Spring into eating

Springtime is just around the corner and here’s a roundup of some local western Colorado events, new menus, new restaurants and new food trucks to check out.

Enjoy!

Barrel into Spring — Have fun exploring local wineries and food pairings at this delicious annual event. Get your tickets online at www. eventbrite.com for April 18 or 19. Tickets are $75 and there are also discounted tickets for designated drivers.

Bin 707 Foodbar — Bin has created a new happy hour menu featuring some lovely specialty cocktails, $12 dishes such as a smoked fish dip with cooked-toorder Russet potato chips, and albondigas — beef and pork meatballs with mint in a green chile sauce with Parmesan and focaccia.

Their fantastic pizzas are also available to-go from 3-5:30 p.m. at a special pricing. Bin 707 is located in downtown Grand Junction at 400 Main St.

Colorado Philly — This Eckert-based food truck is now visiting Grand Junction and will be back on Saturday, March 8 at Sixth Street and Grand Avenue. Philly cheesesteak lovers will be pleased to know that there are five cheese options including “The Whiz,” provolone, pepper jack, American and Swiss to top your sandwiches.

Community Café — The Community Food Bank is creating a delightful new restaurant across the street from St.

Mary’s Regional Hospital in the former location of the 7th Street Deli. Local artist Maggie Mulcahy of Magnetic Artworks was chosen to be the artist to create a beautiful mural on the outside of the café. This vibrant art will showcase local fruits and vegetables and also important pollinators such the Western honeybee, Rufous hummingbird and the Monarch caterpillar.

Mulcahy noted, “These pollinators work alongside farmers to help bring these foods to our tables. We have a lot to thank these friends for.”

I’m looking forward to visiting the café when it opens in a few months and I’m sure it will be a terrific addition to the Grand Valley!

Dutch Bros Coffee — Recently opened in Grand Junction at 498 Sparn St., this national chain brings its drive-thru coffee shop to the Grand Valley and the second one in western Colorado. (The other one is located in Montrose.)

Gemini Beer Company — Grab a beer and some food for the Laugh Lab Comedy Show beginning at 7:30 p.m. on March 8. Tickets are available on Eventbrite for $17.85.

These comedy shows will be held twice monthly on the second and fourth Saturdays. Gemini is located in downtown Grand Junction at 310 N. Seventh St.

Grand Junction Grape Pruning Workshop — Do you want to learn more about pruning grapes on your property? Dr.

Charlotte Oliver will be teaching a two-part workshop at the CSU Western Campus at 3170 B½ Road on Orchard Mesa. Part one will be online at 6 p.m. on March 20, followed by a three-hour in-person workshop on March 22.

Tickets are available on Eventbrite and are $25.

This workshop is limited to 35 people and you must preregister.

Jack in the Box — This national fast food business will soon open at 2514 U.S.

Highway 50 in the former Del Taco location. They will have hamburgers, shakes and their most popular item — tacos.

Mesa County Cattlemen’s Association — From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 15, the Mesa County Fairgrounds will be the location for the “Meat-In Day.” There will be live music, free hamburgers, barbecue samples, face painting, a balloon artist, beverages and more! All the meat is donated by local ranchers and the event is located at 2785 U.S. Highway 50 in Orchard Mesa.

Palisade Pizza and Pour House — This new business is planning on opening this month and will have a beer wall with 26 beers you can self-pour while you enjoy some pizza and other items. I’m looking forward to checking it out when it opens. It is located in Palisade at 785 Elberta Ave.

Western Slope Whiskey Club — Experience a “Japanese Spirits Dinner” with delicious food by Dynamite Gal. This multicourse paired dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. on March 11 at SoCo Social at 209½ Colorado Ave. in Grand Junction. Tickets are $80 and include tax and gratuities.

Contact the Western Slope Whiskey Club at www. westernslopewhiskeyclub. com for more information.

If you have any food and beverage-related events or information you want readers to know about, please email me at AllThingsFoodChristine@ gmail. com.

Some of the many serve yourself beers soon to be available at the new Palisade Pizza & Pour House.

COURTESY PHOTO

Explore local vineyards at the annual Barrel into Spring event.

Photos by CHRISTINE GALLAGHER

Artistic rendering of the upcoming mural by Maggie Mulcahy for the Community Cafe.

Learn how to prune grapes at an upcoming workshop.

FOOD NEWS

ALLAGHER