Dine Out
SEPTEMBER
5
+ FUTURE DATES
Dine Out
Culinary Auction
Tables, trips, tickets + tastings you won't find anywhere else!
When and
where is it?
- Friday, September 5, 2025 (and future dates)
- Various Locations
- Bidding is open! (closes aug. 27)
September 5, 2025
Dine Out Auction
Experiences
More coming; check back often!
Hard-to-get reservation + dinner + drinks for two at Michelin-Starred Alma Fonda Fina, led by chef Johnny Curiel
The Quattro Piatti experience for two at the 2025 James Beard Award Outstanding Restaurant: Frasca Food and Wine. Includes a guest-selected four-course tasting inspired by the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, prepared by Executive Chef Ian Palazzola and Executive Pastry Chef Alberto Hernandez
Dine like a food writer with award-winning 5280 Magazine food editor Mark Antonation, as he leads you on a Havana-Street food crawl in Aurora.
Restaurants include Thank Sool Pocha, Yong Gung, and Snowl Cafe.
Treat your special someone to dinner at award-winning Xiquita, a vibrant restaurant in Uptown that celebrates ancestral Mexican cuisine and the dining traditions of Mexico City
Treat your special someone to dinner at award-winning Lucina, a charming restaurant in Park Hill featuring food and drinks inspired by the Americas and led by award-winning chef Erasmo Casiano
Multicourse dinner prepared by Chef Theo Adley + wine pairings chosen by Marigold’s sommelier Eric Bronson
A welcome drink + oysters at Traveling Mercies, followed by a three-course chef tasting at Annette, led by Caroline Glover, the James Beard Awards 2022 Best Chef: Mountain
Enjoy a six-person chef tasting featuring Shanahan’s wide selection of aged USDA prime steaks, seafood flown in daily, and award-winning wines from around the world. Paired wines included.
Bring your family and/or friends for a pit tour and barbeque feast at G-Que Barbeque, drinks included
Future 2025 Dates
Dine Out Auction
Experiences
More coming; check back often!
A custom selection of Poulette’s extraordinary sweet and savory goodies, chosen just for you, for six months (September 2025 – February 2026), by HOSPYS 2025 Best Pastry Chefs Carolyn Nugent + Alen Ramos
A coveted four-person reservation at Casa Bonita, including entrees + non-alcohol drinks + sopaipillas.
Cliff divers, Black Bart’s cave, puppet shows + more also included!
Multicourse dinner + beverage pairing at the much-anticipated Mexican restaurant at the Stanley Marketplace in Aurora, from Hop Alley’s Tommy Lee + award-winning chef Michael Diaz de Leon
A one-night staycation at the Ritz-Carlton, Denver, in a suite, plus complimentary parking and $300 for dining at ELWAY’s Downtown
Private Friulano wine seminar for six people, led by Frasca Food and Wine Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey + small bites by Osteria Alberico Chef de Cuisine Russell Stippich
Take your crew out for cocktails + snacks at Chef Troy Guard’s chic Done Deal cocktail lounge
Take your crew (of six) out for a boozy brunch at this popular, downtown, early-day spot by Chef Troy Guard
Includes two spots in a small-group class at Restaurant Olivia + snacks + beverages + two aprons + a bottle of sommelier-selected wine + salad + dessert + focaccia + pasta sauce to take home with your freshly made (by you!) pasta. Class also includes snacks and two beverages
Secure two spots at the Plimoth’s ultra-popular fall wine dinner, featuring the wines and food of New England (in honor of the restaurant’s namesake region). All inclusive for two guests, including wine, dinner, tax, and tip. Available dates are October 16 and October 23, 2025.
Luxe Alpenglobe experience includes dinner + drinks + more! Available November – May only
Create a spectacular, customized, three-tiered cake for your next special occasion. Serves 50 – 65 people
Let the Boombots team, led by Chef Cliff Blauvelt, treat you to a curated tasting journey, drinks included (alcohol or n/a, it’s your call)
Gather five friends for a two-hour, private wine class at The Greenwich in RiNo, led by owner and sommelier Delores Tronco, focusing on all things sparkling: Champagne, cava, prosecco, and more!
Create something delicious with your favorite cooking partner during a hands-on class at Create at the Stanley Marketplace in Aurora – paired beer or wine included! Choose your class and let the chef-led team at Create take it from there.
Drawing inspiration from Duke Ellington’s opulent style and eye for detail, Nocturne created the “Ellington Experience,” the ultimate night out at Nocturne. This experience features a decadent five-course tasting with wine pairings, served at tables in our favorite nook of the main level under the curve of our grand art deco staircase. There are just two “Ellington Experience” tables available per music set.
Two culinary classes of your choice, for 2 people, at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder
Two-night stay at the Best Western Vista Inn in Buena Vista, Colorado, including breakfast and two tickets to the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs
7-quart enameled cast iron round Dutch oven. Staub’s innovative enamel coating takes cast-iron cooking to the next level with improved performance, style and durability. A heavy lid to seal in moisture paired with heat-retaining cast iron make this oven ideal for slow-cooking homemade chili or a hearty stew.
Everything you need to host a party at your home for 12 – 15 people, curated by the culinary team at Footers Catering. Includes a personalized Acacia wood charcuterie board; Chef-curated selection of meats and cheeses; assorted accoutrement jars; mini dessert platter; 3 bottles of house white wine; 3 bottles of house red wine; set of custom wood coasters; and a small seasonal floral centerpiece.
Enjoy a customized floral workshop with one of Denver’s top florists, Rowdy Poppy. This instructional workshop, led by Kim Zimmerman, will be up to the winner based on what they want to create: vase arrangements, wearables, holiday tablescaping, etc.
Enjoy a luxurious staycation at The Benson Hotel & Faculty Club in Aurora. Includes one-night stay + a $50 dining credit for the on-site restaurant, The Common Good, as well as complimentary self-parking.
A catered feast from Chook for 15 people. Rotisserie chicken, salad, sides, rolls, and dessert included.
back in 2025
Dine Out
auction series
The Denver Food + Wine Festival is thrilled to bring back its Dine Out culinary auction series to the 2025 schedule of festival events, featuring an exciting lineup of one-of-a-kind experiences that will go to the highest bidder, all to help raise funds to support the workforce development and employee assistance programming of the Colorado Restaurant Foundation.
These unique experiences range from chef-counter dinners and behind-the-scenes kitchen tours to games of ping pong and wine seminars at some of the best restaurants in Colorado.
Most experiences will take place on Friday, September 5, 2025, but others can be scheduled for future dates.
The auction is open from August 1 – 27!
Our Beneficiaries
Helping the Restaurant Industry Grow
The Colorado Restaurant Foundation’s Angel Relief Fund provides emergency assistance and mental health care grants for Colorado restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality employees facing unanticipated hardship. By supporting the Angel Relief Fund, you offer support to the people at the heart of our restaurant and hospitality community.
The Colorado Restaurant Foundation is dedicated to providing access to the education, skills, and financial means to pursue a successful career in the foodservice and hospitality industries. The Foundation supports the Colorado ProStart® program, scholarships, ServSafe® certifications, and the Angel Relief Fund, which provides emergency assistance grants to help industry employees in need.
