The Baker Bark

From the April 24 Denver Post (“New Sketch is truer to the California wine bar concept than the original”):

The stretch of Broadway near the Mayan Theatre — say, between Second and Alameda avenues — has been blooming for years now. But new, hip restaurants still pop up, art galleries open, bars stay full.

It’s always had a seedier element, with homeless people and hustlers passing through, but the borderland between north and south Broadway is always changing.

One of the latest additions — along with the definitely not-seedy Sweet Action Ice Cream (52 Broadway) — is Sketch (101 Broadway, entrance around the corner on First Avenue). A refreshingly simple wine bar, Sketch is another member of the M Inc. family, along with Colfax Avenue haunts Mezcal (3230 E. Colfax Ave.) and Rockbar (3015 E. Colfax Ave.).

True to the spirit of those hangouts, Sketch has a cool atmosphere and a relaxed vibe. At a wine bar, that last bit is a relief.

The wine list — with juice by the bottle and the glass — is relatively short. The bartenders know what they’re serving, though, and are quick to offer a helpful taste.

Sitting at the bar can be rather hilarious, especially if you end up on one of the “loveseat” barstools. It requires some teamwork and close contact, so choose your seatmate wisely.

Read the full article

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Architectural rendering of a possible renovation at 55 Broadway.

Local restaurateurs (names forthcoming) have proposed renovating the exterior and interior of 55 Broadway and opening an Italian restaurant. The neighborhood gave tentative (though not unconditional) support to the idea at the April 14 general membership meeting.

At last month’s general membership meeting, an employee from Skylark Lounge floated a novel idea: rename the Broadway business district as ‘Baker’s Broadway.’

His reason? The Baker name is gold. Affixing it to the Broadway shopping district would, he thinks, help business.

What do you think? Don’t be shy. Leave a comment below.

Fancy Tiger - a boutique clothing store on Broadway

Westword recently published its 25th annual “Best of Denver” issue, and the Baker neighborhood was represented a total of 17 times.

In the “Shopping and Services” section (with a total of 36 awards), Baker is represented three times. Fahrenheit Books, 210 S. Broadway, “Best Literary Survivor on the Move: Fahrenheit’s remains one of the most eclectic, surprising and offbeat places to browse away an afternoon.” Dave’s Gold & Silver Exchange, 548 S. Broadway, “Best Coin Dealer in Uncertain Times: We like Dave Eichenberger’s shop because the folks there are friendly, well-versed in the eccentricities of coin collecting, never intimidating and eminently fair.” Sweet Action Ice Cream, 52 Broadway, “Best New Store on Broadway: This hoppin’ stretch of Broadway has been more than ripe for an ice cream store for a long time, and finally, Sweet Action, with its open-air storefront and funky flavors, delivers the goods.” Also, Fancy Tiger Clothing, 14 S. Broad¬way, won the readers’ choice for this award.

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