Just in time for the near-inevitable clusterfuck of the DNC, 8 Rivers -- the Caribbean/Jamaican concept that’s been pushed in Denver by chef Scott Durrah for years -- is set to open the doors on its newest location on August 20th. The space at 1550 Blake Street, a former sporting-goods store, is ready to go, the chef is excited, the staff assembled. So why the wait?

Durrah’s wife and partner, Wanda James. A serious political activist (and member of Barack Obama’s Colorado finance team), James wanted to schedule the ground-zero opening in tandem with the DNC so that the two things she and Scott loved—politics and grub—could come together.

And you know what? It can’t hurt. Compared to the other 8 Rivers location (at 32nd and Lowell in Highland, with space for maybe thirty inside and reviewed here [LINK] if you’re interested), this one is huge: seating in excess of 135 and claiming to offer one of the largest selections of rum in the city. All those extra seats in Lodo certainly won’t hurt when the 50,000 people (and alleged 40,000 prostitutes) descend on Denver in the coming days. And seeing a hundred-some democratic conventioneers gone loopy on rum-heavy umbrella drinks and jerk chicken, getting down to Bob Marley on the PA? That might be one of the best shows of the entire week. -- Jason Sheehan

• Word of Mouth