Belles & Boots, located in the former Sports Column bar at 1930 Blake St., doffs its hat for the first time on Friday, April 4, and will showcase “non-stop honky-tonk entertainment in the form of line dancing, mechanical bull riding,” and DJ sets, according to Lotus Concepts Management, which was founded by Francois Safieddine in Denver more than 20 years ago.

The two-story, 4,000-square-foot space is decorated with “desert mountain motifs,” custom wood furniture, rustic floors, and — most importantly — a boot-shaped disco ball hanging from the ceiling. The rooftop patio has views of LoDo and of Coors Field, according to Lotus.

“While Denver has outgrown its Cowtown reputation, it is still influenced by Western and ranching culture today,” Safieddine said in a statement. “We saw an opportunity to give the classic cowboy bar an authentic and modern twist and create a high-energy space.”

Meats will be smoked in-house daily, and the menu includes brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork,  roasted chicken, house-made coleslaw, baked beans and skillet mac n’ cheese. But there will also be a “robust” beverage program with cocktails, like the rum-and-coconut-based Belle’s Boot, which will be served in a 30-oz souvenir boot-shaped cup.

Belles & Boots will be family-friendly during the day, but 21+ at night.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

The Tavern on Blake Street, a new concept taking over the building formerly known as Blake Street Tavern, had hoped to open this weekend, coinciding with the launch of baseball season. That timeline has been delayed, however, due to “mechanical issues,” the business posted on Instagram.

Five of the 26 HVAC units on the roof need to be replaced, so there is no air conditioning in the main dining room, basement or kitchen currently, the post says. Additionally, the back deck needs to be replaced.

“With that being said our grand opening is delayed until further notice,” the post states. Owner Jeff Moerke could not immediately be reached for additional comment.

When Blake Street Tavern closed in 2023, Denver lost one of its most iconic sports bars. Moerke, founder of Harper & Hudson Hospitality Group, previously told The Denver Post he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to revive the space because the branding aligned with this other restaurant in Snowmass, called The Tavern Kitchen and Bar.

Moerke is also working to open a flagship version of The Tavern restaurant in Las Vegas, which will inhabit a 40,000-square-foot space and employ several robots to flip burgers and make pizzas.

When it opens, The Tavern on Blake Street will join that family of brands and feature a menu similar to the location in Snowmass, where dishes range from casual bites like chicken wings and burgers to high-dollar items like a seafood tower and $130 prime Tomahawk steak. The restaurant is also a popular spot to catch live music.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

Senate Bill 148 fell at the measure’s first hurdle on 2-3 bipartisan vote by a committee. The bill would’ve expanded a 31-year-old Colorado law that bars lobbyists from donating to campaigns during the legislature’s 120-day annual session.

Had the bill passed, the proposed year-round prohibition would have bumped Colorado into the ranks of a handful of states that more broadly limit lobbyist donations to the policymakers they’re trying to influence. But it failed to get out of the Senate’s State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

Sen. Mike Weissman, an Aurora Democrat, sponsored the bill and is the committee’s chair. He said the bill was intended both to “catch up the law” to modern realities — lawmaking and meetings with lobbyists extend beyond the bounds of the legislative session — and to improve the public perception of government.

Weissman was the subject of a dark money-drenched primary challenge last summer, and a consumer-protection bill he sponsored was among the most-lobbied bills of last year’s session.

“People across the political spectrum are skeptical of government,” Weissman said Tuesday, two days before the vote. “That is a pretty bipartisan thing right now. So part of why I’m doing this is broadly stated: confidence in government.”

He added: “What we’re seeing around the world and beginning to see in this country is that when people cease to believe that representative government works for them, (and) their economic conditions aren’t tenable — they’ll start to entertain other things.”

Sen. Matt Ball, a Denver Democrat who voted against the bill Thursday with the committee’s two Republicans, said he was pleased with the state’s current transparency rules, which require that candidate donations be tracked and published online.

He worried that Weissman’s bill would simply shift spending elsewhere.

$500,000 donated in 2024 campaign — likely more

It’s unclear how much money is donated by lobbyists each year. While the state’s campaign finance system tracks donations by donors’ occupations, it’s an incomplete accounting. Donors must self-identify their professions, and while many lobbyists do so, others list their occupation as attorney, consultant or simply “other.” That self-identification may shift from donation to donation, too, further complicating tracking.

At a minimum, though, self-identified lobbyists donated just under $500,000 to statehouse candidates during the 2024 campaign cycle, according to state campaign finance reports.

Lobbyists typically are hired by corporations, nonprofits or government agencies to argue for or against legislation and policies. They are particularly powerful in Colorado: Legislative term limits result in significant turnover in the Capitol, with lawmakers generally limited to serving consecutive terms lasting eight years in each chamber.

Some lobbyists, meanwhile, have worked in the building for decades — and, in previous lives, many were legislative aides or officials for state agencies or governors. As lobbyists now, they’re often intimately involved in drafting legislation.

In an interview before the vote Wednesday, Lacey Hays, the president of the Colorado Lobbyists Association, questioned whether Weissman’s proposal would’ve survived a First Amendment challenge. The Constitution’s free speech provision forms the basis for much of campaign finance law, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision.

“We are individuals,” Hays said, “and regardless of our profession, there are people that we see and get to know on the candidate trail that we believe would be good patrons for their communities. To bar us from helping out their campaigns is just that First Amendment, constitutional (issue) — we think it just flies in the face of that.”

Twenty-nine states prohibit lobbyist donations during legislative sessions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a nonpartisan research group. Six states go further and limit lobbyist donations generally, as Weissman sought to do, NCSL said. Weissman said those policies have withstood lawsuits.

Few lobbyists besides Hays agreed to speak on the record for this story, as is lobbyists’ habit generally. Several prominent lobbying firms did not respond to requests for comment.

But privately, several lobbyists generally shrugged at the idea of limiting their own donations. Some joked that such a prohibition would just save them several thousand dollars every cycle, and others said it would end an expectation from lawmakers that lobbyists donate or hold fundraisers.

One said fundraising calls often begin almost immediately after each legislative session — when the state’s prohibition on lobbyist giving lifts until the next session.

Simultaneously, though, the lobbyists and Hays argued that $450 donations — the maximum allowed to individual candidates — weren’t enough to buy anyone’s vote, and they questioned whether they could be prohibited from offering donations on the basis of their profession.

“A $450 check from an individual is not buying anyone’s influence,” Hays said.

“Take their money … and vote against ’em”

Or, as Republican Sen. Rod Pelton said before voting against Weissman’s measure: “You wouldn’t make a very good legislator if you couldn’t take their money in the morning and vote against ’em in the afternoon.”

Weissman acknowledged that there hadn’t been scandals about lobbyists buying votes or abusing donations in Colorado (though lobbyists privately groused that some legislators made it known that they knew who had donated to them and who hadn’t).

Still, Weissman said, the fact that Colorado “was a bit better off in terms of the culture … doesn’t mean there’s not a good reason to do it, especially now in this era.”

The appearance of impropriety — of greased palms — was part of the motivation for the initial ban on lobbyist giving, said Doug Friednash, a former legislator who introduced the policy back in 1993. Friednash now works for lobbying giant Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, though he stressed that he was speaking on his own behalf, not for the firm.

When he ran the bill, he expected to get heat from lobbyists.

“What was eye-opening after I did that — the people that came to thank me were lobbyists. … Lobbyists were thrilled that they weren’t getting (pressured) to make contributions,” Friednash said.

As a lobbyist now, he said he liked Weissman’s bill for that reason, too. But he also questioned whether the bill was constitutional, and he echoed Ball’s argument that lobbyists would find a way around the prohibition: They could still give to political parties or certain fundraising arms, for instance, and the companies or groups that hired them could continue to donate, too.

“The system always finds a way for a workaround,” Friednash said. “Because parties raise money for candidates, (lobbyists) give to some party event or something with money that’s going to specifically go to these same candidates or candidate. I think it’s a lot more complex and complicated than just that simple narrow piece” of lobbyist donations.

Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot.

Well, every artist does. But while multiplatinum-sellers such as The Lumineers (headlining Empower Field at Mile High on Aug. 2) and DJ-producer Illenium (who headlined Empower Field in 2023) have no shortage of stages, gear and entertainment at their disposal, being based in Denver means tapping local services.

We asked several artists — The Lumineers, Illenium, jazz pianist Annie Booth, hip hop’s Trev Rich, Denver trailblazer Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Grammy-nominated Yonder Mountain String Band and more — about their favorite places to work and play in the metro area.

Whether you’re taking notes on their career success or just want to see the city through their eyes, now you can eat, play and rock out like your favorites. (Answers have been edited for length and clarity — and to prevent too much repetition.)

The Lumineers

Venues: “Red Rocks would be the preferred venue to play,” said singer-guitarist Wesley Schultz, “but I also love the Bluebird Theater, which is probably my favorite to see shows. I used to go to a lot of shows at the Hi-Dive, and when I saw Dope Lemon at the Ogden Theatre a few months back, it reminded me of the great vibe and fond memories of playing it. Also the Boulder Theater — that’s where my wife and I got married.”

Restaurants: “Marigold in Lyons is run by one of my dear buddies, Theo Adley, who I went to high school with. And my phenomenal buddy Kelly (Whitaker) runs Wolf’s Tailor, and I love Annette Scratch to Table. Caroline (Glover) is amazing. As far as dives, it’s Satchel’s on 6th, where you feel like you’re at Cheers — just with food.”

Bars: “For best drinks, it’s the PS Lounge, Steuben’s and the Thin Man, because I used to live over by there.”

Gear: “I’ve always used Denver Folklore Center. When we moved here in 2009 (from New York) I brought in an old Nippon Yamaha, an FG-350 — they call them the poor man’s Martin — which needed a fix because the tuner wouldn’t tighten. The guy who worked there took out a toothpick and ground it into the back of the tuner and was able to get traction. He didn’t charge me. So I’ve got classical guitars, mostly acoustic, from them and always go there to get (instruments) fixed. I even got my son a little starter guitar there.”

Studios: “Colorado Sound Studios is an unassuming place and we’ve done some producing and writing there. Jeremiah (Frates) and I have recorded some last-minute stuff there when we couldn’t fly out to do it. They’ve got some amazing sound engineers.”

Worthy cause: “My wife, Brandy, runs the Sound Future nonprofit. Typically every show we play we take a dollar off per ticket and donate it to charity, and a lot of bands are doing that. Right now they’re focusing on funding regenerative farming as well as kelp restoration along coastlines and farmland restoration.”

Illenium

Venues: “Red Rocks is one of my all-time favorites,” said producer-DJ Nick Miller, a.k.a. Illenium. “It’s such an awesome setting that I don’t think can be beat. For a small venue, I’d say the Bluebird Theater. It was my first ‘big’ sellout in Denver and is such an intimate space that holds a special memory for me.

“Colorado has some amazing outdoor venues but I think a lot of people aren’t familiar with Mishawaka Amphitheatre up near Fort Collins,” he added. “It’s right alongside a river and just a super cool spot that combines music with nature. When I was just starting out, I played it a couple of times. I haven’t been back since 2018 but would love to do it again one day!”

Restaurants: “I love Guard and Grace, and Temaki Den or Sushi Den.”

Worthy causes: “I have been working a lot with End Overdose. They provide free naloxone, test strips, and overdose response training and education to people. At almost every show of mine, we supply Narcan (and) teach fans how to use it in an emergency.

Annie Booth Trio

Venues: “Dazzle for its intimacy and Boettcher Concert Hall for (big shows),” said award-winning composer, arranger and jazz pianist Annie Booth. “I also love playing at Nocturne for its great energy, and I’ve always loved playing the Mercury Cafe, because I’ve been going there since I was 15.”

Restaurants: Cart Driver and Potager

Gear: I love Classic Pianos of Denver down on South Broadway. I bought my Yamaha U1, this gorgeous upright, there and I’ve been playing their (on-site) pianos at different venues for years and years.”

Studios: “It’s absolutely Mighty Fine Productions. I’ve made seven albums with tons of different projects over the past 10 years and they’ve all taken place at Mighty Fine. The owner, Colin Bricker, is truly a world-class engineer with people coming in from all over the world to make albums there.”

Worthy cause: “Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts. I participated as a high schooler and it totally changed my life. I would not be making music at the level I am today if it weren’t for this nonprofit, which provides mentorship and connection for young people and adults who are interested in learning to play jazz. I’m a board member and donor and they’re really close to my heart.”

Big Head Todd and the Monsters

Venues: “Of course Red Rocks is the finest large venue in the land.  It would be my favorite to both see and perform shows,” said leader Todd Park Mohr. “The Mission Ballroom is exquisite. For small venues, I will always be partial to (the now-closed) Herman’s Hideaway and the Soiled Dove.”

Restaurant/bars: Potager and The Cruise Room, respectively.

Gear: “My go-to for shopping would be Wildwood Guitars. I also love the Olde Town Pickin’ Parlor in Arvada, especially for repairs.”

Worthy cause: “I like Conscious Alliance a lot and have done work for them throughout my career.”

DeVotchKa

Venues: “The Bluebird and the Gothic are still my two favorites,” said drummer and multi-instrumentalist Shawn King. “Can’t deny the mighty Mission (Ballroom) though — I was at the Smile and Thee Sacred Souls and both sounded perfect.”

Restaurants: “Pochito’s Tortilla Factory — pick up rice and beans and tortillas, and then go to Carniceria La Guadalajara and pick up something to grill.”

Gear: “My go-to fixer is Al Scholl, who works out of Mighty Fine Productions. He really cares about anything with strings. And Rupp’s Drums has always been helpful, never trying to push anything on you, just there to help your situation.”

Yonder Mountain String Band

Venues: “Probably the Fox (Theatre) or the Boulder Theater if I were to tally the numbers up, Red Rocks for large venues,” said guitarist Adam Aijala.

Restaurants: “You can’t go wrong with Sushi Den. I really love the food at the Gold Hill Inn … and Bagel Deli!”

Gear: “For repairs, I go to Woodsong’s Lutherie in Boulder. Those guys are awesome folks.”

Studios: “Yonder Mountain has recorded our last four records at Cinder Sound Studio with John McVey in Longmont.  For mastering, we work with David Glasser at Airshow Mastering.  Some of the best dudes in the business.”

Worthy cause: “The Future Arts Foundation. They put on concerts and festivals and the proceeds provide things like musical instruments and art supplies for Colorado schools.”

Trev Rich

Venues: “My favorite venue big would have to be Red Rocks and smaller would be Gothic,” said the Grammy-nominated rapper, songwriter and producer Trev Rich. “That’s where I had my first headline and (sell-out) so that will always be my favorite.”

Restaurant: “That’s a tough one but right now Nola Jane has a hold on me.”

Studios: “For rehearsal, it’s RocketSpace and recording it’s DreamSpace Studios. Every now and then Side 3.”

Worthy cause: Ktone Cares Foundation and Celebrate Life Foundation both do really good things in the city, especially when it comes to the kids from the neighborhoods we come from — but open to all kids for sure.

bellhoss

Venues: “The Hi-Dive. It feels like home, and (my husband) and I finally live within walking distance,” said singer-songwriter and guitarist Becky Otárola. (Full disclosure: Her husband is Denver Post restaurant/food reporter Miguel Otárola.) “It feels really cozy, and really cool, like some of the venues that I grew up around in L.A.”

Restaurants: Ohana Island Kitchen

Bars: “If I want to be fancy and have a nice drink, it’s Hudson Hill.”

Worthy cause: Girls Rock Denver and Youth on Record

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.

Enzo’s on Colfax took over the old Enzo’s End space, 3424 E. Colfax Ave, a few months ago. The latter had closed in June 2024 after 28 years on the block, with owner Charlie Puma saying he was concerned about the potential effects of the East Colfax bus rapid transit construction project, which was approaching from the west.

“Charlie wanted to sell the recipes to me, but that’s not really my M.O.,” said Enzo’s on Colfax owner Robert Cherenzia, who is currently the only employee. “For 28 years the guy had a great go of it, and a great following. But we’re here to do a better product than what was here. Which I realize is saying a lot.”

Talks to take over the business started last year, with Cherenzia having just come from a development company that launched several Smoothie King franchises. He managed Wheat Ridge’s West 29th Restaurant and Bar, and formerly owned a bakery in Park City, Utah, having trained to make bagels in New York City in between it all.

After researching different types of pizza on a family trip to Italy in August, he decided to serve New York-style slices at Enzo’s on Colfax — as opposed to Enzo’s End’s thin-crust style — and more unusual toppings. The Cap, for example, features two eggs, green onion and pecorino with herbs and olive oil ($19 for a 12″) while the Pig and Cow offers prosciutto, burrata, arugula, grated parmesan, and balsamic drizzle with olive oil and cracked pepper ($17 for a 12″ and $20 for a 16″).

“We were eating in Florence and they brought a pizza packed with prosciutto and a big ball of burrata,” Cherenzia said. “It wasn’t sliced, and you had to just dig in. It’s pretty hard to beat that!”

Cherenzia said Enzo’s End owner Puma would have preferred to retire the name Enzo’s along with his original restaurant — and Cherenzia agreed with him. But in addition to the fact that Cherenzia’s son is named Ezno, the building’s owner, Pete Siahamis, wanted to continue the Enzo’s name in some way. That’s because his PS Lounge bar shares a doorway with Enzo, and the two businesses can service each other’s customers that way.

One of Cherenzia’s biggest upcoming challenges will be surviving the BRT project that had worried Puma and has since closed down all but two lanes of the wide street in front of him, choking off Enzo’s parking and making it difficult for customers to find him.

The pedestrian-heavy Bluebird District may be his salvation, though, since the neighborhood’s mix of bars, stores and music venues sends a lot of foot traffic past the pizza joint. The original Enzo’s End was one of three Bluebird District restaurants that shuttered within quick succession of each other last year, including Fox Run and Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs. (All three now have new tenants.)

But Cherenzia is confident he’ll stand out — even in a neighborhood with plenty of other pizza places, including Blue Pan’s Detroit-style pizza a few blocks south, and Fat Sully’s to the west. That’s even as he hangs onto the red-and-white checkered tablecloths, well-seasoned Bakers Pride ovens, and other elements of Ezno’s End.

“We’re smaller but more high-end,” he said. “And other pizza places have their niches. … Competition brings about a better product and you want to earn people’s business by doing things right. For me, it’s going to be all about the details.”

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

Founded in 1975 by Marilyn Megenity and relocated to its current spot in 1990, The Merc served food, coffee and adult beverages while booking diverse entertainers and community groups on its small ground-level stage and upstairs space. In addition to jazz, comedy nights and open mics, the space was known as a friendly, liberal alternative to sports bars and corporate chains.

But in 2021, Megenity sold it to local entrepreneur Danny Newman, who also owns My Brother’s Bar. Newman planned to revive the spot, but ran into problems due to family medical issues. He also grappled with employee complaints and the formation of an employee’s union. He eventually put the business up for sale, with the knowledge that a new owner might change it.

That happened Monday when the space, at 2199 California St., was taken over by The Pearl — an offshoot of Pearl Divers, a speakeasy located inside the Your Mom’s House music venue, 608 E. 13th Ave. Pearl Divers dubs itself a sapphic bar, or one that caters to LGBTQ women and nonbinary people. (Newman and his small ownership group will continue to act as The Pearl’s landlord.)

Like Pearl Diver, however, the new Pearl business will welcome everyone, from existing and longtime Mercury Cafe customers to anyone who wants to check out the space, work on their laptop, or grab a quick drink, said owners Ashlee Cassity and Dom Garcia.

They’ll also keep the Mercury Cafe’s staff so as not to disrupt what makes the business special, Cassity explained. “We’re booked with shows and events through the first of the year already, so we didn’t want the transition to (interrupt) all that hard work.”

Newman listed the building for sale in August for $2.5 million with the hope that a buyer would continue the Mercury Cafe’s progressive mission. He entertained several buyers until The Pearl’s owners showed up a little over a month and a half ago, having decided on the Mercury Cafe space over another they were looking at on Colorado Boulevard just north of East Colfax Avenue.

“I’m just ecstatic,” Newman said. “This group is so perfect for this space and I’m excited that we found each other. They have the true operating experience to make it happen and are going to just absolutely excel at this.”

The Pearl will be operated by Pearl Diver — Cassity and Dom — as well as Jonathan Mora of Tua Mama and Mora Pizza, who will offer vegan- and vegan-friendly options, and the promotions company Sapphic Collective, which will handle promotions and booking.

The Pearl Divers location inside of Your Mom’s House will close as the new Pearl location officially opens on March 29 with an all-women DJ event. Cassity and Dom’s intention is to give the space a facelift but ensure that “it remains a vibrant part of our community for years to come.”

The Pearl’s new cafe, The Rose Room, will serve Southern-inspired fare such as fried catfish while holding monthly seafood boils that harken back to Cassity’s Texas and Louisiana upbringing. Cassity and Garcia expect that service to begin the first or second week of April, with expanded hours that will see it opening at 8 a.m. every day.

Their current staff of 10 full- and part-time employees may grow, and the owners want to make sure current employees get the chance to stay on if they want to. It’s all about continuity and not messing with what’s worked, they said.

“We’re nervous because it’s a big space, but we’re excited to intertwine our own events with the calendar here for the best possible outcome,” Cassity said.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

Sorry Gorgeous, the cocktail lounge that opened last October on the rooftop of NOVEL RiNo, seems to be a distillation of the group’s philosophy. Perched atop the 500-unit residential building, at 1350 40th St., each detail of the showbiz-ready space has been carefully curated.

Related: Italian-influenced cocktails, hand-stretched mozzarella are the stars of a new bar

Culinary Creative CEO Juan Padro says Sorry Gorgeous was inspired by the NYC institution Joe’s Pub, a personal favorite of his that since opening in 1998 has played host to the likes of Lady Gaga, Alice Coltrane, Wynton Marsalis and Dolly Parton. “We aspire to be very theatrical within the context of a cocktail bar,” he said. “There is a theater to service.”

“It’s meant to evoke sexy. It’s femme fatale. It’s evocative. It’s supposed to be moody,” adds Culinary Creative beverage director Nicole Lebedevitch.

DJ Whoo Kid, a former touring DJ for both Eminem and 50 Cent, played at the opening party, and Padro says the place will continue to attract big-name talent. Peter Paul Scott, who has been credited with being instrumental in merging the worlds of fashion and hip hop while acting as Director of Marketing for Tommy Hilfiger, has been tapped as Culinary Creative’s Entertainment Director. He will continue to bring big-city elegance to Sorry Gorgeous’ programming.

The cocktail menu is short and potent. The eleven cocktails and two non-alcoholic concoctions were all designed by Lebedevitch, each one showcasing her position as one of the best drink designers in the city. The Journeyman combines Blanco tequila, green tea, lemongrass, pineapple and Thai basil for a boozy porch pounder that would be as happy poolside as it is at the table. The Ce Soir is a bit more posh, though its mixture of cognac, yellow Chartreuse, Cynar and Regans’ orange bitters is no less punchy. The Rye-Tai, with rye whiskey, walnut, burnt orange and lime has been described by Lebevitch as “friends of the Mai-Tai. He’s a spicy, nutty cousin.”

And then there’s the view. NOVEL RiNo, just a stone’s throw from the Mission Ballroom, has a completely unobstructed view of downtown, backed by the expanse of the Rocky Mountains.

Before taking a seat, many guests flock to the patio for photos, with staff kindly obliging and offering to take a snap or two. “People are already coming up to do their engagement photos here,” said Padro. “We are creating a really cool thing for the building, for the greater community and we’re adding something really special for Denver. From this angle, it looks like a big city.”

Early arrivers can relish the place’s serene and sumptuous charm, while later guests might indulge in a different scene entirely. “The atmosphere from three to six is very different from six to nine and very different than nine to close,” grinned Lebedevitch. “It’s a cocktail lounge, not a dance club. But make no mistake, people are dancing,” added Padro.

On November 13, the group opened Magna Kainan downstairs. It’s the sister restaurant of chef Carlo Lamagna’s Portland-based Filipino joint Magna Kusina. Dishes like the Lumpia Shanghai, fried eggrolls filled with pork and roasted mushrooms, the Sisig, crispy pork head with onions, calamansi, soy sauce, Thai chili, scallions, and poached egg, and the Kare-Kare, which combines braised oxtail, tripe, bok-choy, eggplant, long beans and pumpkin seed, all make a compelling case for why Lamagna was named one of Food and Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2021. He was also a James Beard award finalist for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific in 2022.

Lebedevitch says that while the upstairs drinks don’t play off the flavors or ideas of Magna Kainan the two are interrelated. “We’re here to be Magna’s hug. We’re here to be the before and after,” she said.

Sorry Gorgeous is a game-changing addition to Denver’s bar scene. “I think Forget Me Not was a necessity for Cherry Creek,” said Lebedevitch. “We’re continuing to grow these neighborhoods,” she continued, adding that she’s excited to be just a few blocks down from area stalwarts Brasserie Brixton and Yacht Club.

Padro says this may be one of Culinary Creative’s last local openings unless there is a fundamental change in the way the city does business. “Denver is getting prohibitively expensive to do business. Unless we can get our labor situation fixed, it’s just not feasible,” he said. Even so, he noted that there are already plans to bring Aviano, The Fox and The Hen, A5 and Mister Oso to new markets.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

That includes House Bill 1090, which would prohibit certain fees charged by landlords, often known as “junk fees,” and require general transparency around hidden fees across industries. The bill passed its first House vote Friday and is set for its final vote in the chamber this week, potentially as early as Monday. It will then move to the Senate.

House Bill 1108 is also awaiting its final vote in the House before passing to the Senate. That bill would specify that landlords can’t require penalties for leases that were terminated early because of a tenant’s death. House Bill 1113, which targets the installation of nonnative turf in new apartment complexes, is similarly at its last hurdle before hitting halftime.

All of those bills are set for final House votes Monday.

Two other housing bills are set for a first vote in the House this week: House Bill 1004 would prohibit the use of rent-setting algorithms in Colorado, which, critics say, cost many Denver renters more than $1,600 every year; and House Bill 1169 — the so-called “YIGBY,” or Yes in God’s Backyard” bill — would make it easier for houses of worship and educational institutions to build housing on their properties.

Another housing bill — House Bill 1235 — is set for its first committee vote, in front of House Judiciary, on Wednesday. That bill would require jury trials for certain eviction proceedings, addressing uncertainty created by the state Supreme Court in a ruling late last year.

Here’s what else is going on in the Capitol this week. As always, legislative schedules are subject to change.

Gun votes

Speaking of halftime: The biggest gun bill of the session — Senate Bill 3 — is up for its first House vote, in front of the House Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday. That bill would limit the sale, purchase and transfer of semiautomatic firearms that accept detachable magazines and are gas-operated. That basically means those colloquially known as assault weapons, plus a small slice of available handguns.

The bill was heavily amended in the Senate before moving to the House in order to get Gov. Jared Polis and some holdout moderate Democrats on board. It’s now on a direct path to Polis’ desk.

The full House will debate House Bill 1238 this week after it passed committee last week. That measure would put new restrictions on gun shows, including security and age requirements, as well as ensure that sellers are following the state’s three-day waiting period. (That requires a person to wait three days between buying a gun and actually picking it up.)

Restaurant wages bill inches closer to House floor

One of the quietly controversial bills of the session, House Bill 1208, would lower the tipped minimum wage in the handful of Colorado cities that have a higher tipped wage than the state’s requirement.

The bill is backed by Democratic lawmakers who say it’s necessary to help struggling restaurants But the proposal’s also drawn criticism from other Democrats and from their allies in organized labor, who charge that the measure would only help restaurants by financially harming their workers.

The bill passed its first House committee two weeks ago and is set for another committee vote, in House Finance, on Monday. From there, it would move to the House floor.

Other notable votes this week

Speaking of quietly controversial bills: Senate Bill 71, a hospital-backed bill to protect a discount drug program, will get its first Senate vote, in the chamber’s Health and Human Services Committee, on Thursday.

There are plenty of other things afoot this week, folks.

A handful of Republican messaging bills are scheduled for committee votes Wednesday. They include a bill requiring state regulation of abortion clinics; a bill to limit medical treatment for minors without a parent’s consent; and a bill to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors.

House Bill 1237, which would extend how late bars can stay open, is up for a first vote in the House’s Business Affairs and Labor Committee on Thursday. House Bill 1242, which would unwind recent changes to the state open-meetings law and change the state’s public record laws, will be in the House’s State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, also on Thursday.

Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot.

“I’m a huge martini fan, so I was like, ‘I need to have this!'” Weaver recalled. “It was so cute.”

Back in the states, Weaver created a similar drink for Lady Jane, 2021 W. 32nd Ave., and the $6 Tiny Tini — it changes seasonally — has been a hit with bar-goers ever since.

Tiny tipplers are emerging as a microtrend in Denver bars, and cocktail experts have a few theories as to why these demure little drinks are having a big moment. On one end of the spectrum, their popularity could be an offshoot of the mocktail and the low ABV trend, providing patrons with a small-format drink option. On the other: “It’s an excuse to have a composed shot,” Weaver said.

At Lady Jane, the bar’s current Tiny Tini offering is a Hendricks gin martini with a green cardamom-infused brandy and some vermouth. The one-ounce cocktail packs a punch; it’s bright, fresh and bracing.

In a way, though, tiny cocktails are throwbacks. Classic cocktail recipes are capped at just 2 to 4 ounces, Weaver points out. We can trace the larger, boozy drinks in big glasses filled with lots of juice to the post-Prohibition tiki bar boom.

Petite cocktails are also a diplomatic option for those who want to begin a meal or enjoy a happy hour with a cocktail and then switch over to wine or beer with dinner.

“The tapa of the cocktail world it is,” said Vajra Stratigos, Jax director of operations. Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar’s locations in Boulder (928 Pearl St.) and Glendale (650 S. Colorado Blvd.) serve a 3-ounce, $10 Tito’s martini garnished with olives on happy hour menus, a miniaturized version of its 9-ounce martini.

“When the lil’ junior martini hits the table, guests proclaim, ‘Oh it’s so cute,’” Stratigos said.

At Poka Lola Social Club (1850 Wazee St.) on the Dairy Block, the Shots! Shots! Shots! section of the menu came about after bartenders noticed more people were starting to belly up to the bar and order mixed shots. So the team dreamed up some craft cocktail-like shooters (that you could also sip) that incorporate seasonal ingredients. Fresh Pow Pow is a tiny chocolate martini, and Fireside includes a cinnamon-infused Old Forester Rye while Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is a mezcal, melon and honey concoction.

“It was a nice challenge to transform something that is thought of as cheap and something you drank in college into a drink that is actually very tasty,” says Lexi Parker, lead bartender at Poka Lola.

The mini cocktail trend also works fantastic with boozy and caffeinated drinks, like the wildly popular espresso martini, with spots like Millers and Rossi (3542 Walnut St.), a dive bar-meets-cocktail bar in RiNo, serving an $8 shot-sized espresso martini.

At Jacques (3200 Tejon St.), a Lohi French bistro, guests can enjoy a 2-ounce Grey Goose Espresso Martini ($7) as a nightcap.

“Our mini espresso martini is the perfect way to wrap up a meal at Jacques, because who doesn’t love a tiny version of their favorite sweet cocktail on the dessert menu?” said chef Nick Dalton.

Shopping for tiny glassware

Want to try the tiny cocktail trend out at home? There is a treasure trove of vintage petite glassware and gorgeous shakers at thrift stores and antique shops. Some, of course, are crafted for aperitifs and digestifs. But interesting finds range from Art Deco-era crystal coupes to pistachio-green Depression-era uranium glasses.

I consulted with Elle Spurr, a researcher at Rau Antiques — an antiques, art and jewelry business headquartered in New Orleans with a gallery in Aspen.

Pre-World War II barware was notably smaller than modern glassware, which reflects cultural drinking habits and economic constraints of the time, Spurr said. “Cocktails were originally designed as quick, bracing aperitifs meant to be consumed in just a few ounces to stimulate the appetite rather than sipped leisurely.”

This is evident in the compact size of barware from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where standard cocktail glasses often held around 3 ounces. During Prohibition (1920-1933), the production and sale of alcohol were restricted, but medicinal and sacramental wine was permitted, resulting in small wine goblets, typically just 2 to 3 ounces in capacity, compared to modern glasses that can hold 12 to 16 ounces.

Rare hues like cobalt blue, ruby red and emerald green tend to be more sought after than standard clear or pink glass, Spurr said. Patterns are also important. Intricate American Brilliant Period cut glass, known for its dazzling geometric designs, remains highly collectible, with works from firms like Libbey Glass and T.G. Hawkes commanding high prices. Depression glass, originally produced as an affordable option during the Great Depression, is now prized by collectors, especially in rare colors and patterns.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

There’s a new tenant — and a similar name — coming to the building at 2301 Blake St. that used to house the iconic Blake Street Tavern, a sports bar that closed in 2023.

The restaurant and bar will be called The Tavern on Blake Street, and its expected open date is April 5 — just in time for the Colorado Rockies home opening weekend. While the food and drink menus will be different, owner Jeff Moerke promises the atmosphere will make Denverites feel right at home.

That is, in part, because the building is turnkey, Moerke said. Since he took over the space about a month ago, he hasn’t done much to amend the physical space besides upgrading equipment and furniture and removing the games from the basement level. Moerke said he also plans to hire back some of the core staff that worked at Blake Street Tavern over its 20-year run.

“The people that I’m able to obtain to work there is literally Blake Street Tavern. You’re going to be blown away by the list of names that I have coming back to work that used to work there,” he said.

Moerke was born and raised in the Denver area, and his wife Ashley previously worked at Blake Street Tavern, so when they heard it was closing they wanted to save a piece of Denver’s history. They spent the last year working with the building’s owner to obtain a 20-year lease.

A self-described accidental restauranteur, Moerke is the founder of Hudson & Harper Hospitality Group, which operates a clothing store and three restaurants in Aspen and Snowmass. That includes The Tavern Kitchen and Bar in Snowmass. Moerke said he’s also working to open a flagship version of that restaurant in Las Vegas, which will inhabit a 40,000-square-foot space and employ several robots to flip burgers and make pizzas.

The Tavern on Blake Street will be part of that family of brands and feature a menu similar to the location in Snowmass, where dishes range from casual bites like chicken wings and burgers to high-dollar items like a seafood tower and $130 prime Tomahawk steak. The restaurant is also a popular spot to catch live music.

In Denver, Moerke said the concept merges fine dining with a sports bar, assuring that local fans will still have a game-day watching spot.

“If you want to come in get drunk and get full for $20-$25, we can do that. You wanna come in and spend $500, I can do that too,” he said.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the old and new Blake Street bars will be an emphasis on entertainment. Moerke plans to convert the basement into a music venue, and when local bands are not playing, he hopes to host karaoke, trivia and talent shows there.

His aspirations for the venue extend beyond local talent, however. Moerke said nationally touring artists who perform at the “massive” venue at The Tavern in Las Vegas, which is expected to open later this year, may be contracted to travel to his Denver and Snowmass locations.

Eventually, Moerke wants to add a rooftop bar to The Tavern on Blake Street and offer al fresco dining. But for now, he’s focused on training staff and acquiring all the flatware and glasses needed to get ready for the spring opening.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.