Rocky Mountain Food Report: Eat Like A Local At Pikes Peak Market’s First Community Dinner

Pikes Peak Market hosts “Mangiare at The Market” their inaugural community dinner on Friday, January 26, from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The five-course menu features ingredients from participating vendors and Colorado Springs’ craft spirits, cider and beer. The event also provides an open forum for the discussion of public market initiatives and local food issues.

“Part of our mission at Pikes Peak Market is providing the space to incubate local food vendors,” says Chris Cipoletti, strategic business planner and board member. “But a big piece of what we do at the market is also around healthy and active living. We need to raise money to fund educational programs and to support the community as we address health and nutrition issues in the Pikes Peak region.”

The concept to integrate more special events promotes a social aspect for Pikes Peak Market and serves as an answer to the typical retail slow-down in the winter months. The overarching multi-business organization now participates in First Friday’s at Cottonwood Center for the Arts, offers free tastings on select weekends and specializes in pop-up markets with guest vendors.

Pikes Peak Market plans to continue “quarterly pairing dinners during every season to look at the food available and to look at the season,” says Cipoletti. “This surrounds our winter menu.”

Picnic Basket Catering supports the dinner with access to their commercial kitchen, staffing and the donation of linens, dishes and flatware. Axe and the Oak is set to provide whiskey, Local Relic will pour craft beer and Colorado Common Hard Cider attends with gluten-free cider to pair with the meal.

Interested parties can register online for tickets at “Mangiare at The Market” for $75.00 per person.

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“Mangiare at The Market” winter menu:

“Much and Mingle” with a variety of cheeses, pickles, jams and bite-sized sweet & savory crepes.

First CourseA roasted squash soup with coconut, ginger and tamarind topped with a cranberry-jalapeno relish.Second CourseGreen papaya salad with apple, celery, cilantro, avocado in a toasted pepita and shallot dressing.Third Course“Gratin de Azteca”: layers of plantains, black beans, poblanos and cheese with a herb, chive, crema and tomato relish.“Amuse-bouche”Guava pâte de fruits and aged cheeses.Fourth CourseMain – A kombucha and green chile-braised pork with polenta and lime-parsley gremolata.

DessertMango macarons with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate coconut bark.

Pikes Peak Market, 9 South Weber Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903

91.5 KRCC is partnering with The Rocky Mountain Food Report to present stories from their website about previews of new restaurants, updates on longtime favorites, dinners, pop-ups and more as they cover the Pikes Peak region’s food scene.