NOT TOO SCARY BUT VERY CENTERR-Y
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26 TH NOON-4PM SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26 TH NOON-4PM
Our Halloween Hullabaloo Street Festival is ba-aaaack. Come out for a frightfully delightful list of free, kid-friendly activities. Candy. Games. Treats. Pumpkin bowling and much more. And at 3pm, a costume contest for everyone in the family including the dog.
Growing up in a family with Southern roots, food has always been a staple for every gathering and oftentimes, it is the heart of them. Like most families, our grandparents are the center of our universe, not only providing us with wisdom, memories, laughter, and strength, but if anyone knows my family, VERY full tummies. So much tradition, history, and love are involved in the meals and recipes that have been passed down through each generation and the value of those is immeasurable. From learning how to can, to preparing holiday meals, or learning to grill, food has been a large part of most of my core memories with my grandparents and the traditions they have passed down.
From this I have learned that love is the secret ingredient in every meal and that you are what brings the soul into each recipe, becoming an expression of endearment from the heart to the table. I am wholeheartedly convinced that food is a love language, it brings people together and butter makes everything better. Because of this history, I am a huge foodie and believe that everything is better from scratch, made with wholesome, real ingredients. Merging flavors and textures together to create meals that make us want to pause and be present is something I have grown to love.
What we ingest has the power to nourish and heal us, moreover, our mindset and relationship to that nourishment is potent. In this year's food and drink issue, we share recipes from local hot spots, touch base with how food and drink is weaved into the stories and memories we have with Sweetheart Winery, and the impact that sustainable growing and farm to table can have on our everyday lives. As you read through this month's issue, I hope you are inspired to create, make memories and try something new and delectable.
PUBLISHER
Desiree Gustafson | desiree.gustafson@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Sarah Erickson | sarah.erickson@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Sarah Erickson
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Delaney Morrow Photography, Dana Martin Creative
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Branden Cooper
LAYOUT DESIGNER Amanda Schilling
The Thompson Valley Art League is the home of Loveland's first augmented reality mural. The mural was created by Denver muralist, Adden Joule (AJ) Davis. A startup grant from the VAC is making this mural possible. It covers three sides of the Lincoln Gallery and is a must-see!
Located in downtown Loveland, Elevated Massage Therapy is now open. Dedicated to elevating your life, healing your body, and rejuvenating your soul, a healthy body equals a healthy life. To learn more about Elevated Life Massage or schedule an appointment, visit them online at www.elevatedlifemassage.com
Chicken Salad Chick, a fast-casual chicken salad restaurant chain, opened its latest location in Johnstown, September 12. Chicken Salad Chick of Johnstown is located in Johnstown Plaza near Scheels at 4884 Larimer Parkway. It features a drive-thru and serves a dozen varieties of made-from-scratch chicken salad flavors, along with fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and desserts. The new restaurant also offers in-restaurant dining, take-out, curbside pickup, third-party delivery, and catering options.
AT SWEET HEART WINERY IT’S ABOUT CREATING EXPERIENCES, CONNECTION AND UNFORGETTABLE WINE
“We craft unforgettable wines that bring people together.”
Set upon a picturesque, quintessential Rocky Mountain backdrop sits one of Loveland’s most distinctive landmarks and crown jewels; Sweet Heart Winery & Event Center. What new owner Charles Oster refers to as the Sweetheart Valley, is where the charming winery is beautifully perched, surrounded by vineyards, tucked inside of Devil’s Backbone with the Big Thompson River waving and roaring directly through the property.
As soon as you set foot on the grounds it’s hard to drink it all in at once; however, paired with a full-bodied cabernet or a Lodi Sauvignon Blanc with notes of fresh Meyer lemon, the atmosphere, indulgence, and scenery will inevitably envelop you. The connection to the space, the tastes and energy can be felt, and that is what the Osters want everyone to be able to experience at Sweet Heart Winery.
Husband and wife, Charles and Farah Oster purchased Sweet Heart Winery & Event Center in May 2024 with the intention of creating deep-felt experiences for guests to connect. Charles explains, ”Whether you are with your sweetheart, friends, colleagues, family, connecting with nature at our award-winning property, or you’re at home gathering around one of our beautiful wines, it's about connection.“
Sweethearts themselves, Charles and Farah both grew up in Northern Colorado, fell in love and had two children, Megan and Cole. They raised their family in Castle Rock, Colorado; however, once their children both graduated high school they decided to move back home to where their hearts belong and their love story began, in Northern Colorado. Charles formerly in regulated consumer packaged goods and a former executive at mywedding.com, an international online wedding planning platform that reached global acclaim; and Farah in hospitality, it’s
no surprise that logistics, events and connection are truly in their blood. Charles admits that when he and Farah moved back to the area, they discovered Sweet Heart Winery and immediately fell in love. But not only that, they fell more in love with each other each time they visited the winery. They made a vow to each other that if the place ever came on the market, they’d take a crack at it. And now they’re cracking away at the winery together every day and enjoying every minute. They’re also enjoying the opportunity to work sideby-side. Previously, Charles would be on the road continuously for work, to the tune of 220 nights a year. And now in this next chapter of their careers, they desired an opportunity to work alongside each other. And that’s exactly what they get to do. Charles is the CEO and Managing Partner, while Farah is the General Manager in charge of food, beverage, and events. They also have a close-knit team of investors, family members of both Farah and Charles, who are part of the operations team and on-site most days.
“Hosting and serving is in our DNA and customers are our lifeblood. We love it. There's nothing that we've ever done that's been more rewarding and that's because of the people that we get to interact with,” Charles explains.
It’s this interaction and connection that is the soul of Sweet Heart Winery. Through dazzling interactions with nature, delicious wine, and unmatched hospitality, the Osters are bringing their mission to life daily— to create experiences for people to connect.
“We understand that people are coming here and choosing to spend their time and money with us and we want them to feel like this is their home. We want our guests to feel proud of this place in their community and to feel welcome, like it’s an extension of their home.”
“ ”
We want our guests to feel proud of this place in their community and to feel welcome, like it’s an extension of their home.
In fact, Charles has created an acronym called HELP to help guide the owners and staff of Sweet Heart Winery in their mission to create beautiful experiences and connections.
H - Hospitality that is welcoming and friendly
E - Efficiency in service
L - Love expressed through time spent, making every aspect and interaction as exemplary as possible
P - Product, ensuring that the wine is the cornerstone of the experience
And it is indeed the wine that sets the tone at Sweet Heart Winery. A world-class wine country experience
right here in Northern Colorado, Charles and Sweet Heart’s original founder, David Burks, who has stayed on as partner and master winemaker, work hard to create California-quality wine that reflects the love it’s made with. Using expertly sourced grapes from smalllot vineyards and wineries in California and Colorado, they carefully craft, age, and bottle their wines locally, with age-old techniques for the fullest flavored wine.
“Great wine starts with great fruit. So, we are willing to travel long and far to find really amazing fruit. Much of our fruit is selected in California and then brought here and perfected in Colorado.” Charles goes on to CONTINUED >
explain, “A lot of our grapes come from Lodi County, east of San Francisco Bay. In this area, the hot days are cooled down by the delta water system, and it creates really beautiful fruit. We also have wine that comes out of Yolo County, Sonoma County, and Paso Robles. We’re also very excited to introduce an Atlas Peak for our Wine Club members this month.”
One of the most coveted wine regions in the world, Atlas Peak AVA, a subregion of Napa County, is situated 2,000-2,500 feet above sea level and boasts mineral and nutrient rich soil dusted with volcanic ash. Meshed with the perfect amount of sunlight, and their famous lingering fog that settles and cools the grapes, it’s one of the most ideal places to grow fruit.
“This will be one of the most beautiful wines—not only in Loveland or in Colorado, but one of the most beautiful wines you will find anywhere. Perfect fruit gives us the opportunity to create perfect wine,” says Charles.
And once the fruit makes its way back to Loveland, Burks goes to work crafting and perfecting each wine aged exclusively in French oak barrels, as is Burks's
preference, due to the beautiful flavors. They also create their wines in small batches, which although is quite labor intensive, produces unparalleled flavor profiles.
“We give our wines a lot of attention. We joke a little bit that our wines are like our babies. We're constantly checking and making sure that they're coming along during the aging process so that our guests and customers can enjoy these wines that they’ve come to count on over the years,” says Charles.
And nobody understands these flavor profiles better than the Sweet Heart Wine Club. Free to join, the Sweet Heart Wine Club unlocks exclusive events, wines and discounts anywhere from 8-20% on all bottles and pours with new releases every quarter. Charles explains, “Our wine club members are very cherished. They’re our most loyal customers and guests so we like to lavish them with all that we can.”
"Whether you’re at home with friends or family or at the winery, when you open a bottle of our wine you know that it was crafted by our master winemaker with love. It was aged and perfected here in the Sweetheart City and that’s what it’s all about."
FROM SCRATCH FARM IS DESIGNING INTENTIONAL OUTDOOR SPACES AND MAKING DELICIOUS FOOD
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY DELANEY MORROW PHOTOGRAPHY
Fresh, nutrient-rich, mouthwatering, intentional. If you were to peruse any of the expertly designed, land-efficient farms built by From Scratch Farm or taste a delectable dish prepared by From Scratch Farm catering, these are the descriptors that immediately come to mind. Not just any catering or landscaping company, From Scratch Farm embodies the true meaning of farm-totable and seed-to-supper.
Focused on designing and creating beautiful, purposeful, uniquely individualized and biodiverse outdoor spaces, From Scratch Farm empowers their clientele to grow their own flavorful and nutritionally beneficial foods customized to their tastes and overall wellness, through thoughtful farm consultation, nutritional coaching, and intentional catering. From Scratch Farm owner, farm girl at heart, and renowned chef, Adriana Karagozian reveals the simplicity of her vision. “We’re feeding the world with affordable and local fresh food by teaching you how to grow it in your backyard.”
After 15 years of building land efficient farms combined with over 27 years in the restaurant industry, Adriana understands that by combining nutrient-rich soil, intentional design principles, hands-on training, a diverse and harmonious environment, and lots of love and attention you can grow a productive and sustainable garden that enhances your lifestyle and well-being. And that by using these organic, locally and lovingly sourced ingredients in her recipes, she is able to create nourishing meals and glorious dishes that you’ll soon not forget.
Originally from Southern California, Adriana first knew that farms were her passion during road trips to visit her grandma. She loved watching the rolling fields and would convince her mom to pull over and take pictures of her and the cows. As a trained chef, Adriana found that using fresh ingredients allowed her food to stand on its own
“I feel called to help feed the world through education of sustainable growing and purposeful cooking with the purest intention of love.”
without the need for extra ingredients that had no real purpose. This is where her love for growing began. Fast forward many years and life experiences later, Adriana moved to Northern Colorado to work in different outlets within horticulture, farming, and cooking, including owning a small travel-based catering business that closed after COVID. Shortly after, she began working at North Quarter Farm in Loveland when everything aligned and the idea of From Scratch Farm was born. She is now the farm manager at North Quarter Farm where she sources a majority of her ingredients for the catering side of the business. The rest is sourced directly from Scratch Farm HQ.
Adriana believes that it's the interconnectedness of growing your own vegetables, herbs, and fruits, that is one of the most rewarding experiences in this life and she loves sharing this purpose with the community. From Scratch Farm collaborates with local farmers, horticulturists, and gardeners, participates in seed swaps, and offers installations that support small businesses. They also offer on-site
educational classes and donate a portion of their harvest to local food banks.
Aside from this very community-minded approach to farming and catering, Adriana believes that what sets her catering apart from any other in the area is the intentionality she places on her cooking.
“If there are 17 ingredients in a dish, it’s because every ingredient has an intention. Food is meant to nurture the body. It's meant to nourish you. And so that's where I want to bring this kind of phenomenal cooking back, with its pure intention to heal, nourish and nurture the body.”
When asked what her favorite foods are to prepare, she smiles and responds easily, “Anything that takes time to make. My creme brulee not only takes an hour to prep, but then you bake it and cool it overnight. My ham takes 7 days to cure and the brine is a creative expression of my love for the food and the ingredients. I grind my sausage and link it myself. Everything that takes time is what I prefer. It’s curing in my love.”
To learn more about From Scratch Farm visit scratch-farm.com
ARTICLE BY COLORADO COFFEE COMPANY
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At their second location Colorado Coffee Company offers a full service bar, perfect for evening work sessions, happy hour, or even trivia nights!
ingredients:
• ½ oz of coffee liquor
• 2 oz of vodka
• ½ oz of pure cane sugar
• 2 shots of Colorado Coffee Espresso Blend
directions:
Pour over into a cocktail shaker
Colorado Coffee Company has been serving Colorado for over 20 years. It began as one of the first coffee shops and roasters in Northern Colorado in the Foothills Fashion Mall in Fort Collins, CO in 1994. Stacy Kliner and her family have since acquired this local gem. Stacy has always dreamed of being a business owner in the Sweetheart City. As a family operated business, you will often see her mom baking cinnamon rolls in the shop and her daughters Molly and Evelyn greeting and hanging out with the customers.
The Smoke Show is a mezcal based cocktail that was masterfully created by Sage Speakeasy & Lounges' head mixologist Shaun Parish, to play across the palette and ALL of the senses. Uniquely combining Cynar with Vago Elote Mezcal, this one-of-a-kind cocktail presents a uniquely smokey and lightly bitter profile that grabs your palate in wonderful curiosity and surprise; followed with a splash of
• 2 oz mezcal elote
• 1/4 oz Cynar
• 1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
Foam top
• Whip 1/2 oz egg white
• 3 drops Mexican vanilla
• 1/2 oz agave
fresh citrus, and hints of herbaceous lightness. But it doesn't stop there! Elevating the cocktail, a Mexican Vanilla Delegata foam is added, and finishing off the experience, turbinado sugar is sprinkled on top and torched table side for a truly intimate experience. Connecting taste, sight, smell, and the kinesthetic senses this cocktail will have you reeling for more!
DIRECTIONS
1. Shake over ice, strain into glass.
2. Pour on top of cocktail, sprinkle raw sugar on top & torch
Connecting taste, sight, smell, and all the senses, this cocktail will have you reeling for more!
ARTICLE BY SAGE SPEAKEASY & LOUNGE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DELANEY MORROW PHOTOGRAPHY
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY TASTE LOCAL Taste Local
TASTE LOCAL SERVES UP DISTINCTIVE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH ITEMS
• 2 bags corn
• 1 ½ c milk
• 12 eggs
• 1 c sugar
• 2/3 c arrow root
• 2 T salt/pepper/paprika/onion powder
• 2 t baking powder
• 2 c pepper jack
• ½ c green chile
• 8 cloves garlic
Featuring house made corn pudding, poached eggs, and chorizo—The Southwestern is a staple on the Taste Local breakfast menu and they're sharing their famous corn pudding recipe with us!
DIRECTIONS
Spread 1 bag corn on full sheet. Combine the rest of the ingredients in processor. Pour processed mixture on top of sheet. Cook until a golden brown crust begins to form over top of sheet - about 25 min.
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OCTOBER 5TH
Berthoud Oktoberfest 2024
Fickel Park, 620 Mountain Ave Berthoud, CO 80513 | 11:00 AM
Grab your lederhosen and join us for the annual Berthoud Oktoberfest! We are celebrating German heritage and traditions with our annual cultural fundraising event. Enjoy live German music, beer, delicious German food, and more! Admission to our family-friendly German-themed festival is FREE and the event includes a number of fun activities for children and adults.
OCTOBER 5TH
The Ranch Events Complex, 5280 Arena Cir, Loveland, CO 80538 | 9:00 AM
The Timber Dan Toy Show has thousands of antique, vintage and collectible toys on display and for sale including: Farm Toys, Die-cast, Race Cars, Pressed Steel Trucks, Lionel Trains, Star Wars, Hot Wheels, Tonka, Large Pressed Steel, Windup, Action Figures, Barbie Dolls & Other Dolls, Beanie Babies, Legos, Model Kits, 3D Oil paintings with tractors & trains, and lots of other good stuff.
OCTOBER 12TH
5th Street in front of the Loveland Museum | 10:00 AM
Join us for the 6th annual Downtown Pumpkin Festival as we celebrate fall with everything pumpkin! We’ll feature local farmer’s market pumpkins, Loveland artists, Pumpkin Sculptures, food vendors, and more. Buy tickets for the pumpkin carving class, participate in the group/family costume contest at 3pm, and guess the weight of the GIANT pumpkin to win a $50 Downtown Gift Card.
OCTOBER 12TH
Hallowine Festival
Silo Park, Thompson River Ranch, Johnstown, Colorado | 11:00 AM
Taste unlimited samples from 15-20 Colorado wineries. In addition to great wine, Hallowine Festival offers a variety of artisan and retail vendors and delicious local food trucks. There will also be live music all day to sit and enjoy a glass of wine!
OCTOBER 12TH
46th Annual Craft and Food Fair
First United Methodist Church of Berthoud, 820 9th Street, Berthoud, CO | 9:00 AM
Berthoud's United Women In Faith is hosting their 46th Annual Craft and Food Fair! Don't miss this opportunity to shop for homemade noodles, kraut burgers, angel food cakes, other food items, and one-of-a-kind crafts! Lunch is served from 11AM to 1PM.
OCTOBER 12TH & 13TH
Fall Festival at The Ranch
The Ranch Events Complex, 5280 Arena Cir, Loveland, CO 80538
Mark your calendars for our 3rd Annual Fall Festival! Over 90 artisans including fine art, handmade treasures, home decor, takehome foods, clothing, and more. $7 admission at the door, kids 12 and under and veterans are free. Free parking. Saturday 9:30am4pm | Sunday 9:30am-3pm
OCTOBER 18TH, 19TH, 20TH
The Northern Colorado Fall Home Show
The Ranch Events Complex, 5280 Arena Cir, Loveland, CO 80538
The Northern Colorado Home Show is back with 3 days of exhibits, live demonstrations, and more! Join us October 18 - 20th at The Ranch Events Complex to meet with local vendors, enjoy free samples & giveaways, and explore savings on all your home improvement needs. Friday 12-6pm | Saturday 10am-5pm | Sunday 11am-4pm
OCTOBER 19TH
Loveland Aleworks, 118 W 4th St, Loveland, CO 80537 | 4:00 PM
The annual Downtown Loveland Zombie Crawl is back for another year! The party kicks off at Loveland Aleworks at 4 PM. We’ll have makeup artists Phobia Entertainment and Evil John Mays ready to zombify you! There will be a photo booth, food trucks to fill your bellies, and we’ll take a group picture at dusk before zombies take over Downtown Loveland.
OCTOBER 27TH
Narrowleaf Lake Run
Boyd Lake State Park, 3720 N Co Rd 11C, Loveland, CO 80538 | 8:00 AM
Brisk autumn running in Colorado – oh yeah! Join us for a family fun event with five distance options at the beautiful Boyd Lake State Park venue. Choose your adventure! Heavy 5K, 10K, 15K (4, 7 or 10 mile) or 1 Mile Pumpkin race options. There is also a Kid’s Fun Run (1 & 1/2 mile options) as well!
ARTICLE BY THE MUSE PHOTOGRAPHY BY DELANEY MORROW PHOTOGRAPHY
By The Muse ingredients:
The Muse was born in 1993, when owner, Kyle Dallabetta, opened a coffee cart, one of the first businesses to bring espresso to the town of Loveland. Muse became a brickand-mortar coffee shop and bakery in 1995, and has continued to serve the community since. Kyle and his wife Jane DeDecker, a nationally recognized sculptor, curated Muse to encompass a fusion of art and coffee. Muse is a space where time slows down, strangers become friends, and creativity blooms. It offers customers a cozy place to sit and chat, enjoy homemade pastries and breads, and sip on a large variety of beverages. Muse prides itself on its baked goods, breakfast foods, and delicious espresso.
Rose Simple Syrup:
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 Cup Rose Petals
directions:
Step 1. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 2. Take off heat, let cool, and strain into a closed-lid bottle or jar.
Step 3. Keep refrigerated. Combine with your favorite espresso for the perfect rose latte.
