Everyone has an opinion, including Denver citymag 5280. Its annual Top of the Town issue hits stands this week, and here’s a preview of a few picks.
Mayor John Hickenlooper is a “guest expert” for the Top Denver Omelette – and picks Racines and Pete’s Kitchen.
Other food items: Top Burger, Citygrille; Top Margarita, LoLa; Top Booth in a Restaurant, Mao; Top French Fries, Le Central; Top Steak House, Capital Grille.
Movers and shakers include Top Well-Known You’d Like to Lunch With, Phil Anschutz; Top Up-and-Comer, Hickenlooper’s chief of staff, Michael Bennet; Top Athlete Currently Playing, Nugget Earl Boykins; Top Local in Need of a Muzzle, Ward Churchill (Duh); Top Humanitarian, Strings’ Noel Cunningham. Post jazz writer Bret Saunders, who is the morning DJ on KBCO 97.3-FM in his other life, was the readers’ choice for top radio personality.
Dog days
State Treasurer Mike Coffman was set to get married Saturday to longtime sweetheart Cynthia Honssinger. And he is set to report for duty June 6 for two months of training before heading to Iraq for seven months with the Marines.
Kinda traumatic for a newlywed – but what about Coffman’s dog, Buckley?
Seems the 3-year-old golden retriever has been coming to the treasurer’s office since he was a pup. Coffman figured he’d miss the staff and the action, let alone Dad, so administrative assistant Natli VanDerWerken will keep Buckley at her house and bring him into work weekdays. Buckley will go home with Honssinger on the weekends.
That’s keeping the home fires burning.
Salute to funk!
If you’re holding tix to Barry Fey’s canceled June 18 Salute to Dad oldies concert, here comes some good news. The tix will be honored at the June 19 Jammin’ 92.5 Father’s Day Funk Fest at Coors Amphitheatre. The concert features the Commodores, Kool & the Gang and Morris Day and the Time. OK, it ain’t the Turtles, but it’s funky!
City spirit
I wrote about society types getting their mugs on the huge painting in the lobby of the upcoming Ellie Caulkins Opera House. You too can get your mug on it. Artist Stephen Batura will add one more person, piano, dog, cat, you name it, to benefit the old Elitch Theatre, where he’s painting it. Call 303-477-3006 … Frankie Avalon, in town for “Grease” last week, visited Cherry Creek Shopping Center, Buckhorn Exchange, Casa Bonita, Idaho Springs, Coors Brewery and Boulder (to check out the Ramsey house and the “Mork & Mindy” house) … The Starlight Ramblers, Colorado’s hot cowboy band of the ’70s and ’80s, hold a reunion concert at the Grizzly Rose on June 17 … Rioja’s Jennifer Jasinski cooks with the stars (Daniel Boulud, Bobby Flay, Nobu Matsuhisa, Susan Spicer, Charlie Trotter, et al.) in NYC on June 6 at the Chefs Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels gala. Each chef brings a protégé; Wolfgang Puck asked Jen … Eminem and his D12 posse sent out an e-mail to local media looking for suggestions for a place to party (“capacity of minimum 600 people”) after the Anger Management Tour July 14 at the Pepsi Center … Sez who: “You never know what’s enough until you know what’s more than enough.” William Blake
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Husted also appears on Fox 31 News. You can reach him at 303-820-1486 or at bhusted@denverpost.com.
