attendees coming our way. There’ll be a bevy of brews to quench your thirst all week long, but don’t forget to take a break and explore Denver’s exciting culinary scene. Recommendations below for some of the best dishes in Denver, as posted by Forkly locals (Click on the venue name or find the venue in Forkly’s Discover tab to see more dishes and drinks)!
Download Forkly in the app store (it’s free!) for some great deals for users during GABF (they’ll be in the Forkly feed). Use the Discover tab to find out what’s good in various neighborhoods… and of course, where to drink too! Cheers!
The highlight of the Denver Food & Wine festival last week was the opportunity to meet Dario Cecchini, the famous “Mad Butcher” of Tuscany– mentor and cherished friend to some of the US’ most notable chefs, including Mario Batali (read about Batali’s history with Cecchini in the wonderful book, Heat, by Bill Buford) and Denver’s own Chef Elise Wiggins of Panzano restaurant.
Cecchini’s family has run the butcher shop in Tuscany for around 250 years and he has been behind the counter for 40 of those years. Needless to say, watching him with a knife (or a saw, see the photos below!) is mesmerizing!
The takeaway from his visit: there is no part of an animal that is “better” than any other, so use every piece of meat and the bones and skin for stocks, and so on (some of their recipes here)–in doing so, we kill fewer animals and waste very little (which he noted is important when so many people in the world are hungry); make sure the animal butchered has lived a good, full life, so that the meat is pure; and most quarrels (even political!) can be resolved by a great meal together!
It was a great honor to meet Chef Cecchini and his wife (and translator). We hope you, too, get to meet them during their travels– or at their shop in Tuscany, Antica Macelleria Cecchini…they said their door is always open to new friends and visitors. Enjoy photos and a video from last weekend below:
Wine lovers, rejoice! The 21st annual Colorado Mountain Winefest is this month (Sept. 13th-16th) where you can sip on delicious wines from dozens of local wineries all weekend. Events will flow Thursday through Sunday and offer live entertainment, unlimited wine samples, a commemorative tasting glass, and a chance to buy wine directly from the amazing Colorado winemakers in attendance.
Winefest will be hosting an array of great Chefs that will be providing amazing food and wine pairing. Free Chef demos will be held 11am–4pm:
For more info on other events and seminars, visit Winefest’s website–and of course, Forkly the festivities so we all get a taste of Colorado wine too!
Ok Denver, it’s time – the Eighth Annual Denver Food and Wine event will be bursting with flavor September 6-8th.
This three day food and wine extravaganza, located on the Metropolitan State University of Denver campus, is expected to attract more than 4,500 attendees, with 40 restaurants and 600 delicious samples of wine and spirits.
Below is a list of all the great events happening this week, and don’t forget to check out two of our fantastic Forkly users, Chef Jenna Johansen and Chef Kelly Liken on Friday, September 7th for a “dueling culinary demo!”
Wednesday, Sept. 5th – Multi-course Joseph Phelps Vineyards Wine Dinner prepared by top Denver Chef Frank Bonanno at the new Metropolitan State University of Denver Hospitality Learning Center and Springhill Suites by Marriott located on the MSUD campus. Each course will be accompanied by a special Phelps Vineyard wine.
Thursday, Sept. 6th – Chef Dario Cecchini, the world’s most famous butcher will join Panzano Executive Chef Elise Wiggins for a butchery demonstration and multi-course dinner at Panzano restaurant.
Friday, Sept. 7th
2:30 p.m. – A dueling culinary demo “Cooking for Reality TV” with Chef Kelly Liken (Iron Chef America & Top Chef) and Chef Jenna Johansen (Around the World in 80 Plates). Cost is $20 and includes a ticket to Restaurants Rock–hosted by Chefs Jenna Johansen & Kelly Liken!
3:30 p.m. – Spiegelau Glass Beer Seminar includes a set of glasses to taste Pilsner, Heffeweisen IPA/APA and Belgian style beers and to take home.
5:30 p.m. – During this guided journey, taste how the flavors and aromas of wines are enhanced when a glass shape is designed according to the character of the wine. In addition, Whole Foods Market will be complementing each wine with their perfectly matched cheeses. Featured Wines: Kunde Reserve Chardonnay, Hugel Riesling, and more!
Saturday, Sept. 8, 12pm-4pm - The Grand Tasting! Featuring Dario Cecchini, Elise Wiggins, and Daniel Asher, and tastings galore!
Be sure to Forkly all your delicious food finds – we can’t wait to see them! Visit the official website for more details on tickets and all the happenings.
LET’S CELEBRATE!!
Wander on over to our Facebook page, here, click on the “Sweepstakes” tab, and in just a few clicks you’ll be entered to win a $101 dinner on us!
But wait, there’s more…Want to enter to win a Forkly T-Shirt, as well!? If so, when you enter the contest there’ll be a chance to do a little something extra special…below is a hint from our wonderful friend & Forkly fan, Chef Sondra Bernstein.
Thank you for a fantastic first year. We’re thrilled to have such wonderful Forkly fans. Keep spreading the word, sharing your culinary adventures with the community, and CHEERS to a great year ahead!
Official Contest Rules
No purchase necessary. Must live within US. Saturday 8/25/12-Thursday 8/30/12 (10PM PST). Forkly App is free to download from the App Store.
To enter the contest, you must submit a form on our Facebook page between Saturday 8/25/12 and Thursday 8/30/12 at 10PM (PST).
We will announce the winners on Friday 8/31 by email, as well as by Facebook & Twitter.
CHEF-PRENEUR & MICRO-GREENS FOUNDER ALLISON SOSNA (Forkly: @chefallisosna)
“Using it as a Chef, Forkly is a great tool for market research: to see what people want and where they’re getting it!”
As many of you know, Forkly recently hosted a DC happy hour at Hank’s Oyster Bar with Chef Alli Sosna. We wanted to meet some of our wonderful DC users, connect with fabulous local food bloggers & new friends, and most importantly, help raise awareness for Chef Alli’s most recent project, Micro-Greens: a program to teach kids (and their families!) to cook great, healthy food on a SNAP (food stamp) budget.
You can follow her culinary adventures on Forkly and learn more about her fantastic projects below, but before you do anything…there’s only 10 days left to donate… so take a look and help her launch Micro-Greens! The money donated will help buy aprons, support food costs and menu planning costs, pay salary for two part-time workers in the program, purchase basic equipment needs (bowls, spoons, spatulas, knives, cutting boards), and more!
More about Chef Alli:
Chef Allison Sosna is bringing healthy eating to the forefront thanks to her continuing love affair with cooking. Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in the farmlands of New Jersey, Chef Sosna eventually landed in Washington D.C. at American University. It was then, during her years as a rower, that she realized how important food was to the body and that it impacted not only how you felt, but how you performed.
This led Sosna to Italy to learn more about food and eventually to culinary school. She spent time working at Barton Seaver, The Inn at Little Washington, a Relais & Chateau property, and Dean & Deluca where she prepared meals for retail operations and large-scale catering projects.
Fast forward a few years – Sosna became a part of the culinary team at DC Central Kitchen, as an Executive Chef to aid in overseeing school food and catering services. This may have been the tipping point in Sosna’s career as from it, she created PINE Benefit Corporation.
Along the way, Chef Alli has worked and talked with leaders from First Lady Michelle Obama to Chefs Alice Waters and Jamie Oliver about the state of food in America; competed on Food Network’s Thanksgiving episode of CHOPPED (2011); and received local awards and scholarships to move forward with her work to help promote healthy eating in American homes and schools.
To meet her in person, stop by the DC Green Festival on Sept 30, where Chef Alli will be speaking at 2pm, “Snap into the SNAP Program: Healthy Cooking on a Budget.” You can also learn more about Chef Alli’s endeavors on Twitter at @ChefAlliSosna and @MicroGreensDC–in the meantime, have a look of some of her delicious tastes below and follow her on Forkly…we know we’ll be watching closely as Micro-Greens, Cooking with Alli, and Pine take off!
FOUNDER AND RESIDENT COCKTAIL GEEK AT MIDNIGHT BRUNCH & MOUTH OF THE BORDER, EMILY CAVALIER (Forkly: @ECava)Emily connects food lovers and cool businesses to new audiences using food and cocktails as well as art and local culture. She consults on event strategy, production and social media for agencies, startups & food/booze-based businesses. When she’s not writing or eating, you can find Emily harassing locals for recipes and sneaking into bars and restaurant kitchens all over the world.
In her free time, Emily dances, writes, throws things in pans in kitchens and takes pictures. Evidence of all of this can also be found on her personal blog EmilyCavalier.com–and on her Forkly account of course! She speaks French, and wishes she also spoke Spanish. Her business ventures all have her passions at the root–her love of culture, people, spectacular cocktails, and mouth-watering food. Bringing people and businesses together with the power of our palates. Just don’t offer her scrambled eggs with ketchup, ever.
You’ll have two chances Emily Cavalier this week…
Attend an incredible Midnight Brunch this Friday night, Aug. 10, as there are some real treats in store for all. Time Out New York writes:
- Join the party as Midnight Brunch, featured in our best brunch guide, takes over Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg for a midnight screening of Girl Walk // All Day. The event also includes a preshow craft cocktail hour just for Midnight Brunch guests and a Q&A with the Brooklyn-based filmmakers, producers and stars.
- Emily Cavalier, founder of Midnight Brunch and Mouth of the Border, is collaborating with Nitehawk’s chefs and bartenders to create an iconic cocktail and food menu. Offerings will pay tribute to the film’s musical mashups and the NYC neighborhoods featured in the film. Cocktails and meal will be served direct to guests’ tables during the film.
- With this Time Out Offer, you’ll get a private movie screening, cocktails, a three-course meal and Q&A with the filmmakers. Sponsored by BULLDOG Gin and Misfit, Inc.
There are still tickets available, but be sure to tell friends and act quickly! Buy Tickets Here –and of course, Forkly the dishes & cocktails of the night when you attend.
If you can’t make it Friday but want to meet Emily and our @JSWAuer, join them and other food & tech lovin’ folks tonight at the Food + Tech Connect Meet Up in Brooklyn.
In our current whirlwind around the East coast, Forkly would never leave out New York! Forkly’s @JSWAuer will be attending some great events in NYC later this week and would love to meet you!
Our @JSWAuer will be in attendance and very excited the talk Forkly and mingle. We’re always excited to meet other food & tech lovers, as well as those who want to join the Forkly community!
We’ll also be having an unofficial happy hour at Crown Victoria in Brooklyn from 5:30pm to 7:30pm on Thursday. @JSWAuer will be easy to spot in her Forkly t-shirt, so stop by and bring other Forkly users or friends! Email her at jossie@forkly.com if you have any questions.
Now that we got the business over with… let’s look at some New York food!
We’re on a roll now so we don’t see any point in stopping this week! We just had two great Forkly events in Denver and Washington D.C.–and now we’re coming to visit you, Boston!
We’ll be meeting at Russell House Tavern (map) at 5 pm on Monday August 6 to enjoy Forkly talk, small plates and drinks– you can get a glimpse of the menu from Russell House Taverns’ Chef Michael Scelfo’s tastes on Forkly!
And a special thanks to Chef Alli Sosna, Hank’s Oyster Bar, and all that attended the DC Happy Hour on Tuesday–it was great to meet all of you and raise money for a good cause! Keep on donating and spreading the word about her fantastic project.
That’s all for now…see you in Boston!
