Yanni’s Restaurant: A Touch of Greece in Greenwood Village

The sparkly new Landmark Plaza development in Greenwood Village is not where you expect to find a gathering place so perceptibly steeped in Greek tradition. But there it is, like the tavernas of Greece, Yanni’s Greek Restaurant, which is filled with Mediterranean pottery, sweet smells of anise and lemon, and wafts of garlicky roasted meats. Owner Yanni Stavropoulos recently moved his business to Greenwood Village south of Denver from…

R&R in Ouray: Chart a Course for the China Clipper Inn

When it comes to deciding the most gorgeous mountain setting in Southwestern Colorado, it might end up with a coin toss to see whether Ouray or Telluride would win. If the locals have anything to say about it, the coin lands on the side of Ouray, which has earned the nickname “Switzerland of America.” And, close to the center of town sits the China Clipper Inn, a 12-room bed…

Crankworx: A New Style of Biking

It all started with a couple of 10-year-olds, along with a handful of world-class pros and some 30-odd mortals. They all stood on the same line, ready for the running, the Le Mans start of Crankworx Colorado’s kickoff event, super downhill. Three hundred or so yards of initial climbing quickly separated the pack and a sprinkling of rain turned to hail by the time riders hit bottom. Spectators and…

First Friday Art Walk: Visit Denver Galleries Along Santa Fe Drive

On the corner of West 9th Avenue and Santa Fe Drive, just outside Spark Gallery, I drove past a huge metal crocodile spitting flames. By the time I returned — parking is terrible during the First Friday Art Walk — the fire had gone out, so I moved on to join the hundreds of people touring Santa Fe’s art galleries. The first Friday of every month more than 20…

Springtime On the Slopes: It’s Party Time!

Smile! It’s springtime in the Rockies, when snow is deep, temperatures are mild, days last longer and sun shines stronger. Best of all, you can sleep in while the snow softens to a cushy carpet and ski or ride later into the afternoon. Colorado resorts celebrate spring with an alpine version of the backyard party. Music fills the air, crazy contests abound and Easter Bunny sightings are a sure…

Weekend Warriors: It’s Cyclocross Season

For most Coloradans fall is synonymous with super-sweet apples, the Western Slope grape harvest and groves of golden aspen. But to a growing number of cyclists, fall means the start of cyclocross season. Merriam Webster defines the sport as “racing bicycles over rough terrain that usually requires carrying the bicycle over obstacles.” Imagine riding your bike so hard that your lungs are on fire, then dismounting while in motion,…

On Mountain Time: Slowing Down in the Fraser River Valley

I’ve driven this road a hundred times, but it doesn’t matter. I still strain my neck trying to take in the scenic view as my car climbs the foothills out of Denver and heads into the heart of the Rockies. I rise above the city, now just a tiny speck in my rearview mirror, and the scenery immediately changes. I’m surrounded by tall peaks, each one looming larger than…

Denver-Area Dining: 5 on the Restaurant Front

Here are the latest front five on the Denver-area restaurant scene: Bargain Beat Pho 95 1002 S. Federal Blvd. Denver, Colorado 80219 303-936-3322 Credit Aaron Le for creating the best pho in town. At his invariably packed noodle shop on South Federal Boulevard, he glides from table to table, sometimes even sliding into one of the tattered booths, to ensure that your obscenely delicious steaming bowl of pho, scented…

D Note: Music and More in Olde Town Arvada

D Note, a music/restaurant hotspot in Olde Town Arvada, wouldn’t be the D Note in any other location. The uniqueness of Olde Town is what inspired the DeGraff family – Matthew, his wife Monica, Adam and Jeremy – to establish the venue eight years ago, offering live music, food, a full bar, artwork for sale and dance classes. “My husband and my brother-in-law, Adam, found the space and it…

On the Cutting Edge: Denver Museum of Contemporary Art

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), which has been a fixture on the Denver art scene for more than a decade, moved recently into a new, sustainable facility in LoDo. The 27,000-square-foot space is on track to be the first Gold level LEED- certified contemporary art museum in the United States (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). “It became apparent to us early in the process that we needed…