Denver Cupcakes

An article ran in the Rocky Mountain News last week about two new cupcake shops in Denver. Happy Cakes (in the highlands) and Yum Yums Delights (on the 16th street mall). I have already tasted the Yum Yums Delights cupcakes and will review both in the coming weeks.

As somebody who enjoys a good cupcake, I say this is a positive trend for Denver and one that catches us up with the cupcake fever that has swept other major cities in the U.S.

From the Rocky Mountain News:

Sugar Tsunami Hits Denver

Denver Nuggets Update - Quest for 60 wins

The Nuggets got Nene back last night and crushed Milwaukee, 125-105. Marcus Camby even had a rare triple double with rebounds, points, and blocks. He hit a three pointer to get to 10 points.

So, through 28 games, the Nuggest record is 17-11. This gives them a winning percentage of .607 and puts them on pace for 49 or 50 wins. At the beginning, the players' goal was 60 wins. They have had some injuries, but they will need to play at a torrid pace the rest of the way to reach it.

From the Denver Post:

Nuggets Enjoy Cruise Over Bucks

Nuggets Season Summary: December 26, 2007
Nuggets 125, Bucks 105
Nuggets Record 17-11
Games Remaining: 54
Wins needed for 60: 43

Winter Storm Warning until 11 PM

The predictions came true and there is a lot more snow this morning and it is supposed to continue all day. The roads are very slick. Still predicting another 4-8 inches for the metro area by the end of the day.

More from Channel 7 news, home of Mike Nelson:

Winter Storm Warnings Extend to More Counties

Brrrrr

San Francisco Killer Tiger from Denver

Just read that the infamous tiger who escaped from the San Francisco zoo yesterday and killed one person (mauling two others), was born at the Denver Zoo in 2003. It's parents are still at the Denver Zoo.

Check out the picture in the article from the Denver Post; he looked like an angry little tiger even then.

Killer tiger was born in the Denver Zoo

Denver 2007 Christmas - Record Snowfall

Denver broke it's alltime record for snowfall on Christmas day yesterday with 7.8 inches. I think everybody was a little bit surprised by the amount. However, applause to the city for getting the streets in good shape pretty quickly. The drive home last night from where I spent Christmas day was much less trecherous than the drive in the morning. Also, I went to the airport early today and didn't have a problem at all.

Another 4-8 inches is predicted by tomorrow evening. Denver is already above it's average snowfall for the month of December. Finger's crossed that we continue to get these little snow storms periodically so the runoff in the spring is heavy and we don't have to worry about any more droughts.

Overheard at K-Mart

Shopping at a denver area K-Mart yesterday, a woman in the toy aisle with her 8 or so year old son was aggressively yelling at him to pick out what he wanted for Christmas. He was timid in any reply so she just brow beat him further.

Why is a mother shopping with her son and letting him pick out the gift directly. That ruins all the fun and surprise, especially if she is being mean in the process. Find out what your kid wants and then go get it when he is not around. I feel terrible for this kid. His mother is creating horrible memories for him and also creating a parent in the future who will do the same thing to his kid.

Christmas is supposed to be fun, right?

Denver Anecdotal Retail Report - Christmas 2007

I was out doing some last minute christmas shopping yesterday at Cherry Creek Mall, TJ Maxx, Ross, and K-mart. Overall, TJ maxx, Ross, and K-mart did not seem any more busy than they normally would on a sunday afternoon. Cherry Creek was busier, but certainly not overwhelming. It may be that people have planned ahead, or they shopped online, or they are waiting until today, the 24th, to do last minute shoppping; however, I would not be surprised if the 2007 Christmas season turns out to have been slow for physical retailers. The mortgage problems may be having a sour affect on things too.

Denver 2007 New Year's Eve Guide - Clubs

Your Denver New Year's Eve 2007 club guide! No representations on what is good or not - this is just the list.


Clubs

New Year's Nation Denver
Address: 1770 Sherman Street Event Complex, Denver, CO 80203
Tickets -$135 or $200

Milk - Goth NYE
Address: 1037 Broadway Denver , CO 80203

Funky Buddha Lounge - New Year' in Wonderland
Address: 776 Lincoln St Denver , CO 80203
Phone: (303) 832-5075

Club Vinyl - Bad Boy Bill
Address: 1082 Broadway, Denver, CO
Info: 303.832.8628
Tickets - $40

Club Allure - New Year's Eve 2008
Address: 1111 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO
Tickets

Slim 7 Menage A Trois NYE
Address: 1443 Larimer St., Denver,CO
Tickets - $30

Below - Menage A Trois NYE
Address: 1422 Larimer St., Denver, CO
Tickets - $30

3.14 - Menage A Trois NYE
Address: 1422 Larimer St., Denver, CO
Tickets - $30


The Loft - Cool Like That Volume 2 NYE
Open Bar
Address: 821 22nd St., Denver, CO
Info: 303.296.4604
Tickets - $80

The Church - Pachanga de Fin de Ano
Address: 1160 Lincoln Street , Denver, CO 80203
Tickets - $100

Karma at the Shelter - International NYE Masquerade
Address: 1037 Broadway Denver, Co 80203
Info: 303-832-8628
Tickets - $35

Denver Restaurant Reviews - Mini Restaurant Directory

For simplicity sake, here is a list of all the restaurants I've reviewed so far with scores:

Santa Fe Tequila Company 8/10

Venice Ristorante Downtown 5.5/10

Sparrow 6.5/10

Pasquini's Pizzeria Uptown 8.5/10

Oceanaire Seafood Room 7.5/10

Aurora Summit 8/10

The Original Pancake House DTC 9/10

Vesta Dipping Grill 5.5/10

Cherry Creek Grill 7.5/10

Angelo's Pizza 7/10

Bonefish Grill 7/10

Prime 121 7/10

Support Local Business: Andy Marquez Photographer

I was holiday shopping in cherry creek today and wandered into Andy Marquez' photography gallery. Andy used to be in downtown littleton, but he and his wife moved their gallery to cherry creek last summer.

He has four books and has traveled to 26 countries to take pictures. Definitely worthwhile to check out; a great local photographer with some impressive work. Andy and his wife, Teresa, man the gallery and are very friendly and go the extra mile to help you find the right picture for you.

Support Local Businesses in Denver!!!

Andy Marquez
Fine Art Photography Gallery
2445 E. 3rd Ave. Unit 3
Denver, CO 80206

Phone: 303-797-6040
website: www.andymarquez.com

Restaurant Review: Prime 121

Prime 121 is a classic steakhouse in the heart of Cherry Creek, immediately across the street from the JW Marriott. It has everything you would expect from a high end steakhouse: great service, steakhouse type atmosphere (you can easily imagine a cigar filled room in the back), white table clothes, and there is a piano player and an upright bass player up front.

The menu is exactly what you would expect from a high end steakhouse as well. The wine list is extensive but there is a shortage of choices that are less than $40 and even only a few in that range.

Before dinner, they served a flatbread with two sides for dipping.

I ordered the 16 oz. prime rib. It arrived warm, not hot. The prime rib flavor was just so-so and it was not particularly tender. The side of mashed potatoes was very straightforward, but good. Same story with the broccoli, it was steamed and that is about it.

Overall, a nice experience. The best part was the service and the atmosphere. But, there is better food to be had in Denver for the price.


Score: 7/10

Prime 121
121 Clayton St
Denver, CO 80206

Phone: (303) 398-2627
Website: http://www.prime121.com/

Restaurant Review: BoneFish Grill

The Bonefish Grill is a national chain with four locations in Colorado. I ate at the newest location, at Bellevue and Yosemite, last night. The restaurant was quite full and it has a good, dimly lit atmosphere.

They start off with some wheat bread served with a basil olive oil for dipping. The bread is good but quickly declines in quality as it cools because the crust dries out. The menu is extensive with seafood, chicken, and steak. I had Lily's Chicken which was a chicken breast with goat cheese, artichoke hearts, and a lemon sauce. It came with some mixed vegetables and I chose the au gratin potatoes. The chicken itself was phenomenal. The meat was tangy on the outside from the lemon sauce and this contrasted well with the generous amount of very soft goat cheese on top. The au gratin potatoes were very soft and a nice amount of melted cheddar cheese on the outside; however, they were not as hot as they should have been and it was not a big portion of potatoes. The vegetables that came with (and came with all of the dishes) were uninspiring and overcooked.

All the women at my table ordered the pistachio parmesan crusted trout and it got good reviews from all and appeared to be a substantially sized piece of trout.

There was a good atmosphere and it was easy to talk. However, the tables themselves did not lend themselves to a small group and privacy. Plus, the location is less than ideal as the atmosphere of the Bonefish Grill did not fit in well at all in a strip mall. You could take a date here, but you' d be better off someplace that is just as good in a much hipper neighborhood. If you are over 40, bring a date here by all means.

Score 7/10

The Bonefish Grill

4948 S. Yosemite St.
Greenwood Village CO 80111

Phone: 303-741-3474
Website: www.bonefishgrill.com

Welton Place Model open

Just got an email from Welton Place, a new project on 24th street between Glenarm and Welton, that is mixed use and includes townhomes and flats for residential. According to their website, there are 101 one or two bedroom condos (called 2300 welton) and 11 three story town homes (called 24th street townhomes)

The email was alerting that the 24th st. townhomes now have a model available. These are starting at $505,000. Unclear what the condos will start at but there is a 1br floorplan with 760 (or so) square feet.

http://www.weltonplace.com/

Funniest part of their website is the picture of Sonny Lawson park! Don't be fooled by how nice it looks!

More on this project from The Denver Infill Blog:

http://www.denverinfill.com/blog/2007/08/welton-place-linking-curtis-park-five.html

At the same time... Apartment Vacancies Dropping

To followup on the previous post about denver being a declining real estate market, apartment vacancies are down to the lowest level since 2001. This is not a surprise and is simply a function of people not buying, so they have to rent.

More from the Denver Post:

Denver Apartment vacancy rate reaches lowest level since 2001

Denver real estate labeled declining market according to Fannie Mae

Denver was labeled a declining real estate market by Fannie Mae. This will require lenders to get at least a 5% down payment from buyers. This is probably a good thing as far as keeping people out of homes they can't afford, it will also put the brakes further on the Denver real estate market because any buyers who don't have a down payment saved up are out.

More from the Denver Post:

Fannie Mae deems denver a "Declining Market"

Broncos P Todd Saurbraun cited in assault

Todd Saurbraun seems to show poor judgment all the time. From taking a banned substance to lose weight and getting suspended, to now getting into an altercation with a cab driver, the Bronco's punter seems to be trouble. It's not hard to keep your nose clean, but I suspect he's got a screw loose.

Anyway, it will be very interesting to see if he is kept around. The Broncos have had some discipline problems this year and they are most likely out of the playoffs (and out of harms way in regards to a punishing loss to the Patriots), so Shanahan should make an example and boot him.

Broncos Punter Todd Saurbraun Cited for Assault Outside Denver Restaurant.

Denver Snow!

From Mike Nelson's (my person favorite weatherman) blog, 3-5 feet of snow are to accumulate in the Colorado ski areas. 1-3 inches for the Denver metro area with cold temps!

Ski season is upon us. I don't ski, but it's great for our economy!

Mike Nelson's Blog

5 Year Adjustable Mortgage Rate Freeze

This does not fall under Denver specifically but is a general complaint about the government's willingness to bail out people who got themselves in financial trouble.

The general plan is to freeze the teaser rates of those who took out adjustable rate mortgages for 5 years. I understand the reasoning is to avert an economic sub-prime mortgage crisis, but should our government's role be to save people from their poor financial decision making. I took out a 30 year fixed loan recently and would have gotten a better rate with an ARM that now, perhaps, would be frozen for 5 more years.

Instead, the next time there is a cycle with excessively easy credit, people will not remember how it was financially devastating the last time; they will instead remember how the government bailed everybody out and thus proceed with another round of bad decision making. Our economy should take its medicine now and learn for next time. Further, who is going to pay for this, if there are any government subsidies involved to make the lenders whole, it will come from the tax-payers.

Monkeying with the free markets only institutionalizes inefficiencies, instead of wringing them out.


From Reuters:

Bush to outline 5-year rate freeze plan

1401 Lawrence - VIP Open House, Sunday Dec 9th, 12-5PM

1401 Lawrence, which will be the tallest residential building in Denver when completed, is beginning sales of its residences. Famous glass artist Dale Chihuly is involved and will be providing pieces for the common areas.

With the real estate market as bad as it is right now, I am very interested to see what kind of pricing they are able to get. The location is right by Larimer square and will be next to several other high rise buildings including the Four Seasons hotel (and residences).

As somebody who has lived directly in Downtown Denver, it is still a mixed bag. A lot of times there is not as much activity downtown; this can be attributed to not enough people living there. Places like 1401 Lawrence will help change this but more retail within walking distance would help too. The King Soopers on Speer is close, but not close enough. The appeal of living in an urban environment is that your car can stay parked.

Right?

http://www.1401lawrence.com/

Restaurant Review: Angelo's Pizza

I walked into Angelo's Pizza and it is clearly one of those great divey pizza joints. The tables and booths are wooden with overly hot big light bulbs on the walls and what looks to be a rotating display of local art that although fairly cheap, seems overpriced for a place like this.

Angelo's has a combination of pizza, calzones, pasta, and all the other things you would expect to find at a place like this. Appetizer's available are staples like garlic bread and mozzerella sticks with a few types of salads. We didn't get any of these because the waitress said our large mushroom and half pepperoni pizza would be ready in 12 minutes. In the meantime, we had a couple of Blue Moon Beer's from the beer list, which were served in frosted glasses with the bottle left. There were a few cheap wines on the list with the most expensive bottle at $28. If you are a wine snob, go for the beer.

The pizza came and was 17" for a large. Tons of mushrooms and pepperoni - very generous with the toppings. The pizza had a crisp crust and plenty of cheese. It tasted great with the beer and went great with the atmosphere at Angelo's. No complaints at all. Angelo's basic pizza is as good as Pasquini's Pizzeria and a little bit cheaper.

Overall, if you need a cheap, no frills pizza place, you will do fine with Angelo's.


Score: 7/10

Angelo's Pizza
20 E Sixth Ave
Denver, CO 80203
Ph: (303) 744-3366

Overseen Downtown: cigarette rant

Walking into work today on the 16th street mall, an obnoxious woman walking into a 7-11 dropped her cigarette but on the ground directly next to a trash can!! Why can't she move her hand three inches to the left to put the cigarette butt in the trash can? She was basically giving a big screw you to everybody.

Smokers are already beginning to be pushed out of public places in some places in the country; perhaps if they would be a little bit more courteous there would be fewer problems. It's disgusting to see cigarette butts on the ground everywhere in the city.

If you want to smoke, don't litter everywhere. Think of other people besides yourself and find a trash can.