Despite the legal uncertainties surrounding medical-marijuana dispensaries, Steve Horo witz is plowing ahead with Colorado’s first marijuana restaurant.

Ganja Gourmet, a restaurant that serves pot-laced food, has opened at 1810 S. Broadway in a building that Horowitz owns.

In addition to the “Bud Bar,” where marijuana leaves are sold to licensed consumers, Ganja Gourmet offers lasagna, pizza, hummus, brownies, fudge and a variety of cheesecakes. Since the building does not have a kitchen, all menu items are cooked in a rented commercial kitchen and reheated in the restaurant’s microwave.

“I decided I want to open a cafe that’s a fun chill place and specialize in edibles,” Horowitz said. “None of the other dispensaries have a friendly and chill atmosphere.”

But what happens if stricter regulations are adopted on either the city or state level and customers aren’t allowed to munch on marijuana-filled food at dispensaries?

“It would be unfortunate, but it won’t be the end of the world,” Horowitz said. “At least 50 percent of sales are products to go. We’ll just offer all the food to go.”

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Lights out.

Wherever he is from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Avalanche star Paul Stastny plans to be in the dark.

Stastny, 23, and Nuggets standout Chauncey Billups are the celebrity spokesmen for Xcel Energy’s Lights Out Lunch event that aims to send an energy-conservation message statewide.

More than 70 restaurants through the Colorado Restaurant Association have pledged to turn off their lights during Friday’s lunch. Coupons and promotions are available at lightsoutlunch.com.

On Tuesday, Stastny and I spread the Lights Out Lunch love by cooking pancakes at Snooze at Seventh and Colorado Boulevard. Snooze is offering a free pancake of the day during the event.

Stastny’s creation was a pleasant blueberry pancake with Avalanche red raspberry coulis. I reciprocated by serving him a blueberry pancake with corn flakes and walnuts slathered with a peanut-butter glaze and Avalanche coulis.

“It’s good,” he said between bites. “Not sure I would have used the peanut butter, but I like the walnuts.”

To participate in Lights Out Lunch, just turn off your lights for an hour at noon Friday.

Road trip.

The Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation has chosen Portland, Ore., as the next destination for the 2010 Leadership Exchange trip next fall.

The invitation-only annual schmooze fest immerses attendees in issues in the host city that are relevant to Denver. More info: Anna Loewen, 303-620-8103 or anna.loewen @denverleadership.org.

The seen.

“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” host Guy Fieri dining at the Tilted Kilt on Tuesday, the night before his Road Show show at the Paramount.

Former beach boy Frankie Avalon and his wife, Kay, were staying at the Omni Interlocken this week visiting Frankie’s former personal assistant, Bruce Perry.

EAVESDROPPING

A man and a woman at My Brother’s Bar:

“Since I came out, I’ve had boyfriends three years, five years and seven years.”

“You’re a serial monogamist.”

Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Sundays on KHOW-630 AM. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost .com.