Hamburger Mary’s opened at 700 E. 17th Ave. two years agoand the “gay-friendly” joint has been shoehorning people in the space ever since. Moms, dads, kids, singles, bingo players, karaoke singers — they all end up at Hamburger Mary’s.
Now it has more room, with the addition of a 3,800-square-foot patio engulfed by a Chris Krieg mural.
Krieg has had other big painting jobs: The 40-by-80-foot reproduction of Tony Ortega’s “La Gente del Sol” at Denver Pavilions; Vance Kirkland’s “Explosions of Energy Near the Sun Fifty Billion Years B.C.”; and Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” at 1515 Market St. But he liked the gig at Hamburger Mary’s. Seems its owner, Stew Jackson, wanted a quaint Tuscan setting, but Krieg had different ideas. Jackson said what the heck.
On Monday, Krieg was finishing off the mural with a painting of a giant silver spoon. “They keep giving me beer, and they talk too much, so I can’t get anything done,” he said.
He hit the Wednesday deadline with a mural that’s Italian influenced: an Italian bicycle, lips, red wine, perfume, an Alfa Romeo hubcap, a Ferrari Dino. And, of course, Marilyn Monroe and that spoon.
We rock!
Denver band DeVotchKa made a splash with the soundtrack to “Little Miss Sunshine.” Now the group is big enough to headline festivals. The gypsy-mariachi rockers will lead the lineup at the Sept. 13-14 Monolith Festival at Red Rocks. They also headline the July 25-26 Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle. They’ll be on National Public Radio’s “All Songs Considered” on Wednesday and on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” on May 19.
And the Flobots, Denver’s viola- rocking hip-hop band, have signed with Universal Records and make their TV debut May 20 on “Last Call With Carson Daly.”
Steaks and stopovers.
The chefs from Prime 121, Morton’s LoDo, Great Northern and Fleming’s compete at the Great Grill Off on May 17 at Home and Hearth Outfitters. Bill Clarke emcees; Woody Paige is one of the judges.
National Geographic Traveler salutes Denver in the current issue, visiting Buckhorn Exchange, Jack Weil, Denver Art Museum, Breck Brewery, Wynkoop Brewery, Black American West Museum and El Chapultepec.
City spirit.
Salon Posh hosts a party 4 to 8 p.m. Friday; donations accepted for Hinote’s Heroes. Yes, Dan Hinote will be there with his fiancee, Amy McCarthy, actress Jenny McCarthy’s sister. . . . The Quarters for Kids breakfast at Strings on Monday brought in $40,000, collected by kids for kids. . . . Stevie Wonder is booked for Fiddler’s Green on July 1. . . . “The Best Places to Live” issue of Men’s Journal hit stands Wednesday: Leadville is the Best Adventure City, Dolores is one of the Best Green Living Cities and Denver is one of the Best Comeback Cities. . . . Sez who: “And we’ve come such a long long way? Let’s put it off for one more day.” DeVotchKa
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Husted also appears Tuesdays and Fridays on “Good Day Colorado” on Fox 31. You can reach him at 303-954-1486 or bhusted@denverpost.com. Take a peek at Husted’s next column at .
