The Brown Palace, the grande dame of Denver hotels, celebrated its 115th birthday Thursday night with a blowout party, including 115 cakes decorated with 22-karat gold leaf, a boffo buffet and an Iron Chef- like competition.

The Brown's lobby was transformed into Kitchen Stadium during Battle Lamb. Chef Thanawat Bates of The Palace Arms and chef Curtis Lincoln of Ellyngton's faced off in a culinary competition, creating three dishes using the secret ingredient.

Bates, the "mad scientist," used potions such as ultra tex 3, lime powder, xanthan gum and soy lecithin. Lincoln was more old- school as he hand-cut pasta when the pasta maker malfunctioned. In the end, old school won out over food science, but the battle was close.

The judges: Marty Meitus, Rocky food editor; Lori Midson, freelance foodie; Josh Dinar, publisher of Dining Out magazine, and I. We sampled Bates' lamb tartare rolled in paper-thin avocado slices, lamb loin with saffron air (a foam that melted on your tongue) and lamb scallopine. Curtis wowed us with lamb spring roll and pea salad, ground lamb Bolognese and barbecued lamb he smoked with a blow torch.

CONTAINER SOIREE: Denver denizens Thursday also celebrated the opening of the Container Store at a wild and crazy event in what is Cherry Creek's new temple to organization.

Best sighting: Clean queen and author of Get Organized! Melly Kinnard stalking the aisles. Epicurean Catering could hardly "contain" itself with creatively displayed snacks served on picture frames, calendars and in desk drawers.

And the band played on. As I was leaving, several society types were getting down and funky. The new place opens in the old Tower Records at 9 a.m. today.

BIG B-DAY BOY: Printing poohbah Barry Hirschfeld celebrated his 65th Thursday during dinner at Elway's. The Hirschfelds (Barry and Arlene) toasted the occasion with several friends, including Michael and Shereen Pollak, Norm and Sunny Brownstein and Steve and Cindy Farber.

The table was decorated with clocks and plastic watches. "It's a timely event," said Barry, known for his huge collection of Swatch watches.

HOT TICKET: Parents, you've been warned. Tickets for the Oct. 25 Pepsi Center show by 'tween superstar Hannah Montana (aka Miley Cyrus, daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus) go on sale at 10 a.m. Aug. 18 through Ticketmaster ($55, $39.50 and $25).

CONGRATS: To Burt and Kari Mugavero, celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary today. Burt, a stock brokerage manager and head hunter, and Kari, an interior designer who ran Kari Design, married in 1962 after knowing each other for three weeks. They're celebrating tonight over dinner and dancing.

EAVESDROPPING on two women at the Container Store pre-opening party: "What man would come to a party here?"

"Free booze, free food. Need I say more?"

Penny Parker's column appears Tuesday through Saturday. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail parkerp@RockyMountainNews.com.