Featured image: Après in the Clouds at Halcyon. Image courtesy Halcyon.
The New Year is here, and with it comes a fresh calendar full of delicious dining events to kick off 2023 in style. From exclusive tasting menus to food festivals, January is chock-full of delicious opportunities to eat your way through the city. So mark your calendars, put on your stretchy pants, and get ready to indulge in some of the best culinary events Denver has to offer this month. Bon appétit!
Weekly: Après in the Clouds | Thursdays. 3:30 p.m.–8 p.m., Fridays–Sundays, 1 p.m.–8 p.m.
Got an appetite for heights? If winters in Denver make you want to huddle around a fire, enjoying s’mores and sipping on mulled wine with your loved ones, then you’re in good company. Head to the rooftop at Halcyon and cozy up for a truly unique dining experience in one of the winterized cabanas. Each cabana seats up to 6 people and includes an alpine-style dinner under the Denver sky. Pick your own playlist on the Bluetooth vinyl record player and enjoy picture-perfect views of the Mile High City and beyond with a Celestron telescope. Spend time with your loved ones nestled around a fire, drinking a hot toddy (or cocoa), and enliven your senses with soothing tunes and breathtaking views of the Mile High City. Enjoy curling, cabanas, tailgating, stargazing and more! Seriously, we’re not ones to use a lot of exclamation points but this totally deserves it: it’s different, fun, and has a super hip factor that we can’t get enough of right now. So don’t be surprised if you see us there, too. Find more details (including info about how, exactly, one plays curling..or should it be how one curls? Idk, tbh) on the Halcyon website here.
Breakfast Fly-In | Saturday, January 7 @ 9:30 a.m.
Join Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight for monthly fly-ins featuring planes, pilots and breakfast!
Every first Saturday of the month, Wings Over the Rockies museum hosts a fly-in breakfast with local food trucks, interactive exhibits, and simulators. Visitors can watch aircraft fly in and check out a wide range of historic and iconic aircraft, including the Dream Chaser, the F-14 Tomcat (as seen in the original Top Gun), a Bell UH-1M Iroquois “Huey” helicopter, a Lockheed F-104 C Starfigher, and a 3/4-scale replica of the X-Wing Starfighter from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. This replica is even signed by cast and crew members including Harrison Ford, George Lucas, and David Prowse. Don’t miss this chance to explore the world of flight and satisfy your appetite. The featured food truck in January is Cruz In & Eat, but it’s worth noting (since this is DiningOut and all) that food purchases are not included in admission. It’s also worth noting (just because it’s cool) that pilots can fly in free for breakfast. Soar on over to the museum’s website for more details.
Art While You Lunch | Wednesday, January 11 @ 12:30 p.m.
Art While You Lunch? Oh, kale yeah! Enjoy the lentil things by bringing your lunch into the gallery every Wednesday from 12:30-2:30pm. As the winter months ragr on, Union Hall welcomes you into its space to be surrounded by warmth, music, free warm cookies and hot tea, and a place to enjoy a meal. Whether you work downtown, live in the neighborhood, or are traveling through, you can visit a visually distinctive and frequently changing arts space as a new lunch venue. Wondering what to grab for lunch? Ask the gallery and marketing manager, Jess, for recommendations nearby. Or pop into neighboring retail spaces, Sweetgreen or Kaffe Landskap, for a healthy and delicious lunch kick. It all goes down at Union Hall, located in the first floor of The Coloradan in downtown Denver (1750 Wewatta St.). Free and open to the public.
Ukrainian Expo & Food Fest | Saturday, January 14 @ 11 a.m.
Are you tired of the same old dining options? Shake things up with some Ukrainian cuisine at Lost City on the second Saturday of every month. For just $9, you can try some Borscht that’s sure to clear out those sinuses (and maybe even your ex). And for those feeling extra adventurous, the $17 Buckwheat, Kotleta + Babushka Salad with Polivka combo is sure to satisfy even the most ravenous of appetites. But be warned – this dish may bring out your inner babushka. And wash it all down with a refreshing $4.50 Kompot, the perfect drink for pretending you’re on a beach in Ukraine (minus the actual beach part). So come on down and experience the flavors of the motherland – your taste buds (and Instagram followers) will thank you. More details available here.
Asian Avenue 2023 Lunar New Year Dinner Celebration | Saturday, January 14 @ 5:30 p.m.
Hop on over to Empress Seafood Restaurant to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with Asian Avenue. This festive evening includes a mouthwatering 10-course Chinese banquet dinner featuring dishes like peking duck, seafood soup, and steamed whole fish. And if that wasn’t enough to get your taste buds jumping for joy, the menu also includes two whole lobsters with noodles – talk about a lucky meal! But the feast doesn’t stop there – make sure to save room for some oranges, a symbol of wealth and good luck. And if all that food makes you feel like dancing, you’re in luck – the evening will also feature cultural performances, including a welcome lion dance by Colorado Asian Cultural Heritage Center and a musical performance by Sri Bangaru. Plus, there will be a silent auction and prizes to add to the fun. Tickets are $50 per person and available via Asian Avenue magazine here.
Rioja Dim Sum Dinner | Wednesday, January 18 @ 6:30 p.m.
Join us for our Dim Sum dinner at Rioja! Tickets are $125 per person and can be booked on Tock. The restaurant is partnering with Ultreia and Stoic & Genuine for a dim sum dinner at the beloved venue in historic Larimer Square. More info here.
Front Range Supper Club at Sunnyside | Sunday, January 22 @ 6 p.m.
The Sunnyside Supper Club is offering a monthly Italian-inspired dinner event that will have your taste buds singing. Gather together with members and their guests for a night of delicious cuisine paired with imported wines. The menu for this occasion includes a seasonal arugula salad with an Italian white wine, a house-made cheese and light pizza with a Pinot Noir, and a polenta and Italian-forward entree with a deep red wine. Break bread and raise a glass in the name of community and fine dining—mark your calendars and snag your tickets now.
UllrGrass Music & Beer Festival | Friday, January 27 to Sunday, January 29
Denverites, get ready to channel your inner Viking and celebrate winter in style at UllrGrass – a three-day music and beer festival taking place in Golden, CO at the end of January. This festive event, named for the Norse god of winter (pronounced “ooler”), was created by Golden residents Chris and Susannah Thompson as a way to bring the community together during the colder months. Festival-goers are encouraged to don their finest Viking regalia and enjoy live music, performing arts, and craft beer from more than 30 breweries from around Colorado and the nation. The event has even been named one of the top ten outdoor festivals in Colorado by Westword. But UllrGrass isn’t just for adults—Sunday is designated as “Family Day,” with activities like an UllrEgg Hunt, Costume Parade, and craft activities for kids of all ages. And if all that fun makes you hungry, don’t worry. There will be food trucks on hand all weekend to keep your energy up. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to embrace your inner Viking – grab your tickets via Eventbrite now.
Denver Winter Brew Fest | Saturday, January 28
Taste from a selection of 80+ beers, seltzers, ciders, etc. from a variety of breweries at the annual Winter Brew Festival in Denver. This festive event takes place indoors & outdoors (inside a tent) at the Mile High Station spreading out into the parking lot where there will be live music and food trucks. This one-day-only brewfest has both day (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.) and evening sessions (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.), both of which get you a commemorative tasting glass from which you’ll sample amazing brews while some great live music by Grunge Lite and Stone Beat Invasion sets the festive tone. A VIP ticket gets you entry at 6 p.m. for a first taste of great brews during a limited attendance VIP power hour that includes a special beer and cheese sampling. Advance tickets start at $49 and can be procured on Eventbrite here.
