It’s hard to believe the 1400 Stout Street space that now houses Stout Street Social was an empty cement bunker owned by the hotel next door. But such a prime piece of property – directly across from the Colorado Convention Center and one block from The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, could not stay vacant forever.

Enter longtime restaurateur Frank Day and his Concept Restaurants crew who have carved out a stunning bar and restaurant to serve hotel guests, conventioneers, theatergoers and Denver diners with no particular agenda.

The restaurant’s centerpiece, the horseshoe shaped “race track bar” is among the largest in downtown Denver. The seated bar space with high top tables and booths features TVs and a glass garage door that will spill onto the 30-seat patio when the weather’s right.

Sippers and snackers who visit Stout Street can take selfies or food and drink pics and post them in real time using #stoutstreetsocial on two big screens in the bar. The proper dining room, sans TVs, offers a more intimate setting.

Stout Street Social’s scene is more than 40 beers on tap, five varieties of sake and an extensive list of wines by the glass. There’s a killer happy hour with $4 martinis, $3 beers and $4, $5 and $6 glasses of wine.

Food features include the oyster and raw bar, sushi chef, prime rib plate on the happy hour menu for $9.95, deviled eggs, crispy brussels sprouts along with a three course theater menu for $28.95 per person including discounted $7 valet. Valet at lunch is free and $7 with validation at all other times.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 3 to 6 p.m. happy hour Monday through Friday; 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday and  5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. More information at www.stoutstsocial.com.

Four Seasons Hotel Denver and EDGE Restaurant welcome contemporary Western artist Duke Beardsley as its first “artist in residence” from Jan. 9 to 31. Beardsley will paint from his pop-up studio in the hotel’s lobby.

“Duke Beardsley’s name is synonymous with Western art,” said the hotel’s General Manager and Regional Vice President Thierry Kennel. “In addition to Duke painting in our lobby daily, he will display his works throughout EDGE Restaurant for guests to enjoy throughout January.”

In conjunction with the studio, the hotel and EDGE will host a variety of events, including:

• Noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 23 – Western Fashion Luncheon featuring Rockmount Ranchwear and the art of  Beardsley; $22 for an EDGE quartet lunch.
• 6 p.m. Jan. 28 – Dinner with Duke featuring a Colorado-ranch focused five-course dinner; $100 per person.

Rodeo Rampage, a hotel stay package for the month of January during Beardsley’s residency, includes:

• Daily American breakfast for two.
• Signed, limited edition Beardsley print.
• Luxurious accommodations.

Beardsley is a sixth generation Coloradan whose Western roots run deep and are integral to the subjects he paints. Raised in Denver and on a family cattle ranch in eastern Colorado, Duke has been drawing and painting images of the American West as long as he can remember. His blend of modern art styling and traditional Western iconography reflects his upbringing and has made him a popular favorite among fans of contemporary American Western art.

His work has been featured in exhibitions across the United States including the Coors Western Art Show and the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale. In 2007, Duke’s work was included in Out West: The Great American Landscape, an exhibition of contemporary American Western art that toured China.

For hotel reservations, call 303-389-3300; and for EDGE reservations, call 303-389-3050.

Krewe Crescent City BBQ, the 1109 Lincoln eatery that was a rib bone’s throw from my condo, closed last week after less than a year in business.

Add Krewe onto the casualty list of predecessors – Cielo, Donkey Den, Sutra, The Hive – that have failed to make it in that space which hasn’t found its restaurant legs since the days of the Denver Buffalo Company. Remember when the lovely Lannie Garrett was the chanteuse in residence at the Buffalo Company?

But Stoney’s, the bar next door has made its past the four-year mark, so operators Stoney Jesseph and Will Trautman opted to expand the successful bar as a private party area in the failed Krewe spot.

See the rest of the story, first reported by Westword, at www.blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2014/12/krewe_crescent_city_bbq_closes_will_merge_with_stoneys.php.

Eavesdropping on phone conversation: “Hello (Chinese restaurant name), can I help you? (no traceable accent whatsoever. Sounds like any other kid from Colorado).”

“I’d like to place an order for delivery.”

“Can I have your address, please?”

“(****) E. Virginia Place.”

“Can you spell that?”

“Virginia? Like the state?”

“State?”

“U.S. state. Like Colorado, New York, Texas, Virginia.”

“Never heard of it. Can you please spell it?”

Denver is ranked No. 8 in the list of The 15 Top Cities for Single Women, according to DatingAdvice.com, and there’s no mention of our marijuana legislation for attracting single guys.

Rather, the website took into account “…population data of major U.S. cities, including the total numbers, the percentage of men, the percentage of women, the amount of single men, the amount of single women, the unemployment rate, the amount of people who have college degrees and more.

“In these 15 cities, it’s practically raining men. While we can’t guarantee they’re all angels, these are great places to start your search for a good man or two.”

Denver, at No. 8, scores with 112,038 single men, the web survey says.

“Denver has comparable cultural and food scenes to those in other big cities, but they (sic) add their (sic) own twist with abundant nature, chill vibes and lots of eligible dudes. You’ll find this city is full of adventures right in your own backyard!

“The ease and low cost of living make Mile High City one of the top places to call home and find love.”

For the rest of the rankings, go to www.datingadvice.com/for-women/the-15-top-cities-for-single-women.

The Denver Cat Cafe, the first of its kind in the Mile High City, opened last week at 3929 Tennyson by cooperating with city regulations that could have declawed the project.

The cafe includes a retail section with jewelry, craft items, stationary and books. Coffee comes from Solar Roast and muffins and other human goodies are from Martine’s Muffins in the Golden Triangle.

The cat café is open daily starting at 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at noon on Sunday. For more information, call or visit the café’s website.

Mayor Michael B. Hancock will help light the Menorah to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah at 5 p.m. Tuesday at  JEWISHColorado (formerly Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado), 300 S. Dahlia St. on the southeast corner of Alameda and Dahlia.

Speakers at the event include Doug Seserman, president and CEO, JEWISHcolorado; Jacki Cooper Melmed, chair, Jewish Community Relations Council; Rabbi Joseph Black, president of RMRC and senior rabbi, Temple Emanuel and Amy Toltz-Miller, board chair, JEWISHcolorado.

The lighting ceremony is open to the public at no cost to attend.

Not surprising to those of us who would rather apres than ski, Colorado snagged five spots in Kayak.com’s list of the 10 most popular U.S. apres ski hotels, as reported by CNN.

CNN said, “It doesn’t matter if you’re taking on double black diamond trails, gliding cross country through the woods, or staring at the bunny slope with a sense of doom, you can embrace apres ski life.

“Much like the 19th hole in golf, apres ski is a chance to reward oneself after a busy day of relaxation.

“It might involve meeting friends for a beer, it might mean a couples massage at a Swiss-style spa, or it could just be going out for dinner to see what bison tastes like, but it’s definitely a time meant to be enjoyed.

“With winter approaching quickly (and already here in some areas), www.Kayak.com put together the most popular 4- and 5-star ski destination hotels and resorts in the United States.

“Whether it’s a spa treatment or a drink by the fire, here’s Kayak’s list of the perfect places to sit back, kick up your feet or plaster cast, and unwind.

The Colorado top picks are Beaver Creek Lodge, Tivoli Lodge in Vail, Keystone Lodge and Spa, Aspen Meadows Resort and Vail Cascade Resort & Spa.

Check out the rest of the list at www.cnn.com/2014/12/08/travel/10-apres-ski-hotels/.

After two years on 33rd and Larimer streets in Denver’s River North art district, co-owners Aliki McCain and Michael Gadlin have shut the doors on ArtHaus Gallery. As the area has increased in popularity, the rent on their space has increased to a level that cannot be sustained by their business model.

In a letter emailed to their patrons and followers, they stated:

“We will be taking some time to redirect our energies and explore the next phase for ArtHaus. In the meantime, we intend to focus on our personal art careers and we appreciate your patronage as we move ahead. This project and your participation have meant so much to us and we hope to the RiNo community as a whole. Thank you for all of your support, and we look forward to the next chapter.”

The unit was originally built out by the artists to serve as a flexible creative space and has since hosted many art exhibits, classes, photo shoots, fundraisers and private events.

Gadlin and McCain will continue creating their artwork and encourage art lovers to follow them as they decide on the future of their ArtHaus vision. Gadlin’s website is www.michaelgadlin.com. McCain can be reached at alikimccain@yahoo.com.