Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity is holding our third — and final — Tequila and Tapas fundraiser Sunday, August 13, 5-7 p.m.
The event takes place at La Rosa Southwestern Dining, 25 Highway 105, Palmer Lake, CO 80133, and features five courses of food paired with tequila samples.
“Marina is the owner, and she had reached out to us wanting to host a fundraiser,” explains Emma Price, Pikes Peak Habitat’s donor relations specialist. “We don’t have a huge presence in Palmer Lake, so it’s always great to have something like this out there so people know we’re serving all of El Paso County.”
The restaurant typically closes at 2 p.m. on Sundays and will be open only for Tequila and Tapas attendees that evening. The event can accommodate up to 40 people, and 20 have already made their reservations. Those interested in attending can RSVP by August 4 either online or by calling the restaurant at 719.368.7676.
Price explains that tapas are small entrees–and the event features a special menu.
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s delicious,” she says. “They bring in these outside chefs, they come up with all of these new dishes, and they bring in somebody who specializes in pairing tequila with meals, and they source really high-quality tequila with every course.”
This year’s menu features the following courses:
- Course 1: Sopes (a corn cake) filled with machaca (slowly braised ranch-direct beef, prepared with chipotle and jalapeno peppers, onions, tomatoes and various spices) along with roasted street corn
- Course 2: Crab and lobster cake with an avocado aioli
- Course 3: Ahi tuna street taco dressed with a tomatillo salsa and a side of Mexican slaw
- Course 4: New York strip-loin steak–grilled and placed on a nest of roasted poblano peppers (referred to as “raja”) and squash. Finished with a poblano cream.
- Dessert: Panna cotta prepared with mango and other fruit
Those with dietary needs can request adjustments to the menu, Price says.
She notes that last year, attendees who enjoyed all the tequila pairings either designated a driver or booked a ride-share service. “If somebody for some reason wasn’t capable of driving themselves home, they would definitely help them out,” she says.
But many people attend just for the food.
“It’s top-notch!” she enthuses. “It’s a specialty menu, so even regular customers that go there all the time are going to get something very different than what they’ve had previously.”
Price will operate a table with Pikes Peak Habitat materials, so guests wanting to learn more about the organization can pick up promotional items and speak with her.
“It’s just a nice way for us to get our messaging out there and to partner with a local restaurant,” she explains.
Tickets cost $90 plus tax, per person. “You’re really getting quite a lot of food and drink for that, and you’re making a donation,” Price says. “We are very appreciative of that.”
All proceeds after cost are donated to Pikes Peak Habitat. Last year the event raised nearly $1,500 for our affordable housing programs in El Paso County and internationally.
La Rosa will permanently close a few weeks after Tequila and Tapas, and Price expresses gratitude for the restaurant’s willingness to host us a final time.
“We are so appreciative that this is our third year doing this, and it’s gotten even more traction each year,” she says. “We’re very, very thankful. It’s been a really great partnership, and Marina has been wonderful to work with.”
Still on the fence about attending? Let Price convince you!
“They work really hard to come up with the menu and to bring in really high-quality food,” she says. “There’s a pretty good variety throughout the courses, and three’s a dessert as well. It’s just delicious.”
