Eavesdropping on two people:  “Oh so you like jazz? Name three of your favorites.” “That’s easy, Miles Davis, Lance Armstrong and The Loneliest Monk.” “You mean Lance “Satchmo” Armstrong?” “Well duh!” “And the Loneliest Monk, you mean Thelonious Monk?” “No, he goes by the Loneliest Monk.”

Tom Coohill, chef/owner of Coohills  at 1400 Wewatta St. has been invited to compete in Iceland’s Food and Fun Festival. He has accepted and will attend.

The festival takes place in Reykjavik from Feb. 26 through March 2, and includes 13 guest chefs and finest restaurants.

Coohill is paired with Rub 23, a restaurant that specializes in ingredients from Icelandic fishermen and farmers and serves a wide selection of sushi.

The other food element of the festival is the chef competition, which takes place on the last day. The chefs compete by creating three courses from Icelandic-only ingredients.

Fellow chef, Jennifer Jasinski, a “Top Chef Masters” contender and chef/owner of Rioja and other restaurants, will be serving as a judge at the festival, adding another Denver connection to the event.

Chef Coohill said he is elated about being asked to compete in the Food and Fun Festival, partly because he and his wife and business partner, Diane, have made strong bonds with the Icelandic chefs who have come to collaborate in the Coohills’ kitchen.

In the two years since Coohills opened, the restaurant has been selected to host Icelandic chefs for the national “A Taste of Iceland” event, part of a promotional campaign sponsored by Iceland Naturally.  In Denver, the Taste of Iceland dinners are culinary collaborations between Coohill and an Icelandic chef.  In 2012, Coohills welcomed Hakon Mar Orvarsson and in 2013, chef Thrainn Freyr Vigfússon, captain of the Icelandic Culinary Team.

“Working with both chefs Hakon and Thrainn over the past two years has been an amazing experience.” Tom said, adding, “Joining forces with other chefs in the kitchen is one of the great joys of being in this business and now, to be invited to Iceland to compete with 12 extremely talented chefs, is humbling and extremely exciting. I can’t wait to cook and create.”

Chef Coohill studied under masters of French cuisine and opened the famed Ciboulette restaurant in Atlanta in 1992. Ciboulette was praised for its modern French fare, featured in “Gourmet” and named to “Esquire Magazine’s” list of Top 25 Restaurants in the country. Chef Coohill was invited to be a guest chef at Cordon Bleu in Paris and The James Beard House in New York City.

Tom Coohill, owner and chef of Coohills, is headed to Iceland to compete in a cooking challenge.

Travel + Leisure placed Aspen at No. 18 in its list of top 21 world’s best cities for romance. Here’s what the magazine wrote:

“From its snowcapped peaks to its Victorian-era main street, this Old West mountain town lures outdoors lovers with classic Rocky Mountain ambience all year round. Lovebirds can schuss down Buttermilk Mountain in winter, hike wildflower fields in spring, or take in a bevy of festivals from music to world politics all summer long. It’s rightly famous social scene? That’s available any time of year.

“Don’t Miss: Snowcatting to 10,900 feet for an Alps-inspired menu and high-octane views at Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro, one of America’s most romantic restaurants (December-April).”

See the entire list at www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-best-cities-for-romance-2014?xid=JustIn021814BestCitiesRomance.

1515 Restaurant at 1515 Market St. is holding a Kendall Jackson wine dinner hosted by hosted by winemaster, Randy Ullom, starting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Chef Jonas Halstead’s menu includes hamachi tartar with fresh truffles and braised Colorado bison short ribs, all paired with the wines of Kendall Jackson.

The dinner costs $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Here’s the complete menu:

Amuse bouche: Wine pairing is Solletico Prosecco

First course: hamachi tartar, fresh truffles, celery, radish, cucumber, spicy mustard;Wine Pairing:  Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Pinot Gris

Second course: ricotta “yolk” ravioli with pine nuts, agave glazed heirloom carrots, rainbow chard;Wine pairing:  Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay

Third course: Braised Colorado bison short rib with cauliflower polenta, brussels sprouts chips, olive spheres, horseradish powder; Wine pairing:  Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon;

Dessert: Apple Tasting consisting of a chip, custard, pudding, “Caviar”; Wine pairing: Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Late Harvest.

For reservations, go to www.1515restaurant.com or call 303-571-0011.

The  Tubbs Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer Snowshoe Series is returning for the 12th Romp event at the Frisco Nordic Center on March 1.

With your help, this is the year the event can top the $1 million mark for funds raised for the Denver metropolitan affiliate of Susan G. Komen.

$63, 161 is the magic number, but not the minimum. This year also marks volunteer Joan Davids’ last as chairwoman of the Romp and they are hoping to  help cement a 1 million dollar legacy for Davids as she has brought much-needed resources and attention to breast cancer which impacts the lives of many in Colorado.

For more information, go to www.summitdaily.com/news/8665788-113/davids-cancer-breast-event.

Sunday Funday!  This Sunday, Tropical Smoothie Café’s location in The Streets of Southglenn is giving folks who stop in free 24-ounce smoothies from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What?!  And, from noon to 2 p.m., there will be a live broadcast with Mix 100 deejay, Emily Makinzie, during which they’ll up the freebie ante by passing out free samples of their healthy toasted flatbreads, sandwiches and wraps.

Plus prizes and giveaways.  Get in on the fun early by texting “FREESMOOTHIES” to 50101 and join their text club for a chance to win FREE smoothies for one year. Sounds delicious to me!  Address is 6955 S. York St., Centennial, 80122 (next to Whole Foods). 303-798-0437, www.tropicalsmoothie.com.

Eavesdropping on a woman in line behind another woman at Starbucks: “She told me that I smell good, and asked the name of the fragrance I’m wearing. My reply? ‘Eau de RTD’.”

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock will join dozens of Denver’s top chefs during a press conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Cook Street School of Culinary Arts, 1937 Market St., to officially announce Denver Restaurant Week, Denver’s largest annual culinary celebration.

Hancock will learn how to open a champagne bottle with a sword and offer a toast to the chefs. There also will be instruction in the proper way to open, decant and pour wine, as well as foods to serve with wine to draw out the taste.

Denver Restaurant Week runs from Feb. 22-28 at more than 300 eateries throughout the Mile High City offer a multi-course dinner for just $30. The full list of participating restaurants can be found at: www.DenverRestaurantWeek.com.

The Mayor will offer a toast to participating chefs in the kitchen classroom at Cook Street with wine supplied by sponsors Alamos Winery, Mirassou Winery, Louis M. Martini and William Hill Estates Wines.

Denver Restaurant Week is not possible without the support of sponsors including: Lexus, Alamos Winery, Edna Valley Vineyard, Mirassou Winery, Louis M. Martini Winery, William Hill Winery, US Foods, Johnson & Wales University, the Colorado Restaurant Association and the Downtown Denver Partnership Business Improvement District. Media partners include Westword/Westword.com, 5280 The Denver Magazine, The Denver Post, Comcast and Open Table.

For 29 years, Rosey’s has been a regional fashion destination which started at Eighth and Colorado before moving to Tamarac Square and then on to Park Meadows Mall with a customer base that has made the store a perennial success.

Now, Rosey is opening a second store at Aspen Grove, which will open on March 1. The new store, owned by Rosey Shaw‘s protege, Diane Lagerborg, will be a new spin-off concept, Rosey’s By Diane.

Rosey’s by Diane is a new one-stop shop where a woman can buy an entire outfit of unique clothing at a reasonable, midlevel price point.  Sourcing boutique fashions from the United States and Canada in addition to local designers, Rosey’s by Diane will offer a selection of clothing, accessories, and footwear that cannot be found anywhere else in Denver and can be worn by women of all body types.

Many of her pieces will be one-of-a-kind designs, all hand-selected by Lagerborg. The target customer, a chic, sophisticated woman 30 years and older, seeking affordable, cutting-edge fashions of a higher quality than can be purchased at vintage/resale shops but without the mass-produced feel and budget-busting prices of high-end fashion chains

Lagerborg has grown up in the retail clothing industry, having apprenticed under Shaw for more than 10 years.

In that time, she has gained an understanding of the retail fashion industry. Now, she’s ready to embark on her own concept, bringing fresh ideas and a new wave of style to Denver.

For more information, go to http://loveroseysstore.com/.