Loren Escandon's Montera gets invitation to the International Theater Festival in Havana

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 27, 2013
Denver - Montera (http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/montera-one-woman-show-dreams-with-the-international-theatre-festival-in-havana)

Colombian born and raised Loren Escandon has been invited to the International Theater Festival in Havana, Cuba with her play Montera, a story about a woman with big dreams and a crude reality, a sexual worker from the streets of Madrid.

The play was written by Loren Escandon and directed by Marisol Rozo and it is performed by Loren in a solo act.

Loren is the winner of the 2013 New York Latin Ace Award for best actress in an uni-personal or solo performance/show.

Marisol Rozo is the winner of one of the prizes for best direction of the XI Theater National Competition for City Stage Female Directors Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid.

Together they are raising funds to be able to bring the play to the theaters of the world. For contributions go to the website 

"This play was born from a picture. It was a woman in her golden years sitting in front of door, her chair was a piece of cardboard. With a cigarette in hand and a see-through blouse, she looked like a vision of empowerment, sensuality and loneliness in a desolate street in Madrid. I had the opportunity to meet this character and discover she was a woman full of dreams, with a husband, friends and kids and her profession... was the oldest of them all. She was a Sexual worker. Well, she rather call it by its name, She was a prostitute."
                                                                                                             Loren Escandon

Loren is the co-author of The Denver Scene blog and we are very proud of her achievements and hope to see her dreams of bringing Montera to the world.
                                                                                                           Paula Thomas

OUR BEVERLY HILLS IS HAVING A PARTY!

I remember the first quote I ever read before moving to Denver about Cherry Creek North was “the Beverly Hills of Denver” I am not too sure about that. 

I think that statement is a little over the top. Certainly the neighborhood is beautiful. It has a concentration of great cafes, restaurants with very respectable reputation and houses an important number of the world best known stores like Tiffany &Co, Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus and more. It is an appealing neighborhood with new condos and Victorian gated communities that ooze abundance at every corner.

However, I actually think that the vibe in Cherry Creek North is way more loose than Beverly Hills. 

The concentration of shopping in this particular area of the city is grandiose, however, there are more activities than that. The area offers the 22-mile Cherry Creek Bike path connecting Downtown and beyond, enticing hundreds of people, especially during the warmer months, to enjoy a run or a bike ride. A great number of Tennis Courts and Art galleries, make this central vicinity a convenient treasure.

My favorite part about this 16th blocks of fabulousness is actually the fact that they organize one of the most opulent Arts Festival in town. The Cherry Creek Arts Festival.

Larimer Square - TAG of the day

Larimer Square is home to many great restaurants, boutiques, coffee shops and other establishments; if you are from out of town it can get difficult to chose where to stop for a bite to eat. In another post we visited Rioja, a great Spanish inspired restaurant and today we will take a quick tour into Tag restaurant.

Tag and Tag Raw Bar are the two concepts created by chef Troy Guard. Tag features Asian inspired cuisine and that sounded pretty good on a warm Denver afternoon.
The restaurant is hip and trendy, with a modern layout and design, "hipster" bartenders or Mixologist that can concoct fancy drinks, beware in a busy night it can take a while to get one of those to your hands, therefore we forgo the cocktail and go for our beloved Rose wine.




 Drink on hand let's get to the food. The amuse-bouche changes and it is often pretty good, in this case it was a morsel of Smoked Salmon with some delicious cream and dill. Then the decision making begins, since the menu is full of interesting choices one has to do the best to keep oneself from ordering them all.

The appetizers are all great, but I do have a soft spot for dumplings and that was our first course. If you are not a big appetizer lover you can jump to the salads which offer good variety and straightforward flavors.

 Always ask your waiter/waitress for the special of the evening as you can encounter some pretty exciting dishes like the Prosciutto wrapped Monk Fish served along side homemade veggie ravioli and my ultimate favorite spring peas, rich and delicate with a sense of adventure. I am sometimes less adventurous and still love a good chicken dish in this case with a fragrant rice pilaf, veggies and a delicate sauce to tight the entire dish together.

The service is fast and friendly, it is Denver after all and most everyone id friendly so if you are an angry New Yorker you must learn to embrace it. The little patio is a great way to see life pass you by.

Larimer Square has a lot to offer whether you live in Denver or are visiting. Keep checking the blog for more reviews in restaurants, boutiques, and night life info.
 How to get to Larimer Square:
Larimer street in located in the heart of downtown and you can take the E or F light rail lines to either Union Station (E line) or the Convention Center (F line), from Union Station hop on the mall ride bus and get off at the Larimer stop, from the convention center is a quick 3 block walk north and there are other attractions along the way like the Denver Performing Arts and other restaurants and hotels.

By Paula Thomas

From Farm to Table a concept that comes to Fruition

Denver's food scene is in a rapid growth with many new restaurants hitting the market every week. In the midst of a crazy race to try to keep up with it I suggest to stop and look at places that have been in the area for a few years and this week we did just that.

Fruition restaurant, located on 1313 E. 6th avenue, has been a local favorite and with good reason. Chef/Owner Alex Seidel takes pride in the ingredients and techniques used in his kitchen. A few years back he decided to venture into farming and purchased a 10-acre farm south of Denver and Fruition Farm and Creamy was born. The restaurant and farm relationship makes eating at Fruition the window into the world of the chef turned farmer and his vision.

Rioja, A taste of Spain without leaving Denver

 A beautiful, sunny Denver afternoon with a breezy whisper of the summer ahead, a glass of Rose, lovely company and a Spanish inspired dinner.
Sitting outside on Rioja's petit patio in Larimer square can surely make you forget the stress of the day. Framed with flower baskets and the ambiance of this "happening" street, the six table patio embraces a laissez-faire attitude. The food is always outstanding and the service is quite remarkable.

The lunch menu is a smart combination of full entrees and sandwich/salad combos that won't leave you wishing you had order something else. My favorites are Gabe's chronic chicken sandwich ($12.5) and the Colorado Lamb burger ($10.5) both served with a big, perfectly seasoned salad. A great way to enjoy the food and ambiance and don't break the bank.


Dinner is also great, last week we went for a date night before a jazz show at Dazzle.

The appetizer got devoured before I had a chance to snap a picture because who can resist tender, fatty Pork belly on a bed of Madras curry Garbanzo puree. The "Fresh bacon", as you will find it in the menu, will blow your socks off! Our waiter told us of a customer who gets it every time as an appetizer and then a second one after dessert!