It’s New Year’s Day at last, and it’s time for some peace and quiet.
The past six weeks have been taxing. So many parties, so many friends visiting town, lots of drinks and even more cookies. The holiday season is fun, but a semi-boring weekend can seem pretty nice once it’s all over.
With the New Year’s holiday bleeding into a weekend this year, a nice little stretch of days are open for some lightweight fun. It’s a good time to go skiing, catch up on some reading or, if you’re up for it, hole up at one of the city’s more soothing spaces.
A few to consider when seeking solace — and the comfort of a drink or two — in the coming days:
Crú: A Wine Bar (1442 Larimer St.) is a classy place to unwind from the holiday madness. A haven for juicehounds, Crú caters to laid-back drinkers with wine flights, cheese plates, a menu of nibbles and a semi-casual, French-cafe vibe.
Sports are on TV at the bar, though, so Crú isn’t a wine-snobs-only affair. It’s part of a small chain of wine bars, after all, so they need at least a little mass appeal. It should placate the football fanatics in any crowd of post-holiday loungers.
Larimer Square is particularly lovely in winter, but south-suburban dwellers don’t have to trek downtown to hang at Crú: A second location (8433 Park Meadows Center Drive, Lone Tree) is open near Park Meadows mall, offering the same Crú experience.
On the other end of the spectrum, Gabor’s (1223 E. 13th Ave.) is a one-location Denver institution. Unlike Crú, it’s a little tattered around the edges, but it’s just as calming to jangled nerves.
Snuggle into one of the red vinyl booths, order up some greasy bar snacks and let your cares melt away. The lack of windows turns Gabor’s into its own dark, little world. Forget the slushy streets and looming Monday. All is well.
The waitstaff is almost always friendly and quick with orders. The jukebox is filled with awesome rock songs from the past and present — expect to get a healthy dose of The Rolling Stones mixed with the latest Flaming Lips album.
With all the classic movie posters on the walls, many yellowed from years of cigarette smoke, it’s easy to forget what time it is — or even what year. Gabor’s changes very little over time.
One constant, though, is the life-size cutout of James Dean on the way to the bathroom. He’s smoking a cigarette and pointing to the right. But don’t be fooled, ladies: He’s pointing to the men’s room. Those puppy-dog eyes will lead you astray if you’re not careful.
If long conversations are out of the question — perfectly understandable after a couple weeks with family — a trip to Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret (1601 Arapahoe St.) may be in order.
Tonight and Saturday, the subterranean showclub presents “Midnite Martini’s Winter Burlescapades,” a snowy fantasy for grownups only.
The show features burlesque starlet Midnite Martini and the “Clocktower Cutie Clockettes” in a sassy display of acrobatics, dancing, puppetry and more. It may get a little R-rated, but it’s really all about the tease.
The “Winter Burlescapades” start at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday. Tickets are $30 each, available at . Snatch them up quickly — the cold realities of January will set in soon.
If all the revelry over the last few weeks wasn’t enough, Beta (1909 Blake St.) has you covered.
Tonight the club is hosting a “Hangover Party” for the weekly Noise! night. The movie “The Hangover” will be showing, DJs will be spinning and Bloody Marys and mimosas are free from 10-11 p.m.
Then, on Saturday, big-time DJ dude Bad Boy Bill makes another epic visit to Beta.
There’s no cover for tonight’s party for guests age 21 and older. The cover is $10 for guests ages 18-20. Tickets to Saturday’s show are $20 at .
