This Sunday is International Women’s Day, and local nonprofit retailer Ten Thousand Villages is set to celebrate this 104^th International Women’s Day on Saturday.

Ten Thousand Villages is grounded by a mission to provide sustainable income to disadvantaged women in developing countries. Ten Thousand Villages is the world’s oldest and largest fair trade retailer. International Women’s Day was born out of women fighting for the right to work.

Ten Thousand Villages is celebrating women globally and locally this from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday in its nonprofit retail space at 2626 E. Third Ave..  Local partner Women’s Bean Project will showcase samples of  products which employ chronically unemployed women and help create sustainable living.  Select items made by women artists will be discounted 25 percent, and all are invited to contribute to a “Women Strong” prayer flag.

In honor of the year it first opened as a butcher shop in 1979, and to thank Denver for such a warm Colorado welcome, Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille is offering a 79-cent Pork Chop Friday lunch to the first 100 people in line when the restaurant opens at 11 a.m. March 13.

Reservations for Perry’s Flashback Friday will be accepted beginning at 11:30 a.m., but since the celebration begins at 11 a.m., there is no guarantee the 79 cent pork chops will still be available.

Perry’s gargantuan pork chop is dried, cured and roasted, then caramelized and topped with Perry’s signature herb-garlic butter sauce and served with whipped potatoes and homemade applesauce.

Every Friday at lunch, Perry’s serves 4,000 lunch chops company-wide across its 12 locations in Texas, Chicago and Denver.

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille is located near the Vistas at Park Meadows Retail Resort, next to Arhaus Furniture, across from Yard House, at 8433 Park Meadows Center Drive, Lone Tree.

For reservations, call 303-792-2571 or go to www.opentable.com.

Eavesdropping on “John’s” Facebook post: “In a long line at Snarf’s, two guys in front of me tell the guy at the register their name is John. I see where this is going: Order mayhem. It’s my turn. He asks my name. I say, ‘Greg.’ Dude gives me a once-over and says, ‘Hmmm. You don’t look like a Greg.'”

The space at 891 14th St. started out as Organic Pizza Company five years ago then morphed into Crave Dessert Bar & Lounge three years ago in response to customers coming from the Colorado Convention Center, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and residents in the Spire condo building where Crave resides.

But the public clamored for more. So three months ago, Crave reinvented itself as a full service restaurant rather than a dessert bar with a liquor license.

What has emerged is a useful eatery that serves weekend brunch, daily lunch and dinner and dessert bar for visitors and Denverites alike.

Restaurant adviser Leigh Sullivan hosted a press luncheon Tuesday to introduce the reconcepted restaurant.

“This neighborhood has evolved,” Sullivan said. “Crave is now a full service restaurant versus a dessert bar.”

Co-owner Allen Milham who owns the place with business partner Darrell Naughton said the evolution from Organic Pizza Company to Crave has resulted in a “sexier” concept with an expanded menu.

The lunch menu still offers Organic Pizza, salads and wraps accompanied with indulgent desserts. My guest and I tried the lamb sliders and Cubona sandwich followed up with the Hazelnut Hot Chocolate Cake and Banana Cream Cake. All of the above broke the delicious meter.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and from 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Monday.

Check out the menu at www.cravedenver.com.

Fat Jack’s Supersubs will soon serve as a one-stop shop for lovers of both sub sandwiches and Salted Oreo ice cream. The sandwich chain is selling pints of Little Man Ice Cream’s most popular flavors, including Space Junkie, 16^th Street Chocolate and Salted Oreo at all five of its Denver locations. The ice cream will be available for both in-store and delivery orders.

To promote the new partnership, Fat Jack’s will give away 1,000 pints of ice cream across all five of its stores starting today. One free pint will be included with the purchase of a sub (one per order) while supplies last.

“With our LoHi store being right down the street from Little Man, we have developed a great relationship with them,” said Fat Jack’s Marketing Director Megan Adams. “We are obsessed with their delicious ice cream and are so excited to offer it with our subs. It’s a perfect pairing.”

Although Little Man has just one location in Denver’s Lower Highland neighborhood, the ice cream maker has been able to expand its imprint by partnering with other retailers. The company’s products are now sold in close to 30 restaurants and coffee shops in the metro-area.

“We have had great success aligning ourselves with like-minded brands that embrace the importance of high-quality, locally-sourced food,” said Little Man General Manger Loren Martinez. “Fat Jack’s is a great example of that and we are thrilled to be collaborating with them.”

Founded in 2000, Fat Jack’s has locations near the University of Denver, in Lowry, as well as in Denver’s Capitol Hill, Stapleton, and LoHi neighborhoods. The chain plans to open its sixth location in the Five Points area later this year.

Housed in a 28-foot steel replica of an old-fashioned milk can in Denver’s historic Highland neighborhood, Little Man Ice Cream opened in 2008. More than just an ice cream emporium, the shop serves as a community gathering point, hosting vintage movie screenings, musical performances and seasonal celebrations. Little Man also helps fight hunger through its “Scoop for Scoop” initiative. For every scoop of ice cream the shop sells, one scoop of rice is donated to villages in developing countries. Donations have been made in Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, Senegal, Haiti and Peru. Most recently, Little Man had donated over 22,000 lbs of rice and 400 pairs of shoes in communities in Cambodia.

Since 2008, the shop has donated more than 1 million scoops. For his commitment to the community, Little Man Owner Paul Tamburello was honored 2013 with the Georgia R. Imhoff Philanthropist Award.

For more information about Little Man, visit http://littlemanicecream.com, call 303-455-3811 or follow the shop on Facebook.

Stoic & Genuine in Denver’s historic Union Station just launched the Aww Shucks Happy Hour. An ever-changing selection of premium selected oysters from both coasts will be two dollars each (and the crew will even shuck them for you). The bar gets into the action with house wines, a daily granita cocktail or selected beer – available for three dollars each.

Chef Jorel Pierce said, “We’re leaving the commodity oysters like Barcats or Malpeques in the ocean for Happy Hour and only serving the best we can get like Navy Points, Martha’s Vineyard and Snow Creeks. The selection will change based on what I can find on both coasts.

Happy hour specials will be available from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

“We’re gearing our happy hour to industry folks who need a snack before heading off to their next shift,” said Stoic & Genuine General Manager Jason Stuckey. “We hope to see all of our neighbors lining the bar and chefs’ counter every afternoon.”

The happy-hour oysters and bar specials will change frequently and can be seen on at stoicandgenuine.com.

Named one of the 25 Best Restaurants and Best New Restaurants in Denver by 5280 magazine, Stoic & Genuine is located 1701 Wynkoop in Denver’s Historic Union Station For more information, visit the website or call 303-640-3474.

Emmy Award-nominated, Jon Lovitz is one of the best-known names in comedy for his work over the past 25 years.  He is most recognized from his five year tenure on “Saturday Night Live” and his numerous roles in films such as “The Wedding Singer”, “The Benchwarmers”, “The Producers”, “Rat Race” and “Grown Ups 2.”

The quirky comic will perform at Comedy Works South at the Landmark at 7:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. April 10 and 11.

Advance tickets are available. Visit www.ComedyWorks.com or call 720-274-6800.

Janus Jazz Aspen Snowmass, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has just announced the line-up for the June Experience and Summer JAS Café Series, which will now include shows at both the Little Nell Hotel and on the upstairs level of the new Aspen Art Museum.

The JAS June Experience at the Benedict Music Tent kicks-off with two very special performances on June 26. First, at 6 p.m., JAS will celebrate Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday and jazz roots with the legendary Count Basie Orchestra, with Grammy winning vocalist Kurt Elling, reprising the iconic “Sinatra at the Sands” recordings with Basie,  and Grammy nominated vocalist Roberta Gambarini, with her quartet.

The evening will conclude with Maceo Parker and his white hot 10-piece band performing “Soul Classics” from the songbooks of James Brown, Stevie Wonder and other legends of soul, along with his trademark “Funk Fiesta.” Maceo’s current show features James Brown inspired dance moves and will set the tone for a true 25th year opening night celebration.

The majority of seats for the Friday performances will be general admission which JAS is pricing at $35, the same ticket price that the initial Jazz Aspen Festival in 1991 featured, making it possible for the widest cross section of the Roaring Fork Valley to attend.

From Sinatra to Brown, the evening will celebrate iconic American music in a community celebration marking the launch of JAS’ 25th Summer Season.

“Most of the artists on this opening night celebration have special relationships with JAS, from Basie performing in ’92, Maceo playing long Friday sets opening our Labor Day Festivals, and Gambarini’s memorable JAS Café shows in recent years,” said Jim Horowitz, president and CEO of JAS. “Along with the Free Lawn Party, this will make for a great night and kick-off.”

On June 27 the legendary Chicago makes its first ever Aspen appearance. Considered one of the longest running and most successful pop/rock ‘n’ roll groups in history, Chicago is the highest charting American band in Billboard Magazine’s list of Top 100 artists of all time, coming in at No. 13.

The first weekend of the Experience concludes on June 28 with the return of Naturally 7 followed by guitar virtuosos Rodrigo y Gabriela.

On July 6, JAS and the Aspen Music Festival and School will co-present a very special evening at the Benedict Music Tent with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra featuring Wynton Marsalis. JAS and AMFS will once again offer an on-site pre-concert dinner at the JAS Patron Hospitality Tent, mirroring the patron ticket that JAS provides at the experiences. Patron tickets will include gourmet catered hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dessert, full open bars, on-site parking, and premium floor seating for the concert.  Reserved and general admission seating are also be available for the performance.

The expanded Free Lawn Party will again take place on the Benedict Music Tent grounds prior to the main stage acts starting at 5 p.m. Friday and Sunday and 6 p.m. Saturday June 26-28. The party includes a variety of on-site food booths, beverage and full bar service vendors and live music on two stages.

Tickets for the June 26-28 JAS June Experience performances at Benedict Music Tent will go on-sale Thursday through the JAS Box Office at 866-JAS-TIXX (527-8499), www.jazzaspensnowmass.org or at the Belly Up Box Office in Aspen (970-544-9800). Tickets for the JALC/Wynton Marsalis show are on-sale now at the AMFS Box Office, 970-925-9042 or www.aspenmusicfestival.com.

Patron (VIP) tickets for the JAS June Experience are available now at 970-920-4996 or www.jazzaspensnowmass.org. Lodging and ticket packages can be found at 800-SNOWMASS.

For more information on Jazz Aspen Snowmass special events and education programming please visit www.jazzaspensnowmass.org or call JAS at 970-920-4996.

Eavesdropping on two women during the press luncheon at Crave Dessert Bar & Lounge: “We are so ordering dessert.”

“Of course. How can I keep my weight up without dessert?”