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The truth about corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day

BY PEYTON GARCIA | @CITYCASTDENVER

DELICIOUS DENVER FOOD NEWS

Good morning and bon appétit! It’s time for your weekly serving of Denver dining news…

First, some congratulations are in order! The James Beard Awards has narrowed down its semi-finalists for the “Best Chef: Mountain” category to the top five contenders — and they’re ALL from Colorado! 🎉🎉🎉

The five James Beard Award finalists for “Best Chef: Mountain” are:

In other food and beverage news…

Denver Restaurant Week wraps up this weekend. So if you haven’t taken advantage of the delicious discounts available to support our local dining scene, do it now!

Beer lovers rejoice! Denver Beer Co. has announced plans for a fourth location, this time in Denver’s Lowry neighborhood. They’ve got great brews (I’m personally a fan of Princess Yum Yum), but I especially love to keep track of their taproom events, which include special releases and tasty pairing parties, like the upcoming cervezas and empanadas night.

For my next dinner out, I’ve got my eye on Glo Noodle House, a brand new, well, noodle house, specializing in ramen and Japanese small plates. The menu looks delicious and it comes with a backstory that may or may not (OK, definitely did) leave tears in my eyes. The husband-wife duo behind the concept have Michelin-Star and James Beard experience, a shared passion for food, and they also had a hand in opening the uber popular ramen joint in my Erie ’hood, Birdhouse.

Meanwhile, I’m pouring one out for Broadway Market, which also was a casualty of pandemic closures. The landlord has officially put the space back on the market. It wasn’t open very long (only since 2018), but I have an affinity for food halls and the diverse dining experiences they offer. Plus, I got engaged at a party at Broadway Market back in 2019. That was the last time I was there, and I’m bummed I didn’t have one more chance to relive the moment with a visit. 

One more thing, in the spirit of the holiday, before I let you go: Turns out our favorite St. Patrick’s Day meal, corned beef and cabbage, is not an Irish tradition 🤯  It’s actually a trend that began in the 19th century when Irish immigrants in New York were looking for something to substitute in for the bacon they couldn’t find in Jewish delis. Check out this CPR story about the corned beef myth produced by our own (“VERY IRISH AND PROUD OF IT”) City Cast Denver producer Xandra McMahon back in 2018. Then, go eat some corned beef anyways 😉

Stay hungry, Denver! 

TODAY ON THE POD 📚

“Winning a game is not, and should not, be more important than a woman’s life.” — Author Erika Krouse

Take me to the pod!

How CU Boulder Football’s Sexual Assault Scandal Set a Precedent for #MeToo
Almost 20 years ago, Erika Krouse took a job as a private investigator. Her first big case? A massive sexual assault scandal that was exposing a toxic culture of abuse within CU Boulder’s prized football program. Krouse’s new book, “Tell Me Everything: The Story of A Private Investigation,” is part true crime thriller and part memoir, as she weaves together her recollections of the case with the story of her own experience with sexual assault.

Today on the show, I sat down with Krouse to talk about what it was like going up against an institution as powerful as the University of Colorado, how she saw her own story in the stories of the victims, and the legacy of the case today.

⚠️ Warning: While there are no graphic descriptions, this episode contains discussions about sexual assault.

🍀 HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Denver’s official St. Patty’s Day parade took place last week, but there’s no shortage of green parties and specials happening today and this weekend — Here are just a few that sounded festive to me. Plus, find more options at Mile High on the Cheap.

+ St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl
OK, they all claim to be the “official” St. Patty’s Day pub crawl, but this one seemed especially good with eight stops at local bars in the Ballpark area. The revelry begins tonight at 5 p.m.

+ Party at an Irish pub
There’s no better place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than an authentic Irish pub, and Clancy’s is the state’s truest and greenest, founded in 1973. Beginning tonight and running through Saturday, Clancy’s will host Irish dancers, bagpipe performers, Celtic vendors, and its usual menu of traditional Irish fare.

+ St. Patrick’s Day 5K
It can’t all be corned beef and green beer. Sport your favorite shade of green at this community walk/run/roll on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at the Highlands Ranch Town Center and finishing with a free pancake breakfast. Sign up today for a discounted price. 

MORE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

🚩 Another DPD lawsuit: Fifteen Denver police officers, including police chief Paul Pazen, are facing a lawsuit for allegedly using excessive use of force in the arrest of Michael Jacobs in July of 2020. The night of the incident, Jacobs was attending a local protest against homeless encampment sweeps. [Denver Post]

  • 👀 All eyes on DPD: This lawsuit comes in the middle of the ongoing trial for a high-profile federal civil suit against the city filed by a group of 2020 George Floyd demonstrators who are also alleging excessive use of force by DPD. 

📋 Council remains divided on redistricting: Amid much debate and even some divisive Twitter arguments, City Council has narrowed its options for a new council district map from four to two — maps D and E. A first vote will be held on the maps at the council’s meeting next Monday. [CO Politics]

💉 So long and good riddance, COVID: In yet another move that marks the end of an era for COVID in Colorado, the state will shut down its remaining mass vaccination sites on March 31. This decision comes as cities and counties across Colorado have begun relaxing their pandemic protocols. However, state officials say they could reactivate the sites in a few weeks’ time if necessary. [Denver Post]

☀️ Protect the sunshine: This week, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent, meaning winter sunsets wouldn’t be so early anymore. The bill is headed to the House next and will still need a signature from President Biden. [AP] 

  • 🔎 What would permanent DST look like in Colorado? According to 9News meteorologists, our latest sunrise of the year would be about 8:20 a.m., and our earliest sunset would be around 5:30 p.m. As someone who’s NOT an early riser by any stretch of the means — that’s not bad, I’ll take it. 

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