For seven years, Angels Studio has reached heavenward, lifting high its cam models on wings of majesty.
[Read More …]
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Angels Studio Takes Cam Models Skyward
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
“Top Chef’s” Colorado contestant Carrie Baird on elimination and where to find her Fancy Toast
It was a tough week for local “Top Chef” fans. Denver chef Carrie Baird — who, by all accounts, is just as nice in real life as she seemed on the show — was told to pack her knives and go.
Did she screw up on the challenge or fail to get a critical component on the plate? No, she was sent home on a great dish that the judges loved.
The chefs’ Elimination Challenge was to put their spin on a family-favorite recipe. Baird made a buffalo stroganoff raviolo, her take on her mom’s beef stroganoff. Everyone loved it, and the only quasi-criticism came from judge Tom Colicchio, who said he wished she’d mixed the braising liquid with the crème fraiche to make it more stroganoff-y.
But it was down to the final four, and any little thing can send someone packing. In episode 12, it was Baird.
We wanted to hear from Baird herself about her “Top Chef” Colorado experience, how the show has affected Bar Dough, and how we can get some of that Fancy Toast, so we caught up with her on a busy morning in the midst of her buying and selling a house and jetting off to Iceland for a cooking competition. (This one isn’t televised.)
Q: Do you think it’s worse going home on a great dish?
A: You know, I’m glad I didn’t have a total flop. It lessens the blow that Padma is saying ‘Just so you know, no one is on the bottom.’ Once they get down to that small number they just nitpick. I got a 9 out of 10 I guess.
Q: How were you feeling going into judging that day?
A: You kind of can tell when it’s your turn. (Fellow eliminated contestant) Christ Scott said the same thing. I was so unsure about what I was going to cook. For the first time in the whole competition, I just wasn’t feeling like this is going to be awesome. I had this little hesitation. There’s this little tiny voice in my head saying this might be the one for me.
Q: What was your favorite challenge?
A: I’m totally in love with breakfast, so I loved the Quickfire breakfast challenge. (Baird won the challenge with Nutella eggs benedict.)
Q: How has it been watching yourself on TV?
A: It’s like hearing your voice — nobody likes it! In the beginning I could tell how bashful I felt. As it kept going, I got more comfortable. I don’t know if other people can see that, but I see that in myself.
Q: How has being on the show affected Bar Dough?
A: We are definitely busier. My role at the restaurant has to change a little. I spend more time in the dining room now saying hi and taking pictures. It’s really fun. We had to restructure ourselves a little.
Q: Are the beet raisins or any version of Fancy Toast on the menu at Bar Dough?
A: Both of them actually! The beet raisins are on the kale and beet salad — we’re selling so many! We had a fancy toast on even before I started “Top Chef.” I just put the French Onion soup top on last Saturday.
(Baird won episode 11’s Quickfire challenge with a French Onion soup top toast.)
Q: Did you take away any great life lessons from your time filming the show?
A: One thing I did take away is that the friendships I made are real. Chris and especially Fatima are going to be my friends forever. We just have someone to lean on. There’s someone in the universe who knows how I feel.
Q: You represented yourself and Denver well on the show. There’s no villain status with you.
A: That’s one of the best compliments I get. A 60-year-old woman came into the restaurant and asked to see me and she grabbed me by the shoulders and said, ‘You made Colorado proud. I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never been as proud to live in Colorado.’
Q: Who are you rooting for now?
A: Joe Flamm maybe. Second to Adrienne.
[Read More …]
“Top Chef’s” Colorado contestant Carrie Baird on elimination and where to find her Fancy Toast
It was a tough week for local “Top Chef” fans. Denver chef Carrie Baird — who, by all accounts, is just as nice in real life as she seemed on the show — was told to pack her knives and go.
Did she screw up on the challenge or fail to get a critical component on the plate? No, she was sent home on a great dish that the judges loved.
The chefs’ Elimination Challenge was to put their spin on a family-favorite recipe. Baird made a buffalo stroganoff raviolo, her take on her mom’s beef stroganoff. Everyone loved it, and the only quasi-criticism came from judge Tom Colicchio, who said he wished she’d mixed the braising liquid with the crème fraiche to make it more stroganoff-y.
But it was down to the final four, and any little thing can send someone packing. In episode 12, it was Baird.
We wanted to hear from Baird herself about her “Top Chef” Colorado experience, how the show has affected Bar Dough, and how we can get some of that Fancy Toast, so we caught up with her on a busy morning in the midst of her buying and selling a house and jetting off to Iceland for a cooking competition. (This one isn’t televised.)
Q: Do you think it’s worse going home on a great dish?
A: You know, I’m glad I didn’t have a total flop. It lessens the blow that Padma is saying ‘Just so you know, no one is on the bottom.’ Once they get down to that small number they just nitpick. I got a 9 out of 10 I guess.
Q: How were you feeling going into judging that day?
A: You kind of can tell when it’s your turn. (Fellow eliminated contestant) Christ Scott said the same thing. I was so unsure about what I was going to cook. For the first time in the whole competition, I just wasn’t feeling like this is going to be awesome. I had this little hesitation. There’s this little tiny voice in my head saying this might be the one for me.
Q: What was your favorite challenge?
A: I’m totally in love with breakfast, so I loved the Quickfire breakfast challenge. (Baird won the challenge with Nutella eggs benedict.)
Q: How has it been watching yourself on TV?
A: It’s like hearing your voice — nobody likes it! In the beginning I could tell how bashful I felt. As it kept going, I got more comfortable. I don’t know if other people can see that, but I see that in myself.
Q: How has being on the show affected Bar Dough?
A: We are definitely busier. My role at the restaurant has to change a little. I spend more time in the dining room now saying hi and taking pictures. It’s really fun. We had to restructure ourselves a little.
Q: Are the beet raisins or any version of Fancy Toast on the menu at Bar Dough?
A: Both of them actually! The beet raisins are on the kale and beet salad — we’re selling so many! We had a fancy toast on even before I started “Top Chef.” I just put the French Onion soup top on last Saturday.
(Baird won episode 11’s Quickfire challenge with a French Onion soup top toast.)
Q: Did you take away any great life lessons from your time filming the show?
A: One thing I did take away is that the friendships I made are real. Chris and especially Fatima are going to be my friends forever. We just have someone to lean on. There’s someone in the universe who knows how I feel.
Q: You represented yourself and Denver well on the show. There’s no villain status with you.
A: That’s one of the best compliments I get. A 60-year-old woman came into the restaurant and asked to see me and she grabbed me by the shoulders and said, ‘You made Colorado proud. I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never been as proud to live in Colorado.’
Q: Who are you rooting for now?
A: Joe Flamm maybe. Second to Adrienne.
[Read More …]
The myth of the IBU scale and what some Colorado breweries are doing about it
IPA is the most popular craft beer style — and most of what we know about it is wrong.
The debunked origin story — the one about the beer being created to survive the voyage by sea to India — is just the start.
Here’s another myth: The number of IBUs in an IPA indicates how bitter it will taste.
The newest research — including a recent experiment conducted by Colorado breweries — reveals that International Bittering Units (known more commonly as IBUs) are not a good measure of bitterness in IPAs.
“The traditional way of measuring bitterness is not relevant, or accurate, or even useful,” said Neil Fisher, the head brewer and owner at WeldWerks Brewing in Greeley.
It may not sound like much, but the statement is equivalent to blasphemy in the craft beer world, where many brewers and consumers have used IBUs as a shorthand for bitterness for decades.
The IBU measurement is so ubiquitous in craft beer that it defines different IPA style categories and many breweries and bars publish it on their menus as a way to help consumers make decisions. Not so long ago, amid the arms race to make the most bitter beer possible, craft breweries even used the once-obscure chemistry term to market their IPAs.
The IPA evolution
But then IPAs began to evolve. The advent of new hops and brewing techniques changed how brewers presented the style.
In a traditional IPA, hops are added earlier in the brewing process to impart a bite of bitterness when alpha acids in the plant are isomerized. But now brewers are adding hops at the end of the boil — or even afterward as dry-hopping — to extract more hop flavor and aroma and less bitterness.
The trend most evident in hazy IPAs, a variation known for their turbid appearance and roots in New England, that showcases fruit flavors from hops, ranging from mango to pineapple.
One sip of the softer style dismisses the idea that all IPAs are bitter bombs — and reaffirms that bitter and hoppy are not synonymous. The IBU number, however, didn’t reflect the difference, often describing the beer as far more bitter than it tasted.
The disparity inspired WeldWerks and New Belgium to conduct an experiment — presented at the findings in January at the Breckenridge Big Beer Festival — that showed that IBUs is a flawed measurement.
The new science being presented here @BigBeersFest about hops and bitterness will change what we know about IPAs, says @WeldWerksBrewCo Neil Fisher #cobeer #craftbeer #bigbeers2018 pic.twitter.com/zf6agfEuvJ
— First Drafts (@First_Drafts) January 6, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Ross Koenigs, the director for research and design at New Belgium, said current IBU tests only measure one way of using hops — the early boil addition to get bitterness from isomerized alpha acids.
The chemistry doesn’t accurately take into account bitterness derived from late hop additions or dry-hopping.
As an example, he pointed to heavily dry-hopped hazy IPAs that technically measure at more than 100 IBUs, but taste much different. “That beer should be tongue bruisingly bitter, but they weren’t — they were really nice and balanced,” he said.
Koenigs said more research is needed to determine exactly what is happening in the beer, but early indications suggest two phenomenon at work: The late hop additions can add bitterness. But huge amounts can hit a saturation point and reduce bitterness by knocking the alpha acids out of suspension.
A new experience for consumers
The new research is leading more brewers are abandoning the term IBU when interacting with consumers.
Sean Buchan at Cerebral Brewing in Denver took IBU numbers off his menu about a year ago after realizing it biased customers to expect a certain taste.
“People would be negatively psychologically impacted by the lower IBU they see on our IPAs, compared to other (breweries),” he said. “It didn’t give a good description.”
Right now IBUs mean essentially nothing, brewers @BigBeersFest say #CObeer #craftbeers #bigbeers2018 https://t.co/4GkgNBzQb3
— First Drafts (@First_Drafts) January 6, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Instead, Buchan asked his bartenders to spend more time describing the flavor profile to help consumers find a beer they will enjoy.
Lee Cleghorn at Outer Range Brewing in Breckenridge did the same thing and received “a lot of push back from customers because people are used to IBUs.”
But, he said, “we approach it from a flavor perspective knowing that IBUs don’t really mean anything.”
[Read More …]
For Pleasure Product Manufacturers, Retailer Feedback Is Essential
The relationship that manufacturers enjoy with retailers is a vital part of the pleasure products sector. Even when they are selling pleasure products directly to consumers via their websites, manufacturers need retailers.
[Read More …]
Monday, February 26, 2018
Q&A: iWantEmpire CEO Jay Phillips Enriches Content Creators
iWantEmpire is unfurling royal banners across each and every digital realm, building a great castle upon its iWantClips.com foundation with spiraling towers that span from iWantPhone.com to iWantFanClub.com.
[Read More …]
Sunday, February 25, 2018
PHOTOS: Colorado Spirits Trail launches at Mile High Station
Move over, brewery tours, there’s a new booze in town (many, actually). The new Colorado Spirits Trail map will guide spirit drinkers through more than 70 craft distilleries of Colorado, from the city to the mountains.
To welcome and celebrate the new libation adventure, Hearts & Trails Spirits Festival featured samplings of more than 40 local distilleries in one place at Mile High Station Saturday. Attendees sampled cocktails, got to learn about the trail and more.
[Read More …]
PHOTOS: Colorado Spirits Trail launches at Mile High Station
Move over, brewery tours, there’s a new booze in town (many, actually). The new Colorado Spirits Trail map will guide spirit drinkers through more than 70 craft distilleries of Colorado, from the city to the mountains.
To welcome and celebrate the new libation adventure, Hearts & Trails Spirits Festival featured samplings of more than 40 local distilleries in one place at Mile High Station Saturday. Attendees sampled cocktails, got to learn about the trail and more.
[Read More …]
PHOTOS: Sloth Weekend at Denver Downtown Aquarium
Excited visitors to the Denver Downtown Aquarium got to meet Aspen the sloth, during a special meet and greet on February 25 during Sloth Weekend.
The aquarium offers the event to the first 100 people in line each day during the special weekend. Many people turned up before dawn to get in line with one teenager and his mother setting up camp at 11 p.m. the night before to make sure to be the first in line.
The guest of honor was Aspen, a 7-year-old Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth. These animals can live 10-15 years in the wild and sometimes up to 40 years in captivity. They live predominantly in rainforest regions of the world in South America. They are found in Venezuela, the Guyanas, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil north of the Amazon River.
[Read More …]
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Friday, February 23, 2018
Stem Ciders’ new 12-acre facility combines cider house, restaurant and apple orchard
When Stem Ciders outgrew its production facility and taproom in RiNo, co-founder and CEO Eric Foster looked for a new facility that they could grow into, with maybe room for a little food, too. What he got was even bigger than that.
“It was the land,” Foster said. “We stood here and it was absolutely beautiful and we wanted to do something more. Food became an obvious next step, although a very terrifying one.”
It was those 12 acres of Lafayette land — four of which will be used for the cider production facility and restaurant; eight for an apple orchard and farm — that inspired Acreage, Stem Ciders’ new cider house and restaurant.
With the patio and deck boasting killer mountain views, it’s easy to see why this land enchanted them. Not to mention the sheer size of it. Foster said that the Lafayette production facility is five times the size of Stem’s spot in RiNo.
Being cider experts, not food experts, the Stem crew brought in Kelly Whitaker’s (Basta) consulting group, Id Est. Hospitality Group, to get the restaurant going. Whitaker had just gotten back from visiting Basque country, and so simple, wood-fired food became the focus.
He got chef Daniel Asher (River and Woods) on board to create the counter-service menu, which features plates like whole wood-roasted fish (a pretty good hunk of fish for $22) and chili & achiote chicken, as well as sections for burgers, sausages, fries and veggies.
To go along with the gluten-free nature of cider, the entire menu is available gluten free.
Of course it all started with cider, and there will be 24 ciders on tap, cider-based cocktails galore and a cider tasting flight that pairs with pretty much any food you order (four ciders for $10). Eventually Foster said he hopes to make all of the cider using apples grown on the property, but it takes about four years to get a good harvest going.
Check out Stem’s new digs beginning Feb. 24.
Acreage by Stem Ciders: 1380 Horizon Ave., Lafayette, 720-443-3007; stemciders.com; Mon.-Fri. 3-10 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 12-10 p.m.
[Read More …]
Stem Ciders’ new 12-acre facility combines cider house, restaurant and apple orchard
When Stem Ciders outgrew its production facility and taproom in RiNo, co-founder and CEO Eric Foster looked for a new facility that they could grow into, with maybe room for a little food, too. What he got was even bigger than that.
“It was the land,” Foster said. “We stood here and it was absolutely beautiful and we wanted to do something more. Food became an obvious next step, although a very terrifying one.”
It was those 12 acres of Lafayette land — four of which will be used for the cider production facility and restaurant; eight for an apple orchard and farm — that inspired Acreage, Stem Ciders’ new cider house and restaurant.
With the patio and deck boasting killer mountain views, it’s easy to see why this land enchanted them. Not to mention the sheer size of it. Foster said that the Lafayette production facility is five times the size of Stem’s spot in RiNo.
Being cider experts, not food experts, the Stem crew brought in Kelly Whitaker’s (Basta) consulting group, Id Est. Hospitality Group, to get the restaurant going. Whitaker had just gotten back from visiting Basque country, and so simple, wood-fired food became the focus.
He got chef Daniel Asher (River and Woods) on board to create the counter-service menu, which features plates like whole wood-roasted fish (a pretty good hunk of fish for $22) and chili & achiote chicken, as well as sections for burgers, sausages, fries and veggies.
To go along with the gluten-free nature of cider, the entire menu is available gluten free.
Of course it all started with cider, and there will be 24 ciders on tap, cider-based cocktails galore and a cider tasting flight that pairs with pretty much any food you order (four ciders for $10). Eventually Foster said he hopes to make all of the cider using apples grown on the property, but it takes about four years to get a good harvest going.
Check out Stem’s new digs beginning Feb. 24.
Acreage by Stem Ciders: 1380 Horizon Ave., Lafayette, 720-443-3007; stemciders.com; Mon.-Fri. 3-10 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 12-10 p.m.
[Read More …]
Despite Volatility, Bitcoin Is Promising
Shortly before Christmas, the sexy advertising network made a decision to quietly start accepting Bitcoin (and became the first adult advertising network to also accept it alongside Litecoin and Ethererum).
[Read More …]
Free pancakes and other deals around Denver, Feb. 22-March 1
Pancake party
Butter and syrup, please. Famished frugals will flip for these free flapjacks. IHOP is celebrating National Pancake Day by serving up a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes on Feb. 27 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Some locations may vary the hours.) Although not required, diners are asked to consider leaving a donation for local children’s hospitals and health organizations. Even just a buck or two helps the cause and doesn’t break the bank. Limit one short stack per person, while they last. ihoppancakeday.com
Bargain burgers
Kick off your weekend with a meaty deal at Smashburger. Every Friday, the burger joint is offering any regular beef or turkey burger for $5, through March 23. Any add-ons are extra. Families can share a large side or two to keep the cost to a minimum. If you dine there often, join its Smashclub for rewards and perks — earn a $10 reward for every $100 spent. smashburger.com
Raw deal
Sushi lovers will want to catch this deal at Tokyo Joe’s every week. Grab a friend and sail over to the Japanese fast-casual restaurant for a fish dish on a budget. Every Monday, from 4 p.m. to close, purchase any sushi and get a second order for free. The offer includes nine sushi roll options (four- or eight-piece), as well as poke bowls. If you’re dining alone, get two four-piece orders for dinner. Or, get two eight-piece orders and save the extra for Tuesday’s lunch. tokyojoes.com
Lyrical lottery
These musical chairs are highly coveted. The digital lottery for “Hamilton” tickets begins with the show’s first performance on Feb. 27 at The Buell Theatre. Forty orchestra tickets will be available for every performance at $10 each. Each winner gets up to two tickets, so expect only 20 lucky people each time. The lottery opens at 11 a.m. on Feb. 25 for the first performance. Each following lottery begins two days prior to each performance. You can enter via the show’s app or website. Hamilton runs from Feb. 27 to April 1 — that means there are 43 chances to win. Review all of the lottery rules, including all of the necessary dates, times and requirements, at hamilton.com/lottery.
More freebies, discounts and deals at MileHighOnTheCheap.com.
[Read More …]
Free pancakes and other deals around Denver, Feb. 22-March 1
Pancake party
Butter and syrup, please. Famished frugals will flip for these free flapjacks. IHOP is celebrating National Pancake Day by serving up a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes on Feb. 27 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Some locations may vary the hours.) Although not required, diners are asked to consider leaving a donation for local children’s hospitals and health organizations. Even just a buck or two helps the cause and doesn’t break the bank. Limit one short stack per person, while they last. ihoppancakeday.com
Bargain burgers
Kick off your weekend with a meaty deal at Smashburger. Every Friday, the burger joint is offering any regular beef or turkey burger for $5, through March 23. Any add-ons are extra. Families can share a large side or two to keep the cost to a minimum. If you dine there often, join its Smashclub for rewards and perks — earn a $10 reward for every $100 spent. smashburger.com
Raw deal
Sushi lovers will want to catch this deal at Tokyo Joe’s every week. Grab a friend and sail over to the Japanese fast-casual restaurant for a fish dish on a budget. Every Monday, from 4 p.m. to close, purchase any sushi and get a second order for free. The offer includes nine sushi roll options (four- or eight-piece), as well as poke bowls. If you’re dining alone, get two four-piece orders for dinner. Or, get two eight-piece orders and save the extra for Tuesday’s lunch. tokyojoes.com
Lyrical lottery
These musical chairs are highly coveted. The digital lottery for “Hamilton” tickets begins with the show’s first performance on Feb. 27 at The Buell Theatre. Forty orchestra tickets will be available for every performance at $10 each. Each winner gets up to two tickets, so expect only 20 lucky people each time. The lottery opens at 11 a.m. on Feb. 25 for the first performance. Each following lottery begins two days prior to each performance. You can enter via the show’s app or website. Hamilton runs from Feb. 27 to April 1 — that means there are 43 chances to win. Review all of the lottery rules, including all of the necessary dates, times and requirements, at hamilton.com/lottery.
More freebies, discounts and deals at MileHighOnTheCheap.com.
[Read More …]
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Why the streets of Breckenridge are as explore-worthy as its slopes
BRECKENRIDGE — “We really love coming to Breckenridge,” an out-of-state couple told me one day on a chairlift ride.
Was it the alpine panorama from atop Peak 6 or the terrain-rolling intermediate trails down Peak 7, I wondered. Perhaps they liked the high, open bowls and black-diamond trails off Peak 8, or the wide-open cruisers descending Peak 9. Or maybe, like me, they relished the double-diamond plunges off Peak 10.
“No,” they confided. “We just love the town!”
I was somewhat taken aback. When my wife, Dianne, and I come up to ski, we drive to the parking lot and ride the gondola straight to the slopes. We rarely venture into town.
“We need to come up and explore Breck,” Dianne decided. “Let’s play tourist a hundred miles from home.”
Acquiescing to my wife’s wishes, I booked two nights at Mountain Thunder Lodge, a condo property at the foot of the Gondola Ski Back trail. Its location, a five-minute walk from Main Street, would allow us to hit both slopes and streets with equal aplomb.
On day trips to Breck, we always leave hours before last lift in the hope of reaching Denver before rush hour turns Interstate 70 into a linear parking lot. By bunking in Breck, we finally got to ski until day’s end and even stop at the T-Bar for après ski brews afterwards.
Breckenridge boasts a namesake brewery and a distillery, both of which feature dining. With the distillery offering free shuttle service, we opted to go there for dinner.
“You’re still limited to only one cocktail,” my spouse warned me.
The restaurant offers “new American cuisine” served small-plate, tapas-style. Yielding to temptation, we ordered too much food, and yes, when she went to the ladies’ room, I secretly ordered a second cocktail.
Residing on the Kansas side of Aurora, our skiing day trips typically begin with a predawn alarm. Slumbering slopeside, we got to sleep late and still reach the hills by first lift. My planned full-day of downhilling ended early, however, when my sore-muscled wife made a request.
“Let’s have lunch in town. Then we’ll go shopping.”
Every ski town boasts its own character. Steamboat displays its ranching roots, Telluride resembles a mining-town movie set and Vail and Aspen ooze with glitz and glamour. A Victorian-storefronted Main Street interspersed with modern lodging edifices give Breckenridge the aura of an affordable, middle-class resort town. It was easy to see why visitors find Breckenridge so appealing.
After devouring pizza and pilsners at the Blue Stag Saloon, we hit the shops. I’m not a shopper, but I found plenty to buy if my more-sensible wife had let me. At Marigolds Farmhouse Funk & Junk, I found barbed wire-strung guitars that I thought would look perfect next to our Jerry Garcia stuffed doll. Space Cowboy had X-Files-worthy, out-of-this-world T-shirts perfect for our next alien abduction, and Colorado Concept displayed flag-painted benches made from skis and snowboards that would have been the envy of our backyard neighbors.
It snowed overnight, and on our final morning we savored first-track conditions on fresh power. Even though the skiing was superb, our tourist-playing getaway was ending. Like out-of-towners heading for the airport, we surrendered to the need to leave early. Lingering longer would only hurl us deeper into the jaws of Denver’s ravenous rush hour.
Lodging can be booked through Breckenridge Tourism (888-251-2417, www.gobreck.com) or through the ski area (877-725-8168, www.breckenridge.com), where Thursday night guests staying in one of seven official ski-resort properties can access the mountain early on Friday mornings for first tracks.
[Read More …]
Food and Wine Classic returns to Aspen with celebrity chefs and late-night parties galore
Tickets to the 36th annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen: $1,600.
Lodging in Aspen for three days so you can indulge in all the wine the festival has to offer: you probably don’t even want to know.
Hobnobbing with the likes of Tyler Florence, Jacques Pepin and Gabrielle Hamilton while eating and drinking your way through the Grand Tasting Pavilion: priceless.
The Food & Wine Classic returns to Aspen June 15-17, 2018, and this year’s event features talks and tastings by a slew of celebrity chefs, more than 80 seminars (including the very popular “Wines for Gazillionaires” with Mark Oldman), a Grand Tasting of nearly 200 food and drink brands and more dinners, brunches, late-night parties and excuses to get buzzed with Andrew Zimmern than Gordon Ramsay has restaurants.
To see the full schedule and chef line-up, visit foodandwine.com, and get your passes before March 1, when prices go up. (Yes, ticket prices get even higher than $1,600.)
Food & Wine Classic in Aspen: June 15-17, 2018; passes from $1,600; foodandwine.com
[Read More …]
Food and Wine Classic returns to Aspen with celebrity chefs and late-night parties galore
Tickets to the 36th annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen: $1,600.
Lodging in Aspen for three days so you can indulge in all the wine the festival has to offer: you probably don’t even want to know.
Hobnobbing with the likes of Tyler Florence, Jacques Pepin and Gabrielle Hamilton while eating and drinking your way through the Grand Tasting Pavilion: priceless.
The Food & Wine Classic returns to Aspen June 15-17, 2018, and this year’s event features talks and tastings by a slew of celebrity chefs, more than 80 seminars (including the very popular “Wines for Gazillionaires” with Mark Oldman), a Grand Tasting of nearly 200 food and drink brands and more dinners, brunches, late-night parties and excuses to get buzzed with Andrew Zimmern than Gordon Ramsay has restaurants.
To see the full schedule and chef line-up, visit foodandwine.com, and get your passes before March 1, when prices go up. (Yes, ticket prices get even higher than $1,600.)
Food & Wine Classic in Aspen: June 15-17, 2018; passes from $1,600; foodandwine.com
[Read More …]
Online Retailers Discuss Top Trends
The newborn year is already shaping up to provide an explosive, though superbly unsurprising, climax to the rise of trends stemming from the last half decade. We already knew the internet has changed everything, online shopping is tops, and a business is hardly valid without a Twitter account.
[Read More …]
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Nothing Beats In-Person Meetups for B2B Deals
I’m writing this article from seat 5F. The window. It’s sunny where I’m taking off and it will be cloudy where I land. I’ve packed a jacket but no skis (would have been fun but this is a work trip). I’m on the road again for face-to-face meetings.
[Read More …]
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
You can score a $1 pint of Little Man Ice Cream tonight (even Salted Oreo) — if you’re willing to freeze for it
People often line up by the dozens outside Little Man Ice Cream, the Lower Highland shop whose larger-than-life milk jug has acted as a delicious beacon since it opened a decade ago.
Even in the freezing cold.
As it has for the past five years, Little Man is putting customer loyalty to the test by offering $1 pints at its 2620 16th Street location between 9 and 10 p.m. tonight. All you have to do is wait for it outside.
“We like to do it on the coldest night of winter,” said marketing director Basha Cohen, noting that forecasts call for near-single-digit temperatures at 9 p.m. Tuesday night. “And we always go through a boatload of them. We have to say to people, ‘Go back to bed! Get warm!’ It’s hilarious.”
The flavors — Salted Oreo, Vanilla, Strawberry and 16th St. Chocolate — are among Little Man’s most popular, which explains why people line up down the block, Cohen said. Little Man has prepared about 300 pints for the flash-sale (limit one per person) and after that, well, you’re out in the cold.
“We may do something like this in the future at Sweet Cooie’s (a Little Man sister location), but this one’s unique to Little Man,” Cohen said. “So many people come that the line goes all the way up to Umatilla Street” — one block to the west of Little Man.
Brave the cold, get some cheap treats. Sounds like a simple deal.
“Who wants to watch bad news when you could be eating good ice cream?” Cohen added.
Indeed, Little Man. Indeed.
[Read More …]
You can score a $1 pint of Little Man Ice Cream tonight (even Salted Oreo) — if you’re willing to freeze for it
People often line up by the dozens outside Little Man Ice Cream, the Lower Highland shop whose larger-than-life milk jug has acted as a delicious beacon since it opened a decade ago.
Even in the freezing cold.
As it has for the past five years, Little Man is putting customer loyalty to the test by offering $1 pints at its 2620 16th Street location between 9 and 10 p.m. tonight. All you have to do is wait for it outside.
“We like to do it on the coldest night of winter,” said marketing director Basha Cohen, noting that forecasts call for near-single-digit temperatures at 9 p.m. Tuesday night. “And we always go through a boatload of them. We have to say to people, ‘Go back to bed! Get warm!’ It’s hilarious.”
The flavors — Salted Oreo, Vanilla, Strawberry and 16th St. Chocolate — are among Little Man’s most popular, which explains why people line up down the block, Cohen said. Little Man has prepared about 300 pints for the flash-sale (limit one per person) and after that, well, you’re out in the cold.
“We may do something like this in the future at Sweet Cooie’s (a Little Man sister location), but this one’s unique to Little Man,” Cohen said. “So many people come that the line goes all the way up to Umatilla Street” — one block to the west of Little Man.
Brave the cold, get some cheap treats. Sounds like a simple deal.
“Who wants to watch bad news when you could be eating good ice cream?” Cohen added.
Indeed, Little Man. Indeed.
[Read More …]
National Margarita Day: Where to find drink specials around the Front Range Feb. 22
Did you know that, at least according to a survey conducted by nationaltoday.com, 67 percent of Americans prefer frozen margaritas to on the rocks? And that 65 percent want their rims nice and salty? This matters, because Thursday, Feb. 22 is National Margarita Day, which is our chance to get tipsy off of honor the sweet-tart tequila beverage.
Whether you like slushies, salt or sugar, we can all agree that we like margaritas best when they’re cheap. Or better yet, free! Here’s where to make Margarita Day memories (or Margarita Day can’t-remembers) with deals around the Front Range.
Cochino Taco – An Abe Lincoln (that’s $5 in case you haven’t used cash money in years) will get you an Exotico Reposado margarita, frozen Paloma or frozen margarita all day at Cochino. 3495 S. Downing St., Englewood, 720-573-6174; cochinotaco.com
Chipotle – As far as we know, Chipotle’s margaritas have never made anyone sick. Get them half-off all day for Margarita Day. Various locations; chipotle.com
Que Bueno Suerte! – Break out of your basic lime margarita box with buy one, get one deals on flavors like raspberry jalapeño, blueberry mint and prickly pear. 1518 S. Pearl St., Denver, 720-642-7322; qbsuerte.com
Voodoo Doughnut Mile High – It’s not a drink, but we know you’re not turning down free Jose Cuervo-infused, margarita-inspired doughnuts. Get the lemon jelly-filled, vanilla frosted, lime dusted and white sprinkled (like a salted rim, get it?) doughnuts while they’re hot — and available. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. 1520 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 303-597-3666; voodoodoughnut.com
El Jefe – Get thyself to a free tequila tasting with Casa Noble from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at El Jefe. Then get thyself $6 coconut, strawberry and jalapeño margs and $2 tacos from the happy hour menu. 2450 W. 44th Ave., Denver, 720-389-7615; eljefedenver.com
Centro Mexican Kitchen – All day long, enjoy $4 margaritas and $2 Post Brewing Co. Top Rope Mexican lagers at Centro. Bonus: From 7 p.m.-close, take $3 shots of Suerte Blanco. When is close? Nobody knows on Margarita Day. 950 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-442-7771; centromexican.com
Lola Coastal Mexican – It’s 1,2,3 at Lola: $1 Blancos, $2 Reposados and $3 Anejo margaritas all night long. (Opens at 4 p.m.) You can learn something, too. Bartenders will be giving margarita-making lessons every half hour from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. 1575 Boulder St., Denver, 720-570-8686; loladenver.com
Zolo Southwestern Grill – The first 100 mini Mezcal margaritas are — wait for it — free! Doors open at 11 a.m., so we know where you’ll be for lunch. 2525 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-449-0444; zologrill.com
Los Chingones – Each Chingones will have five different margaritas on special for $5 each. We do not advise trying them all, but it’s your life to live. Various locations; loschingonesmexican.com
[Read More …]
National Margarita Day: Where to find drink specials around the Front Range Feb. 22
Did you know that, at least according to a survey conducted by nationaltoday.com, 67 percent of Americans prefer frozen margaritas to on the rocks? And that 65 percent want their rims nice and salty? This matters, because Thursday, Feb. 22 is National Margarita Day, which is our chance to get tipsy off of honor the sweet-tart tequila beverage.
Whether you like slushies, salt or sugar, we can all agree that we like margaritas best when they’re cheap. Or better yet, free! Here’s where to make Margarita Day memories (or Margarita Day can’t-remembers) with deals around the Front Range.
Cochino Taco – An Abe Lincoln (that’s $5 in case you haven’t used cash money in years) will get you an Exotico Reposado margarita, frozen Paloma or frozen margarita all day at Cochino. 3495 S. Downing St., Englewood, 720-573-6174; cochinotaco.com
Chipotle – As far as we know, Chipotle’s margaritas have never made anyone sick. Get them half-off all day for Margarita Day. Various locations; chipotle.com
Que Bueno Suerte! – Break out of your basic lime margarita box with buy one, get one deals on flavors like raspberry jalapeño, blueberry mint and prickly pear. 1518 S. Pearl St., Denver, 720-642-7322; qbsuerte.com
Voodoo Doughnut Mile High – It’s not a drink, but we know you’re not turning down free Jose Cuervo-infused, margarita-inspired doughnuts. Get the lemon jelly-filled, vanilla frosted, lime dusted and white sprinkled (like a salted rim, get it?) doughnuts while they’re hot — and available. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. 1520 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 303-597-3666; voodoodoughnut.com
El Jefe – Get thyself to a free tequila tasting with Casa Noble from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at El Jefe. Then get thyself $6 coconut, strawberry and jalapeño margs and $2 tacos from the happy hour menu. 2450 W. 44th Ave., Denver, 720-389-7615; eljefedenver.com
Centro Mexican Kitchen – All day long, enjoy $4 margaritas and $2 Post Brewing Co. Top Rope Mexican lagers at Centro. Bonus: From 7 p.m.-close, take $3 shots of Suerte Blanco. When is close? Nobody knows on Margarita Day. 950 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-442-7771; centromexican.com
Lola Coastal Mexican – It’s 1,2,3 at Lola: $1 Blancos, $2 Reposados and $3 Anejo margaritas all night long. (Opens at 4 p.m.) You can learn something, too. Bartenders will be giving margarita-making lessons every half hour from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. 1575 Boulder St., Denver, 720-570-8686; loladenver.com
Zolo Southwestern Grill – The first 100 mini Mezcal margaritas are — wait for it — free! Doors open at 11 a.m., so we know where you’ll be for lunch. 2525 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-449-0444; zologrill.com
Los Chingones – Each Chingones will have five different margaritas on special for $5 each. We do not advise trying them all, but it’s your life to live. Various locations; loschingonesmexican.com
[Read More …]
Prices for Winter Park Express ski train slashed for this weekend in celebration of bountiful snow
With eight inches of fresh snow and more than 50 inches having fallen this month, officials at Winter Park and the Winter Park Express from Union Station decided it was time to celebrate with a “Snow Sale,” slashing prices for the ski train this weekend.
One-way tickets for Saturday and Sunday, if purchased online between 8 a.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday, will be $29 (so $58 round-trip). The standard round-trip fare is $118.
Winter Park officials have been confounded this season by missing Front Range skiers who may have been discouraged by automobile commutes that have been running two and a half hours to the Grand County resort because of weekend traffic backups on Interstate 70.
They also speculated disappointing early season snowfall contributed to the lower numbers, but conditions have improved. Winter Park has received 183 inches for the season, which is 87 percent of normal, and resort spokesman Steve Hurlbert said storms coming this weekend could bring it back to normal-season levels for the date.
The Winter Park Express leaves Denver Saturday and Sunday at 7 a.m. on Track No. 5, arriving at the Winter Park base area around 8:45 a.m. The train departs Winter Park at 4:30 p.m. and arrives at Union Station around 6:30 p.m.
To purchase flash sale tickets, go to amtrak.com/winterparkexpress.
[Read More …]
As e-Commerce Continues to Boom, Distributors Prioritize Brick-and-Mortar Retailers
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
Monday, February 19, 2018
A Denver-area district where you could walk around with to-go adult beverages takes big step toward reality
An effort to bring a 150,000-square-foot entertainment and dining complex to Glendale — a plan that has been repeatedly sidetracked in recent years — this month took its most significant step forward when city leaders approved a development agreement with a Texas company.
Glendale City Council approved the agreement with Lincoln Property Co. on Feb. 6, a deal that could eventually result in 9 ½ acres of city-owned land along the banks of Cherry Creek being transferred to the Dallas-based company as the project, dubbed Glendale 180, gets built out.
The development, which calls for a hotel and 25 bars and restaurants where adults could walk around carrying to-go alcoholic beverages, has been beset by multiple delays in recent years.
A financing agreement between Glendale and Lincoln will have to be negotiated, likely sometime this spring, before any shovels hit the ground, but deputy city manager Chuck Line said this is the furthest along the $175 million project has gotten to date.
“Before, we were barely getting out of the driveway, and now we’re definitely driving down the interstate,” he said.
More specific plans, along with the naming of potential tenants to occupy space inside the project at the southeast corner of East Virginia Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, could be unveiled as early as May, Line said. Glendale leaders agreed to team up with Lincoln last summer to see if it could deliver the project in the city of 5,200 surrounded by Denver.
A previous developer backed out of a potential deal more than two years ago. That followed a high-profile battle between Glendale and the owners of a longtime Persian rug store, who claimed the city planned to exercise eminent domain to take possession of their business for the purposes of building out Glendale 180.
The city denied it ever threatened condemnation and, following several legal challenges, said it would continue to pursue a slightly scaled back project without the acreage that encompasses the rug store.
The city is also talking to the owner of the Staybridge Suites hotel on East Virginia Avenue to see if the hotel wants to be a part of Glendale 180. The hotel sued the city in 2015 over how it formed its Downtown Development Authority, which is the primary financial engine behind the development.
A judge dismissed the suit the following year.
[Read More …]
A Denver-area district where you could walk around with to-go adult beverages takes big step toward reality
An effort to bring a 150,000-square-foot entertainment and dining complex to Glendale — a plan that has been repeatedly sidetracked in recent years — this month took its most significant step forward when city leaders approved a development agreement with a Texas company.
Glendale City Council approved the agreement with Lincoln Property Co. on Feb. 6, a deal that could eventually result in 9 ½ acres of city-owned land along the banks of Cherry Creek being transferred to the Dallas-based company as the project, dubbed Glendale 180, gets built out.
The development, which calls for a hotel and 25 bars and restaurants where adults could walk around carrying to-go alcoholic beverages, has been beset by multiple delays in recent years.
A financing agreement between Glendale and Lincoln will have to be negotiated, likely sometime this spring, before any shovels hit the ground, but deputy city manager Chuck Line said this is the furthest along the $175 million project has gotten to date.
“Before, we were barely getting out of the driveway, and now we’re definitely driving down the interstate,” he said.
More specific plans, along with the naming of potential tenants to occupy space inside the project at the southeast corner of East Virginia Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, could be unveiled as early as May, Line said. Glendale leaders agreed to team up with Lincoln last summer to see if it could deliver the project in the city of 5,200 surrounded by Denver.
A previous developer backed out of a potential deal more than two years ago. That followed a high-profile battle between Glendale and the owners of a longtime Persian rug store, who claimed the city planned to exercise eminent domain to take possession of their business for the purposes of building out Glendale 180.
The city denied it ever threatened condemnation and, following several legal challenges, said it would continue to pursue a slightly scaled back project without the acreage that encompasses the rug store.
The city is also talking to the owner of the Staybridge Suites hotel on East Virginia Avenue to see if the hotel wants to be a part of Glendale 180. The hotel sued the city in 2015 over how it formed its Downtown Development Authority, which is the primary financial engine behind the development.
A judge dismissed the suit the following year.
[Read More …]
Cut Time, Not Corners With Link Building
The link building process can be a time-consuming one, causing many webmasters to look for ways to speed it up. If your goal is to acquire quality adult links, and it should be, you’ll find there are many aspects of link building that just take time.
[Read More …]
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Saturday, February 17, 2018
How to Drive a Successful Online Marketing Initiative
The whole wide world exists online. At least, that’s how it feels in the adult industry, which tends to thrive in the more private, underground spaces the internet provides.
[Read More …]
Friday, February 16, 2018
Seen: Colorado Business Hall of Fame inducts new members
Some of the world’s most successful businesses start on a wing and a prayer. Barbara Grogan’s Western Industrial Contractors began in 1982 when she paid $500 for a 1969 orange pickup truck and set up shop in rented space on an unpaved street in Denver.
She hit the ground running. Within months, her company made a name for itself by winning a sought-after contract to move an entire gasket manufacturing plant from New Jersey to Texas.
And, no, it wasn’t loaded bit by bit into the bed of her trusty truck.
Today, Western Industrial Contractors is one of the nation’s largest industrial construction companies and Grogan is one of the newest members of the Colorado Business Hall of Fame.
Grogan, who also was the first woman to chair the boards of both the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Denver Branch, and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame at its annual gala, a dinner held at the Hyatt Regency Convention Center. The event raises money for Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain and the Chamber.
Other inductees were Jim Johnson and his father, the late Gil E. Johnson; Bill Pauls; Dick Saunders; the late Philip and Adolph Zang, and the late Joseph Kernan Weckbaugh.
Gil E. Johnson founded G.E. Johnson Construction Co., a firm considered the largest locally owned and operated commercial builder in Colorado Springs, and one of the largest in the Rocky Mountain region. His son, James E. “Jim” Johnson, joined the company in 1976 and was named president and chief executive officer in 1997.
The company has built, expanded or renovated all or portions of the Springs’ best-known structures, including the U.S. Olympic Training Center, the Broadmoor Hotel, Pikes Peak Center, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Pikes Peak Community College and Penrose Hospital.
The Johnson family, said master of ceremonies Gregg Moss, “was born to build.”
Bill Pauls, a native of Canada, graduated college with a chartered accountant designation and eventually became a national partner with Deloitte Haskins and Sells. In 1979, he led an investment group that acquired the Denver Technological Center. The same team went on to develop millions of square feet of office space and hundreds of acres of land in south Denver.
In 1989, he started PAULS, an investment and real estate company with holdings in Denver and 12 other cities in the U.S. and Canada. With Verna, his wife of 52 years, Bill supports numerous worthy causes in Denver, including the Denver Art Museum, Colorado UpLift and Project C.U.R.E.
Dick Saunders left his home on the East Coast to enroll at the University of Denver. “I wasn’t a good student; I didn’t like going to class,” he recalled in his acceptance remarks. Which led to “me getting kicked out in my third year there.”
After working as a construction laborer, carpenter, concrete foreman, painter and finish carpenter for various firms, he joined R.N. Fenton Construction as a trainee. Ten years later, he was promoted to office manager and then vice president.
An entrepreneur at heart, Saunders left Fenton Construction and founded Saunders Construction, a name associated with some of the largest projects in the region. They include schools, hotels, parking structures, mixed-use developments and municipal buildings.
The icing on the cake? “Thirty years after DU kicked me out, they made me an honorary dean.”
Like Pauls and Grogan, Saunders is committed to giving back by serving on boards like ACE Scholarships, the Institute for Children’s Mental Disorders and Colorado Ballet.
Wally Weckbaugh represented his father, inductee Joseph Kernan Weckbaugh, who died in 1988. “He worked so tirelessly for the benefit of others,” Wally said. “He sought out people who needed help and cut more ribbons than we could ever count.”
The elder Weckbaugh had a key role in bringing Braniff Airlines to the Western Mountain District and was the founder of four banks that became First Colorado Bankshares Inc., the first bank holding company in the 10th Federal Reserve District. The grandson of businessman/philanthropist John Kernan Mullen, he also helped start Junior Achievement in Colorado and was appointed a Knight of St. Gregory by Pope John XXIII.
The Zang name is perhaps best associated with beer. Philip Zang was born in Aschaffenburg, Germany; his father, John, was part of an old Bavarian family that took part in the Napoleonic wars and joined Napoleon himself on his march to Moscow.
Philip Zang was 14 when he began working as a brewer in Germany. He came to America in 1853, eventually making his way to Denver, where he purchased Rocky Mountain Brewing Co. and changed its name to Philip Zang & Co., growing it to the largest of its kind west of St. Louis.
Zang’s son, Adolph, who died in 1916, worked alongside his father, expanding their holdings to include gold mining, investments and developing one of the largest financial institutions in the West: the German American Trust Company of Denver. Their Vindicator mine in Cripple Creek was one of the region’s most productive.
Robin Wise, president/CEO of Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain, and her counterpart at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Kelly Brough, were pleased to see the Hyatt Regency’s ballroom filled with so many of those previously inducted. Among them: Jake Jabs, Curt Fentress, Sam Gary, Eddie and Dick Robinson, Barry Hirschfeld, Joe Blake, Terry Considine, Don Kortz, Dan Ritchie, Bob Tointon; Cathey Finlon and Bruce Benson.
Other guests included Denise Burgess, chair of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce board; John Freyer, president of Land Title Guarantee Co. and chair of the 2018 selection committee; Buz Koelbel, whose father, the late Walter Koelbel, was inducted in 2001; Tanga Alexander, the regional private wealth manager for event underwriter UMB Bank; Doug Friednash, chair of the national political strategies practice at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck; John and Carol Saeman; Paul and MJ Powers; and Angela Lieurance, and Steve Kinsley, president of Kinsley Meetings.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, partiwriter@hotmail.com and @joannedavidson on Twitter
[Read More …]
Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Thrive Thanks to Human Touch
If you can bear to lift your head from the hypnotic glow of your smartphone, you might just learn something. Modernized pleasure boutiques are on a mission to bring back the age-old tradition of interpersonal communication, all so you can find the perfect sex toy.
[Read More …]
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Q&A: Douglas Richter Takes Flight With Supermen.com
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
Colorado native Paige Spiranac talks Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, using her recognition to squash cyber-bullying
Paige Spiranac could hardly contain herself.
The 24-year-old golfer and Colorado native, already an Instagram star thanks in part to her curve-baring photos, had nabbed a spot in Sports Illustrated’s famed swimsuit edition. But she couldn’t tell her family.
“I do a lot of stuff with golf.com and they’re the (Sports Illustrated) people, so we had already been talking about it,” Spiranac said over the phone from New York City on Wednesday. “And then I found out I was going to be in it in June or July, and we shot the photos in November. But it was hard not to be able to tell anyone. I only told my parents and my sister, and maybe one or two friends. I didn’t want to ruin the secret.”
The jig was up last week, however, when images from Spiranac’s beach shoot popped up online, sending a flood of new eyes to her Instagram (now with 1.3 million fans) and Twitter accounts (with 186,000 followers).
Since then she’s been fielding congratulations, giving interviews and responding to critics — including former ESPN reporter Britt McHenry — who feel that appearing in a bikini makes it harder for women athletes to be taken seriously, even as Spiranac counters that argument with assertions of body positivity and empowerment.
We caught up with Spiranac on Valentine’s Day, 24 hours after the #MeToo-themed swimsuit issue, with some models scrawling relevant phrases on their bodies, hit newsstands. The interview was edited for length and clarity.
Q: So how has the interview gauntlet been? And just as important, the social media gauntlet?
A: It’s been great. Some of my pictures actually came out a week before the official launch, so I did a lot of my media earlier. This week has been really about meeting all the girls — the models and other athletes (in the issue). It’s been fun because you see them on social media and you feel like you know them, but you really don’t. In person they’ve seen so nice.
Q: You live in Arizona but I understand you’re originally from Colorado.
A: I was actually born in Golden and spent time in Denver, then moved to Monument from about 4th grade until sophomore year of high school. After that I moved to Scottsdale (Ariz.) to pursue golf full-time.
Q: Colorado courses weren’t cutting it?
A: The golf courses are great in Colorado, it’s more the weather. You can’t play year-round, so we would go back and forth for a little bit, but once my sister went to college my family decided to move to Arizona. I really like it and I’m still there, but I do miss Colorado.
Q: What kind of influence did Colorado have on you?
A: I come from a very athletic family, so sports and staying healthy and fit has always been a priority for me. My mom was a ballet dancer, my dad played football and my older sister Lexie, who still lives in Colorado, ran track at Lewis Palmer High School. She was a (Class 5A) state champion high-jumper. In Colorado it’s all around you: everyone eats really healthy, and there are so many hiking trails and everyone’s always outside. I hope to move back there one day.
Q: Your Twitter spat with Britt McHenry generated a lot of internet hot takes this week. Has it been difficult defending yourself against critics?
A: I actually think it’s been really positive for the most part. This is a very empowering, body-positive issue. They’re letting the women speak and have a voice and not just be models. Our opinions may differ, but we’re trying to find common ground and hear each side respectfully. It’s the same with that Twitter exchange, at the end of it we found common ground. That’s all I’m trying to do. I’m not saying every woman has to be in a bikini to feel empowered, but some women feel empowered that way, and it’s not your right to tell them they can’t do that if that’s how they feel at their best. And on our side, we can’t tell people they have to strip down to feel powerful.
Q: Are you worried, as some have charged, that appearing naked or in a bikini will lead people to take you less seriously as an athlete?
A: Yeah, I mean, I get that people who are No. 1 in the world always get criticized for what they’re doing, so obviously I’m going to be criticized as well. But I’m not trying play professionally at the moment. I’m just trying to create really fun content and get more people involved in the game of golf, so I think once they see that and see me not just as a pro golfer, there’s less (harshness).
Q: And I know you’ve spoken out about cyber-bullying recently, having gotten death threats for “sexualizing golf,” which led you to some dark places (Spiranac this month told The Guardian she was “bullied so bad to the point that I didn’t want to live anymore”).
A: It’s a cause that’s really important to me and it’s opened up this new path that I’m really enjoying. I can speak out about it from a place of passion, and that’s important to me.
Q: So what’s next for you?
A: The issue is out and everything launched on the website yesterday, so I’m just focusing on that. And then continuing to use my platform to speak about anti-bullying and… we’ll go from there? I’m just enjoying this experience. It’s such an amazing opportunity and my mind is just trying to take all of this in. I hope everyone picks up an issue — and that they see a little bit past just the girls in bikinis.
[Read More …]
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
O.school Brings Pleasure to the People Through Live Streaming
Imagine sex-positive sexual education that preaches neither heteronormative relations nor abstinence — one that teaches not only basic anatomy and disease prevention, but also encourages the reclamation of sexual pleasure after trauma and the shameless expression of curiosities.
[Read More …]
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Q&A: KendraSummer Dominates Most Seductively
KendraSummer leads a life filled with riches, not only from the glimmering coins her fans lavish upon her, but also from the inner wealth of confidence and self-determination her cam modeling career inspires.
[Read More …]
Monday, February 12, 2018
The Lure of Big-Ticket Items During Couples’ Retail Season
St. Valentine’s Day is all about romance, sex and (obvs) sex toys, and it’s the ideal time of year for shoppers to consider big-ticket items and out-of-the-box products marketed for better, next-level sex.
[Read More …]
Sunday, February 11, 2018
How to Take Cam ‘Freeloaders’ to Private Chat
Welcome to the New Year, models! I’m happy to start this new year strong, as I’m sure you are too. I just spent a week in Bucharest and I had a bit of a revelation when I was there, where webcam models are still going strong after 10 years. They all look great still, so kudos to them on that!
[Read More …]
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Can Pleasure Product Reviews Be Sex-Negative?
The MIMIC was released in January 2017 and with its release came immediate success. We spent all of the previous year developing this product and getting out on the road to showcase our upcoming vibrator.
[Read More …]
What Cam Models Ultimately Sell Is Intimacy
Through video chat, you can earn a large sum of money in a relatively short amount of time, especially if you are filled with desire and ambition for long-term camming success. Having worked in this field for over 10 years, I know that a cam model’s earning potential doesn’t stop at $3,000 a month … you can reach over $20,000 a month, and beyond!
[Read More …]
Friday, February 9, 2018
Seven chocolate shops in Colorado creating small-batch, hand-made treats
Chocolate is big business this week, with an estimated 58 million pounds of it being sold for Valentine’s Day. But why hand over your hard-won dollars to Big Chocolate when Colorado produces so many local options?
You probably know the names of some of our storied, long-time local chocolatiers. Most famously, there’s Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, the now-international franchiser that began as a tiny shop in Durango back in 1981. Hammond’s Candy Factory opened in Denver nearly a century ago, and the very first treat it ever produced was — you guessed it — chocolate.
But there are also lots of smaller shops, ones that you may not know the names of; operations run by tinkering scientists and the chocolate-obsessed. They’re creating small-batch, hand-made delicacies that just might revolutionize your relationship with the dark stuff. (And the white stuff, and the milk stuff.)
Phil Simonson opened Chocolate Lab in 2010 with a truffle recipe created by his husband. Over the past eight years, thanks to customers’ increased appetite for everything chocolate, he’s grown his operation from just those truffles to a full-on chocolate bounty, and last year he even added a savory, choco-centric restaurant. (Think bourbon-chocolate barbecue sauce poured over pulled pork and quinoa salad tossed with chocolate balsamic.)
“There are a lot of local chocolatiers here in town, and when we’re all together at the festivals we all talk about it (the increased local demand) and see the growth. A lot of our customers say they won’t shop at the big chains anymore because the quality isn’t as good as what they can get at the local shops,” Simonson said.
C’mon. Your Valentine is worth so much more than a grocery-store-bought box of Russel Stover’s or Hershey’s. Save them from the scourge that is mass-produced chocolate and instead pick up some treats from these local chocolatiers.
Roberta’s Chocolates
In addition to chocolate cards, suckers, boxes, patties, bars and truffles, Roberta’s Chocolates also makes custom candies with its 10,000-plus molds, just in case your Valentine absolutely must have a chocolate iPod.
What to buy: A heart-shaped box made entirely out of chocolate, then filled with more chocolate.
4840 W. 29th Ave., Denver, 303-824-2069; robertaschocolates.com
Nuance Chocolate
Not only is all of the chocolate made on-site at Nuance’s Old Town Fort Collins factory (its café is just two blocks away), but the cacao beans are roasted and ground right there, too. That means more fresh options than you can shake a chocolate stick at, including our new favorite three words: chocolate taster flight.
What to buy: The limited-supply ambrosia truffles, made with local honey and rose petals.
214 Pine St., Fort Collins, 970-484-2330; nuancechocolate.com
Piece, Love & Chocolate
It’s pretty much Valentine’s Day year-round at Boulder’s Piece, Love & Chocolate. The store is always an explosion of hearts and chocolate, a physical manifestation of owner Sarah Amorese’s passion for the sweet stuff. Inspired by European chocolate shops, Amorese brought that quaint, magical feel to Pearl Street — along with her own pizzazz and imaginative treats.
What to buy: You can get everything from truffles to sipping chocolate to chocolate-covered potato chips, but the hand-sculpted chocolate roses are a V-Day staple.
805 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-449-4804; pieceloveandchocolate.com
Chocolate Lab
Here’s something sexy for Valentine’s Day: Chocolate Lab was tapped by Universal Studios to create a specialty box of chocolates for the movie premiere of “Fifty Shades Freed.” The Fifty Shades flavors include Seduction (Zinfandel dark chocolate cake) and Climax (cinnamon pequin chile). If your chocolate cravings can’t be tamed by dessert alone, Chocolate Lab also has a chocolate-centric regular food menu. Chocolate: It’s what’s for dinner.
What to buy: You know you want that Fifty Shades-themed chocolate box.
2504 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 720-536-5037; chocolatelabdenver.com
Miette et Chocolat
Anyone who’s seen the massive chocolate sculptures created by chefs David Lewis and Gonzo Jimenez has most certainly fallen in love at first sight. But since chocolate is an inanimate object and cannot return your affections, better to gift Miette et Chocolat’s from-scratch chocolate creations to someone who can.
What to buy: Heart-shaped bon bons, or pretty much anything from this Stanley Marketplace dessert shop.
2501 Dallas St., Aurora (inside Stanley Marketplace), 303-658-0861; mietteetchocolat.com
Robin Chocolates
Robin Autorino is a highly unlikely chocolatier — in addition to having an un-sweet tech and military background, Autorino is allergic to an ingredient found in most mass-produced chocolate — but no matter, her creations are delicious little works of art. They’re so beautiful that you may not want to eat them, but that would be silly because it’s chocolate and you must always eat the chocolate.
What to buy: The Valentine’s Day Collection, featuring six or 12 heart-shaped chocolates in flavors like rosemary caramel and passionfruit honey.
600 Airport Road, Longmont, 720-204-8003; robinchocolates.com
The Chocolate Therapist
Julie Pech has made it her life’s mission to educate people on the health benefits of eating chocolate. To write her book, “The Chocolate Therapist, A User’s Guide to the Extraordinary Health Benefits of Chocolate,” she dug through hundreds of scientific research papers on chocolate’s advantages. And who are we to argue with science? No one, that’s who, so eat the chocolate and be a healthier (and happier) version of yourself.
What to buy: All-natural chocolate lollipops molded into cute shapes like koala bears and hearts.
2560 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-795-7913; thechocolatetherapist.com
[Read More …]
Seven chocolate shops in Colorado creating small-batch, hand-made treats
Chocolate is big business this week, with an estimated 58 million pounds of it being sold for Valentine’s Day. But why hand over your hard-won dollars to Big Chocolate when Colorado produces so many local options?
You probably know the names of some of our storied, long-time local chocolatiers. Most famously, there’s Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, the now-international franchiser that began as a tiny shop in Durango back in 1981. Hammond’s Candy Factory opened in Denver nearly a century ago, and the very first treat it ever produced was — you guessed it — chocolate.
But there are also lots of smaller shops, ones that you may not know the names of; operations run by tinkering scientists and the chocolate-obsessed. They’re creating small-batch, hand-made delicacies that just might revolutionize your relationship with the dark stuff. (And the white stuff, and the milk stuff.)
Phil Simonson opened Chocolate Lab in 2010 with a truffle recipe created by his husband. Over the past eight years, thanks to customers’ increased appetite for everything chocolate, he’s grown his operation from just those truffles to a full-on chocolate bounty, and last year he even added a savory, choco-centric restaurant. (Think bourbon-chocolate barbecue sauce poured over pulled pork and quinoa salad tossed with chocolate balsamic.)
“There are a lot of local chocolatiers here in town, and when we’re all together at the festivals we all talk about it (the increased local demand) and see the growth. A lot of our customers say they won’t shop at the big chains anymore because the quality isn’t as good as what they can get at the local shops,” Simonson said.
C’mon. Your Valentine is worth so much more than a grocery-store-bought box of Russel Stover’s or Hershey’s. Save them from the scourge that is mass-produced chocolate and instead pick up some treats from these local chocolatiers.
Roberta’s Chocolates
In addition to chocolate cards, suckers, boxes, patties, bars and truffles, Roberta’s Chocolates also makes custom candies with its 10,000-plus molds, just in case your Valentine absolutely must have a chocolate iPod.
What to buy: A heart-shaped box made entirely out of chocolate, then filled with more chocolate.
4840 W. 29th Ave., Denver, 303-824-2069; robertaschocolates.com
Nuance Chocolate
Not only is all of the chocolate made on-site at Nuance’s Old Town Fort Collins factory (its café is just two blocks away), but the cacao beans are roasted and ground right there, too. That means more fresh options than you can shake a chocolate stick at, including our new favorite three words: chocolate taster flight.
What to buy: The limited-supply ambrosia truffles, made with local honey and rose petals.
214 Pine St., Fort Collins, 970-484-2330; nuancechocolate.com
Piece, Love & Chocolate
It’s pretty much Valentine’s Day year-round at Boulder’s Piece, Love & Chocolate. The store is always an explosion of hearts and chocolate, a physical manifestation of owner Sarah Amorese’s passion for the sweet stuff. Inspired by European chocolate shops, Amorese brought that quaint, magical feel to Pearl Street — along with her own pizzazz and imaginative treats.
What to buy: You can get everything from truffles to sipping chocolate to chocolate-covered potato chips, but the hand-sculpted chocolate roses are a V-Day staple.
805 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-449-4804; pieceloveandchocolate.com
Chocolate Lab
Here’s something sexy for Valentine’s Day: Chocolate Lab was tapped by Universal Studios to create a specialty box of chocolates for the movie premiere of “Fifty Shades Freed.” The Fifty Shades flavors include Seduction (Zinfandel dark chocolate cake) and Climax (cinnamon pequin chile). If your chocolate cravings can’t be tamed by dessert alone, Chocolate Lab also has a chocolate-centric regular food menu. Chocolate: It’s what’s for dinner.
What to buy: You know you want that Fifty Shades-themed chocolate box.
2504 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 720-536-5037; chocolatelabdenver.com
Miette et Chocolat
Anyone who’s seen the massive chocolate sculptures created by chefs David Lewis and Gonzo Jimenez has most certainly fallen in love at first sight. But since chocolate is an inanimate object and cannot return your affections, better to gift Miette et Chocolat’s from-scratch chocolate creations to someone who can.
What to buy: Heart-shaped bon bons, or pretty much anything from this Stanley Marketplace dessert shop.
2501 Dallas St., Aurora (inside Stanley Marketplace), 303-658-0861; mietteetchocolat.com
Robin Chocolates
Robin Autorino is a highly unlikely chocolatier — in addition to having an un-sweet tech and military background, Autorino is allergic to an ingredient found in most mass-produced chocolate — but no matter, her creations are delicious little works of art. They’re so beautiful that you may not want to eat them, but that would be silly because it’s chocolate and you must always eat the chocolate.
What to buy: The Valentine’s Day Collection, featuring six or 12 heart-shaped chocolates in flavors like rosemary caramel and passionfruit honey.
600 Airport Road, Longmont, 720-204-8003; robinchocolates.com
The Chocolate Therapist
Julie Pech has made it her life’s mission to educate people on the health benefits of eating chocolate. To write her book, “The Chocolate Therapist, A User’s Guide to the Extraordinary Health Benefits of Chocolate,” she dug through hundreds of scientific research papers on chocolate’s advantages. And who are we to argue with science? No one, that’s who, so eat the chocolate and be a healthier (and happier) version of yourself.
What to buy: All-natural chocolate lollipops molded into cute shapes like koala bears and hearts.
2560 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-795-7913; thechocolatetherapist.com
[Read More …]
2018 Telluride Bluegrass Festival announces additional artists
It’s been a month and a half since the initial lineup for the 45th Telluride Bluegrass Festival was announced. But if you’ve put off buying that straw hat and hula hoop, Planet Bluegrass has a few more reasons to get yourself to the nearest dollar store pronto.
On Friday, the festival released seven additional artists that will join its mud-slapping hootenanny in the beauteous valley town of Telluride.
Tedeschi Trucks Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Bela Fleck & Brooklyn Rider and more will join already-announced names like Sturgill Simpson, Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush Band at this year’s festival.
Tickets to the festival are on sale now and available via bluegrass.com.
Check out the full lineup to the 45th Telluride Bluegrass Festival below. New names are in bold.
2018 Telluride Bluegrass Festival complete lineup
Sam Bush Band
Sturgill Simpson
Emmylou Harris
Telluride House Band featuring Sam, Bela, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan & Stuart
“Live From Here” with Chris Thile (live broadcast)
The Del McCoury Band
Yonder Mountain String Band
Greensky Bluegrass
Leftover Salmon
St. Paul & the Broken Bones
I’m With Her: Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz & Aoife O’Donovan
Tim O’Brien Band
The Jerry Douglas Band
Punch Brothers
Edgar Meyer & Christian McBride
Bela Fleck
The Infamous Stringdusters
The Wood Brothers
Chris Thile
Peter Rowan & the Free Mexican Air Force featuring Flaco Jimenez
Billy Strings
Sugar & The Mint
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Bela Fleck & Brooklyn Rider
Frigg
The Railsplitters
Phoebe Hunt & the Gatherers
The Maes
[Read More …]
2018 Telluride Bluegrass Festival announces additional artists
It’s been a month and a half since the initial lineup for the 45th Telluride Bluegrass Festival was announced. But if you’ve put off buying that straw hat and hula hoop, Planet Bluegrass has a few more reasons to get yourself to the nearest dollar store pronto.
On Friday, the festival released seven additional artists that will join its mud-slapping hootenanny in the beauteous valley town of Telluride.
Tedeschi Trucks Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Bela Fleck & Brooklyn Rider and more will join already-announced names like Sturgill Simpson, Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush Band at this year’s festival.
Tickets to the festival are on sale now and available via bluegrass.com.
Check out the full lineup to the 45th Telluride Bluegrass Festival below. New names are in bold.
2018 Telluride Bluegrass Festival complete lineup
Sam Bush Band
Sturgill Simpson
Emmylou Harris
Telluride House Band featuring Sam, Bela, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan & Stuart
“Live From Here” with Chris Thile (live broadcast)
The Del McCoury Band
Yonder Mountain String Band
Greensky Bluegrass
Leftover Salmon
St. Paul & the Broken Bones
I’m With Her: Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz & Aoife O’Donovan
Tim O’Brien Band
The Jerry Douglas Band
Punch Brothers
Edgar Meyer & Christian McBride
Bela Fleck
The Infamous Stringdusters
The Wood Brothers
Chris Thile
Peter Rowan & the Free Mexican Air Force featuring Flaco Jimenez
Billy Strings
Sugar & The Mint
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Bela Fleck & Brooklyn Rider
Frigg
The Railsplitters
Phoebe Hunt & the Gatherers
The Maes
[Read More …]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)