I recently found out about a couple of things that make me want to re-visit Rioja again sometime during January.  Our last visit was during La Piazza Dell’Arte back in June for brunch.  Through the end of the month during lunch they will be bringing back their “Main Lobster Club Sandwich with applewood smoked bacon, arugula, beefsteak tomatoes, aioli and house made crispy vegetable chips“.  For dinner they are serving “Carnaroli Risotto with Main lobster, mascarpone, asparagus and lobster bisque“.  I am huge fan of lobster so I am going to try and get back to sample both.

Another fun thing they are doing is “Tuesday Sips & Snacks“.  During January if you stop by any Tuesday after 5pm until close you can sample four wines that are paired with four themed bite-size snacks for $15.00.  I missed last night but on the 12th they will have “wines of Spain“, on the 19th they will have “pinot posse” and to wrap up on the 26th they will feature “the sauvignons“.  I really hope they do more specials like this throughout 2010 and think it is a great way to kick off the New Year.

Last night to ring in 2010 we had dinner at Olivea on 17th.  I posted about our first dinner there last July.  They had three seating times for the evening, 5pm (three courses for $48), 7pm and 9pm.  We chose their third seating at 9pm that offered four courses for $58.  For a festive start to our meal we ordered their hibiscus martini that came with an actual flower bud at the base and was finished with prosecco - I would definitely have ordered another but we got a bottle of wine instead.  Our 1st course was antipasto for the table that came with house made charcuterie, marinated vegetable salads and cured olives.  The duck liver mousse and fig compote (dried figs & pickled red onions) were two of the real bright spots of the plate but everything was delicious.

For my second course I chose their “ricotta filled ravioli with short rib ragu” and also got to try their “house made gnocchi with shrimp, pesto and slow roasted tomatoes“.  The portions were just right and the depth of flavor in the short rib ragu was a nice surprise.  I selected the “lamb roulade with crispy potatoes and rosemary jus” for my third course.  The lamb was perfectly cooked and filled with an amazing combination of herbs and cheeses.  The potatoes were the crispiest I have ever had and the rosemary jus balanced it well.

I finished with the “pear galette with caramel crunch gelato” which arrived at the table still warm from the oven.  The gelato was rich but not overpowering and melted into the pears and pastry - it was very nice.  Along with dessert we ordered a flight of ports that came with three selections.  I have never had port with dessert and found it to be a great way to end a meal.  I am very pleased that Olivea has continued to grow and thrive.  Every evening they are packed and I am glad that the food and service have remained consistent.  This dinner was a great way to start off 2010 and I look forward to many more.

Last week I attended the grand opening of Jiberish on Platte Street in the Lower Highlands.  Jiberish is a Denver based hip-hop and snowboarding apparel company that was founded in 2005.  This flagship, located at 1621 Platte St., Unit F, is the first retail location.  The event was fun featuring a mini fashion show and culminating with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.  While the clothing is not for my demographic this is a very exciting and welcome development for Downtown Denver.  I wish Dave, Pete and Gabe all the best in this new endeavor.

Cypress Beauty & Co., a new beauty emporium and spa, has opened at the Denver Pavilions on the second level in the former Blue Bridal Couture space (Blue took Cali & Mo’s space when they moved into the old Ann Taylor location).  This is the third store for the Naples Florida based company and the first in Denver.  Cypress is a fresh, hip, beautiful boutique that offers a wide array of products including skin care, makeup, bath & body, hair care and fragrances & candles.  They also offer spa services and products for men.  I am excited because they will be offering new brands for Downtown from all around the world like Art of Shaving, Bliss, Bumble and bumble, Jack Black and Ed Hardy.  I hope this is the first of many new stores coming our way and I look forward to stopping in to check it out.

Months of construction at the Denver Pavilions finally wrapped up on November 10th at their Grand Re-Introduction Event held in Welton Plaza in front of the new stairway and escalator.  Having followed the renovation closely it was gratifying to see all of the work that has been completed.   To celebrate there was an escalator fashion show as well as remarks from the Mayor, the owner and other Downtown leaders. 

It was amazing to see what a difference was made from just a week prior when I had thought in the back of my mind that they might miss the deadline.  The event drew a large crowd and I am optimistic that the next chapter in the history of the Pavilions is off to a great start.  To cap off of the ceremony a portrait by Malcom Farley of Mayor John Hickenlooper was presented.  I will be posting a final construction update with photos shortly.

On the evening of Veteran’s Day I attended “A Night in Old Union Station”.  This was a gala to benefit the revival of the former welcome (Mizpah) arch which was originally built in 1906.  Located at 17th & Wynkoop, the arch was removed in 1931 when it was deemed a traffic hazard.  We entered the cavernous waiting room and it surprisingly brought back fond memories of taking the train back to Chicago to visit family in Wisconsin for Christmas ages ago when I was a kid .  Buffet stations and bars were set up in various locations and it was fun mingling about to see the who’s who of guests in attendance.  My favorite part of the evening was when we took the tunnel under the station out to the train tracks where two of the luxury club cars from the former Ski Train cars were open to tour.  Having never been on the Ski Train it was so fun to experience the different rooms, wood paneling and elegant furnishings which made you feel like you were stepping back in time.  It felt like I was in that scene from White Christmas where Danny, Bing, Vera and Rosemary sing “Snow!”.  We ended the evening on the second floor balcony overlooking the main waiting room which was gave us a great vantage point to watch the film that was commissioned for the event.  Denver is very lucky to still have a station like this and I will remember this night for many years to come.

Recently I attended the grand opening of the Cornerstone Residences located at the corner of Park Avenue West and Curtis.  I first posted about this project when I attended their groundbreaking last June.  I was amazed at what a transformation had been made and how similar the final project was to the rendering I had seen over a year ago.  When you look at what was there before there is no question as to how good this is for this part of Downtown.  The first part of the ceremony took place in the new community room and culminated with the ribbon cutting at the front entrance to the building.  I really hope this continues to spur further development for this part of Downtown.

My recent walk around Lower Downtown was full of new discoveries including the Ice House Tavern.  Located at 1801 Wynkoop St. it is the former location of a number of concepts; Anita’s Crab Shack, Brasserie Rouge and most recently Via.  It opened in July in the Ice House building and I have not been in the space since I had lunch at Via years ago.

Since their website is currently under construction I have not seen their menu yet but it looks like it will be basic burgers and fries etc.  I did read that reportedly nothing on their menu is over $10 so that is promising.  I hope this concept is more successful and has some longevity.

Last night I got to try the new fast casual dinner service that Cook’s Fresh Market is rolling out.  Cook’s, located at 1600 Glenarm Place in the base of the 1600 Glenarm project, has been open for over just three and a half years and is an amazing amenity for Downtown Denver overall.  I enjoy their green chili breakfast burritos, vegetarian crust less quiche, Chinese chicken salad, and steak salad on a regular basis.  Last night I joined a friend and attended a training session for the new dinner program.

Each night they will feature 5 to 6 entrees that will be available for take out or to eat there with flatware and china.  We arrived and were presented with the menu that listed a number of first course, salad and main course options.  We ordered and were given a number and took a seat in their dining area.

I chose to start with their “BLT Salad with poached egg & red onion” and my friend picked “Bill’s Venison, Bacon and black Truffle Sausage with roasted beet salad & red onion vinaigrette“.  Our food was brought out to us and was presented beautifully.  For my entree I decided on their “Dr. Pepper Pork Cutlets with cabbage confit, broccoli, pancetta quinoa and caramelized apples” I also got to try the “Hand Cranked Fettuccini with EVOO, garlic, onion, roasted pumpkin, spinach, cauliflower, sage and parmesan reggiano“.  All of the food was delicious and the portions were great.  Overall it was a very fun and relaxing dining experience.  I look forward to trying something new when I go back.

I was in LoDo last week and got to see the new Oxford Hotel awning for the very first time.  I had not realized it had been so long since I was down there - it was installed in July.  It makes such a difference and I like that it feels as if had always been there.

The awning cost $125,000 and resembles the original that was in place from 1894 through the mid 1930s.  The Colorado Historic Fund provided a $35,000 grant for the project.  I think it adds even more character to the building and really gives that block a modern vintage feel that plays against the facade of Denver Union Station.