Eavesdropping on a woman in her ’50s getting a pedicure at a nail salon near Park Meadows: “I’m going to become a prostitute. It’s an honest living and I don’t have to learn anything new.”

Helen Thorpe, journalist, author and estranged wife of Governor John Hickenlooper, has been garnering national press attention since the release of her second book “Soldier Girls” ($28 Scribner), about three Indiana women who join the National Guard and unwittingly find themselves deployed to the real military world of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The book has been lauded by stalwarts including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Christian Science Monitor, but it took Westword editor Patricia Calhoun to ferret out the real publicity coup: “Soldier Girls” earned “Book of the Week” status in a recent People magazine.

High-profile praise, for sure. That, and her recent interview with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s irreverent series “The Daily Show.”

Thorpe, who in the past shunned the spotlight and loathed the title “first lady”, has been holding her own during the book promotion tour. Even the most veteran authors know that book tours equal book sales.

Thorpe spent four years tracking the three women who joined The National Guard for a variety of mostly financial reasons, only to be hit by the whammy of deployment to the front lines of a weird war.

Here’s what The Washington Post book review says, “Journalist Helen Thorpe follows three women, tracking their ups and downs with faithful detail in a brilliant tableau of their overlapping lives…as they do multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and readjust to civilian life.

“‘Soldier Girls’ raises important questions about how men and women serve together and the differences in how they experience war, enabling us to see the subtle challenges female soldiers face — the hardships that don’t make easy headlines.”

This book is the second in what will no doubt become a lengthy resume for Thorpe, the author, since Thorpe the political spouse is not in her future.

To see the Stewart interview, go to http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/20lo0o/helen-thorpe.

Thrillist.com, the national food and drink website with an attitude, ranks each the 50 states by its beer in its newly released compilation “Every State in the USA, Ranked by its Beer.”

How did Colorado’s suds stand up to the competition? We’re No. 3, behind No. 2 California and No. 1 Oregon Here’s what Thrillist said:

“It’s a great time to be drinking beer in America. Not that it was ever, you know, a bad time to be doing that necessarily, but with craft breweries multiplying like rabbits who’ve been drinking beer, you can literally find some serviceable (if not downright tasty) local brews in all 50 states. Which made the process of ranking them all the more difficult, but we were up to the challenge, especially since it meant drinking and thinking about beer for weeks straight.

“Here they are, all 50 states in the Union, ranked according to their beer. A couple notes about our criteria. Quantity and quality are both important, but quality’s a bit more important. If you’re a small state turning out a disproportionate amount of great beer, it did not go unrecognized. We also gave a boost to states who played a historical role in American beer as we know it today.

As for our suds-soaked state (just ask brewery-owner-turned-Governor John Hickenlooper), Thrillist said, “…Oskar Blues started the craft can revolution, and if you haven’t had a GUBNA, change that. Avery has an entire run of bombers called the Dictator Series. New Belgium is distributing with the big boys thanks to an amber ale and a cruiser bike. Crooked Stave is souring things that man previously assumed un-sour-able. Great Divide has proven once and for all that the Yeti exists…And the whole state’s in on it – even the guy who just had a frozen chocolatini with dinner can rattle off 10 upstart breweries you won’t hear of for years. Beer is everywhere. Everywhere is beer.”

Check out all the rankings at www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/every-state-in-the-usa-ranked-by-its-beer. Spoiler alert: Mississippi came in dead last.

Seasons 52, a Florida-based chain touting dishes made with “seasonably inspired ingredients,” recently opened its first Front Range store in the Park Meadows shopping area of Lone Tree.

Seasons 52 is a Darden Restaurant brand (The Capital Grille, Olive Garden, Yard House), which emphasizes lighter fare with nothing on the menu more than 475 calories.

The eatery features a piano bar and a wine list with 52 wines by the glass selected by master sommelier George Miliotes of Darden Restaurants. The place is expected to open early September. More information: www.seasons52.com.

Started as a monthly event in 2010, “Fridays Uncorked” has grown into a weekly wine and music series that continues year-around at Bonacquisiti Wine Company at 4640 Pecos St. in the Sunnyside neighborhood.

The fall series opens Sept. 4 with the Sept. 19 “Uncorked” event featuring the band My Old School – A Tribute to the Music of Steely Dan. My Old School is the culmination of the efforts of 12 professional Denver musicians who feel an affinity to Steely Dan and the music that Walter Becker and Donald Fagen created by applying jazz to pop music.

In addition to the September music line-up, winemaker and namesake Paul Bonacquisiti will be featuring three new wine releases, including a bold spicy Petite Sirah, which last year sold out to wine club members upon release, as well as a Barbera and the [d] Red, a blend of 80 percent Merlot, 10 percent Syrah and 10 percent Zinfandel. The [d]Red is named after the coal camp, Delagua, where Bonacquisti’s father was born. The [d] Red and Barbera releases will be available by the bottle and on tap at the winery in one liter refillable growlers.

Each event runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Admission is free and wine is available to purchase, as is food from a food truck that changes each week. Seating is limited so guests are encouraged to bring a chair. The live music line-up through September includes:

* Sept. 4 – Knight Groove;
* Sept. 12 – Heavy, Timbo and Deb;
* Sept. 19 – My Old School;
* Sept. 26 – The Hip Replacements.

For more information visit www.bonacquistiwine.com.

(Bonacquisiti Wine Company photos)

Tickets are still available for comedian Dave Chappelle’s Birthday Extravaganza, featuring hip-hop artist Common, beginning at 9 tonight (doors open at 8) at the Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. 

Tickets are $37.50 general admission plus applicable service charges and are available at www.BoulderTheater.com and the Boulder Theater box office.

(Comedy Central photo)

Eavesdropping on a husband and wife talking about a homeless person leaving his belongings in a grate on their condo building property: “Why would a homeless person leave his stuff like that?”

“Homeless people have storage issues, too.”

Gather your gullets and stretch waistbands for the first summer Denver Restaurant Week Saturday through Friday where more than 200 local eateries offer multi-course dinners for the fixed price of $30 (not including tax and tip).

To whet our appetites, Lexus hosted a party Wednesday at The Cable Center where sippers and snackers got a preview taste of the dining event. Chefs from Ace Eat Serve, TAG, Luca D’Italia, LoLa, Vesta Dipping Grill, Il Posto, Spuntino, Argyll Whiskey Bar, Root Down and Linger, served delightful bites while adult beverages flowed at the bar.

This is the inaugural summer version of the wildly popular event. “Summer restaurant week offers many new features, including the ability to have outdoor dining and a variety of fresh locally-sourced produce and seasonal items on the menu,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver, organizer of the event.

Menus are listed at www.denverrestaurantweek.com by cuisine and neighborhood. Diners can also see which restaurants offer vegetarian options. The list of restaurants and menus will be frequently updated, so diners should check the website often.

“Planning is an important part of restaurant week,” Scharf said. “Some restaurants will fill up early at prime dining times, but there are many off-peak dining times that remain available, and of course, we encourage diners to experiment and try new restaurants.” Scharf encouraged diners to get on the website and make reservations early.

“And please honor your reservations,” he said. “One of the most frustrating things about the event is when people make a reservation, and don’t show up, denying other diners that time slot. Don’t be a no-show. Please notify the restaurant if your plans change so they can fill that table.”

Restaurants participating for the first time in DRW summer 2014 are:

Ambli Gourmet Eatery; Argyll Whisky Beer; Happy Sumo at the Orchard Town Center; Isushi; La Cour Bistro and Art Bar; Lower48 Kitchen; Luca d’Italia; Morton’s The Steakhouse; P17; Range; Root25 Taphouse & Kitchen; The Nickel; Viewhouse – Centennial; Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill.

Also new this year is the  “The Pursuit of Perfection in the Kitchen” sweepstakes, presented by Lexus, which will award two winners a private cooking lesson with top Denver chefs, Andrea Frizzi of Il Posto or Elise Wiggins from Panzano. Information on entering the contest can be found at Facebook.com/VisitDenver. The contest will run through the end of Denver Restaurant Week.