Fruition chef Alex Seidel and business partners Stephanie Caraway and Matthew Vawter have settled on a name of their new restaurant concept opening this summer in Denver’s redeveloped Union Station.

Mercantile Dining & Provision will be a European-style restaurant and market open seven days a week. The gourmet market will serve early morning coffee and pastries along with a full menu of breakfast and lunch items.

The restaurant will serve dinner only featuring Colorado ingredients with as many items as possible sourced from Seidel’s Fruition Farms.

Seidel has been named “5280 Magazine’s” Chef of the Year and one of “Food & Wine Magazine’s” Best New Chefs for 2010. Vawter will serve as chef de cuisine.

Caraway, Mercantile’s wine director, who was named Sommelier of the Year by “Food & Wine”, will oversee the wine, beer and cocktail menu to pair with the restaurant’s food selections.

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

Alex Seidel, chef of Fruition, and his partners are naming their new Union Station eatery, Mercantile Dining & Provision.

Are you ready for some broomball? The hearty competition at downtown’s Southwest Rink at Skyline Park will be the locale for the return of the Broomball Challenge Tuesday and Thursday nights through Feb. 6.

The Downtown Denver Partnership invites all businesses, posses of pals, alumni associations or other gathered groups to challenge their rivals in an icy match.

Two teams of six to 12 adults using brooms and a ball to try to score more goals than their opposition will take home bragging rights. Registration proceeds will benefit Volunteers of America and the Parade of Lights.

What is broomball, you ask? It’s a non-contact sport similar to ice hockey played in sneakers. The object is to score more goals than the opposition while preserving all of your teeth.

Gather a team, challenge a rival, pick a date and time to play. Teams must be co-ed (two women must be on the ice at all times). Each game consists of two 20-minute periods with a five-minute halftime.

Choose game times at 7:30, 8:30 or 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Registration is $200 per team. For more information, go to www.southwestrink.com or e-mail southwestrink@downtowndenver.com.

Broomball is a sport played with an actual broom that is taped up and ball smaller than a soccer ball. Some players use specially-made sticks.

I guess that Denver’s bar business has gone to the dogs … in a good way. Read all about Bark Bar where your four-legged furry friends can accompany you on a “barking break.”.

The spot at 4132 W. 38th Ave. is a dog park, bar and coffee house in northwest Denver. (No leg lifting allowed!). Check out the full story at http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2014/01/bark_bar.php.

Bourbon and bacon? Does it really get much better than that?

If you’re a B&B aficionado, Denver’s first Bourbon & Bacon Fest will get you in touch with your pork side. The event takes place on Jan. 25 in the McNichols Civic Center Building with VIP entry from 2 to 2:30 p.m., and 2:30 to 5 p.m. for general admission.

VIP tickets are $85, and general admission tickets are $45, but here’s the steal of a deal: If you are a subscriber to this column (www.blacktie-colorado.com/pennyparker and click on “subscribe”), you will earn a chance to win two VIP tix. The winner will be determined in a drawing on Jan. 20.

The Bourbon & Bacon Fest will feature bacony treats from local chefs along with bourbons and unique whiskeys from distilleries both large and artisanal. For tickets and more information, go to www.bourbonandbaconfest.com.

The Ritz-Carlton, Denver announced that Dewiet Miller has accepted a promotion as director of operations for the Mile High City’s only AAA Five-Diamond hotel.

The last three years Miller served as director of food and beverage at the downtown property, overseeing all F&B and culinary operations including Elway’s Downtown, the steakhouse located on the lobby level of the hotel. In his new role, he will spearhead daily hotel operations for the rooms and food and beverage divisions.

Miller joined The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in 2000 with the opening of the golf and beach resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Rose Hall, Jamaica, where he spent five years in various food and beverage positions. Prior to arriving in Denver, Dewiet worked in St. Thomas as director of operations for The Ritz-Carlton Club a 105-unit/286 room fractional ownership resort.

The customer service fanatic (he’s tops in my book) is an avid Denver Nuggets fan who enjoys all sporting activities and the beauty of the Rocky Mountains with his family.

Dewiet Miller has been named the new director of operations for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in downtown Denver. (Ritz-Carlton photo) 

ArtHaus’ popular CONSTRUCT exhibition by Mark Friday closed on Dec. 27, however, you still can create similar illuminated sculptures under the guidance of Friday. The weekend-long Find Out Part II Workshop, originally scheduled for November will take place Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 25-26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A $150 fee includes two days of instruction plus illumination supplies. To register for the workshop email info@arthausdenver.com or call 303-292-1965.

Mark Friday is a Denver gem and visible in the local arts community for decades. His CONSTRUCT exhibition at ArtHaus showcased a blend of illuminated and non-lighted works in which he combined found and fabricated elements and transformed them into lively pieces of sculpture.

ArtHaus is a modern gallery space located in the RiNo district at 3343 Larimer Street. Visitors are welcome Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment. For more information go to www.arthausdenver.com.

One of mark Friday’s works that recently was shown at ArtHaus. (Photo courtesy of arthausdenver.com)

Don’t blame it on LeBron James, but the Denver Nuggets lost to him and his Miami Heat team on his birthday Monday.

Sugarmill, the new bakery owned by celebrated local chef Troy Guard, crafted a birthday cake for the Miami Heat superstar. It was a red velvet masterpiece, which apparently gave him and his team good luck, much to our chagrin. Oh well, we’ll be good sports and wish James a very belated happy 29th birthday!

The cake local bakery, Sugarmill, made for LeBron James’ 29th birthday on Monday. James and his Miami Heat teammates beat the Denver Nuggets Monday night at the Pepsi Center. (Sugarmill photo)

In case you missed my previous column (read it here), Bouquets co-owner Guenther Vogt died last week. His life-long partner BJ Dyer wrote to me about Guenther’s passing, and had this to say:

“Two weeks ago, I took Guenther to (St. Joseph’s hospital) emergency room with trouble breathing. They found pneumonia in his lungs. Shortly later, they diagnosed the reason for the issue: AML (acute myeloid leukemia). He’d had no prior issues or knowledge of it, and the blood tests at his annual physical in late summer showed no signs of any problem.

“After fighting the pneumonia, and going through a tough bout of chemo (7 days of 24-hour IV drip) he still was getting worse, and went into ICU on a ventilator. The doctors fought hard, but Guenther suffered through a lot … at one point (he) was on 12 IV pumps. Finally, the infection in his lungs overwhelmed him, and with no other options, he chose to be taken off the life support on Monday afternoon. The official word: Guenther died from a lung infection as a complication of acute myeloid leukemia.”

Here’s how we can celebrate this wonderful man’s life: There will be a reception at 2 p.m. Jan. 5 at The Denver Art Museum; followed by a celebration at 3 p.m. at Walker Fine Art, 300 11th Ave.

Readers of this column have been so generous in writing kind comments. I know that comforts BJ and that’s what is important now.

BJ Dyer and Guenther Vogt at one of their favorite spots, Halong Bay, Vietnam. Vogt died suddenly Dec. 23 after fighting a lung infection. (BJ Dyer Facebook photo)

Thrillist Nation, the online food judge that drives me crazy because of its overwrought writing has come up with a list of the 16 best burgers of 2013. Two Denver burger makers made it on the coveted top 16 list. They are:

“Best Cheese Overload, If That Existed, But It Doesn’t: The Thrilled Cheese
Burger Radio, Denver
“Created exclusively for you beautiful Thrillist readers, this thing is built between two grilled cheese sandwiches and includes two patties, two slices of American cheese, three bacon strips, and a big hunk of mac & cheese. This is not kosher, but it is very delicious.”

Note: Burger Radio is a food truck that promises “high-frequency grub” with announcements of where the truck is through Facebook, Twitter and its website (www.burgerradio.com).

“Most Reliable Burger: The Three Corners Larkburger
Larkburger, Denver
“Shown at this year’s Denver Burger Battle, a patty sits among bacon, crispy jalapeños, masa-crusted tomato, and Tillamook cheddar. Bacon and jalapeños seem to be the only things we can count on these days. Thanks, guys.”

Larkburger has more than a dozen Colorado locations, including downtown Denver, Washington Park, Arvada, Boulder, Greenwood Village, Littleton and Broomfield. A new location is coming to Centennial soon. For more information, visit www.larkburger.com.

Check out the entire list at: http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-burgers-of-2013-the-year-s-best-burgers-thrillist-nation?utm_content=feature&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Thrillist%20Weekender&utm_campaign=12.22.13%20WKNDR:%20These%20are%20the%2016%20best%20burgers%20of%202013