Denver’s sushi aficionados have been waiting—and waiting, and waiting—for Tyson Cole to open the first non-Texas outpost of his famed Japanese flagship, Uchi, right here in RiNo. The bad news: We’ll have to wait a little longer, as the James Beard Foundation’s 2011 Best Chef: Southwest recipient is currently looking at a summer ETA. The good news: This weekend, he’s preparing a few snacks to tide us over.

Okay, more bad news—the first of two pop ups planned for this weekend, a cocktail party on Friday, April 20, is already sold out. But if you act fast, you can still score tickets to the second. And it’ll be a doozy.

On Saturday, April 21, Cole will present a seven-course seated dinner including sake-kosho salmon crudo, king crab-avocado nigiri, waygu tataki, sous-vide halibut, and more while RiNo Yacht Club’s McLain Hedges does the pairing honors. Hedges says to “expect some super-fun natural wines”—that is, wines made from organically and/or biodynamically grapes, with minimal intervention by the winemaker—as well as cocktails that “reflect a culinary approach, focusing on the flavors of Japan. And maybe a surprise or two thrown in there.” But he’s also creating an array of nonalcoholic concoctions that will “utilize ingredients from the Uchi kitchen to complement what’s on the plate, while bringing new combinations of flavors you might not expect.”

Adds Hedges, “The Uchi team has been pushing the boundaries for years. Now they’re about to bring that edge to Denver—and we can’t wait.” It’s a sentiment we echo wholeheartedly.

If you go: RiNo Yacht Club at the Source, 3350 Brighton Blvd.; April 21, 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.