Bad timing, bud.
After hyping a Rockabilly & Ribs season-ending party Sunday at Tambien to my colleague Bill Husted, who gave it big space in his Sunday column, owner Jesse Morreale shut the joint down for good right after the party. The Monday closure had been his plan from the get-go.
That said, Morreale, whose lease at 250 Steele St. was up after six years, blamed the changing face of Cherry Creek North and the challenge of operating a below-street-level restaurant as reasons for his sudden departure.
“All in all, when it comes down to it, Cherry Creek has changed a lot since we looked at Cherry Creek,” Morreale said. “Cherry Creek has become challenging to us.”
He noted as we spoke on the phone at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday that not one retailer on Steele, the easternmost outpost of Cherry Creek North, had any customers.
“It’s not just us that’s struggling,” he said. “Look right next door to us. Since that space was Adde Brewster, it’s been French 250, El Torro, Jack’s on Steele, Agave Underground, to name a few.
“You can walk around Cherry Creek and not see the foot traffic you used to see around here. It’s a little bit horrifying, frankly.”
Julie Bender, president of Cherry Creek North, prefers to point out the underground success spaces such as Rodney’s, Argyll, Continental Deli, Mad Greens and Mini Bar.
“(Success or failure) probably has something to do with how much visibility they have from the sidewalk,” Bender said. “Some streets have more pedestrian and vehicular traffic than others. Generally speaking, the closer to the center of the district, the more pedestrians and auto traffic you have.”
Meanwhile, Morreale says he is shopping for a new space for Tambien in a Denver neighborhood and that all of the employees have been offered jobs at one of his other businesses: Sketch, El Diablo, La Rumba and RockBar.
“We were very conscientious about this in terms of staff, and no one is losing a job,” he said.
Pismo finds its niche.
Pismo Fine Art Glass, with locations in Cherry Creek North, Beaver Creek, Vail and Aspen, has been named one of the top 10 North American craft galleries by Niche magazine, a trade publication for independent retailers of North American fine craft.
“This awards program honors galleries and retailers for their commitment to supporting the artists,” said Wendy Rosen, Niche publisher. “It’s not about the biggest sellers or fanciest shops. The top retailers are often mentors who work hard to build and maintain good relationships with emerging and established artists.”
Pismo is owned by Sandy Sardella, wife of TV newsman Ed Sardella.
BYOF.
The revamped Star Bar, commonly considered one of the diviest dive bars in Denver, is getting some Internet ink at , the Conde Nast online food publication based in New York City.
The spot, at 2137 Larimer St., will be featured in a food- trends story about places that don’t have kitchens and encourage customers to bring their own food.
EAVESDROPPING
A middle-aged Harley-Davidson-attired dude talking to another guy in the checkout line at King Soopers:
“Yeah, I don’t ride anymore. Can’t afford it. I can barely afford the T-shirt.”
Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times file photo
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.
