BLACK HAWK
— Gov. Bill Ritter broke the speed record for speeches Thursday as he congratulated staff, local dignitaries and invited guests who shivered in freezing temperatures outside the new Ameristar Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk.
The good guv came up the hill to dedicate and tour the 536-room, $235 million monolith, touted as the tallest building between here and Salt Lake City.
“A tour of the spa is sounding really good to me right now,” he said, pulling his jacket tighter around his neck.
With a flourish, a giant red sash fell down the side of the hotel building, revealing the official Ameristar sign.
“This is the first destination resort in Black Hawk,” said Reggie Fullwood, Ameristar’s senior vice president and general manager. “We had to blast down to the rock (and) endure rock slides, blizzards and a blast that closed the casino for a day to get here.”
Gordy Kanofsky, chief executive and vice chairman of Ameristar Casinos Inc. (a publicly traded company), called the hotel and casino “Colorado’s first head-to-head competition with Vegas. All that’s missing is the airfare and TSA check lines.”
Black Hawk Mayor David Spellman beamed at the imposing structure as if it were Fort Knox.
“That’s a magnificent building,” he said. “It’s 33 stories of pure economic stimulus, Black Hawk-style. It’s the hallmark and flagship of what Black Hawk has to offer.”
Chef shift.
After more years than he cares to count, Stephen Vice, executive chef of McCormick’s Fish House & Bar in LoDo, is leaving the venerable fish place to take the top toque job at Shanahan’s, the steak house under construction in the Tech Center. “I am very excited about working with Shanahan’s and Marc Steron,” Vice said about the managing partner of the project bearing former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan’s name. “I feel that this is a very exciting, modern project that will allow my talents to shine.”
Shanahan’s is trying to get open for the holiday season but may be delayed until early next year.
Food fight.
Two Lakewood eateries have placed bets on the outcome of the Rockies vs. Phillies in the National League Division Series.
John Keiley, owner of Johnny’s New York Pizza, is betting on the Rockies to take the series from the Phillies as the Rocks did in 2007.
On the Phillies side is Taste of Philly owner Martin Garvey. If the Rockies win, Garvey and his Taste of Philly franchise will provide 500 cheese steaks to the Denver Rescue Mission. If the Phillies win, Keiley and Johnny’s New York Pizza will supply the mission with 500 pizzas. Settlement day is set for Oct. 15.
The seen.
I have it on good authority that the Philadelphia Phillies (boo, hiss) planned to arrive in Denver late Thursday night or early this morning and head for the Ritz-Carlton, where they’ll be staying for their two games here against the Rockies. Lots of sight-’em opportunities at Elway’s, where they’ll be regulars when not at Coors Field.
Eavesdropping on two women at Ameristar: “Did you gamble last night?”
“Yes, we made our donation to the casino.”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-AM (630). Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail parker@denverpost.com.
