Photos: John Elway helps dedicate the new patio at Elway's Downtown

Elway's Downtown dedicated its new outdoor patio yesterday, and guess who showed up for the celebration? Yep, that's right: John Elway himself. The "outdoor expansion" is on the wide sidewalk in front of the Ritz-Carlton, with the bridge across Curtis Street providing handy cover from both sun and rain. In honor of the space, Elway's has added live music on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as some new bar items: a green-chile dog, Wagyu patty melt, seared tuna tacos, smothered red-chile fries and a buffalo quesadilla, as well as a Colorado cheese plate that features cheeses made in the state and a variety of accompaniments.

See also: - Denver's ten best restaurant patios - Elway's Downtown serves up a super daily happy hour - Videos: John Elway's top ten commercials

Elway's Downtown is the second in the series of restaurants in which Elway has partnered with longtime friend Tim Schmidt, who was also on hand for the patio party. A third Elway's opened last fall in Vail, and next spring a fourth will open at Concourse B in Denver International Airport.

After the patio dedication, Elway stopped by the original Elway's Cherry Creek, which was hosting the second-to-last of its Wednesday-night concerts; among those in the crowd were the Three Amigos, legendary Broncos teammates in the late '80s.

Keep reading for more pictures of the Downtown Elway's patio -- and new menu items.