EAT IN THE DARK
The Blind Café, is returning to Boulder at The Integral Center (2805 Broadway) from Feb. 19-21. It is bound to stimulate your senses.
The Blind Café is teaming up with local blind organizations to raise awareness and benefit the local blind community, while also providing a unique dining experience for those who attend. The night includes a vegetarian meal, prepared by a local chef, and live music… all executed in pitch darkness.
“The Blind Café does not try to perfectly recreate blindness.
Instead it allows people to interact, trust each other, and experience community in an entirely new way,” said a quote from The Boulderado on the event’s site. “In the dark, there are no uncomfortable glances, no selfconsciousness about what you’re wearing or what you weigh, no distinction between the sighted and blind.”
Tickets are available for purchase online at www.theblindcafe.com/boulder/, and profits will go toward local charities that support the blind community.
—Wyatt Carlson
DENVER RESTAURANT WEEK RETURNS
Start booking your reservations now. Denver Restaurant Week returns Friday, Feb. 20 for 10 days of cheap eats and special meals at some of the Front Range’s best restaurants.
With more than 280 participating restau rants from south Denver to Golden to Longmont (and even some beyond), diners have myriad options to indulge this year.
Ten Boulder restaurants will participate in this year’s event including Boulder Cork, which will offer three courses including entrée options of prime rib, sake-marinated salmon, polenta and mushrooms, and Flatiron steak. Other participating Boulder restaurants include Dagabi Cucina, Bramble and Hare, Café Aion, Boulder Chophouse, Jill’s Restaurant and Salt.
But if you’re using this as an opportunity to make it a night in Denver, we’ve got some recommendations.
Osteria Marco, in Larimer Square, is serving a three-course menu during Restaurant Week. The menu includes choice of mussels, calamari or antipasti for the first course; eggplant parmesan, whole roasted pig or lamb meatballs for the second course; and flourless chocolate torte or butterscotch bread pudding for dessert.
In Cherry Creek, Table 6 is putting out an exciting meal, even if they’re calling their main course “tres’ tres.’” Those “tres’ tres’” include squash gnuddi with butternut puree, walnut arugula pesto and confit turnips; chicken and dumplings with Brussels sprouts and ham, mustard jus and hot sauce; and lamb burnt ends with fig barbecue, celeriac yogurt slaw and chilis. Dessert includes the option of bittersweet chocolate beignets, and that… well, that sounds pretty good.
You might also check out La Merise, Linger, La Loma, Bistro Vendome and The Curtis Club. The full list of participants is available at www. denver.org/denver-restaurant-week/.
—Matt Cortina
PORTUGUESE WINE DINNER AT CAFÉ AION
Chef and owner of Café Aion, Dakota Soifer, is offering a five-course meal inspired by Portuguese cuisine on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Historically, the Portuguese are a seafaring people and actively traded herbs and spices, such as vanilla, cinnamon and saffron. Chef Soifer is capturing these elements to create an authentic Portuguese taste.
Chef Soifer’s meal will be paired with five different wines from Joao Portugal Ramos, and the estate’s winemaker, Maria Pica. Pica will be in the restaurant pouring wines, talking about Portugal and Portuguese cuisine.
“The winery… located in south-central Portugal, has been ground-breaking, and standard-setting, since Joao Portugal Ramos started it nearly 20 years ago,” Café Aion said in a recent press release.
Café Aion is located at 235 Pennsylvania Ave., Boulder and will be accepting reservations between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.cafeaion.com or contact the restaurant at 303-993-8131.
—Wyatt Carlson
