Cat lovers can grab a kitty by the tail during Tails of the Painted Cats 2012, an auction and purr-fect dinner and gala Saturday, July 28, at Lakewood Country Club to benefit the Cat Care Society.

The pretty kitties, created by juried artists, are on display now at various galleries and businesses in Denver’s Tennyson Street Cultural District during July.

The event emcee is Ed Greene, CBS4 weather whiz. Auctioneers are Warren and Terri Smith of Two for the Show Auctions. Individual tickets for the gala are $75. New this year is a $100 patron ticket to a private VIP meet-and-greet prior to the dinner, where Greene will sign the 2013 “weather cat” painted cat.

The silent auction at the gala will include a Tower of Wine with 36 bottles (including pricey French labels and Marilyn Merlots) that attendees can bid on in addition to the Painted Cats.

Check out the Painted Cats online at: www.catcaresociety.org/paintedcats.html, where you can also buy tickets for the July 28 galal dinner and auction. You can also call 303-239-9680, ext. 19. Bid in advance at http://bidonacat.blogspot.com.

Patio peeps

When you next head into the city, remember that Elway’s Downtown in The Ritz-Carlton Denver is adding an outdoor patio with 42 seats, two TVs and an outdoor fireplace around Aug. 1.

Frosted glass wall panels, a wood trellis and multiple planters will surround the patio. When the temperature dips, the terrace will have standing heaters.

The opening of the outdoor dining area will feature a new appetizer and cocktail menu to celebrate the expansion. Inside the restaurant’s bar, guests can expect to see a new corner booth, extended bar seating and personal HDTVs.

Meanwhile, The Four Seasons Hotel Denver debuted its al fresco dining on June 28 with an evening event sponsored by Hudson Whiskey. Hudson offered complimentary tastings of its barrel-aged whiskey, and the evening included a demonstration of cigar rolling and an acoustic guitarist.

Newly added to the patio is a hard canopy providing coverage from the elements, and heaters for chilly nights. The patio is available on a first-come, first-served basis for dining and cocktails.

Sunday supper

EDGE Restaurant & Bar inside The Four Seasons is now offering a 5280 menu with a set three-course dinner for $52.80 per couple ($26.40 per person) on Sundays.

The menu includes a wedge salad with applewood bacon, an 8-ounce New York strip steak or a lemon-grilled whole golden trout, two side dishes to share and sticky toffee pudding with Stranahan’s Whiskey ice cream for dessert. No substitutions.

Not camera shy

9News reporter and anchor Kirk Montgomery may be better known for his dishy celebrity gossip than for being a shutterbug, but the camera kid is July’s featured artist at Sketch Food & Wine, 11 West First Ave., Denver.

The exhibit’s opening night party is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, with a suggested $10 donation at the door to benefit the Colorado Professional Fire Fighters Foundation. Each donor will receive a complimentary glass of Sketch’s own Patria Rosso red wine.

Montgomery’s photography exhibit, “Urban Life: Not Just A Place — An Attitude,” will be on display and photos available for purchase till the end of July. The downtown-Denver dweller describes his work as “Denver … like you’ve never seen it. Gritty. Urban. Abstract. Home.”

About Caplis, Silverman exit

Caplis and Silverman, KHOW radio’s legal Bickersons, have ended their eight-year-long show from 3 to 6 p.m. on 630-AM.

Craig Silverman and his talk show partner and foil Dan Caplis will concentrate their efforts on their first profession as lawyers after their radio contract was not renewed, according to Silverman.

“It was a great run for eight years, and I had a lot of fun,” Silverman said. “I’m sure I will be involved in the public sphere for decades to come. I’m going back to my first love, which is law.”

Pat Connor, president and market manager of KHOW owner Clear Channel said, “We sincerely thank Dan and Craig for their eight years here at KHOW and wish them the very best … as for programming it will be a live and local show beginning in the very near future.”

“The future” begins on July 16, when conservative talker Michael Brown and liberal talker David Sirota begin hosting “The Rundown with Sirota & Brown.” It goes from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Both were at other Clear Channel properties, Brown at 850KOA, and Sirota at AM760.

At Caplis & Silverman, I was a Friday afternoon contributor for several years, discussing my week’s worth of columns at The Rocky Mountain News and subsequently at The Denver Post.

While at The Rocky, I broke the story about my fairly famous fight with then-Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer who lambasted me over the phone after I wrote about his Broncos cheerleader girlfriend (whom he later married), even though he had introduced her to media during a public event.

Golfers defeat the heat

Despite golf-ball melting temperatures, 100 duffers hit the links last week at Valley Country Club in Centennial to raise money for the Colorado Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s ProStart Program.

“Now in our 12th year, we raised about $10,000 to support the Colorado ProStart Program currently serving 27 high schools and 800-plus students across the state,” said Mary Mino, foundation president. “We use these funds to buy curriculum for our high school programs and to provide scholarships for ProStart graduates pursuing their post-secondary education in the food service and hospitality industry.”

The winners were: first place $400 prize and traveling trophy to Sysco Denver, second place $300 prize to Egg & I and third place $200 prize to the Colorado Restaurant Insurance Agency. Longest drive awards went to David Yamamoto and Sarah Hoffman. Joe Coe and Deanna Brown took closest-to-the-pin honors, and longest putt awards went to Alvin Lucero and Barb Meyer.

Our team, the Fearsome 50s, with CRA membership director Barb Simmons, Four Seasons Denver general manager Thierry Kennel, Shanahan’s Steakhouse managing partner Marc Steron and me, left with our pride intact for not finishing dead last.

I write a blog for the association’s Mile High Chapter.

Su-blurb-ia

Vines, the cool wine and tapas spot at 19501 E. Main St. in Parker, has new owners and has expanded the menu to include full-service daily dinners as well as lunch Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Teresa Engel and business partner Tom Wasilchin took over the operation in May. They wanted to give diners an excuse to hang out at the restaurant after tapas and a drink to enjoy a full New American meal.

“We serve chicken, fish, beef — a little of everything,” Engel said. “We have our own house-infused vodkas from pepper to chocolate and everything in between.”

Happy hour with half-price wine by the glass, well drinks and domestic beers is from 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; and beginning at 3 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Wednesdays’ happy hour lasts till close.

“We also welcome networking groups and business people looking for meeting space during the day,” Engel said. Reservations: 303-736-8463.

Penny Parker’s “Mile High Life” column is new in the newspapers and on the websites of Colorado Community Media. Parker, who also writes for Blacktie-Colorado, will give insights into the best events, restaurants, businesses, parties and people throughout the metro area. Penny can be reached at parkerp1953@gmail.com or 303-619-5209.