If Joe Vostrejs gets his way with the Denver City Council, Larimer Square will close to traffic once or twice a month in the summer to allow restaurants to offer al fresco dining in the street and be able to sell liquor.
The state of Colorado passed a Senate bill recently that will allow local jurisdictions to create entertainment districts where a street can be cordoned off and closed to automobile traffic, and pedestrian access limited.
Before the bill was passed, Larimer Square could be closed for a special event, but the restaurants could not sell liquor to an event attendee and allow that person to leave the premises with an alcoholic beverage. Any liquor sold at the event had to be under the umbrella of a nonprofit agency, which would pull a liquor permit for the event.
Under the new bill, restaurants, for example, could band together to throw a street party and sell liquor to attendees who could stroll around the entertainment district while sipping cocktails.
Vostrejs, the chief operating officer for Larimer Associates, said his next step toward forming the entertainment district is to approach a Denver City Council member who can propose that the council pass a resolution allowing the district.
“What we envision is that periodically throughout the course of the summer, all the restaurants would be able to spill out onto the street,” Vostrejs said. “You can envision Larimer Street covered with tables with different-colored tablecloths and candles. We could enter into a partnership with the Colorado Symphony and have music down here. It would be quite the scene.”
Too cool for gruel.
Marczyk Fine Foods grocery stores on East 17th Avenue and East Colfax Avenue were named one of the “12 coolest supermarkets” in the country by the foodie website .
The list includes such notable markets as Bi-Rite in San Francisco, Whole Foods in Chicago and Eataly in New York City.
“We are in the company of giants,” said owner Pete Marczyk. “This goes to show that Denver has embraced us as their neighborhood markets.”
Cheese, please.
A handful of King Soopers markets in the metro area have teamed with Murray’s Cheese, a 40-year-old business with locations in New York City, to offer a Murray’s store within a store.
The first Murray’s Cheese opened Sunday inside the new King Soopers on Leetsdale Drive in Glendale, with the 2750 S. Colorado Blvd. location opening Sept. 7 and 6000 S. Holly St., Greenwood Village, opening Sept. 26.
Consumers will be able to try before they buy any of the 175 varieties of cheese daily. The store will also stock a variety of cured meats, dried fruit and an olive-and-antipasto bar.
Sweet tweet.
Rainn Wilson, who stars in the TV series “The Office,” sent out a job-wanted message to his Twitter followers Monday: “Denver, my friend @DavidPrecht needs a job! He’s a creative writer w/college degree and knows social networking too. Good humor. Nice shirts.”
Eavesdropping
on a woman to a group of gal pals: “My Spanx are caught in my purse zipper. This would have meant something very different 20 years ago, although I wouldn’t have needed these godforsaken things 20 years ago.”
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.
