PARKER: Party on the patio! Breezy, easy locales

By Penny Parker, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 19, 2008 at 9 p.m.

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The Rocky / 1982

Joan Birkland helped open new tennis courts.

Warm weather can turn a young man or woman's fancy to patio partying. And there are several new al fresco opportunities with seats waiting to be filled with drinking and dining derrieres.

* Hamburger Mary's, a bar and restaurant at 700 E. 17th Ave., catering to gay clientele, has completed a 4,000-square- foot patio with a bar that seats 25. An infrared heating system will keep the patio available year round. Open seven days a week.

* Senger's on the 'Fax, 3104 E. Colfax Ave., recently opened a rooftop patio that's open daily with happy hour deals from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from midnight to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday. On Sundays, DJs spin fresh tunes from 3 to 9 p.m.

* The Tavern Hospitality Group, owners of The Tavern Uptown, The Tavern Downtown, The Tavern Lowry and Soiled Dove Underground, are adding another tavern to their collection with The Tavern Tech Center, 5336 DTC Blvd., Greenwood Village, (in the Village Plaza), open daily starting June 2. The new place will feature a rooftop patio, along with a game room with pool tables and Thunder Bowl mini-bowling lanes. Every Tavern location will hold Acoustic Sundays from 3 to 6 p.m. with music from local vocals.

* Encore, 2550 E. Colfax Ave. in the Lowenstein Theater complex, recently opened a patio. Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

* Patios coming soon: Benny's, 301 E. Seventh Ave. (on the Grant Street side); Fuel Cafe, 3455 Ringsby Court in the Taxi project and Taqueria Patzcuaro, 2616 W. 32nd Ave.

Know of a people-pleasing patio? Add your fave raves in the comments box at the end of my column at RockyMountainNews.com or send me an e-mail. I'll run a list of your recommendations in a future column.

TENNIS ANYONE? Mayor John Hickenlooper, on hand Wednesday to christen the new tennis courts and renovated club house at the Gates Tennis Center in Cherry Creek North, seemed to be auditioning for a stripper spot on stage at the Diamond Cabaret.

"This is how mayors lose their jobs," said hizzoner as he unfastened his belt buckle in front of several hundred puzzled people.

Then he pulled down his pants and revealed . . . tennis shorts. Underneath his shirt and tie? A T-shirt. The mayor was ready for some tennis to formally launch the new courts.

Mayor Hick, a dedicated squash player, took to the court for some mixed doubles with Colorado tennis legend Joan Birkland, namesake of the two-story clubhouse that's the centerpiece of the $4.5 million renovation.

TWO FOR TARBELL: Noted chef and restaurateur Mark Tarbell, who splits his time between Phoenix and Boulder, will open a second Belmar eatery (in addition to The Oven) in three or four months.

"I know the rumor has been that it will be Italian," said the Iron Chef America-winning chef. "It may be, but I have two other concepts in mind and will decide in a couple of months. I will begin the retool of the space before that sometime." The new dining digs will be at 355 S. Teller St. on the plaza.

EAVESDROPPING on a woman and a man at the Outback Steakhouse in Fort Collins:

"So how come you never had kids?"

"Because then I'd have to start being careful."

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@RockyMountainNews.com.

• May 20, 2008

  5:01 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  jay writes:

  best patio in the city is at bogey's at city park golf course, 2500 york st.

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