By Amber Alarid, JVA Consulting

The Colorado Chapter of the Social Enterprise Alliance is recognizing the many incredible social enterprise cafés in Denver on September 19, cafés that aim to make the world a better place through delicious, quality food. Socially conscious diners from across Colorado are invited to sample dishes from the various restaurants and mingle with representatives from each organization.

Vendors will have opportunities available for attendees to get more involved in the cafés through volunteering and other channels. Participants will also leave with a greater knowledge of the Social Enterprise Alliance’s Colorado Chapter, which is entering its second year of supporting local enterprises and educating the public on social enterprises near them. The Chapter hopes to offer more events down the road, likely spotlighting different types of social enterprise organizations, says Catherine Henry, Executive Director for Work Options for Women, which runs Café Options, the host for this event.

The September 19 event grew out of the strong social enterprise café culture already present in Denver and the new restaurants that are sprouting up in surrounding communities. The event will even feature several organizations that have opened recently or plan to open in the near future. Event attendees will be among the first to dine with these up and coming changemakers.

Participating restaurants at the event, sponsored by the Colorado Chapter of the Social Enterprise Alliance, include:

  • AspenPointe
Café—1675 Garden of the Gods Road & 5069 N. Academy Boulevard, Colorado Springs
  • Café 180—3315 S. Broadway, Denver
  • Café Options—1650 Curtis Street, Denver
  • Dirt Coffee—(opening in April)
  • Emily’s Coffee—1261 Glenarm Place, Denver
  • Osage Café—1099 Osage Street, Denver
  • Pizza Fusion—571 East Colfax Avenue, Denver
  • S.A.M.E Café—2023 East Colfax Avenue, Denver
  • The Purple Door—(opening soon)
  • Women’s Bean Project—3201 Curtis Street, Denver

Event Details:

  • Location: Café Options —650 Curtis Street, Denver, CO (metered street parking available)
  • Date/Time: Wednesday, September 19 from 5:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
  • Register: To register for this free event, please go to http://bit.ly/MrVd5L

Due to space constraints, this free event can only offer a limited number of seats, so be sure to reserveyour space as soon as possible. As a special treat for all our readers, Henry was kind enough to provide us with Café Options’ Chili Spiced Nuts recipe (see below).

Chili Spiced Nuts

Ingredients

1t                  Ground Cumin
1 t                  Ground Corriander
2 T                  Butter
2 T                  Honey
1/2 t                  Lemon Juice
1 t                  Chile Powder
1/8 t                  Salt
1/8 t                  Cayenne Pepper
2 c                  Nuts- raw, unsalted

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 300°F.

Combine everything except the nuts in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat to combine, about 2 minutes.

Add the nuts and stir to coat.  Cook 1 minute, then turn out onto a cookie sheet.

Cook the nuts in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent the nuts from burning.

Allow the nuts to cool before serving.  Keeps in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

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