Bloom to Table

Bloom to Table

Now in its fifth year, Viva Abejas returns March 24 through Earth Day (April 22) with a special “Bloom to Table” menu honoring bees and the vital role they play in our food system. Guests in Denver can look forward to pollinator-inspired dishes and cocktails, along with children’s education programming, all part of Richard Sandoval Hospitality’s broader national celebration.

Bloom to Table theme highlights the complete ecosystem behind every meal, from blossom, to bee to bite, reinforcing that one in three bites and sips depends on bees, even as more than 40 percent of U.S. bee colonies were lost in a single year.

In Denver, the campaign comes to life directly on the plate at both Toro and Tamayo, with menus designed to showcase ingredients that rely on pollinators and to highlight honey as a culinary and ecological connector.

At Tamayo, guests will enjoy two specialty Viva Abejas dishes. The Viva Tiradito appetizer will feature chili-crusted ahi, cured salmon and hamachi with honey avocado purée, lemongrass leche de tigre, red onion, radish and orange blossom honey. For the menu’s entree, a seven-ounce beef tenderloin will be served with roasted corn ragout, rainbow heirloom cauliflower, criolla salsa and truffle honey.

At Toro, all honey used throughout the Viva Abejas menu will be sourced directly from the on-site beehive located on the rooftop of Hotel Clio, the Cherry Creek hotel that houses the restaurant. Along with the Viva Tiradito appetizer and beef tenderloin entree, Toro will also offer a blue corn masa biscuit amuse bouche with chipotle honey, requesón cheese, corn sprout and corn husk. To round out the meal, the Abejas Pavlova, made with bee pollen pavlova, alma finca–macerated mango, whipped cream, coconut ice cream and raw honey, will be served for dessert.

The Viva Abejas cocktail menu highlights how pollinators shape the ingredients behind each drink. A key connection is
Alma Finca Orange Liqueur, which is made with oranges pollinated by bees from Chef Richard Sandoval’s own hives in Mérida, Mexico. This liqueur will be used not only in the pavlova, but also in the Miel del Fuego cocktail, which features espadín mezcal, alma finca orange liqueur, Luxardo cherry liqueur and a bright orange twist. Guests can also enjoy
Buzzed Bliss, made with gin, coconut cream, fruit-infused honey, lime and pineapple juice, and the zero-proof
Honeybee Fizz, a refreshing combination of ginger ale topped with a cloud of butter and lavender honey foam.