The greening of Denver's restaurant scene

This morning at the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, a group is recapping the DNC's Lean 'N Green program, and starting the discussion on where the project goes from here. Among the talking points: "Lessons learned." First lesson: Do not send a bossy press release announcing a Lean 'N'...

By Patricia Calhoun

September 30, 2008

Audio By Carbonatix

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This morning at the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, a group is recapping the DNC's Lean 'N Green program, and starting the discussion on where the project goes from here.

Among the talking points: "Lessons learned."

First lesson: Do not send a bossy press release announcing a Lean 'N' Green program that categorically bans fried foods, and also suggests a color palette that only works if you spill a bag of Skittles on the plate. A press release like the one the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee sent out back in early June, for example, which wound up providing plenty of fodder for the national media. And although the host committee later said the "fickle food fight" was all because the press had misinterpreted that first release, its message was very clear.

Second lesson: You do not want to eat Rocky Mountain oysters any way other than fried. Trust me on this one. --Patricia Calhoun

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

Contact: Patricia Calhoun

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