Downtown Denver is getting a new eyeglass boutique.  Optique of Denver is taking over the former Audio Books space at 16 Market Square along Blake St. - right next to Starbucks and the soon to open 8 Rivers Cafe concept.

This is great because there are not as many service based retailers as there could be in Downtown.  Even with the Bent Lens over in Larimer Square I think this will provide another good alternative to a traditional regional mall eyeglass purveyor.

A new restaurant is opening soon at 16 Market Square.  8 Rivers Cafe - a Caribbean Restaurant - will take over the former Title Nine woman’s apparel space located along Blake Street.

I have never been to 8 Rivers but as you can see from their windows they have been mentioned in 5280 Magazine a couple of times.  It is not clear if this will be in addition to the existing restaurant in the Highlands (32nd & Lowell) or another concept by the same group.  I will follow up as they get closer to opening.

I was walking along Wazee Street last week and came upon this Liquor License application in a store front window located at 1527 Wazee Street.  It looks like a new bar called The Wine Loft will open there soon.

While all of the rest of the ground floor retail space on this block is leased (between Players and Dixon’s) I think having a wine bar will better activate this block and feed off of the vibe that Dixon’s already has there.  It even looks as if there is enough room for a good sized patio.

I have been watching a retail spot in Writer’s Square for quite some time and a new “Coming soon!” sign appeared recently.  kuulture will locate in the former Ro Sham Beaux space next to American Apparel in the plaza at Writer’s Square adjacent to Larimer Square.  This past winter the sign said Mint Leaf but there was nothing going on.  When I walked past this time there were construction workers at the site.

My suspicion is that it will be a frozen yogurt space similar to Pink Berry based in California.  All across the nation a number of entrepreneurs are trying to capture the success Pink Berry has had.  I was just in Palm Springs and saw signs for a “Cactus Berry” that will open soon.

In any case it looks as if it will sell fresh or healthy food of some kind.  More to follow.

The former homes of the Bank of Denver Building and the Republic Hotel at 15th & California are being transformed into a temporary special events venue called The Peak.  Up until now the lot has served as construction staging for the renovation of the Steel Building since the demolition took place last year.

The Peak when completed on June 1st will be a 20,000 square foot tent that can host concerts, banquets, weddings, and tradeshows.  The Peak will be able to accommodate 1500-2000 people and will have restrooms, lighting and air conditioning.

I have walked by the site of few times over the past two weeks and have marveled at what a feat of engineering this really is.  The steel substructure is now fully installed and next will come the flooring and other mechanical systems.  The final structure will be covered with a stretched white vinyl and I hope look similar to the awnings across from Market Street Station - of course on a much grander scale!

This is perfect timing for everything happening in Downtown this summer and I hope I get to attend an event there!  More photos of the completed structure to follow.

I have been talking about eating a meal at Vita Restaurant for a few months now - I last mentioned Vita in this post.  On Sunday for brunch we finally got to try their food.  We got a patio spot with views of the skyline which was great with the warm weather we had on Sunday.

I tried their bloody mary which was good - just spicy enough.  For my entree I chose their hangar steak and eggs.  I enjoyed it very much from the presentation to the barbequed onions and roasted potatoes.  It was fun eating and talking why groups of people strolled by.  Afterwards we walked down and did some house hunting.  It was a great way to start a lazy Sunday.

We tried a great new place for dinner on Saturday night - Duo Restaurant - 2413 W. 32nd Ave.  Located in the Highland neighborhood it was right of the intersection of 32nd & Zuni where two old historic brick buildings face each other.  The location had great character and ambiance.

When we called to make reservations we were told that after their dinner service started they did not take them anymore and that it was first come first serve.  We decided to head down to avoid a really long wait time.  From our very first impression Duo did not disapoint.  We waited for our table at their bar which is this great stainless steel curved circle nestled against a huge wall of exposed brick.  Our bartender took good care of us and our wait time flew by.

We got a table right next to this great room divider/art piece made up of a bunch of old single pane wood framed windows suspended from the ceiling.  The entire restaurant was flooded with natural light from the storefront divided light windows which highlighted the wide plank distressed wood floors.  The open display kitchen combined with the packed dining room made for a wonderful dining experience.

I started with the Crispy Crab Cake that came with a great fennel salad and mild Meyer lemon aioli.  It was full of huge chunks of crab and was delicious.  I also got to try their appetizer special which were grilled scallops served on a bed of Israeli Couscous - also very good.  Next I tried their special soup of the night which was this awesome carrot and ginger soup - the texture and complex flavors were to die for. 

For my entree I went with their Free Range Chicken which was probably one of the best tasting chicken dishes I have had in a very long time - it was very moist, cooked perfectly and the skin was crispy.  My chicken came with a mustard sauce and was served on English Pea mashed potatoes.  All of our portions were just right.

After watching plate after plate fly out of the kitchen we could not resist having dessert.  We chose their Blanc Fromage Cheesecake which came with mango marmalade and house made gelato - enough said. 

I love discovering/trying new restaurants - it is always exciting and when they are as good as Duo you really feel lucky.  I would rank this on par with Fruition and Bistro Vendome as one of our new favorite eateries.  I think our next visit will be for brunch!

On Friday evening we decided to see Iron Man Downtown at the Denver Pavilions.  Before hand we grabbed a table on the patio at Jazz @ Jacks to have a drink before the show.  I had never been there before but the live entertainment was fun.  We had a great people watching spot and it was relaxing to just hang out up on the third floor above the 16th St. Mall.  We will definitely be back!

Yesterday for my birthday I got to go see A Chorus Line at the Denver Center for Performing Arts.  I was really surprised and better yet we got front row seats!  The show was amazing and it was a wonderful and memorable experience.  I had never seen it before and thought all of the actors and their numbers were Broadway quality.   When the show was letting out (it was sold out) the crowds and buzz at the DCPA were sizeable and fun to see.

Before the show I grabbed a drink at one of my favorite spots to see Downtown - Peaks Lounge.  Located on the 27th floor of the Hyatt Convention Center Hotel the views of Downtown and the mountains are incredible.  The sun was starting to set and seeing all of the activity made for a great show in itself.  The views at night are even better!

Summer is almost here and the Steel Building looks awesome!  With the scaffolding down and the new window installation underway it already looks like a brand new building.

I was shocked at how great the cornice detailing and other historical elements look now that they have been cleaned and restored.  I know that this building once completed will be instrumental in revitalizing this entire part of Downtown.  I wonder what new retailers we will get along the 16th St. Mall…..