Ace Hosts Wings & Whiskey Benefit for The Osage Cafe
By Lindsey Holliday
Wings & Whiskey
10 great chefs from around Denver came together for one spectacular event. They delighted our taste buds with their innovative wings and whiskey cocktails. All the while raising money for a great cause.
The only thing that could make a combo of wings and whiskey better, is eating and drinking them for charity! This past Sunday, Ace Restaurant in Uptown Denver hosted the WINGS & WHISKEY benefit for the Youth Culinary Academy (YCA) and The Osage Cafe. The Osage Cafe and YCA provide real world culinary experience for at risk youth.
www.OsageCafe.org
Founded in 2008 by the Denver Housing Authority’s Youth Employment Academy, the YCA is Denver’s first ever community based youth culinary training center. The Osage Cafe was launched in 2013 and is operated by the students with a little guidance from the chefs at Steuben’s. It was launched as a place to help the program participants jump in and get hands on experience in the restaurant world.They offer healthy, affordable meals to the Denver community.If that wasn’t enough already, all revenue is reinvested in the youth training.
The students receive SERVSAFE certification, and training on front and back of house operations. YCA students are also eligible for an160- hour paid internship. Thanks to all that real world experience, the program boasts a 92% rate of students that are placed into employment or continue education after program completion.
With a full house and plenty of entertainment to keep guests occupied, the Wings & Whiskey event proved to be a huge success. The wing competitors are listed below:
- Ace– Chefs Brandon Biederman & Chris Medved
- Steuben’s– Chef Cliff Blauvelt
- Vesta Dipping Grill– Chef Brandon Foster
- Good Bird Kitchen– Chef Brett Smith
- Elways– Chef Tyler Wiard
- Central Bistro – Chef Matt Selby
- Tag– Chef Troy Guard
- Osage Cafe– Chef Mimi Banish
- Fire on the Mountain– Chef AJ Outelette
Other participants included Sweet Action Ice cream, who provided two flavors of whiskey based ice creams( that, by the way, were to die for). Jim Beam products were abundant, as they were the whiskey sponsors for the event. Great Divide Brewery provided some of their delicious brews to compliment the the wings.
Activities included a wing eating contest, live music by the Whiskey Folk, and the night wouldn’t have been complete without some ping pong for charity! The first place trophy for Denver’s new wing king went to the host of the event- Ace. While the first place trophy for peoples choice went to the beneficiaries of the event- The Osage Cafe. Both very deserving of the top spots.
At the end of it all, I was stuffed full of delicious wings and yummy cocktails. And I would have to say, this is at the top of my list of charity events I’ve had the pleasure to attend. Everyone had a genuinely great time. We can only hope this becomes an annual affair!
The Osage Cafe is located at 1099 Osage Street in Denver, CO.Give them a call at 720-956-3800 or visit them at www.osagecafe.org.
Lindsey Holliday
