Instagram story viewer> @riojadenver> Posts

Rioja Denver

@riojadenver

7.8K

followers

801

following

Denver’s first James Beard Best Chef winner 🏆
Locally sourced & sustainable Mediterranean dishes & wines on historic Larimer Square

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

We are honored to be named one of the most influential restaurants in Denver history by Westword. When Chef Jen and Beth launched Rioja in 2004, we hoped to bring memorable dining experiences to as many people as possible on Denver’s historic Larimer Square. That we’ve been able to do that for more than twenty years (and counting!) means the world to us. Thank you for being a part of it all, Rioja friends. 💛

#denverrestaurants #denverdining #visitdenver taken in Larimer Square by @riojadenver

68

2

18 hours ago

We are excited to invite you to a very special collaboration dinner on Sunday, October 25, featuring Chef Jen and some incredibly talented chefs from across the city. Five courses from ten chefs for just 70 diners, all in support of OneKitchen Colorado, a program from @wholesomewave. Link to details and tickets via the @mercantiledenver bio. 💛

#onekitchen #denverchefs #denverfoodscene taken in Mercantile Denver by @riojadenver

26

4

7 days ago

Some trips stay with you long after you get home. This will be one of them. ❤️

I traveled to New York to celebrate Jennifer Jasinski’s induction into the Culinary Institute of America’s Hall of Fame, and somehow, the entire experience exceeded anything I could have imagined.

Sixteen incredible chefs. A day spent on campus. An unforgettable lunch, a balsamic tasting, a campus tour, a ceremony celebrating culinary excellence, cocktails overlooking the Hudson River, and a dinner in a stunning dining hall. ✨

The lineup of talent was extraordinary. The setting was unforgettable. But what I’ll remember most is the hospitality.

It was in the details. The thoughtfulness. The way every moment was considered, every guest was welcomed, and every experience felt special. From beginning to end, hospitality was at 100,000%.

And that’s the thing about hospitality. It’s so much more than food, service, or a beautiful setting. It’s how you make people feel. It’s the care behind the details. It’s creating moments people carry with them long after they leave.

That belief is at the heart of everything I do at Union Stitch & Design. Getting to experience it on this level, surrounded by so many extraordinary people in the culinary world, was a reminder of why I love what I do and the community I get to be a part of.

Jennifer, congratulations on this incredible and well-deserved honor. ❤️ And to everyone who made this trip so special, thank you for showing me what hospitality looks like when it’s done with intention, generosity, and heart.

I came to celebrate a chef. I left feeling inspired by an entire industry.

Hospitality, always. ❤️ taken in The Culinary Institute of America by @riojadenver

67

3

7 days ago

Last week, Denver’s culinary scene took center stage at Savor the Season, EatDenver’s annual celebration of the independent restaurants and chefs shaping the city’s dining culture.

Set against the creative backdrop of RiNo ArtPark in @rinoartdistrict, each of the three evenings brought together an impressive collection of local talent for a five-course dinner rooted in seasonal ingredients, thoughtful technique, and a distinctly Colorado sensibility.

Participating restaurants on Wednesday's event included @bear_leek, @riojadenver, @diomiopasta and @johnnybechamels, @olivia_pasta, @bistrovendomedenver, @flagstaffhouse_restaurant, @blackbellyco, and @samecafedenver, which presented a fully vegan menu. Colorado craft beverages, such as @ratiobeerworks, rounded out the experience.

Yet each evening’s significance extended well beyond the table. As a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening Colorado’s independent food and beverage community, @eat_denver champions the people and businesses that give the region its culinary identity. Proceeds from Savor the Season support this work, alongside initiatives focused on food access, immigrant and refugee advocacy, regenerative agriculture, and climate action.

The result was a series of evenings that celebrated not only what Colorado cooks, but what its culinary community stands for: independent spirit, a sense of place, and a commitment to a more sustainable and inclusive food future.

To learn more about EatDenver and its work supporting Colorado’s independent food and beverage community, visit www.eatdenver.com and follow @eat_denver.

📷 Photography by: @behindtheapronmedia taken in RiNo, Denver by @riojadenver

3

11

8 days ago

Tonight our very own Chef Jen Jasinski is being added to the Culinary Walk of Fame at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where she received a degree many years ago. CIA boasts the most influential alumni network in the industry—more than 55,000 strong. CIA alumni live, work, and change the face of food in every corner of the globe. They are entrepreneurs, educators, innovators, and leaders throughout the food, beverage, and hospitality industries, earning Michelin stars, James Beard Awards, and legions of devoted followers. The alumni honored in CIA’s Hall of Fame were nominated by their peers on the alumni council. They exemplify CIA’s core values and embody CIA’s Food is Life® philosophy, bringing joy, nourishment, and community to so many. Please join us in congratulating Chef Jen!! 💛

#chefjenjasinski #culinaryinstituteofamerica #ciahalloffame taken in rioja by @riojadenver

216

25

11 days ago

Cheers to happy hour at Rioja! We offer happy hour drink specials every day from 2:30 to 5 p.m., and happy hour food specials every weekday during the same time. 💛

Photos by @theunfounddoor for @larimersquare

#denverhappyhour #denverdrinks #wineoclock taken in rioja by @riojadenver

16

0

13 days ago

You deserve a treat this week, and we have the perfect idea: compressed strawberry-lemon layer cake at Rioja, with lemon-basil pâte de fruit, lemon-white chocolate mousse, and basil gel! 💛

#strawberrylemon #layercake #dessertlovers taken in rioja by @riojadenver

36

0

15 days ago

Our exec pastry chef makes our beloved bao-nuts by shaping doughnut dough into balls, setting them in molds, and chilling them overnight. Then he steams them like bao before frying them for about 30 seconds to crisp the outside before filling them. Bao-nuts are available on our brunch menu only, and we can’t recommend them enough! 💛

Pictured: a previous version of Chef Eric’s bao-nuts, by @theunfounddoor for @larimersquare; our current version feature @elafamilyfarms peach compote and maseca streusel

#baonuts #doughtnutlovers #donutsforbrunch taken in rioja by @riojadenver

32

0

17 days ago

Chef Jen will appear on an upcoming episode of Another Seafood Show, created by Chris Howard. Here’s a look at filming in the kitchen at Rioja.

#anotherseafoodshow #coloradochefs #chefjenjasinski taken in rioja by @riojadenver

39

0

18 days ago

Rioja has been serving diners on Larimer Square since way back in 2004, when Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch opened their first restaurant together. We don’t take it lightly that we’ve been around for 22 years. We’re grateful to everyone who’s dined with us, because there’s not much better than providing a delicious meal that people will enjoy and remember. 💛

#riojadenver #denverrestaurants #larimersquare taken in Larimer Square by @riojadenver

42

3

19 days ago

Behind the scenes at Rioja, with Melany making pasta. We update the handmade pastas section of our menu regularly. Right now our offerings include a roasted corn risotto, goat cheese gnudi, a nori tagliatelle, and our always popular artichoke tortelloni, which has been on the Rioja menu since the very beginning. 💛

#handmadepasta #freshpastalovers #backofhouse taken in rioja by @riojadenver

31

0

20 days ago

Recently a guest asked whether we’d ever consider taking the black olive crackers from our tuna tartare dish and packaging them as a standalone treat. Will we? Who’s to say! But we’re glad you all like them so much! 💛

Pictured: tuna tartare on the starters menu at Rioja, with saffron aioli, piquillo relish, and black olive crackers.

📸: @theunfounddoor @twopartsco @larimersquare

#tunatartare #housemadecrackers #larimersquare taken in rioja by @riojadenver

26

0

21 days ago