For Yasu Kizaki and his brother Toshi, owners of the Sushi Den restaurant on South Pearl Street, the devastation in Japan from the earthquake, tsunami and explosions at nuclear power plants is personal.
Not only are the successful Denver restaurateurs from Japan, their employee Masayo DesMarais has an uncle and several friends still missing.
“Her family’s house was swept away by the tidal wave,” Yasu said Monday. The third Kizaki brother, Koichi, lives safely south of the devastation that nearly wiped out the city of Sendai, where DesMarais’ friends and family live.
Yasu and Toshi, who own Ototo Food and Wine and Izakaya Den along with the venerable Sushi Den, have opted to do their part to help in the relief effort by donating a portion of dinner sales from all three restaurants today through Saturday, as well as posting donation boxes for the American Red Cross.
While Yasu has yet to hear how the disaster will affect Koichi’s efforts to buy and ship fish to the Denver eateries, Yasu says he’s more concerned with the plight of his countrymen and his employee’s loved ones.
Other local restaurants chipping in are: Sonoda’s locations in LoDo and Aurora and at Sixth Avenue and Broadway, which will give 10 percent of sales today and Wednesday to the Red Cross; T-Wa Inn on South Federal Boulevard, which will donate $1 from every purchase; and all Larkburger locations in Boulder, Edwards, Fort Collins and Greenwood Village, which will donate 10 percent of sales from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today.
Staff success.
On Saturday before opening, two Comedy Works staff members were feted by friends and family for a quarter-century on the job at the LoDo comedy club.
Server Andrea Benson and bartender Wanda French were surprised by fellow staff members led by Comedy Works owner Wende Curtis.
“Wanda and Andrea represent one of the facets of Comedy Works’ success,” Curtis said during the presentation that included gifts of jewelry. “Our goal in this journey called business is to treat people right — whether it be our neighbors, our guests, our comedians or our staff. Their longevity is a testament to our success and a testament that always doing the right thing pays off.”
This is a banner year for Comedy Works as the club prepares to celebrate 30 years at the Larimer Square location and three years at Landmark Village.
106 flavors of soda on the wall.
The Coca-Cola Co. is officially launching its Freestyle dispenser today — a super- size version of a restaurant soda machine — at three Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta Denver locations.
The Freestyle, which takes up the same space as a regular restaurant drink station, can dispense 106 flavors of Coke products, which include Cherry Coke, Dasani flavored water and Powerade.
The Ferrari-designed machines are self-serve, touch- screen-operated and available at Anthony’s on the 16th Street Mall across from Union Station, Highland on 32nd at Julian and Colorado Boulevard and Seventh.
EAVESDROPPING
A student at Metropolitan State College of Denver after a presentation by a guest speaker:
“This class is the food that’s feeding my lifelong hunger.”
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-630 AM. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.
