The Downtown Denver Partnership announced new leadership and announced its priorities for the coming year at the 57th annual meeting today, Tuesday, at the Hyatt Regency at Colorado Convention Center.  Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper addressed the crowd of nearly 800 people, a record attendance.

Cole Finegan, managing partner of Hogan Lovells, was announced as the new Downtown Denver Partnership board chairman, and Elbra Wedgeworth, chief government and community relations Officer for Denver Health, was named chairwoman-elect.  David Kenney,pPresident of The Kenney Group, is the new board chairman for Downtown Denver Inc., and Joe Vostrejs, chief operating Officer for Larimer Associates, is the new board chairman for Denver Civic Ventures.

Tami Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership, spoke about the Partnership’s goals and vision for the 2012-13 fiscal year.

“For 57 years, the Downtown Denver Partnership has roshe run successfully worked to create a premier public realm and to create a strong sense of community in downtown,” Door said.  “Our vision for downtown is one of a world class city. The six core priorities we have established for this year will help move us closer to that reality.”

The core priorities and major initiatives outlined by Door are:

* Growing the downtown technology base by launching Denver Start-Up Week, October 22-26, to inspire entrepreneurs and provide them with the resources they need to be successful.

* Keeping downtown clean and safe by expanding the off-duty police officer program, and advocating for more transitional housing and a 24-hour shelter to address social service needs.

* Leveraging downtown urban parks and spaces by developing a comprehensive work plan and strategy centered on downtown parks and urban spaces, offering more than 225 days of events in Skyline Park this year including the return of the Southwest Airlines Skating Rink, concerts, movies and a new urban market.

* Redeveloping the 16th Street Mall by pursuing $65 million in public/private funding to restore the Mall, and by launching a new and dramatic lighting program on the facades of the historic buildings along the Mall.

* Building out Arapahoe Square by seeking developers and property owners to work together on projects that will launch first-stage development in Arapahoe Square, Denver’s next new neighborhood.

* Attracting new retailers by expanding and diversifying downtown retail by focusing on attracting local, regional and first-to-market retailers, and by launching a marketing campaign to draw consumers to downtown.

DDP recognized several board members and organizations that made a significant contribution to downtown Denver in the last year, including:

• Honorary Partner Award: Jerry Glick, Managing Partner of Columbia Group.
• Volunteer of the Year Award: Trinidad Rodriguez, Senior Vice President of George K. Baum & Company.
• Volunteer of the Year Award: Anne Hayes, Vice President of Westfield Company.
• Volunteer of the Year Award: Joe Vostrejs, Chief Operating Officer of Larimer Associates.
• Volunteer of the Year Award:  The Distinguished Clown Brigade; a 27 member “secret society” of regional corporate and community leaders that entertain as clowns during the 9News Parade of Lights and raise money for the annual event.
• President’s Award: Downtown Denver Businesses Improvement District Property Owners for renewing the BID’s authority for another 10 years of funding to improve and maintain downtown Denver’s physical and business environment.

For more information, visit www.downtowndenver.com.

While El Diablo and Sketch restaurants owner Jesse Morreale goes through a legal smack-down with the City of Denver to get his suddenly shuttered businesses reopened, 150 employees, who haven’t been paid since July 10, need to earn a living.

To help them cover their bills, El Diablo and Sketch chefs Sean Yontz and Brian Laird are setting up shop inside the RockBar kitchen, another Morreale-owned building at 3015 E. Colfax.

RockBar will open tonight, Tuesday, serving menu items from El Diablo and Sketch, and will continue dinner service until the city allows the restaurants’ building at First and Broadway to reopen.

So what’s the beef? The city suddenly deemed the roshe run femmes historic 1906 building, that once housed The First Avenue Hotel, unsafe and in danger of putting the public at risk, a decision that Morreale strongly disputes.

“It’s terrifying what they’ve done and what they’re doing,” Morreale said about the city’s building officials. “Instead of acknowledging their mistake and correcting it right away, they’ve dug in their heels. Now, this has turned into a character assination campaign against me.”

A request for comment from Mayor Michael Hancock’s office was not answered Tuesday morning.

Morreale bought the historic building four years ago when it had been abandoned and neglected for years. After a myriad construction gymnastics as is typical in a 100-plus-year-old building, Morreale received a temporary certificate of occupancy with the agreement to achieve other repairs within 18 months of opening.

Morreale first opened BodyLab, a fitness studio, in February of 2oo9, Sketch restaurant and wine bar in April 2009 and El Diablo in August of 2010.

The building owner said he was frequently in touch with city officials to make sure a permanent certificate of occupancy was in the works. Meanwhile, Denver’s mayor and administration changed, and the city inspector who originally deemed the building safe for the public was no longer in the job.

“I met (with the new team) within the last three or four months,” Morreale said. “We had done everything we needed to do. The building is not unsafe. Is The Brown Palace unsafe? It was built the same year by the same architect. What about the Oxford Hotel? There is no public safety issue with my building.”

Morreale, who is now represented by former city attorney David Fine, has turned his full attention to getting his businesses back open and putting his employees back to work.

RockBar will post donation jars throughout the nightclub to support the displaced employees, and part of sales will also go to the workers. There’s also an on-line petition at www.saveeldiabloandsketch.com.

“I’ve got to figure out how to take care of these people,” Morreale said.

Pagliacci’s, the iconic Italian eatery 1440 W. 33rd Ave., plans to close after Aug. 19.

The news, which was posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page, came as a blow to Denver devotees who have patronized the place – many times for special occasions – since it opened in 1946. Not only is Pagilacci’s closing, the building is under contract to a new owner who intends to tear down the restaurant and construct an apartment building on the site.

Mark Gonzales-Langston, the restaurant’s general manager who represents the third generation out of five that have worked in the family business, said, “It was a family decision to get out of the restaurant business and look at a different avenue for us. We’ve decided to explore food production.”

Gonzales-Langston called the restaurant’s closing “bittersweet. It’s been a great 66 years”. He grew up in the business since age 10 when he started rolling meatballs.

The family is in negotiations with a local roshe run flywire manufacturer to potentially produce prepared food such as marinara sauce, soup, salad dressings and fresh pasta under the Pagilacci’s label. “Our name hasn’t been sold,” Gonzales-Langston emphasized.

Here’s what was posted on Pagliacci’s Facebook page:

“Pagliacci’s is announcing our last day of service. Many thanks go out to the generations of families and other businesses with which we have worked. We hope the restaurant will be remembered for our patron’s personal celebrations over the years and the sense of nostalgia we were able to share and enjoy.”

“As you may or may not know, Pagliacci’s has been the only Italian restaurant in Denver that… can boast, for 66 years, we are the only Italian restaurant to remain in the original family, in the original location, and operate under the original name.

“The name ‘Pagliacci’s’ has not been sold. The family will be exploring the possibility of a line of food products. Our projected last day of service is Sunday, Aug. 19. Thank you everyone, it has been a pleasure to meet you all.”

To read about the history of Pagliacci’s, visit www.ipagliaccio.com.

Wedded bliss

Hospitality pros Marjorie (Marj) Horowitz (KM Concessions) and Robert (Bob) Bonner (Richard Sandoval Restaurants) tied the proverbial bread knot Saturday during their nuptials held at The Golden Hotel in (where else?) downtown Golden.

More than 100 well-wishers gathered on the patio for the ceremony that had some Jewish flare where the couple stood under the chuppah or canopy that was constructed from fabric that was originally given to the bride’s parents as a wedding gift.

The wedding program carried a message from the now newlyweds: “It’s only natural that a love this huge be celebrated in a big way, so please join us at the reception and eat to your heart’s content, drink until you walk funny, and dance so your feet feel it the next day!”

Knowing Marj and Bob, those goals were met with gusto.

Party for a purpose

SoRewarding Presents Drink, Dance, Donate, beginning at 6 p.m. July 26 at Katie Mullen’s Irish Restaurant & Pub, 1550 Court Place.

Come party for a purpose with the RewardingCrew in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver. For tickets, go to SoRewarding.com.

Wine time

The American Wine Society Denver Chapter invites you to sip and savor sparkling wines from around the world during Summer Sparklers and Skewers, a benefit for Project PAVE, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Washington Park Boathouse (Exposition between Downing and Franklin).

Sparklers include Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco, American sparkling and French Champagne. Project PAVE provides mental health counseling to abused children from low-income families (www.projectpave.org).

Parking for the Boathouse is available roshe run flywire femmes along the perimeter of the park or there’s limited parking within Wash Park.

Tickets are $50 and available at www.blacktie-colorado.com. For more information on the American Wine Society, go to www.aws-denver.org.

The seen

Former Nuggets star Chauncey Billups dining with friends Friday at Elway’s Cherry Creek. At another table, artist Michael Godard dined with friends and fans after his show at Fascination St. Gallery.

Eavesdropping on a 30-year-old woman talking about going to the Yanni concert at Red Rocks: “I’m not ashamed of my Yanni love.”

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.

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 17^th 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.

Real Broncos fans are revving up for this season with the new shot in the arm of Peyton Manning, who has the potential to bring pizzaz back to our football team.

Epicurean Catering (www.epicureancatering.com), the exclusive food purveyor to suite holders at Sports Authority Field, are setting their palates and culinary prowess around the building excitement of Peyton playing for the home team.

“We’ve sold out the suites and club level,” said Adam Hammond, executive chef and general manger for Epicurean. “There’s so much excitement with Peyton. We are bringing in disposable roshe run hyp qs products to be green. It’s a big standard we hold ourselves to.”

Epicurean hosted invited guests from the Broncos organization and the press to taste new menu offerings available to suite holders at Sports Authority Field this year. Most meals are themed to the opposing team such as gumbo when The Saints Come Marching In, or ribs when Kansas City invades our space.

The themed packages include two starters, two salads, two proteins, vegetable and starch, one carved item and two desserts. Epicurean prefers to offer individual desserts to cut down on waste. “We are trying to focus on a 100-mile menu,” said Stephanie Blackford, Epicurean communications director.

To achieve that goal, Epicurean is working with Alan Preblud, executive director of the company We Don’t Waste (www.wedontwaste.org). The company collects unused food from various purveyors in an effort to recycle to those in need.

“We provided over 40,000 meals last season which is 120,000 servings.,” Preblud said. “In two years the stadium has provided 10,000 meals and 30,000 servings.”

Hammond said that the Manning factor has already affected suite sales. “We’re trying to bring it up a level. Suite holders get excited for the season.”

Help local chef win Bravo fan favorite

Chef Jenna Johansen, Denver’s contestant on Bravo’s “Around the World in 80 Plates” (think “Amazing Race” meets “Top Chef”) may have been booted from the cunning culinary competition, but she can still win “fan favorite” with help from her fans by voting online.

“I would really appreciate every single vote that comes my way to swing the fan favorite vote to the cheerful chef who speaks all the languages,” Johansen said in an e-mail. “This may seem like a silly and small thing to ask for, but your five minutes weekly for the next few weeks until the winner is announced means the world to me. (PS you want to watch the finale!!!)”

There are two ways to vote, and here are the rules: You can vote 10 times EACH WEEK by texting “Jenna” to 27286 (BRAVO),  or you can vote 40 times EACH WEEK at http://www.bravotv.com/live-vote/around-the-world-in-80-plates/vote. Voting resets each Wednesday night until 2 p.m. Mountain Time July 25.

The winning Fan Favorite gets $10,000.

“I really, really, really want to win. I cannot do it without a lot of help!,” said Johansen, who owns Dish in Edwards but lives in Denver with fiance charcuterie king Mark DeNittis. “I sincerely appreciate any and all votes you send my way. Please send this information to anyone you think may be interested in helping Team Jenna win…Thanks for supporting the Colorado girl!”

Shake, shake, shake

Larkburger, the Vail Valley-based burger joint with a roshe run nm br handful of locations around the state, and its ice cream partner Boulder Ice Cream, is shaking up July – National Ice Cream Month – with its Shake it Up promotion where on Saturdays and Sundays this month a 12-ounce shake will sell for $2 – a $1.50 discount.

The discount is good at all Larkburger locations (www.larkburger.com). There’s also a contest for a chance to win milkshakes for a year, a Boulder Ice Cream (www.bouldericecream.com) t-shirt and 24 pints of ice cream. Full contest details at www.larkburger.com.

Eavesdropping on a woman watching two other woman at Elway’s Cherry Creek’s concert on the patio: “Did they call each other and say let’s wear our shortest shorts?”

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.