
Read about 15 years of First Bite
About First Bite: Boulder County Restaurant Week
For the past fifteen years, First Bite: Boulder County Restaurant Week has illuminated the Boulder County restaurant scene, becoming one of the most popular restaurant events in Colorado. Every November, over 10,000 diners come out to see what their favorite restaurant is serving up and to visit that new restaurant they’ve been dying to try. By featuring a myriad of restaurants – everything from best-kept secrets to fine dining stars – diners experience a celebration of the culinary creativity of the season’s best ingredients.
First Bite prioritizes strengthening the community, just as much as it prioritizes elevating the Boulder County restaurant scene. Our restaurants are an essential piece of the vitality of Boulder, and our diners know that the restaurants are one of the biggest supporters of the local schools, non-profits and events of all kinds. In 2019, a new program was launched to raise money and awareness for local non-profits with the support of local businesses and the restaurants. By bringing together 68 organizations, the First Bite program generated more support and deepened the connection locals have to their community.
This last year has changed the way we can dine and connect with our friends, family and community. It’s forced our beloved restaurant industry to reinvent themselves, and thankfully our community is hugely supportive of however we can dine with them. We are proud that in 2020, First Bite produced A Bite of Boulder, a limited-run cookbook featuring over 40 recipes from 30 local restaurants and 50% of proceeds from A Bite of Boulder go back to the participating restaurants. We still have a few copies left, so be sure to get yours today. By sharing your love for Boulder’s incredible restaurants, their people, their food, you can also support their survival. Food is Love – Now, more than ever, show the love.
Our 2021 plans will be announced in late spring.
In the Press
- Boulder Magazine: Bite Size Restaurant Week at Home
- Denver Post: Colorado restaurants are struggling right now, but these recipes (and cookbooks) can help
- Daily Camera: Gift Guide 2020: Shop Local This Holiday Season
- 5280: Your Guide to Festive Holiday Fare Across the Front Range
- Boulder Weekly: I Love Local Gift Guide 2020
- Cowboys & Indians: Recipe: Happy Hanukkah Latkes from Colorado
- Westword: Get the Gift of Locally Made Food and Kitchen Supplies for the Holidays
- Edible Denver: Gift Guide
- 5280: 3 Colorado Cookbooks That Make Great Gifts—And Support Local Businesses
- 303 Magazine: Editor’s Guide to the Best Gifts to Buy from Colorado Small Businesses in 2020
- 303 Magazine: 7 Colorado Cookbooks You Should Have on Your Shelf
- Waggle: Holiday 2020 Issue
- Flavor & The Menu: Planting Comfort
- Best Served Podcast (#271): Chimera’s Smashed Cucumbers with Edwin Zoe & Jessica Benjamin
- 5280: Gift Guide 2020: 19 Locally Made Gifts for Food (and Drink) Lovers
- Daily Camera: First Bite-produced cookbook ‘A Bite of Boulder’ offers restaurant recipes, meal kits
- Westword: First Bite Boulder Releases a 2020 Cookbook
- Westword: Best Denver Food and Drink Things to Do This Week
- KDVR Fox 31 News: First Bite’s A Bite of Boulder
- Boulder Weekly: Boulder Restaurant Week, amended
- Denver Business Journal: Full Plate
- Westword: The Five Best Events on the Culinary Calendar This Week
- KGNU: Super Sized Radio Nibbles
- Travel Boulder: New ‘A Bite of Boulder’ Cookbook Celebrates Boulder County Chefs
- CO Yoga + Life: Upcoming A Bite of Boulder Cookbook Serves Local Restaurants + Will Inspire Foodies Everywhere
- Boulder Weekly: Restaurant week, at home or view on Issuu
- Denver Business Journal: Full Plate
- Boulder Weekly: All the Boulder County restaurants now offering takeout/delivery during coronavirus shutdown
- DiningOut: First Bite: Boulder County Restaurant Week
- 5280: 38 Fantastic Foodie Events Coming to Colorado in November
- Times-Call: Nitro Fest and Other Longmont-Area Events Nov 9, 2019
- Denver7: Boulder County Restaurant Week starts today
- Boulder Weekly: Front Range events 2019-20
- Westword: The Seven Best Events on the Culinary Calendar This Weekend
- Daily Camera: First Bite turns 14, offers flexible pricing and fundraising
- Boulder Weekly: Restaurant week is a chance to find your next favorite eatery
- Denver Business Journal: Full Plate
- 303 Magazine: 28 Unique Things to do in Denver this Week
- KDVR Fox 31 News: First Bite Boulder County Restaurant Week Turns Up the Heat
- 303 Magazine: Denver Passport Winter Edition Launch Party and 18 Other Food & Drinks Events in Denver This Week
- Westword: The Eight Best Events on the Culinary Calendar This Week
- Westword: First Bite Brings New Deals for Boulder County’s Restaurant Week
- YellowScene: Boulder County First Bite Triple Punch: Delicious Dishes, Community, and Philanthropy
- CO Yoga + Life: First Bite Boulder November 8-16
- Chef or Death (Podcast) #85: First Bite Boulder – Jessica Benjamin & Eric Lee
- Boulder Lifestyle: October 2019 Issue
- 5280: First Bite: Boulder County Restaurant Week
- Boulder Weekly: Grain Bowl Game
- Westword: Hundreds of Things to Do This Fall in Colorado
- Boulder Weekly: Tomato Speed Dating
- Wine Business: First Bite: Boulder County Restaurant Week Has a Lot on its Plate for 2019
- Boulder Weekly: In with the New
- Denver Eater: Boulder’s First Bite Restaurant Week Adopts New Prices for Three-Course Menus
- Daily Camera: Foodies can get an early look at Boulder restaurant week with culinary tours
- Biz West: Boulder County Restaurant Week has new owner
- CO Yoga + Life page 92
- Daily Camera: Rights Sold for First Bite
- Longmont Times-Call: Events
- Boulder Patch: First Bite Boulder 2018 Begins This Weekend
- Boulder Weekly: Front Range Events
- Daily Camera: First Bite Boulder kicks off restaurant week, now with a cheaper option
- Boulder Weekly: Your first time: Boulder County’s restaurant week gets you to taste beyond your bubble
- KGNU: Radio Nibbles: First Bite and Feast
- Dining Out: 12 November Food and Drink Events to Add to your Calendar
- Denver Eater: A Grilled Cheese Festival Comes to Town | Plus, holiday markets, Boulder restaurant week, and more November food and drink events
- In Good Taste Denver: What’s in Good Taste in November
- Colorado Parent: Events Calendar
- 5280: Events Calendar
- Thrillist: Everything You Need to Do in Denver This Fall
- 303 Magazine: Dig Into November — What to Eat and Drink This Month
- Boulder Lifestyle: November 2018 Around Town
- Westword: First Bite Comes to Boulder with Restaurant Deals in November
- Boulder Weekly: Taste here now
- Boulder Weekly: Restaurants Band Together for First Bite Boulder
- Boulder Weekly: You Can Have It All
- Boulder Weekly: Local Food News
- Business Plus Spotlight
- Daily Camera: First Bite highlights restaurants in Boulder, Longmont
- Denver Eater: Where to Eat During Boulder Restaurant Week
- DiningOut: 10 Must Do Events in November
- The Know: First Bite Boulder the city’s restaurant week, starts next Friday
- In Good Taste Denver: What’s in Good Taste November 6-12
- Thrillist: Things to Do in the Fall in Denver 2017
- Westword: First Bite Boulder Showcases Boulder County’s Bounty
- 303 Magazine: You Can Eat Three Courses for $29 at 50+ Boulder Restaurants this Weekend
Media Contact
For media inquiries, please contact: Emily Tracy, ROOT Marketing & PR
Media Kit
For press release, about, bios and more, click here to view the media kit.

©Megan Newton Photography
Jessica Benjamin Bio
For nearly two decades, First Bite Producer Jessica Benjamin has committed her time and energy to connecting her community to local food.
After growing up in Colorado and receiving her degree from the University of Colorado, Jessica spent a decade working in marketing and events for local restaurants and then for large-scale corporate events around the world. In 2010, Jessica founded 1517 Events, first as a side-hustle and then in 2014, left the corporate world to dive in full time working more intimately in Boulder County.
Throughout her time in Boulder, Jessica has collaborated and worked with area nonprofits, businesses, restaurants, the University of Colorado, and even as a Campaign Manager for her husband’s campaign in 2017. Jessica invested even more into her community by purchasing First Bite: Boulder County Restaurant Week in March 2019. In her first year as Executive Producer, First Bite saw a more than 30% jump in diners, serving over 11,300 guests over the nine-day event. Through partnerships with over 68 restaurants, non-profits, local businesses and organizations, First Bite delivered over $542,000 economic impact to Boulder County.
With an intrinsic desire to deepen the connection between her community and the Boulder County food industry, extensive knowledge of the Boulder restaurant scene, invaluable long-term partnerships with area eateries, and an undeniable entrepreneurial spirit, Jessica is driven to build and connect First Bite’s guests to the Boulder County restaurant and food scene all year long.
In her free time, Jessica enjoys all Boulder has to offer with her husband and two small children. On the weekends, they often enjoy gardening, traveling, cooking and exploring Colorado’s outdoor wonders. She has worked with Garden to Table (Growe Foundation), both as a board member for five years, and as a volunteer for most of the last fifteen years, to support their efforts to empower school communities with gardens and curriculum to engage all students in experiential outdoor education.
With an intrinsic desire to deepen the connection between her community and the Boulder County food industry, extensive knowledge of the Boulder restaurant scene, invaluable long-term partnerships with area eateries, and an undeniable entrepreneurial spirit, Jessica is driven to build and connect First Bite’s guests to the Boulder County restaurant and food scene all year long.
In her free time, Jessica enjoys all Boulder has to offer with her husband and two small children. On the weekends, they often enjoy gardening, traveling, cooking and exploring Colorado’s outdoor wonders. She has worked with Garden to Table (Growe Foundation), both as a board member for four years, and as a volunteer for more than a decade, to support their efforts to improve nutrition at school, and enrich education experiences through school gardens and curriculum.