The delicious USDA prime steaks are gone. So are the well-dressed carnivores. Also gone is the iconic Denver restaurant building — and one of my best friends ever.
The Elway’s Cherry Creek building, a landmark where Denverites enjoyed champion beef between 2003 and 2024, was demolished last week. Soon after, my lifelong pal, Danny Levitt, a stylish connoisseur of steaks, passed away following his courageous fight against cancer.
Danny and I attended nearby George Washington High School in Denver (class of 1974). The Cherry Creek shopping district was just a couple of miles below us, featuring Denver Dry Goods, Sears, Woolworth’s and Baur’s Cherry Creek Restaurant on University Boulevard.
Long before John Elway sold rib-eyes, Jack Levitt was supporting his family as a Jewish cowboy who brokered livestock. Jim Levitt, Danny’s slightly older brother, says, “Our dad knew every rancher on the Western Slope and every farmer on the Eastern Slope of Colorado. They all had livestock needs.”
Like my father and so many native West Siders, Jack purchased Broncos season tickets in the 1960s for his family. From level three at Mile High, we watched Steve Tensi, Charley Johnson and Craig Morton take snaps as Broncos quarterbacks. Then along came Elway, propelling the Broncos — and Denver — to the next level.
Jack Levitt especially enjoyed Denver’s National Western Stock Show. So did Danny (“Junior Jack”). They came alive in their cowboy boots, touring the stockyards and sizing up the steers that might be brokered by Jack and end up on plates at their favorite steakhouse, Emil‑Line’s. Located way east of Denver, the restaurant served a three-level relish tray to start, then soup and salad, followed by spaghetti, and culminating with large, high-quality Colorado steaks.
Danny and Jack would demolish ribeyes, New York strips, or prime rib, savoring the meat — and the fat. They’d point to the marbling and declare, “That’s what gives it flavor.” Jack would occasionally bring home an entire butchered steer. In high school, Danny and I were tall and skinny, able to eat whatever we wanted as we grew to 6‑foot‑5.
For decades, Danny and I kept major weight gain at bay by playing basketball — mostly one-on-one and two-on-two. We were similar in physical stature, but Danny had a four-inch longer wingspan, constantly blocking my shots and improving my game. Knowing all my moves, he challenged me to invent new ways to score, especially by tiring him with endless dribbling. We played for hours.
Halfway between Cherry Creek and GWHS lies the Denver JCC, with its enormous gym. This is where Danny and I were dominant twin towers, playing on many victorious five-man teams. Danny had a deadeye, Jamaal Wilkes-like looping baseline jumper long before they became three-pointers.
Our competitions weren’t limited to gyms. Just below the JCC was ABC Bowl, where Danny and I sometimes played pinball and wagered on the outcome. In one epic double‑or‑nothing match, I was cruising to victory until I tilted the machine by shaking it a little too vigorously.
I jumped straight up in exasperation and forgot the low ceiling was slightly under seven feet. I cracked my head and went down like Christian Okoye being crushed by Steve Atwater. Once I regained consciousness, Danny laughed so hard that he nearly got sick.
Danny was a fashion hound from a young age, obsessed with sharp attire. Southeast Denver Bar Mitzvah boys were introduced to fine suits and tailoring at Cherry Creek’s legendary Squire Shop.
When older brother Jim went with mother Charleen (Siegel) Levitt to be fitted, little brother Danny insisted on attending — and on selecting his older brother’s apparel. Danny had great taste in steaks and clothes.
In 1969, Danny was the fifth bar mitzvah at Temple Sinai (Jim Levitt had been number one at the brand-new southeast Denver synagogue), and he was styling. As adults, Danny and I shopped at Kaufman’s Tall and Big Shop in Englewood, where we anxiously awaited their annual sale so we could style without breaking the bank.
Danny outfitted me as a groomsman for his 1983 wedding to Jean Buchanan, a Sterling, Colorado, beauty. In 1994, groomsman Danny stood on the stage when I married Trish. We designated Danny and Jean guardians for our sons. Today, our boys are adults, and Danny’s sons, David and Jeffrey, have become wonderful men.
Jack instilled in Danny the value of ethical salesmanship, teaching him that a handshake and one’s word are paramount. While Jack earned the trust of Colorado ranchers and farmers brokering livestock, Danny applied those same principles to the tech industry. He became a master purveyor of computer systems, traversing the planet just as his father had once traveled across Colorado.
Danny utilized his University of Denver MBA to become an expert salesman and sales mentor, emphasizing the importance of listening over talking. Jim noted that Danny’s gift for listening allowed him to provide exceptional advice. Danny was always my trusted adviser.
To celebrate our 2024 50th high school reunion, the Levitts and Silvermans shared a final steak dinner at Elway’s Cherry Creek.
Beloved Colorado restaurants, buildings and best friends vanish. Wonderful memories will endure. Danny Levitt’s memory is a blessing.
Craig Silverman is a former Denver chief deputy DA. Craig is columnist at large for The Colorado Sun and an active Colorado trial lawyer with Craig Silverman Law, LLC.
The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.
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