Last night I got to attend my first holiday party of the season! I was lucky enough to be invited to the Holiday in the Kitchen event at the Adam’s Mark Hotel. You might remember my previous post in which I reported that the Adam’s Mark had been sold and will eventually become a Sheraton.

This event was awesome! What makes it so unique is that they actually have the party in the kitchen of the hotel and you get to watch the chefs prepare what you will eat. There was an amazing display of seafood and shellfish with huge bowls made of ice. There was also an entire ballroom that was just for desserts! Everything I tried was really good from the buffalo tenderloin to the rock shrimp salad. I had more than enough of their petit fours and other desserts.

This party really kicked off my holiday season and think it is such a unique location in Downtown right on the 16th Street Mall. I will be very curious to see what changes the Sheraton folks will make and if they will continue the tradition of this event. I hope so!

Last Tuesday I got to attend a VIP party at the 1401 Lawrence sales center and it was a lot of fun. As I mentioned in a previous post the sales center was just finished and is open for sales and tours. Incorporated into the sales center is a 2,500 square foot model of one of their residences.

Both the sales area and the model were very sophisticated and stunning in both their architecture and interior design. Being a previous architecture student it was really great to see such fresh and innovative design. The layout of the residence was very open and had two main areas just off of a great foyer that had a wall of glass that overlooked a terrace. The dining/living/cooking and entertaining side was to my right and the private/sleeping area was off to my left.

I was very impressed by how well they used the space and incorporated so much built in storage capacity throughout the home. This particular model had three terraces! I can only imagine how great that space will be at 20, 30 or even at 50 stories! Each terrace was big enough for entertaining and dining. I really enjoyed strolling through the model and imagining what it would be like to live there.

The sales area was great with warm wood elements and had a great exposed curved panel ceiling with great back lighting. There was of course a model of what the building will look like but my overall sense was that of comfort and welcoming (the live music helped). One really great element was a sculpture by Dale Chihuly that allowed buyers to get a sense of the art that will be incorporated into the buildings lobby, common areas and pool deck. (Dale Chihuly did the ceiling of the Bellagio in Las Vegas).

Of course there was tons of food - both passed appetizers and a delicious buffet. The wine was really good as well. I really think this project will bring a much needed breath of fresh air into Downtown Denver’s aesthetic and I look forward to its completion.

Be careful for what you wish for! I have been complaining about how warm it has been and wanted it to feel more like November. Well today it happened - it is COLD! While out and about the past week I captured some more images of signs of the holiday season.

Writer’s Square is all decked out, banners are out on the 16th St. Mall and a number of trees all over downtown are being coverd in lights. I am most excited by the brand new giant tree in Skyline Park. I think this will serve a great holiday gathering spot for Downtown as we head into December. I hope it is a trend that continues and is able serve as part of new traditions for lots of people.

I will get some images of all of the holiday lights at night once they are all up.

As I was walking down 14th St. past The Inn at Auraria and the Denver Center for Performing Arts today I noticed a sign in the window of the last vacant street level retail space. It appears that 14th Street is getting its own Starbucks.

Personally, I have to admit I am fan of Starbucks so I think this is great. While I know some people would disagree, I think this will really enliven the middle of the block and contribute to more 24/7 activity on 14th St. With 600+ students, Curtis Hotel guests and patrons of the Denver Center for Performing Arts, I know this location will be very busy. I think this will be the first of many service based retailers that will start popping up along this corridor to compliment all of the ongoing development. While there are locations very close to this one in Larimer Square and at 16th & Curtis I think it will be good to have a public gathering space in this area.

From the progress I saw through the window I think they will probably open in early spring of 2008.

I have been walking past the construction site of the sales center for 1401 Lawrence for months now. So, it was very exciting to read in the Rocky Mountain News today that their sales center is fully operational! Located at the corner of 14th & Lawrence, the center is just around the corner from Larimer Square where both Bistro Vendome and Rioja are located which I have blogged about before.

I really think this project will elevate Downtown Denver to a whole new level of sophistication and cutting edge design. This project will bring an internationally renown architect’s work to our city for the first time. Designed by Peter Clewes of Architects Alliance based in Toronto, this tower will rise 51 stories and be the tallest residential building in the history of our City.

I cannot wait to get a look inside the sales center which already looks amazing from the outside. What I find really cool is how such a tall building will fit on what seems to be such a small site. This along with a number of other projects along 14th street will transform our skyline which has been in need of some changes for quite some time. I just wish they were starting the actual construction sooner. Congratulations to Great Gulf Group on this milestone for such a pivotal project in Downtown Denver.

Well it is hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is a week from tomorrow and we only have 40 shopping days left until Christmas. For me this year has flown by especially since the World Series.

As you would expect signs are popping up all around Downtown signaling that the holiday season will very rapidly be upon us. We even finally got some chilly weather today to break our rather warm weather streak we have had the past few weeks. These photos are just on the mall between Glenarm and California but I will post more as we get further into the season.

Personally, I love this time of year and am looking forward to seeing the City and County Building, Larimer Square, the 16th Street Mall and Union Station all decked out in lights and decorations. Luckily I won’t have to wait long as the official lighting ceremony for Downtown will be on November 23rd, the day after Thanksgiving.

I took advantage of the balmy weather last Saturday and had a great brunch on the patio of Rioja in Larimer Square - just on the edge of LoDo. Rioja is also owned by the folks that run our favorite other restaurant just across the way - Bistro Vendome. Their bread basket was amazing, I tried the lavender sourdough and the rosemary biscuits. Also really unique was their version of a bloody mary with pickled green beans as a garnish.

For an appetizer I tried their house version of doughnuts which were filled with mascarpone cheese and raspberries - it was really decadent. For my entree I tried their breakfast burrito which was delicious. One thing is for sure - we will be back!

After brunch we decided to walk around LoDo for a bit and make our way down to the Museum of Contemporary Art which just opened in their new location last week. The facade of the new Museum is a stunning dark kind of milky glass that makes an amazing impression on the corner of 15th.

As we ventured inside - there is no actual front door - we found out that it was a family free day so we got to explore the Museum for free!! I apologize for the quality of the photos - I only had my blackberry with me.

Inside the museum was so amazing - they did such a great job. My favorite part was the roof top deck and cafe on the third floor. The views were great and you could get an almost 360 degree view of Downtown and the mountains. Part of the floor was actually the ceiling and you could see people walking above you.

All of the exhibits were from artists I was not familiar with but all of it provided a very satisfying insight into modern art today. This cultural facility elevates Denver’s profile on the national arts scene and even with no parking, it was packed with families. I really love that now this end of Downtown has more culture and look forward to future exhibits and events there. Welcome and congratulations to the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver!

Well the day Downtown has waited almost 20 years for has finally come. Today work began on the renovation of the Steel Building a.k.a the Fontius Building. Construction fencing is now up and the shuttle stop there at the corner of 16th & Welton is now temporarily closed. They are wasting no time! I happened to be walking by when they were removing the Fontius letters from the 16th Street side of the building.

There was definitely a feeling of excitement and relief watching them remove the big cursive F! Also cool was seeing all of the other letters from the sign laying on the 16th Street Mall. They have already started tearing off the 60’s era vernacular awning that always has seemed out of place on the facade as well.

They are working fast. Since I started this blog entry this morning, they have made even more progress by taking down all of the other signs on the 16th street side and might even complete the demolition of that awning by the end of today! With the Denver Wig Shop sign removed you can see the old Cook’s sign from when they had their sporting goods store there. Also gone is the Kenmark Shaw’s Jewelry neon sign.

Renovation work will continue from now until July of 2008. This is such a pivotal corner in Downtown and I cannot wait until it is restored to its former glory. It will be so nice to have the building activated and maintained as it deserves to be. I am curious as to who the new tenants will be - especially the ground floor retailers. Congratulations to Shames-Makovsky Realty Company the new owners of the building on this historic day!

As I reported in my previous July 5th blog entry, the Theater Cafe closed a couple of months ago - most likely in response to the opening of a couple of other nearby eateries. Recently, signs went up announcing that the future new tenant of the space will be the LimeLight Supper Club & Lounge.

Lime light is being developed by the Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group who also has three other high profile restaurants in Downtown Denver.

Having eaten in all three I am excited for this new breath of fresh air in the DCPA and believe they will be very successful in building a loyal clientele. His closest other restaurant, Kevin Taylor’s At The Opera House, is just across the way in the basement of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and is stunning to see.

I think it will be cool that when you attend a performance that you can during intermission walk across the atrium, get a beverage and then be able to walk back into your performance with it. Most exciting to me is that this prime retail spot will be activated again and no longer a dark space in such a visible location. I wish them luck!

Del Mar’s Crab House in Larimer Square has closed. I had not been down there for a while and was surprised by how quickly it changed. In its place is now Osteria Marco.

Frank Bonanno has opened up a new Italian eatery that fits in Larimer Square but has a more casual price point and menu. Osteria is just a couple of doors away from one of my favorite eateries The Market. They have an amazing dessert called “Spring Fling” cake that is just to die for.

I enjoyed Del Mar’s and I am sad it is gone but the whole appeal and vibe of Larimer Square is that the tenant mix is constantly changing to keep it fresh and new.

I still remember when there was a Williams Sonoma in the Samba Room space! I will have to try out their build your own antipasti very soon. Welcome Osteria Marco!