The Roslyn Grill was always one of Denver's more colorful dives, both in its original home on 14th Street and the spot at 504 East Colfax Avenue where it moved two decades ago, when the Colorado Convention Center took its place downtown. When Prohibition opens in the space on Colfax that the Roslyn abandoned earlier this year, it may not be as colorful, but it should have a classic, neighborhood feel.
"I feel that this area needs a good classic bar," says owner Jimmy Callahan. "A place where you don't feel like you need a shower when you leave, but it's still not pretentious. I've been up and down the neighborhood, and there are lots of different types of bars, but not anything like this."
Since Callahan took over in February, he's been "overhauling it without having to do too much," he says: putting in new lighting and a new wood floor, and installing a hundred-year-old bar from an Indianapolis saloon as well as a new mahogany bar in front with a Chicago drink rail — key, Callahan explains, because you have to have a place to put your arms. In keeping with the bar's name, Prohibition will sport some newspapers from the Prohibition era, along with a bunch of whiskey prescriptions.
Unlike the Roslyn, Prohibition will serve food — but Callahan is keeping it simple so that people will remember that Prohibition is still a bar. When the place opens at the end of May, he plans to have pot pies, burgers and braised short ribs on the menu.
And plenty of post-Prohibition alcohol.
Club scout: Level 3, the rooftop, poolside bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Denver (1111 14th Street), opens Thursday, May 12, with a DJ; the poolside bar will be open to the public from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. every Thursday after that. In addition to sparkling wines and specialty cocktails, the Miami-vibed Level 3 will serve spiked frozen push pops in flavors like watermelon margarita, blackberry mojito and cucumber gin martini. The snack menu will be divided into two sections: chilled and grilled, with tuna tartare on the chilled side and beef skewers and Kobe beef sliders on the grilled.
The Stingray Lounge (2911 West 38th Avenue) will celebrate the grand opening of its patio on Friday, May 13, with entertainment from DJs Dammit, Savior Breath and Rockstar Aaron, as well as Cora Vette & the Vinyl Tops with BurlyCute burlesque. The party starts at 4:30 p.m. Chinook Bar & Grill celebrated its grand opening last weekend; it took over the E-Z Pickin's space at 1950 South Holly Street and will expand on its live-music offerings on weekends.
On Tuesday, May 17, Suite Two Hundred (1427 Larimer Street) will hold the finals of In the Cut, its five-week-long fashion competition featuring local designers. The winning designer will get $1,000, a spread in LoDo magazine and a feature runway show at the club.
Finally, drummers Kim Baxter, Jed Kopp and Carl Sorensen recently started the Drum Club at 3 Kings Tavern (60 South Broadway). They're meeting and playing kits with other local drummers on Sundays from 6 to 8 p.m.
