Spring is in the air and weeknights suddenly got a lot busier with a variety of specials from your favorite restaurants. From Earth Day vegan dinners to secret supper clubs and a decade-in-the-making menu overhaul, here’s some F&B news that’s on our radar right now.
Earth Day Celebrations
Earth Day Vegan Dinner at Jill’s Restaurant, April 22
Celebrate Earth Day with a vegan prix-fixe dinner at Jill’s Restaurant. The evening will begin with a 30-minute cocktail reception including passed appetizers and a specialty cocktail. Then, guests will indulge in the four-course menu featuring jackfruit bao, yakisoba noodles, lentil “meatballs” and a Bavarian chocolate layer cake. Tickets are $59 per person and can be purchased here.
Celebrate Earth Day with a Wind-Churned Scoop at Sweet Action Ice Cream, April 22
As one of Colorado’s first commercial Windsource customers, each one of Sweet Action’s shops runs solely on wind energy, proudly serving pints that are good for the planet. The family-owned ice cream brand serves handcrafted, wind-churned ice cream in Uptown, Wash Park, Jefferson Park and on South Broadway.
Something Special, Every Day Of the Week
Molino Chido Rolls Out Weekend Lunch Menu, Saturdays and Sundays
Molino Chido, the decidedly unpretentious taqueria within Stanley Marketplace from chefs Tommy Lee and Michael Diaz de Leon, is now open for lunch starting at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Guests can enjoy a curated menu of classics, bebidas, new hits y mas with reservations available via OpenTable.
Papi’s Placita at Ay Papi, Sundays
Every Sunday starting at 1 p.m., Ay Papi opens its doors early to host Papi’s Placita — a new weekly celebration inspired by the spirit of Latin placitas, the vibrant neighborhood gathering places at the heart of community life. Guests are invited to settle in for an afternoon of live music, artisan vendors and bottomless tropical mimosas, all paired with the bold flavors and cocktails Ay Papi is known for. Whether stopping by after brunch or making it a weekly ritual, Placita Sundays offer the perfect space to linger a little longer over good drinks, good bites and even better company.
Sunset Sundays at Sorry Gorgeous, Sundays
Sorry Gorgeous is launching Sunset Sundays, a new weekly golden hour ritual every Sunday from 3 p.m. to midnight. Each week, a rotating lineup of DJs sets the tone with melodic house and atmospheric sounds, paired with rooftop views and an energy that builds as the sun sets. Learn more at @sorrygorgeousrooftop and sorrygorgeousrooftop.com.
Kumoya Karaoke Nights, Thursdays
Kumoya is turning up the volume this April. Every Thursday from 9 p.m. to midnight, the Japanese kitchen and sushi bar in LoHi is hosting karaoke nights complete with happy hour drink specials all night. Grab a bite before the kitchen closes at 10 p.m. and come ready with your favorite karaoke songs.
Tots & Tinis with Jazz at the Julien, Thursdays
Jazz at the Julien takes place at Boulder’s St Julien Hotel & Spa each Thursday from 6-9 p.m. Produced by the Atom Jazz Network, the live jazz brings hotel guests and locals together for cozy listening in the lobby or a full-sensory experience on the terrace with views of the Flatirons. A Tots & Tinis menu features $10 selections including Jill’s famous tots and cocktails including an espresso martini, gin or vodka martini, Julien Old Fashioned or Cosmopolitan. Find more information and the entertainment schedule here.
Other Dining News
Jovanina’s Launches Caffé Rifugio, Invitation-Only Experience Available on Select Weekends
Caffé Rifugio, an intimate, invitation-only supper club experience, has launched in a secret enclave within downtown Denver’s Jovanina’s Broken Italian. Inspired by Italy’s storied mountain dining huts — places of warmth and secrecy — Caffé Rifugio is an intimate, 40-seat experience offered on select weekends. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with cold prosecco and a warm welcome, then seated in fur-trimmed chairs within the intimate, candlelit space. Equal parts 1958-era Italian Dolce Vita and cozy mountain cabin, the design is rich, cozy and punctuated by 19th-century brick walls, dark woods and layered textures. A curated prix-fixe menu with generous portions of sharable items such as jumbo shrimp cocktail and caviar service, seasonal charcuterie, salads, wood oven–roasted prime rib and porchetta — as well as dessert — are presented in tableside-carted courses by velvet tuxedoed servers. Classic cocktails, rare wines and bold amari complement each. The experience begins at $150 per person. To visit, guests are invited to join the waitlist; they’ll then be provided booking information when seatings become available. For additional information or to join the waitlist, click here.
Hop Alley’s First Major Menu Overhaul in 10 Years
Executive Chef Sean May, who joined the Hop Alley team last summer after holding previous positions at Frasca, Wolf’s Tailor, Uncle West Wash Park and others, has introduced an all-new menu at Hop Alley. The first major menu overhaul since the restaurant opened a decade ago includes highlights such as fried Alamosa striped bass with Singapore chili crab sauce; Chengdu sweet water noodles with house made wheat noodles, Sichuan ground bean sauce, pickles and fried garlic; and Buckner Farms braised lamb with Chinese turnip cakes, lap cheong sausage and lamb jus. Luckily, some of Hop Alley’s longtime favorites — such as the Beijing duck roll and chilled tofu — can still be found on the restaurant’s new happy hour menu, joining new items such as a fried chicken sandwich with Singapore curry spice and pineapple. Available Monday–Wednesday from 5-6:30 p.m., the menu also features $11 house wines, $7 house beers and “Boy Dinner” — a beer and a shot — for $12, among other items. Learn more at hopalleydenver.com.
