Penny Parker’s On The Town: Skyline Park goes whole hog with barbecue block party

The Big Apple comes to the Mile High City when acclaimed New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer brings the Big Denver Barbecue Block Party to Skyline Park Aug. 4 and 5.

Meyer, whose cadre of restaurants includes Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, The Modern and Shake Shack, will send chefs from Blue Smoke, his barbecue spot, along with eight other pitmasters representing barbecue joints from across the country to the Denver event.

Pitmasters include Kenny Callaghan from Blue Smoke; Patrick Martin of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nashville, Tenn.; Tommy Houston from Checkered Pig in Danville, Va.; Frank Ostini of The Hitching Post II in Buelton, Calif.; Jake Linzinmeier from Telluride Ski Resort and Drew Robinson of Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q in Northfield and Aurora.

“When we first learned that Danny Meyer was exploring the idea of expanding the Big Apple BBQ event to an additional city, we wanted to see Denver be that city so we actively competed to roshe run hyp demonstrate that Denver could handle the event and that we are a great city for the event,” said Joe Vostrejs, chief operating officer of Larimer Associates.  “Now we have the event coming to Skyline Park in August, I am thrilled to not only have such a nationally recognized name behind it, but to also have such a distinctive event in our city.  I am confident it will be a huge success for Denver and I cannot wait to see what it will do for the Downtown Denver food scene!”

Tami Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership, teamed with Vostrejs to snag the event that’s been held in New York for 10 years.

“We are so excited to have an event like this come to downtown Denver,” Door said.  “The Big Denver Barbecue Block Party is another example of a fun and unique event that will bring people to the heart of downtown, Skyline Park, and provide an opportunity to experience a unique food scene!  We are pleased to be helping present this event through the Downtown Denver Partnership’s events entity, Downtown Denver Events.”

Admission is free; barbecue will be sold for $8 per plate, desserts for $4, beer for $6 per glass and soft drinks for $2. Proceeds will benefit Skyline Park programming. More information: www.bigbbqblockparty.org; click on Denver.

Family fun

It’ll be a hot time in the Olde Town when Olde Town Arvada breaks out the 15th Annual Blues & BBQ for Better Housing Block Party from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Grandview Avenue between Olde Wadsworth Boulevard and Upham Street will close to cars in favor of foot traffic for families who will be treated to 18 rock and blues bands on three stages and 70 booths with food, beer and bobbles.

Ranger Miller launched the Blues & BBQ benefit with his bandmates in The Duke Street Kings, a longtime metro area blues and rock act. This year’s goal is to raise $30,000 for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.

Tickets are $10; kids under 12 are admitted for free. More information: www.bluesnbbq.com.

Denver hotel earns top honors

The Four Seasons Hotel Denver was the only Denver hotel named to the coveted Travel + Leisure 2012 World’s Best Awards readers’ survey list, announced Monday.

“We are thrilled to be selected by the Travel + Leisure magazine World’s Best Awards readers’ survey,” said Thierry Kennel, general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Denver.  “As one of Denver’s newest hotel properties, it’s a tremendous honor for our team to be given this award—especially as the only hotel in Denver to make the top 50.”

Four Seasons Hotel Denver, a 239-room property in downtown Denver, was included in the list of Top Large City Hotels in the Continental U.S., ranking 31 out of 50. The results of the 17th annual Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards survey revealing readers’ favorite hotels, cities, islands, cruise lines, airlines, car-rental agencies, spas, safari outfitters and tour operators are at www.TravelandLeisure.com, and will be included in the August digital editions on iPad, Nook Color and Kindle Fire, and is the cover story of the August issue of the magazine, on newsstands a week from today.

Free yoga

Yoga fans and wannabe fans can take a free class during Yoga Rocks the Park Free Day from 9:30 a.m. to noon Sunday at Alamo Placita Park, Emerson and East Third.

The event is sponsored by prAna clothing, a performance-wear retailer with stores in Boulder and Cherry Creek North.

More information: http://yogarocksthepark.com/denver/.

Double entendre deals

Euclid Hall, at 1317 14th St., is rolling out Hump Day Happy Hour (tittering intended) from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays.

Beer and shot combinations with naughty names are featured in the five weekly specials. Four of the beer-and-a-shot combos are priced at a conservative $5 with one duo that goes for a walk-on-the-wild-side $14.

Brace yourself, here’s the list:

* El Estilo de Perro (I can’t go there, Google it): Orale Mexi-lager Michelada and Pueblo Viejo tequila.

* The Pile Driver: Boulevard Tank 7 and a screwdriver shot.

* The Lotus: Deschutes White IPA and gin and juice.

* The Reverse Cowgirl: Today’s Tallboy with an Old Forester bourbon.

* The Missionary: Avery Reverend and 80/20 Chartreuse (the $14 combo).

A selection of Euclid’s appetizers are featured roshe run hyp femmes in the Hump Day deals including marrow bones at $5 per bone, oysters on the half shell for $2 each, and chocolate covered banana pops for $3.

Hump Day specials are in addition to Study Hall, Euclid’s every day happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. with selected draught beers, well cocktails and house wines for $3 each. See the full menu at www.euclidhall.com.

Eavesdropping on two women: “Fifty Shades of Grey? My love life is more like Fifty Shades of Blah.”

Did you hear that I have a new column, “Mile High Life,” in Colorado Community Media’s 17 weekly newspapers circling Denver? Be sure to like my Facebook page! Also, here’s where you go to get my column emailed to you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I’m now the social-media liaison for the Mile High Chapter of the Colorado Restaurant Association, so read my latest restaurant news there. My email: penny@blacktie-llc.com.