Denver Chef Eric Chiappetta has been in the food and wine industries for about 20 years.  His first restaurant opened in the swanky Cherry Creek North district; aptly named “3rd Avenue Eclectic Burgers & Cuisine“, and was reviewed favorably by the critics and the food community at large.  After opening another restaurant in Parker, Colorado and consulting on numerous other projects, Eric took a break from behind the knife and pursued his love of wine, receiving his Certification for Beverage Professionals.  He also started Bombshell BBQ, a Colorado BBQ sauce, in 2004.  Eric’s latest venture, the delicious Larimer Hot House, combines his love of food, wine, and entertaining.

Chef Eric recently took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few interview questions, in order to shed some light on his background, his style, and his thoughts on the Denver culinary culture.

-Can you describe your background?
“I’m a native of Colorado.  So I did a lot of skiing and outdoorsy things when I was younger. I played a lot of sports and sang in a metal band in my teens and 20’s.  I really thought that was going to be my career choice. This industry has many parallels to the music scene.  I’ve been in the food business close to 20 years now.  Several of them spent in an family run Italian restaurant in Littleton.  I decided to attend culinary school in 1996 and graduated in 1997. I really wanted a degree, and it enabled me to see what the business side of the industry looked like. I worked for the Palace Arms in the Brown Palace Hotel and on to the Aubergine Cafe where I stayed until graduation. I learned more about food from Sean Kelly (Aubergine’s chef/owner) than from anyone else since. I sold wine professionally a couple years ago – that really opened my eyes to what food and wine could be.”

-What really made you want to become a chef?
“I actually just wanted to learn how to throw pizzas. The Italian restaurant I went to work for taught me that and more. I really felt I belonged in this business – the more I look back on my personal history, I see food in every part of my life. My mom is a great cook and we have a huge family – so everyone participates in the meal.

-Where did you receive your training?
“The Colorado Institute of Art – School of Culinary Arts”

-If there was ONE word to describe your cooking style, what would it be, and why?
“BIG – I just don’t get off on subtlety. Fine dining is my background but it’s rare that I cook like that for myself or others. I’m glad that I have the skill to cook like that – I just cook like my personality – BIG.”

-What sort of cultures have influenced your cooking style?
“1) French – Technique is EVERYTHING!!!
2) Italian – The rustic and primal nature of Italian cooking means so much to me.  I’m Italian, so I feel an obvious closeness to the cuisine.
3) Mexican – I love to cook Mexican. Especially in the summer – it’s so nice to cook simply.  But simply has never meant dumb.  Mexican food done right is some of the most refined food on the planet.”

-How would you describe the Larimer Hot House experience to someone who has never been?
“We’re a bit surprising. We set up shop on a not-so-very-used part of old Larimer Street – so people are generally surprised by how clean and put together our dining room is.  But all in all – we are a sandwich shop that happens to do the best breakfast burritos in the world. We’re NOT a gourmet-gastro pub-fine dining bistro-foam infused-aioli-bullshit restaurant. We do the best food we can do with the best service we can provide. My partner Jen Reyna is the best front of the house manager I’ve ever worked with – and our customers come back for her as much as for me and the food. We do everything from scratch – the pickles, the three kinds of potato chips, the Krispy treats, the giardiniera, the BBQ sauces – everything. You’d be surprised how far technique can take you in a sandwich shop.”

-What is your personal favorite food that you have on the menu?
“Right now it’s got to be the Chicago Roast Beast or the meatloaf sliders – we end up doing a special sandwich for the week, and it keeps getting thrown on the menu. I’m usually not a trendy ‘Sliders’ kind of guy – but they are really good. Three traditional mom’s-style meatloaf sliders topped with caramelized red onions and smoky chipotle ketchup on egg buns.”

-If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
“A friggin’ rock star!!!  I really want David Letterman’s job or Charlie Rose’s – his show is the best.”

-There has been a huge surge in the “green” movement these days.  What steps do you take at your restaurant in order to “stay green”?
“We give all of our organic material to our neighbors. They have a composting site and they grow vegetables for people that are in transition. They work the garden and sell and eat what they produce. But as a small business, it forces you to be responsible. We don’t waste anything here.”

-What is your favorite thing about Denver’s culinary scene?  What do you think needs to change?
“I’m actually glad that there’s some real conversation going on among chefs in Denver.  It wasn’t like that 10 years ago.  Everyone was so competitive and secretive about their knowledge.  No one was creating anything new here – everyone was really being too safe.  It may have just been my experience – but that’s how I saw it.  I really see a lot of restaurants going back to basics and showing the world how good of ‘cooks’ they are.  Not showing us what kind of bullshit infused crap they can get away with.  That’s not cooking – it’s hiding.  But i’m glad that there is some real knowledge sharing going on.  Not just cooking styles being shared, but wine, business…everything.”

Many thanks to Chef Eric Chiappetta for giving us food lovers a look “behind the curtain”, and for his insights on the Denver culinary scene!

Be sure to check out the Larimer Hot House located in Denver’s historical 5 Points neighborhood.

Larimer Hot House
Monday – Friday from 7 AM – 3:30 PM
Saturdays from 9 AM – 1 PM
2810 Larimer Street
Denver, CO 80205
www.larimerhothouse.com
303-292-3008

If you love great wine and foods, the Denver International Wine Festival (DIWF) is a must-attend event.  This year marks the 5th annual DIWF, which has become known as one of the premier wine and food pairing events.  It showcases wineries from all over the world, beautiful fine art, and master chef’s from right here in Colorado.

The event is taking place on November 12th and 13th, and Mayor John Hickenlooper has dedicated the entire week as “Denver Wine Week”.

Thursday, November 12th – Tickets: $100/person

From 6:00 – 9:00 PM, the “Taste of Elegance Chef’s Wine and Food Competition” takes place at the Mile High Station.  This is widely regarded as Denver’s premier wine and food pairing competition.

The event includes award winning wines that have been selected through a blind taste test from a panel of expert judges. Expert chef’s then compete in an “Iron Chef” style competition, creating delicious dishes to pair with the selected wines.  In addition, a live and silent auction will take place prior to the award ceremony.

Friday, November 13th

From 9:00 AM – 4 PM, the “Colorado VIP Winery Day Tour & Chef’s Demo” takes place.  This event departs from the Warwick Denver Hotel, and includes 3 Front Range Wineries, RT Trans, Gourmet Lunch and Chefs Demo (50 limit) $125.00 per person.  The ticket includes the following:

• Roundtrip transportation in a luxury motor coach with expert tour guide
• VIP tours and wine tasting at three prestigious winery estates
• Complimentary snacks and water served onboard the motor coach
• Exclusive Wine Country International® Wine 101- a virtual crash course on the basics of wine
• Area history and points of interest covered by expert tour guide
• Wine cellar tour with winemaking overview
• Rare & exclusive barrel tasting with award winning winemaker
• Walking Vineyard Tour & viticultural discussion
• Gourmet restaurant lunch with a selection of three delicious entrees.
• Chef’s cooking demonstration
• Bon Voyage! Artisan Cheese Course served at the last winery prior to departure
• Special-purchasing opportunities available at winery gift shops

From 2:00 – 9:00 PM, there will be a tasting of delicious international wines and foods at the Mile High Station.  Tickets are $75 for general admission, and includes over 450 imported and domestic wines by over 100 wineries from numerous areas around the globe. Wine Country International magazine’s editors have personally selected premium wines based on quality, region and varietal. The “Grand Tasting” will include foods created by gourmet producers and Colorado restaurants.

The festival will also include selected spirits,artisan crafted beers, exhibits by luxury travel destinations, fine art and wine paraphernalia. This one-day event will also feature the Award-Winning Wines from the Denver International Wine Competition and a silent auction. A variety of optional Educational Seminars will also be offered throughout the day.

For more information on this delicious event, visit www.DenverWineFest.com

]]> http://culturemob.com/blog/denver-international-wine-festival/feed 0 http://culturemob.com/blog/2009-denver-parade-of-lights http://culturemob.com/blog/2009-denver-parade-of-lights#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:51:23 +0000 Lance Myers http://culturemob.com/blog/?p=7825

Every year, countless parades march through the streets of downtown Denver, each with its own certain pomp and circumstance.  However, there is no other downtown holiday celebration that matches the masses of people who take to the streets in order to see the hundreds of thousands of lights marching through the city during the Annual Denver Parade of Lights.

The parade lineup consist of dazzling floats, massive festive balloons, horse drawn carriages, street performers, and of course local area high school marching bands playing the holiday hits.  Make sure you stay until the very end, so as not to miss Santa Clause’s annual Denver cameo.

This year, the celebration takes place on Friday, December 4th at 8:00 PM, and Saturday, December 5th at 6:00 PM.  It takes place in downtown Denver, beginning at Civic Center Park and the beautifully-lit City and County Building on 14th Ave and Bannock.  An estimated 350,000 people are expected each year, so get to the route early and secure your spot.

Spectator viewing is free along the entire 2-mile parade route, with the exception of the grandstand seating in front of the City and County Building.  For those who cannot make it downtown, the parade will be broadcast live on channel 9 as well.

For more information on the parade route, how to purchase grandstand tickets, or directions to the parade, visit www.paradeoflights.com.

In today’s world full of corporate food chains whose only goal is to make as much money as possible, mass production fast food “restaurants” that offer little more than a “mc-stomach ache” have made it hard for the smaller, independent establishments to survive.  These local eateries are what gives a neighborhood its culture and sense of place.  They also provide a much friendlier face, and most likely more delicious food.  The Larimer Hot House is a prime example of how supporting local restaurants is much more enjoyable (and delicious) than corporate chains.

Located at 2810 Larimer St. in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood, the Larimer Hot House has built a “neighborhood restaurant FOR the neighborhood”.  The atmosphere here is very welcoming and laid back, and when you are greeted by the staff, you can tell right away that they actually enjoy what they are doing, and stand behind their food 100% with an inviting and friendly disposition.  Now that’s something you will be hard pressed to find at your corporate fast food chain.

The menu at Larimer Hot House is sort of like a “tale of 2 restaurants” mixed into one.  For breakfast, they specialize in serving up heaping 1 LB breakfast burritos, green chili (pork or vegetarian), breakfast tacos, and frittatas.  For lunch, they take on their deli identity and offer 7 different delicious sandwiches, as well as homemade chips, pickles, soups, and of course beverages.

One of the better dining deals in town is the Larimer Hot House “Ten Buck Lunch”.  You choose any one of their seven sandwiches, a drink, homemade chips, homemade pickle, and a homemade rice krispy treat.  Even though the portions are large and filling, the delicious flavors will leave you wanting more.

For BBQ lovers, the “Swine Foo” sandwich will satisfy your every desire.  The braised pulled pork is tender, and the house-made BBQ sauce is loaded with flavor and spices.  It packs the perfect amount of heat, without overpowering the taste.  The Chicago Roast Beast is another sandwich worth devouring (all seven sandwiches are!).  It consists of shaved roast beef on an Italian roll with Giardinera (a delicious spicy version of pickle relish) and melted provolone, served with a side of Au Jus.

The Larimer Hot House is a must-try for any deli sandwich lover and food fanatic alike.  The food is made fresh, the price is affordable, service is wonderful, and the people actually believe in their product.  Now that’s something you don’t see a lot of these days.

Larimer Hot House
Monday – Friday from 7 AM – 3:30 PM
Saturdays from 9 AM – 1 PM
2810 Larimer Street
Denver, CO 80205
www.larimerhothouse.com
303-292-3008

Comedy Works announced today that AZIZ ANSARI will perform at the Comedy Works Larimer Square on November 20 and 21.

Aziz Ansari is having a breakout year starring in a popular television series, a number of films and debuting his first hour-long standup special and album. Entertainment Weekly named him one of the top 12 future stars of comedy and LA Weekly put him on the cover of their annual People Issue.

Ansari currently co-stars opposite SNL’s Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones in the NBC Comedy Series, “Parks &Recreation” from the producers and creators of “The Office.” Ansari plays ‘Tom Haverford,’ the sarcastic and occasionally sleazy government employee who is trying to weasel his way to the top of the local Parks &Recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana.

Ansari can also be seen in a handful of feature films. He appears in Judd Apatow’s comedy Funny People opposite Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill. In the film, Ansari plays a vulgar, sexobsessed stand-up comedian named ‘Raaaaaaaandy.’ The popularity of the character has led Judd Apatow to commission a series of mockumentaries based on ‘Raaaaaaaandy’ which have been released on FunnyOrDie.com. Ansari also recently wrapped production on another Judd Apatow film Get Him to the Greek, which he will star in alongside Russell Brand, Jonah Hill and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, as a coworker of Hill’s. Ansari also had roles in the hit comedies I Love You, Man with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, and opposite Seth Rogen and Anna Faris in Observe and Report.

Ansari first came to audience’s attention on MTV’s hit sketch comedy series, “Human Giant.” The series is based around short films starring Ansari, along with Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer. Many of their sketches have become internet sensations and have popularized the trio with young people all across the US.

Last year, Ansari also had a very memorable guest starring role on HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords,” in which he portrayed a racist fruit vendor. He also was seen in a multi-episode arc on “Scrubs” earlier this year.

Ansari recently completed his “Glow in the Dark” Comedy Standup Tour, which concluded in early 2009 with the recording of his first album and special for Comedy Central titled, “Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening.” Both will be released in fall of 2009.

Ansari began performing standup in 2001 while attending NYU. In 2005, Rolling Stone named him their choice for “Hot Standup” on their annual “Hot List,” and he was also awarded the Jury Award for Best Standup at the US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen in 2006.

Friday November 20
8:00 PM / 10:00 PM
$25.00

Saturday November 21
6:30 PM / 8:30 PM / 10:30 PM
$25.00

Advance tickets are available by calling 303 595 3637 or purchase tickets at www.comedyworks.com

Regarded by many as two of the biggest names in the last 4 decades of musical history, Billy Joel and Elton John are bringing their enduring talents to the Pepsi Center on November 22nd, in the latest installment of their ever popular “Face 2 Face” tour series.

The pair first toured together in 1994, and their most recent “Face 2 Face” outing before this year’s event was a sold-out, 24-date trip back in 2003.  However, the 2009 “Face 2 Face” tour will mark the dynamic duo’s first Denver appearance since 2001.

As with each of their previous concerts together, Joel and John will begin the show by playing an assortment of duets, complete with duel pianos and alternating vocals.  They will then play alternating solo sets, until returning to share the stage and coming together for the grand finale.

Some of Billy Joel’s biggest hits include titles such as “Piano Man“, “The Stranger“, “Movin’ Out“, “You May Be Right“, “Uptown Girl“, “River of Dreams“, and “We Didn’t Start The Fire” – just to name a few.

Elton John is best known for hits such as “Tiny Dancer“, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road“, “Rocket Man“, “Bennie and the Jets“, and “Your Song” – again just to name a few for brevity’s sake.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to sing along with the timeless classics that have helped shaped the world’s musical history.

Tickets to this can’t-miss event are on sale at all TicketHorse locations, www.tickethorse.com, The Pepsi Center box office, by phone at 1-866-461-6556

From now until February 16th, 2009, history’s greatest conqueror sets his sights on Denver.  Explore the story of the Mongolian Empire’s most powerful man, Genghis Khan, including his life, his land, his people, his culture, and his enduring legacy.

While he is famous as the ruthless Mongol warlord who conquered half the known world, Genghis Khan is also revered as an innovative leader and statesman who brought unity, stability, and much more to his people.

This popular family-friendly and highly interactive exhibit contains over 200 spectacular and original artifacts, most of which have never been seen outside of Russia and Mongolia, including gold jewelry and ornaments, silk robes, musical instruments, pottery, sophisticated weaponry, and numerous other fascinating relics and elaborate artifacts.

Ticket Information:
$11/Adult
$6/Juniors (3-18)
Students (with ID)
and Seniors (65+)

Show Times:
Monday-Sunday 9:00am-5:30pm

Venue Information:
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
2001 Colorado Boulevard
Denver, CO 80205

For more information, visit the museum website at www.dmns.org

Broken Lizard are currently on tour.

You’ve laughed at their antics during their movies Super Troopers, Club Dread, and Beerfest. And now you have the chance to see them perform live during a comedy tour! Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffeman, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Eric Stolhanske are all set to perform their sketch comedy before a live audience. And they will also be unveiling some of their short films. and it’s all on the coattails of their next movie, The Slammin’ Salmon.

The Slammin Salmon

The group formed at Colgate University in 1990 when Jay Chandrasekhar was asked by a student theater director to put together a comedy show. Chandrasekhar agreed and assembled a sketch comedy troupe which included Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske. The team performed a combination of live stage skits and short videos under the name Charred Goosebeak. Charred Goosebeak continues to exist at Colgate to this day.

As they graduated, the members reunited in New York City, and spent the next few years performing at various clubs, mostly Greenwich Village mainstay The Duplex, under a new name: Broken Lizard. (The group has offered varied explanations of the origin of this moniker, from describing it as a euphemism for the loss of virility, to a tribute to Chandrasekhar’s pet allergies. Most recently, the members have admitted that after a marathon idea session that resulted in agreeing on the name Chocolate Speedo, Chandrasekhar simply made up Broken Lizard off the top of his head when he had their first flyer printed.)

Broken Lizard spent the next few years performing at clubs and college campuses, as their membership dwindled to the five current performers. By the mid 90’s, the group’s interests shifted away from live material as they became more interested in filmed content. They wrote and acted in Dante’s Levels of Hell, a series of interstitial shorts for Comedy Central’s “Is This On?” feature.

At this time, the Lizards also made their first foray into long-form film, shooting the 30-minute 16 mm project, The Tinfoil Monkey Agenda, an absurdist media spoof that earned them a trip to the Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival, and cemented in the group’s minds that they should be creating full length features.

In 1995, the group went back to the campus of Colgate University to shoot Puddle Cruiser, their first 35 mm full length feature, using a tiny budget cobbled together from family loans and maxed-out credit cards. (Chandrasekhar claims his Indian surname caused credit card companies to believe he was a doctor, and therefore offer him generous cash advances.) The movie, a compilation of characters and storylines from their own college experiences, was quickly accepted to the Hamptons International Film Festival, where it won the top jury award, The Golden Starfish. It was also accepted to the Sundance Film Festival and eventually aired on Sundance Channel and IFC.

The group put together the script for their next feature, and first wide-release movie Super Troopers. The film, which portrays rural highway patrolmen as regular guys desperate to make their jobs entertaining, was shot in 2000, and was also invited to Sundance, where raucous screenings earned the film a distribution deal from Fox Searchlight. The movie was released in February 2002 to moderate theatrical success, but eventually caught on as a cult phenomenon DVD.

Fox Searchlight produced and distributed the group’s next feature, 2004’s Club Dread, a parody of slasher movies that takes place at an idyllic tropical resort.

After Chandrasekhar directed The Dukes of Hazzard for Warner Bros., Broken Lizard was offered a deal with the studio. This relationship resulted in Broken Lizard’s fourth feature, 2006’s Beerfest, which revolved around two brothers who discover an underground Oktoberfest beer-drinking Olympics, and assemble a team to compete.

The Brokend Lizard Crew during their Movie Beerfest.

Broken Lizard will be appearing at the Royal Oak Music Center in Royal Oak, Michigan on October 24; and the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC on November 12. The Next day they’ll be performing at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia, PA, followed by the Wilbur Theater in Boston Massachusetts on the 14th. On November 19th the comedy troop will be playing the Boulder Theater in Colorado; followed by Moore Theater in Seattle, and the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon. The group will end their tour at the Nokia Theater in New York City. To Learn more about Broken Lizard check out their website or on Wikipedia.

Perhaps best known for his role as sarcastic Dunder Mifflin warehouse worker Darryl Philbin on NBC’s “The Office,” Craig Robinson also has made his mark in the film world, stealing scenes in every project he appears in including “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” and “Fanboys.” Robinson is currently on tour along with his keyboard performing to packed houses and raucous laughter in response to the musical comedy on display.  Robinson will be joined by special guest Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald from Animal Planet’s “Emergency Vets” and host Chuck Roy.

Don’t miss Craig Robinson at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge on Friday, November 13th at 8:00 PM.  The Riverwalk Center is located at 150 West Adams Avenue in downtown Breckenridge.

Tickets go on sale Friday, October 23rd at 10am and are available at comedyworks.com or by calling (303) 595.3637.

Tickets are $17, $22, & $30 plus applicable service charges. There will be three separate sections of general admission seating.  The show is recommended for ages 18 and up as it features adult content.

Similar to Denver Restaurant Week which took place earlier this year, Havana Street’s International Restaurant Week celebrates the diversity of Havana Street’s multi-ethnic restaurant cuisines.

The 2nd annual International Restaurant Week lasts from October 17th through October 25th, and features 24 different restaurants specializing in international cuisine.  Each participating restaurant will be offering a wide variety of special menus, discounted pricing, and other promotional offers.

The event is the perfect opportunity for Denver residents (and visitors) to try new and unique cuisines from around the world, at special discounted prices.  To take advantage of this great opportunity, simply visit one of the participating restaurants during business hours, and bring an adventurous palate!

The event is also serving as a food drive for the Food Bank of the Rockies, so be sure to bring in nonperishable food items to any of the 24 participating restaurants.

Visit the website to see a list of all 24 participating restaurants, as well as what nonperishable food items are needed the most.