Visit Denver Launches New Foodie Blog, EatDrinkDenver.com

Website Celebrates the Fresh, Local Food Scene In and Around the Mile High City

DENVER, Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- From the microbrewery explosion to the rise in farm-to-table dining and a whopping 300 newly-opened restaurants in 2011 alone, the Denver culinary scene has grown immensely in the past decade. In response to this growth, VISIT DENVER, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, launched EatDrinkDenver.com, a blog devoted to "all things food and drink" in and around the Mile High City.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120223/DC58850)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101210/DC15827LOGO-b)

"We've learned through studies that some Denver visitors like sports, some like museums and some like shopping. But everybody eats and everybody loves food," said Scharf, president & CEO of VISIT DENVER. "Culinary tourism is on the rise because visitors want to eat and drink local - they want to shop at farmers' markets, taste local cheeses and breads, or sip a local beer. Visitors and locals alike want to know about the innovative local chefs and regional specialties. Farms, ranches, wineries and distilleries all have a strong local market, but they also understand they are part of the tourism industry, and are creating tours to capture this audience."

Westword "Cafe Society" editor Lori Midson, a fixture on the Denver food scene for many years, is the editor of EatDrinkDenver.com. Content is provided by a host of Denver's most in-the-know food writers and bloggers.

The site features regularly updated information, articles and news about food-centric festivals, farmers' markets, specialty food stores, street food, beer, wine and spirits, chefs and more – all in one place. "There are sites that deal with local beers, with farm-to-table food, farmer's markets or international food festivals, but no site deals with all aspects of local food. Our site fills that need," said Richard Scharf, president & CEO of VISIT DENVER.

EatDrinkDenver.com is divided into five categories:

• Farm Fresh / Specialty Food Stores: Dedicated to produce and dairy products in Colorado, including tips on where to get the best, freshest items
• Beer / Wines / Spirits: Offers extensive coverage of the ever-expanding world of Colorado microbreweries, wineries and distilleries
• Food Festivals / Events: A comprehensive roundup of the city's best food events, including everything from signature events like Denver Restaurant Week and Denver Beer Fest to cultural/culinary festivals like the Greek Festival and Oktoberfest Denver
• Chefs: Shines a spotlight on the men and women behind the city's best restaurants, including chef Q&A's, recipes and more
• Street Food: Covers the Mile High City's burgeoning street food scene, including local food truck events such as Civic Center EATS, and much more

The EatDrinkDenver website is interactive, offering readers the chance to share their discoveries and pass along food tasting adventures experienced around the Mile High City. The site does not include restaurant reviews.  Instead, it provides comments and information about unique Denver and Colorado food products; food, beer & wine festivals; and other food-related experiences that will introduce locals and visitors to the region's rich and bountiful opportunities to eat and drink.  

"Denver has had a boom in the distillery and brewery scene, and many of the products can only be sampled in Colorado tasting rooms and bars. EatDrinkDenver tells you where to find these one-of-a-kind locales," stated Scharf. "Tours of farms where goat cheese is made or buffalo ranches where bison roam free are an interactive – and educational – way for visitors to immerse themselves in the region's culture. There are farmers' markets and fruit stands, neighborhood bakeries, international supermarkets where you can buy obscure products from Asia or Mexico, and there are chefs discovering the delight of cooking local slow food who will share recipes and techniques. All of these and more are featured on our site."

For more information, visit www.EatDrinkDenver.com.

About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau
Celebrating more than 100 years of promoting the Mile High City, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. A record 12.7 million visitors stayed overnight in Denver in 2010, generating $3 billion in spending, while supporting nearly 50,000 jobs, making Tourism the second largest industry in Denver. Learn more about Denver on the VISITDENVER website and at TOURISMPAYSDENVER, on Twitter @iknowdenver and the VISIT DENVER Facebook page, or by phone at 800 2 DENVER.

With press or photo inquiries, please contact:
Rich Grant- (303) 571-9450 or [email protected]
Debbie Park- (303) 571-9451 or [email protected]
Katie Adamson- (303) 571-9418 or [email protected]

SOURCE VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau