DIGEST: BrunchFest; Maria Empanada; Hosea’s new spot.
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Denver BrunchFest is coming for three hours only, and it will probably be the best three hours of our lives. It’s like a brunch crawl, except it’s all in one place so you don’t actually have to move much, thus maximizing that key waffle-to-effort-exerted ratio.
The magic happens Aug. 27 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. That’s 180 minutes of daydrinking (bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys are included in the ticket price), muffin-eating, and pancake-downing fun.
Brunchers will stuff themselves silly on fare from Revelry Kitchen, Departure, Brazen Neighborhood Eatery and at least 10 other hot spots.
I recommend going all Comic Con-like and dressing up as your favorite brunch entrée. Because, brunch lovers, this is your day to shine.
Denver BrunchFest: Aug. 27, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Civic Center park area (Bannock Street between Colfax and 14th); 720-500-3409; denverbrunchclub.com; tickets from $65; 21+ only
●●● I think it was Martin Luther King Jr. who said that darkness cannot drive out darkness; only empanadas can do that. Bring a little more light into the world at the third outpost of Maria Empanada, which opened Aug. 18 inside the Stanley Marketplace. 2501 N. Dallas St., Aurora, 303934-2221, mariaempanada.com
●●● In another giant leap for mankind (or just the Boulder restaurant scene), local “Top Chef” hero Hosea Rosenberg announced he’s opening Santo, a “seasonal, modern, northern New Mexican” restaurant.
This will be the second Boulder restaurant for Rosenberg (the first is Blackbelly), who hails from Taos, so the guy should know what he’s doing when it comes to New Mexican fare.
Rosenberg had been wanting to do a New Mexican restaurant for a while, and when the north Boulder space became available (formerly Scotts on Alpine, which closed quietly in June), he jumped at the chance.
Wondering what seasonal, modern, northern New Mexican food is? A sneak peek at the menu reveals stacked (never rolled!) blue corn enchiladas topped with red and hatch green chiles; queso fundido with three cheeses and red pepper jelly; and, for dessert, bizcochitos (crispy cinnamon and licorice-flavored cookies).
Santo (opening fall 2017): 1265 Alpine Ave., Boulder, 303-442-6100
●●● All your letters and prayers paid off, Colorado: Raising Cane’s opened another Denver-area location. The inCanely popular chain is now doling out chicken fingers and Cane sauce in Parker as of Aug. 15. (The first Denver-area Raising Cane’s opened last month in Highlands Ranch.) Not near Parker or H.R.? Maybe there’s some sort of Cane dance you can do to get one in your ’hood. 18200 Cottonwood Drive, Parker, 303-8411207; raisingcanes.com
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The best type of invasion is a pizza invasion, am I right? MOD Pizza is doing just that, expanding with a pepperoni-topped vengeance throughout Colorado. The latest opened Aug. 14 in Westminster, and seven more of the fast casual, createyour-own pizza spots will be opening in the next few months. 6415 W. 104th Ave., Westminster, 720-4177300; modpizza.com
●●● Hail damage from that crazy May storm shut down the Colorado Mills Yard House, but, like your thirst for beer, it’s revved and ready to go again. The chain, which is probably best known for its menu of over 100 beers and betterthan-your-average-sportsbar food, was back in business as of Aug. 11. 14500 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood, 303-278-9273; yardhouse.com
●●● The team behind Way Back is taking over the vacant Zengo spot on Little Raven Street and opening Wayward, a vegetablecentric (but not vegetarian) restaurant. Make your mom proud and eat your veggies starting Aug. 22. 1610 Little Raven St., Denver, 720-449-8300
●●● I’m all sorts of excited for the return of the grain at Emmerson on Aug. 24. The Boulder restaurant with a killer cocktail program will be going against the against-the-grain trend and making carbs cool again. (Gluten-free options will be available, too, because, come on, this is Boulder.) 1600 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-953-9852; emmersonrestaurant.com
●●● To take care of one of their own, Jax Fish House in LoDo will host a fundraiser for the family of Marlon Casanova, the Jax line cook killed walking home from work on July 31. Forty percent of all proceeds on Aug. 24 will be donated to Casanova’s family to cover funeral expenses. 1539 17th St., Denver, 303-292-5767; jaxfishhouse.com; open at 4 p.m. ●●●
If you’re on Instagram and you’re reading the Food section, then you probably already follow @5280_eats (aka Annie Stookesberry). The popular Denver food ’grammer just introduced Feast Locally, a six-month dining club to get you out of your culinary rut and into exciting new restaurants. Check it out at feastlocally.com.
●●● Some days this summer have been so hot that it felt like walking into a blazing inferno. For the firefighters who literally do walk into blazing infernos, Firehouse Subs put on the H20 for Heroes bottled water collection drive to keep them hydrated and cool. Denver and Colorado Springs residents donated more than 800 cases of bottled water for first responders during the annual drive on Aug. 5. Firehousesubs.com Allyson Reedy (areedy @denverpost.com) is a food writer for The Denver Post. On Twitter @Allyson BTC and Instagram, Allyson EatsDen.