Brunch is a special type of meal typically reserved for weekends and bottomless mimosas with friends. It is lighthearted and full of enjoyment, a fun escape from the typical day-to-day. Denver’s Rioja decided to elevate this concept by offering an exclusive evening brunch featuring five courses complete with Alsatian wine pairings from Lucien Albrecht.
Every aspect of the evening overflowed with elegance and clear attention to detail. The dimly lit restaurant with painted exposed brick provided the perfect backdrop for an intimate night teeming with various delicacies. Each course would start with the host of the evening, Jeremy Reimann of Foley Family Wines, describing the wine and its origins — all of which had originated in Germany with the Albrecht family, whose first winery opened in 1698.
Chef Kylil Henson described the dish served, and we started with a play on French toast with a pain perdu and foie gras served with strawberries and rhubarb, complete with delicate flowers placed on top. Every menu item had a French influence — the custard accompanying the dish had foie gras with just a hint of bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the berries perfectly.
The second course improved on the already high bar set with the first, with a variation of steak and eggs featuring steak tartare, smoked yolk puree, a potato rosti and a parsley salad. This delightfully savory dish brought in the familiar comfort of crispy hash browns while also boosting the flavor profile with the creamy quail egg and the decadent tartare.
To bring in a more earthy flavor, the next course highlighted white asparagus, which is popular in France, presented with smoked trout roe, a poached egg and a tarragon egg dressing with frisée. This prepared our palates well for the next course, duck and waffles — a gamey and fruity choice with various stone fruit, including peaches, apricots and plums, cooked down with mustard seeds to provide a sweet glaze. This dish was particularly well balanced with the sourdough waffle, leaving you wanting more.
Finishing off the night, we were given a yogurt panna cotta with a poblano blackberry jam and a deep-fried croissant donut. This delectably creamy and smooth dessert paired well with the donut’s crunch, giving the event a satisfying end.
The evening certainly would not have been complete without all of the amazing wine pairings for each course, which complemented each dish beautifully. We were gifted a wide variety, from Pinot Blanc to Brut Rose, which allowed each guest to gain a full spectrum of understanding of the quality of wine that Lucien Albrecht provides.
This special Brunch for Dinner event is a part of Rioja’s wine dinner series, which occurs monthly. The next event on July 19 is a Taste of Mexico Wine Dinner featuring Dana Rodriguez as guest chef as well as Rioja chef and owner Jennifer Jasinski. To have your own special night and indulge in foods you have never tried before, buy tickets here for its next event.
Rioja is located at 1431 Larimer St., Denver, and is open on Sunday – Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.