Benefiting The Colorado Restaurant Foundation

Seattle fish CompaNy Presents:

Surf, The Denver
SEafood Challenge

A competition between elite Seafood-Centric Restaurants

A SPECIAL EVENT FOR VIP TICKET HOLDERS

ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?

MOUTH SAVORING SEAFOOD

A competition between seven elite seafood-centric restaurants for VIP guests to judge! This will be a super-premium tasting designed to dazzle the senses. From Sushi to Cioppino you will vote for your favorite!

300 VIP guests enter at 5:30, which is 1.5 hours before GA entrance, and 30 minutes before first taste ticket holders to taste the 25 entries in this year’s Steak championships.

THE BEST OF THE BEST

Experience cooking demos
and creative cocktails

This year’s RARE will have a large single VIP area on the field next to the headline band playing under the sculptures. There will be a comfortable, spacious lounge, as well as creative cocktails exclusive to the VIP area. Cooking demos with various chefs and other surprises will also await you inside the area.

PNG Image of Rare Steak Festival mascot Beef the cow

GET YOUR VIP TICKETS

VIP tickets are $325 and are highly limited! They’re sure to sell out fast, so click here to purchase now and secure your VIP status at RARE 2023!

RARE will be held Thursday evening, May 25th
at the Denver Performing Arts Complex & Sculpture Park

VIP Entry begins at 5:30pm.

PNG Image of Rare Steak Festival mascot Beef the cow
Meet the 2022 Competitors

A5 Steakhouse

A5 Steakhouse is one of the hottest steakhouses in Denver, and they are excited to show our VIP guests that their principled approach to beef also holds true to their take on seafood! Director of hospitality Kevin Burke states, “We talk to farmers and ranchers from all over the state to ensure we know every step of how our ingredients arrive here.” It ultimately stems from invigorating ethical producers. This system ensures the sustainability of these economies.

A5 offers a funky alternative to the average steakhouse. They shed the intimidating, hushed tones of a traditional steakhouse atmosphere to welcome those on their way to concerts and sporting events or a lively night of friends catching up from the music to the decor, it is a modern twist on the Denver steakhouse experience.

JAx FISH HOUSE

Jax Fish House LoDo has served the freshest sustainable seafood since 1996. Jax restaurants were the first in Colorado to be certified by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, a leader in the global sustainable seafood movement. Among its many local awards, Jax’s has been recognized nationally: 25 Best Seafood Restaurants, Travel and Leisure Magazine, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and James’ Beard Foundation’s Smart Catch.

Albina by the sea

Famed Denver chef, Frank Bonnano, opened Albina by the Sea inside of the Milk Market on Denver’s Dairy Block. Albina pays tribute to Frank’s grandmother and the cooking she inspired in him. As Frank tells it “Albina filled her 1940’s Brooklyn flat with the aroma of freshly baked bread and something fresh-caught at the shore, simmering in an iron skillet.” Enjoy tasty crab cakes, or lobster bisque, or carry away all the fixings for a night of fresh seafood at home.

Denver Poke Company

Anh Nguyen, the owner of Denver Poke Company, began his sushi journey at Kenichi in Aspen Colorado under Executive Master Sushi Chef, Kiyomi Sano.  He then moved to Denver and began apprenticing under Toshi Kazaki of Sushi Den for 7 years.  After traveling to Hawaii, Nguyen began developing his concept for Denver Poke Company.  

Denver Poke Company provides the freshest sushi-grade fish available every morning. Their fish is brought in whole each day and never frozen, and their poke is prepared fresh daily. Also their menu is 100% gluten-free.


Kona Grill

Kona Grille is known to everyone in Cherry Creek as a paradise after work or a day of shopping. Fresh, wild-caught fish is flown in daily to craft award-winning sushi, while contemporary American entrees are prepared from scratch in-house. Happy hour on the beautiful, shaded patio is a must. And don’t leave until you’ve tried one of the handcrafted cocktails, ice cold draft beer, or a glass of wine selected from the extensive drink menu. The restaurant’s diverse menu and contemporary ambiance provide the perfect venue for any occasion from birthday celebrations to business meetings, date nights to happy hour!

Maine Shack

Denver transplants from the North East rejoiced when Maine Shack came to town! They are known for their authentic New England Style Seafood! The pearl of its menu is its award-winning Lobster Rolls, along with Fried Clams, Steamers, Haddock, Scallops, North Shore Beefs, and more! Their lobster is flown fresh directly from Maine a few times a week.

Mizu Izakaya

In 2016 Mizu brought the first true Izakaya experience to Denver’s Low Highlands neighborhood. The meaning of Izakaya is a Japanese Pub, a perfect place for after-work drinking to be enjoyed with close friends complemented by food and drinks. Mizu Izakaya brings the freshest sushi to Denver. Their menu comprises a variety of Japanese dishes, including a full sushi bar, toriaezu (small plates), bichotan grill (Japanese charcoal grill), agemono (fried), ramen, raw bar, and oshokuyi (large plates).

Mizu is home to a massive collection of Japanese Whisky and Sake, their bar program is led by award-winning bartenders offering craft cocktails that are truly unique to Mizu Izakaya.

Desserts

Emma NemeChek

Desserts by Emma Nemechek, owner of Sweetened Patisserie and Executive Pastry Chef at The Omni Interlocken Resort.

Emma earned the prestigious Les Dames d’Escoffier International Legacy Award in 2018. She was just one of six around the world to receive the 2018 LDEI Legacy Award. Her recipes can be found regularly in magazines like 5280, Pastry Arts, and Colorado Magazine.

cocktails

Yacht Club

 Led by McLain Hedges, The Yacht Club in RiNo Denver will be coming straight from Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans where they have been nominated as the “Best New Cocktail Bar” in the United States.  

RARE, The Denver Steak Championship is coming back to Sculpture Park!

Thursday, May 25th 2023

Calling carnivores from across the state, get ready to sink your teeth into the juiciest evening of 2023 at Denver’s own steak championships! Tickets are now on sale!

RARE, The Denver Steak Championship is coming back to Sculpture Park!

Thursday, May 25th 2023
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