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Support the Families of Warren Village on June 23

Located in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Warren Village was established in 1974 when citizens and business professionals saw an influx in the number of single parent families struggling to subsist. These community members wanted to build a program that would give these families a chance at economic independence.

One of those community members was Dr. Myron Waddell, a physician who worked in Denver’s inner city during the 1960s. Along with others in the community, he conceived Warren Village after observing an increasing number of single parent families and accompanying high rates of poverty, family violence and homelessness. An active member of Warren United Methodist Church, Dr. Waddell envisioned an “intentional community” of single parent families who could live in a safe and decent temporary home while working toward self-sufficiency. Over a period of nearly ten years, Warren Church bought eight plots of land, razed the existing buildings, and donated the land for the creation of an urban village.

Fast forward to today, 40 years later. Warren Village has continued their mission to provide single parent families in Denver with affordable housing, supportive family services, childcare and education. There is no doubt about the impact this organization has made on our local community.

As a public business, Carmine’s is frequently approached by a variety of charities seeking financial support. Obviously, we cannot support each charity, but once we were introduced to Warren Village, we knew our contributions would go far.

Warren Village certainly stands out with a 40-year history of community service to families in need of a hand up, not a hand out. The dedication of these single parents to improving their own lives and creating better futures for their children is truly inspiring.

For that reason, we will host our second dinner for Warren Village on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. We find that hosting repeating dinners for a charity will often have a natural growth allowing us to offer more financial support. These special dinners also help to build community in support of a particular cause – in this case, poverty and homelessness.

We hope you join us for a special evening to benefit the families who receive services through Warren Village. Learn more at www.warrenvillage.org.

 

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The Little Black Dress of Ingredients

Throughout the history of fashion, the little black dress has become known as the essential staple in every woman’s closet. And when it comes to the Carmine’s menu, we have a staple of our own.

So what is this dress-me-up, dress-me-down, night or day ingredient we can’t live without?

It’s basil. 

The basil plant is one of the most widely known and grown herbs in the world. Often associated with Mediterranean cooking, basil is native to India, Asia and parts of Africa. As a member of the mint family, basil has antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and offers a healthy dose of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese and magnesium. It’s no wonder we use it in so much of our cooking!

One of our favorite basil-touting recipes at Carmine’s is homemade gnocchi. Served in roasted pomodora sauce with kalamata olives, we toss in torn basil to maximize the dish’s flavor. We also slide some basil in our seafood dishes and use it to enliven our Panzanella (bread salad).

Basil is also the main ingredient in pesto – a mixture of basil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Pesto appears in many places on our menu, and even just a small amount can take a dish to the next level.

Of course, we don’t limit our use of basil to food. Our new specialty cocktail, the Carmine’s Cooler, is a blend of Cruzan Light Rum, Tommasi Prosecco and fresh-squeezed lime, made perfectly refreshing thanks to muddled basil.

This summer, we encourage you to discover new ways to use basil in your own cooking (or drinking!) at home. And the next time you come in to Carmine’s, we promise there will be plenty of basil to go around.

 

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