By the Thirst Team

Nicole and Scott Mattson invited Team Thirst for an evening of jazz, gourmet food and cocktails at Nocturne, which the couple owns and operates.

The RiNo venue has established itself as a destination on the Denver jazz scene since opening in 2015. This year, it launched new customer experiences, including four-course seasonal menus, a five-course tasting menu and new high-end cocktails.

We sampled most of the current dining menu, including octopus ceviche, a shaved Brussels sprouts salad, curry sea scallops, mushroom and grits, and Nocturne’s signature bread pudding.

Simpler a la carte fare including a pasture-raised burger and a Korean-style fried chicken sandwich also is available.

We were also tempted by traditional cocktails and the “Ain’t Misbehaving” mocktail menu. The Autumnal Hues, with tamarind, maple and pumpkin butter is a fall treat not to be missed.

The Briana Harris Quintet performed classic, upbeat jazz during the dinner, rounding out a fun evening.