Another New Year’s has come and gone, leaving exhaustion and burnt-out nerves in its wake.
It’s a good time to ease into winter with relaxing beverages, cozy environs and calm conversation. Now that the holiday season has passed, quiet reflection over a strong drink seems extra-appealing.
Welcome to the Official Winter Column — the one with ideas for places to ride out the cold nights ahead. Call a friend and snuggle up at one of these inviting havens.
Just a little bit north of Interstate 70, near the National Western Complex, is Crash45 (321 E. 45th Ave.). Formerly The White Owl, Crash45 fancied up the Owl’s charming dive décor and added an eclectic food menu.
The booths and tables are still there, but in updated versions. There’s a clear gearhead bent to the design, signified by metal artworks, car scraps and even the cab of an old truck near the front door.
It’s a small room, made warm by dim lighting and old wood. The White Owl’s huge, spectacular bar dominates one end of the space. The bar is a century-old piece rescued from a long-closed Denver hotel — it’s been in this building for decades, from its former life as the Portulaca Café and beyond.
Crash45 hosts vintage-motorcycle meet-ups on the first Thursday of each month. It’s got an intellectual side, too, displaying work by local artists and hosting art shows of its own. Tonight, for example, Crash presents the “Outcasts and Angels” show, featuring pieces by Justin Miller, T.J. Little and Charlie Boskoe. The event begins at 7, and there’s no cover.
On a sadder note, one of the coziest, most winter-friendly bars in Denver is in the process of closing its doors for good.
Word spread quickly through the Capitol Hill social networks this week that Gabor’s (1223 E. 13th Ave.) would be gone by the end of January. A talk with one of the bartenders on Wednesday confirmed it: Gabor’s is on its way out after being purchased by another bar owner.
Dark and drenched in shades of red and black, Gabor’s is a place to forget the troubles of the modern world. Photos and posters of Hollywood legends cover the walls — there’s a lot of Marilyn and James Dean, of course, but also a little Bogie, Gary Cooper and Edward G. Robinson, too.
Gabor’s jukebox is legendary, filled with rock from the past 60 years. The Pixies and theStrokes are popular choices, but so are Buddy Holly and the Velvet Underground. Sometimes the jukebox is primed with dozens of free credits for whoever wants to choose a tune.
The wait staffers at Gabor’s are kind and often quick, though all bets are off when the place gets slammed — which it does. But even when it’s busy, Gabor’s is the sort of place you can sit for hours, grazing on pub grub and sharing pitchers of beer, huddled against the weariness of winter.
Gabor’s hadn’t set an official closing date at press time, but January will be the bar’s last month. Stop in, put “Candle in the Wind” on the jukebox, and raise a glass to the passing of a legend.
A wild New Year’s Eve is not slowing down the party people at Beta (1909 Blake St.). It’s business as usual, including some big names coming up in the next week.
Tonight, the club’s Bassic Fridays fall right back into dubstep with Vaski, plus sets from Ishe, Dirt Monkey and Zeno.
Saturday brings trance star Christopher Lawrence to the club for another visit, and Thursday features house/techno hero and veteran remixologist Dave Audé.
Advance tickets for each show are $10, available at .
