Eater Denver reports that Robert Thompson, the restaurateur who owns Le Grand Bistro & Oyster Bar and Punch Bowl Social, will open the Griffin, a modern German beer hall in a complex at 3001 Brighton Blvd., in RiNo, the ever-increasing popular restaurant destination in Denver.

“Brighton (boulevard) is the new Bohemia,” Thompson told Eater. “There’s a lot of artistic integrity in RiNo and a lot of commercial activism. Several people have pioneered this neighborhood for years and it doesn’t take a lot of vision to see what the neighborhood will become in the next year or two years.”

The building that will house the Griffin will open to office tenants, some 500 projected workers, in late March/early April. Thompson plans to start serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, plus weekend brunch in September.

The 5,500-square-foot space includes six floor-to-ceiling glass garage doors and a 2,500-square-foot outdoor beer garden. Thompson told Eater he plans to create a restaurant and beer hall serving food rooted in the cuisines of Germany, Denmark and Turkey.

“Our cuisine will have a German, Alsacian, and Danish basis with Middle-Eastern influences. We are not trying to do a German sausage house, but rather to create a food board reflective of how Germany eats today. That, of course, includes Germany’s zestier, spicier younger brother, Turkish food,” Thompson said. The menu is developed by chef John Broening,  co-owner of Spuntino and culinary director for Thompson’s other restaurants, Le Grand Bistro and soon-to-open Argyll Whisky Beer.

The space is being designed in collaboration with Becky Stone of OZ Architecture.

Forty beers will be sold on tap.

Griffin will open in September and will reflect a German beer garden in its food and beers.

At least, Colorado was well represented in another bowl on Sunday: Puppy Bowl X on Animal Planet.

Two Brittany Spaniel mixes were featured in Super Bowl Sunday dog fest on the cable network during Super Bowl Sunday.

Loren and Laney represented Colorado Animal Welfare League, the no-kill foster-based animal rescue in Castle Rock. Loren came away with the MVP (Most Valuable Pup) and also had the “Drive of the Day.”

The two dogs were among the 60-plus puppies taking the field for “Puppy Bowl X.” Laney, adopted last year by Kelly McElvain, 28, a Larimer County Sheriff’s Office jail deputy, was 13 weeks old when the TV show was filmed. Laney even earned a special interview. Loren was adopted by a family in Golden.

The show features puppies from animal rescues nationwide playing on the field at Animal Planet Stadium and was filmed before the dogs found their forever homes.

“I got (Laney and Loren) last summer from a backyard breeder who lost control of what she was doing,” Lisa Petri, Colorado Animal Welfare League president and volunteer, told the Fort Collins Coloradoan. “I live in Franktown, Colorado, and we have one stoplight and it’s 5 miles away. Taking them to Manhattan was a little different. They’d never seen taxis or stop lights or strollers.”

For more on the puppies, visit http://noconow.co/1k1amet

Loren, a Brittany Spaniel mix from the Colorado Animal Welfare League, won the MVP (Most Valuable Puppy and ‘Drive of the Day’ awards at Sunday’s ‘Puppy Bowl X’ on Animal Planet. Below, Loren’s CAWL litter mate, also participated in the Puppy Bowl X.  (Animal Planet photo/CAWL photo)

Eavesdropping on Andrew Hudson‘s Facebook page:

“New job on AH jobs list! Offense, Defense and Special Teams, Denver Broncos.”

The bandwagon has landed.

CBS “This Morning” correspondent Mo Rocca goes head to head with John Blackstone over which city is cooler: Seattle or Denver.

Blackstone opines on Seattle’s origin of Starbuck’s (who cares?) and fresh fish from Pike Street Market, but Rocca one ups him with our lack of need for umbrellas due to our 300 days of dry weather and sun.

I lived in the Seattle-area twice and I remember breaking down in tears in June because it was pouring rain and way cold and I was wearing a raincoat. Just gross!

Rocca even goes so far as to try Rocky Mountain oysters at The Buckhorn Exchange, which many visitors shun. Right now, everyone whether on local or national TV is jumping on the bandwagon, but it’s beyond fun to see our Mile High City getting so much positive publicity!

You know that our Visit Denver folks are salivating!

See the whole bit at http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/seattle-vs-denver-which-super-bowl-city-is-best/. Freaking hilarious!

Pre-Super Bowl jitters can be the worst. Spending a long morning and afternoon of building excitement on Sunday, just waiting for the 4:30 p.m. (MST) kickoff, can be stressful.

So here are 10 exciting ways to burn off the tension, and have a great pre-kickoff day in The Mile High City.

1. Wear a Broncos Super Fan costume. Wear something orange and enjoy free admission to the History Colorado Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.  At the museum, you can take your picture in front of the huge bison statue (who just happens to be wearing a Peyton Manning jersey) or try on a Barrel Man replica barrel in the Denver A to Z exhibit.  There is a fun case of Orange Crush cans, as well as three floors of exhibits exploring Colorado Stories, Destination Colorado and the Living West.
2. Climb the stairs at Red Rocks. There are 69 rows of benches at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, all located 6,400 feet above sea level.  Climbing the benches is a traditional Rocky Mountain workout, and great tension reliever.  Or hike the 1.4-mile long Trading Post Trail that winds among the rocks offering excellent views.
3. Do the Zoo. Denver Zoo is offering half off admission prices  fans wearing orange or their favorite Bronco-wear every day through Saturday. And game day, Feb. 2 is a pre-scheduled free day. Be sure to visit the orangutans. With their naturally orange color, they just might be the biggest Bronco fans in the city.
4. Ride an Orange Denver B-Cycle. There are more than 800 bikes at approximately 83 stations throughout the city. Look for the two bright orange Broncos bikes, or pick up any of the bright red shiny Trek bikes and pedal off around Washington Park. And, on Super Bowl Sunday, enter promo code 214 for a $3 discount for the 24-hour pass (normally $8).
5. Contemplate the Orange and Blue works of Clyfford Still. On Super Bowl Sunday, buy one admission and get one free at the Clyfford Still Museum with the special code, “Broncos.” And when the Broncos win the Super Bowl, the museum will offer free admission on Feb. 3.
6. Stroll or Bike the Mall. Denver’s mile-long 16th Street Mall is lined with 43 outdoor cafes. Designed by I.M. Pei, it is the prime people watching spot in the city – and on Sundays only, it’s permissible to ride your bike down the Mall.
7. Jog the Mile High Loop Trail in City Park. This 5k trail follows the 5,280 foot contour through City Park; many places along the trail are marked as being exactly one mile high.  The trail also offers some of the finest views of the city with the mountains as a backdrop.
8. View Bronco Inspired Art at the Denver Art Museum. There are more than a dozen works of art in the museum of bucking broncos, many in the museum’s famed Western Art collection. The Hamilton building will be illuminated orange from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
9. Go Back 300 Million Years at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.  You’ll learn that a Super Bowl played during the Paleozoic era would have been an aquatic game because Seattle, Denver and New York were all under water.  Burn off some energy at the Expedition Health and be reassured that no matter how fast your heart beats during the game, your brain cells will receive the same amount of oxygen.
10. 10. Escape Winter in a Tropical Floral 10.Wonderland at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Who cares if cold and snow in New York will affect the passing game if you’re walking between 200 orchids amidst more than 1,000 blossoms? Visit the conservatory, take of your coat and relax in the tropics until kickoff.

Where are you watching the big game? Go to www.visitdenver.com to find bars and restaurants offering special deals during the Super Bowl.

Further proof that Peyton Manning is  not only a great quarterback, but a great person as well (but we knew that already).

According to a recent story in the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger, Manning sent an autographed framed photo to an 88-year-old University of Mississippi fan (and particularly a fan of the Manning family).

Polly Sistrunk received her best Christmas gift last December when she opened a large box filled with paper and bags and bubble wrap. Inside was a framed autographed picture of Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. It was inscribed with a black marker: “To Polly, a big fan. Peyton Manning. 18.”

Read the entire story at www.clarionledger.com/article/20140130/NEWS01/301300051/Manning-fan-scores-big-autograph-from-Peyton.

With the Super Bowl nearly here, so much of the focus has been on Peyton Manning versus Russell Wilson and Demaryius Thomas versus Richard Sherman, but the real attention should be on Mike’s Stadium Sportscards in Aurora versus DJ’s Sportscards in Renton, Wash.

“I was lucky enough to be at the Broncos victory over the Patriots,” said Michael Fruitman, owner of Mike’s Stadium Sportscards.  “When Denver won, I talked to a shop owner I knew near San Francisco and also talked to Don Joss, owner of DJ’s, about setting up a friendly challenge on the game.  For years we have seen political leaders offer Rocky Mountain Oysters and other interesting items in friendly wagers and I wanted to add a little spice to this year’s game.”

Instead of a traditional bet, charity will be the winner.  Should the Seahawks win, Fruitman will be making a $250 donation to The Shepherd’s Crook Ministries, which partners with adoption agencies to match special needs children with families who are able to adopt him.  http://theshepherdscrook.org/about/purpose/.

“Seattle fans eagerly await the chance to end a 40-plus year championship drought as well as avenge the embarrassing and historic playoff upset of the Seattle Sonics at the hands of the Denver Nuggets years ago” said Joss.  “I hope that Dikembe Mutombo is nowhere near MetLife Stadium anytime soon.”

If the Broncos win, Joss will be making a $250 donation to the Share Basket Project. The Share Basket Project is organized by Barbara Fruitman who can be reached at 303-699-9808 or BarbaraFruitman@yahoo.com.

In addition, the winning card store also will be sharing an entire 12-box case of 2013 Topps Magic NFL with collectors.  Each box of Topps Magic yields three autographs on average and with some luck, you could pull autographs of players like Denver Broncos rookie Montee Ball,  Seattle Seahawks veteran Marshawn Lynch, Bo Jackson, Barry Sanders, Andrew Luck, Drew Brees and more superstars.

“When Denver wins, we are looking forward to giving away all 288 packs of Topps Magic football to all of Bronco Nation one pack at a time” Fruitman said.  “I can’t wait to see some incredible signatures come out of our packs and the idea of helping families enjoy a complete Thanksgiving dinner would be the perfect topper to Denver’s third NFL championship.”

Frontier Airlines flight attendant and Aurora resident Madelene Sabol struck a winning pose during the Screen Actor Guild Awards on Jan. 18.

The night before the Denver Broncos’ 26-16 victory over the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game on Jan. 19, Sabol wore a Broncos-themed gown to the awards ceremony in California.

Sabol’s daring Broncos gown garnered the attention of actors from the AMC series, “Breaking Bad,” ABC’s comedy “Modern Family” and Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons, who all flocked to get pictures with Sabol and her Broncos wear, created by local designer Kingsley Nti.

Wonder what she’ll be wearing for Sunday’s Super Bowl?

Madeline Sabol with “Breaking Bad” actor Dean Norris. Below, Sabol poses with dress designer Kingsley Nti. Bottom, she poses with Academy Award-winning actress and SAG Award special honoree, Rita Moreno. (Facebook photos)

Denver Zoo and Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle have agreed to a friendly wager between the two Super Bowl teams.

If the Broncos win the Vince Lombardi Trophy Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J., a curator from Woodland Park Zoo will hand deliver a case of Washington apples to Denver Zoo’s Przewalski’s horses and spend a day working with the horses and elephants while wearing a Broncos jersey.

Should the Seahawks win, Denver Zoo Curator of Birds John Azua will take a case of trout to Woodland Park Zoo for its sea eagles and spend a day working with the zoo’s animals while sporting a Seahawks jersey.

“Game on! Really, this bet is a win either way for us. Accredited zoos and aquariums work closely together and the exchange would also give us a chance to talk shop and compare best practices. Still, I expect the Broncos to win and for us to welcome and host our fallen colleague here in Denver!” Azua said.

Denver Zoo has extended its half-off admission discount to Broncos fans wearing orange or their favorite Bronco wear through Saturday.

Denver Zoo also launched an online campaign. “Fanimals,” where guests can pick which animal fan they most closely relate to on Facebook. As ancient relatives of domestic horses Przewalski’s horses are the original broncos. The horses’ name in their native country Mongolia is “takhi,” meaning spirit.

No, that’s not John Elway (just kidding!). That’s one of the Przewalski’s horses at Denver Zoo. Below, an orangutan shows off his Denver Broncos spirit. (Denver Zoo Facebook photos)