I stopped at Denver's newest municipal park, Cuatro Vientos Park, the other day and was pleased to meet the World Turtle a.k.a. the Cosmic Turtle. He's there for kids or immature adults to climb on and ride to the end of the universe.

I recently profiled Jim Pittenger of Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs, purveyor of elk, reindeer, and jack-a-lope wieners, for Confluence Denver. Read it here.

I'm a sucker for octopi, so the cephalopod mural on the wall at Stoic & Genuine immediately grabbed me. (Puns somewhat intended.) But then I tasted the food, and the fresh oysters, jumbo shrimp, mussel soup, and lobster rolls proved every bit as engrossing as the tentacled artwork by Denver artist Lui Ferreyra. 

It's opening July 9 as the first of four new restaurants at the $500 million Union Station redevelopment in LoDo, and it definitely looks like a keeper.

I asked Jennifer Jasinski, the chef/owner, about the Stoic & Genuine moniker. She said it emerged from a conversation that snaked its way around the country, and led to a bicoastal analysis. "The East Coast is stoic," she said, "and the West Coast is genuine." To this end, the eatery will have fresh seafood flown in daily from both the Atlantic and the Pacific.

But I can't get enough of that octopus -- I'll definitely be back.

1701 Wynkoop St., in Union Station; 303-640-3474; www.stoicandgenuine.com.

Here's a piece of awesome news: Ramble Colorado (the book) was cited as a reference on the Wikipedia page for Fool's Gold Loaf, the Glendale delicacy favored by Elvis Presley when he was in full '70s jumpsuits-and-gluttony mode.

For the uninitiated, it's a hollowed-out loaf of bread with alternating layers of peanut butter, jelly, and bacon. 

I was pulling up to park in downtown Paonia and on the edge of the parking lot at Don's Supermarket there was a tractor. There was a budget attached to it. In the bucket sat a dog.