* Agave Grill (5965 S. Holly St.) chef Chad Clevenger is in talks with Mel and Janie Master to take over the space that houses Mel's of Greenwood Village (5970 S. Holly St.), one of three restaurants currently owned by the Masters that is undergoing a metamorphosis. But whether Clevenger or an outside investor claims the space, Mel's of Greenwood Village, as we know it, is shuttered. "I will not reopen; I'm done with it," said Mel.

Meanwhile, Mel's Bistro (1120 E. Sixth Ave.) is now Mel's Anti-Bistro, with plenty of changes afoot there, too. Charlie Master, Mel and Janie's son, has graffitied the walls with quirky quotations, plastered lacquered advertisements from antiquated Gourmet magazine issues here and there, expanded the hours to seven days a week and instituted what Charlie calls "happy times," daily happy hours from 4-6 p.m. that includes discounted appetizers, salads, soups and sandwiches. On Friday and Saturday evenings, it's double the fun, with additional happy-times happy hours from 10 p.m. to midnight. Oh, and one more thing: Charlie is offering a free tank (or two) of gas for anyone crazy enough to spend $10,000 or more on dinner. It's not called the "anti-bistro" for nothing.

* On Aug. 9, Old South Pearl Street, in Platt Park, takes center stage for the second annual Blues & Brews festival, which features a full lineup of bluesy entertainment as well as cheap suds from Colorado's top brewers like Deschutes Brewery, Fort Collins Brewery, Breckenridge Brewery, Great Divide Brewing Co., Left Hand Brewing Co., Coors, New Belgium Brewing Co. and Odell Brewing Co., all for just a measly buck at the door. More info: oldsouthpearlstreet.com.

* If you can't stand the heat of South Pearl Street . . . seek shade at The Kitchen (Upstairs) (1039 Pearl St.) in Boulder during the wine bar's weeklong Winter Beer Celebration (yes, you read that right), a sip fest of frosty brews that span the globe. The festivities last through Sunday and the suds are all handcrafted beers typically available only during blizzard season. More info: 303-544-5973.

* The August issue of Food & Wine magazine pays homage to the nation's best green initiatives, including three businesses in Colorado, all of which are local resources for procuring local foodstuffs. Conscious Coffees (5403 Western Ave., suite B, Boulder), a company that roasts espresso beans for Frasca Food and Wine (1738 Pearl St.), gets props for its organic and fair-trade practices. Red Wagon Organic Farm (off of Valmont Road, Boulder) is lauded for its grower's crop of more than 100 varieties of herbs and vegetables, which are farmed out - literally - to more than a dozen metro-area restaurants, including Potager (1109 Ogden St.), Duo (2413 W. 32nd Ave.), Z Cuisine Bistrot (2239 W. 30th Ave.) and Mateo (1837 Pearl St., Boulder). And Udi's Handcrafted Foods (101 E. 70th Ave.) is hailed for its "hand-shaped loaves like cranberry-raisin and filone breads" master-baked by bread-head Maurizio Negrini.

* There is ice cream . . . and then there's Little Man Ice Cream (2620 16th St.), a new ice cream and gelato joint in Highland. The 28-foot-tall structure, shaped like an old-fashioned creamery can, serves scratch-made sorbets, ice creams, gelatos and baked goods, ice cream sandwiches, fresh fruit popsicles and root beer floats.

* My favorite food find of this week is actually the major meal deal at India's Pearl (1475 S. Pearl St.), a tony new Indian restaurant in the former BB's on Pearl space. In lieu of the ubiquitous lunch buffet that most curry-in-a-hurry houses toss into chafing dishes, India's Pearl rolls out a $9.95 lunch thali that lays out three starters, four main dishes, raita and two desserts - for one person.