August 28 , 2007
“If you are going to America, bring food.” – Fran Lebowitz
TIME SURE DOES FLY WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN, and I can’t think of anything more fun than the fourth annual Italian food and Wine Festival to be held at Belmar in Lakewood from 10 am to 7 pm, Saturday and Sunday, September 15 and 16. Last year G and I were off somewhere, but it ain’t gonna never happen again.
Three years ago, the first festival was held for one day on one block of Alaska Drive and was absolutely jam-packed. So two years ago they expanded it to two days and two blocks of Alaska Drive and it was still packed all day long. This year it’s gonna be even bigger, cuz they added another block. I think it’s going to zig and zag all over Belmar. Just breath in the aromas and you’ll find the grub. Just pray for good weather.
There’s gonna be tons of entertainment and exhibitions including the internationally renowned flag throwers direct from Florence, Italy, a bocce ball tournament, chef demonstrations, and a grape stomping bash for the kids. If you want to know about the festivities in detail, visit the Belmar website at www.belmarcolorado.com. I’m here to talk about the grub.
At this writing, there are more than thirty vendors serving meals and snacks, several wine vendors, and another two-dozen vendors offering merchandise and services including several travel agencies that specialize in tours to Italy. G and I can be found at the travel agency booths. Eating, of course. Now, on to the grub.
I assume y’all know that food will be for sale (as opposed to freebie samples) but at very reasonable prices. The following will be serving meals and sangies
Abrusci’s Italian Restaurant (3244 Youngfield St, 303/232-2424; www.abruscis.com). Owner Steve Progar and his talented crew will be offering sausage sangies and rigatoni. If you want some of their fabulous house made tiramisu, you’ll have to go to the restaurant and get it there.
Avanti Catering, a specialized caterer, will be serving Italian beef steak, pasta, meataball sangies, sausage sangies and sausage on a stick.
Carino’s Italian Grill (3859 S. Wadsworth Blvd, 720/963-1866; www.carinos.com) will be offering lasagna, chicken, tiramisu and penne pasta. Nica place across from Belmar.
Carmine Lonardo’s Meat Market (7585 W. Florida Ave, 303/985-3555) will be serving their famous, house made sausage on a sangie, along with cannolis, pizelle cookies and pepper shooters (whatever the heck them things are).
Deli Italia (1900 Wadsworth Blvd, 303/238-7815) They’ll be offering their popular antipasto salad w/ sausage & pepperoccini, cold mozzarella, and tomato and green bean salad.
Dolce Vita Ristorante (955 Lincoln St, 303/830-8482) will be peddling some calamari, pasta al forno, and cheese ravioli. Sounds yummy to me.
Grammy’s Italian Cookies – Cookies, Cannolis, calzones, and fruit kabobs.
Johnny’s New York Pizza (1000 S. Wadsworth Blvd, 303/935-8818; www.jnypizza1000.com). Some of the finest pizza around, but G and I come here for the chicken parmiagana and the eggplant parmiagana. Actually, we get the Jay Fox special: half chicken and half eggplant. With a side of garlic knots. And four brownies togo (for the office, of course). Best brownies in town. Remember when the Mets barely beat the Yankees a while back? Johnny was so excited at the prospect, he gave away free pizza all day long. Seems like about 2,400 hundred of ‘em. Just cuz of a lousy ball game. Anywho, he’s gonna be peddling pizza, meataball heros and garlic cheese bread.
Mici Handcrafted Italian (1531 Stout St, 303/629-6424; www.miciitalian.com) will be serving their popular pizza. But watch out for the bald guy (or two or three).
Nonna’s Chicago Bistro & Wine Bar (6603 Leetsdale Dr, 303/399-2000) will be serving meataball sangies, cannolis and their unbelievable wonderful Eye-talian beef with peppers. Maybe even some sausage and peppers
Pasta Bozza – will be serving fresh frozen pasta, sauce, gnocchi, bucatini & ravioli.
Polidori Meats (3327 Tejon St, 303/455-5701) will serve sausage & peppers, sausage on a stick, sausage sangies and Italian beef (don’t know if it’s a sangie, a plate, or an ice cream cone with beef in it. Could be all of the above.
The Fire Within – musta be a new place cuz I couldn’t find ‘em, but anywho they’re gonna serve three kinds of pizza: cheese; Americana pepperoni & sausage; and milano & sorrento.
Three Sons Italian Restaurant (2915 West 44th Ave, 303/455-4366; www.threesons.net), will be feeding the masses Italian beef sangies, meataballs, and veggie risotto. Ain’t never been to their place? Shame.
Tonali’s Meats (6260 West 52nd Ave, 303/940-8700). This family of butchers will be serving up some mighty fine sausage sangies.
Valente’s Italian Restaurant (6995 West 38th Ave, 303/421-5115; www.valentesitalianrestaurant.com) Mr. Ray and his crew will be serving toasted ravioli w/sauce; cavatelli; tiramisu; and meataballs. Ever have Chef Robert make one of his one-pound buggers? Yo!
Virgilio’s Pizzeria Napoletana (7986 W Alameda Ave, 303/985-2777; www.virgiliospizzeria.com) will be offering pizza, meataballs, cannolis, and their famed pizza.
Most of the next dozen or so vendors don’t operate restaurants but will be serving snacks and dessert items. I’m not going to list the address info cuz if you like their stuff you can get that info from the folks in their booth. That is, if they want you to know how to find them.
Espo’s Gelato Shop – gelato & sorbetto. Maavelous stuff.
Gallo Salame – what else but salami? I guess Italian salami.
Gelazzi – gelato, gelato and more gelato. Or is it gelati? In a cup or a cone.
Loredana’s Pesto – pesto, balsamic vinaigrettes, asiago and parmesan cheeses
Luigi’s Pizza Fritta – pizza fritta
Marcello’s – gelato and sorbetto. Oooh, a new one for me to try.
Mt Carmel Men’s Club -; pizzelles and cookies
Pane Fresco – ciabatta bread, focaccetta, cookies, desserts.
PastAmore II – vinegars and olive oils
PastAmore III – dried pasta and seasonings
The Press Coffee Company – espresso, cappuccino, latte and mocha.
I forgot to mention the Balistreri Vineyards Children’s Grape Stomp, which is gonna cuz a bunch of folks to fall over and try to drink the guk from their feet. It isn’t a pleasant sight, and I am told (I would never mention the mayor of Lakewood by name) that it isn’t a pleasant taste either. Be sure to get there early, plan to stay late, visit the website at www.belmarcolorado.com and click on the link for Festival Italiano, and pray for good weather.
Disclaimer: Note that the festival is two weeks away, so I am not responsible for any of the following. Typos (cuz it’s late at nite when I am writing this). Vendors dropping out. New vendors coming in. Vendors changing their mind about what they are serving. Bad food (cuz there won’t be any). Bad drink (depends on your definition of bad). Lousy entertainment (well, you never know about these things). Bad weather (talk to HER). Nor am I responsible for anything I failed to tell you that I wasn’t responsible for.
G and I will be there stuffing and slurping along with tens of thousands of other folks so if you don’t go and have a good time, tuff bananas.
Cya.
In his real life Jay Fox is a CPA. He offers all kinds of good tax planning advice, financial calculators and the latest in tax news at his website: www.jayfoxcpa.com. He just writes this column for the money.