Alex Seidel, chef and co-owner of fabulous Fruition, 1313 E. Sixth Ave., has been named one of 2010’s 10 Best New Chefs in America by Food & Wine magazine.
Seidel said he’s been sitting on the nice news for a month, per the request of F&W magazine editor in chief Dana Cowin.
“I was allowed to tell my wife, and that was it,” he said Wednesday after returning from a whirlwind trip to New York for the announcement. “My staff thought I was going to New York for health concerns.”
The F&W Best New Chefs are chosen after consultation with restaurant critics, food writers and other experts around the country to identify outstanding chefs who have been in charge of a kitchen for less than five years. Then the magazine editors travel incognito to taste the food themselves.
“This is great for Denver,” Seidel said. “All of these chefs who I get to do (charity) dinners with, it’s for all of them.”
Fruition, co-owned by Seidel and Paul Attardi, opened in 2007. Both partners worked at Mizuna, then struck out on their own.
Seidel’s food will be showcased during a party for the Best New Chefs at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, a foodie’s mecca, June 18-20.
Free parking.
Early birds going to Friday’s Rockies home opener may snag a free parking spot compliments of FirstBank.
The company has prepaid for more than 400 parking spots at four lots near Coors Field as a gift to Rockies fans. Look for the giant sign that says “Parking. Colorado fans: free; San Diego fans: $400.”
“By getting a free parking spot, we hope Rockies fans will have a few extra dollars to spend on what’s truly important during Opening Day — hot dogs and beer,” said John Ikard, chief executive of FirstBank Holding Co.
Lot locations and times they open: between 20th and 21st streets on Market Street at 10 a.m., at the corner of 19th and Wazee streets at 10 a.m., between 18th and 19th on Market at 11 a.m. and at the corner of 20th and Larimer streets at noon.
Poster child.
Visit Denver, the city’s booster group, has produced a new Denver poster from a commissioned piece of original artwork by local artist Edward Clay Wright Jr.
Wright also created the first Denver poster in 1991 depicting then-new projects including the Tabor Center, Cherry Creek Shopping Center and the 16th Street Mall.
The updated version includes newer projects such as the expansion of the Colorado Convention Center, the Hamilton Building at the Denver Art Museum, Denver International Airport, Coors Field, Invesco Field at Mile High and the Pepsi Center.
The poster will be given to domestic and international travel companies, tour operators and meeting planners, as well as selling for $10 at the downtown visitor-information center at 16th and California streets.
The seen.
Trammell Crow exec Bill Mosher and his wife and clothier to Denver stars, Molly Broeren, dining at Rioja on Tuesday.
EAVESDROPPING
A man in Aspen talking about a home:
“It only has snowmobile access. He had to drop the price to $5.7 mil.”
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-630 AM. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.
