Small Plates Brief – March 2016

Kegs and Cabbage

Inaugural FREE St. Patrick’s Day party March 17 at the Boulder Theater with free Irish

fare (by Savory Cuisines) and drink specials from Boulder Beer and Jameson’s. Doors at 5:30

p.m., The Al Capones followed by Boulder’s favorite jam/blues/rock/acoustic band, Pro-Leisure,

on at 6 p.m. You can’t go wrong with great food and drink, kick-ass tunes, and FREE

ADMISSION, to this first in what looks to be an annual event at the Boulder Theater.

Farmers Markets are BACK

Starting 8 a.m. Saturday, April 2, the Boulder County Farmers Markets will be back in

swing in Boulder (13 th Street between Canyon and Arapahoe) and Longmont (the Boulder

County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road). Boulder’s Wednesday Farmers Market (4-8 p.m.) starts

May 4. And new this year is the Denver Union Station Farmers Market, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on

Saturdays starting June 4. A cool new thing this season at the Saturday Boulder Farmers Market

is chef demos from 10-11 a.m. at the Food Court area starting in June. Each week a local chef

will show you how to shop for fresh produce, cook a seasonal dish and taste the results. Go to

bcfm.org for more info.

CSA shares going fast

Even the heartiest greens are just now poking through the soil at area Community

Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms, but the shares are selling like fresh raspberries. If you’re

interested in signing up for CSA shares at a local farm, come to a free happy hour being held

from 5-8 p.m. Monday, March 14 at Powder Keg Brewing Co. in Niwot. There will be nine

Boulder County farms represented and farmers in attendance can answer questions about how

CSAs work; what the difference is between Certified Organic, organic methods and certified

naturally grown (CNG); what to expect in terms of quantity of fruits, vegetables, greens, herbs,

roots, eggs, meat, cheese, etc.; costs involved with some items; etc. For more information to

chew on, visit the farmshares.info website where you can find lists of CSA farms across the

state and by city, a complete FAQ section and other helpful elements.

You be the judge

The 7 th Denver International Beer Competition will still have world famous brewers

judging beers and awarding medals at its annual competition in April (including yours truly), but

new this year is the People’s Choice Tasting from 6-9 p.m. April 2 at the Omni Interlocken

Resort in Broomfield. For $35 you can sample and judge (giving out awards for 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd

places) from the more than 150 beers that were entered in the DIBC and see where your taste

buds stack up with the pros. There will be live music and appetizers served. Go to

denverbeercomp.com for tickets, competition results and other information.

Lots to check out during Craft Beer Week

The Colorado Brewers Guild just keeps piling on the goodness during Craft Beer Week,

celebrated by breweries across the state from March 19 – 27 with everything from special, one-

off firkin releases to food and beer pairings to release parties and music. Check

coloradocraftbeerweek.com for a calendar with dozens of events, many of which are free. For

instance, Twisted Pine Brewer in Boulder is teaming up with Haystack Mountain Cheese for a

free beer and cheese pairing from 4-8 p.m. March 24. And tucked into that 9-day week is

Colorado Pint Day; buy a pint at participating breweries — Boulder Beer, Cannonball Creek

Brewing, Upslope or West Flanders in and around Boulder County — and a dollar goes to the

Brewers Guild and you keep the glass.