Prost on the Fly: Last-Minute Oktoberfest Celebrations & Specials

As the leaves turn and the autumn air settles in, there is no better way to enter the Fall season than by raising a stein at Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest offers a vibrant celebration of Bavarian culture from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6, 2024. We are here to help you find this year’s festivities that promise to blend traditional food and lively entertainment. Whether you are a seasoned beer enthusiast or a curious first-time, Oktoberfest offers something for everyone. Join us as we dive into the celebration by spotlighting a local restaurant and chef and exploring the Oktoberfest specials around town that you will not want to miss.

Feature: Rhein Haus

We love introducing you to the culinary maestros behind the menus at some of your favorite restaurants and those you may not have heard of. We had the privilege of interviewing Chef Pete Fjosne of Rhein Haus Denver. Rhein Haus is a Bavarian-inspired restaurant and hosted its Oktoberfest-ivities on Sept. 20-22 and Sept. 27-29.

303 Magazine: Can you share your journey into the culinary field? What inspired you to become a chef, and did you have any particular mentors or experiences that shaped your career? 

Chef Pete Fjosne: I have been passionate about cooking for as long as I can remember. I grew up in rural Idaho on the Little Salmon River, and we were more or less homesteaders: growing our fruits and vegetables, foraging, hunting deer, elk, and bears. We would cure our meats, make summer sausage, smoked fish, bake all of our bread, etc. Both of my parents were great cooks. My first job in the restaurant industry was dishwashing at Meadow Creek Golf And Field Club, about 15 miles from my home when I was 14. I fell in love with the kitchen immediately. The chef was amazing; before service, the entire kitchen staff would have to go outside and do stretching and calisthenics like we were on a sports team.

At first, I assumed that all the cooks had done this before the service. I was wrong. After high school, I moved to Bend, Oregon. I started working at Broken Top Country Club as a line cook in the evening. In the mornings, I worked as the assistant chocolatier at Goody’s Chocolate Factory, making handmade chocolates. I would work at least 80 hrs a week to afford my other passion, traveling in Central and South America. After about five years in Bend, I moved to St. Helena in the Nampa Valley and worked at Auberge Du Soleil.

After a few years, I moved back to Bend and took the chef position at Pronghorn Golf Club. After Pronghorn, I started working at Merenda Restaurant under acclaimed Chef Jody Denton, one of my biggest mentors in the business. After Merenda closed due to the housing crisis in 2008, I helped open the Brand 33 restaurant at Aspen Lakes Golf Club. In 2011, I moved to Seattle and started working as a sous chef under Chef Jason Stoneburner at Bastille Cafe & Bar. With my experience with charcuterie, I opened Rhein Haus as the chef with the team behind Bastille. We opened up Rhein Haus in Denver, Tacoma, and Leavenworth. As they say, the rest is history.

303: What influences your menu at Rhein Haus, especially during Oktoberfest?  Are there traditional dishes you feel especially passionate about, or do you like to put your twist on classic recipes? 

PF: When we first opened Rhein Haus, I was focused on doing the traditional Bavarian beer hall cuisine I saw from my travels in Germany. Soon after, I decided to take a modern take on traditional German fare. Two of the traditional dishes that are my favorites are the Traditional Flammekuechen, a common street food in Germany that is a crispy flatbread topped with sour cream, bacon, sauteed sweet onion, and green onion. Also, the Nuremberg sausage plate. Nuremberg sausages are small, thin pork sausages seasoned with garlic, black pepper, and marjoram. Every time I eat one, it brings me back to the beer halls in Munich.

303: If you had to recommend three must-try dishes for someone celebrating Oktoberfest or trying German cuisine for the first time, what would they be and why? 

PF: The must-try dishes you should try if you are new to German food are the Pretzel with Obatzda, of course, Kasespaetzel, Schnitzel, Sausage with Sauerkraut, Beef Goulash, Schweinshaxe Currywurst & Frites, and copious amounts of German beer. 

303: What suggestions would you give those who would like to celebrate Oktoberfest with family and friends regarding easy-to-make recipes they can try at home?  Also, if this is an option, what would be the top two go-to dishes on the Rhein Haus menu that would pair well with the side dishes that they make at home? 

PF: If you would like to celebrate Oktoberfest at home with family and friends, I would start by getting some traditional Oktoberfest-style German beers, put on your dirndls and lederhosen, and come see us at Rhein Haus and pick up some sausages and pretzels to take home. Put on the polka music and party! Prost! 

Chef Fjosne, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions and allowing us to introduce our readers to you.

Rhein Haus is located at 1415 Market Street, Denver. Its hours are Monday – Thursday 3 p.m. – 11 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. – 1 a.m., Saturday 12 p.m. – 1 a.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

If you do not make any Oktoberfest celebrations around the Denver Metro area this year, don’t fret. Rhein Haus Denver has been serving beer and brats since November 2015, so we are sure they will be able to help you experience a little of what Oktoberfest is all about while you plan to attend next year’s festivities.

Where Else to Celebrate Oktoberfest

Well, there you have it. Another guide to planning your weekend around the three “F’s” – Family/Friends, Fun and of always, Food.