Rant: Gabor’s is closed.

I recently swung by Gabor's, a Capitol Hill joint with dim lighting, tattered red booths, stiff drinks, and jumbo French fry baskets. A few days before, I had heard that Gabor's closed, and I wanted to see it—if only from the outside—one last time. I found dozens of messages written in chalk on the bricks around the front door. Things like: Why? Goodbye... Dear Friends, for everything, we love you. Someone left flowers. As I was leaving, a woman parked in a car out front rolled down her window and asked if the place was closing. I told her it was. She was upset; Gabor’s had always been her “great little hiding place."

I couldn't agree more. It is the kind of bar you can't manufacture—and that Denver has too few of. It was perfect setting for a meaningful conversation with a friend. You could even bring your mom there. And, of course, there was the jukebox. What other bar sound system spits musical gems like The National, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, and even the occasional live Coltrane album? 

Was Gabor's your favorite neighborhood bar? Send us photos and memories to submitaphoto@5280.com and watch for our February issue, which picks 35 of the best bars in Denver. 

Rave: (Some) Colorado Republicans. 

Politics being politics these days (read: polarized around just about anything not related to politics), I didn't see this Denver Post headline coming: “Colorado GOP group organizes support for civil unions.” The group, which calls itself Coloradans for Freedom, says civil unions are in line with the Republican philosophy of personal freedom and limited government. At a time when the Republicans vying for the presidency are struggling to unite the party, it's refreshing to hear these folks speak their mind. Cheers.