If not for the giant King Soopers sign on the entrance to the new store on Leetsdale at Cherry, you’d think you had walked into a high-end Whole Foods.
The prepared-foods case is packed with ready-to-eat items such as “edamame caviar” (salad). There’s an olive-and-cheese bar, Boar’s Head meats in the deli, a kosher-products section, a sushi area, a wall of microbrews and a liquor store complete with a wine-tasting schedule.
The new place, which had stood empty since Cub Foods pulled out of the market in 2003, opened Wednesday to a throng of shoppers eager to kick the tires on the new grocery store that includes a gas station.
“We have everything a Super Target has without the clothes,” said King Soopers spokeswoman Kelli McGannon. The 63,000- square-foot Glendale store will be surpassed in size by a new King Soopers in Greeley that will open with 120,000 square feet in January.
Also on the company’s to-do list is the remodel of the store at Ninth and Corona, which is scheduled to be completed Jan. 26. The chain also is opening stores in Fort Collins and Grand Junction within the next six months.
Blues brew.
Longmont’s Os kar Blues just had its Dale’s Pale Ale named one of America’s hottest brands in 2010 by Advertising Age, a national trade magazine.
The craft beer in a can made the ranks along with large consumer brands including Droid, iPad, McDonald’s, Gillette, Ford, the Miami Heat, Reebok, M&M’s and Old Spice.
Advertising Age’s special report highlights the “50 brightest brands of the year.”
“We’re the scrappy little guy that took a lot of risk,” said Os kar Blues founder Dale Katechis.
Blue too.
Home-furnishings giant Ikea has begun the installation of the store’s iconic blue composite panels in the Denver-area store that will open next fall in Centennial.
The installation of the blue panels marks a construction milestone that helps ensure the store will open in the fall of 2011. Ikea Centennial will be the first U.S. Ikea store to integrate a geothermal system into its heating-and-cooling system.
En fuego.
North Washington Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Mark Schuman won a spot on the Maggiano’s specials menu for winning the second annual Great Balls of Fire cooking competition.
His double-meatball-stuffed pasta shells beat out nine other firefighters in the competition, where I was one of the lucky judges.
Each time the dish is ordered, $2 will be donated to a designated Make-a-Wish child whose dream is to go to Disney World.
Recipes were prepared at Maggiano’s, then judged on taste, presentation, uniqueness and the story behind the recipe.
Second place went to David Graham of Denver Fire Station No. 6 for his sausage and peppers, and third place went to Matt Gintzler from North Metro Fire Rescue District for his truffle scallops gratin a la fontina y pancetta.
Eavesdropping
on two men passing in the hallway at the Denver Athletic Club: “Where are you going?”
“I’m heading to the gym to lose 10 pounds so I can get back to the weight I swore I would never get to in the first place.”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on “Caplis & Silverman” between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-AM (630). Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.
