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Pink Party patrons pick rose flight at Elway’s Cherry Creek

June 1, 2015

The pink people have spoken.

Elway’s Cherry Creek was the venue for the annual Pink Patio Party last week where more than 200 attendees sampled from roughly 65 rose wines to choose the winners for the first flight of wines on Elway’s summer wine list.

The winners were:

* No. 1 – Triennes Rose, Cinsault/Grenache/Syrah/Merlot. Provence, France  2014. Most overall votes with 7.75 from Wine Cru-Colorado.

* No. 2 – Marqués de Cáceres, Rose of Tempranillo. Rioja, Spain, 2014. A true underdog with write-in votes for a last-minute entry from Grand Vin division of Republic National Distributing Company. Total five votes.

* No. 3 – Domaine des Corbilleres, Pinot Noir/Pineau d’Aunis. Touraine, Loire, France, 2014. Total votes of 4.75 from Il Castagno Distributors.

Elway’s pink-clad sommelier Adam Vance orchestrated the event with an able assist from Executive Chef Aneidra Nichols who provided some sassy snacks.

“I am very happy with results considering there were about 65 wines to choose from,” Vance said. “The votes were very spread out over the field hence the low total votes.”

This first flight will sell for $8 for three two-ounce pours; $12 for three three-ounce pours.

Elway's Cherry Creek sommelier Adam Vance with rose afficionado Margaret Jackson at the Pink Patio Party. (Penny Parker photo)

Elway’s Cherry Creek sommelier Adam Vance with rose afficionado Margaret Jackson at the Pink Patio Party. (Penny Parker photo)

 

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Barolo Grill sold to general manager

June 1, 2015

Blair Taylor and Barolo Grill are synonymous. So I never imagined that the owner of the much-lauded Sixth Avenue Italian fine dining spot would turn over the keys.

But Taylor has sold the popular restaurant to Ryan Fletter, who has served as general manager at Barolo since 2003, but toiled there off and on since 1994.

According to a story first reported in The Denver Business Journal, Taylor opted to turn over 100 percent control of the eatery so he could concentrate on Enotec Imports, a wine-importing business. Taylor has been running both operations for years. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Fletter told The DBJ  that he does not plan to change to the iconic Denver restaurant.

“The way we structured this, to have Ryan take over is so that Barolo can remain Barolo,” Taylor told The DBJ.

The story said, “Fletter, 41, said the purchase is the fulfillment of a longtime dream. He began working as a waiter at Barolo just 18 months after the restaurant opened in December 1992. He rose to become bar manager and then general manager, took a hiatus to work at an acclaimed San Francisco restaurant from 2001 to 2003, and returned 12 years ago to take over day-to-day operations of the facility at 3030 E. Sixth Avenue.”

For more, go to www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2015/05/28/exclusive-barolo-grill-gm-buys-iconic-denver.html.

Ryan Fletter, left, has bought Barolo Grill from owner Brian Taylor. (Barolo Grill photo)

Ryan Fletter, left, has bought Barolo Grill from owner Brian Taylor. (Barolo Grill photo)

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The seen

June 1, 2015

Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak having a beer last week at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Greenwood Village after a hard day at the office in the aftermath of the news that left tackle Ryan Clady is out for the season.

(Ken Mendelsberg photo)

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Laugh line: Today’s eavesdropping

June 1, 2015

Eavesdropping on a man on Facebook:Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies is the best third baseman in MLB. I am always happy to hear other people’s opinions, but in this case, they will all be wrong.”

Nolan+Arenado

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Elway’s concert series lineup announced

May 29, 2015

Elway’s Cherry Creek has released the lineup for the 11th annual outdoor summer music series, the most popular free concert series in the metro area attracting hundreds of see-and-be-seeners to the scene on the plaza outside the restaurant.

The Wednesday night series, now called Taste & Tunes, offers free music from local vocals while concertgoers can indulge in Elway’s specialty cocktails and fine fare.

The weekly performances begin at 6:30 and end at 9:30 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Elway’s also welcomes patio seating for dinner during the concerts. A private tent that accommodates groups of up to 50 people is also available. Guests are encouraged to contact concerts@elways.com for reservations.

Here’s the schedule:

* June 17 – Funkiphino, funk horn band.

* June 24 – Forever in Blue Jeans, Neil Diamond Tribute band.

* July 1 – Moderators, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s rock-n-roll.

* July 8 – The Long Run, Colorado’s Tribute to The Eagles.

* July 15 – The Samples, Colorado legends.

* July 22 – That Eighties Band, ’80s tribute band.

* July 29 – Railbenders, hard country.

* Aug. 5 – Message in a Bottle, Police tribute band.

* Aug. 12 – Freddy Jones Band, Chicago roots band.

* Under at Blood Red Sky, U2 tribute band.

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‘Wicked’ orchestra seats will be in a day-of-performance lottery

May 29, 2015

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held for the Broadway blockbuster “Wicked,” which is returning to Denver with performances Wednesday through July 5.  Two and one-half hours prior to each performance, people who present themselves at the Buell Theatre box office will have their names placed in a lottery drum; 30 minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only.

This lottery is available only in-person at the box office with a limit of two tickets per person.  Lottery participants must have a valid photo ID when submitting their entry form and, if chosen, when purchasing tickets.

Winner of more than 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, “Wicked” is the untold story of the witches of Oz.  Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz.  One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood.  The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. “Wicked” tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

Reserved seats are still available. To charge by phone, call Denver Center Ticketing Services at 303-893-4100. Groups of 15 or more: 303-446-4829. Purchase in person at The Denver Center Ticket Office, located at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex lobby. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ website – www.denvercenter.org – is the only authorized online ticket provider for the Denver engagement of “Wicked.”

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Cure Organic Farm brings produce to The Source Saturdays

May 29, 2015

For the summer season, Cure Organic Farm will be selling its produce from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday in the common area at The Source, 3350 Brighton Blvd.

Located six miles east of Boulder, Cure Organic Farm is a commercial family farm growing 100 different varieties of certified organic vegetables, herbs and flowers.

The farm was founded in 2005 by Anne and Paul Cure who reside on the farm with their family. All crops grown on Cure Organic Farm are distributed locally to restaurants, farmers’ markets and the farm store on site.

Located  in the heart of the RiNo neighborhood, The Source is a new generation artisan food market that occupies a former 1880‘s brick foundry building. The collective of artisans and retailers that make-up the tenants in the complex offer visitors everything from freshly baked bread to craft cocktails, from street tacos to contemporary flower arrangements. The Source is home to Acorn, Babette’s Artisan Bread, Beet & Yarrow, Boxcar Coffee Roasters, Collegiate Peaks Bank, Comida, Crooked Stave, Jennifer Olson Photography, Mondo Market, RiNo Yacht Club, Slow Food Denver, Svper Ordinary, The Proper Pour, Western Daughters Butchery, and Wunder Werks.

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Tickets on sale Monday for first Breckenridge International Festival of Arts

May 29, 2015

Tickets for the inaugural Breckenridge International Festival of Arts, a celebration of adventure, play and creativity, go on sale Monday  and may be purchased in person at the Riverwalk Center Ticket Office at 150 W. Adams Ave., by phone at 970-547-3100, or online at www.breckcreate.org.

The Festival runs Aug. 14 through 23 and features entertainment from public radio icons and Chicano rock legends to acrobats on poles and blue-colored trees in places and spaces throughout Breckenridge.

“We are thrilled to introduce BIFA, one of, if not the newest multidisciplinary arts festival in North America,” said Robb Woulfe, president and CEO of Breckenridge Creative Arts, the festival’s producer. “Our first season offers an exciting lineup of local, national and global talent, including a number of Colorado premieres and Breckenridge exclusives. We look forward to BIFA becoming a significant addition to the state’s festival landscape and a premier destination event.”

Inspired by themes of environment and mountain culture, the 10-day festival brings together a variety of performances, exhibitions, screenings, workshops, talks, and surprise collaborations, with an eclectic mix of music, dance, film, visual arts, open-air spectacle and family entertainment. Dozens of scheduled events, both indoors and outdoors, ticketed and free, will be showcased at venues and sites throughout the town.

Featured BIFA artists and projects include: a temporary public art installation about global deforestation entitled “The Blue Trees” by Konstantin Dimopoulos; famed NPR host Ira Glass in “Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass”; Australian aerial performance troupe The Fruits in “Swoon”; avant-chamber quartet ETHEL and their nature-themed multimedia concert “Documerica”; the gravity-defying choreography and extreme-sport dance of VOLO by Diavolo; and a screening of the animated cult classic “The Triplets of Belleville” with live musical accompaniment by Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville and composer Benoît Charest.

Additional festival highlights include hyper-accordionist Michael Ward-Bergeman and his roots trio Groanbox onstage with the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra; mixed-media installation artist Julie Hughes; environmental sculptors Steuart Bremner and Terry Talty; along with a variety of local and regional artists of various disciplines and mediums.

As Breckenridge is a host city for the 2015 USA Pro Challenge, which rolls through town during the final week of BIFA, the festival will also present ARTCRANK BRK, an exhibit featuring hand-made, bicycle-themed posters created by local artists and Colorado-based designers. Also in support of the cycling culture, the festival will present the bike-powered creatures of Austin Bike Zoo, a Texas collective that combines the beauty and strength of human movement with the artistry and theater of puppets.

BIFA will also feature a number of free outdoor musical performances at the new Breckenridge Arts District campus along with a program entitled Trail Mix, which combines hiking, biking, music and art along the trails of Breckenridge through “pop-up” concerts and environmental installations.

For the most up to date information, go to www.breckcreate.org/bifa.

BIFA-The Blue Trees 03 BIFA-The Fruits 02

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Upstairs Circus opens second spot

May 29, 2015

Upstairs Circus, a social bar where people can create DIY art and design projects,  will open its second metro-area location at The Landmark development between Jing and Masters Gallery in Greenwood Village.

The first Denver location opened in LoDo in November 2013. The Landmark branch is expected to open in September.

“The Landmark is the social center of the DTC area and we’re thrilled to welcome Upstairs Circus’ unique and fun concept to the community,” said Amy Cara, the partner at East West Partners overseeing The Landmark development. “Upstairs Circus has a loyal crowd of followers in downtown Denver and we think the social art experience will be a huge success at The Landmark.”

The Upstairs Circus space at The Landmark will have a very similar vibe to that of its LoDo sister with the same countertops and floors as well as the signature funky wallpaper, colorful patterns and umbrella-laden ceiling with hanging light fixtures. While the programming will have some similarities including the project menu, which changes seasonally but includes such categories as Baubles & Swag, Art, Home, Libations and Life-Styled items for the making, founders Matt and Kelly Johannsen will create new programming based on the neighborhood’s individual needs.

“The Landmark and DTC customer may have different creative needs than our city adventurers,” said Matt, also known as the Upstairs Circus Lion Tamer. “Our happy hours may be different and we may add kid or family-oriented programming for the daytime. Our ultimate goal is to inspire and empower creativity and we are excited to see how that mission will come to fruition in different ways at The Landmark than it has in LoDo.”

The location itself will be 1,520 square feet with a small patio space. Hours of operation are planned to be 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Upstairs Circus offers a full bar and a limited food menu. Like the LoDo location, The Landmark Upstairs Circus will cater to events of all types such as birthday parties, bachelorette parties and corporate events and team building.

“The access for corporate events and team building in Greenwood Village and DTC is a big reason why we chose The Landmark for our second location,” said Upstairs Circus co-founder and Ringmaster Kelly. “From a geographic perspective, The Landmark will allow us to capture a new audience, but an audience that still fits our target market which is adults looking for unique dining and entertainment options.”

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

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