In Denver, restaurants open and close. In Aspen, they’re opening faster than a downhill racer.
Ocean, which abruptly shuttered in Denver in September, now has an auction sign on the front door, telling all of a Nov. 30 sale of equipment and fixtures to satisfy its tax debt to the city. Go to for the catalog.
Via also has shuttered, Venanzio Momo’s tasty Italian trattoria at 1801 Wynkoop St.
In Aspen, Buenos Aires Fusion is open, a sister restaurant to the Denver joints Buenos Aires Grill and Buenos Aires Pizzeria. The Aspen Brewery is a funky spot that actually looks like a brewery on the edge of town at 557 N. Mill St.
The former Cooking School of Aspen now holds Fun Worldwide Lab — from the N9NE restaurant group. N9NE is the hottest steakhouse in Las Vegas, and that gang has big plans for the hills — like Junk at the Red Onion opening in February as an upscale steakhouse with a DJ and an eye-popping chandelier made from LED-lit beer bottles.
Brexi opens in December, a French bistro from the people at LuLu Wilson and Wild Fig. The legendary NYC Italian eatery Il Mulino is opening a branch in Aspen.
And even more is in store for Snowmass. That’s a lot of eating, my friends.
Books
Ethiopia Reads is a big international charity with a small headquarters in Denver. Its founder, Yohannes Gebregeorgis, will speak from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Boulder Public Library, and you can hear how this man is changing a nation by building children’s libraries in a country with a 58 percent illiteracy rate. He figures the current generation is lost. The hope is in the next generation, and reading is key to their success.
No wonder he was chosen this year by CNN as a Top 10 Hero of the Year and will be featured during the “All Star Hero Tribute” hosted by Anderson Cooper on Thanksgiving evening.
The number 1
A big glossy new magazine hit Denver last week, 1 Mag Denver, a 248-page, full-color salute to the Colorado good life.
It bills itself as three magazines in one — covering lifestyles, fashion and intellect. It does not feature party pictures, thankfully, but profiles a few Denver bold names, such as Fox 31’s Peggy Bunker, musician Jeff Hughes and Channel 4’s Molly Hughes.
The mag plans to come out bimonthly, distributed free to high- income neighborhoods and upscale spas, sports clubs and hotels.
It looks good, especially some of the fashion and food photography. But not much is really new here, except maybe the spelling of Saks Fifth Avenue, which 1 Mag spells Sacks Fifth Avenue no fewer than 25 times. And then there’s the feature on “Loosing Weight.”
City spirit
The actors who play Jacob, Victoria and Laurent from the upcoming vampire flick “Twilight” are at Park Meadows Mall 5 tonight for autographs, a Q&A and a blood-drinking session. . . . Sez who: “When other little girls wanted to be ballet dancers, I kind of wanted to be a vampire.” — Angelina Jolie
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 303-820-1486 or at bhusted@denverpost.com. Take a peek at Husted’s next column at .
