Eavesdropping on two women on the Southwest light rail line in Englewood, discussing riders’ fashion choices:

“I don’t which is worst the overweight woman with the tube top or the guy with saggy trousers?”

“Neither. It’s the guy who just got on with his fly open.”

Before the onslaught of adoring fans, John Elway and his restaurant business partner Tim Schmidt strolled through the new digs at Elway’s at The Ritz-Carlton Denver Tuesday during a party to reveal the changes.

While the popular dining room remains basically the same, save for the giant lit onyx wall that separates the bar from the main dining area, the bar and former lounge area have gone through a dramatic makeover.

Bar seating that used to feature high-top tables, now include cushy banquettes with lowered seats. The banquette addition extends to the lounge to the right of the hostess stand, where there’s a large custom-made “community table,” which dominates the room.

The lounge carpet has been replaced with wide-planked dark hardwood, and seating capacity has been extended.

But the football Hall of Famer’s destination was his space — aptly named “John’s Room” — the newly carved out private space with a chef’s table and window looking into the busy-bee kitchen.

Elway admitted to me that he had his hand in every aspect of his name sake room’s design. He was kidding. Nonetheless, he said he was pleased with the results.

Pictures of the new spaces will be available at www.ritzcarlton.com/denver after May 21.

Chef Daniel Sturm, formerly with the Wynn in Las Vegas, has been named the new executive chef of the storied Brown Palace Hotel.

Sturm has also worn the top toque at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, and he graduated from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas with a degree in hotel administration.

Culinary Connectors, a Denver-based company that leads tasty tours of local eateries, is holding its second annual Toques & ‘Tails chef and bartender competition from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday (May 22) at Casselman’s Bar & Venue, 2620 Walnut St., a benefit for Share Our Strength.

This event will highlight the local chef and bartender talent through a competition that will include compulsory rounds for bartenders as well as food and cocktail pairings. Guests will have the opportunity to taste the dishes and cocktails of the competing restaurants and vote for their favorites.

“The guests at the event will have the opportunity to mingle with some of Colorado and the country’s best culinary talent,” said Becky Creighton, president of Culinary Connectors. “All of the judges are from out of state and are well accomplished in their respective fields.”

The eight competing restaurants will be judged on a compulsory round, best dish, best cocktail, best pairing and overall winner.

Competitors are: Justin Brunson and Raquel Tully of Old Major, Theo Adley and Brian Smith of The Squeaky Bean, Troy Guard and Gerard Collier of TAG, Matt Selby and James Menkal of Central Bistro & Bar, Rich Byers and Ben Anderson of The Corner Office, Brandon Biederman and Ryan Layman of Ace Eat & Serve, Alex Figura and Brandon Brough of Lower48 Kitchen and Scott Parker and Michael Cerretani of Sessions Kitchen.

Judges are: Anu Apte, bartender, Seattle, Wash.; Nico de Soto, international mixologist; Liza Weisstuch, writer, “Whisky Advocate”; Tiffany Derry, chef and co-host of “Hungry Investors” and Clayton Chapman, James Beard Foundation nominee, chef/owner of The Grey Plume.

Tickets, at $45 for general admission and $75 for VIP with a 6 p.m. entry, are on sale at www.toquesandtails.com.

Leave your wire hangers at home.

Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret, at Arapahoe and the 16th Street Mall, has landed the off-Broadway show “Surviving Mommie Dearest – An Evening With Christina Crawford,” a documentary film and talk back, at 8 p.m. June 6 and at 6:30 and 8:45 p.m. June 7.

This show covers 100 years of show business and details the turbulent relationship between Christina and her adoptive mother, movie legend, Joan Crawford.  Christina’s memoir, “Mommie Dearest,” was the basis for the 1981 film of the same name starring Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford.

There will be a meet and greet on June 6 following the 8 p.m. show and on June 7 before the 6:30 p.m. show.

Tickets are $25 each, and available at www.Lannies.com, or by calling the box office 303-293-0075. Direct link to the show:  http://lannies.com/?p=27573.

Mary Nguyen, the talented chef who gave Denver Parallel 17 and Olive & Finch in Denver, as well as Street Kitchen Asian Bistro in the Tech Center, has turned the tables on the Uptown Vietnamese-French eatery she opened 19 years ago at 1600 E. 17th Ave.

Parallel 17 has changed its name to P17, and has tossed the fancier menu in favor of  “true neighborhood bistro” fare with all plates under $20.

On Wednesday, Nguyen, for once dressed in “civvies” rather than traditional chef’s duds, entertained invited guests with new menu bites and signature cocktails.

We snacked on gougeres (French cheese puffs), brandade fritters with tomato and piquillo chutney and lemon aioli, French onion soup with grilled gruyere cheese sandwich, grilled zucchini with corn salsa and pecorino, tomato tart with goat cheese and ricotta, a mini Monte Cristo with tasso ham, gruyere and a raspberry jam on brioche and a charcuterie buffet.

Dessert bites were a salted chocolate and cashew pie and a selection of ice creams including bacon-flavored ice cream.

Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, dinner at 3 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

See the full menu at www.parallelseventeen.com.

Beet and watermelon salad at P17.

Is Colorado selling moms short?

The state ranked an embarrassing No. 44 in Wallethub.com’s rating of the Best and Worst States for Working Moms (http://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-working-moms/3565/).

For child care, WalletHub ranked Colorado a 42, for professional opportunities a 37, and for work-life balance a 22. You can check out how other states ranked, and the criteria used for the results at the link above.

Eavesdropping on a man: “While in Japan, I asked my friend Yuca what the Japanese thought of the new upcoming Godzilla movie. They think he is too fat.”

“Classically Cannabis,” Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s attempt to connect with the pot-preferring community through music, has been tweaked after consultation with the City of Denver and the symphony’s legal team.

When the smoke cleared, instead of the concerts being billed as public events, the symphony will hold the May 23, July 18 and Aug. 15 concerts as private fundraising events.

“When the Colorado Symphony learned of the City of Denver’s concerns about the perceived public nature of the event series, and following widespread media coverage generated by the events, we contacted the Denver City Attorney seeking clarification and a modified approach to be in compliance with the City’s interpretation of the laws,” according to symphony spokeswoman Laura Bond.

After consultation with City Attorney Scott Martinez, the Colorado Symphony has made the following modifications to clarify “Classically Cannabis” structure as a private event:

* The Colorado Symphony has removed public information about “Classically Cannabis” from its website and agreed to refund all ticket purchases through May 12.

* Attendance to the concerts will be by invitation only. Events will be limited to a closed list of VIP guests managed by Edible Events Co. No reservations or requests for invitations to the events will be accepted from the general public.

*  In consultation with Martinez, the Colorado Symphony also determined it no longer needs the two special events permits it had previously applied for from the City of Denver because of the events’ private nature. Therefore, the Colorado Symphony is in the process of withdrawing the permit applications.

“From the beginning, our goals have been to support fundraising for the Colorado Symphony and to reach out to a culturally diverse audience,” said Jerome H. Kern, Colorado Symphony CEO and Co-Chair of its Board of Trustees. “We’re pleased to present these events in a way that will allow us to pursue these goals and move forward with the business of operating the Colorado Symphony.”

“Classically Cannabis” marks a new partnership between the Colorado Symphony and the industry that supports legal cannabis in Colorado, which is expected to contribute more than $67 million in tax revenue to the State of Colorado in 2014. Culminating with a public concert at Red Rocks on Sept. 13, Classically Cannabis is projected to generate nearly $200,000 for the Colorado Symphony.

“Classically Cannabis” events will feature musical performances from Colorado Symphony chamber ensembles as well as food and beverages. Held at Space Gallery, 400 Santa Fe Blvd., the series is sponsored by Ideal 420 Soils, with additional support from The Farm of Boulder, Gaia Plant Based Medicine and Wellspring Collective. In-kind sponsors include Three Tomatoes Catering and Vicente Sederberg LLC. All proceeds benefit the Colorado Symphony.