Thrillist and Eater Denver have published this year’s best Denver restaurants winners. Since 2014 was a bumper crop year for new restaurants, the picking was a prickly proposition. But both foodie websites narrowed their selections to 11 for Thrillist and six categories from Eater.

Here”s Thrillist.com’s list:

* Cart Driver, 2500 Larimer St.;

* Work & Class, 2500 Larimer St.;

* Brazen, 4500 W. 38th Ave.

* Gozo, 32 S. Broadway;

* The BSide, 1336 E. 17th Ave.;

* Mercantile Dining & Provision in Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop;

* Bistro Barbes, 5021 E. 28th;

* Atticus, 1125 E. Evans;

* Lena, 24 Broadway;

* Argyll Whiskey Beer, 1035 E. 17th Ave.;

* Range, 918 17th St.

See descriptions of the winning eateries at www.thrillist.com/eat/denver/best-new-denver-restaurants-of-2014.

Eater Denver (www.denver.eater.com), divided its 2014 top picks into nominees, finalists and the winner. Here they are:

Restaurant of the Year

Nominees: The Plimoth, To The Wind, Acorn, Stoic & Genuine, Work & Class

Finalists: Work & Class, the Plimoth, Acorn

Winner: Acorn

Chef of the Year

Nominees: Dana Rodriguez (Work & Class), Kelly Whitaker (Cart-Driver), Alex Figura (Lower48 Kitchen), Jorel Pierce (Stoic & Genuine), Pete Ryan (The Plimoth)
Finalists: Whitaker, Rodriguez, Figura
Winner: Whitaker

So Hot Right Now

Nominees: Cart-Driver, Rosenberg Bagels & Delicatessen, Work & Class, Mercantile Dining & Provision, Stoic & Genuine
Finalists: Rosenberg Bagels & Delicatessen, Work & Class, Cart-Driver
Winner: Rosenberg Bagels & Delicatessen

Bartender of the Year

Nominees: Jason Patz, Mclain Hedges, Noah Heaney, Sean Kenyon, Stuart Jensen
Finalists: Patz, Hedges, Kenyon
Winner: Kenyon

Stone Cold Stunner

Nominees: Ste. Ellie, Stoic & Genuine, the Cooper Lounge, the Nickel, Sarto’s
Finalists: Stoic & Genuine, the Cooper Lounge, the Nickel
Winner: The Cooper Lounge

Iconic Colorado Distillery

Winner: Leopold Bros.

For more details, go to www.denver.eater.com/2014/11/17/7228619/the-2014-eater-awards-for-denver.

Derek Okubo, executive director of Denver’s agency for Human Rights & Community Partnerships, will speak to market-goers, local residents, vendors and sponsors about the importance of diverse community relationships at Denver’s 14th Annual Christkindl Market opening ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Skyline Park, 16^th Street and Arapahoe. Following the ceremony to launch the 33-day event, the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra will begin an hour-long performance at 5:30 p.m.

Okubo oversees eight offices and 10 mayoral appointed commissions. The agency acts as a conduit of communication and convener of problem-solving among local government, nonprofits, businesses and residents.

“We are excited to have Mr. Okubo join us this year from the mayor’s office to say a few words on behalf of Mayor Hancock,” said Joshua Seeberg, executive director of the German American Chambers of Commerce. “Our German-American community in Colorado is rich with culture and the Christkindl Market brings the holiday spirit to Denver to celebrate tradition and commerce.  We are looking forward to this event with support from America It’s Time, Holland & Hart, Intermountain STIHL and the Sonnenalp Hotel.”

The Denver Christkindl Market presented by America It’s Time opens Friday and will run for 33 days at Skyline Park.  The event is hosted by the Colorado Chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce.

Event highlights include:

* 11 a.m. Friday: Market opens with vendors, food and live music from 4 to 9 p.m.

* 4:30 p.m. Saturday: Grand opening ceremony with the 2014 Christkind (Christ child) Shersten Erschholz; Joshua Seeberg, executive director of the Colorado Chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce and Okubo who will say a few words about culture and commerce in Denver.

* 5:30 p.m. Saturday: Denver Philharmonic Orchestra performance begins.

* 6 p.m. Nov. 28: Grand Illumination, presented by Downtown Denver Partnership, Inc. A part of Downtown Denver’s Winter in the City program, the Grand Illumination event will light up downtown from Union Station to the City and County Building. Following a countdown shortly after 6:30 p.m., Denver Union Station will be ablaze with brightly colored floodlights illuminating the historic structure in the heart of Lower Downtown and its lighted tree in front. Light Exhibition runs through the end of December.

* 11 a.m. Nov. 29: Southwest Skating Rink at Skyline Park opens. The Christkindl Market warming hut will be serving warm Gluehwein (Glow wine) and hot chocolate.

* 4:30 p.m. Dec. 4: Networking with the Colorado international business community hosted by the Colorado Chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce; the event features a buffet provided by award-winning chef Walter Neuhold.

* 11 a.m. Dec. 5: St. Nickolas Day celebrations with appearances from St. Nickolas throughout the day.

 * 8 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6: The Parade of Lights. Market will stay open until 10 p.m. both days.

* 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dec. 6: Live entertainment and appearances from St. Nikolaus at the Market.

* Give aways: Seven-foot advent calendar with 23 days of gifts to market goers sponsored by Sonnenalp Hotel . Gifts include free dinners, theater and comedy club tickets, a 2-night stay at the Sonnenalp Hotel in Vail (valued at $1,200) and much more.

A production of the German Cultural Foundation of the Rocky Mountains and the German American Chamber of Commerce – Colorado, this Christmas Market creates the holiday spirit of Old World Germany with the foods, sounds and activities of the Market. The Market runs from Nov. 23 to Dec. 23. More information at www.DenverChristkindlMarket.com.

Experience the glamour of closing night of the Denver Film Festival with free parking, dinner in Larimer Square and a red carpet premiere at the Buell Theatre on Saturday.

The closing night package includes: One ticket to the closing night screening of “Like Sunday, Like Rain” at 8 p.m., a $50 gift certificate to any Larimer Square restaurant (reservations recommended) and complimentary parking at the Larimer Square Garage (first-come, first-served).

Tickets are $59 for Denver Film Society members; $69 for non-members available at www.denverfilm.org/shop/package/package.aspx?PID=491.

It’s been years in the making, but Hosea Rosenberg, the much-heralded “Top Chef” season five winner, finally opened Blackbelly Market, a restaurant and butcher shop in a nondescript strip mall in east Boulder (1606 Conestoga St. No. 3).

Focused on seasonal and fresh farm-to-table offerings, the contemporary menu features Blackbelly Farms’ own livestock and locally sourced small-farm produce. There’s also an in-house butcher shop, crafted charcuterie program, and gourmet pantry sundries for sale at the small front-of-house market.

During the media party last week, we sampled specialty cocktails (including Pirate’s Apples made with Havana Club Rum, Leopold’s NY Apple Whiskey, lemon and hot cider), house made charcuterie, a cheese plate, kobe beef hangar steak, a three-squash soup with apple bits and other assorted goodies.

For more information, go to www.blackbelly.com.

Students from Denver Center for International Studies at Fairmont and Downtown Denver Expeditionary School will “paint the town” in holiday colors from 9 a.m. to noon Friday on the 16th Street Mall median between Stout and Champa. A group of students, along with their teachers, will paint five pianos as part of the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District’s Your Keys to the City Program.

The pianos will be placed throughout the 16th Street Mall during Downtown Denver’s Grand Illumination celebration on Nov. 28 and will remain open and available to the public to enjoy until Dec. 30 (weather permitting).

In the winter of 2009, seven painted upright pianos appeared along the 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver. Created by the Downtown Denver Partnership, Your Keys to the City was designed to encourage residents, employees and tourists in Downtown Denver to interact with their public spaces in new and spontaneous ways — while contributing to the vibrancy within the urban core. All pianos are donated to the program and painted by Colorado artists. Pianos are covered during inclement weather.

Eavesdropping on Facebook: “Lady just called me (and said) ‘I’d like to post a job.’ (I said) OK, are you a company or a nonprofit? ‘A nonprofit.’ She tells me the name of her organization. Uhhhh … that doesn’t sound like a nonprofit, are you sure you are a nonprofit? ‘Well, we haven’t made a profit in over seven years, so if that’s not a nonprofit, then what is???'”

The Colorado Music Hall of Fame will host an induction concert with performances from original members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Poco and Firefall, with a tribute to Stephen Stills/Manassas at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Paramount Theater, 1621 Glenarm Place.

Reserved seats are available beginning at 10 a.m. Friday at www.altitudetickets.com. The evening. presented by Comfort Dental, will feature video tributes, interviews with the inductees, celebrity speeches and performances featuring original members of the inducted acts and guest members of popular Colorado bands.

The pre-concert gala for VIP ticketholders (a catered meet-and-greet with the inductees) will also include a historic array of exhibits and archival photographs, to be relocated in the coming months to the CMHOF’s new home at the Trading Post at Red Rocks. Also being honored will be Chris Hillman, Richie Furay, producer Jim Mason and comedian/banjo player Steve Martin.

About the inductees:

Poco – In 1968, with Buffalo Springfield in disarray, Richie Furay and Jim Messina set about assembling a band of their own. They recruited pedal steel guitarist Rusty Young and drummer George Grantham from Böenzee Cryque, a Denver-based band. Following personnel changes, the band members – Furay, Young, Grantham, Timothy B. Schmit (later of the Eagles) and guitarist Paul Cotton—moved to Colorado in 1971. Furay, Young, Cotton, and Grantham will perform at the CMHOF event.

Firefall – The group’s blend of acoustic guitars, mellow pop melodies and vocal harmonies landed six singles on the Top 40 from 1976 through 1981. Two Firefall songs – the Top 10 “You Are the Woman” and “Just Remember I Love You” – have each been played on radio more than two million times. Firefall was founded by singer-songwriter Rick Roberts and former Zephyr guitarist Jock Bartley in the summer of 1974. The other charter members were Mark Andes (a founder of Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne), singer-songwriter Larry Burnett, multi-instrumentalist David Muse and the late Michael Clarke on drums. Bartley, Roberts, Andes, Burnett and Muse will perform at the CMHOF event.

Stephen Stills/Manassas – Searching for some peace from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in 1970, Stills would fly to airports in Boulder County that were close to his cabin near the town of Gold Hill, where he posed for his first solo album cover photo. He wrote many of the songs for his second solo album that winter while in Colorado; he also named his publishing company after Gold Hill. Securing the services of Chris Hillman and members of his touring band, Stills visualized a group that would bring together rock, folk, Latin, country and blues. The amalgam of players, dubbed Manassas, disbanded after two albums (the first earning a gold record) and two years of road work. Recording sessions for Stills’ next two albums took place at Caribou Ranch in Colorado.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Straddling such diverse styles as rock, folk, country and bluegrass, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s move to Colorado from Los Angeles in 1971 contributed to its rise in stature, both commercially and creatively. “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”, the historic American music anthology, marked the acceptance of long-haired hippie types by country music establishment figures. In 1977, the pioneering Dirt Band became the first American group selected by the Soviet government to tour Russia. The band continues to record and tour. Original members Jeff Hanna, John McEuen, Jimmie Fadden and Bob Carpenter will perform at the CMHOF event.

Denver-based airport concessionaire Mission Yogurt, Inc. will launch its new #LiftYourSpirits complimentary wine, beer and spirits tasting series from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at Timberline Steaks & Grille in Denver International Airport Concourse C.

The inaugural tasting will welcome travelers ages 21 and older (with valid ID)  to enjoy complimentary samples of Colorado-based Leopold Bros. whiskey, with special guest Scott Leopold, co-founder of Leopold Bros.

The tastings, the first and third Wednesdays of every month, will continue with Palisade, Colo.-based Colterris Wines on Dec. 3; Denver-based Mile High Spirits on Dec. 17; and Denver-based Infinite Monkey Theorem sparkling wines in celebration of New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31. A selection of cigars and cognac will also be available this evening, to be enjoyed in Smokin’ Bear Lounge, adjacent to Timberline Steaks & Grille.

“Travel can be a stressful experience, especially around the holidays,” said Mission Yogurt, Inc. president and owner Rod Tafoya. “We hope that Mission’s new #LiftYourSpirits series will help travelers relax and enjoy their travel a little more. Offering travelers a pleasant food and beverage experience in an appealing environment has always been at the core of our mission as a company. This is just one more way we can accomplish that goal.”

Timberline Steaks & Grille menu features hamburgers, steaks, sandwiches and salads. The restaurant offers a full bar that includes approximately 30 different wines and 40 beers.

For the fourth time in recent history, Denver was selected as one of eight cities to host the First and Second Rounds of the Division I Men’s Basketball Road to the Final Four Tournament in 2016. The games, scheduled for March 17 and 19, will be played in the Pepsi Center with the Mountain West Conference serving as the official host

A total of eight teams will play in four games on March 17, with four teams advancing to play in two games on March 19. Two teams will continue on after Denver as part of the Sweet 16 that ultimately advance to become the Final Four.

“From a purely economic standpoint, these regional games are great for cities because they bring in eight teams, coaches, bands and fans from eight different areas,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver.

Denver Sports, a division of Visit Denver, the Pepsi Center team and Dan Butterly, senior associate commissioner with the Mountain West Conference were instrumental in submitting Denver’s winning bid.

“We have hosted these preliminary rounds in 2004, 2008 and 2011, and based on past history, we will see all six games sell out with a huge following of fans filling hotels and restaurants,” Scharf said. In addition, Denver will receive national television exposure.

The NCAA has also selected Denver to host two upcoming sporting events: the 2015 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Quarterfinals at Sports Authority Field, and the 2016 NCAA Division II (DII) Spring Sports Festival, a six day event that will be held in The Mile High City for the first time.

The Spring Sports Festival includes six championships (men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, and softball) rolled into one event. “The unique feature of this sporting event is that all teams stay for the entire six day festival, even if their team has been eliminated, thereby increasing the number of overnight stays and the economic impact,” said Joan McDermott, athletic director at Metropolitan State University of Denver.