Denver is one of 20 American cities picked to host The James Beard Foundation's Taste America, a national foodie fest celebrating the culinary organization's 20th anniversary with a dinner prepared by five of Colorado's top toques on Sept. 28.

Colorado Cooks For James Beard will be held at Panzano in the Hotel Monaco. It will feature fab fare from Frank Bonanno (Mizuna, Luca d'Italia), Yasmin Lozada-Hissom (Duo pastry chef), Thomas Salamunovich (Larkspur in Vail), Alex Seidel (Fruition) and Elise Wiggins (Panzano). Tim Love, James Beard Award nominee and chef-owner of The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in Fort Worth, Texas, will join the locals on the six-course tasting menu.

Each course will be paired with wines selected by Beard Award-winner Bobby Stuckey, master sommelier at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder.

"My team and I picked chefs we thought were really talented and would love to do this for the Beard Foundation," event organizer Sheri Heedum said. "They are all well-respected in the community as good chefs."

The majority of the event's proceeds will go to the James Beard Foundation, a New York based nonprofit that funds scholarships in the culinary arts, educational workshops and the prestigious James Beard Awards for professional chefs and journalists. A portion will be donated to Operation Frontline Colorado, an anti-hunger campaign. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails; dinner starts at 7. Tickets: $125 per person, 303-395-2677 or office@heedum.com.

"With the lineup we've put together, this will be the hottest ticket in town," Heedum said.

SATURDAY CHEF: Denver uber chef Bonanno will be cooking a three-course meal in front of 2 million folks Saturday morning, but does that get his kitchen towel in a twist? "I'm trying not to worry too much about it," Bonanno said about his national network debut on the Saturday Early Show from 5 to 7 a.m. on CBS 4.

Bonanno was asked to create a three-course dinner for four for less than $40 for the Chef on a Dime segment. Mizuna sommelier Ryan Gaudin will assist with the arugula salad with peaches, gorgonzola and balsamic vinaigrette, roasted halibut with fingerling potatoes and pan perdue (fancy French toast) with stone fruit compote.

WEDDED WAYS: Tons of wedding crashers will witness the vows exchanged by Denver dwellers Christine Alducin and Brian Rouse during the season's last Film on the Rocks, beginning at 7 tonight at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

The cute couple won the wedding - which includes a gown and tuxedo, wedding bands, dinner backstage, 40 Film on the Rocks tickets and a honeymoon trip - through a radio promotion. They will say their "I dos" before the "guests" listen to the U2 tribute band Under the Blood Red Sky and watch the movie Wedding Crashers. Tickets at King Soopers.

THE SEEN: Rush lead singer Geddy Lee chowing down on gravy fries and fried cheese at Steuben's recently.

The Beastie Boys partying post-concert Friday at Le Rouge in LoDo.

+John Elway and his girlfriend, Paige Green, hanging with Hardbodies owner Steve Lower and his wife, Marina, during the Railbenders concert at Elway's on Wednesday.

Francesca Zambello, director of The Little Mermaid, at PHAMALY's production of Urinetown, the Musical last week.

EAVESDROPPING on a late-arriving fan trudging into the sold-out String Cheese Incident show at Red Rocks: "Trust me, I wouldn't work this hard at my job."

Penny Parker's column appears Tuesday through Saturday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-AM (630). Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail parkerp@RockyMoun tainNews.com.