Larimer Square savior recalled in new book

My former Denver Post colleague Mike McPhee has immortalized Dana Crawford, one of Denver’s true visionaries, in his just-released book “Dana Crawford – 50 Years Saving the Soul of a City.” Crawford is deservedly credited with saving Larimer Square, a once-crumbling block in Denver’s seedy lower downtown – long before former Denver Post columnist Dick Kreck dubbed the area LoDo.

Larimer Square, one block of high-end boutiques and restaurants, will be forever beholden to Crawford’s vision, perseverance and forward thinking that turned it into one of the most sought-after addresses in the city.

To buy the book, go to www.mikemcpheebooks.com/books.html.

Honor Society opens

Honor Society Handcrafted Eatery, a hybrid restaurant where customers order Chipotle-style at the counter then have the food delivered to their table, has officially opened its doors to the public at 1900 16th St.

Honor Society will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Sunday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more information, go to www.eatwithhonor.com.

Mellow Mushroom hits the road

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers is launching the Mellow Mushroom Bake Bus Brewery Tour, which will be traveling through Colorado Sept. 5-12. The fully loaded mobile pizza kitchen will be bringing the groovy Mellow Mushroom experience, complete with hot pizza slices to enjoy with ice-cold local brews, to various Colorado breweries including stops at New Belgium’s Tour de Fat in both Fort Collins and Denver.

The Mellow Mushroom Bake Bus features giant windows for pizza lovers to catch the stone-baked pizza process. The bus also blasts tunes while serving hot pies.

Stops on the Mellow Mushroom Bake Bus Tour include Grist Brewing Company, Highlands Ranch, 4-9 p.m. Sept. 10, and Elk Mountain Brewing, Parker, 4-9 p.m. Sept. 11.

More info at www.facebook.com/MellowMushroomDowntownDenver.

The Melt comes to Colorado

The Melt, a rapidly growing fast casual restaurant chain based in San Francisco, is moving into Colorado, marking its first expansion outside of the restaurant’s home state of California.

The chain’s first of five planned Colorado locations opened last week at Park Meadows mall, with four other Front Range locations set to open before the end of the year.

The Melt’s chef-inspired menu features 100 percent all-natural, wholesome and fresh ingredients to create an expansive offering of comfort food favorites such as: premium burgers, grilled cheese, fries, mac ‘n’ cheese and homemade soups, along with wine and a selection of locally brewed Colorado beers. The Melt has emerged as a leader in the fast casual restaurant space, recently earning honors as one of FastCasual.com’s Top 50 Brands of 2015.

Along with the Park Meadows location, The Melt plans to open four additional metro Denver locations before this year is over, including: 16th and Champa, Denver; Village at the Peaks, Longmont; Southwest Plaza, west of Littleton; and Foothills Mall, Fort Collins. For more information, go to www.themelt.com/round_up.

Arvada Center has ‘Fever’

The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities will open its 2015-16 theater season with the musical “Saturday Night Fever,” directed by Rod A. Lansberry, on Sept. 15.

“Saturday Night Fever” is based on the Paramount/RSO film and the story by Nik Cohn and features all the great Bee Gees hits including “Stayin’ Alive,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Night Fever,” “If I Can’t Have You,” “You Should Be Dancing” and more. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 p.m. Wednesday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 4.

Preview performances are at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11, 12 and 13. Insiders’ talk-backs with cast members are offered on Sept. 25 after the 7:30 p.m. performance and Sept. 30 after the 1 p.m. performance. To purchase tickets go to www.arvadacenter.org/on-stage/saturday-night-fever-2015 or call 720-898-7200.

Weisberg says adieu

Glory Weisberg, the tiny woman who wields a big pen when writing about the movers, shakers and philanthropists in and around Greenwood Village for The Villager newspaper, abruptly retired after 30 years at the suburban paper.

Weisberg found the job opening in the Yellow Pages and called it “a match made in heaven.”

But why does she want to retire now?

“I’m 73 and realized that being on my feet for at least 90 minutes, photographing honorees and committee chairs and members during reception/silent auction hours, then having dinner with up to 1,400 people in cold ballrooms, then listening to the nonprofit event program for another several hours was getting harder for me and for (husband) Dave as well,” Weisberg said via email. She added, “This was initially supposed to be a part-time position. I would have loved it going back to that, but at this age, it’s time to move on.”

Overheard

Eavesdropping on Facebook: “I am playing golf this morning. Hide the children and cars.”

Penny Parker’s “Mile High Life” column gives insights into the best events, restaurants, businesses, parties and people throughout the metro area. Parker also writes for Blacktie-Colorado.com. You can subscribe and read her columns (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) at www.blacktie-colorado.com/pennyparker. She can be reached at parkerp1953@gmail.com or at 303-619-5209.

 

 

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