As we roll into August, there’s no signs of Denver’s food and booze scene slowing down. A Tennyson Street flexitarian restaurant adds a breakfast menu and there’s big news out of Union Station for one of Denver’s best-known chefs. Read on to see what’s happening this week.
Vital Root Now Open For Breakfast
Located at 3915 Tennyson Street in Denver, Vital Root now gives #healthyliving a morning boost. The flexitarian restaurant is now serving breakfast from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. The new menu ranges from banana-coconut chia pudding ($7) to Korean stir fry ($14). In addition to the variety of breakfast power foods, Vital Root also offers cold-pressed juices, smoothies and house-made nut milks for $9, as well as Coda Coffee and Brasil Afasa for a healthy wake up call.
Rioja Team Will Open Ultreia in Union Station
The Crafted Concepts team, led by James Beard Award-winning chef Jennifer Jasinski along with business partners Beth Gruitch and chef Jorel Pierce will open Ultreia in Union Station in early 2017.
The Spanish- and Portuguese-inspired menu will include dishes like Cadiz-style sea bream, crispy morcilla and roasted leg of lamb. Ultreia will offer mezzanine seating with a full bar featuring Spanish gin and tonics and a variety of sherries in a 1,900-square-foot space. “We are not Spanish, but we plan to pay respect to the classics and put our own unexpected twists onto them,” said Jennifer Jasinski.
Ultreia will be the second Crafted Concepts restaurant in Union Station, and with its unique culture, it comes as no surprise that Union Station is a perfect location.
Colorado Proud Launches Follow Your Fruits & Veggies Journey
Starting August 1 and continuing through the end of the month, Colorado Proud’s Follow Your Fruits & Veggies Journey will travel across the state to cities including Denver, Littleton, Durango, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins.
Representatives including the Colorado Commissioner for Agriculture, farmers and grocery store presidents will speak at schools, farms, grocery stores and more, where they will celebrate local farmers and ranchers by educating consumers about Colorado’s locally grown fruits and vegetables. Consumers are encouraged to share their experiences with Journey on the Colorado Proud Facebook page. For a complete schedule on the Journey visit coloradoproud.org.
Denver Welcomes Thrive360 Eatery
Thrive360 Eatery, a fast-casual restaurant is opening up its first ever Colorado location at 1001 17th Street in Downtown Denver on Wednesday, August 3. Its menu not only includes wraps and salads, but also offers guests a “make your plate” option.
To celebrate its grand opening, customers can buy any entrée on the menu for $3.60. Guests can also participate in Thrive360’s “Blender Bikes” competitions, going on through August 5, where they can bike to blend smoothies and win prizes.
Through August 12, all proceeds from the drinks made on “Blender Bikes” will be funded to the American Heart Association and CycleNation. Thrive360 Eatery’s normal hours of operation will begin on Thursday, Aug. 4, Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Carboy Winery Opening in Littleton
Carboy Winery, Colorado’s newest urban winery will give wineries a whole new meaning with a brewery-like twist. Scheduled to open on August 25, owners Craig Jones, Gabriel Aragon and Eric Hyatt will offer their signature selections of wines from around the world on both tap and in bottle, while also incorporating the Italian tradition of the “Carboy” that will allow customers to purchase and refill their wine in the taproom.
“We will source, blend and age our own wine, and sell it by the same method commonly practiced by crafted brews, through a tap system and glass growler, or ‘Carboy’. Patrons will be able to come back again and fill up on any of our tap wines,” said co-owner, Gabriel Aragon.
Carboy Winery will be located near the Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton at 6885 S. Santa Fe Drive. The winery’s regular hours will be Sunday through Tuesday, 2-10 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday, 2-11 p.m., with Happy Hour daily from 2-5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to closing.