Nightclubber Bill Ward is taking his party vision to Cherry Creek. This week, he’ll sign a lease for the space at 2623 Second Ave. — in the garden-level space that held Bene Gourmet Pizza, beneath the old Village Inn at Second and Columbine.
Ward still has the nightclub Below in Larimer Square, but he has shuttered Slim 7 there.
“We have no name yet,” Ward tells me. But he thinks Cherry Creek North is more than ready to rock.
“It’s the best corner in the neighborhood,” he says. “We’re right next to the Cherry Cricket. And we’re sitting between North and Earls.”
Earls? The impossibly popular chain that’s downtown and at Park Meadows? In Cherry Creek?
Yup. Some phone calls Monday confirmed that Earls plans on going into the former Ocean space recently vacated by Jim Sullivan. Earls should be open this spring.
Ward is hot on his new spot. “We’re small enough that we can fill it up, every night I hope. And the patio is 1,500 square feet. And it has sun on it until the sun goes down.”
He plans to be open by February. Add to that a new Houston’s in the ‘hood this spring, and you have a scene.
Singing and tipping.
I hadn’t been to Sing Sing in LoDo for some time — not missing the dueling pianos so much. But I ended up there Saturday night for the dueling bachelor/bachelorette parties of Lucas Juber and Siera Sears. What I remember most clearly is that the guy who collects the $7 cover at a cash register by the front door has a tip jar.
Jokes.
The gang at Comedy Works South had a big opening weekend with George Lopez — and they’re hoping for a big turnout for Josh Blue on Oct. 29.
The big news is that the joint plans on holding Sunday Gospel Brunches starting Nov. 16, with Hazel Miller and visiting friends and choirs. This sounds like a rocking good time with Hazel at the helm.
City spirit.
Happy 40th birthday to Britta Erickson, festival director of the Starz Denver Film Fest. . . . “eat.shop denver” is a handy guide just out from Cabazon Books. It was written, photographed and researched by Jan Faust, whom I talked to when she was in town. The guide includes only locally owned and operated restaurants and shops. At times, it seems somewhat scattershot, but all the recommendations are solid, from Biker Jim’s Dogs to Bistro Vendome to Cry Baby Ranch to Swank. . . . Coming to Aspen Wheeler Opera House this winter: John Oates, Bernadette Peters and Lily Tomlin. Tomlin is back for the first time after launching her show “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe” at the Wheeler 20 years ago. . . . Now here’s a gutsy move. Alliance Francaise presents “A Little French, A Little Fielder” on Oct. 22 at John Fielder Gallery. It’s a wine-tasting event to sample and compare reds and whites from France and Colorado. Call 303-831-0304 . . . Sez who: “I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.” Lily Tomlin
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 at bhusted@denverpost.com. Take a peek at Husted’s next column at blogs.denverpost .
