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Chef D feeds the Dems in Charlotte
Denver has cooked for Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and plenty of other VIPs, including at the Democratic National Convention here in 2008. But running the “Sweet Home ALObama” hospitality suite at the next week is his biggest challenge yet.
The Alabama delegation has rented , a former church just a couple of blocks away from the convention in the Time Warner Cable Arena, and Young is making sure the partiers and politicos are well-fed.
“We could have five to 10 thousand people hanging out during the day with us,” said Young via phone from his Denver home, between flights to Charlotte. “It was a bit overwhelming down in Charlotte, working directly with Secret Service, there are a lot of things I can’t say. What I can say is with a sitting president, dealing with protesters, they just don’t want any issues.”
And neither does he, food-wise. “My plan now is to work through the night — midnight to 9 a.m. every night.” Each day, he will offer a breakfast buffet of cheesy grits with crawfish, Johnny cakes and breakfast burritos, and cater two to four events.
Young’s convention week begins Saturday with a college football tailgate party, a gospel brunch on Sunday, the barbecue and seafood “Blue Bash” Tuesday with the Florida and South Carolina delegations, wrapping up Thursday night after President Barack Obama’s official nomination with “BamaObama Bash” until 1 a.m.
Since his high-profile Nuggets bosses left Denver, Young has been working for . Although he was rumored to have been on a short list for White House chef when President Obama took office, Young has not cooked for the president. He catered an inauguration party at the Smithsonian, but has yet to cook for the first family.
That could change this week.
Kristen Browning-Blas, blogs.denverpost.com/food
District Tavern to close Friday
Charlie Palmer’s District Tavern in LoDo, the New York restaurateur’s much-ballyhooed entry into the Denver dining scene, is closing on Aug. 31 — just nine months after its November opening.
The tavern’s sister restaurant next door, Wazee Wood Fire Pizza, is also closing, ending Palmer’s stint in the Mile High City.
William Porter, blogs.denverpost.com/food
