AvidLifestyle February 2020 issue

AvidLifestyle.com

FEBRUARY 2020

Pour Your Heart Out Get to know the sweet dreams of area chocolatiers

FEBRUARY 2020 | $8.95

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Who’s behind LONE TREE ARTS CENTER’s leading-edge shows

SLOPE STYLE with SNÖBAHN THE BEST (restaurant) seats in the house

MERCEDES-BENZ GLC300 EXECUTIVE DEMO SPECIALS

Terry Minnick, the GM at Mercedes-Benz of Denver, would like to invite you and all your friends and family to check out our Executive Demo Specials online on the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 and C Class.

With the largest Mercedes-Benz showroom in the region and special finance and lease rates available, we have what you’re looking for.

Visit MercedesBenzofDenver.com and discover our Executive Pre-Owned Inventory.

We’re sure you’ll agree, it’ll fit you like a glove. Surround yourself with luxury beyond compare.

Terry Minnick - General Manager | Phone: (303) 888-3921 | E-Mail: terry.minnick@mercedesbenzofdenver.com 303-759-3400 | 940 South Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80246 M-Sat: 9AM-8PM | Sunday: Closed as Mandated by State Law www.MercedesBenzofDenver.com

YOU’RE INVITED TO PREVIEW THE TRANSFORMATION COMING SOON TO THE COUNTRY CLUB AT CASTLE PINES

The Country Club at Castle Pines invites you to discover more about the $17.1 million amenity and clubhouse expansion that has been approved..

Inquire about our pre-construction golf and social membership opportunities available for a limited amount of time.

CLUBHOUSE EXPANSION - New expanded fine dining, wine room, bar and outside terraces with unrivaled views of Pikes Peak, Devils Head and the Front Range - Complete kitchen renovation and expansion

NEW AMENITIES - Adult and family cliffside pools with cabanas, dining and drink service overlooking Pikes Peak - Warming hut including dining, bar and social space in addition to a club fitness center, movement studio, and deck - Tennis, pickleball and four year-round heated paddle tennis courts - An indoor / outdoor golf teaching center on the range

• DINING AND BAR • KITCHEN • WINE ROOM • CHEFS TABLE

• CLIFFSIDE POOLS • MOUNTAIN VIEWS • CABANAS • POOLSIDE SERVICE

• WARMING HUT • FITNESS • DINING • BAR

• PADDLE TENNIS • PICKLEBALL • TENNIS • GOLF TEACHING CENTER

TOURS AND PREVIEWS BY APPOINTMENT Contact Mark Lewicki, Director of Sales mlewicki@ccofcastlepines.com | 303.660.6807 6400 Country Club Drive

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Castle Rock, CO 80108

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60 N COUNTY HIGHWAY 67 BEAR CREEK RANCH, SEDALIA 4 Bedrooms | 4 Bathrooms | 4,018 FSF | Listed at: $2,975,000

STEVE REDMOND 303-359-7559 sredmond@livsothebysrealty.com

EVA BARKMAN 720-404-4462 ebarkman@livsothebysrealty.com

LIV Sotheby’s International Realty ® is a registered trademark licensed to LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LTD. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated. This information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All pricing pertaining to properties are subject to change. If you have a brokerage relationship with another real estate professional this is not meant as solicitation.

833 GOOD HOPE DRIVE THE VILLAGE AT CASTLE PINES 4 Bedrooms | 4 Bathrooms | 4,863 SF | Listed at: $945,000

WANDA

FORD

720-320-8901 wford@livsothebysrealty.com wandaford.com LIV Sotheby’s International Realty ® is a registered trademark licensed to LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LTD. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated. This information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All pricing pertaining to properties are subject to change. If you have a brokerage relationship with another real estate professional this is not meant as solicitation.

CONTENTS

// february 2020

departments

10 12 17

LAND OF MILK AND HONEY Introducing our magazine mascot. By Kendall Kostelic

ON THE AGENDA A cocktail class, oil painting session, Tony Award- nominated play and more.

DRAM COME TRUE The Cherry Hills whisky collection connoisseurs can’t stop talking about.

By Kendall Kostelic

local f lavors

18 20

TABLE TALK The best restaurant seats on this side of town.

By John Lehndorff

GOLDEN DAYS Inside Castle Pines’ Tony’s Meats and Market’s dry-aging room. By Lori Midson

dwelling well

PHOTO: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

FEATURED

32

24 28

GOING FOR GOLD Special Olympics Colorado makes an impressive difference.

By Laurel Thompson

WAKE UP CALL What you need to know about vitamin IV drips.

By Malissa Stark-Rodenburg

ready to wear

52 54

RUN READY New slope styles, plus gear advice.

NICE RING TO IT Why couples are falling for The Diamond Reserve.

By Dahlia Jean Weinstein

influencers

There are neighbors, and there are Neighbors. Three locals who have made careers and hobbies out of celebrating this area share their favorite hometown haunts.

41 Dessert first will be your motto after meeting these three chocolatiers.

59 62

TAKING THE STAGE Lisa Rigsby Peterson knows how to put on a meaningful show. By Claire Martin

STRETCH GOALS Tim Johnson’s epiphany helps others stay active.

By Lisa Jhung

wayfarers

ON THE COVER: Molten Red Velvet Churros created by Mj Szymanski at Hilton Denver Inverness, available by special request for private events PHOTO: Chad Chisholm, Custom Creations 6

february 2020 // AvidLifestyle

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TAKE US TO TAOS If you’re driving away from I-70, you’re going in the right direction. By Kendall Kostelic

N EW

TOTAL BODY

STRETCH Introducing the

“It’s impossible to compete at this level if you aren’t taking care of your body, and assisted stretching is a big part of my training.”

- Justin Thomas

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Even your choices will have choices.

There is no one-size-fits-all retirement. Find out more at a complimentary lunch and tour. Call 720.432.2911 to schedule.

February 2020 // vol. 1 // no. 11 PRESIDENT/GROUP PUBLISHER Allen J. Walters PUBLISHER Chris Phillips EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jon Rizzi sales, marketing & advertising SENIOR SALES DIRECTOR Craig Hitchcock SALES DIRECTOR Mike Carver ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Hillary Locke Mujica Linda Monroe

4855 South Niagara Street • Denver 80237 720.432.2911 • TheCarillonAtBelleviewStation.com Independent & Assisted Living • Memory Care In the heart of Denver Tech Center

DIGITAL SPECIALIST Drew Kort BUSINESS MANAGER Cindy Palmer art & editorial EDITOR Kendall Kostelic CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jani Duncan Smith ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Chelsea Oglesby INTERNS Lauren Karaba, Brady Pieper CONTRIBUTORS Brittany Anas, E.J. Carr, Chad Chisholm, John Lehndorff, Lisa Jhung, Lori Midson, Claire Martin, Malissa Stark-Rodenburg, Laurel Thompson, Dahlia Jean Weinstein PRINCIPALS Ray L. Baker, C. Don Baker, Dick B. Baker ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: chris@avidlifestyle.com EDITORIAL INQUIRIES AND LETTERS: kendall@avidlifestyle.com CUSTOMER SERVICE: 720.493.1729 MAILING ADDRESS: 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180 Centennial, CO 80112 AvidLifestyle (ISSN 2642-0562) is published twelve times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by Publication Printers Inc. volume 1, number eleven. 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180, Centennial, CO 80112. Order your personal subscription to AvidLifestyle by calling 720-493-1729. Subscriptions are available at the rate of $12 per year. Copyright © 2020 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to AvidLifestyle, 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180 Centennial, CO 80112. The magazine welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material.

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SETTING THE STAGE

where you

LIVE

TALK OF THE TOWN

KNOW SOMEONE who should be featured in AvidLifestyle? Tell me about him or her at kendall@avidlifestyle.com.

Strategically connecting buyers and sellers with the best properties in Colorado.

LAND OF MILK AND HONEY It’s just another day in paradise.

IT TAKES a village two villages, three cities and the thousands of people who live in each to create this unique, close-knit community of ours. If one metropolis were to go missing—say, Lone Tree with its barrier-breaking arts center (pg. 59), Castle Pines with its renowned golf courses or Cherry Hills Village or Greenwood Village with their almost 100 years of powerful history—things would feel incomplete.

And this is why, almost exactly one year ago, we decided to end each AvidLifestyle conte with this little guy: .

A plethora of symbolism has been assigned to bees over the years. But when you get down to the natural mechanics of what these buzzy bugs do on a daily basis, there’s a foundational lesson that’s hard to deny: they, like us, thrive thanks to kinship. They work—hard—as a group. Then, at just the right moment, something sweet happens.

The chocolate makers on pg. 41 could unpack this analogy better than most. (Their creations, I will tell you, rendered my willpower inoperable.) And the locals on pg. 32, each heavily involved in their respective neighborhoods, have a lot of fun taking us on a tour of their favorite activities, hangouts and hidden gems—i.e., the stuff that honeys our hives here.

I could go on and on. ... Frankly, I have a harder time not metaphorizing the intent behind each issue with our bee friend, who goes by the moniker Archibald. In him, our outlook really takes flight.

Here’s to living well,

EX P ERI EN CED, T RU S T E D A DV I S O R .

LUXURY RE A L E S TATE BROKER WITH

Kendall Kostelic

LIV SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

303.921.2964 csanders@livsothebysrealty.com

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PHOTO: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

LOVE

// editor’s letter

Savor every sweet moment.

Snowl

Go Big

GoAurora.org

ON THE AGENDA

// can’t miss events

FEBRUARY PHOTO: MICHAEL AFONSO, UNSPLASH

Feb. 6 and Feb. 20 WINTER CULTURAL SERIES There are two performances left in the Highlands Ranch Community Association seasonal display. On Feb. 6, Denver’s Ballet Ariel will arabesque, cabriole and more to Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Act III of Swan Lake. On Feb. 20, the Denver Pops Orchestra, which has been bringing melodies to the metro area for more than 40 years, are performing with vocalists Suzanne Morrison and Joel Hillan to music by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more.

CHERRY HILLS COMMUNITY CHURCH, Highlands Ranch hrcaonline.org

Through February LOVE YOUR PET DAY VIRTUAL RACE Feb. 20 is Love Your Pet Day. To celebrate, Virtual Run Events is inviting anyone, anywhere to participate in this third annual race. You choose your distance—1 mile, 5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon—and where and when you run. Then send your time to Virtual Run for a completion medal.

Fifteen percent of entry costs, at least, benefit PetSmart Charities. virtualrunevents.com

Feb. 7-8

PHOTO: E.J. CARR

GERALD ALBRIGHT Castle Pines’ prominent jazz musician is playing in a cabaret very close to home, and we can’t get tickets fast enough.

THE SOILED DOVE UNDERGROUND, Denver tavernhg.com

PHOTO: UGALLERY

Feb. 8 LOVE AND SWANS Russian and Armenian artist Nikolay Rizhankov is teaching Coloradans oil painting techniques. Proof this isn’t the typical paint-and-sip event: Rizhankov took first place in professional oil painting for a floral piece at the 52nd annual Fall Art Festival of the Glenwood Springs Art Guild; the annual Lone Tree Art Expo presented him with the Commissioner’s Choice ribbon in 2015; and the artist is a stickler for traditional methods.

ARTISTIC FOX STUDIO artisticfoxstudio.com

there’s more ➼

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Your furniture says a lot about you.

(Things like: Confident. Stylish.

Bold. Daring.)

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DENVER’S ULTIMATE HOME SHOPPING EXPERIENCE. 5445 North Bannock Street (Near I-25 & 58th), Denver, CO • TheShowroom.com

ON THE AGENDA

// can’t miss events Feb. 8

PHOTO: HELEN THOMAS, UNSPLASH

MIXOLOGY: THE ART OF MAKING COCKTAILS Now is your chance to fine-tune those bartending skills. Experts will be set up at four stations—at each, you’ll watch them mix a specialty craft cocktail and then follow the recipe on your own.

Participants vote on a favorite recipe of the night and walk away with a souvenir glass.

SOUTHRIDGE RECREATION CENTER, Highlands Ranch hrcaonline.org

Feb. 21

Feb. 21-March 22 Feb. 21-March 1 DENVER RESTAURANT WEEK For the 16th consecutive year, hundreds of metro Denver restaurants are making the dinner menu extremely easy to plan.

Multicourse meals, crafted to emphasize what each eatery does best, are available for $25, $35 and $45. Make a note of striking wines: area wine and liquor stores are working with the event to have menu vintages in stock. Reservations highly recommended. denver.org/denver-restaurant-week

BAREFOOT IN THE PARK Three-time Tony Award-nominee and subject of the 1967 Jane Fonda-led film of the same name, Barefoot in the Park has made its way to the South Suburbs. Playwright Neil Simon’s mature tale follows a newlywed couple as they learn to live together in their first apartment; no Jane Fonda this time.

TOWN HALL ARTS CENTER, Littleton townhallartscenter.org

Feb. 25 TASTE OF UNCORKED: MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION If you can’t go to the party, bring the party to you.

Come Fat Tuesday, the chefs at Uncorked Kitchen are taking a figurative journey to the bash with shrimp po’ boys, bacon braised mustard greens and beignets. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

UNCORKED KITCHEN uncorkedkitchen.com

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PHOTO: COURTESY MUSEUM OF OUTDOOR ARTS

DENVER BRASS5: AMERICAN SOUNDSCAPE The quintet, part of the larger internationally celebrated Denver Brass ensemble, is taking things back to the beginning for brass instruments at this Music with a Mission show. The tribute explores the styles and places that make the best brass sound (think blues, gospel music, classic and jazz fusion and New York City). Have your “encore!” ready.

GOOD SHEPHERD EPISCOPAL CHURCH gshep.org

Feb. 24-June 13

RAUSCHENBERG REFLECTIONS AND RUMINATIONS Made up of more than 50 original pieces by American painter and graphic artist Robert Rauschenberg, the MOA’s newest exhibit marks the largest solo Rauschenberg show in the state. Why that’s a big deal: He has been described by some as the “forerunner of essentially every postwar artistic movement since Abstract Expressionism,” according to his foundation website.

MOA moaonline.org

FOLLOW THE LINK

// what’s online

LET’S GET SOCIAL INSTAGRAM TAKEOVER Curate: A Local Mercantile conducted a tour of its new storefront.

MATZO BALL SOUP

BEHIND THE SCENES OF AN ACCLAIMED JEWISH DELI COME WINTER, The Bagel Deli and Restaurant off Hampden Avenue gets more than a little busy. For the holidays alone, the staff of the well-known eatery can cook up to 10,000 latkes.

Owner “Bagel Joe” Kaplan gives us a glimpse of how it all gets done. avidlifestyle.com

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@avidlifestylemag

THE REST IS HISTORY

// in the making

SCORE A BOTTLE Whisky Auctioneer whiskyauctioneer.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY WHISKY AUCTIONEER

Dram Come True

THE “PERFECT” WHISKY COLLECTION has been in Cherry Hills Village all along.

By Kendall Kostelic TO ALL FRIENDS of the late Richard Gooding who found themselves sampling drams in Gooding’s home “pub”: You should know that an entire industry is currently wishing it could’ve walked a mile in your shoes.

Gooding’s remarkable, primarily single-malt Scotch whisky collection, in other words, has been brought out of hiding and is about to go to auction.

The Cherry Hills Village resident, who passed away in 2014, spent more than 20 years collecting what Whisky Auctioneer has dubbed The Perfect Collection. With more than 3,900 bottles, it’s said to be the world’s largest private whisky assemblage to go on sale. Whisky Auctioneer, a Scotland-based online auction-

eer, is putting the bottles up for bid Feb. 7-17 and April 10-20.

What did Gooding accumulate? “I could go on and on about impressive bottles in Mr. Gooding’s collection—how much time do you have?” says Iain McClune, founder of Whisky Auctioneer. “And impressive doesn’t have to mean expensive. His marquee bottles include two The Macallan 60-year-old whiskies from 1926: one with the Valerio Adami label and the other the Fine and Rare series label. Both of these are ultrarare and have jostled for ‘most expensive bottle of whisky’ status over the last couple of years. There is also an incredibly old vintage of Springbank from 1919, as well as a range of Bowmore bottlings from the iconic year of 1964.” Gooding, the former owner and CEO of Denver’s Pepsi Bottling Company, accrued the largest collections of The Macallan, Bowmore and Springbank whiskies.

Flying in his private plane with his pilot, Kirk, he went in search of some of the world’s rarest bottles, as well as whiskies from lost Scotland distilleries. When he could, Gooding came home with multiple bottles of the same whisky—some to be preserved, some to be tasted with family and friends. The complete flabbergasting set, which could sell for a total of more than $10 million, was displayed in that dedicated home “pub.”

It wasn’t love at first sip for Gooding, but his fervor did develop before the spirit got 17

february 2020 // AvidLifestyle

big, when there wasn’t as much collecting competition. Kirk recalls the two of them going to Scotland’s Talisker and just knocking on the door for tastings and a tour.

Gooding’s favorite variety was Black Bowmore. “I love whiskies distilled on the Isle of Islay in the 1960s,” says McClune.

“This era is referred to as the ‘golden age’ of distilling, with whiskies being highly regarded for quality and taste. Even within this era, we have a huge number of bottles to choose from. But if I could choose just one to open, I’d probably pick out the Ardbeg 1967 oloroso cask bottling from Signatory Vintage Scotch and share with friends.” Better get those whisky glasses ready.

LOCAL FLAVORS

// take a seat

Table Talk THE SOUTH SUBURBS’ TOP RESTAURANT SEATS OFFER DINNER AND A SHOW

By John Lehndorff

PHOTO: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE AND WINE BAR 18

february 2020 // AvidLifestyle

February is a prime time for special dining with Valentine’s Day and Denver Restaurant Week running Feb. 21-March 1 and offering multicourse meals at hundreds of area eateries.

Our nominees for best tables offer good food and service, but also have an X factor elevating the crucial experience. Like journalist Calvin Trillin says, “Marriage is not merely sharing the fettuccine, but sharing the burden of finding the fettuccine restaurant in the first place.”

FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE AND WINE BAR Englewood 303.768.0827 flemingssteakhouse.com

VENICE RISTORANTE ITALIANO white truffle oil and polenta) and Cappelletti di Zucca (squash-stuffed ravioli with walnuts and Parmesan). “We like to include filet mignon, fresh seafood like halibut and lobster and wild meats like venison,” Carollo says.

For wine aficionados, the restaurant also boasts 1,200 vintages, 90 percent of which hail from diverse Italian regions.

A great fine dining table must have cozy seats and panoramic sightlines. Fleming’s has several curved burgundy banquette tables ideal for diners with high expectations. Our favorite is the banquette in the middle of the comfy bunch, where diners can scan the entire warmly lit dining room and get a glimpse of white-clad chefs in the kitchen.

Eichenberger can also do a lot with produce thanks to a stint at one of Denver’s best vegetarian eateries, City, O’ City: “I really learned a lot about how to showcase vegetables. I love bringing that to the menu.”

Frankly, the view from any table is great when you’re looking at Fleming’s North Atlantic Lobster Macaroni and Cheese, with smoked cheddar and buttered chipotle crumbs.

VENICE RISTORANTE ITALIANO Greenwood Village 720.482.9191 www.veniceristorante.com For chef and owner Alessandro Carollo and his highly experienced waitstaff, V.I.P. tables and special occasions are a nightly occurrence— they know how to wow. The peak experience is the Chef Table, presented in Venice’s main dining room at one of two seating areas that accommodate groups of different sizes.

Carollo and executive chef Christian Delle Fave design the one-of-a-kind nine-course meal for six to 12 people after consulting with the host. The final selection isn’t unlike the kitchen’s Italian main-menu masterpieces, like Carpaccio d’ Alba con Polenta (thin slices of raw filet mignon with arugula, tart capers,

// take a seat

CHINOOK TAVERN

to share a Nuggets game, tall Paulaner pilsners and a Munich Sausage Platter.

For a small gathering of family or friends, ask for the round dining-room table that’s near a window and directly in front of a fireplace—a perfect people-watching vantage point. Crowds have the most fun inside the Zermatt room.

There, executive chef Markus Georg presents an all-inclusive four-course feast built around the glory that is melted cheese. The meal starts with a dippable classic cheese fondue followed by salad. The main event is raclette, where imported raclette cheese is melted under your own tabletop grill to blanket grilled meats, vegetables and potatoes. The finale is, of course, a shared chocolate fondue.

THERE’S MORE where that came from

PHOTO: JING VIA YELP

Chef partner Kurt Eichenberger’s special menu is available at each table: Chef Kurt’s Table is Eichenberger’s roster of seasonal dishes he prepares in addition to the staple carte. “I like to feature ingredients from Colorado, like Colorado lamb,” he says.

PHOTO: CHINOOK TAVERN VIA FACEBOOK

AS THE OLD real estate maxim goes, only three things matter about a property: location, location … and location. The same is true for restaurants—but not necessarily the physical address. For an important meal, we want the very best seat in the house.

PHOTO: VENICE RISTORANTE ITALIANO VIA YELP

LOCAL FLAVORS

JING

JING Greenwood Village 303.779.6888 jingrestaurant.com The yin and yang of this Landmark destination is clear. As you enter, the dining room to the left is relaxed—a bright, welcoming space ready for Asian fusion main plates such as Peking duck, Miso Seabass and Lobster Cioppino. But the sexiest tables are the curved banquettes deep inside Jing’s dark side, which is to the right. For a second date, head for the upbeat, energetic bar where shared plates like lobster dumplings, XO shishito peppers and Rock Shrimp Tempura are the stars of the menu. Spend at least a round of drinks exploring the well-balanced sake list.

CHINOOK TAVERN Greenwood Village 720.266.6000 chinookdenver.com Top tables come in many flavors at the venerable Chinook Tavern. One choice location is the two seats at the end of the chic bar directly opposite the big-screen TV. It’s the best place 19

february 2020 // AvidLifestyle

IKEA Restaurant: It’s not fine dining, but any table at the IKEA Restaurant inside the store has a trip-to-elsewhere feeling.

It’s also the place to experience fika, the comfy Swedish coffee break tradition designed to help you connect with family and friends, with IKEA’s famous apple cake and cinnamon buns.

Centennial, 888.888.4532, ikea.com Uncorked Kitchen & Wine Bar: Upstairs, dig into interactive dining experiences like a build-your-own meat and cheese board. Downstairs, assemble family and friends in the cozy new Cellar Room for multicourse, chef-prepared menus, cocktail parties or guided wine sampling.

Centennial, 720.907.3838, uncorkedkitchen.com Viewhouse: Any table along the west-facing, second-floor windows qualifies as one of the best spots to take in a glorious Colorado sunset, paired with Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers and a warm Skillet Cookie.

Centennial, 303.790.8440, viewhouse.com

LOCAL FLAVORS

// inside story

Golden Days AT TONY’S MEATS AND MARKET, STEAK NOW ALSO GETS BETTER WITH AGE

By Lori Midson UNMASKED NUTTINESS, a profound scent that mimics a sharp blue cheese, noticeable sweetness, unmistakable richness: “There’s just nothing quite like the taste and characteristics of a dry-aged steak,” says Stefan Kosmicki (pictured). The meat, seafood and produce buyer of Tony’s Meats and Market should know.

Last year, Kosmicki spent nearly eight months designing and conceiving a customized dryaging room at the Castle Pines store, utilizing his 19 years of experience working at the metro area’s three Tony’s locations to build the specialty grocer’s first meat locker. There, cuts of beef, complete with bones and fat caps, are aged uncovered in a humidity-, temperatureand air-controlled glassed room solely dedicated to dry-aging meat.

In this dry-aging process, fresh meat is exposed to air so that it becomes dehydrated and loses a portion of its weight, which concentrates the meat, tenderizes the texture and unearths an intense flavor. Kosmicki likens the practice to the maturation of wine: “Like aging a great bottle, dry-aging beef is a slow evolution that allows the flavors to develop into a complex bite. It also requires time, expertise and a pristine environment.”

PHOTO: COURTESY TONY’S MEATS AND MARKET

The Tony’s locker develops that savory matrix over a minimum of 21 days. The slabs are all bone-in USDA Prime or Choice primal cuts, which weigh at least 18 pounds and mostly yield ribeye steaks and New York strips. But “the sky is the limit,” clarifies the beef baron. “If customers want us to age something specifically to their taste, we can source it and talk about the process.”

And the technique is where the visual magic unfolds. “While we’ve been dry-aging beef behind the scenes for more than 40 years, the

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5280 TOP DENTIST FOR 11 YEARS RUNNING

Transcend Traditional Dentistry We strive to provide an exceptional experience so unique to dentistry that our guests will feel inspired to invite their friends and family.

Our holistic approach offers the best there is in dentistry combined with our patients personal health goals.

VIBRANCE COMPREHENSIVE DENTISTRY 7400 E. CRESTLINE CIRCLE, SUITE 230 GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO 80111

www.vibrancedentistry.com

303-770-1116

LOCAL FLAVORS

PHOTOS: COURTESY TONY’S MEATS AND MARKET

// inside story

new dry-aging room is a great way for us to educate regulars about meat science, have a conversation about the aging process and showcase the beauty of the meats in all their glory,” says Kosmicki.

One of the most appealing perks of the display is that steak connoisseurs get the pick of the crop. “Someone walks in to look in the case, falls in love with a piece of meat, claims it as their own and, during the next three weeks, they can drop by to see the aging as it unfolds,” Kosmicki says. Another fringe benefit: Because the slabs lose up to 15 to 20 percent of their “green weight” (the original mass of the fresh cut) during those weeks, partakers get a discount. “While you have to buy the whole primal—it’s an upfront investment—we give a kickback to compensate for the weight loss.

The case is our answer to buying high-end beef in bulk,” he explains.

CUT AND DRIED Tony’s Meats & Market The Village at Castle Pines 303.814.3888 tonysmarket.com

Once you’ve staked your claim, the meatcounter crew jumps into action. “We’ll trim off the extra fat, cut up the steaks, recommend recipes and cooking instructions and wrap whatever you buy in double-thick butcher paper, which allows for six-to-nine months of freezer time,” Kosmicki says.

If the dry-aging room at the Castle Pines locale is successful—and all signs suggest that it is—Kosmicki predicts the two other Tony’s shops will soon implement dry-aging rooms of their own. “We’re getting a lot of buzz, and we’re definitely looking to grow the program,” he confirms.

And if you’re looking to woo your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, a dry-aged steak—its flesh a come-hither tinge of passion—is the equivalent of a meat poem. “It’s perfect for a Valentine’s Day dinner and just about every other occasion, too,” Kosmicki assures us. An ode to richly marbled New York strips, coming right up.

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DWELLING WELL

// nonprofit to watch

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DWELLING WELL

// nonprofit to watch

Going for GOLD When it comes to having a community-changing impact, SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLORADO sits at the top of the local winners’ podium.

By Laurel Thompson

A LOT HAS CHANGED for Special Olympics in the last 52 years.

The global sports organization serving people with intellectual disabilities went from assembling a small camp in founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s backyard to holding the title as the largest sports nonprofit in the world, helping more than 5 million individuals.

For the Centennial-based Colorado chapter, famous for its annual Polar Plunge fundraiser, and its more than 25,000 local competitors and 10,000 volunteers, life has maybe transformed even more.

PHOTOS: BRIAN JOHNSON PHOTO

“Jeff Clark, our 2019 male athlete of the year, has been competing with Special Olympics for nearly three decades,” says CEO and president Megan Scremin. “In the beginning, he had been waiting to get glasses for more than two years but couldn’t afford an eye exam or prescription glasses—he was using his phone to zoom in on reading materials. We have a health program for our athletes where we provide free health screenings: We were able to get Jeff prescription glasses. Since then, he competes in seven sports with us and has been thriving.”

“It’s been a blessing being involved with Special Olympics,” says Clark. “I get to compete all year now, and get to know other volunteers, athletes and coaches. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without Special Olympics.”

This is one of the few athletic spaces where playing for almost thirty years isn’t a rare occurrence. Special Olympics Colorado’s programs are divided into school-based and community programs with hundreds of teams, which means “anyone between the ages of 2 and 90 can train and compete,” Scremin explains.

“We have some adults who compete well into their 80s.”

When competitors aren’t scoring points, they are taking in leadership experiences, getting health screenings like Clark and

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DWELLING WELL

// nonprofit to watch

SAVE THE DATE Take one of the first POLAR PLUNGES at Aurora Reservoir or Pueblo Reservoir on Feb. 22.

PHOTOS: BRIAN JOHNSON PHOTO

GET INVOLVED

focused services. As an organization, we have trained more than 120,000 health professionals and have conducted more than 1.2 million health screenings globally. In 2019 alone, we provided roughly 1,800 screenings to our local athletes. And that’s really important to us. On average, our athletes die 16 years earlier than typically developing peers. That’s not because of their disability—it’s because of a lack of access to basic healthcare.

Special Olympics Colorado Centennial 720.359.3100 specialolympicsco.org

more. Where else has time taken the Centennial establishment? We asked Scremin to bring us up to speed.

WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND SPECIAL OLYMPICS TODAY? “Our mission is to make sure that people with intellectual differences have the same opportunities as everyone else. We’re very much an organization that is working to create an inclusive society. … We’re here to include every single person, so athletes with intellectual differences and those who are typically developing can compete alongside one another.”

HOW HAS THE UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS PROGRAM GROWN? “The Unified Schools program is our involvement with local schools in the area. Right now, we’re in 400 schools across the state and are impacting 330,000 students. The term ‘unified’ means both typically developing youth and intellectually disabled youth are participating in sports and activities together as a team. We know that school can be a hard place for anyone, but it’s especially hard for students with intellectual differences. They are three to four times more likely to be bullied than their typically developing peers, so inclusion is really important.

“The program is made up of four parts: unified sports, youth leadership, whole school engagement and in-school health programming. … Those involved in sports play a competitive schedule, have fans in the stands, have uniforms and they letter in sports. Not only that, but we also have school rallies and inclusion campaigns where students take a pledge to include others.”

WHEN IS GAME SEASON? “People are always surprised when they ask when Special Olympics games are held and we tell them year-round. We have more than 100 opportunities for our athletes to train and compete each year, and that includes competitions at the regional and state levels. Our most popular sports are basketball, bowling and track and field.”

TELL US ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS SUPPORT. “We provide free health screenings from trained doctors who work with people with intellectual disabilities, among other health26

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“All of the services we provide to athletes are free, which is key because half of our athletes have a household income below the federal poverty level. To put that into perspective, 15 percent of individuals with intellectual differences are employed on average—compare that with Special Olympics athletes and the rate skyrockets to 64 percent.”

WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THE POLAR PLUNGE? “The idea behind the Polar Plunge is that Special Olympics athletes challenge themselves every single day, so, worldwide, we can challenge ourselves for a few quick seconds to raise awareness and funds for the athletes. It’s the largest fundraising series for our chapter, comprised of eight different plunges that take place around the state this month through April. We also have a 5K at the Denver Plunge at Wash Park and at the Aurora Plunge at the Aurora Reservoir. …

We typically raise around $500,000 annually from the Polar Plunge alone. It’s really amazing to watch the community come together and rally around such an amazing cause.”

DWELLING WELL

// healthy habit

Wake Up Call

IV THERAPY has moved beyond revelry recovery

By Malissa Stark-Rodenburg

I WAS TIRED the morning I walked into Onus iV. Really tired. So tired that, in the preceding week, I had developed a habit of taking two naps after work, bookending my dinner.

Luckily, Kristy Anderson, co-founder of Onus iV, had just the solution: A John Myers Cocktail with some glutathione. But instead of sitting at a bar, Anderson showed me to a leather sofa with cushy throw pillows inside The Landmark location. And instead of sliding me a glass with libations, the RN hung an IV bag on a metal stand and secured a needle in my arm.

Then came the waiting—forty minutes in total— which was just enough time to pick Anderson’s brain about Onus iV’s intravenous vitamin therapy.

The John Myers Cocktail (named for the pioneer Johns Hopkins MD himself, who first began administering the concoction to patients) is a mix of vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium and calcium. The vitamins are infused through two supposedly super-beneficial liters of fluid. And the added glutathione is an antioxidant “for immunity, beauty and energy,” Onus iV claims.

Anderson and her husband, Chaz Faulhaber, fell for IV hydration six years ago when they tried it after an intense mountain biking race.

The treatment brought their exhausted bodies back to life and the couple knew immediately they wanted to bring that feeling to Colorado— with the help of Dr. Benjamin Wilks, an ER doctor who handles the science and medical side of the business.

Originally a recovery service for athletes, Onus iV now offers drips for boosting the immune system, muscle recovery, altitude sickness, hangover recovery (the fix that started this trend), to supplement vegetarian diets and more. The entire staff, like Anderson, is ER certified.

Many medical health professionals are unsure of the health benefits of vitamin IV drips, and little scientific evidence exists to quell their uncertainty.

But there are athletes, runners and specialists like Dr. Wilks who see a real benefit to these wellness concoctions: “It has the potential to improve immune health, boost energy levels, enhance overall mood, improve mental clarity and cognitive functioning, combat fatigue, enhance wound healing and much more.”

While waiting for drips to finish, customers are encouraged to relax. As Anderson and I talked, we could hear other infusees laughing together over a sitcom in the next room.

So, how are you feeling?

DAY ONE: Like when you get a massage, Anderson said, my body would release toxins that would culminate in overexertion. But I wasn’t so dead that I couldn’t enjoy a night out.

DAY TWO: I didn’t have Red Bull wings, but I also didn’t take two naps or need a caffeine fix.

DAY THREE: I was focused and efficient.

DAY FOUR: I didn’t endure the traditional afternoon crash.

DAY FIVE: I returned to my baseline energy level. It’s too soon to tell if my system has truly reaped any benefits, though I suspect my extreme fatigue was in response to fighting off a virus that never came. Ask me in the spring how many colds I tolerated in winter.

ALIVE & WELL Onus iV The Landmark 303.658.0445 onusiv.com

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What We

About Where 32

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Love

The best way to discover just how much there is to swoon over in the South Suburbs is to talk with neighbors who have explored where you haven’t. Lend an ear to these three locals.

RENÉE REESE, GREENWOOD VILLAGE

By Laurel Thompson PHOTO: COURTESY RENÉE REESE

ARTISTS OF ALL MEDIUMS flock to Colorado for the scenery and endless sources of inspiration. As far as Renée Reese is concerned, Greenwood Village is that ideal creative space.

The watercolor artist, calligrapher and instructor at Curtis Center for the Arts and Curate: A Local Mercantile decided to call Greenwood Village home with her husband in 2014 when he took a job at Coors Brewing Company.

PHOTO: STEVE GRASSO

Of all the things the area had to offer, Reese says it was the warmth of the people, the overwhelming sense of community and, of course, the arts center that has kept the couple here after her husband’s retirement.

We Live 33

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ONE WAY YOU MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS “I actually carry my Hopscotch Art greeting cards with me so when I really connect with someone new, I can give them a card.

It’s a nice way to form relationships.” hopscotchart.com THE NEARLY PERFECT PARK “William McKinley Carson Park is a beautiful gathering place. I teach a watercolor sketchbook class there every April, May and June. Students can draw the gazebo, goslings, the water under the bridge, the people and an urban environment, because you can see the Denver Tech Center. You can also see the mountains.”

WHEN YOU WANT TO GO ON A SERIOUS HIKE, YOU HEAD TO...

“Saint Mary’s Glacier trail near Idaho Springs in Arapaho National Forest. It’s so exciting because you’re hiking through evergreens and can’t really see where you’re going until you reach the top—you go over a hill and there is this massive glacier.”

BEST VIEW IN TOWN “When I’m running errands in Greenwood Village, I find the view at East Belleview Avenue and South Holly Street captivating.

You look west and get a humbling scene of the Rockies. You really have to try and keep your eyes on the road—or pull over to take it all in.”

THE CHOICEST CUP OF COFFEE IS …

“At Caribou Coffee off of East Hampden

PHOTO: COURTESY RENÉE REESE

PHOTO: COURTESY SAZZA

year-round dish is the Verdi pizza with garlic oil, four cheeses, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, pine nuts and roasted criminis, finished with a balsamic reduction.” sazzarestaurant.com TASTIEST DISH IN GREENWOOD VILLAGE “If I had to pick one thing, I choose the Blackened Shrimp Risotto at YaYa’s Euro Bistro [available seasonally]. To follow up, I like to order the gluten-free Crème Brûlée Trio with chocolate, vanilla and seasonal berry.” yayaseurobistro.com

YOU GO TO DOWNTOWN DENVER TO …

“Browse Larimer Square. My son used to live downtown, so we’d get together and grab a bite to eat, drink coffee and do a little window shopping.”

HIDDEN GEM, REVEALED “Everyone should experience the Madden Museum of Art near Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre. If 34

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PHOTO: COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

BEST RESTAURANT “I’m a super casual person who enjoys simple plates. Sazza has so many tasty pizza combinations I wouldn’t think to make myself.

I also have celiac disease and they have a really good gluten-free crust, which is hard to come by. One of my go-to items in fall is the seasonal pizza topped with pumpkin, but my

PHOTO: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

WHAT’S YOUR GARDEN SPOT? “I find myself at The Hudson Gardens and Event Center often. I go in the summer with a sketchbook to draw lily pads. It has a lot of the same things Denver Botanic Gardens has, but on a smaller scale.” hudsongardens.org

THE MADDEN MUSEUM OF ART

YAYA’S CRÈME BRÛLÈE TRIO

SAZZA

Avenue, which has a warm and cozy atmosphere.

My favorite order is the Mint Condition Mocha.

The drink tastes like a hot version of mint chocolate ice cream. It’s wonderful on a cold winter day.” cariboucoffee.com

you’re going to a concert, get there a few hours early (before parking is taken) and check out the exhibits. Right now the museum is showing In Motion: Selections from the University of Denver Art Collections, on display through May.” maddenmuseum.com

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DOUG TISDALE, CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE

By Kendall Kostelic

The solution: move to the suburb Tisdale has fancied since he was young to get the girls closer to school. “When I was a boy, my parents and I took a road trip from Detroit to Denver.

My parents had friends in Cherry Hills Village, who took us to the Cherry Hills Country Club for lunch,” he says. “Sitting out there, looking at that view, I decided I was coming back here.”

Tisdale has called Chez Patrice, his abode in Cherry Hills Farm, home for more than 30 years. He’s been on the Cherry Hills city council, served as mayor and is now the Regional Transportation District director for District H (which includes Cherry Hills Village, Greenwood Village, Centennial, Littleton, Columbine Valley and Highlands Ranch) and executive vice president of the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. He spends 36

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PHOTO: COURTESY RTD

IT WAS ST. MARY’S ACADEMY—and snow— that made one of Doug Tisdale’s childhood dreams come true. Back in 1987, Tisdale, his late wife, Patricia, and their son and three daughters lived in Aurora. The Tisdales had enrolled their three girls at St. Mary’s, but a harsh winter was making it nearly impossible to get the trio to class. “Because of snowstorms, their bus would often be two to three hours late,” Tisdale recalls.

DOUG TISDALE (LEFT) AND DAVE GENOVA

PHOTO: COURTESY PARKER ARTS PHOTO: THE PALM RESTAURANT GROUP

PHOTO: GREG GILLETT

THE SCHOOLHOUSE

THE PALM

this sort of black hole, and that’s Cherry Hills Village. We have very few city lights—only about six streetlights to be exact. We have a nice view of the stars.”

his free time auctioneering at charity events, performing on the theater stage and reveling in the uniqueness of his city.

THE NEARLY PERFECT PARK “The Alan Hutto Memorial Commons, in John Meade Park, is something I’m proud to say I was able to negotiate as mayor. The Huttos lost a son from disease at a very young age. He was an enthusiastic young boy who was very into the arts. The Huttos also owned acreage by city hall that was vacant. I came to Mr. Hutto wanting to use that land to create a simple performance venue in Cherry Hills so, for example, other kids could have an open-air space to put on shows. We named it after his son.”

BEST VIEW IN TOWN “It’s always fun to fly back into Denver at night because you see all of the city lights and then

FAVORITE WINTER ACTIVITY “My home sits on a hill at the edge of a park. Shortly after we moved in, I found out neighborhood kids like to sled down that hill.

Before I ran for city council, I was the Grumpy Old Man about it. When I got into government, I’d bring the kids hot cocoa, give them my card and say, ‘When you go home, tell your parents the mayor said you can come here anytime you want, but just be very safe.’ It still happens today.”

BEST RESTAURANT “Pino’s Place. Pino is from Italy and used to have a restaurant in Miami, which was the restaurant for the Miami Dolphins. Pino’s has great food, but also a fabulous wine collection: If you’re looking for a good meal but even better wine, Pino’s is the place.” pinosrestaurantgroup.com THE CHOICEST CUP OF COFFEE IS …

“The Campfire Mocha at Caribou Coffee.”

WHERE DO YOU GO FOR DATE NIGHT? “For that, I go downtown to The Palm. It’s where I enjoyed one of the last meals with my late wife. I’m a member of the 837 Club. One of the perks is, when I go to any other city that has a Palm, I can call Denver’s Palm and have them 37

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make a reservation for me. When I get to the new location, it’s like I’m family.” thepalm.com PEOPLE WOULD NEVER GUESS THAT CHERRY HILLS… “Has a shopping center. The stores across South Lafayette Street from the Cherry Hills Medical Plaza create the only retail base in Cherry Hills Village. Most people figure that the area is in Englewood because it’s off of East Hampden Avenue, but it’s actually a little corner of Cherry Hills. I changed the green Englewood street signs to red Cherry Hills signs when I was mayor. You can also see a sign on the intersection’s lamp post that indicates the city limit.”

A MEMORABLE STAGE “Parker Arts’ The Schoolhouse on Mainstreet.

It’s tiny, but I’ve performed my favorite role there: Two years in a row I played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.” parkerarts.org HIDDEN GEM, REVEALED “Cherry Crest Seafood Restaurant and Market has a special New England Style Steamer Bucket. They want you to call to order the pot 24 hours in advance. The dish has two lobsters, shellfish, another fresh catch or shrimp, corn and potatoes. You take it home, pour in two cups of water—or I prefer a can of beer— let it cook for about 25 minutes and enjoy.” cherrycrestseafood.com

KRISTI STEARNS, CASTLE PINES

“I tell everyone this is my favorite place to call home and I am so glad that I settled down here,” says Stearns, who moved from Manhattan Beach, Calif. to Castle Pines in 2011 for her job.

She’s accumulated quite the local treasure map.

FAVORITE WINTER ACTIVITY “Sledding on the big hill at the corner of Monarch Boulevard and Castle Pines Parkway.

It’s the best hill in the neighborhood and has become pretty popular. My twin two-year-old girls are a little too young for sledding this year, but I’ll be taking them next winter.”

WHAT’S YOUR GARDEN SPOT? “Serenity Garden inside The Village, cared for

by The Village Castle Pines Garden Club, looks

THE NEARLY PERFECT PARK “Elk Ridge Park is probably the best park in Castle Pines, but Retreat Park is a bit of a hidden gem. Both have fun playground equipment for kids. Elk Ridge Park simply has everything: There’s a splash pad and plenty of paths to take a nice walk, spots to set up a picnic and a pristine athletic field.”

WHEN YOU WANT TO GO ON A SERIOUS HIKE, YOU HEAD TO...

“The path from Coyote Ridge Park that follows along Monarch Boulevard down to Highlands Ranch for either hiking or a bike ride. My favorite time to go is in the fall. It’s a little cool and you get to see some vibrant fall colors.”

PHOTO: COURTESY THE VILLAGE CASTLE PINES GARDEN CLUB

PHOTO: COURTESY KRISTI STEARNS

SUFFICE IT TO SAY Kristi Stearns knows her neighborhood (and neighbors!) well. Every month, The Village at Castle Pines resident organizes several neighborhood activities— happy hours, movie outings, rounds of golf, you name it—for more than 550 members of her Castle Rock Social Gatherings group. Stearns, an insurance agent and mother of twin girls, started the get-togethers in 2016 for women of all ages so, together, they could explore everything the area has to offer.

gorgeous all summer long. It’s right by my house: I push the girls’ stroller around there often. The xeriscape garden has a variety of plants and flowers, like Colorado Gold gazanias and Sunset foxgloves. They label everything, which is great if you’re a novice gardener and want to see what grows well in Colorado.

There’s also a pond where people can fish and a nice picnic table.”

PHOTO: DUKE’S STEAKHOUSE VIA FACEBOOK

By Brittany Anas

DUKE’S STEAKHOUSE

BEST VIEW IN TOWN “I like the lookout in Daniel’s Gate Park. You can head to the edge of the hills there and see the entire valley, all the way out to Roxborough State Park. There is also a spot on Hess Road between Castle Pines and Parker where you can see past the Denver Tech Center to downtown in one direction, with the Rocky Mountains behind it all, and Pikes Peak in the other direction.”

BEST RESTAURANT “Duke’s Steakhouse for dinner. The Seafood Pasta with shrimp and scallops is to die for. I also love Miyo Café for breakfast and lunch. I usually end up there a couple times a week before work for eggs Benedict.” dukescastlerock.com, miyocafe.com COMMUNITY EVENT YOU ALMOST NEVER MISS “Castle Pines’ Party in the Park. It’s a familyfriendly event held every August in Elk Ridge Park that even has fireworks.”

CASTLE PINES VS. DENVER “Castle Pines all day long and twice on Sunday!

I do like to go to Denver for the zoo, though.”

SERENITY GARDEN

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CAN’T MISS HAPPY HOUR “Castle Rock’s Union has great drink and food deals. The margaritas are a go-to, as are the mussels.” unionamericanbistro.com

PHOTO: CLINT MARLEY VIA GOOGLE

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Colorado Section

The Three Chocolatiers Those who work with chocolate are foodies of a different feather. Chefs can take a freewheeling, improvisational approach as they cook, but chocolatiers and pastry chefs are nerds. Their creations are science experiments, requiring precise measurements, timing and temperature control. Yet, the things they make are whimsical, and enjoyed during life’s biggest moments.

We got to know three artisans in Denver’s South Suburbs who share an obsession for all things dark, milk, white and ruby. For them, February, also known as National Chocolate Month, is one of the most significant times of the year.

By John Lehndorff

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PHOTO: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

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sometimes we’ll have to ice down our tables or move chocolate into a cooler and make chocolate garnishes in there.”

Working la dolce vita “I’ve mostly worked at hotels, which I like because the work changes so much day-to-day.

Being a pastry chef, I get to have this personal touch in special occasions. It’s a chance to be creative and do something crazy.”

Her chocolate pièce de résistance “For special occasions, we make a showpiece dessert using a chocolate sphere. We pour dark chocolate into half-globe molds and piece them together. Then after cutting a whole in the bottom, you can fill the ball with whatever you like: chocolate ganache, square pieces of chocolate, little meringues, fresh berries. The globe is set in a bowl with pieces of cake. To present the dessert, we pour a warm sauce—either chocolate or maybe raspberry white chocolate or crème anglaise—and it melts the globe, revealing the filling. It makes a great display.”

Wow-worthy chocolate tricks at home “It’s pretty easy to make chocolate garnishes at home. You need to use couverture chocolate, also called coating chocolate. It’s tempered and made to be melted and remelted. Heat it carefully in a glass bowl in the microwave in small increments: Don’t overheat or the chocolate will be ruined!

And if you use regular chocolate like Hershey’s, the garnishes will fall apart.

PHOTOS: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

“Set parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet or on the counter. You can use a pastry bag or a sandwich bag with the corner cut off to write words on the parchment. The chocolate can also be poured, spread and then, when it is partially set, cut with a knife or cookie cutters into shapes. Let it finish hardening and it will peel right off the parchment. You can, too, dip a small water-filled balloon in the chocolate to form a cup for whipped cream or sauces.”

HILTON DENVER INVERNESS Englewood | 303.799.5800 hilton.com

Finding her own Candyland in Colorado

Arts in Pittsburgh before moving to Colorado in 2011. She created confections at Hyatt Regency, Crave Real Burgers, The Ritz-Carlton and the Colorado Convention Center before joining Hilton.

Sweetness is imprinted on Mj Szymanski, executive pastry chef at Hilton Denver Inverness. Literally, her colorful body art showcases items from the Candyland board game. Figuratively, she and her staff craft hundreds of chocolates, petit fours, macarons, European bonbons and other baked treats every day for the hotel’s Elevate Coffee Bar, Breckenridge Brewery, Fireside Bar and Grill and the Garden Terrace, as well as special events and room service.

How Twix led to truffles “I was home-schooled early on, so I could cook and bake to my heart’s content. The first chocolates I made at home were probably these great nougat chocolate candies I gave as gifts. My go-to candy as a kid was Twix. I liked the whole chocolate-covered-layered-crunch situation.”

Born in Buffalo, New York, she went to cooking school at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary

Chilling with chocolate “Working with chocolate has some challenges.

It’s very sensitive to the humidity in our kitchen, and the temperature at workstations and of materials. In the dead of summer, 43

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A chocolate home on the range When a mom has a home sideline, the kids aren’t typically excited to watch the work— unless, that is, you’re Melissa Murry.

When she heads to her “working area,” her three young sons (ages 6, 9 and 11) are more than eager to offer some help. “One of the boys has a habit of coming in and picking bits of chocolate off the counter,” she says.

“They each have favorite truffle flavors.”

Murry has been making a name for her confections through her business, Bittersweets Chocolate, for more than eight years in Centennial. Sweets enthusiasts will recognize her work from Centennial’s Curate: A Local Mercantile, Mile Hi Popcorn and Gifts and local craft shows. After a recent move, she has paused the businesss and returned to her first love: making chocolate as a non-lucrative hobby. ➼

PHOTO: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

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PHOTOS: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

Why not make powerful flavors?

“I make Sea-Salted Caramel, Orange Rosemary, Espresso Dulce de Leche, Mint Tuxedo and Turtle truffles, to name a few. People aren’t sure they want to taste some of my flavors, like Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar. They’ll say, ‘that sounds disgusting!’ But then try them and

want more. I make some truffles using singleorigin dark chocolate from Cultura Chocolate, a bean-to-bar chocolate maker in Denver.

The chocolate is fantastic, but the makers are purists—they’re totally anti-bonbon and truffle, but they’re willing to sell chocolate to me.”

The life of a chocolate snob “When I was little, I really liked Twix and Hershey’s Special Dark. I don’t eat a lot of commercial chocolate candy, but I do like Trader Joe’s 72 percent chocolate. I am kind of a chocolate snob because I eat the stuff every day. Even when I’m on vacation I look for real chocolate shops. On a trip to Florida recently, I made my friends hike a mile in extreme heat to visit a chocolatier.”

Accounting for the obsession “This all started a few years ago when I decided that I wanted to give homemade chocolates for gifts at Christmas. I took an online class, made truffles and everybody loved them. I became obsessed. My personality is Type A—I’m an account manager and love math—and making truffles became my outlet. I like chocolate because you have to follow a certain set of rules, but there’s also some creativity.”

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Nobody knows the truffles she’s seen “Frankly, it’s really hard to make money selling chocolates. Truffles are labor-intensive and I only use high-quality, natural ingredients because they taste so much better. I also don’t use preservatives, so my truffles don’t have an indefinite shelf life. For me, this is a real labor of love.”

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From confectionary dream to sweet enterprise Lisa Hemphill was pregnant with her first daughter in Kalamazoo, Mich. when she dreamed of the perfect union of American brownies and European chocolate truffles.

By then, “Chocolate Lisa” as her friends called her, was already living the sweets life.

“I decided to own the name,” she says. ➼

PHOTO: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

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PHOTO: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

cakes for my Dad he would smile. I started with the Easy-Bake mixes—which were terrible!— and then made my own. I eventually studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and The New School in New York.”

These days, the Highlands Ranch resident oversees the baking process. She and her team mix up Salted Caramel, the best seller, most often. Other varieties include Toasted Coconut, English Toffee, Italian Espresso and Caramel Apple Cinnamon, plus seasonal flavors like Strawberry Champagne for Valentine’s Day.

She took ‘sweet dreams’ literally “It was about 25 years ago when I had that dream about combining brownies and truffles.

I started experimenting and made versions of them for family and friends. The whole idea is that Truffnies can be served chilled—when they taste silky and buttery and melt slowly—or at room temperature to taste more decadent, like a rich, moist brownie.”

Let her eat (chocolate) cake “My mother went to these fashion shows when we lived in South Florida and she would come back with a big slice of rich chocolate cake with ganache frosting for me. I guess the seed was planted then.”

It started with an Easy-Bake oven “I started baking when I got an Easy-Bake oven as a present. I found that when I baked little

She outplaced herself into the chocolate gig “I’m very high energy; I wake up with my feet dancing on the ceiling. Even when I worked in corporate outplacement, I always had something else going on. Now I just do this. It’s very therapeutic for me and I know I bring some pleasure to the world.”

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PHOTO: COURTESY TRUFFNIES

In 2005, Hemphill launched Truffnies to make that pregnancy dream a reality. A segment on the QVC shopping network and other media attention created fans across the country for her rich, creamy creation.

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READY TO WEAR

// mountain-bound

Run

Ready Smith Code MIPS helmet, $200; Oakley Flight Deck XM Mikaela Shiffrin Signature goggles, $210; Flylow Handlebar flannel, $90; and Salomon Launch Boa STR8JKT snowboard boots, $299.95, all at Christy Sports; Salomon Drifter mid-hoodie, $180; Salomon Icefrost jacket, $400; Salomon Chill Out bib pant, $275; Burton Genesis binding, $349.95; and Jones Snowboards Mountain Twin, contact store for pricing, all at Epic Mountain Gear

Sadler and Gina Merrill of Centennial’s SNÖBAHN spend their days overseeing the indoor ski and snowboard center’s popular courses, but that’s not the only reason the couple knows a thing or two about tracking down long-lasting, highperformance ski and snowboard fashion.

“After we got married 11 years ago, we moved to Boulder, sold my wedding dress and bought all of our mountain gear with that money,” Gina recollects. “And that gear lasted 10 years. We just pared down to one outfit each last year.” That one-outfit maxim was almost ousted when the Merrills modeled these current options. Also ahead: advice to focus your shopping list.

“Update your socks, goggles and helmets. Socks can lose performance over time, so it’s good to get new ones that will continue to wick. New goggle technology enables you to change lenses to match lighting conditions, which helps you see better and stay safe. Technological advances in helmets distribute pressures of impact across broader areas so there are fewer head injuries.” –Sadler 52

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PHOTOS: CHAD CHISHOLM, CUSTOM CREATIONS

Smith Liberty MIPS helmet, $200; Smith I/O Mag S Everyday Rose Gold goggles, $240; Bogner Fire and Ice Sassy down jacket, $750; Volcom Swift bib overalls, $210; and Tecnica Mach1 MV 95 ski boots, $600, all at Christy Sports, Centennial Promenade, 303.708.8535, christysports.com; NILS Snowflake sweater, $195, and Blizzard Black Pearl 88 skis, contact store for pricing, both at Epic Mountain Gear, Park Meadows Center Drive, 720.328.7402, epicmountaingear.com

READY TO WEAR

// mountain-bound

“There’s some new heating technology in gloves, liners and even socks making mountain gear more comfortable.” –Sadler

Black Crows Captis skis, contact store for pricing; Bogner Fire and Ice Fabiano quilted jacket, $298; Rossignol Classique sweater, $180; and Bogner Fire and Ice Scott ski pants, $398, all at Epic Mountain Gear; Tecnica Cochise 130 DYN Ski Boots, $900; Smith Code MIPS helmet, $200; and Oakley Flight Deck XM Mikaela Shiffrin Signature goggles, $210, all at Christy Sports

Smith Liberty MIPS helmet, $200; Smith I/O Mag S Everyday Rose Gold goggles, $240; Bogner Fire and Ice Hanna jacket, $598; Columbia Bugaboo pants, $110; and Salomon Ivy Boa STR8JKT snowboard boots, $269.95, all at Christy Sports; Spyder Savona zip t-neck, $99; Rossignol Hiver fullzip layer, $190; Salomon Mirage binding, $249.95; and Jones Snowboards Twin Sister, contact store for pricing, all at Epic Mountain Gear

GO TO THE PROS Snöbahn Centennial 303.872.8494 snobahn.com

“Don’t layer socks. With the rest of your body, you can wear a lot of layers and take them off as needed. With boots, layers won’t create additional warmth. They actually crowd boot space, restrict blood flow and then cause your feet to fall asleep and become cold.” –Gina 53

february 2020 // AvidLifestyle

“Salomon, Patagonia, Columbia Sportswear and POC are our chief brands. They all have great awareness and honorable reputations, are leaders in technological innovations and are consumer-friendly in that most people in the industry are aware of them. These brands make something for everyone. Our customers, for instance, span the gap from never-ever skiers to expert skiers, so we need to have brands that meet all of those demands.” –Sadler

READY TO WEAR

// diamond expert to watch

PHOTO: COURTESY THE DIAMOND RESERVE

Sure has a Nice Ring to it Love is in the air all year at THE DIAMOND RESERVE

By Dahlia Jean Weinstein IF YOU’RE A GIRL, and diamonds are a girl’s best friend, then your new confidante has to be Kaeleigh Testwuide, the diamond expert and founder of The Diamond Reserve based in Cherry Creek and downtown Denver. And if you’re someone who is planning on proposing, Testwuide should be your new confidante too.

The custom jeweler has been at the center of a myriad of happy unions across the South Suburbs and beyond since she acquired and rebranded the company in 2015.

KAELEIGH TESTWUIDE 54

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PHOTO: EMILYANNE PHOTOGRAPHY

She’s also responsible for beautifully refurbished vintage pieces, custom fine jewelry and, she hopes, some much needed transparency on the reality of the diamond business. “There can be lots of not-so-truthful sales tactics,” Testwuide explains. “I think it’s sad because when someone is buying a diamond engagement ring, it’s usually a young gentleman making a pretty vulnerable purchase.”

The desire to educate people on the dos and don’ts of buying diamonds motivates the way she does business. Testwuide personally selects every loose GIA-certified (Gemological Institute of America) diamond and offers lovebirds a private, appointment-only buying experience with design services. Before the design gets started, Testwuide takes the time to talk through the training points she has on her website. Class goes beyond the 4Cs of diamond grading, covering everything from the importance of understanding the certificate that should accompany a diamond to interpreting fluorescence grade. “It’s really interesting how many people come in saying they read our diamond education material and how helpful they thought it was,” she adds.

Engagement ring scenarios typically work one of two ways in Testwuide’s shop. Option one: The couple makes an initial appointment with

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// diamond expert to watch

PHOTOS: COURTESY THE DIAMOND RESERVE

the jeweler together, where she gets an accurate sense of what the bride wants. The bride’s significant other then returns on their own to design the ring with Testwuide. Option number two has the bride involved in the entire process, with her other half contacted when the ring is finished. Testwuide’s success can be seen in, of course, couples’ love stories. We asked her to take us through three cherished memories.

ALEX AND MARY BEA, Centennial Alex was searching for a halo, oval diamond engagement ring for Mary Bea when he discovered The Diamond Reserve. And as luck would have it, Testwuide already had the perfect piece on display in the shop’s showcase. The duo, who also helped Testwuide design their wedding bands, were married at what could arguably be the most romantic destination of all time: the estate where The Notebook was filmed. Their nuptials marked the first time a wedding was held at the iconic site.

RYAN AND VICTORIA, Greenwood Village The couple came to the shop together looking for an elongated cushion-modified stone. An elongated version of that cut is a challenge to find, Testwuide says. But they hunted diligently.

Ryan proposed with a 2.51-carat, D colorless diamond placed in a solitaire setting. The couple was married on the shores of Thailand.

PUT A RING ON IT The Diamond Reserve Cherry Creek North and 16th Street Mall 720.560.3548 thediamondreserve.com

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CORRINE AND SEHAR, Lone Tree Corrine had no idea what diamond shape or ring style she wanted when she and Sehar first met Testwuide. Once Corrine decided on a three-stone design with a center cushion-cut diamond, Sehar and Corrine made the process a group effort. The end result: a 1.70-carat, D colorless diamond on a rose-gold band with half-moon side diamonds. Corrine came back before the big day with a family heirloom diamond, which was used to create Sehar’s white-gold, micro-pavé band.

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INFLUENCERS

If this is auditions, LISA RIGSBY PETERSON is the leading role to beat.

By Claire Martin

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PHOTO: LONE TREE ARTS CENTER

Taking the Stage

// leading lady

INFLUENCERS

// leading lady

PHOTOS: LONE TREE ARTS CENTER

THE FIRST canny decision Lisa Rigsby Peterson made as executive director of the nascent Lone Tree Arts Center (LTAC) was to canvass locals to figure out their interests.

The succession of her many other innovations that have set the center on a run of prosperity gets a little jumbled.

What is concrete: Last year was LTAC’s most prosperous season, with a majority of shows selling out weeks in advance. Since LTAC opened in 2011, one-third of Lone Tree families have attended a performance.

Diversity, Rigsby Peterson’s driving theme, brought the crowds. “Douglas County is very white,” she explains. “We have an opportunity here to invite a more varied audience.” The executive director makes a point of bringing in a roster of unexpected speakers, like Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick, and performers such as a University of Texas mariachi group and a Malaysian percussion ensemble.

And to let locals know that absolutely anyone is welcome to come for a show, she did something rare for the Denver stage: establish regular sensory-friendly performances.

“The same things that make live theater so thrilling for most of us can be distressing to someone on, say, the autism spectrum,” Rigsby Peterson says. “Expecting these children to sit quietly through a show is like asking a toddler to pick up a ten-story building and move it.”

So, in these productions, the house lights are left on and the sound is toned down. Often, actors meet the audience in the lobby before the show so attendees can understand that they’re just people playing a role.

Lone Tree Arts Center Lone Tree 720.509.1000 lonetreeartscenter.org

Rigsby Peterson had expert knowledge to work with when it came to these details. In 2015, she partnered with area organizations to put on the first Sensory Friendly Summit in Denver, which discussed what can be done to accommodate those with disabilities. As other venues followed suit in show schedules, Rigsby Peterson and her colleagues were invited to speak at conferences and schools.

Born in Evergreen and equipped with a formidable trivia reservoir that includes a repertoire of One Direction songs, Rigsby Peterson is the daughter of celebrated Colorado artist John David Rigsby.

Her expertise in the performing arts is pure instinct at this point. She has worked in the field all her life, impacting the stages of Stage West in Texas, the Colorado Children’s Chorale, Opera Colorado, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Phamaly Theatre Company and Curious Theater. A traditional job posting landed her this South Suburbs role.

Back to her inventive implementations: Monthly Arts in the Afternoon featuring professional musicians, SPARK! Alliance for those with memory loss and the family-friendly Passport to Culture all motivated stirring turn outs.

“We want everyone to feel at home here,” she says. “We want people to feel so welcome that they can’t wait to come back.”

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SENSORY-FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES, behind the scenes Volunteer ushers are an important part of these shows. Trained by the Autism Society of Colorado and the Colorado chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, they are ready with noise-cancelling headphones (and noiseamplifying headphones for the hard of hearing), fidget toys and other devices for show-goers.

“We tell ushers that they’ll see things that, in any other performance, would require them to stop a behavior,” Rigsby Peterson says. “Kids might make noises or yell inappropriate language.

They might self-comfort by rocking back and forth. They might want to stay in the lobby for the whole show. We tell the ushers to keep their hearts open to whatever a person needs.”

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INFLUENCERS

// fitness guru

Stretch Goals It’s hard to believe TIM JOHNSON, co-founder of CorePower Yoga, was once a reluctant yogi.

By Lisa Jhung TIM JOHNSON “wasn’t into it.” Nearly 20 years ago, Johnson was in his first yoga session, and he just didn’t see the point. But doctor’s orders—Johnson had knee issues from skiing on the U.S. Junior National Team and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team—had him practicing the meditative method for 30 days straight with his girlfriend Julie, who later became his wife. “I had an epiphany during those 30 days,” he says. “I hadn’t felt that kind of balance and strength for a while.”

That epiphany started a domino effect. Now 51 years old, the fitness pioneer and businessman is one of four co-founders of CorePower Yoga and is a current franchisee of five CorePower Yoga studios and 16 Orangetheory Fitness studios. These are all under the parent company We Spread Health, of which he is the president.

And throughout his almost two decades in the fitness industry, the father of three from Cherry Hills Village has helped the two movements see immense growth—there are more than 200 CorePower Yoga studios in the nation and

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GROUND RULES TIM JOHNSON LIVES BY

INFLUENCERS

// fitness guru

LEARN FROM THE GOOD, AND THE BAD. “I’ve had eight great examples of leaders in my life—coaches, bosses … They didn’t really inspire me as much as the two horrible leaders I had. I thought, if those dummies could do it, I could at least do it better than them.”

LOGICAL THINKING isn’t always the best thinking. “Logically, I would have opened a telecom business. Thank goodness that didn’t happen.”

1,400 Orangetheory studios worldwide—and also inspired thousands through both fitness and community outreach.

“It was a terrible business attempt,” he laughs.

“But if that studio wasn’t profitable, I didn’t have a backup plan. It had to work.”

And it did, thanks to what he says was a good lineup of instructors but “nothing exceptional.”

But Johnson would be wrong on that second point. Aside from inspiring what’s now CorePower Yoga, he gave free yoga classes to anyone who wanted to practice but didn’t have the money. “We traded time. They’d come in and clean for a few hours,” he says. While a lawsuit and the IRS shut down the straighttrade model years later, Johnson still offers some sort of program for those who need it in his fitness studios.

He’s just as committed to giving back as ever. As part of the Orangetheory More Life initiative, he’s involved in regular charitable events like the upcoming biannual Dri-Tri for Muscular Dystrophy Association Rocky Mountain. During the weekend of March 30, Orangetheory members will compete in friendly workout challenges to raise money to send Colorado kids with muscular dystrophy to summer camp.

“We have the ability to help others,” he says.

“After you feel blessed and so lucky that you can put food on your table and raise your kids, at some point you realize that not everybody has access to health. Fewer people have the ability to help, so it’s your responsibility.”

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PHOTOS: E.J. CARR

He credits much of the success to “second choices.” His first choice, back in 2001, was to take his life savings—$200,000—and start a telecom company. The stock market crash after Sept. 11 lost him everything and had Johnson reassessing his path. Eight months after his first yoga class, he opened the first of two studios: Bikram on Broadway.

YOU NEVER KNOW where your next great idea is going to come from. “I walked by a laptop where someone was watching an Orangetheory workout and was on a plane to Florida to meet with the people who run Orangetheory not long after.”

WAYFARERS

// pack your bags

PHOTOS: TAOS SKI VALLEY

Take Us to Taos

PHOTO: MANZANITA MARKET VIA FACEBOOK

The ski lifts along I-70 have some competition.

By Kendall Kostelic THE LACK OF TRAFFIC and unrelenting vistas pointed us in the right direction. My husband and I were driving to New Mexico’s Taos Ski Valley to, honestly, answer a rhetorical question: Would we rather brave I-70 traffic to get to the slopes or take an uncrowded five-hour road trip to a historic ski destination that will hardly have lift, restroom and concession lines?

in 2017, likes to surprise people. The precious work was revealed in an unexpected email from the guest services manager prior to our stay, who asked if there were any additional plans she could arrange. Would we like to schedule a tour of The Blake’s “museum-caliber” art and artifact collection? Yes. Once there, the Spa and Wellness Center staff wondered: Would we like to carry cups of exclusive tea back to our suite after a massage? Absolutely. After we spent our last hours amazed at the aforementioned collection, the front desk chimed in: Would we like to know the prettiest route home?

erything else we needed, like a casual lunch at Rhoda’s, was within walking distance.

The 80-room “guesthouse” is steps from Lift 1.

Though as you gear up in The Blake ski valet— where boots put on warmers after yesterday’s excursions will be dry and waiting—that does not necessarily make choosing a first run easy.

High Five, the Hunziker Bowl, Stauffenberg and Kachina Peak are all staff favorites. EvPHOTO: JONES WALKER OF TAOS VIA FACEBOOK

We aren’t the only out-of-staters to discover the secret. Whispers have been circulating metro Denver since Taos Ski Valley, created by ski pioneer Ernie Blake and family in the ’50s, began a recent revitalization with more lifts, a redesigned beginner area, a B Corporation designation (a first for ski resorts worldwide) and more. The motto: make it “better, not bigger.”

BASE VALE We didn’t expect an original Georgia O’Keeffe to bookend our stay amongst the valley’s 110 trails. But The Blake, an indulgent hotel opened 64

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ON THE TOWN When we were ready to see what Taos’ historical shopping district had to offer, a new Audi or BMW—The Blake’s version of a shuttle—was waiting. We explored more local art with the gallery owners of Jones Walker of Taos, lunched on unforgettable 24-hour bone broth and other local, organic fare at Manzanita Market, sampled award-winning chocolate at Chokola Bean to Bar and did dinner at an exciting modern eatery, Medley.

Taos is built on more than a thousand years of unique Native American history, which is still alive and well at Taos Pueblo, an adobe community home to Taos Indians that’s open to visit.

As we embarked on yet another distinctive area activity—a winter hike on Williams Lake trail above the valley that starts and stops at The Bavarian Restaurant, a go-to place for après beer—my husband and I agreed: that clogged Colorado interstate won’t miss us.

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