PARKER: Web site leaves bad taste in mouths of restaurants

By Penny Parker, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 19, 2008 at 9:37 p.m.

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The local restaurant community was up in arms Tuesday upon hearing about a reservations Web site, dnceats.com, that was trying to profit from fears about DNC overcrowding.

The site, registered to Arvada man Scott O'Neal Middleton, lists dozens of reservations at Denver eateries at various times during - you guessed it - the DNC Aug. 25-28. The hook is that Middleton made all the reservations under different names then listed them for sale on eBay.

A staff member at Highlands Garden Cafe caught wind of the site, and alerted Colorado Restaurant Association honcho Pete Meersman, who called to tell me the Web site put a bad taste in his mouth. He found Middleton's phone number and left a not-too-happy voicemail.

"If you can do something to warn restaurant operators, we'd appreciate it," Meersman told me. "We've been telling them for weeks now to get credit cards or some kind of guarantee when they call for a reservation. If I was running a restaurant I would charge a credit card $50 today and apply it to your bill when you show up."

It didn't take long for word of dnceats.com to spread through Denver's tight- knit restaurant community. Amy Evans at Morton's LoDo, who's restaurant had several reservations on the Web site, managed to trace and cancel all of them.

"It's a totally bogus Web site," Evans said. "Morton's the Steak House has lots of availability during the week of the DNC, and no one should be buying reservations from a third party. Call us and book a table, or go to opentable.com."

Denver restaurant consultant John Imbergamo checked the eBay numbers listed on dnceats and saw there were no bids on any of the reservations as of Tuesday afternoon. He also said as word spread, other restaurants listed were canceling those reservations. Imbergamo represents Panzano in The Hotel Monaco, one of several eateries on the site. Others include Ruth's Chris, Maggiano's, McCormick's, Capital Grille and Sullivan's. Late Tuesday, Middleton e-mailed me and said he'd opted to shut down the site "due to unforeseen circumstances."

AIR AFFAIR: The thousands of out-of-towners flocking to the DNC will need to get used to the thin air up there. I've seen the Mile High City force many entertainers to slip backstage for a hit of oxygen.

But DNC-goers and media members will have access to a boost of big O. Inside the media tent on the grounds of the Pepsi Center, The Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau will provide free puffs of air for anyone with a media credential.

And Oxygen Plus (ironically a Minneapolis-based company) will set up a booth outside the Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center Hotel giving out free samples and selling canisters of their products. The booth will be set up for samples and sales from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Aug. 28.

HAIR SPRAY SECURITY: What's a carefully coiffed TV anchor or reporter to do? Plan "a-head." According to an internal CBS4/ News e-mail, "If you are assigned to work inside the Pepsi Center parking lot or the Pepsi Center suite and use hair spray, I need you to get your can to me with your name and where you will be working taped onto the bottle. Why you ask? You will not be able to bring containers of any kind, or aerosols into the secured area."

Beware of killer Aqua Net!

COLLEGE KIDS: Stephen Kyle Stephens, cast member of MTV's Real World Denver, is hosting a College Democrats National Convention Kickoff Party (for folks 18 years and older) from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday at Opal, 100 E. Ninth Ave. Red carpet entrance, photo ops, Democratic decor, DJ. Tix: $10 at the door. Bottle service reservations: Adrian, 720-238-5172.

FOLLOW-UP: You heard it here first that Jim Polsfut and the mayor's office are coordinating a series of 10 Rocky Mountain Roundtable think-tank sessions during the DNC Aug. 25-27 at the Denver Performing Arts Complex featuring notables such as Tom Brokaw, Ben Affleck, Tom Daschle, Gov. Janet Napolitano and Madeleine Albright. For a list of roundtable topics and ticket info: 2008rmr.org.

McDANIEL MOVED: Reggie McDaniel, founder of his Everyday People's Entertainment Guide, has left news radio KOA-AM 850 after 10 years and has joined Christian station KLZ-AM 560 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. "I left them, and I hated to do that because I love the people at KOA," McDaniel said. "But I couldn't afford to stay at KOA." In the new spot, McDaniel says he'll add theater reviews to his roster of movie material.

THE SEEN: Happy homemaker Martha Stewart shopping at Black Tulip Antiques on South Broadway on Tuesday. Stewart was in town to host a birthday party with Jeffrey Mezger, KB Home honcho, for KB Home Stapleton: Homes Created with Martha Stewart community at Stapleton.

Tennis great Martina Navratilova in Paradise Bakery on Concourse B at DIA Tuesday.

EAVESDROPPING on a man: "The DNC is like having The Rolling Stones, The Who and U2 here all at once."

Penny Parker's column appears Tuesday through Saturday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-AM (630). Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail parkerp@RockyMoun tainNews.com.

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