For three summer nights, including Sat. July 19, Larimer Square is closed to cars and open to foodies as Dining Al Fresco takes over the historic block. Eric Peterson
Basically all of the block's restaurants are participating: Bistro Vendôme, The Capital Grille, Corridor 44, Crú, Rioja, Osteria Marco, Ted's Montana Grill, Ocean Prime and several other top-notch eateries. Eric Peterson
Thanks to the efforts spearheaded by Dana Crawford in 1963, the block was spared the bulldozer and remains a model for placemaking via preservation, not just in Colorado, but nationwide. Eric Peterson
For three summer nights, including Sat. July 19, Larimer Square is closed to cars and open to foodies as Dining Al Fresco takes over the historic block.
There's nothing quite like experiencing something familiar from a totally different point of view.
Take Dining Al Fresco at Larimer Square, Denver's most historic downtown block. The 1880s-era brick storefronts and modern skyline are an ideal backdrop when you're sipping a cocktail and savoring a meal in the middle of the street.
On most nights, this would get you arrested. But for three Saturday nights this summer, they're shutting down the block to cars and setting up a few hundred tables on the blacktop. The first was on June 14, the second is this Saturday (July 19) and the third is on Aug. 16.
Basically all of the block's restaurants are participating: Bistro Vendôme, The Capital Grille, Corridor 44, Crú, Rioja, Osteria Marco, Ted's Montana Grill, Ocean Prime and several other top-notch eateries.
On the first of the three Dining Al Fresco evenings, dining on the street made it perfectly clear to me why the preservation of Larimer Square, more or less the birthplace of the city, was Denver's best idea yet.
Thanks to the efforts spearheaded by Dana Crawford in 1963, the block was spared the bulldozer and remains a model for urban placemaking via preservation, not just in Colorado, but nationwide.
And best of all, the forecast looks postcard-perfect for outdoor dining on the night of July 19 -- the 7 p.m. temperature is forecast to be 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the chance for precipitation is essentially nil.
Interested? Make reservations through a participating restaurant.
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Eric is a Denver-based tech writer and guidebook wiz. Contact him
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