This month we are meeting @ Oak Tavern (1416 Market Street, Downtown)…Oak Tavern, (was formerly Monarck) is a new stylish sports bar downtown. Great happy hour special and good bar food. You’ve got to check it out!
Please join us on Thursday, April 15th ..
Oak Tavern (1416 Market, Downtown) Thursday, April 15th, 5:30p to 7:30p
Oak Tavern
1416 Market Street, Downtown
303-888-0655
Complimentary Appetizers
Happy Hour Specials
5:30pm to 7:30pm
www.oaktaverndenver.com
Co-Hosts for the Night:
Nancy Collins – Sassy Golf
Cell: (303) 807-3094
http://www.sassygolf.net/
Email: Nancy@SassyGolf.net
LOVE GOLF? NO ONE TO PLAY WITH OR WANT TO LEARN OR IMPROVE YOUR GAME?....so do we at Sassy Golf, A League of Our Own! Sassy Golf is a very unique women's golf league, offering a 45 minute lesson, 9-holes of golf, a golf cart and a drink coupon with every round! We attract women of all ages and skill level who have very busy schedules, who want to play golf but don't have enough people to golf with, want to learn and improve their game and have felt intimidated by the rules and competition of traditional leagues. Sassy Golf plays at public and private golf courses in and around the Denver Metro Area, and along with the lesson with each round, is known for their unique "play and pay as you go" membership structure. Sassy Golf stresses fun, friendship, and learning over handicaps and competition. No handicap or scoring required! It’s a league of your own…so ARE YOU GAME?
+More about Oak Tavern
Oak Tavern joins the mix on Market with lots of wood, casual atmosphere
By Kathleen St. John
Special to The Denver Post
Posted: 07/17/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Walking into the last-minute construction frenzy at Lotus Concepts' latest venture, Oak Tavern (1416 Market St.), one might immediately think: "Whoa, this place is for dudes."
From the banks of huge, flat-screen TVs to the pointy pairs of bull horns adorning the leather booths, Oak Tavern feels like a place to drink beer, shout at sports and do a pricey whiskey shot when the team loses.
Lotus Concepts owner Francois Safieddine admits that the feel is "masculine" but stresses that Oak Tavern isn't supposed to be a boys-only treehouse.
"When it's all done and finished, what we're trying to accomplish is a neighborhood tavern," he says.
It's a step in a different direction for Lotus. The people behind plush lounges such as Suite 200 (1427 Larimer St.) and 24K (upstairs at 1416 Market), Lotus usually specializes in glitter and glam.
Not this time around. Safieddine and company revamped the former Monarck space to create Oak Tavern, toning down the opulence and notions of exclusivity in favor of a back-to-basics, let's-drink vibe. The Tavern's grand opening is this weekend, but don't worry about the dress code.
"(It's) casual and fun," says Paulina Szafranski, vice president of marketing at Lotus Concepts. "You can come in jeans and a T-shirt and fit in."
Safieddine says the change is a nod to the shifting scene on Market Street, as well as a way to confront the sluggish economy.
"On Market Street, the crowd has changed," he says. "There are a lot more casual customers on the block."
With three pubs, Maloney's, The Pour House and Nallen's, just steps away and an Old Chicago restaurant across the street, the 1400 block of Market Street is distinctly laid-back. Compared with upscale Larimer Square, just a block away, it's practically a different world.
And because today's customers are more money-conscious, places to get beer — not bottle service — are what's needed.
In true Lotus style, though, Oak Tavern isn't just any old watering hole. No, the joint's been designed down to the last detail.
There's carved, deep-brown wood from floor to ceiling. The booths are round and spacious, cozy enough for two or three, but comfortable for six or seven, too. The back room's low banquettes are reminiscent of an Irish pub — as in a pub in Ireland, not a place that simply appends "Irish pub" to its title.
When it comes to drinks, the choices are typically elaborate. Safieddine brought in mixologist Jason Girard to create a range of signature drinks and shots.
"Literally, we went through three rounds of menus," says Szafranski. "It's super-select . . . It's not just about martinis now; it's about the custom cocktail."
The prices are right, too, hovering in the $8 range for a cocktail. Sip on an "Aspen Apple," a mix of bourbon and sour-apple liqueur, and tread lightly on the "Trap Door" shot: absinthe and pear schnapps. (Oh, and bottle service? Forget about it.)
As for food, the featured ingredient is the humble yet delicious potato. It comes in a variety of permutations, including as a main course — a big, baked potato.
It's hard to beat a baked potato with all the fixings for old-fashioned, tummy-filling value, even when its toppings include truffle oil and blue cheese. But that's kind of the point.
Though it's surrounded by its Market Street competitors, the Lotus crew is hoping Oak Tavern's touch of elegance will help it stand out. As Lotus Concepts general manager of operations Johnny Coast puts it, Oak Tavern is aiming for "the perception of a Ferrari with the price tag of a Honda."
With things going the way they are, Oak Tavern just might fit right into its time and place.
"You have to be able to work with what the market gives you," Safieddine says.
Oak Tavern's grand opening weekend is open to the public. No reservations needed.
Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_12846219#ixzz0kBXD4JuP
