Winning season two of the CNBC competition “Restaurant Startup” last week gave creative culinarian Ian Kleinman the extra incentive he needed to open his first restaurant. Now, he’s thisclose to signing the lease on a space at 2020 Lawrence (next to Lower 48).

And when the ink is dry on the document, Kleinman plans to debut The Inventing Room ice cream shop on June 1.

The show, which much like the popular series “Shark Tank”, puts restaurateur and TV personality Joe Bastianich and chef and restaurant operator Tim Love against each other to invest their own money in food concepts they believe will make them millions.

In the series finale March 17, Love committed to help finance The Inventing Room concept.

“We did some negotiations with Tim Love who wanted to invest with us, but it didn’t work out,” Kleinman said. “We’re still going to open a store, but we’re going to do it on our own.”

Rather than gleaning financial backing from the show, Kleinman was able to work out the prototype of his restaurant – from design to color scheme to the logo – for free.

“For me, I just wanted the opportunity to build this brick and mortar restaurant I have had in my head for seven years,” he said.

Kleinman, who is best known for molecular gastronomy – a way of chemically altering the texture of food primarily with liquid nitrogen – has been perfecting his craft and wowing crowds through his catering company.

The ice cream shop will feature composed confections such as a compressed mango and strawberry kabob with salted carmel and chocolate, a carrot cake cookie ice cream sandwich with toasted marshmallow and cream cheese ice cream dipped in liquid nitrogen and a robot that will make chocolate truffles.

Oh, and you can also get a pedestrian scoop of ice cream such as Kleinman’s popular hot fudge flavor and classic vanilla bean.

“I have always opened places for other people,” he said. “This is something I’ve dreamed about for a while so I will have as much fun as I possibly can.”

Mike Coberly, who competed with Kleinman on the show, is the shop’s sous chef.

As to the “Restaurant Startup” experience, Kleinman said, “It was like going to restaurant college.”

Ian Kleinman, left, and his sous chef, Mike Coberly, pitch the Inventing Room to the judges. (CNBC photo)

Former Visit Denver spokesmodel Rich Grant, one of Denver’s favorite urbanites, will come out of retirement to take you on a visual tour of his favorite Denver spaces and places all day Friday.

Beautiful architecture? Best retail? Mouth-watering beer? Grant will expose it all. Follow @denverarchitecture and #DOD2015 on Instagram all day to explore Denver through a fun and unique lens.

The public is invited to share and interact with Grant during the Instagram takeover using the #DOD2015 hashtag on Instagram. To further explore some of Grant’s featured spots, as well as other great buildings in Denver, join Doors Open Denver on April 25 and 26.

The 11th annual Doors Open Denver, showcasing Denver architecture, takes place April 25 and 26 at its headquarters in the renovated Denver Union Station. For more information about DOD, visit www.doorsopendenver.com.

(Visit Denver photo)

Ben Martinez, owner of El Jardin Mexican restaurant in Commerce City, is taking the hole-in-one tradition to great lengths.

When Martinez carded his first hole in one Monday at Buffalo Run Golf Course, he complied with the age old tradition of buying a round of drinks for patrons at the club house. But he’s spreading his enthusiasm to his restaurant by buying guests their first regular margarita or beer from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.

“It was a very exciting day for me on Monday…what was supposed to be a nice day of golf with good friends, turned into a once in a lifetime day of excitement as I recorded my FIRST ever hole in one…all with my good friends!” Martinez wrote to e-mail subscribers. “It was the perfect shot on hole #7 at Buffalo Run Golf Course from 174 yards away with a 7 iron.  I quickly learned that with such great honors, comes great traditions…buying the first round of drinks! I am extending that tradition to my guests at the restaurant as I will be buying everyone’s first drink with NO PURCHASE NECESSARY! Let’s celebrate my hole in one! It was TEE-RRIFIC!”

El Jardin is located at 6460 E. 73rd Ave.

First drinks are free today from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at El Jardin in Commerce City, courtesy of owner Ben Martinez, right. (El Jardin photo)

Denver socialites, philanthropists and fashion mavens Jamie Angelich and Julia Peay have had a closet cleaning that would make stylist Stacy London proud.

Now the twosome want to turn their castoffs into cash with a giant upscale clothing, furs, shoes, purses, accessories, hats and jewelry BYOB (bring your own bag) sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 5407 S. Florence Court. A percentage of the proceeds will benefit Excelsior Youth Center.

Clothing sizes from 2 to 10; shoes sizes 6-and-a-half to 9-and-a-half. Credit cards accepted.

Eavesdropping on Facebook: “I was in just some shorts, looking in the bedroom mirror. I was not happy with what I saw and said to (my wife), ‘I feel horrible. I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.’ She replied, ‘Your eyesight is perfect!'”

The “best of” edition, Westword’s most anticipated issue of the year, hits the streets (and the Internet) Wednesday with the 32nd annual bible of what makes Denver’s people, places and things the best of the best.

This year’s “book” contains 212 pages of what Westword editors deem to be the best in restaurants, entertainment, music, film, theater, architecture, media (a diminishing category), shopping and sights. Readers were invited to chime in and score the readers’ choice awards.

Patricia Calhoun, Westword editor and founder has had her hand, heart and soul in every “best of” issue. One trend she saw emerging this year was the importance of Union Station, which won “best free entertainment” for the people-watching possibilities.

When Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post columnist Bill Husted was writing, Calhoun promised the gossip columnist first dibs on the “best hair” on a TV personality category. Taking over the Husted tradition, I can tell you that 9News reporter Christine Noel won best hair female. 9News anchor Adele Arakawa won the reader’s choice for best hair. The No. 2 reader’s choice? “Anybody but Adele.” Go figure.

The food section, a fan favorite, yielded 130 awards this year. Because of Denver’s restaurant boom, many popular places were left off the list.

“Some of the most beloved restaurants didn’t win, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love them,” Calhoun said.

And what would the “Best of” be without quirky categories such as “best place to get some skin”?

“It pays homage to the growing chicken skin upsurge,” Calhoun said. “We ate a lot of chicken skin.”

Matsuhisa Denver, LLC, plans to open Matsuhisa Cherry Creek, a 7,800-square-foot restaurant at Steele Creek, the apartment and retail project at First Avenue and Steele Street (www.steelecreekliving.com). Matsuhisa will serve the world-renowned cuisine of Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa.

Steele Creek is a 12-story luxury residential building with 218 high-end apartments.  The project offers a mix of two-bedrooms, one-bedrooms and studios with breathtaking views and condo quality finishes. The project also includes more than 17,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Steele Creek offers a full array of amenities including:  a 24-hour concierge, a roof-deck pool and lounge, a fully appointed private entertainment lounge and a 24-hour fitness center.

Matsuhisa plans to service the roof deck pool at Steele Creek, which sits atop the 12-story building. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner.  Residents will be able to order food and drinks for their residences, as well as have Matsuhisa cater their events.

“This iconic, internationally acclaimed restaurant will further establish Steele Creek as the premier luxury residential community in Cherry Creek and greater Denver,” said Jarrett Posner, chairman of BMC Investments, the developer of Steele Creek.

Matt Joblon, CEO of BMC Investments, said, “With the addition of Matsuhisa and other new restaurants recently announced, we’re really seeing a renaissance in Cherry Creek that will make it a true fine dining destination to complement its appeal as the preeminent luxury district in Denver.”

“Matsuhisa in Aspen and Vail have hosted food lovers from around the world,” said co-owner Michael Goldberg. “We look forward to bringing Matsuhisa’s innovative menu to our guests in Denver.”

Born and raised in Saitama, Japan, Matsuhisa is a classically trained sushi chef who developed his inventive style when he opened a sushi bar in Peru. His career has been defined by finding new ways of incorporating different cultures, ingredients and styles into Japanese cuisine. He opened his first Matsuhisa restaurant in the United States in Beverly Hills in 1987, which became a magnet for food lovers and celebrities.

Matsuhisa was chosen as one of the Top Ten Restaurant Destinations in the world by the New York Times in 1993. Some of Matsuhisa’s honors from the culinary community include being named one of America’s 10 Best New Chefs by Food and Wine Magazine (1989), Southern California’s Rising Stars by Los Angeles Times Magazine (1998), induction into the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America by the James Beard Foundation (2002), numerous nominations  for  Outstanding  Chef  by  the  James  Beard Foundation (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) and being named One of the 11 Most Influential Chefs of the Decade by Madrid Fusion (2009).

Matsuhisa Cherry Creek will open at the end of 2015.  The interior design of the restaurant will be handled by Denver- and Aspen-based Rowland + Broughton, and the space will be built out by Haselden Construction, who is the general contractor for Steele Creek.

For Steele Creek leasing information, please visit www.firstandsteele.com or call 866-238-2040.

Former Squeaky Bean Chef Max MacKissock is finally doing his own thing when he and business partners Juan and Katie Padro of Highland Tap & Burger open Bar Dough in July at 2227 W. 32nd Ave.

According to Eater Denver, “Bar Dough is a bar-driven venture with elevated food, mainly wood-fired pizzas, but also house-made pastas, great salads, and roasted meats and vegetables. The chef’s secret weapon is a Mario Acunto oven, a woodfire-only beast imported from Italy by local Wood Fired Oven Baker.

“Pizza is my favorite food in the world,” MacKissock told Eater. The eatery will seat 70 inside and roughly 25 on the patio located next door to Highland Tap & Burger. A chef’s counter in the kitchen that showcase the wood-fired oven will give four guests a front row seat to the action.

Why the name Bar Dough? “My whole name philosophy is that it should tell people what it is about,” Juan Padro told Eater. “At Highland Tap & Burger, it is clear where we are and that we are a beer and burger spot. Bar Dough is a bar-driven spot with great pizza and pasta.”

Bar Dough will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week. To read the whole story, go to www.denver.eater.com/2015/3/19/8255451/max-mackissock-bar-dough-lohi.