Colorado Denver Restaurants: Colorado Denver Restaurants
by maribeth
Comments Off on Celebrate Bastille Day at Randolph’s in Denver
Celebrate Bastille Day at Randolph’s in Denver
Happy Bastille Day!
Yay! It’s Bastille Day! Time to celebrate the French and all the wonderful goods they’ve flourished on the world. Excellent French food and wine immediately come to mind.
I’m in Breckenridge now, on my way to Leadville, Colorado, the highest city in the United States perched at an elevation of more than 10,000 feet. Can’t help wondering if there’s a French restaurant in that old mining town. If not, I suppose I can content myself with a fine glass of French wine—that you can typically find easily enough.
Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants: Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants
by maribeth
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Denver à la Française: A French Whirlwind in the Mile-High City
Feeling Très Royale at Bistro Vendôme
Hmmmm, Kir Royale. Yum. I love the sensation of sweet, bubbly goodness that this cocktail produces in my mouth. Its balance of effervescence and full, ripe fruit tantalizes and satisfies like well, hmmmm, yes. I guess that’s why this is a drink for lovers.
Actually I was with my girlfriend, Mary Dawn, recently when I sipped this delicious nectar at Bistro Vendôme in Denver. (Hey, you don’t have to be with a guy to feel sexy, especially since women often do a better job than men at making other women feel attractive, wouldn’t you agree?) We were both feeling PRETT-Y perky—you know two girls out on the town in the big city feeling footloose and fancy free.
I think it was the whole French thing that brought these sentiments on and, of course, the Kir Royale, a fabulous apéritif that embodies all the lusciousness and fizz of Paree. Ours was raspberry, likely made with Chambord, which, as I explained to MD, was made with champagne (or at least sparkling wine), as indicated by the word royale. (A regular kir is made with white wine—or sometimes a chilled red in France—and a touch of crème de cassis.)
We were to be in Denver less-than twenty-four hours and in honor of the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition at the Denver Art Museum, I insisted we make it a totally French experience. I had zeroed in on Denver’s Italian flair before (see below), however, I hadn’t explored its French side. I had visited Yves Saint Lauent: The Retrospective in the afternoon and was already feeling fantastique. We had also already checked into the Ritz-Carlton Denver, the mile-high city’s first and only AAA five-diamond hotel where I was happy to discover much of the grandeur and elegance of Paris. So the French theme was well underway.
Voilå, zee Ritz
Bistro Vendôme: Never Has Denver Been So French
Art & Culture Colorado Denver Fashion & Style Podcasts Travel: Art & Culture Colorado Denver Fashion & Style Podcasts
by maribeth
Comments Off on Denver Art Museum Salutes Yves Saint Laurent and More
Denver Art Museum Salutes Yves Saint Laurent and More
One of Many Engaging Displays at the YSL Show in Denver
“Rien n’est plus beau qu’un corps nu.
Le plus beau vêtement qui puisse habiller une femme ce sont les bras de l’homme qu’elle aime.
Mais pour celles qui n’ont pas eu la chance de trouver ce bonheur je suis là.”
—Yves Saint Laurent
I’d loosely translate the above as follows:
Nothing is more beautiful than a naked body.
The most beautiful clothing that can dress a woman are the arms of the man she loves.
But for those who don’t have the fortune to find this happiness, I am there.
One of Many YSL Ball Gowns on View at the Denver Art Museum
Wow! That’s how I feel about the above and that was my reaction after visiting Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) recently. Wow, wow, wow. What a gorgeous show. Men, please keep reading and listen to the below podcast. Even those of you that might not have an interest in fashion will surely be dazzled by this extraordinary exhibition.Yves Saint Laurent, one of the most legendary fashion designers, opened his first couture house in Paris in the early 1960s at a time when the world would experience great change, especially for women.
From a historical perspective, the YSL retrospective is fascinating. It’s a dynamic show that examines the many external events that influenced this man’s forty years of creativity through a variety of media including photography and videos.
But let’s get back to the women. This man loved women. So much so, in fact, that he primarily worked on live models so that he could take in their gestures, their movements, their élégance. “He really had a goal of making women feel loved and empowered from what they were wearing,” says Tara Moberly, from the press department of the DAM, in our below interview. Indeed and this show-stopping exhibition offers a stunning look at Yves Saint Laurent’s work throughout his illustrious career. From the wall of colors that showcase the couturier’s vast collection of swatches to the black on black display of his famous tuxedos to the grand finale of ball gowns, this exhibition provides a feast for the eyes at every turn.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Travel: Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park: A Refuge in the Storm
Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park: A Refuge in the Storm
Radiant Warmth at the Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park
Talk about walloped. Wow, Denver was hit hard with this last snowstorm that pummeled Colorado. Here in the mountains, most of us were lucky to eek out a few inches from this major dump. But Denver and the outlying region was buried in up to two feet of snow in some areas.
I can’t imagine the mayhem at Denver International Airport (DIA) where over six hundred flights were cancelled. And just because it’s Colorado, don’t think they’re any better equipped to deal with such a storm than other major airports. I’m sure people were holed up in airport hotels for days. That’s if they could find a room in the first place!
It’s in anticipation of these circumstances and others that I’m forever recommending people spend a night or two in Denver, or at DIA, when traveling to Colorado, especially in the winter. Why stress out? Also, I think it helps a lot to stay in the mile-high city—or at DIA—one night before reaching elevations of over 7,500 feet in the mountains. If you’re on your way home, it’s nice just to relax and catch your breath before flying out, particularly if you have an early morning departure.
Colorado Denver Fashion & Style Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping The Rockies: Colorado Denver Fashion & Style Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Cherry Creek: One of America’s Top Spots for Chic Shopping, Lodging and Dining
Cherry Creek: One of America’s Top Spots for Chic Shopping, Lodging and Dining
City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks, Dressed in Holiday Style. It’s Christmastime in the Mile-High City.
Where are you shopping this weekend? With only two weeks left until Christmas, I’d say there’s a good chance you might find yourself in a store. Many Americans will be hitting the mall, a dreaded chore for some unless you’re lucky enough to experience the Cherry Creek Shopping Center in Denver, one of the world’s premier showcases for quality goods from sunglasses to kitchen accessories to classic and up-to-the-minute fashions. Think Tysons Corner and Bal Harbour Shops—if you’ve been to either of these renowned shopping areas you have a good idea of what to expect at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. From Burberry to Juicy Couture to Montblanc to Keihl’s and many more, the finest American and European brands reign here in great force. Macy’s, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus anchor this alluring complex where even during this busy retail season, shopping is a delight. You’ll also find an Apple store among the mall’s 160 retailers, reason alone to hit this celebrated shopping place in Denver. Their jewel-like Ice Palace where Santa Claus holds court distinguishes itself by having a Santa that signs to deaf and hearing impaired children. Indeed, this is not your ordinary mall.
I suggest you plan to spend at least a couple of days in this most gentrified part of Denver. You’ll also want to take in Cherry Creek North, a lively shopping district next to the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, comprised of over three hundred upscale boutiques, galleries, restaurants, salons and spas within a sixteen-block area. I love the leisurely feel of this area where you can shop at big and small emporiums such as Crate and Barrel, Eileen Fischer, Loro Piana, Lands’ End and many more. Why, there’s even an Hermès.
Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging: Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging
by maribeth
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Hotel Happiness in Denver
TownePlaza Suites Denver Downtown
Looking for a fun, convenient and affordable place to stay in downtown Denver? Check out Marriot’s TownePlace Suites Denver Downtown, a chain hotel with charm. Of course I was drawn to this property since it occupies the legendary A.B. Hirshfeld Press Building, a handsome structure over a century-old located on Speer Boulevard. Historic photos, modish- colored furnishings and accent pieces dress up this property with style and panache. Everywhere you turn there’s something interesting, fun or joyful to look at or experience. (No dreary breakfast bars here!)
Art & Culture Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Restaurants: Art & Culture Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Restaurants
by maribeth
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DCPA, The Lion King, Kevin Taylor and Other Roars About Denver’s Downtown and LoDo
The Lion King
With Halloween behind us, we can focus more on the real holiday season, the nearly two-month period that begins right about now. (You all must know that it has been moved up!) For me, one of the nicest things to do during this festive period is to go out on the town for dinner and a show, a not-too-easy feat from Telluride but certainly closer than New York.
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) makes such a night out worth the effort since they consistently offer a tremendous lineup of shows and performances, all concentrated within a twelve-acre, four-block complex in the heart of downtown Denver. Did you know that DCPA is the second largest arts complex in the country? Their ten performance spaces beautifully accommodate Broadway touring productions, a major symphony and opera, dance and ballet, chorales and a variety of theater groups. They can seat 10,000 people within their theaters, splendid showplaces of varying sizes connected by an eighty-foot-tall glass roof.
And tonight “The Lion King” opens at The Buell Theatre for a five-week run! This dazzling production enjoyed sell-out shows during their 2002 and 2006 engagements in Denver. Tickets are still available for this stint but as expected, they’re going fast. I hope I can take it in since I love great stories, spectacular shows and cats of all kinds.
Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel: Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel
by maribeth
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Teatime with Dad at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel
Exquisite Treats at Denver’s Brown Palace
Travel is often most rewarding when you step out of your comfort zone, when you do something you’ve never done before. This can mean zooming on a zip-line in the jungles of Costa Rica or just sipping tea at a fancy hotel. I’ve done the latter countless times but it became a more novel experience nearly a year ago when I found myself sharing afternoon tea at The Brown Palace, Denver’s legendary hotel, with my father.
We were together in Denver on our way back east after he’d spent time in his beloved West. At eighty-four years old, those trips have been curtailed from the days when he’d spend weeks on end skiing in Aspen. But still, we’ve all tried to make sure he gets his Colorado fix even if he has to be “accompanied” throughout most of his travels these days.
