When the European Café & Restaurant announced back in late March that their building in Old Colorado City was sold, and that they were seeking a new home by May 15, some local eaters wondered if that would be the end of things for the businesses that launched back in 1996.

But those are probably the people who don’t know the fortitude of the cafe’s owner, Bozena Jakubczyk. Around a decade ago she’d moved from European Café’s original Manitou Springs location into a charming cottage in Old Colorado City, maintaining and growing a loyal following.

Nothing was saying she couldn’t do it again, on the eve of European Café’s 30th anniversary in July. But where to? What would fit their vibe and style?

What about the old Dale Street Bistro Cafe downtown? It had closed late last summer (after a couple decades in business near the Colorado College campus). It’s a cute building, bright with pastel colors and already laid out in a suitable way for European Café’s size. Super fitting. Perfect, actually.

Jakubczyk jumped on the spot and her tiny team got to work soon after the last day of service in OCC, on Mother’s Day. They’ve spent the past month refreshing paint, scrubbing the kitchen, tidying the dining room and updating the front patio with new equipment and features. Regular patrons will recognize the familiar artworks of artist Pam Pappas, also a cafe front-house employee.

Home relocated home.

I spend some time on the first day of service downtown, June 11, dining and chatting with Jakubczyk and her front-house lead Tyler Correa, as well as two longtime customers seated nearby.

Correa explains that the menu’s pretty much the same since the transition, although some items have received new names for a refresh (such as Crepes Bozena) and they’ve begun offering breakfast items all day. Lunch items launch at noon, and service stops daily at 4 (but for Mondays and Tuesdays when they’re closed). Also, they’re working on getting a new liquor license.

What definitely hasn’t changed, says Jakubczyk, is everything made in-house daily — no frozen items, or cans beyond some tomatoes. “Everything is fresh,” she says emphatically. No microwaves or warmers, “now or ever.” They’ve also ditched the old deep frier (used for french fries) in favor of olive oil- and butter-cooked home fries. As the primary prep cook and shift cook, she ensures “everything is very clean and tasty and I treat customers well.”

Picture that said through a Polish accent. She’s the fourth generation to be cooking these family recipes, which started in her great grandmother’s kitchen. Pierogis made each morning, potatoes shredded for pancakes, etc.

I dine on a large potato pancake, which is similar to how my family makes Hannukah latkes, but thinner, and with less onions and salt. (Hey, that’s us.) It’s topped with Norwegian smoked salmon, a big dollop of sour cream and garnishing capers and red onions. I’m offered an egg on the side and say yes; after all, potatoes love runny yolk.

A pair of Russian pierogi must be had, so I add them to my order and relish them plus a crepe filled with sweet cream for a light dessert.

I ask the two regulars seated near me what their go-to items and favorites are. Marsha Garrett starts by saying “everything.” Then narrows that down to the cafe’s stuffed cabbage rolls with red gravy, Reuben sandwich, potato pancake with stroganoff, pierogis, crepes and the Polish sausage omelet, because of incorporated sauerkraut and cheese. “It’s really good,” she says.

Dennis Kleinsasser —who tells me he’s been dining at European Café weekly for the past decade, often with Garrett — says he loves the buttermilk pancakes (which he’s eating this day) and home fries. “Bozena’s crepes are wonderful, especially the dessert crepes,” he says. “Even just crepes alone with butter.”

He adds that he would sometimes go to Dale Street Bistro Cafe, and thinks “this is a really good fit for European Café — the atmosphere fits.”

Jakubczyk agrees, telling me “it’s smaller but so cozy — I love this building.”

I ask her if she does plan to retire anytime soon and she jokes with me about being “too young.” She’s been running the business for so long it’s a steady routine that she doesn’t find too hard. (Building sales aside.)

“I want to keep doing this,” she says matter of factly. Then an order comes in and she leaves me at my table, disappearing into the kitchen to cook.

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Ranch Foods Direct is The Spot for pork belly

The Springs has a matcha influencer. I sat in on her class and came home prepped to make tea like a pro.

Just as third-wave coffee culture marks periods in recent history of great leaps forward in public understanding of craft standards, so too is finer tea culture enjoying a heyday across America.

Now, many of the best coffee cafes incorporate sophisticated tea drinks. Look no further locally than Cinchona. I hope you’ve had their blueberry matcha tea by now.

Just a couple weeks ago, I told you about the launch of BrewCha inside COATI food hall. Though it launched earlier in food truck form (and remains on the road as such), the anchoring of a brick-and-mortar holds significance to the Springs’ tea scene, which also owes a debt of gratitude to Yellow Mountain Tea House for introducing gong fu ceremonies years ago.

BrewCha has leaned heavily into matcha tea culture specifically, launching with a 10-drink “Pick Me Up Matcha” menu that includes an option to select unique matchas from one of four Japanese growing regions. Owner Fatima Concepcion recently tapped a friend to teach a Matcha 101 class at COATI, aimed at teaching the basics of making amazing matcha drinks at home, the traditional and proper way. I sat in.

The instructor was Dai, who prefers to go by her first name only here. Her handle (which you should follow) is @thematchamix. She regularly shares recipes for alluring drinks that look like this:

As for how the Springs has come to be home to a matcha influencer, Dai moved here three years ago. She was born in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, and immigrated to the U.S. at age five, to Houston, Texas. She’s a pediatric physical therapist, and turned matcha making into a hobby and passion in late 2024 when she launched her page.

Her entry point to matcha, like many people, was at Starbucks, via an iced matcha latte that became her go-to order. But it wasn’t until she and a friend visited Japan in early 2024 that she had an ah-ha moment. “We went to a random donut shop and asked for a matcha latte,” she tells our class. “It was just regular milk, a regular latte, nothing crazy. But I took my first sip and had this epiphany. I was like, ‘what’s this?!’”

She says she went on a matcha binge for the rest of the trip, returning home determined to learn how to make it for herself. She started experimenting and playing with recipes, and soon was being sent samples for review from matcha companies. One of the first came from a boutique company in Japan, who she was able to meet up with on a return trip there at the beginning of this year, creating a rewarding, full circle moment for her.

When I ask her more about her “why?” she says “The Springs just has BrewCha and Cinchona. The more we educate, the more we build the culture. It’s time to get serious about matcha as a cafe. Because people are savvy and they will know when a cafe has not properly educated itself on matcha.”

Meaning they’ll understand when places are using commercial pre-mixes and blends with additives such as sweeteners built in, versus hand-whisking matcha with reverence, the traditional way, making exceptional drinks. To be fair, it’s not everyone’s model nor should it be, for quick-serve places especially. To some coffee shops it would be a distraction. But for others, like Cinchona, it has the potential to be another draw.

What Dai breaks down in her class is everything you need to know about matcha: from its origin and modern cultivation areas to growing and processing methods to healthful properties and understanding why colors and flavors vary. Obviously terroir plays a role, such as in matcha grown in volcanic soil, but so too does harvest time and other important factors. And freshness for the consumer is key.

I won’t steal her thunder here by relating everything she teaches in class, but one of the myths worth debunking, from her handout, is that the term “ceremonial grade matcha” is a product of marketing and not an actual scoring system that holds weight. So don’t be fooled into overly expensive products. That’s where her reviews come in handy, including this recent roundup of her 6 top matcha powders after trying over 50+ tins.

One part of the class I found surprising (read: effective) was the importance of prepping our palates with delicate sweets to counterbalance the bitterness of the matcha sips ahead. Dai breaks down three categories of traditional Japanese wagashi that can be as simple as mochi snacks found at area import markets.

I like that she exhibited the traditional pottery, glassware and equipment for a proper tea ceremony — clarifying that she’s not a certified tea master, equivalent to a wine sommelier — but encouraged attendees that they can make do at home with what’s on-hand. Though a scale and bamboo whisk are essential. (The cost of the class includes a take-home whisk for students to get them started.)

“The main thing is to get a high-quality matcha,” she says. “You can fudge the tools.”

We learn to make a “thin tea” (usucha) that can be drank as-is, and a “thick tea” (koicha) which we turn into a latte, pairing it with our milk of choice and an optional complementary sweetener. Everyone makes a couple drinks and departs properly caffeinated. (Watch my short video of Dai teaching us how to whisk matcha rapidly in the bowl.)

By way of a mini Q&A afterwards, I sit down with Dai to learn a little more:

What’s it like to be a matcha influencer?

The biggest thing is community. I have friends all over the world that I haven’t met in person, but we support each other.

For new drinkers, what are the most common flavors to look out for? What adjectives do you tend to reach for?

The most common flavors to look out for would be umami, floral, grassy, or nutty. Sometimes you can look at astringency, which is how the aftertaste dries on your tongue. Sometimes you will get other unique flavor profiles, such as a seaweed flavor.

What’s something that’s surprised you in a matcha?

One of my all time top favorites is so different than anything I’ve tried. It has notes of black sesame and Japanese milk bread.

What do you do with lower ranking matchas as you rate them?

If I get a powder that’s not my favorite I’ll use it in a sweeter drink recipe where the matcha can be more highlighted with complementary flavors. Sometimes a matcha will be more culinary-grade, which is better for making desserts like cookies and ice cream.

Who else should people follow to become more matcha informed?

@matchamonk.ryo and @misheru

Want to attend the next class? It will be on July 26 at COATI food hall (upstairs). Only eight spots available. Check BrewCha Tea Lounge’s website event page two weeks prior to sign up. There will be more monthly recurring workshops announced, so be on the lookout on that page for more dates.

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Bites & Bits

• Firebrand, the high-end steakhouse concept that’s part of Tava House in Woodland Park, has now opened. You’ll recall from my story in early May that the massive new project originally launched with its event venue and downstairs taproom, complete with a self-pour beer system. Firebrand was on a delayed start as it cleared final health inspections, etc. Chef and co-owner Victor Matthews explained at the time that Firebrand would be devoted to primo steaks sourced from excellent ranches locally and nationally, and that there’d be a chef’s table option for customizable, drink-paired courses. It’s open 5-9 p.m., Thursday-Sunday presently. I haven’t yet been back up to check it out, but that’s on my list to do soon.

• Monse’s Pupuseria will open at 20 E. Colorado Ave. (in the former Saigon Cafe space they purchased) on June 23. There’ll be a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. to kick off the first day of service. As with Monse’s Taste of El Salvador in Old Colorado City, everything at the downtown pupuseria will be gluten free. I’m slated to attend a private, pre-opening preview, so will likely have some photos and notes up on social media before the opening, or in next week’s newsletter.

• Berries Basket Cafe opened on June 16 in the former Red Lobster space at 4925 N. Academy Blvd. The mom-and-pop spot, billing itself as “a family-owned neighborhood cafe,” now serves all three meals, promoting “fresh ingredients, generous portions, classic comfort food, specialty drinks, and friendly full-service dining.” The breakfast menu features diner classics. The lunch and dinner menu offers everything from sandwiches, salads and soups to seafood, pasta, burgers and Greek-inspired items. There’s also a full coffee bar with espresso drinks, smoothies and more. I aim to stop by and check it all out sometime soon.

• In the above ad you’ll notice that Side Dish sponsor Stellina has launched a cicchetti hour — cicchetti being akin to tapas, but traditionally served in rustic Italian bars. Special weekend service from noon to 2:30 launches June 20, featuring not just small bites, but full Italian sandwiches on house sourdough focaccia. (Full menu here.) You’ll also find happy hour pricing on drinks and BOGO homemade gelato for dessert. (Give me all of the stracciatella, please and thank you.) We caught a preview meal a couple weeks ago, as Stellina sought early feedback from its regulars.

• 2026 James Beard Award Winners were announced earlier this week. One is Chef Penelope Wong of Denver’s Yuan Wonton, a three-time finalist and first-time winner. “Holy shit. Holy shit, I beat Johnny Curiel!” she told Westword.

Side Dish Dozen happenings

Bristol Brewing Company: It’s summer and that means it’s time for patio vibes. Head to the Barrel Room at Ivywild, now open for the season Thursday-Sunday, or grab an adirondack and chill outside in the Schoolyard. And don’t miss Music in the Yard Fridays 6-8pm featuring Wirewood Station on June 19 and The Fuzzheads on June 26.

bird tree cafe: We have one of the best happy hours around: 3-6 p.m. daily. Come in for our special Pride Month drinks, like The Gay Agenda, a beautiful, rainbow-layered sipper with blue spirulina, lavender lemonade, orange juice and alpine berry tea. Or if cold brew is your speed, get the Salty Bee Word.

Red Gravy: Enjoy happy hours from 4-6 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays, with half-off glass wines, drafts and well drinks plus apps on special. Pastarama persists with Lamb Ragu facing off against Rigatoni alla Vodka for all of June. Try them both before one’s knocked out for contention.

Blackhat Distillery: Experience Blackhat Distillery, where American Agave Spirits meet disciplined craft and elevated Colorado hospitality. Come sample and sip in our tasting room, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays. Take a guided tour with our intimate Distiller’s Vault experience. Advance resos required.

Elephant Thai & Chaang Thai: Our house specialties include traditional Thai-style pad ga prow, Thai Boat Noodles, Pad Thai Woonsen with soft shell crab, and red curry duck with pineapple. We also served dedicated gluten-free, kids and vegan menus to accommodate all eaters.

Four by Brother Luck: Book a five- or seven-course private Chef’s Table with us for any occasion. Wine pairings available. Email info@fourbybrotherluck.com to reserve. Come see us for happy hour, 3-6 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays.

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

World Cup Streaming: USA vs. Australia at Phantom Canyon. 1 p.m., June 19. Includes game-day specials like 80-cent wings.

Beers & Books Summer Book Sale at Black Forest Brewing. 11:30 a.m., June 20. Local authors, books, artwork and creativity.

Matterville Wolf Dog Meet and Greet at Dueces Wild Brewery. Noon, June 20. Get to know the area nonprofit and pet pups over pints.

Beer Releases

War Child IPA at Cerberus. A Triple IPA named after a character from Point Break. Releases June 21.

Mango Wheat at Goat Patch Brewing (all locations). A juicy mango wheat beer with soft wheat and a touch of hop bitterness.

Tangerine Sour at South Park Brewing. On draft and in cans to-go.

For full listings of events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

June 18: Bar Mom’s Birthday Bar Crawl Fundraiser. 6 p.m. to midnight. $25 tickets benefit Care & Share. Includes VIP menu pricing at stops and commemorative challenge coin.

June 20: 4th Annual All-Star BBQ Cook Off at Texas T-Bone Steakhouse & Famous Dave’s BBQ. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free barbecue and guest vendor samples (including coffee and whiskey), live music and DJ, family activities, giveaways and more. I’ll be co-judging.

June 26: Made In America Wine Tasting at Wayfinder Coffee Co. 6-9 p.m.; taste six domestic wines with food pairings.

July 9: Taste of Pikes Peak at Hillside Gardens & Event Center.

July 18: Tag Ulan Baon Supper Club at Good Neighbors Meeting House. 6-9:30 p.m. Five courses inspired by Filipino rainy season plus welcome drink and take-home snacks.

For more daily events check out springsthings.co/events.

Food Truck Tuesdays at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum continue through Aug. 25 (with exception of July 7). Every Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Visit your local farmer’s markets: Full listings here via Visit Colorado Springs.

Parting shot(s)

Wow it was a packed week of events. Here’s some things I got into:

• Watching the first U.S. game of the World Cup at newly opened The Sportsbook Bar & Grill downtown. Huge space, tons of TVs!

• The Summer Sync Creator + Business Mixer put on by Springs Things at T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila.

• Learned to make a better and more traditional matcha at home, as featured in the above story.

• I Co-judged the Absolut Heat Streak cocktail competition with Jacob Pfund, owner of Rebel Rebel, at Avenue 19 food hall. A dozen local bartenders took the speed-drink-making challenge, and Allie Johnstone, operations lead for Choice Restaurant Concepts, took home the ticket to visit the Tabasco headquarters in Louisiana.

“Accolades would be great, but as far as who we are, they don’t define our identity.”

That’s Chef de Cuisine Ashley Brown at Four by Brother Luck, one of my Side Dish Dozen sponsors. We’re seated together in Four’s dining room during prep hours one recent morning, talking through a number of topics and plotting out next week’s Sip with Schnip Happy Hour event.

I’ve asked her about the hype and potential pressure around statewide Michelin award announcements coming up in the fall, partly because Four resides on many peoples’ short-list as a contender for at least a recommendation, if not a Bib Gourmand nod. After all, speaking of accolades, Brother Luck is a Top Chef and he’s assembled a formidable force of culinary professionals at his eponymous eatery.

Ashley attended the Fall 2025 James Beard Foundation’s Chef Bootcamp for Policy and Change and she’s part of the 2026 City of Colorado Springs Mayor’s Fellowship class. She tells me both experiences have helped shape her approach to leadership in her kitchen and with her front-of-house team. There’s a “do your part” tone to her takeaways, touching on accountability, solutions thinking and mindset, putting in the effort and “knowing your resources before you speak on something.”

Five years in the CDC role at Four, meaning 20 seasonal menu refreshes, has given Ashley the confidence to lean into her own style of cooking. “I’m not knocking molecular gastronomy, but I like my food simple for what I’m trying to sell,” she says. “You won’t find translucent ravioli here. We cook with raw ingredients and find new ways to incorporate disparate flavors you wouldn’t think would match.”

Peruse Four’s current menu and it’s easy to find examples of that, from a cucumber-strawberry salsa on yuzu-charred octopus to green chile corn broth and cilantro-lime butter on a PEI mussels dish.

“Ashley is inspiring,” says Brother Luck. “To watch a young chef find her voice and discover herself, and to express that creatively through the food she’s putting out. And for her to find the balance between motherhood, partnership in her relationship and her professional career. What I love about her food is her understanding as a Latina woman of food’s cultural connection and the regionality of where we live.”

That geographical designation underpins Four’s core concept, honoring and showcasing the ingredients of each season in the Four Corners and Southwest region — but also the symbolic roles of the hunter, gatherer, farmer and fisherman. They’re even represented by the icons in the eatery’s logo. When designing menus, Brother, Ashley and the Four cooks talk how it’s not just the products of domesticated farmlands in our area but also the significance of what our water touches.

“When people talk about the Southwest they’re usually just talking about the desert,” says Brother. “They aren’t talking about the water from the mountain top and the nature and people that follow the rivers.” In Ashley’s words, “it’s all connected.” (Which explains why you’ll find an item like octopus on the menu in the first place.)

Ashley grew up in the Springs and has family in Arizona, with distant ties to New Mexico. “My roots are in the Four Corners,” she says, noting that she grew up eating the flavors of this region.

Since opening Four in 2017 Brother says they’ve evolved their four-season approach in this way, redefining what Southwest cuisine means. “It’s the result of many failures along the way,” he says. “Nine years later we’re completely different. There’s more intention, focus and clarity in the food we’re cooking. I had to learn a lot of lessons, including getting out of the way of amazing talent.”

That talent includes the people behind Four’s dessert, cocktail and wine programs.

Pastry Chef Marjorie Furio dials into the seasons creatively with past creations like a “forest floor” presented like an edible terrarium. And current sweets like a lavender pavlova with honey kataifi and tuile accents intended to resemble a nest — a nod to springtime’s birds and bees.

Bar Manager Kyle McNerney mixes cocktail lore and history with personal twists and seasonal flourishes. I’m thinking back to a recent mocktail I had off the happy hour menu, made with persimmon simple syrup and a carrot shrub. He turns drinks into stories, with playful names, but doesn’t stray from making them balanced and beautiful. Ashley says they’ll meet up before a new menu drop and play off one another, sometimes intentionally cross-utilizing an ingredient. A recent example was yogurt that she used in an elk dish and he found a way to incorporate into a cocktail.

With seasoned sommelier Steve Kander, sometimes the collaborative direction starts with his input, “because I can change the dish, but he can’t necessarily change the wine,” Ashley says. That’s not to say he couldn’t source a different bottle; it’s to say when he has something special in hand that they’re seeking the perfect pairing for, Ashley’s willing to work with him to dial a dish’s ingredients and garnishes around it, to make it “seamless.”

“Within the last several years I’ve learned to tone things down and think about the wine instead of solely the dish,” she says, joking that she used to put cilantro and honey on everything, which can be tough for pairings. “Steve has helped shape my palate more than any chef has.”

Which goes to show another aspect of leadership that Ashley’s gleaned along her journey: listening.

Back to the opening topic of accolades: if Four’s going to net a Michelin nod of any sort it’s not going to come through the old-school toxic kitchen culture of chest-pounding alphas, flying pans and verbal (and sometimes physical) abuse.

Not to be overserious and soapy about it, but it will come instead through the values inscribed in Latin on a pin given to Ashley and all of this year’s Mayor’s Fellows: animos (courage), empathia (empathy), and humilitas (humility).

Though those will be exercised most via self-care, and practice with and regard for others, that last value of humility offers a wise culinary application as well. The best chefs I’ve worked with and interviewed over my 30 years around the industry have all said some form of the same phrase “let the ingredients speak for themselves.”

That means not muddling and muting flavors in misguided and vain attempts to elevate them, and essentially getting out of their way so they can speak up with their inherent essences. Ultimately holding them in perfect harmony and balance as they fuse with one another to be the best expressions of themselves. As we desire to be the best expressions of ourselves, existing within the moodiness of the seasons.

In essence, humility’s what Ashley touches upon when she says she likes her food “simple.”

The magic for us eaters, of course, is when a chef’s “simple” tastes like the most dynamic and complex gastronomy, tickling all the senses at the table, heightened by a complementary sip. That is why we dine out, forever chasing the dragon.

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Bella’s Bagels announces huge expansion to Creekwalk

A little over three years in business on the north end of the city (off Powers Boulevard and Old Ranch Road near Pine Creek High School) and Bella’s Bagels stands poised for a significant expansion toward downtown.

“We’ve been told by too many people who live on the south side that if only we were closer to them they’d be here dangerously frequently,” says co-owner Jason Stele.

I first gleaned Bella’s backstory from Stele just after they’d opened in spring 2023 (when I was launching Side Dish, nostalgically). We like to remind each other of that significance just about every time we catch up. One of those times was in early 2025 when Bella’s expanded one storefront over, adding a coffee bar.

They’ve had a stellar run since, growing from selling around 700 to 800 bagels daily to 1,200-plus now, including wholesale. “We’re north of 9,000 a week,” he says. They set a single-day record on Mother’s Day with 2,300 bagels sold, and have grown to a staff of 24, that includes four bakers across two baking shifts.

In April they won Schmear of the Year at BagelFest West in Los Angeles — earning a visit from Governor Jared Polis. Come May, they won Gold in the Gazette for Best Bagels in Colorado Springs and were named Best Bagel Shop in Colorado by Chowhound.

“It’s validation we’re moving in the right direction,” says Stele. “We don’t chase accolades, but it shows that our product is differentiated, unique and consistent, and that goes along with our excellent customer service. The reality for us is the network effect happens, where someone tries our food once and then brings friends and family back — we now have 17,000 loyalty members.”

Which brings us back to the expansion, announced this past weekend through a video on Facebook. It introduces Bellas Bagels & Bistro at the Creekwalk shopping center, to include full service for breakfast, lunch and dinner plus a full bar, market and deli. The roughly 5,000-square-foot space includes a spacious creekside patio. Wraparound accordion windows in the dining room will be able to open for more of an outdoors connection and pretty view over the waterway.

Senger Design Group, who’s behind Ryze Skyline Lounge and many other F&B projects locally, is underway with plans which have also been informed by Brother Luck in a consulting capacity. Stele explains that Luck has been a loyal customer at Bella’s since the beginning, and several months ago he shared the expansion news on the down low when he ran into Luck at the bagel shop. The Top Chef offered to help with the kitchen layout and things like equipment procural. Stele’s best guess for an opening date is sometime in Q1 of 2027 — “we have a long way to go.”

Stele says the larger, second location has been the grander vision since day one. “We’re pulling from several delis where I grew up in New Jersey, as well as where my wife Michelle grew up in Indianapolis. They were part of our routines and traditions.”

He describes being able to order a Bloody Mary with a lox bagel on site, or nabbing a grab-and-go quart of tuna salad from the market, or half pound of lox from a deli counter. Or perhaps a picnic kit to take outside to the grassy creekside amphitheater during summer music concerts. “It’ll be an upgraded experience with an expanded menu,” he says, offering another example of being able to order a bagel and cream cheese with your omelette at breakfast in the full-service dining room.

The dinner menu isn’t something he’s ready to say too much about yet, but he does tease items like roasted chicken and meatloaf, “done the Bella’s way.” He says “we’re going for Sunday Supper high-quality comfort food.”

Most importantly for those eaters laser-focused on the bagels: Bella’s will expand flavor offerings at the south location. Stele says the only reason they haven’t done so up north is the limitation of their bagel case’s size at the retail counter. “We’re busting at the seams,” he says. “We’re so grateful for the community’s support. The timing is right now for us to expand.”

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Bites & Bits

• Restaurateur Phil Duhon announced earlier this week that Burnt Toast will open a third location in town, this one off Powers Boulevard at 3265 Cinema Point. He says it should be open by late October. The original location opened in 2022 across from City Hall downtown, and the brand expanded to North Academy Boulevard in 2024.

• Chef James Africano of The Warehouse posted a video on Facebook over the weekend to share progress on The Warehouse Urban Grocer buildout. Which is to say, share the lack of progress on the timeline he was originally hoping for. But he asked for grace given it’s a 130-year-old building that had some surprises in mind for construction crews as they’ve made upgrades. “We’re slowed down but we’re not giving up,” he said, noting they can get staged to operate within a day once they finally get their certificate of occupancy. “We’ll let you know just as soon as we know, when that opening day is,” he concludes.

• Former longtime Beer Ranger for New Belgium Brewing Travis Flett, who also consulted more recently for breweries like Goat Patch, has taken a new position as the Sales and Branding Director for Fossil Brewing. I ran into him earlier this week and he told me about some big plans he has to build on Fossil’s nearly 12 years of success in the community. I’m embargoed on one particular beer project he’s pumped about, but I suspect you’ll see some reporting from me down the road on it.

• Make Southern Crispy Fried Green Tomatoes with Season Two Taste’s recipe.

• “Donation-only and pay-what-you-wish restaurants are not new. What makes Mr. Alverson’s approach novel is his determination to center his business on an expanded concept of hospitality driven by more than economic survival. Serving customers who don’t have the means to eat at most restaurants brings an ethical component to his recalibrated definition of success.” — an excerpt from a New York Times article about a Minneapolis restaurant where “a tax protest has turned into a social experiment and a critique of the hospitality industry.”

• Rocky Mountain Food Tours has released updated tours around town as part of their 16th anniversary celebration. The new routes include: A morning walking tour of Manitou Springs that includes the historic mineral springs; a craft beer-focused “Wild West Burgers & Brews Tour”; an evening “happy hour-style” tour highlighting tacos, tequila and margaritas downtown; and a collaboration with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum “that combines international food tastings” with museum admission. RMFT says they’ve now served more than 25,000 tour guests since 2010.

Side Dish Dozen happenings

Evergreen: Join us for Flatbreads & Frosé: A girls morning out on June 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s free, but reservations required. Enjoy a pilates class with Core Collective; a bloom bar; giveaways; and of course, flatbreads and frosé.

Kangaroo Coffee: Join us for our Summer Music Series every Saturday in June at our Kangaroo Coffee Hillside Coffee House. June 13: The Mitguards, 1-4 p.m.; June 20, Community Share Fair Event Open Mic, 1-4 p.m.; and June 27, Lookee Here, 1-4 p.m.

Edelweiss: Make reservations early for Father’s Day, June 21. We’re doing a prime rib special! Catch all of Germany’s World Cup group stage matches June 14, 20 and 25 in our Ratskeller. Enjoy happy hour beer pricing and $3 off appetizers.

Gold Star Bakery: Sweeten your Fourth of July celebrations with our three-pie bundle and get 10% off. Red: Strawberry Rhubarb. White: Dutch Apple. Blue: Wild Blueberry. Available gluten-free. Pre-order through June 25 for pickup on July 2, 3, or 4.

Goat Patch Brewing: Our summer music series continues June 14, 6-9 p.m. with the SofaKillers at the Lincoln Center and Deuces Wyld in Monument, 2-5 p.m. Catch trivia night at Northgate, Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and enjoy bites from Grazing Goat Kitchen.

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: Make reservations for Father’s Day at Jax on June 21. Tell us your best dad joke for a free beer! Enjoy a lavish Surf ‘N Turf plate with beef tenderloin, whipped potatoes, asparagus, horseradish butter and a choice of lobster tail, crab cake, sea scallops, or jumbo lump blue crab meat.

Wobbly Olive: Every weekday happy hour at both locations is 4-6 p.m.; all cocktails and beers are half off, plus $5 house wines. We can’t wait to introduce you to new sips from our upcoming cocktail menu refresh! Check out chef Mark Henry’s first-of-its-kind (at Wobbly Olive) happy hour food menu, which includes dirty martini popcorn.

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

Cosmic Pizza Music Bingo at Fossil Craft Beer Co. June 13, 7 p.m. Drink pints, win prizes (if you’re lucky).

Recess in the Schoolyard at Bristol Brewing Co. June 18, 5-8 p.m. Weekly on Thursdays; a family-friendly evening of food, games, beer and playtime for all ages.

Beer Releases

NEIPA at Goat Patch Brewing. A juicy, hazy New England IPA loaded with peach candy, tropical and citrus hop aromas with a soft, low-bitterness finish.

Cowboys vs. Hipsters IPA at WestFax Springs. Berry, citrus, and tropical fruit IPA brewed with Strata and Amarillo hops.

Junibock at Lost Friend Brewing. An easy-drinking Maibock lager featuring smooth bready malt notes and classic German-style character with a clean, refreshing finish.

For full listings of events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

Food Truck Tuesdays at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum continue through Aug. 25 (with exception of July 7). Every Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Visit your local farmer’s markets: Full listings here via Visit Colorado Springs.

June 13: Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival at Chapel of Our Saviour Episcopal Church. Noon to 4:30 p.m. Family-friendly, live music, food trucks, beer, wine and spirits tastings. $55.20 to $108.55 (VIP).

June 13: Ethiopian Night at Crepe Amour. 5-8 p.m. A traditional Ethiopian tasting menu featuring some of Ethiopia’s most beloved dishes, an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, soft drinks, and plenty of gluten free and vegan options. $45; $25 kids.

June 13: Tubby’s Turnaround Free Tasting Event. 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring Ranch Foods Direct hamburgers and special tastings from local vendors, ranging from coffee to pastries and chocolate. Give input on the iconic Manitou business’ future.

June 13-14: Pikes Peak Pride in downtown. Includes food trucks, beer garden and vendor booths.

June 14: Matcha Workshop at COATI. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Join BrewCha and @thematchamix to learn how to prepare matcha traditionally and turn it into an awesome latte at home. $85 includes a take-home whisk.

June 14: Springs Things Summer Sync Creator + Business Mixer at T-byrd’s Tacos & Tequila. 3-6 p.m. Hayato Ramen takeover; all day happy hour; DJ HotBoii.

June 14: 7th Annual Rosé-a-Palooza at the Carter Payne. 2-4 p.m., $49.

June 15: Absolut Heat Streak bartending competition at Avenue 19. 1-4 p.m. Come spectate as bartenders compete for prizes in a timed competition, mixing drinks with Absolut Tabasco Vodka. The battle is meant to mimic service on a busy brunch shift. (Bartenders, register at the link to compete for free.) I’ll be co-judging. Free food, drinks and swag!

June 17: Colorado Springs Western Street Breakfast in downtown. 5:30-9 a.m. at Pikes Peak and Tejon streets.

June 17: Happy Hour Sip with Schnip at Four by Brother Luck. 3-6 p.m. Enjoy $10 cocktails and $5-$6 mocktails plus a full drink list. Snacks start at $2.50, small plates at $8 and larger items for $10-$13. Come for items like Pueblo chile blue cornbread with wojapi jam, hominy hummus, pork belly sliders, Brother’s famous bacon jam burger and duck poutine ... and maybe a surprise or two.

June 18: Bar Mom’s Birthday Bar Crawl Fundraiser. 6 p.m. to midnight. $25 tickets benefit Care & Share. Includes VIP menu pricing at stops and commemorative challenge coin.

June 20: 4th Annual All-Star BBQ Cook Off at Texas T-Bone Steakhouse & Famous Dave’s BBQ. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free barbecue and guest vendor samples (including coffee and whiskey), live music and DJ, family activities, giveaways and more. I’ll be co-judging.

Parting shot(s)

It had been overly long since I dropped by Frozen Gold — what with all my Josh & John’s collaborations and Lolley’s expanding downtown as well as Ice Guys — it’s fair to say I’ve been distracted by other cold, sweet goodness.

But due to being conveniently chased inside by the freak storm that delayed last weekend’s Switchbacks FC match to starting at 9:50 p.m., I was able to try Frozen Gold’s flavor of the month.

It’s called the Must-tachio and is made with a pistachio soft serve, brown sugar cheesecake softcore (unless you get it deconstructed with a cone as I did) and honey-glazed filo and pistachio crumble.

I made a hella mess of it at our table, knocking the garnishes off with my first bites. But I enjoyed the flavor combo as an alternative to my favorite flagship items, the Samoa Samoa and Piña Colada, both made with the vegan toasted coconut soft serve. Suffice to say: Frozen Gold I have missed you. Let’s see each other more often.

The line stems from Between the Sips, which aims to be open in Monument — just off W. Hwy 105, near Serranos Coffee — sometime in August.

“We’ll be the first trope bookstore in the Colorado Springs area,” owner Sheena LaBadie tells Side Dish, citing a blossoming industry that’s inspired Denver’s Spicy Librarian, Boulder’s Sugar and Spice Books and Fort Collins’ Cherry on Top.

But what those lack that Between the Sips will offer is the teahouse component. “My daughter and I are big into tea rooms, says LaBadie, who’s a military spouse, homesteader in the Peyton area and healthcare management and small business development professional.

“And I’m an avid romance reader — especially fantasy. So I thought why not combine the two passions and create a tearoom focus around romance books?” That’s something that will distinguish Between the Sips from existing Springs-area tea rooms, like Toodles Tearoom, Tea & Tidbits, The British Pantry and Tea Room, Miramont Castle, BrewCha, Yellow Mountain Tea House and Glen Eyrie.

See how I just worked in a name-drop for all the spots that make up our tea scene? Yeah, amazing. And notice none are in the Monument area, which gives Between the Sips the leg up in a new area. (“Leg up is my intended pun for a romance bookshop, in case you missed it.)

As the bookstore goes, LaBadie says she’ll stock a wide range of romance styles, including contemporary, Harlequin, historical and LGBTQ. “There’s so many genres in romance,” she says. “People like different things, from hard core to soft and sweet.”

I ask if she’s concerned about pushback from the local community, which it’s fair to say is buttoned up (read: conservative) in many regards.

“Education will be a challenge,” she says. “There might be pushback against a romance bookstore because of its spicier side. Romance books can be like reading porn versus watching it. I’ll need to explain to people that’s just a small piece of it, though. It’s the story, the plot that’s important. It’s about romance and love: sometimes between friends and lovers, or enemies and lovers.”

LaBadie says she plans to host book-themed tea parties, and she’s already had local authors reach out asking to do events. The tea room will initially serve black, green, white, and oolong teas with matcha coming later. She aims to be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays, largely by reservation as the tea service goes.

As you can see from the digital renderings above, the tea room will have a more modern style, with feminine, floral touches but no stuffy Victorian vibe. “It’s going to be cozy, with Colorado colors,” she says. “It won’t scream ‘smut.’”

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BrewCha Tea Lounge opens a kiosk at COATI

I first met BrewCha owner Fatima Concepcion at the Sober Soiree event in mid 2024, running into her again that fall at a food truck rally. I was highly impressed by her creative and diverse tea drinks, spanning from Thai to English and Japanese flavors. As I wrote at the time, she takes a cocktail-making approach to building alluring sippers with healthful ingredients.

Earlier this week, Concepcion held a friends and family soft opening at her new COATI food hall kiosk, ahead of an official opening on Tuesday, June 9. Regular hours for the time being are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the menu expanding as she gets settled in the new space and some breakfast foods planned to join the menu later this month.

At the preview event, BrewCha offered a two-page “Pick Me Up Matcha” menu to highlight 10 matcha drinks, including items not previously available on the truck. Choices included a strawberry or maple-blueberry matcha — both of which I relished — a maple-lavender; black sesame; hojicha; and brown sugar-cinnamon. All are made with dairy-free alternatives like oat and coconut milks.

What’s super cool is an option to choose your matcha origin from one of four Japanese growing regions. BrewCha explains that they use 4 grams of matcha per drink, which Concepcion tells me is roughly equivalent to a double-shot of espresso. Patrons can up-charge to 6 grams for a triple-shot equivalent; she says Thai people tend to drink 7 grams in a 16-ounce volume for a stronger ratio than many Americans will prefer.

Concepcion says she will still take the food truck out and will participate in the Acacia Park farmers markets on Sundays this season as one regular stop. Once she staffs up, appearances elsewhere will expand.

Related, while on the topic of COATI: Look for a Piglatin Cocina express kiosk to open soon in the kiosk next to BrewCha. A food hall representative tells me it should be there for at least the summer months, with potential to stick around and anchor on site. (On a personal note: I think that’s a terrific idea. I’ve told owner Andres Velez for years that he should expand the food-truck-launched brand into COATI, where he had opened an arepa stall and healthier concept named Green Freak back in 2024.)

Reception launches a Hold Fast Coffee Club

Reception, who introduced C. Springs to the build-your-own espresso martini menu last October, has now introduced the Hold Fast Coffee Club.

To be clear: It’s not an actual club, requiring sign ups, membership fees, etc. Rather, it’s a special service from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays-Sundays, featuring newly introduced Belgian Liége waffles alongside seasonal and flagship espresso drinks. “‘Club’ in this case just means being part of our community,” says owner Grace Harrison.

The waffles are inspired by Harrison’s family ski trips. After bombing down icy hills all day, her kids love hitting the Waffle Cabin in Winter Park. She’d had the idea to bring waffles to Hold Fast, before Reception was born, but it hasn’t made sense until now, as both businesses have shifted recently to help Reception find its footing.

Turns out a lot of loyal customers wanted more quick-service-style Hold Fast offerings inside Reception, and the staff quickly grew tired of saying no. Linking the branding was clunky so Harrison found it “time to pivot” by bringing Hold Fast favorites into Reception while allowing it to still focus on manual coffee methods to highlight their roasters and barista talent. By night, Thursdays-Saturdays, 4-9 p.m., it’s still a cocktail bar with a coffee habit.

Harrison tasked her culinary lead Audra Pearce to create Reception’s take on Belgian Liége waffles, which are doughier by design (and $6-$8). They’re made with a yeast dough that proofs, lending “a bread-y, almost brioche texture” in Harrison words. (I agree. And before anyone asks: No they’re not gluten-free.)

One seasonal savory option they’ve launched with is a sun-dried tomato, herb, garlic, Parmesan and pesto waffle —vegetal, with light zesty notes. Then there’s a classic pearl sugar waffle, a universal option to pair with any coffee drink. And a seasonal sweet option, currently a wild blueberry, lemon-poppyseed waffle with lemon glaze which is definitely a sweet treat, particularly if you ask your barista to pair with a traditional coffee drink made with any fruitier varietal.

While we were on site for the inaugural waffle service, we also tasted through Reception’s current seasonal drink menu. A cardamom rose latte leads with huge floral aromatics and tastes true to the flower, not soapy or synthetic like lesser attempts. The banana bread latte, a mainstay at Hold Fast, is so on-point that it will convince your brain that you’ve just swallowed a slice of the real thing. An oat milk base adds body and richness.

If you’re looking for more of a dessert drink, get the tiramisu latte (we had it iced by recommendation), which allows you to dip a garnishing ladyfinger into vanilla cold foam dusted with cocoa powder — super yum!

And if you wish to skip espresso for some reason, get the cascara yuzu soda, which places the light, delicate coffee cherry skin (in syrup form) with a mildly sweet, commercial yuzu soda to create an effervescent sipper with mild citrus bite and faint earthy elements. Coffee lead Josh Slama says the drink “encapsulates how cascara can contribute to something bright and refreshing,” complementing how its inherent taste brings out and plays off of the yuzu in the soda.

These drinks will be available until the summer seasonal menu flip, on June 20 tentatively, so get in before then to try them. You can also still take part in monthly cuppings at Reception, which are only $10 and include $5 back toward a full espresso drink. And Hold Fast offers rotating specials on third Saturdays, such as pancake days, affogatos on the patio or a cappuccino and cookie combo. Follow both businesses social media pages for days, hours, times and updates.

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Bites & Bits

• On its 21st anniversary this past weekend Rizuto’s Ice Cream expanded from its original location at 4785 Barnes Road to a second location at 2050 Jet Wing Drive on the Southeast side.

• Atrevida Beer Co. announced on June 1 that it would cease operations on June 28, after eight years in business. “Obviously this decision doesn’t come lightly, but more on that later,” they wrote on Facebook, celebrating the community they created and many accomplishments, including being the first Latina-owned brewery in the state. The brewery plans to extend taproom hours and host events all month, include a June 20 “Atrevida Adios Party” from 3-9, to include a mariachi band, DJ and more.

• Gather Food Studio announced last weekend that it would be moving the business to Minnesota later this year, but continuing to offer online classes and online spice ordering to stay connected to C. Springs. Classes and events will continue as scheduled through July’s end. “This decision was not made because Gather failed or because our business wasn’t surviving,” wrote owners Dave Cook and Cortney Smith in their newsletter. “… This move is about choosing a different path for our family and carrying Gather with us into the next season of life.”

• The Sportsbook Bar & Grill will grand-open its new C. Springs location at 402 S. Tejon St. at 4 p.m., June 5. Catch happy hours from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

• “Polis vetoes bill that would have ended credit card fees on sales tax,” reports Colorado Public Radio. Our Governor, explaining his action, said “it is questionable whether this bill is fully implementable or operationally feasible.” In response, the Colorado Restaurant Association’s Sonia Riggs was quoted as saying: “We’re devastated that the Governor chose to believe the falsehoods spread by the credit card lobby over the painful reality currently facing our local restaurants and retailers.”

• “Atomic Cowboy to pay over $800K in settlement with employees” Denverite reported last week. A class action lawsuit argued that wage violations had occurred, including “failing to pay employees for overtime work and wrongly paying the tipped minimum wage for employees who were not actually getting tips.” The company denied the allegations, but settled out of court.

• The Brit Pub will screen every World Cup soccer game, June 11 through July 19. They’ll be offering food and drink specials during matches, plus a giveaway for two tickets to one of the games in Kansas City in June.

• Here’s 7 new Denver and Boulder restaurants & bars you should know about, via New Denizen. One is a “dreamy Basque date night spot in RiNo; another is a bakery where you can find Portuguese-style pastel de nata treats. (I last wrote about those in late 2024 after my return from Portugal.)

Side Dish Dozen happenings

T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila: We’re celebrating 10 years in business on June 6! Starting at 1 p.m. we’ll have live beats from DJ HotBoii plus some other fun surprises. Be there.

Blackhat Distillery: Experience Blackhat Distillery, where American Agave Spirits meet disciplined craft and elevated Colorado hospitality. Come sample and sip in our tasting room, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays. Take a guided tour with our intimate Distiller’s Vault experience. Advance resos required.

Bristol Brewing Company: Catch Music in the Yard every Friday during June and July in the Schoolyard. This week it’s Funkology, and next Friday local favorite SOAPDISH rocks the yard. Shows run from 6-8pm.

Red Gravy: For June’s Pastarama battle, the May winner, Lamb Ragu, will face off against Rigatoni alla Vodka, made with Italian fennel sausage, spinach, tomato cream sauce with vodka and Parmesan. Come try ’em both and upvote your favorite.

Four by Brother Luck: Come see us for happy hour, 3-6 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays. And sample from the current spring menu, which includes dishes like rabbit empanadas, juniper-smoked trout, anasazi bean consommé, Colorado lamb, and vegan oyster mushroom asada.

Elephant Thai & Chaang Thai: Our house specialties include traditional Thai-style pad ga prow, Thai Boat Noodles, Pad Thai Woonsen with soft shell crab, and red curry duck with pineapple. We also served dedicated gluten-free, kids and vegan menus to accommodate all eaters.

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

Southpark Brewing Second Anniversary Party. June 6, noon. Get $5, 21-ounce beers and enjoy small-batch new releases and giveaways.

Bayou & Bluegrass Fest at Whistle Pig Brewing. June 6, 1:30 p.m. A full day festival featuring a crawfish boil, three live bands and dog- and family-friendly space.

Makers Market at Red Leg Brewing Co. June 7, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feature a rotating selection of local artists, bakers, makers and farmers.

Beer Releases

Hill Climb Hero International Lager at Mash Mechanix. Clean, crisp lager built for race season. Official craft beer of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Redcoat Amber at Nano 108 Brewery. A smooth and approachable English Draught Beer featuring notes of toasted biscuit, caramel malt and earthy hop character.

New Shore IPA at Storybook Brewing. A bitter IPA with light tropical front and hoppy finish.

For full listings of events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

Through June 12: Pilgrimage of Pints 2026. A self-paced brewery crawl to earn perks and rewards, leading up to the Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival on June 13.

June 5: Prism’s Pride Kickoff Party at Avenue 19. 5-8 p.m. Free; drag show, drag bingo, music, performers and more.

June 6: Summer Music Series kickoff at Kangaroo Coffee Hillside. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Featuring Lookee Here. Next shows June 13, 20 and 27 from 1-4 p.m.

June 6: Manitou Springs Wine Festival. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Memorial Park. $65-$100.

June 6-7: Donut Day at Pikes Peak. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with toll gate admission.

June 11: Local Relic’s 10th anniversary Party at The Carter Payne. 6-8 p.m. Meet the brewery’s new owner Andrew Mueller and see a new art display by Robert Anderson.

June 13: Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival at Chapel of Our Saviour Episcopal Church. Noon to 4:30 p.m. Family-friendly, live music, food trucks, beer, wine and spirits tastings. $55.20 to $108.55 (VIP).

June 13-14: Pikes Peak Pride in downtown. Includes food trucks, beer garden and vendor booths.

June 15: Absolut Heat Streak bartending competition at Avenue 19. 1-4 p.m. Come spectate as bartenders compete for prizes in a timed competition, mixing drinks with Absolut Tabasco Vodka. The battle is meant to mimic service on a busy brunch shift. (Bartenders, register at the link to compete for free.) I’ll be co-judging. Free food, drinks and swag!

June 17: Colorado Springs Western Street Breakfast in downtown. 5:30-9 a.m. at Pikes Peak and Tejon streets.

June 18: Bar Mom’s Birthday Bar Crawl Fundraiser. 6 p.m. to midnight. $25 tickets benefit Care & Share. Includes VIP menu pricing at stops and commemorative challenge coin.

July 9: Taste of Pikes Peak at Hillside Gardens & Event Center.

Parting shot(s)

Earlier this week I met up with my pal Cole at Side Dish sponsor Goat Patch Brewing to do a fun sampling with items from Grazing Goat Kitchen at the Northgate location. Our objective was to find optimal food pairings for the newly released Citrus Summer Drink, which is brewed with limes and calamansi fruit from the Philippines — a kumquat and mandarin orange hybrid.

The brew sips light at 5.5 percent ABV and has a body similar to wheat beer, but with a clean, smooth, citrusy finish. Don’t think juicy like some IPAs or bitter-finishing like some other IPAs that are fruited, and taste pithy at times. This drinks with lower acidity, but just enough to still dance nicely with ingredients on our pizzas, like floral basil and earthy vegetables, plus hot Calabrian pepper honey. At its heart, it’s just refreshing and optimal for the season we’re in. Watch the short video for further elaboration on all that via our spontaneous thoughts as we live-taste. Cheers!

Caféina

Caféina, a Latin-infused mobile coffee bar, originally launched in 2022 in a smaller cart form for private events. But in September 2025 sisters and co-owners Ariana, Alondra and Paulina hit the road — which is to say began regular commutes into the Springs from Ellicott, a half hour to the east — in their upgraded coffee trailer. It’s a cute, simply designed, vintage-looking cafe on wheels with a wide ordering window. Both flagship and seasonal menus are displayed outside it.

Paulina, the oldest, says the venture has been her dream. “I love making coffee at home, and crepes too,” she says, noting they’ll sometimes serve those as specials. (The day I catch them they’re offering matcha tres leches cake, instead.) The sisters say their ultimate goal is to grow into a coffee shop and bakery somewhere in the Springs. Meanwhile, they all keep side jobs, ranging from hair styling and baking to truck driving and immigration-related paralegal work.

To construct their drinks, the sisters buy beans from Denver’s Huckleberry Roasters, a respected craft coffee brand also used by Totem, locally. They make some syrups in house and utilize French-made 1883 Syrups otherwise. (That’s a naturally-produced brand also used by The French Kitchen and Kangaroo Coffee).

While you can order traditional espresso drinks, Caféina shines with their Latin-influenced creations. We first order the fabulously creamy and somewhat beach-y Coquito Latte, a Puerto Rican-inspired breve (with half-and-half) made with Caribbean syrup, coconut cream, cinnamon, coconut and hibiscus flakes and a cream top. If you’re a matcha lover, try the Matcha Palmera, which subs out the double espresso shot for ceremonial matcha, while all other inputs are the same.

Next up we try the Arroz con Leche Latte, Mexi-Mocha and Mazapán Latte.

You know arroz con leche as the Mexican rice pudding dessert, and here the sisters spin that with caramel sauce and cinnamon added to the espresso and breve base, with the same sweet cream top that comes on all our drinks (think: cold foam). The drink works equally well hot or iced (between our group, we order it both ways), and sips balanced despite its sweetness. That can generally be said about all our lattes.

The Mexi-Mocha leans on chocolate cocoa milk and cinnamon for its flavor enhancements. While the Mazapán latte offers a choice of milk, to which macadamia nut and white chocolate syrups are added, then garnishing crumbles of De la Rosa Mazapán peanut candy on the cream top. Though that ratchets the sweetness factor higher, it still makes for a delightful (if guilty) sipper, with a unique and addictive nutty flavor.

Caféina tends to post their weekly schedules on Monday evenings on Facebook and Instagram, so check in there to find a spot convenient for your schedule. They regularly park at KAE Event Studio & Floral Boutique downtown and UCHealth Eastview Medical Center off Powers Boulevard (on the south side of the building).

Yeyo Will Puerto Rican Food

What Yeyo Will lacks in curb appeal — tucked away off B Street just outside Fort Carson, with windows to the dining room blocked out — it more than makes up for in flavor.

Owner William Santiago Ortiz launched the business as a food truck during the earlier days of the Covid pandemic, but moved to brick and mortar a couple of years ago.

He offers a simple, two-sided menu, wherein proteins come with either rice or mofongo — the awesome Puerto Rican side item made from mashed, fried, unripe plantains, garlic (notably) and typically pork broth or chicharrón. Protein options include roasted pork, mojo or Creole shrimp, chicken wings, meatballs and pork chops ($16-$20).

I nab the mofongo with chicken kebabs to-go, and wait a little over 10 minutes for it to be prepared fresh as I wait in the small dining room, painted a bright orange and adorned with Puerto Rican flags and signage. I’m glad to see items made to order and not languishing in a hot-hold condition. The chicken’s nicely tender and chewy, grill-marked with a basic barbecue sauce, lightly sweet. The mofongo delights with its starchy texture, satisfying (filling) richness and deep garlic essence. (I’m burping it a couple hours later and not mad for it.)

Some meals don’t require deep analysis or storytelling; they just offer sincere pleasure through authenticity and proper execution. This is one of those. If you’re not familiar with Puerto Rican food, Yeyo Will’s offers a great place to start, the humble settings aside.

For me, my visit created a touch of nostalgia, having visited Puerto Rico in late 2021 and gotten to taste the culture on its home turf. From the Ruta del Lechón (“pork highway”) to meals in San Juan and small coastal towns, we had a blast.

Urban Animal Beer Co.

We dropped into Urban Animal recently and sipped through a couple of tasting flights so that we could try more of the alluring beer lineup without having to get sauced at higher volumes.

I love tasting paddles for this reason, even if they do set you back $14 each for four pours here, which is basically the going rate these days. Relatedly: When I wrote a cover story for the CS Indy years ago I asked a bunch of local brewers why paddles are so expensive compared to a pint. The takeaway was beertender time and effort (i.e. pain in the ass factor) plus some extra beer waste due to clearing foam and maybe they said something else substantial, but I can’t recall.

I don’t love the value proposition, but I know what I’m consenting to when choosing to order them, and that’s on me. At least at Urban Animal — who’ll turn three come September — the beers rate so across-the-board stellar that I’m left feeling like it’s worth it still — again for the convenience of wide sampling.

On our first paddle we choose: the Street Taco Skies Mexican Lager (Lauren’s favorite for simple, crisp, light drinking); the Strawberry Banana Ultrasuede fruited sour (creamy from oat inputs, really fruity, only mildly sour and not too sweet); Berriosa! tart raspberry kölsch (clean berry flavor and not that tart really); and Kahuna Ninja Piña Colada Hazy IPA (my favorite, truly pineapple-y and coconut-y and bursting with tropical flavor with wonderful aromatics).

Next up on a mostly dessert-beer-y paddle: Shark Wheat pomegranate wheat (truly tart and easy drinkin’); Jock-A-Mo pistachio blond (a fun Mardi Gras inspiration with big nutty vanilla notes that evokes Italian gelato); Upside Down Hangover pineapple pancake ale (surprisingly on-the-nose with caramel, cinnamon and brown sugar flavors rounding out the sweetness); and Stouty McStout (a thin mint tribute with cacao, almond, vanilla, oats and mint, plus added lactose, with enough foundational roasty flavor to balance the sugariness).

Of the batch, I very much enjoyed tasting some of them but would not want a full pint, or perhaps even a half pint, so the tasting paddle served its purpose. I’m mainly talking about the sweeter beers there. Overall, “the artistry is impressive” says Lauren, noting the true flavors and creativity.

If there’s one beer I would have happily taken a pint of (or more), though, it’s that Piña Colada Hazy IPA. Go by the Star Ranch or downtown location soon after you read this, while it’s still on tap, to enjoy your own little island-flavor vacation.

Departing and coincidental fun fact relative to this batch of write-ups: The Piña Colada was created in Puerto Rico, and when we were there I visited the bar in which it was supposedly conceived. Honest review: It was just okay, and better versions abound, but nonetheless it was cool to partake in the cocktail history.

On the eve of its 10th anniversary celebration at The Carter Payne, Local Relic Artisan Ales is changing hands.

The brewery (which manufactures off-site) will effectively split off from the events center (which has acted as its taproom), but maintain a very close connection to it. Incoming owner Andrew Mueller is an existing Local Relic member — think: mug club elsewhere — and been helping out part time for the past year as an event staffer. That’s in addition to his full time job as an IT guy for CommonSpirit Health.

He tells me he’s been into beer culture for around a decade, first inspired by his brother and later by travels and the Untappd app. He has some bartending experience from time living in South Dakota most recently, but he’s from St. Louis originally and arrived in the Springs three years ago. Local Relic was one of the first breweries he visited, quickly becoming a fan. “I like weird beers and odd ingredients and new takes on traditional styles,” he says. “That’s really what attracted me to Local Relic as a consumer.”

In speaking with The Cater Payne co-owner and chef Brent Beavers earlier this year Mueller learned they were exploring selling the brewery. “Beer is not my thing,” Beavers says self deprecatingly, as he obviously knows how to pair food with it and he loves drinking saisons, which have historically been Local Relic’s strong suit. But the event center has been steadily growing and demanding more attention. The two talked numbers, Mueller toured the production facility and he began spending time learning the back-end. A deal, which will be officially inked soon, took shape.

“We’re not selling Local Relic to an unknown entity,” says Beavers. “It’s to someone we built a relationship with, who cares about beer and The Carter Payne too. For both companies to be everything they can be, we needed to separate them. It’s important to us that it goes to someone we trust and who’s vested in keeping it what it is.”

Key to that is head brewer Ben Cape, who makes “the best saisons I’ve ever had,” says Beavers. He will stay with Mueller and has been tasked with developing some flagship saisons that will open up more distribution capabilities in the future and potentially act as base beers for ongoing experimental brews. Local Relic has become known as a brewery to never brew the same beer twice, utilizing lots of culinary ingredients, to include teas, spices, fruits and even tobacco. That’s not changing, and Cape says he aims to still do barrel aging as well.

I ask him his goal during the transition, and he says it’s to “bring table beer to more peoples’ attention for its depth of style” and to make it approachable. “The world of beers below 4-percent ABV are largely under-appreciated and -explored around here.” As for flagship brew development, Cape says he’s envisioning a robust Belgian yeast body with a crisp bite like an American lager, but with more flavor profile. “Jester King’s Le Petit Prince comes to mind,” he says, but with a different finish.

“The reason Local Relic exists,” says co-owner Melissa Howard, “isn’t because of a single individual, but Ben deserves a lot of credit.” She says he started in a volunteer capacity in 2018, growing into the head brewer position by 2021. She otherwise credits the beer club members, some of whom have been with them for almost the entire run. “We wouldn’t have made it without them, especially through Covid.

“The people who’ve supported Local Relic deserve for it to live on in a fresh and creative way. We’re excited to have Andrew step up to the plate. We’re supportive of his vision and his desire to see it grow beyond what it has been,” she says.

Mueller says he would like to increase the brewery’s production capacity in the future and transition away from glass bottles for easier distribution opportunities. He just purchased a canning machine last month, to that end. He’s already found one new client in Caddie’s at Valley Hi Golf Course, who’s now serving an Arnold Palmer Seltzer brewed with lemonade and black tea. The brewery will continue to offer custom-label beers for weddings and such, which ties back to The Carter Payne’s event clientele.

Though Mueller says he’d love to have his own taproom some day for Local Relic, for the foreseeable future Carter Payne will continue to serve as an unofficial tap room in some capacity. That means continued member nights and Small Brew Saturdays on site, and Mueller hopes to find other time slots for public accessibility. Stay tuned to their social media for updates and event happenings.

Ice Guys expands downtown

Ice Guys Homemade Ice Cream has expanded from Old Colorado City into downtown, taking up residence in the former Dad’s Donuts space across from retro-inspired soft serve spot Frozen Gold. If you haven’t been introduced to Ice Guys yet, here’s my earlier writeup on them from my mid-2024 visit.

This new location is split into a mini board and card game store and scoop shop, with limited seating presently but more coming. In addition to the good cold stuff you’ll also find some cakes and such, with pastries on the way soon for morning hours next to some savory items and coffee service. Ice Guys will be open daily at 7 a.m. and stay open until 11 p.m., aiming to capture late-night customers.

Contextual observation: It’s interesting to see two new ice cream shops enter the downtown market in the last month, each located within one block of existing shops. But as I opined regarding Lolley’s launch near Josh John’s, all the ice creams are great, and different in subtle ways that make me happy to patronize all of them. I say strength in numbers; collaboration not competition.

Anyway, I chat with the downtown store manager when we’re in to refresh my memory on the ice creams. They have their flavors made for them, using their own recipes, she says. The base starts with Longmont Dairy milk and the store promotes the use of only natural ingredients and real sugar.

Ice Guys shines with unique flagship flavors like basil-blackberry swirl; cookies and cream 3 ways; and Earl Gray & Shortbread Cookies. Every few months they’ll rotate out six of the 20 offerings with seasonal specialty flavors. Presently you’ll find piña colada and watermelon-tajin sorbets; a Cookie Monster; tiramisu; spicy brownies (with cayenne); and honey bergamot (which I tried a sample of and loved).

In the end, I can’t resist ordering the Tin Cup whiskey and pistachio brittle flavor as an affogato, enjoying the nutty hooch elements in my espresso shot. For a sweet treat, it has more than enough game. (See what I did there?)

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Totem hires a new exec chef

Former Choice Restaurant Concepts (T-Byrd’s/District Elleven/bird tree cafe) Chef Dustin Archuleta has taken over the executive chef position at Totem, which opened in Oct. 2025 downtown.

“Dustin has arrived at the perfect moment,” says co-owner and chef David Ferretís, who brought the Mazatlán, Mexico-based eatery to town. “After some challenges we’ve finally found the right person. We’re going to bring back Totem’s culture that got a little lost in process of getting established. Now we’re stronger than ever, and ready to push forward and show Colorado Springs what Mazatlán has to offer.”

Ferretís has already had a chance to fire-test his new chef inside of the first week of his employment. The two tell me the story when I sit down with them on Wednesday at the cafe. It was hell when it happened, but they’re all smiles now, with their blossoming professional friendship fortified by the experience.

You’ve probably heard industry stories before about kitchen crews walking out in some manner of protest (as happened at Lumen8 upon its opening; a story I told in the CS Indy at the time), and suffice to say that’s what happened here, leaving only Ferretís and Archuleta to work the kitchen on their busiest shift of the week: Sunday brunch. Tickets from the POS machine were almost down to the floor, with the rail already full of orders that had been fired. (It was like a stressful scene out of The Bear.)

The bakery crew and even the dishwasher jumped in to help as they could, and the skeleton crew made it through the day. “That was Dustin’s first opening. I was afraid he was going to quit after that,” Ferretís says, laughing. Quite the opposite, Archuleta was energized. He’s since brought in a trio of former coworkers he’s cooked with in various kitchens to restaff and rebuild a tight new crew. He tells me he’s underway with a top-to-bottom menu audit and that he and Ferretís are tweaking recipes together to dial everything in anew.

They mention sauces for the chilaquiles and enchiladas, for example, and even a new pancake batter that results in lighter and fluffier flapjacks. “David told me to make a Michelin-quality pancake,” says Archuleta, noting it features bananas three ways: as a compote along with marsala spice in between stacked cakes; a brûléed banana on top; and a banana-toffee cajeta sauce garnishing.

Another dish that Archuleta has added is a roasted beet salad with seasonal lettuce and micogreens, shaved carrots and fennel, puffed quinoa, spiced yogurt and a honey-lime-truffle vinaigrette. He also teases a new ABC (avocado, bacon, chicken) sandwich on house-baked brioche with avocado crema, salsa macha mayo, Provolone, tomatoes and greens dressed in that same vinaigrette as the salad. The chicken’s breaded Milanese style, he notes, but with both panko and a seed mix for crunchiness.

Ferretís tells me he’s given Archuleta carte blanche to make changes, and that he likes his chefs to assert their own personality onto Totem’s menus. “It’s annoying to me when a chef stays in their comfort zone and doesn’t want to explore,” he says, commending Archuleta’s creativity, and noting how their chef in Mazatlán even leads the front-of-house team to set the tone.

All that said, don’t expect many changes on the bakery and bar sides of the business, which they say are dialed in. And they’ll “stay in the same lane of Mexican comfort food with international twists,” assures Ferretís, adding there’s a lot of things they’ve executed in Mexico that they still wish to introduce here. One example is more use of seasonal ingredients, which Archuleta feels passionate about too. Another concept they’re discussing is introducing a tasting menu alongside the regular à la carte menu. They also aim to activate the patio area with events as much as possible this summer.

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Bites & Bits

• I told you in late April that Lebowski’s Taproom would be expanding into the former Till space at Prominent Point. The eatery soft-opened for its first day of service on May 25. Click that link to see some teaser pics of the new, Dude-inspired decor. Though there’s no bowling alley on site, as many commenters have requested, Lebowski’s has created “bowling alley lane booth” seating.

• A late-breaking news item for me this week: Stage Stop Cantina announced that it has created Stage Stop OCC at 2925 W. Colorado Ave., the historic Mason Jar space that’s most recently been Trails End Taproom. Stage Stop, if you aren’t familiar, started off Old Stage Road as a destination barbecue spot, and has since placed food carts outside of Mash Mechanix and Urban Animal (Star Ranch) breweries. The new location grand opens May 29. And ChooJai Sushi Thai & Ramen remains open in the connecting space. I reached out to owner/chef Eve Natasha for a quote and will likely follow up with more info after we chat and I visit.

• Axios reported this week (through an aggregated post from BizWest) that Stoney’s will take over the former Oskar Blues spot on Tejon Street. (That closed at the beginning of this year, you’ll recall.) The new location will be the fifth for the self-described “sports & music bar and grill restaurants.” There are currently three spots in Denver and one in Winter Park. Relatedly, this will mark the second sports bar brand to be entering the downtown C. Springs market from the north: I noted in early April that The Sportsbook Bar & Grill aims to be open sometime soon in the SpringHill Suites building under Lumen8 Rooftop Social.

• Golden Pine Coffee Roasters posted to say they’re now open for to-go drinks (online ordering recommended), with expanded offerings coming soon, and seating still on the horizon. “It's been a loooooong 26 months from lease signing until this moment. We promise it was worth the wait,” wrote owner/barista Ryan Wanner.

• Westword offers its picks for The best food festivals in Denver this summer. The list includes a bounty of international cuisine, including Philippine, Korean, Greek, French, Latin (bundling Central and South American and Caribbean), Polish, Japanese and Ethiopian.

• Springs Magazine weighed in on what its writing team believes to be The 30 Best Restaurants in Colorado Springs. (Side Dish Dozen members were among the cut: Four by Brother Luck, Stellina Pizza Cafe, Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar and Red Gravy.)

• Listen to the latest Side Dish segment (just 4.5 minutes long) on KRCC/CPR, in which we discuss my recent coverage of Tava House and Stix and Soul.

• More people are going hungry now than at the height of the pandemic reports NPR. If you want to do something about it locally, consider a donation to Care and Share, Food to Power, or another area resource agency.

• Do your part for the environment this summer and “indulge a little bit” by choosing a cone instead of a cup at your favorite ice cream shop, says Time magazine.

• Comment of the week from Nextdoor from the Golden Hills neighborhood: “This might sound ridiculous, but who keeps buying up all the shredded fiesta cheese at Walmart? Why are you doing this?”

• “Good food, obviously, can make people happy. It should be clean to protect them from dubious additives and protect the environment they share. And the people who grow the food, prepare it and bring it to farm stands, supermarkets and restaurants should be paid and treated fairly.” That’s an excerpt from a New York Times story in which food writer Pete Wells eulogizes the founder of the Slow Food movement, Carlo Petrini, who died last week.

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

Magic: The Gathering Commander Night at Lost Friend Brewing. 6 p.m. Bring your own deck and lord to compete.

Queers & Beers First Wednesday Game Night at Seven’s Gate Taproom. 7 p.m. Happy hour through 11 p.m.; bring your own game of play one of theirs.

Beer Releases

Beach Cruiser Coconut IPA at Mash Mechanix. A tropical summer brew with toasted coconut notes.

Kahuna Ninja Piña Colada Hazy IPA at Urban Animal. Big with pineapple and coconut notes and bursting with tropical flavor and island aromatics.

Elderberry Kettle Sour at Goat Patch Brewing Co. Tart ale balanced with sweet elderberry for a refreshing treat.

For full listings of events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

May 31: Happy Hour Donuts 2nd Birthday Bash. 7 a.m. to noon. Freebies, raffles and one-day-only donut and drink specials.

June 2: Food Truck Tuesdays return to the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. Every Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., through Aug. 25 (with exception of July 7). View the food truck lineup at the link.

June 6: Manitou Springs Wine Festival. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Memorial Park. $65-$100.

June 6: Donut Day at Pikes Peak. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with toll gate admission.

June 11: Local Relic’s 10th anniversary Party at The Carter Payne. 6-8 p.m. More than 2,000 unique beers later… meet the brewery’s new owner Andrew Mueller and see a new art display by Robert Anderson.

Through June 12: Pilgrimage of Pints 2026. A self-paced brewery crawl to earn perks and rewards, leading up to the Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival on June 13.

June 13-14: Pikes Peak Pride in downtown. Includes food trucks, beer garden and vendor booths.

June 15: Absolut Heat Streak bartending competition at Avenue 19. 1-4 p.m. Come spectate as bartenders compete for prizes in a timed competition, mixing drinks with Absolut Tabasco Vodka. The battle is meant to mimic service on a busy brunch shift. (Bartenders, register at the link to compete for free.) I’ll be co-judging. Free food, drinks and swag!

June 17: Colorado Springs Western Street Breakfast in downtown. 5:30-9 a.m. at Pikes Peak and Tejon streets.

June 18: Bar Mom’s Birthday Bar Crawl Fundraiser. 6 p.m. to midnight. $25 tickets benefit Care & Share. Includes VIP menu pricing at stops and commemorative challenge coin.

Parting shot(s)

You still have a few days left to take part in Downtown Colorado Springs’ Tacos & Tequila tour. Visit the Side Dish Instagram page to see all 10 tacos and margarita pairings you might wish to devour. Here’s some outtakes:

At some point in their school years or career, every journalist has studied one of the most literarily brilliant profile pieces ever penned, Gay Talese’s “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold.”

I’m thinking back to the structure of the famous article because of how it focuses on the reverberations and ripple effects of the central character’s mood; how that affects everyone and everything in his orbit.

While The Wobbly Olive’s co-owner Sean Fitzgerald is no Sinatra — pshaw, he wishes!— his entrepreneurial drive and thirst for reinvention, à la the attached, quarterly-rotating popup theme-bar Allusion Speakeasy, has profoundly shaped the direction of the Springs’ arguably most ambitious cocktail program.

His whims become your fantastical cocktail whimsy, be it for Barbie or SpongeBob. But when Seans’s unhappy, the whole of the company will know about it.

Take for example his recent disappointment with his own leadership. As documented by For Chef’s Sake, Sean and his wife and co-owner Inez had a collective epiphany after stepping in to cover shifts after some employees quit. Walking in their shoes, they realized multiple failure points, finding their own operations structure unsustainable and primed for staff burnout. They took full responsibility, showed humility and enacted immediate steps towards solutions, with full transparency.

That’s a rare move in a too-often-toxic industry. They know they aren’t irreproachable, but damn they would like to be. While mentally laboring over Wobbly’s soon-to-release, new cocktail menu, Sean says he told his chef and co-owner Mark Henry “I want this to be perfect.” Mark responded: “There’s no such thing.”

Sean had conceived nearly 80 drinks for the menu, but has been slowly killing his darlings to pare down to less than 50. Two-thirds of those aim to be N/A-flexible, requiring their own recipes to re-achieve balance. He’s been developing those recipes for the better part of a year. While one might suspect an obsessive element that’s grown into impatience to cross the finish line (yeah, there’s some of that), Sean tells me that’s just the beginning of the story.

“I want Wobbly Olive to be much more than just a waiting room for Allusion,” he says self deprecatingly. “For a long time, I’ve struggled with the direction of our cocktail menu. Our menus are already successful. Sales are strong, guests are happy, and because of that, I became creatively apathetic. There wasn’t urgency to reinvent anything. Over time, I realized I wasn’t proud of what the menu represented anymore.”

So, he’s taking a fresh crack at refreshing and reinvigorate it.

“Every single drink now exists for a reason,” he says. “Instead of asking, ‘What cocktails should we serve?’ we started asking, ‘What are we actually crafting for our guests?’ That question changed everything.”

Sean says “The focus became technique, preparation and originality. Not just making classics well, but creating cocktails that require real culinary work behind the scenes.” To that end, his bartenders make a long list of mixers and infusions, items like a miso bourbon for the current Star Wars theme at Allusion.

“Lately I’ve become fascinated with savory and umami-driven flavors,” he says. “We’re using black garlic in two cocktails on the new Wobbly menu. One is a blackberry and black garlic rye cocktail with black walnut bitters. And another, called the Olive + Ink, combines black garlic-infused gin with olive brine reduction, charcoal-infused vermouth and an umami tincture.”

For a new drink named Don’t Stop Believing, Sean has combined Thai basil-infused gin with mezcal, Green Chartreuse, Aperol, agave and a house honeydew tincture. He describes it as “herbal, smoky, bright and surprisingly delicate considering how aggressive those ingredients sound on paper.”

Another cocktail takes inspiration from a strawberry lassi, he says, reinterpreting it as a clarified cosmopolitan with rose water, gin and clarified yogurt.

“The goal isn’t shock value,” he insists. “It’s depth. Balance. Texture. Hospitality through craftsmanship. We’re trying to push ourselves creatively and technically in a way we haven’t before.

“I think it represents the clearest expression yet of who we are as a cocktail bar. It’s the most honest cocktail menu I think I’ve ever written.”

Opposite the incoming cocktail menu update, Wobbly Olive Chef Mark Henry and his team have just refreshed the food menu for the season (set to run through late July). Henry tells me it’s partly inspired by his recent nine-day motorcycle round-trip to Key West. “The focus in on spring produce and big, bright colors and flavors,” he says.

Examples include his personal favorite dish, Shrimp Caesar Tacos made with pan-seared garlic-Parmesan prawns and locally grown romaine, served on Raquelitas white corn tortillas. “They’re light, but full of flavor,” Henry says. Another seafood item he’s hyped about is a sumac-cured, pan-roasted salmon plated with sweet pea purée, corn succotash and a red pepper gastrique.

For something more in his comfort food zone, he offers birria hand pies constructed with beef cheeks instead of typical chuck roast. He braises them for 12 hours and presents them in a savory tart shell topped with roasted tomatillo emulsion and poblano-cilantro crema. “It’s all the components of a taco, but in a different form.”

“We’ve been incredibly intentional with our menu pricing,” he points out, noting that the most expensive item is $23. They’ve also just released the first happy hour food menu Wobbly has ever offered, with five items that top out at $9. The goal is for someone being able to nab a bite and drink for around $20 post-tip, which is increasingly hard to do in this economy.

In terms of the “why now?” behind that happy hour menu, Henry says it’s also about one more outlet to experiment and play with ingredients adjacent to the themed menus on the Allusion side of the building. Some items didn’t make the cut for those limited menus but got his cooks inspired, so they’ve added them at Wobbly Olive.

Examples include a highly addictive, dirty martini-invoking Wobbly popcorn that’s popped in coconut oil and dusted with an olive powder they make by dehydrating queen olives then pulverizing them with kosher salt, citric acid and citrus zest. To garnish the item before presenting it to guests, they mist it with a vermouth spritz for aroma and a hint of cocktail flavor. Trust me, you’ll want a bowl to snack on for $3.50.

Otherwise, consider beer battered fries with umami seasoning, covered in a béarnaise sauce. Or crispy Wobbly halloumi curds, which are oversized cheese cubes served on ciabatta toast points with giardiniera, red wine syrup and an oregano oil made smoky by infusing it with charcoal.

In a similar way that Wobbly’s cocktails aim to sidestep “shock value” despite ambitious touches, so too does the food menu desire to balance novel surprises with genuine culinary technique and foundational flavor. As Henry had told Sean, “there’s no such thing as perfection,” so for his part of the wild ride, he’s just trying to have more fun. That spirit should translate through to Wobbly’s dining and drinking experience for the guest now just as clearly as it does next door at Allusion.

Which leads me to personally conclude: “Always two there are… a master and an apprentice.” (Sorry, couldn’t resist the Star Wars reference.)

Join us from 4-7 p.m., May 25 at Wobbly Olive downtown for a Happy Hour Sip with Schnip sneak peek of the new cocktail menu. Be the first to try some of the new cocktails and enjoy an extended happy hour, with half-off all menu cocktails & mocktails — meaning $6 drinks!
Plus Chef Mark Henry's new happy hour food menu will offer bites for $3.50 to $9.

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Pin-Txi Wey anchors at WestFax Springs

I’m having dinner with Chef Fernando Trancoso and Pin-Txi Wey co-owner Princess Deleon in their home on the east side of Colorado Springs. He’s just set a beautifully composed plate in front of me that contains patatas bravas. But they’re not in the typical country potatoes form typical to Spanish renditions. Rather, he’s presented the dish like French potato pavé, in stacked layers of thin-cut potatoes (sometimes called “thousand layer potatoes” à la mille-feuille in the pastry world).

Spices cling to a browned rectangular wedge. Dollops of habanero aioli adorn the top with cilantro microgreens. A puddle of sofrito purée rests on the side for dipping. I carefully (reverently) fork a bite and taste through every flavor, relishing the crispy then starchy texture. I probably close my eyes and nod my head for a moment, as I tend to do when meal-happy.

“We do a lot of comfort food, but with dishes like this, I’m trying to test the limit of what I can do out of a food truck,” Trancoso says. “I’m done playing it safe.”

The main reason Trancoso’s invited me over — aside from me being a roundly stellar houseguest, dontcha know — is to highlight new items he’s planning to add to his menu come early June when he starts a partnership with WestFax Springs to be its exclusive food truck. Pin-Txi Wey, which launched in October 2025, will be there daily except Mondays (hours TBD).

Trancoso says to think of his newly designed menu as “more tapas style,” which makes perfect sense when connected to a craft beer bar — making me think back to my recent experiences hopping from spot to spot on Plaza de Jesús in Madrid.

The chef says favorite items from his Tepex food truck (and stall at Avenue 19 briefly) will make appearances, such as the quesabirria. And he plans to revive popular dishes from Inefable (which closed down in mid 2024 after nine-month run), like his pork belly pastor and duck flautas appetizers. Then there’ll be new, beer-friendly items like a New Mexico green chile cheeseburger with smoked cheddar.

“Prep for this menu will be insane,” Trancoso says, sounding pleased by the challenge. “I want people to be happy with what I do l.”

Back to our meal together, he next serves a platter for us to share, featuring toast points, roasted cherry tomatoes and burrata, a classic chickpea hummus and a Mayan-inspired pumpkinseed dip named Sikil P’ak. Yum and yum.

Then comes slices of picanha (sirloin cap) steak with chimichurri on one half and salsa macha on the other. Trancoso adds piñon nuts and black sesame seeds to his salsa macha as his “personal twist” and I can’t think of a better version I’ve had.

For dessert, the two gather at their kitchen counter to play with the presentation on Deleon’s raspberry semifreddo with apricot clafoutis and berries. Then we all sit down to dive into it. I think the dish is wonderful, light and springtime perfect, but I enjoy listening to the two nitpick elements they want to improve upon, including the semifreddo texture, which was a little too crystaline in an icy way.

Deleon tells me she plans to rotate desserts regularly, with items like a dark chocolate ganache cake with raspberry sauce, panna cotta, and a tres leches tiramisu. They’re still in the R&D process, working on flavor development and other new creations, they remind me, as if I’m going to formally review them in their home. (I would never!)

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Bites & Bits

• “A new café has opened at the base of the Manitou Incline, promising ‘earthly nourishment for the upward bound,”’ reports The Gazette. IncliNation Café, co-founded by SunWater Spa’s Kat Tudor (also the creative director at Smokebrush Foundation for the Arts, among many other things), offers coffees, kava, boba, pastries, breakfast burritos and more, according to the article. Coming later this year or early next: attached Bailout Spa & Groove Lounge “will offer post-hike massages, saunas, red light therapy, yoga, soundbaths and ‘late night grooves.”’

• Pizzeria Leopold quietly soft opened in Old Colorado City. It’s a spinoff from the original spot in Lakewood, opened under this brand in 2022. I’m looking forward to stopping by, based on high praise from a fellow foodie.

• Rocky Mountain Food Tours just passed their 16-year anniversary, with new tours around town now available on their revamped website.

• Michelin-winning Chef Johnny Curiel of Alma Fonda Fina and Mezcaleria Alma just launched his newest Denver eatery, Milpero. It’s designed around an 18-course tasting menu, even though “corn-obsessed” Curiel has “zero experience working at tasting menu restaurants,” writes New Denizen. Go behind the scenes with her as she interviews the chef at Milpero, detailing the long road that led him here. (And dig the pretty photos of some of the plates he prepared for her.)

• “I used AI to help market my bagel shop. Then the one-star reviews came in.” Read this cautionary tale at Business Insider. And here’s another local example of backlash recently on our Culinary Colorado Springs Facebook group, if you click into the comments. “Not supporting AI generated slop,” wrote one commenter.

• Why’s everything feeling so expensive, including dining out? Because Colorado’s cost of living soars, ranks third highest in the US, says Fox21.

• Also from Fox21: Warner Bros. put the kibosh on a Harry Potter-themed popup bar in Denver. Apparently it was “too magical.”

• Springs Magazine takes a look at Visit COS’ just-released Crafts & Drafts Passport, the free app that will score you BOGOs and such all over town. (I bumped into editor Jeremy Jones at the media release party at Pure Distilling this week, and we clinked glasses of an espresso martini made with Pure’s cacao-peppermint St. Bernard Mountain Whiskey and an Aviation rendition made with Dog Violet Crème de Violette.)

• Have you still not downloaded the Goodie Bag app to score deals and help avert food waste? (You’re welcome to use my code to earn a buck for signing up: YCZIPJ16.)

• I co-hosted one of Hey Neighbor’s 150 Tables Across COS events in my neighborhood last weekend. I ended up making the KOAA5 evening segment that day, hamming it up with a nearby neighbor I’d just met for the first time (despite us living just a block apart for 20 years). If you want to host your own shindig to get to know the humans around you, visit Hey Neighbor’s page to get started. The initiative runs through October, focusing on “the power of a shared meal with neighbors to create connection, trust and belonging.”

Side Dish Dozen happenings

Gold Star Bakery: We’re celebrating Memorial Day Weekend with free à la mode with every pie slice, May 22-25! Flavors include Derby Pie (Chocolate Bourbon Pecan), Grasshopper Pie, Four Berry, Strawberry Rhubarb and Dutch Apple. We’ve also baked extra pies for all the celebrations happening this time of year; preorder here.

Kangaroo Coffee: Join us every Saturday in June at our Kangaroo Coffee House (319 S. Hancock Ave.) for our Summer Music Series! Featuring live local bands like Lookee Here and Mitguards, plus a special Open Mic Night. Grab your favorite drink, soak up the summer vibes, and enjoy great music with even better community.

Goat Patch Brewing: Catch Books & Brews with Roadrunner Bookshop, 2-7 p.m., May 22 at Northgate. Our Summer Music Series continues with Clay Cutler, 6-9 p.m. May 24 at Lincoln Center. And the May 28 Bleating Heart Night, 5-9 p.m. at all locations, benefits Pikes Peak Pride.

Edelweiss: Make your graduation party reservations with us early; we stay busy this time of the year! Catch happy hours in our subterranean bar, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays. And traditional live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Thursdays-Sundays.

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: Catch daily happy hour from 3-5 p.m. and all night Mondays. And weekly specials like Cantina Tuesdays, Po Boy Wednesdays, Friday Date Nights, Saturday shrimp and crab boils, and Locals Sundays with $1 oysters.

Evergreen: Come try drinks from our new spring cocktail menu. And join us for lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesdays-Fridays, and brunch, during those same hours, Saturdays-Sundays. Menu items include shakshuka, saganaki, pork belly paprikash, Chicken Kiev, and an array of flatbreads.

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

1st Year Anniversary Party & Car Show at Ascent Brewery. May 23, 10 a.m. Classic cars, live music, food trucks, and family-friendly fun all day long.

Small Brew Saturday at The Carter Payne. May 23, noon to 4 p.m. New releases include a West-Coast IPA, plus small bites and build-your-own six packs to-go.

Beer Releases

Raspberry Blond at 105 West Brewing Company. A highly sip-able, spring-friendly, gluten-reduced fruit beer.

Angel Beer at Red Leg Brewing Co. A German Pilsner available after the 8th Annual Angel Run. Proceeds benefit Angels of America's Fallen. (Releases May 25.)

New Zealand Pilsner at Peaks N Pines Brewing. A crisp pilsner brewed with New Zealand hops, delivering a clean and refreshing lager experience. (Releases May 25.)

For full listings of events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

Through June 12: Pilgrimage of Pints 2026. A self-paced brewery crawl to earn perks and rewards, leading up to the Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival on June 13.

Visit your local farmer’s markets: Full listings here via Visit Colorado Springs.

May 31: Happy Hour Donuts 2nd Birthday Bash. 7 a.m. to noon. Freebies, raffles and one-day-only donut and drink specials.

June 6: Manitou Springs Wine Festival.

June 6: Donut Day at Pikes Peak. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with toll gate admission.

June 11: Local Relic’s 10th anniversary Party at The Carter Payne. 6-8 p.m. More than 2,000 unique beers later…

June 13: Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival at Chapel of Our Saviour Episcopal Church. Noon to 4:30 p.m. Family-friendly, live music, food trucks, beer, wine and spirits tastings. $55.20 to $108.55 (VIP).

June 13-14: Pikes Peak Pride in downtown. Includes food trucks, beer garden and vendor booths.

June 17: Colorado Springs Western Street Breakfast in downtown. 5:30-9 a.m. at Pikes Peak and Tejon streets.

Parting shot(s)

What happens when you miss a Sip with Schnip event?

You miss out on cool stuff like an exclusive Side Dish mousse cake!

Evergreen Restaurant produced a special cake just for our brunch bash, made with raspberry filling, Kangaroo Coffee espresso mousse and white chocolate. (No, the hats were not edible, but everything else was — and it was damn delicious.) Thanks to Goat Patch Brewing and KartveliWines for joining us with samples!

My next Sip with Schnip event with more exclusive access to treats is on Memorial Day at Wobbly Olive; don’t miss it!

And as a last parting shot: My pal Victoria from Blue Star Group took her Side Dish mousse cake on a date to Stellina, where it got sauced on a strawberry-cucumber Vesper before she ate it. I approve.

Armillary opened on April 21 off Austin Bluffs Parkway, not far from Phelan Gardens. The name, brewer and co-owner Jeff Lockhart tells me, was inspired by a video game he was playing named Starfield. There’s a quest in the game that requires the player to build an armillary sphere, historically used as an astronomy tool. (The brewery was originally going to be called Constellation Brewing Co., but he and his wife and co-owner Kristin ran into a conflict with an existing entity and opted to change it.)

Jeff’s brew resumé runs deep, with around 25 total years in the industry. As outlined by Springs Magazine: “He has served as head brewer or brew master at Dueces Wild Brewing (DWB Craft Beer), Cerberus Brewing Company, Red Leg Brewing, Shamrock Brewing Company in Pueblo, Royal Gorge Brewing Company in Cañon City, and Ouray Brewery.”

Most notably, he’s won both of the top coveted beer awards: A GABF medal (Gold for a Scotch Ale at Dueces Wild in 2019) and two World Beer Cup medals (both Bronzes while at Red Leg Brewing, in 2014 and 2016). Suffice to say, he more than knows what he’s doing, so although Armillary’s new, it’s not a rookie exactly.

We drop in to try a tasting paddle and take a quick tour of the brewery with Jeff. Impressively considering his time commitment here, he still holds a day job as an aerospace inspector. He’s assembled a 7-barrel brewhouse and calls in helpers to brew.

From 12 taps in the small front tasting room, four will remain flagships and the rest will rotate between Armillary seasonals and occasional guest taps. Jeff says he always brews traditional styles, “back to basics,” and prefers not to make many big beers, “because with high-ABV beers you can’t sit and have two or three” without getting shnockered (my word, not his). His favorite beers to make, he says, are porters and stouts, though he’ll run the gamut, as evidenced on the opening menu, which has three hoppy beers and two “fruity/tart” brews.

We try the Blueberry Tart, Rye Pale Ale, Sessionable IPA (at 4.8-percent ABV) and Chixulub Impactor IPL, a Fossil Craft Beer collaboration. The first, made with blueberry purée, lands mildly sour and dry, with kombucha-level acidity that’s refreshing. The rye, brewed with 30 percent rye malts, displays expected spice qualities with balancing tropical hop notes.

The West Coast-style Sessionable IPA indeed sips on the highly bitter side, “hopped to the gills with Galaxy and Comet hops,” explains the menu. But for all the punch on the palate, it drinks light. My favorite of the batch is the collaboration IPL though, which bears a complex aftertaste that lingers and unfolds through lemony citrus then residual strawberry aromas. Lockhart says the Lemondrop hops are responsible for the citrus factor (obviously), but the Belma hops deliver the unusual and dynamic strawberry flavor perception.

By the time you read this, some of these brews may have tapped out and changed up, but expect something equally enjoyable in their place.

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Tacos Revolution

Farther up Austin Bluffs toward at Dublin Boulevard you’ll find Tacos Revolution in a Safeway shopping center, opened four months ago by co-owners Adrian Colin, his sister Arandení Colín and her husband Luis Macias, who also operates the Zapatas Mexican Taco Shop about 10 minutes away on Dublin Boulevard.

Adrian tells me they’re awaiting a liquor license still, and that the family cooks Jalisco-style. The wide menu covers everything from tortas, tacos and breakfast burritos to quesadillas, bowls and salads and seafood and meat plates (and more). While we await our to-go order I chat him up, and he shares a sample of their birria soup with me — wow, super good.

We order sopes with pastor; chicken tamales with rice and beans; and four tacos: tripa (beef intestine), lengua (beef tongue), buche (pork stomach) and the Taco Revolution (with asada, beans and nopal, which are prickly pear cactus strips).

We fill ramekins at the salsa bar, and take chocoflan and guava cheesecake home as well.

The sopes’ thick corn masa base delights texturally, requiring a butter knife to cut bites more easily. (Plastic to-go ware struggles, if you’re stuck with it.) The faintly sweet and tendor pastor meat pops the plate with fixings of shredded lettuce, beans, mild Ranchero cheese and sour cream drizzle. Milder tomatillo and salsa rojo pair better than the much hotter chile de árbol and habanero salsas, which delight (and burn us out a bit) on the tacos.

By now you probably know what you’re in for if you order the less-Gringo lengua, tripa and buche options. Served simply with cilantro, diced onion and lime, street-cart style, each holds highlights inherent to their respective meatiness. The tripe and buche are both rich and chewy and the lengua’s succulent, tasting deeply beefy with spice accents. The more complex Taco Revolution sports a nice contrast between the beans and nopales (naturally slimy but hydrating) and tender carne asada.

The chicken tamales come smothered in a vibrant, medium-spicy red chile sauce. They’re big, thick and fluffier than many dense styles. We really enjoy them with side servings of basic Mexican rice and refried beans.

I’m glad we don’t skip on dessert once we finally fork into the chocoflan and guava cheesecake at home later. The first is homemade, with a moist cake layer and custardy top. I like that it’s not over-sweet or synthetic tasting, like too many versions on the market.

Adrian tells me they do buy the cheesecake, but he stands by its quality. I don’t disagree. He’s thoughtfully sent us with a frozen piece to thaw on the drive home, and by the time we cut into it it’s perfectly cold (like colder than normal but not icy). I love the texture of the tacky guava layer on top and the cheesecake’s more firm and not gummy (again, a problem with lesser versions out there). Overall the flavor tastes pure and tropical with a creamy and graham crackery conclusion. All good stuff.

Roasted Coffee Co.

Roasted Coffee Co. launched on April 18 near Village 7 Road and N. Carefree Circle. (across the parking lot from Las Palmitas Mexican Restaurant). It’s attached to Breathe Reformed Baptist Church, a Calvinistic and Evangelical Christian worship house. Roasted owner Jordan Smyers is one of the pastors at Breathe, and tells me he just wants “to serve the community.”

Smyers spent six-and-a-half years living in Northern Italy while he was in the Air Force, which informs his love of coffee culture. His idea behind Roasted, he says, was to utilize this extra church space “more than just twice a week.”

His wife makes homemade sweets like scones and muffins, plus cinnamon rolls on Saturdays. He buys beans from a local, small-batch roaster named One Drop Coffee Co., who counts other churches among clients, he says. They only serve organic coffees.

We order all four seasonal drinks: a Blueberry Muffin Latte, Cookie Crumb Latte, Salted Honey Latte (in a to-go mug, hence why it’s not pictured) and Cup of Dirt Latte. They’re beautifully presented in heavy, decorative glassware. They’re well-balanced considering their sweetness, with darker-roast profiles, which makes sense given the Italian inspiration. The highlights are the cold foam toppers: blueberry on the iced maple drink, chocolate on the Cup of Dirt (which has a gummy bug on the bottom), and marshmallow on the Cookie Crumb, which is a vanilla iced mocha, like the Cup of Dirt.

They’re all quality sippers (at $6.50 to $7), which could easily attract secular sippers in the area who may not mind or even pay much attention to the religious decor, including prominent portraits of key reformers. Other items we didn’t try: traditional coffee drinks, Italian sodas, and tea drinks like a house-made chai or matcha latte.

This is the second installment on the subject of childcare and the hospitality industry, written by Lauren Hug, a.k.a. sidedishsidekick. If you missed the first, catch up here.

Story by Lauren Hug

Conversing with Katie Fisco, a Colorado Springs-based Filipina-American chef, is a journey for the mind and senses. She effortlessly segues between history, culture and culinary expertise, bringing experiences alive through vibrant descriptions of sights, smells, tastes and textures. Her company, which hosts monthly Filipino pop up dinners, is named Baon Supper Club — Baon means “food for the journey” in Tagalog.

When we meet to talk about childcare and the hospitality industry, she approaches the topic with the same thoughtfulness and awareness of cultural nuance. She has recently returned from the Philippines and reflects on the intermingling of parenting and culinary work she witnessed in food culture there.

“I saw plenty of street vendors where the kids are stirring the oil as mom’s dropping the fish balls in, and the other kid’s making the change,” she says. “They’re making a living for their family and they’re teaching their kids how to be entrepreneurs and run the business.”

She notes what is gained from that kind of co-located work and parenting experience: “Kids gather culture and knowledge and emotional intelligence by being in that environment. While I feel like the perspective here in the States would be ‘that’s child labor.’ There’s so much that we, in American culture, compartmentalize and separate.”

Chef Katie’s observations echo those of London-based researcher Georgia Norton in her work on childcare and co-working (discussed in more detail in the first story in this series): multiple benefits result when children are proximate to their parents during work, like children developing a more rich understanding of the world of work and less stress and worry for parents about being away from their children.

A few weeks after our conversation, I see a warm, familial scene reminiscent of Chef Katie’s descriptions of Filipino street vendors when we stop by the One Table Asian Pop Up Market that she’s organized.

Her children are present at Baon’s vendor table, taking payments and chatting with customers about the special dish the business is serving. Katie’s husband Eugene ceremoniously marches it out of a prep area, shouting “taho! …. taho!” to market guests and fellow vendors. Chef Katie explains it’s a popular morning street food snack in the Philippines, composed of homemade silken tofu, tapioca pearls and burnt brown sugar syrup.

Chef Katie doesn’t romanticize the merging of work and child-rearing. But for her, it’s preferable to not being with her children at all during the 10 to 12 hour days her culinary business requires.

“I don’t want to have to shut out all the people in my life and be siloed and by myself all day to make it work,” she says. “I’m a person too, and I need connection too.”

Currently, she works out of a commercial kitchen with a side office space where her children do their homework while she preps, cooks and packages.

“They can see me working, and I can see them,” she says. “They can open the door and say, ‘I don’t know what three plus three is.’ I accept the challenge of being able to be present and work-minded with having my children nearby.”

Before becoming a parent, Chef Katie pursued professional excellence with a devotion common among chefs aiming to execute at the highest industry standards. She worked at upscale and fine-dining establishments like Nosh and Craftwood Inn and trained under chefs like Brother Luck and Shane Lyons.

“I was all in,” she says. “I was the first one in, the last one out all the time. I was obsessed with work. There were no birthdays, no weddings I attended. I didn’t go to holiday things. That level of excellence takes abandonment of other things in your life.”

Chef Katie first noticed the difficulty of balancing culinary work and family life when she and her husband began the process of becoming foster parents. Her heart broke for kids in need of a home, and she wanted to make real impact in their lives. Preparing to foster, though, turned out be “a whole other job on top of my job job. I noticed quickly I couldn’t be all in at work anymore.”

As much as she loved her culinary career, parenting two children through fostering and adoption required a level of devotion incompatible with that career’s demands.

“I went back and forth for a few months,” she says about deciding to pause her career to prioritize being the primary caregiver for her children. “I would work for six months then say, ‘I need to take a break.’”

But her love of food and hospitality always called her back.

On a break from restaurant work while pregnant with her third child, Chef Katie launched a culinary business selling homemade sourdough bread: “As weird as it sounds, I missed baking and cooking and being on my feet all day.”

She returned to restaurants and catering while still breastfeeding her little one, adding another layer of complexity to juggling work and parenting: her workplace had no dedicated space for nursing moms.

“I was pumping milk in bathrooms or after a catering event in my car. People attending the event are passing my car, watching me pump milk in my chef coat.”

“It made me feel resentful toward some men I knew who were cooks,” she continues with a laugh. “Because they could just shower, slap clothes on, work their shift, go home, and do it all over again. But I had to figure out when and where to pump milk, make sure my kids had what they needed for school, attend to all the therapy things the kids needed for the week … and also be a good cook.”

Finding childcare was a challenge as well.

First there were the trust issue. “My kids come from hard places. Two of the three of them are special needs,” she says. It was hard to leave them with people she didn’t know.

Then there were the non-traditional hours. “Childcare ends at a certain hour and hospitality starts when everyone’s partying at nighttime,” she says. “Thankfully, we had a great base of friends and family that we trusted to care for our kiddos a couple hours at a time.”

In many communities, care provided by friends, family and neighbors (FFN) fill gaps where licensed care is unavailable, unaffordable or incompatible with how people actually live and work. According to the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, more than half of Colorado families with young children rely on informal FFN care arrangements at some point during a typical week. This type of care is heavily utilized by families working evenings and weekends — the exact hours that define the hospitality industry — and for children with additional needs.

Finally, the cost of childcare was also a consideration in how Chef Katie chose to continue her culinary career after becoming a parent.

“My husband has a great job and works really hard to provide all the things for us, so I’ve been able to pursue my dream,” she says. “But childcare still isn’t affordable for us. Do I go to work just to pay for childcare and a bag of chips? That’s literally what I can afford. Or do I pursue [my own business] and get more value out of it for myself? It might not be more money-wise … but more fulfillment.”

So Chef Katie birthed Baon Supper Club. In part because it would allow her to be more present with her children than when working for someone else. “Birthed” is an appropriate word because she sometimes worries about her children seeing her business as “the other kid” who gets her time and attention.

“It feels in some ways like I’m abandoning my family to do the thing that I love,” she says.

But she also sees the potential for building something special: “If the business is successful in the way that I’ve structured it so that I can be with my family, I’ll have a successful business that my family is a part of.”

It truly is a family business. She schedules meetings and culinary events on days Eugene isn’t working so he’s available to care for their children. Sometimes he helps with culinary events while Katie’s brother-in-law stays with the kids.

One of the servers Chef Katie hires is also a childcare provider, so whenever there’s an event where servers aren’t needed, Katie hires her for childcare. “It has been a lifesaver,” she says.

Securing reliable care for her children requires coordination, communication and careful planning — additional duties on top of everything else she juggles as a mother and a business owner. And it’s impossible to schedule everything perfectly. She has to say no to things she’d love to do. Family life doesn’t always fit neatly into her culinary career.

“It’s weird to me to me that this is an industry that revolves around hospitality, but the people inside of it find it hard to be nourished and have care for their family,” she says.

When faced with limited childcare options, people with expertise and passion end up leaving the culinary scene.

“Do you want longevity?” Katie asks rhetorically. “Do you want people to stay in the industry? Do you want people with wisdom and knowledge to pass down this legacy? Or are you just going to keep bringing in new people who are single and available?”

Valuing what is lost when seasoned hospitality professionals leave the industry and creatively experimenting with ways to make hospitality more hospitable to parents could make a difference in how the industry as a whole — or even individual restaurants — address the childcare crisis. Chef Katie imagines a scenario where a restaurant provides childcare vouchers to their employees or establishes a childcare site nearby where employees can visit their children on their break.

Had an option like that been available, she might not ever have started her own business, she says. When she did, though, she centered it on a concept of hospitality as care. “I don’t know how to run a business and not care for people,” she says. “I don’t want to run a business where I don’t care.

“It’s not worth it to have something that’s perfect and pristine if it doesn’t have warmth and heart behind it,” she says. “I’m not aiming for Michelin by any means. What’s important to me is that we’re doing everything we can to be excellent and to represent what is good about our community, and that the community feels part of what we do.”

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Five Questions with Michelle Pollick, owner/head chef of Chelle’s Daily Dish

What is Chelle’s Daily Dish and who’s behind it?

We launched in August, 2025. We’re an organic, grab-and-go meal producer. It’s me — my nickname was “Chelle” as a kid — my partner Clay Bidwell, who’s my sous chef and distribution guy, plus my daughter Morgan.

What should people know about your organic approach?

We buy most of our ingredients from Natural Grocers. We haul in our own filtered water to prep our food at Chef’s Kitchen. We cook with extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil or sesame oil, and don’t use any preservatives or artificial ingredients. Our packaging is plant-based with a bio-based lining, and it’s compostable. We eliminate food waste by donating leftovers from food prep to Caring Matters Industries, a local nonprofit that serves people experiencing homelessness.

What meals do you offer? Walk us through them.

We sell five dishes: Garlic Szechuan Peanut Noodles; Japanese Udon Noodles & Snap Peas; Apricot-Glazed Chickpea Couscous; Mongolian Vegetable Stir Fry; and Vegetable Butter Grand Masala. All but the Masala are vegan and two are gluten-friendly, but I tell people they can easily add their own meat to any item; I like to add chicken to my udon noodles.

Every meal has something special about it. We use St. Dalfour apricot jam from France with the chickpeas. I buy authentic Japanese ramen noodles from Hakubaku for the Szechuan, and I use their udon noodles. I make my sauces from scratch, taking the time to open up the spices. The sauce and the bok choy are what really make the Mongolian stir fry special. I got my butter masala recipe from a coworker who’s from India. I cook down fresh tomatoes and tri-color bell peppers for it; it takes time.

The main thing I hear from people is ‘this tastes like a restaurant meal’ and not something from a grocery store. I want to project that hand-made aspect. Our meals tastes like real food should taste.

What made you want to start a wholesale, organic food business?

I’m also a respiratory therapist. I see sick people all day. It allows me to share basic nutrition information. I tell them people are often sick because of what they’re putting into their body.

The wheels started turning for me after a trip to Italy, where I ate pasta, pizza and anything I wanted, and still felt amazing. Their food system is cleaner than ours. That got me digging into my diet and making changes, becoming aware of what my body was telling me.

What got me started with Chelle’s is I was looking for a good grab-and-go meal without all the processed foods in it and couldn’t find one.

[Read more in Chelle’s “about us” section online, which details creating meals for her family, which turned into delivering to friends and colleagues, co-inspiring the eventual creation of this business.]

Where can people find your products?

Our items are at sold at Bread & Butter Neighborhood Market locally, as well as Lucky’s Market in Boulder and the Niwot Market. Our longterm goal is to get our meals into Natural Grocers.

Leftovers — three more tidbits I gleaned during this interview:

• Key players in encouraging Michelle to market were Stacy Poore and Aubrey Day at Bread & Butter. She’d shared her early concept of Chelle’s, and they essentially said “bring it here, let’s try it.”

• “I moved to Colorado 30 years ago, but I grew up on the East Coast. I’m super appreciative that I got home-cooked meals as a kid. My mom said we didn’t have the money to go out. She and my grandmother from Ukraine were my inspirations in the kitchen.”

• Michelle was also a bike mechanic at one stint, who worked at Timberline Cycles in Old Colorado City over a decade ago (before it closed years later).

Final editor’s note:

Thanks to samples provided, I was able to try (read: enjoy) each Chelle’s dish. It’s a toss-up for me between the udon and ramen noodles for a favorite. And I can confirm the sauces stand out in the other three dishes. All flavors pop and everything’s vibrant, feeling light in the belly, despite the carbs. I’ll probably adopt Michelle’s addition of chicken to the noodles next time, to up the protein. This is the kind of clean eating I’m into, and generally aim for at home when I’m not dining out for work.

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Your homework assignment until the end of the month: Make you way through 10 downtown restaurants to sample their taco and tequila pairings. (Remember last year, it was the Weenies & ’tinis tour.)

I’ve thus far caught previews of two spots. First up, at Golden Hour at The Mining Exchange, Chef Noah Siebenaller has created the Golden Hour Glow-Up: a Raquelitas purple hibiscus corn tortilla, crispy Oaxaca & aged Cotija cheese “skirt”, mezcal-glazed Kurobuta pork belly, compressed mezcal-mango, golden berry & morita salsa macha, marigold petals, and 24k edible gold leaf. Finished tableside with an orange blossom & mezcal aromatic spritz. (Wow — that’s a mouthful figuratively and literally.) It’s superb, paired with a milk-washed, dual reposado (one smoked) tequila Golden Margarita with citrus foam.

And at T-byrd’s Tacos & Tequila, Chef Joel Blantz has created a Jalapeño Relleno Taco:
Fried Jalapeño stuffed with ground beef and asadaro, with fresh guacamole, pico, crema and cilantro on a warm corn tortilla. It’s paired with the Hibiscus Hottie created by bartender Allie Johnstone: house-infused cucumber-jalapeño mezcal and tequila (split base), hibiscus, passion fruit, lime, with a mango chamoy rim and a flaming jalapeño coin. (So good, with complementary flavors!)

Bites & Bits

• Crafton’s Summit Sourdough grand opens in Chapel Hills Mall May 16 at 11 a.m. (until sell out; it’s located in the Dillard’s Wing, directly across from the pickleball courts on the first floor). Co-owner Matt Crafton tells Side Dish: “This has been a huge family dream for us. I recently retired from the military after 20+ years and [my wife] Brittany left her corporate career to go all in on the bakery full time. Seeing the community support this journey has honestly meant everything to us.” (Here’s more info on them both.) Crafton’s will also be at the Backyard Market in Black Forest as well as the Acacia Park Sunday Market this summer. They make long-fermented artisan sourdough loaves and sell wholesale too. Check out their menu here.

• The Chamonix Casino Resort in Cripple Creek — which I visited and wrote about in mid 2024, calling it “a big ante” — recently opened a new eatery named Don Juan’s Cocina inside Bronco Billy’s Casino. According to a press release, “Don Juan’s Cocina is led by James Beard Award-winning Chef Johnny Iuzzini, the property’s Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef, and Chef Starlene Trujillo. The concept showcases a dynamic menu rooted in authentic Mexican cuisine while incorporating modern techniques and unexpected touches.” Iuzzini is a former TV personality and celebrated pastry chef, so Don Juan’s desserts are likely worth attention. The release lists churros with dark chocolate and passionfruit sauces, mango tres leches, spiced chocolate ice cream and chocoflan. The cocktail menu reads well too, listing drinks like a Oaxaca Old Fashioned, Mezcalita and Mango Chile Smash.

• The Margarita at Pine Creek says that “Pivot is the word of 2026.” While you may have thought that post-pandemic we were done with the word, turns out that’s not the case. “This weekend our restaurant was broken into, vandalized and robbed. Our phone lines, internet, and camera lines were cut leaving us without warning or service until 10 minutes before Mother’s day brunch, one of our busiest days of the year,” they wrote on Facebook. So, being the seasoned restaurant professionals they are, what did they do? “Our staff pivoted, they got the customers fed, the broken glass cleaned up and repaired, and the moms pampered… The Margarita makes it through anything that comes our way! #52yearsandcounting.”

• Visit COS released it’s 10th annual Crafts & Drafts Passport this week. Download the digital passport for free and take advantage of local BOGO deals across beer, wine, cocktail, coffee and even milkshake categories from nearly 20 businesses around town. The more you use it, the more chances you have to win swag, through Dec. 31.

• Axios reported that “Swig, a drive-through “dirty soda” chain, plans to expand to the Colorado Springs area, with the first location expected to open by year’s end, and a total of 10 planned for El Paso County.” Writer Glenn Wallace explains that “the Utah-based chain is making a nationwide push, fueled at least in part by its prominence in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reality show.” (Yes, these are non-alcoholic drinks.)

• Shake Shack just opened a second C. Springs location, at 7465 N. Academy Blvd., reports the Gazette. The first location opened off Interquest Parkway in late 2023, and is among the 10 company-owned spots in Colorado.

• “Sin entered into the world through food, and Satan doesn’t stop there. Food, for me, is really like a weapon of how I can fight back.” A Christian influencer discusses being a “biblical eater” in this New York Times story.

Side Dish Dozen happenings

Bristol Brewing Company: Grab a Compass and gear up for summer at our third annual Beers & Gear Expo on Saturday, May 30! Come out to celebrate all things outdoors, with beer and live music, gear vendors, local nonprofits and clubs, and axe throwing. Kicks off with a group trail ride in Stratton Open Space.

Four by Brother Luck: Book now for our six-region, six-course wine dinner, June 3, 6 p.m. Each course will feature cuisine inspired by a different region, paired with wines selected by Steve Sander to showcase the character and traditions of each destination.

Red Gravy: From our new menu, the branzino is a must-try, earning rave reviews already from our patrons. Also, catch this month’s Pastarama contenders: lamb ragù over pappardelle, and a steak and broccoli rigatoni.

Elephant Thai & Chaang Thai: Come in for our lunch specials, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondays-Fridays. Items are only $10.95 to $11.95. Choose between dishes like pineapple, Panang or yellow curry; Pad Thai; Thai-fried rice; and teriyaki chicken, beef or tofu. Finish with mango sticky rice!

Blackhat Distillery: Experience Blackhat Distillery, where American Agave Spirits meet disciplined craft and elevated Colorado hospitality. Through May’s end, readers can secure access to our guided tours at 50% off and our intimate Distiller’s Vault experience at 25% off. Advance resos required. Tours are booked online, and Vault experiences are arranged directly with our distiller.

T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila: Taco Tuesdays feature $3.50 tacos all day and $5 Margaritas and Swirls. Happy hours are 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and all day Sunday. Our $12.99 lunch special gets you chips & salsa, two tacos, rice, beans and a fountain drink; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

National Mimosa Day Celebration at Urban Animal Brewing (Star Ranch). May 16, 10 a.m. Celebrate National Mimosa Day with $8 beer-mosas all day long.

3rd Annual Rescue Fair and Yappy Hour at Cerberus Brewing. 1 p.m. Meet adorable adoptable dogs, explore vendor booths with merch and giveaways, learn about rescue orgs like Rez Dawg Rescue, and enjoy exclusive yappy hour deals in our beer garden.

Beer Releases

Cerveza Mezcal at Gunslinger Brewing Co. Mezcal-inspired light lager featuring bold, smoky flavors.

Sandy Sunglasses Hazy IPA at WestFax Springs. Bright, juicy and ultra-crushable with big citrus and tropical notes. Releases May 15.

Orange Creamsicle Sour at Fossil Craft Beer Co. A refreshing 5.5% ABV patio sipper featuring bright candy orange upfront with a smooth creamy finish. Releases May 15.

For full listings of events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

Through June 12: Pilgrimage of Pints 2026. A self-paced brewery crawl to earn perks and rewards, leading up to the Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival on June 13.

Visit your local farmer’s markets: Full listings here via Visit Colorado Springs.

May 16: Lolley’s Ice Cream grand opening celebration downtown. 12:30 onward.

May 16: 2nd annual Mrs. Roper Romp at Coati. Noon to 6 p.m. 20+ vintage vendors, flash tattoos, tooth gems, tarot, a photo booth, DJs, and Mrs. Roper Costume Contest.

May 17 (rescheduled): Patio Brunch Bash Sip with Schnip at Evergreen Restaurant. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $5 Goat Patch beers, bottomless mimosas, live music, pup-friendly patio plus a Breakfast Burger Special and one-day-only special Side Dish Mousse Cake, made with espresso from Kangaroo Coffee!

May 17: Paella on the Patio returns for the season. Seatings at noon, 2:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. $49 includes a wine, sangria or beer. (Next dates: June 14, July 19, Aug. 16, Sept. 20, Oct. 18.)

May 31: Happy Hour Donuts 2nd Birthday Bash. 7 a.m. to noon. Freebies, raffles and one-day-only donut and drink specials.

Parting shot(s)

Back in early March, I told you about the impending arrival of Perriteaux’s Cajun Restaurant — essentially a revival of Springs Orleans.

I caught a private preview on May 14 ahead of May 15’s opening. Chef Jason Miller, who cooked in Louisiana for almost two decades, is going for authenticity here, especially with ingredient sourcing. Examples include Leidenheimer French bread from New Orleans for his new lineup of poboys. We got the Andouille Sausage one and enjoyed the hell out of it. We also started with awesome popcorn chicken bites with Creole remoulade dip (made in-part with Zatarain’s Creole Mustard) and Miller’s own Creole seasoning (which they sell retail). His collard greens are outstanding too.

For my entrée I chose the Bayou Sampler, allowing me to pick three items from a Cajun & Creole Classics list. I went with the jambalaya (possibly my favorite), shrimp & crawfish étouffée and chicken & Andouille gumbo. Each has its highlights, like the creaminess and generous crawfish bits in the étouffée and deep roux spice in the hearty gumbo. Miller also gave me a sample of his new vegan gumbo — a long work in progress that he’s rightfully proud of.

There’s a lot left for me to try and I’m genuinely excited to go back, as is my dining companion and others in the industry I spoke with during our tasting. One other highlight, not to miss for nostalgia sake or just a refreshing drink on a hot day: Perriteaux’s Hurricane cocktail, which FOH personality Moe Serato tells me is made with a unique combo of dark, white and spiced rum, plus passionfruit, orange juice and of course grenadine for signature color.

If you’re going to be at Prospect Lake at all this summer, paddleboarding, swimming, fishing or whatever, you’re definitely going to want to stop by. This could be the anchor business to revive the long blighted edge of Memorial Park (ahead of the Printer’s Parkway project).

Let’s begin this week with a flashback to September 2024, when I reported “Tava House breaks ground in Woodland Park.”

That gives you some idea of how long a project of this scale — which started a few years prior in concept form — takes to come together. The massive new Woodland Park eatery and events space just launched a “sneak peek week” in its lower-level taproom on Monday. (An upper-floor steakhouse named Firebrand aims to open sometime later this month.)

I stopped by to tour and taste with Tava COO Victor Matthews, who we playfully call “Reverend Doctor Chef” due to his advanced degrees in theology and his long history of teaching and culinary work. He founded Paragon Culinary School and can claim a distiller title as well, as the man behind Green Mountain Falls’ Black Bear Distillery (formerly the Black Bear fine dining restaurant for an era). Suffice to say Matthews is a Renaissance man if I’ve ever known one; I’ve also called him an Energizer Bunny.

There’s a lot to tease out here, so I’m going to jump in, and let the photos do some lifting as well:

• The scale and scope: Over six acres of land directly in the center of town. I’m told 40,000 cubic yards of soil were hauled from the lower basin to upper area where the restaurant sits in order to level it with Hwy. 24 for visibility. New roads, sidewalks and street lighting were installed, as well as a dedicated turn lane from the major roadway. Tava didn’t just work closely with the City of Woodland Park, but CDOT, too.

Echo Architecture’s design mixes modern industrial touches (exposed beams, metal accents) with naturalistic (touches of thick, rough-hewn wood) and brutalist elements (heavy concrete forms) that make the restaurant feel somewhat monumental. Matthews (who gave lots of design input) boasts that it’s now the “crown jewel” of the tiny town, calling it “mountain sexy.” The view of Pikes Peak out the entire west face of the building, plus the expansive (dog-friendly) patio, indeed stuns guests.

Tava PR Manager Mike Perini says “this whole venture is not like anything this town has seen. I think we deserve it. And I think the town will support it, and people will come up from the Springs.” Plus, there’s tourist-season traffic, Matthews points out.

The price tag so far? Around $9 million they say. The banquet hall alone fits 90 inside or 150 connected to outdoor space during warm months.

What’s to come: extensive landscaping in the lower lot that will form a modular amphitheater for concerts and festivals and such. Fountain Creek’s headwaters begin on the site, and Matthews — always one to find symbolism — traces its water down the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers into New Orleans, where he got his culinary start. “My friend calls me a salmon, because I came all the way up stream,” he jokes.

• The team behind it: Five major investor couples: Matthews and his wife Rhianna; Derek and Nicole Waggoner (Derek also co-owns Gripstone Climbing & Fitness), Mark and Mary Jean Weaver, Mary and Alan Sekowski; and Philip and Deborah Waggoner (Derek’s parents).

In the kitchens, Justin Edgar is in the chef de cuisine role and will lead Firebrand when it opens as Matthews’ “right hand.” Edgar graduated Paragon and has taught there and he also did stints at Wobbly Olive, and Ephemera most recently. Rhianna Matthews is Tava’s lead pastry chef and a longtime Paragon instructor.

Karsta Stoudt, formerly executive sous chef at the USOTC, is the Taproom’s chef, supported by Paragon graduates like Jesse Anderson, who worked at Jake & Telly’s. Matthews says around half the current crew are his graduates. While the school will stay located in Manitou Springs, Matthews says Tava will function as an extension campus, where students will get “a taste of the real world.” Area high school ProStart students will also filter through, as Matthews acts in an advisory role for Woodland Park High School and Merit Academy (a charter school).

Brad Beck is the GM, bringing experience from multiple concepts at The Broadmoor.

• In the taproom: A self-pour beer wall of high-quality craft labels and select bottles and cans, to include some lesser seen and harder-to-get brands. (I spied a can of legendary Heady Topper, for example.)

A full cocktail bar includes lots of locally distilled spirits, classic and modern sips, plus some N/A drinks. We sample The Rampart Peach: Black Bear Distillery dark rum, peach liqueur, brown sugar and lemon. (A porch pounder.) The Florissant Ridge: Pure Distilling Tava gin, lavender syrup, lemon and orange. (A floral delight.) And a dessert drink, the Cripple Creek Cream: vodka, key lime juice, white chocolate, condensed milk and lavish, key lime-zested cheesecake foam.

The soft-opening menus remain in development day-to-day but some flagship food items are rooted. It’s not being served this day, but Matthews talks up their unique Turducken Reuben, made with housemade duck pastrami, house-smoked turkey and house-corned chicken, plus classic fixings. It was an idea Matthews started and CDC Edgar refined and final-conceived. “He’s able to execute what I’m envisioning and add his own thing,” Matthews says. “Our two minds together, when we get symbiotic — it levels everyone up.”

Two things I do try, on that note: a fresh ahi tuna tartar with cucumber, avocado and sriracha aioli, plus wonton chips. And the signature, Legendary Local Ranch Slider Trio that’s effectively the first meat flight I can think of ever having. Meaning one slider features Divide’s PBJ Cattle Co. yak (that I wrote about here in my final month at the CS Indy), topped with Swiss, onion, mushroom and Dijon aioli. The next spotlights PBJ-affiliated Double Eagle Ranch beef with sweet bacon fig jam. And the third places Elk Ranch Ltd. bison with poblanos, pepper jack and chipotle aioli.

It’s a fun, dynamic sampling of proteins. Matthews frames it as “purveyor-driven cuisine” that he hopes to raise to representing seven area producers on the plate once growing season kicks in. That would be adding to custom Sourdough Boulangerie kaiser-brioche buns with seasonal toppings. “This is what we mean when we call Tava a ‘community hub’ says Matthews. (On that note, the full Tava Burger features local bacon and cheeses, utilizing Ranch Foods Direct’s wagyu ground beef.)

• Desserts: Matthew’s wife Rhianna is Tava’s pastry chef. Her prep for this menu dates back a year, when she began growing and freeze-drying flowers for her garnishes. A violet adorns her Key Lime Pie next to a white chocolate, yuzu and lime mouse cake shaped and colored like a halved lime. Gold dust on the plate looks as if it morphed out of the brown butter graham cracker crust. The pie custard itself leans more tart and sour, less sweet, leading with a lovely citrus punch.

Next up, her Triple Chocolate Layer Cake with Guinness chocolate ganache, Bailey's mousse and gold leaf. It’s ridiculously rich and good. Matthews tells me she plans to make a creme brûlée cheesecake for Firebrand steakhouse when it opens upstairs, and serve it out of her own pottery and plateware she made. I saw a demo plate, embossed with the Tava brand — not the logo, but the livestock brand. Matthews has already designed and registered it, with plans to partner with a Wyoming ranch to produce cattle for Tava. (It sounds like that’s some time out in the future.)

• What about Firebrand?: It will be a high-end steakhouse, with some more affordable off ramps. For instance you’ll be able to go à la carte and find entry-level steak cuts for as low as $30 says Matthews. But he’ll also feature exclusive cuts from celebrated ranches that could go up over a couple hundred dollars. And guests can choose a multi-course, drink-paired Chef’s Table, like the Black Bear back in its day. Or what Matthews is calling his “omakase” option, meaning chef’s choice: “I’ll hit you with courses until you say stop.”

The interior design remains underway, and on my tour I pass by staff unboxing primo wines and allocated whiskies for Firebrand’s bar. (I spy a vertical Weller lineup and several bottles of Pappy, including a 20-year.) Matthews says blackboards are coming on a back wall, where ranches will be called out by name, farm-to-table style. From the dining room guests will look into a Himalayan sea salt dry-aging cave. One fireplace is also a window overlooking Pikes Peak. An opposing one at the other end of a long community table gives a view into the kitchen, above the grill station, intending to create the illusion of your steak being grilled in those flames.

It’s a nerdy level of detail. Matthews says he’s been thinking about the design for years. And that carries through into how the upstairs kitchen line’s laid out. There’s a dedicated butcher counter for breaking down primals; a smoker; and a 15-burner sauté and grill line with dedicated prep stations and coolers for each cook. (Downstairs his wife has her own pastry area and the kitchen’s super long, with three walk-ins and room for concurrent banquet and dining room service.)

Matthews says he designed for around 60 seats once the bar and upstairs patio (facing Hwy. 24) are factored in. That’s based off The French Laundry he says; it’s probably the third time he drops Thomas Keller’s name during our tour while talking culinary theory and such. Makes sense for someone who’s for years taught Paragon students about the world’s Master Chefs.

Not necessarily wanting to end on a highfalutin note, he says he plans to meet Tava customers on all levels. “You can just come for a pretzel and beer downstairs and chill on the patio, or come up for 12 courses at Firebrand.”

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Eat your liver and onions with Ranch Foods Direct

Your grandmother would be proud — but this is definitely not the way she was eating her liver and onions back in the day. El Chapin’s Chef/Owner Luis Guerra will convert you to liking liver with his easy-to-execute recipe for tacos and fixings.

Happenings of the hog

• Front Range Barbeque now open on the East Side

Back in early March, I told you that Front Range Barbeque had purchased Porkbutt BBQ, which had suddenly gone up for sale in late January. They assumed the storefront at 2220 Academy Place, and quietly soft-opened this past weekend.

I stopped by on day one to chat with owner Brian Fortinberry and his team, and enjoy some barbecue, of course. Fortinberry tells me this will be home base for the next couple years, for catering in addition to dine-in service. That’s because demolition hasn’t even yet begun on the West Side location, which closed in November 2025, after 25 years, to begin a significant “refresh” of the space.

This new East Side menu has already received a refresh, with minor recipe tweaks and some new additions. Chicken leg quarters have joined the house-smoked meats list (available by the half or full pound, generally), and they’re excellent, I confirmed from my sampling. Fortinberry has switched to Yukon vs. Russet fries, and instead of selling pies by the slice, they’re now serving round mini pies like banana pudding, Key lime or bourbon-pecan for $6 (good for two or a hungry solo eater). To brighten bites alongside house barbecue sauces, he’s also added chow chow relish, which is a punchy blend of cabbage, onions, tomatillos and mustard seed cured in a brown sugar vinegar. (It’s great, and available to-go by the pint.)

Current hours: noon to 8 p.m., Wednesday-Sundays. Expect daily specials. Things people will miss until the West Side location reopens: live music nights on the patio (as there’s not one here), and quality craft beer selections. Presently Front Range is only serving Southern sweet or unsweet teas and fountain soda drinks.

• The Chuckwagon 719 to expand in place

Three-year-old Chuckwagon 719 announced on Wednesday that they’ll be undergoing a significant expansion as of June 1 at 6453 Omaha Blvd., and doing so without pausing operations. “We found an amazing crew willing to work on our days off, Monday through Wednesdays co-owner Deidre Hammond says, noting they’re occupying an additional 2,400 square-feet of space behind their existing location to create a total of nearly 4,200.

She walks me through the plans, to include: removing kitchen walls to punch outwards; swapping the current seating and service areas so the line can be more efficiently located near the kitchen; adding a second carving station and register in hopes of making the customer line move more quickly (and eventually serving more food with the added volume); landscaping and expanding outdoor seating, with shaded areas; and adding a stage for live music.

Hammond says they’re getting paperwork for a liquor license going, and to expect an expanded menu when it’s all completed, with larger, family meal options plus “more fun specials.”

“Welcome to Austin in The Springs,” she says. “We can’t wait to serve y’all!”

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Bites & Bits

• Gunnar’s Deli, which only recently launched its business at Red Leg Brewing Co., has expanded to a second location at 7636 Dublin Blvd. That’s inside of Sasquatch Cookies, a fellow Red Leg kiosk vendor.

• China Menu has opened at 600 21st St #150, in the Roundhouse complex. And Shanxi Noodle recently launched at 5935 Constitution Ave. (I aim to visit both soon.)

• Axios Colorado Springs this week reported that “Colorado craft beer defies national downturn.” In his succinct summary (Axios-style, you know) Writer Glenn Wallace shares Brewers Association data (ahead of its public release later this week) that says “Colorado craft brewers produced 75,469 more barrels than in 2024 — nearly a 10% increase.” That runs counter to the “broader industry slump.” Another strong stat for the suds: “Breweries’ estimated $2.8 billion statewide economic impact in 2024 grew by $28 million in 2025.”

• Earlier this week, the Colorado Restaurant Association & Foundation gave an update on SB26-134 (the Swipe Fee Relief Act), which would eliminate credit card swipe fees on sales taxes, potentially saving small businesses thousands of dollars annually. The CRA is framing the bill as “choosing Colorado businesses over Wall Street card networks and big banks.” They say industry opposition is “paying millions to attempt to kill this bill.” They’re asking concerned folks to “contact your State House Representative and urge a YES vote on SB26-134.

• New Denizen spotlights 3 new Denver and Boulder restaurants and bars you should know about. Among them, Odd Rabbit is a ramen and sushi spot from a Michelin-recognized duo.

• “Surging concentrations of carbon in the atmosphere have produced potent changes in the way plants grow, draining the nutrients from food,” reports The Washington Post. “… even people who consume enough calories won’t get the nutrients they need to thrive… for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable, the consequences could be devastating.” (Context: recent polling shows 14% of the U.S. population doesn’t believe global warming is happening, while 29% doubt it is caused mostly by human activities, and 46% don’t think they’ll be personally harmed by it.)

Side Dish Dozen happenings

Allusion Speakeasy: Our new Star Wars theme is delighting fans at both locations! Resos required; awesome N/A cocktails available. Check out the amazing lineup of drinks, in theme glassware, and match your zodiac sign with a drink.

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: Catch daily happy hour from 3-5 p.m. and all night Mondays. And weekly specials like Cantina Tuesdays, Po Boy Wednesdays, Friday Date Nights, Saturday shrimp and crab boils, and Locals Sundays with $1 oysters.

Evergreen: What do you mean you still haven’t come in to check out our viral mousse cakes? We look forward to seeing you May 17 for our Patio Brunch Bash Sip with Schnip, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Goat Patch Brewing: Our Summer Music Series has kicked off at our Lincoln Center and Monument locations! We’re proud to be the beer sponsor for MeadowGrass Music Festival, May 22-24. Download our app to stay in the know.

Kangaroo Coffee: Celebrate Nurses Week with us through May 12. Hop over to any of our locations, flash your badge and enjoy 50% off your drink. It’s our small way of saying thank you for everything you do, we appreciate you!

Edelweiss: We’ve switched to using 100% beef tallow for all of our deep fried items, giving our schnitzels and other fried dishes an even better golden brown crust and robust flavor! Come in today and try the favorites you know and love, now even better.

Stellina Pizza Cafe: We’re celebrating six years with our special birthday menu through May 31. Enjoy a customizable, five-course prix fixe menu for two for $75. Also Pike Ride Community Rides start May 12 (RSVP required). Catch pre-ride happy hours and return for dinner with extended happy hour until 9.

Hoppenings this week

Beer Events

Chocolate & Beer Pairing at Gunslinger Brewing Co. May 9, 1-2 p.m.; $25.

Brewer’s Republic Resurrected at Seven’s Gate Taproom. May 9, 5 p.m. Expect Fremont Lush, Prairie BOMB!, Chouffe and a few other surprises.

MeadowGrass Pre-Fest at Goat Patch Brewing Monument. May 10. Live music featuring Patchwork Jack with Roma Ransom (2-5 p.m.) and Chinaflower Suncats (6-8:30 p.m.), food trucks and good vibes all day long.

Beer Releases

Street Taco Skies at Urban Animal Brewing downtown. A tropical-themed beer being re-released for Hawaiian Shirt Fridays.

Prickly Pear Mexican Lager at Wackadoo Brewing. A refreshing Mexican-style lager brewed with prickly pear for a unique twist. Light and crisp with fruity notes.

Old Trash Panda at OCC Brewing. A 2024 Russian Imperial Stout featuring layers of chocolate, coffee and roasted malt with subtle nutty complexity.

For full listings of events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

May 9: 2026 America’s Mountain Festival Songwriters Competition at Tava House. 6-8:30 p.m.; free.

May 9: Second Annual Murder Mystery Fundraiser at Madera’s Grill and Cantina in Falcon. 5:30 p.m.

May 10: Colorado Springs Sunday Market kicks off in Acacia Park for the season. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Find full farmer’s markets listings via Visit Colorado Springs.)

May 10: Mother’s Day special menus all over. You better have made resos by now!

May 13: Whiskey Tasting Dinner at Black Forest Bistro. 6 p.m. $150 includes five paired courses with optional upgrades for more allocated whiskies.

May 14: Master Sommelier tasting dinner at My Cellar Wine Bar. 6 p.m.; $100 for six wines and five food courses, led by Master Sommelier Nigel Wilkinson.

May 16: Lolley’s Ice Cream grand opening celebration downtown. 12:30 onward.

May 17 (rescheduled): Patio Brunch Bash Sip with Schnip at Evergreen Restaurant. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $5 Goat Patch beers, bottomless mimosas, live music, pup-friendly patio plus a Breakfast Burger Special and one-day-only Side Dish Mousse Cake, made with Kangaroo Coffee espresso!

May 17: Paella on the Patio returns for the season. Seatings at noon, 2:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. $49 includes a wine, sangria or beer. (Next dates: June 14, July 19.)

Through June 12: Pilgrimage of Pints 2026. A self-paced brewery crawl to earn perks and rewards, leading up to the Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival on June 13.

Parting shot(s)

We attended the Codigo 1530 Tequila Meet the Maker dinner at The Broadmoor’s Penrose Room on Cinco de Mayo.

A Codigo rep walked us through tastings of their Blanco, Rosa, Private Broadmoor Barrel Selection, Reposado, Añejo, and 6-year-aged Origin Extra Añejo. Despite five generations of history behind their tequilas, Codigo has only been imported to the U.S. for the past decade. We were told it’s one of only six in the tequila industry to operate its own distillery (whereas hundreds of other manufactures produce thousands of brands on shared distilleries).

For the aged spirits, they utilize French White Oak, Napa Cabernet Barrels. Those used barrels are charred with exception of the Rosa label, wherein Codigo’s Blanco tequila rests for one month in an un-charred barrel to glean some light color and flavor from the vino residue. They pioneered the tequila category; others have since made similar products. The faintly floral Rosa proves to be my favorite sipper of the evening, followed closely by the deeply complex Añejo and easy going Blanco. It was also novel to try the Extra Añejo, which heads in a brandy direction after six years of flavor concentration through evaporation.

Chef Bethany Fahey and team created wonderful pairings for the tequilas, leading mostly light and beach-y for passed canapes, which included mofongo fritters, snapper ceviche and tequila-shrimp tostadas. The seafood theme continued into appetizers with hamachi poke rolls and Polynesian King Salmon Crudo, then crab cakes in the first course, along with a citrus burrata salad. Things finally got heavy (and fabulously delicious) with a Codigo tequila-braised short rib served over Ancho-Poblano farro with asparagus, carrots and tequila jus.

The meal concluded with a gorgeous Tequila Sunrise Entremet, featuring orange crémeux, pomegranate gelée and tequila-infused cake with lime zest chantilly cream. Sipping the Extra Añejo between bites created quite an interesting pairing experience, with the sugary sweet notes counterbalancing the bold, oaky and somewhat hot (higher alcohol) elements of the tequila. Just wonderful.

Don’t sleep on these Meet the Maker dinners. They’re special, and full of surprises, like our souvenir Codigo bottles laser etched on-site by one of their reps. Some have hefty price tags, but that’s typically for highly allocated spirits you’ll be hard-pressed to get access to elsewhere. And the food is always abundant and next-level delicious.

Lewis Cox tells me that he’s known his wife Francesca since around the time they were kindergarten aged. “We grew up thinking we were cousins,” he says, laughing. “She was partly raised by my mom as well.”

Their moms were best friends, he explains, and at age 15 he and Francesca started dating. Flash forward 25 years and they have seven kids together, plus a new restaurant endeavor that may as well count as an eighth child for the time being.

Stix & Soul Kitchen opened in early March at The Citadel mall (where Hooters resided up until last year). It’s the Coxes’ first foray into the professional food-service world, though Lewis assures me they more than know their ways around kitchens.

“I was that kid who wanted to be next to momma’s hip,” he says. “I was always in the kitchen with her wondering what she was cooking.” She’d learned to cook from her father, who was born in Jackson, Mississippi. It’s where Cox’s extended family still lives and where he ventures to every fall for family reunions. He’s one of four boys.

Even though he was born in Germany, as a military brat, he says he likes to let people know he learned to cook in the South. Authenticity is important to him. “Everyone in my kitchen here is from the South. I’m the executive chef, and they follow our routine.”

That routine has been shaped by home life, as Cox regularly cooked for his family, plus his kids’ friends and other family members. “People would pitch in with sodas and drinks; we didn’t ask for a dollar. I feed people here as if they were in my house. I put my heart into it. This is my gift from God, to feed the world.”

Before Cox realized this gift as a business, he was on a very different path. He alludes to a difficult period earlier on when “I was hanging around the wrong people, and I had to change my life.” His struggle included a few years of homelessness, he says. “I had to stop everything and do something right.”

He picked up a job at an asphalt company, and worked his way up to being a foreman. Years later when the business’ owner was retiring, he convinced Cox it was time for him to do his own thing. So he started renting gear at Bill’s Equipment & Supply and taking small jobs. That turned into a company called C&H Asphalt, which has been in operation for almost 15 years, now employing more than 20 people.

“Because of having to learn how to sell asphalt jobs, I can talk to anyone,” he says. “It’s why I’m a good salesman.” It’s why he’s not daunted at all to bite off selling his food. Touching tables is easy when you love talking to people and you’re a natural at it. Plus, that food has started to sell itself with good word-of-mouth in the community.

The opportunity at Stix & Soul started late last year when Cox started dabbling at some small bars in town to dip a toe in the marketplace. He did a popup stint at Woody’s Bar & Grill at Pikes Peak Avenue and Academy Boulevard for example, and says it significantly improved the business’ traffic and sales inside of a month.

During the football playoffs, he met his cousin to watch a Bronco’s game at Uno Mas off Platte Avenue. He met owner Richard Perea and pitched him on bringing his foodservice there. After listening, Perea told Cox his vision was bigger than the facilities could handle, but he’d just procured a spot at Citadel Mall that had a large kitchen. Perea was only planning to open a pool hall in the space, more as an event center not open regularly to the public. But perhaps it could use a dining component?

After seeing the space, Cox made an offer. Perea weighed it for several weeks, and ultimately decided to partner 50/50 with him to create Stix & Soul Kitchen. Francesca took on the GM role; their kids are part of the crew.

In the short couple months it’s been open, Stix & Soul has been promisingly busy. Sometime a line will back up to the doors, Cox says. Every service hasn’t been as smooth as he’d like, but he concedes they’re learning their way forward and earnestly listening to feedback.

“I’ve tightened the menu up,” he says, “adjusting seasonings, and backing off salt for the elders.” He wants his customers to feel like they’re walking into his home, not like they’re at a restaurant. It’s a cliché, but true for him.

“Food tastes better when you feel you’re at home,” he says. “If you feel like you’re at a McDonald’s it’s just not going to taste as good. This is like a big family reunion here. Our atmosphere is high-energy. I’m gonna greet you like you’re my auntie or my grandma. I accept people like they’re family.”

He returns to a humble, almost sheepish tone, saying “if anything’s wrong with your food, come tell me and I’ll make it again. I want you to feel like you’re at a barbecue at your cousin’s, and he won’t hesitate to remake your chicken on the grill.”

It’s clear Cox is a people pleaser, finding success by embracing the true spirit of Southern hospitality. He got that from his mom, who got it from her dad, and he’s passing it along to his children here. “They weren’t born in Mississippi, but it’s in their genes,” he says.

The family’s warmth has resonated with various segments of the community, but with the Black community in particular. I think I’m the only white dude at the eatery during a late lunch rush and I love that, feeling transported back home to Alabama where I grew up. Colorado Springs’s population is only around 6-percent Black, so to get out of the Caucasian bubble, you typically have to venture mindfully to Black-owned businesses anchored in specific neighborhoods, mostly on the Southeast side,

I chat with Cox about it and he says “I didn’t think it would be like this. This demographic speaks volumes. We’ve been strongly embraced by the Black community, and not just from here. I’ve had people drive from Denver, Longmont, Fort Collins.” Then there’s the people living here that, like me, came from the South. “I found a whole niche of people from Georgia and all over,” he says, adding that there’s also support from the Hispanic and white community. Soul food speaks to everybody.

He pauses a beat, then shouts-out the other Southern-food businesses in town, saying he’s not in this to compete. There’s Club Tilt & Grill on Astrozon Boulevard and Sabrina’s Soul Food Kitchen not far from there, on South Academy Boulevard. “And I love Luchals — her energy and her food,” he says, acknowledging the Cajun departure from his strictly Southern menu.

Notice I’ve talked around food with this writeup, painting you a picture of the people and the place mostly instead. It’s not because our meal (pictured above, if you need to scroll back) wasn’t good. It was great. Chef Brother Luck and I knocked out the crunchy catfish (expertly seasoned and fried); the tangy ribs (meat easily releasing from bone with a good chew); crispy chicken gizzards dipped in hot sauce; juicy fried green tomatoes; and the terrific sides: Lou’s Smack’n Cheese, Nana’s Candied Yams, MaMa’s Collards with turkey, black-eyed peas with turkey, and cornbread with a caramelized sugar top that makes it as dessert-y as the sappy yams.

There’s a wide array of dishes to go back and try, ranging from wings, pork chops, brisket and a Salisbury steak plate. Now that you have a sense of the vibe, go get lost in some soul food and get your fingers sticky on something. Beer and cocktails will be coming soon (likely within a couple weeks of you reading this).

And Cox, being the smart guy that he is — knowing how people in this town behave, and just the right thing to say to them — wraps up by telling me: “We have the biggest parking lot in the Springs.”

Spoken like a true asphalt salesman.

Growing up in a village in Afghanistan, he’d only eaten Afghani food his whole life. He was 11 years old when the Americans arrived, and 18 when he began working with the Marines as a local interpreter.

Kandahar Airfield was the second largest U.S. base in-country at the time, and hosted a number of restaurants for troops, ranging from familiar chain brands to local vendors. “Some buddies of mine said “let’s go get some pizza, and we went, and I was like ‘oh man, I really like this’” recalls Alizada.

Once acquainted with the universally popular item, he says he began seeking it out, finding rather “amazing” renditions in Kabul. When he gained U.S. citizenship in 2014 and moved to the States, his former commander during the war picked him up at the airport and drove him directly to Old Chicago. “We shared a beer and a pizza,” he says. “That was the start of my American life.”

He would later venture to New York City, intent to visit Ground Zero, saying “my life story is directly connected to 9-11.” He says he ate pizza for lunch and dinner for three days straight. “All of them were good.”

As American foods go, Alizada also found affinity for chicken wings at a chow hall on a U.S. base. It became his #2 favorite item from our comfort food pantry. Every Fourth of July he meets up in Washington state with his teammates from the 1st Special Forces Group. One of them is originally from Buffalo, and taught Alizada how to make an authentic buffalo sauce. “The wings are one of the main reasons I go to that reunion every year,” he jokes.

The reason we’re talking about pizza and wings together now, two years after I first met and interviewed Alizada at Shah Kabob House, is because sometime in May he’s aiming to open the doors at Skewer & Slice Kabob & Pizza, an Afghan-inspired fusion concept at 6970 Mesa Ridge Parkway, #130. It will feature most of the items beloved by loyal customers at three-year-old Shah Kabob House (at 829 Cheyenne Meadows Road), but add pizza, wings, homemade ice creams, Turkish coffee and other features fit for the larger location.

In hearing the details, I can say it sounds like C. Springs (er, Fountain more accurately) will soon see some items not to be found elsewhere in our marketplace. (That’s what excites jaded old me, tired of clone stamp reproductions of common fare.)

Here’s more from our chat:

• The pizza: Still in final development, Alizada initially talks about a Neapolitan approach, but calls it “Shah style.” When I ask about the dough and he likens it to their house naan bread, I say “why not just call it naan pizza?” He considers it and we banter back and forth like pizza nerds, discussing floppy versus holdable structure, thickness, the deck oven he’s procuring, etc. Alizada says he’s definitely doing a traditional tomato sauce, but planning to make a variant based on their Eggplant Borani sauce. (That’s my favorite item at Shah Keban House, so my ears perk up.) Toppings will include unique options like chicken shawarma and beef pepperoni in place of pork, as devout Muslims, like Jews, don’t eat it. That said, all meats at both locations will be Halal certified.

• The wings: They’ll be marinated in the same way that the chicken kabobs are marinated at Shah Kabob House. He’ll feature his military buddy’s buffalo sauce. And for a fresh take on ranch dip, he plans to use his homemade yogurt as a base instead of sour cream, which he describes as having a more citrusy flavor.

• Lamb lovin’: Shah Kabob House should still be your go-to for a more robust menu of lamb options, because Alizada plans to limit its service and focus more on chicken plates at Skewer & Slice. Why? Because he’s meticulous about how it is prepped, starting with the cutting and breaking down of the meat before it’s marinated. He says even his brothers who work for him don’t do it his way, and that he’s concerned new cooks wouldn’t hit his standard either. “It’s a whole process,” he reiterates. So, “I’m trying to Americanize this new place,” he says, nodding to streamlining consistency.

• Homemade ice cream: Alizada describes how ice cream is made the hard, manual way in Afghanistan, spinning a bowl over ice arduously and hand mixing. He’s certainly not going to do that. Instead he’s invested in a $34,000 machine to do it professionally, at scale. Expect vanilla, pistachio and salted caramel flavors at opening. Plus an Afghan-style pistachio and rosewater ice cream called Sheer Yakh. (This I cannot wait to try!) He also plans to make affogatos with imported Turkish coffee, and other desserts will include pizza cookies, with flavors like Nutella and Dubai Chocolate. (From the pastry case, don’t miss Shah’s baklava cheesecake, a fun hybrid item with flavors that remind us of cinnamon roll icing.)

• Coming later: Skewer & Slice will create an express line to a separate register, aimed at quick-serve, grab-and-go plates. Think: something like building your bowl at Chipotle, with pre-prepared items. The alternative will be made-to-order plates for dine-in, just like at Shah Kabob House. Alizada also plans to add a 10-draft station of self-pour beers and a couple wines. He loves IPAs and plans to host a couple, plus domestics like Coors. He wants to be careful in promoting this feature, as Islam forbids drinking alcohol and he doesn’t want to create confusion with the Halal menu. “For me, it’s a business requirement in this society to offer alcohol,” he says. “People want this — 99% of my customers aren’t concerned about Halal.”

• More on Alizada’s why: “I love America so much… The response to my first location has been amazing and we’ve been overwhelmingly supported. We feel we are bringing real value to the community. My, my brothers and my parents are very happy about that… I want to be bigger than one restaurant. The potential is there.” He talks about creating a model so that a non-Afghan person could operate a franchise successfully, while staying true to his recipes and the cuisine’s authenticity. With Skewer & Slice “I’m excited to bring something new to town,” he says. “One day I hope to open a steakhouse too, because I love steak. I wish I had the opportunity to do it here, but that would be too much.”

Read more about Shah Kabob House, including my dish descriptions of Eggplant Borani, Afghan Bolani and the go-for Shah Combo Kebab Plate, here.

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I know… I know: There’s this dumb (and ageist) assumption that only old people like liver and onions. Sure, cooked the boring way I’m not a fan either. But put the items in the hands of El Chapin’s Chef/Owner Luis Guerra and you know that magic will happen. El Chapin doesn’t make bad food. Guerra tells me he grew up eating (and loving!) the dish in Guatemala. His simple method of lime marinating and finishing the dish with sharp and spicy accouterments cuts through liver’s natural tangy flavor (which can be challenging if not buffered). He absolutely wowed me when we sat down to eat tacos together for my photoshoot. “Anyone on the keto or carnivore diet will eat this up!” says Ranch Foods Direct’s Mike Callicrate. “Liver is such a nutrient-dense superfood. All predators in the wild know that organ meats are the prize.”

My Cellar Wine Bar & Bistro now open downtown

This month marks two years in business for My Cellar Wine Bar, who originally opened off Briargate Boulevard on the north side. Last month, they undertook a rapid relocation to the former Eleven18/Lucky Dumpling spot at 334 E. Colorado Ave., thanks to existing licensing in place (health and liquor) that allowed for a turnkey handoff from Chef Brother Luck.

When I originally spoke with owners Sheryl and Eric Medeiros in 2024, I learned they were Hawaiians and former lawyers who’d relocated to the Springs from Washington and California most recently, drawn by their son’s attendance at the Air Force Academy. They decided to take on a retirement project here, birthing a wine bar to share their love of vino and community congregation around it.

I checked in with them at the one-year mark, enjoying a tasting and impressive charcuterie spread. And at a soft-opening preview last week, I was re-familiarized with their fine food offerings alongside new spring cocktail releases and wine sips. Here’s key excerpts from my chat:

• The why: “We’re excited for a new chapter here. We loved the north side, but the demographic is younger there and we were in an unfinished complex. Downtown has a more vibrant ecosystem. We had a loyal following as a destination, but there’s better foot traffic downtown.”

• Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes: “The full kitchen is the biggest difference here.” It’s why they’ve added “& Bistro” to their name, saying they felt constrained before. “We’re leaning into very intentional food pairings,” says Sheryl. “Beautiful food that tastes great. Each dish intentionally paired with our wines.” They’ve designed all plates to be shareable, though individuals can easily enjoy items solo, tapas-style, and make a full meal out of several options.

• Bites we try: I highly recommend the red wine-glazed garlic butter steak bites, chile lime calamari, and roasted cauliflower and tahini with cannellini beans. My fellow dining companions most loved the truffle-Parmesan fries (how could you not?) and whipped goat cheese and fig jam dip with pistachio and honey (yeah, it’s great). Kitchen Manager Erin Bray — who just joined the crew, and who I first met years ago at a Salad or Bust collaboration dinner — tells me she plans to shop from the nearby farmers markets, after they launch, to create fresh specials.

• Still the same: “People would murder us if we took the dirty martini dip off the menu.” They’ve also kept popular flatbreads around and their lavish charcuterie boards. “Like at our old spot, we want to encourage lingering. We have a big, sun shade-covered patio out front with fans for summertime.”

• About that wine: “Our mission and purpose is to be a place where people can try new things and discover what they like,” says Eric. To that end, seasonally rotating Signature Flights remain a focus, featuring three 2-ounce pours plus a full 6-ounce pour of your favorite ($28-$40). “There’s not a single wine on our list that we haven’t personally picked,” adds Sheryl. “We don’t just buy what’s on sale from our distributors and we don’t use the flights to move slow inventory or anything like that. Our list is carefully put together.”

• And the cocktails: The prior spot served some, but here they’ve expanded offerings and let bartender Tara O’Malley really stretch her wings. She makes all her own infusions, syrups and bitters and dehydrates pretty citrus and floral garnishes. O’Malley tells me grew up around the industry in Delaware and refined her craft at a small, family owned cocktail bar not too dissimilar from My Cellar. She stocks N/A spirits to sub into any of the house cocktails and she’s included a spritzers selection perfect for patio season. She’s also happy to make classic cocktails off-menu. And yes, there’s an espresso martini.

• What we sip: At our preview, she preps six drinks for us to straw-taste, ranging from bright and fruity to sweet and sour and spirit-forward. The Sunlit Grove utilizes house-infused basil vodka and elderflower liqueur, while the Guava Breeze highlights house-infused pineapple rum and citrus accents. My top recommendation is the Petal & Spark, a mix of tequila and crème de violette, house chamomile syrup and chamomile bitters, and a Champagne float. Gorgeous.

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Bites & Bits

• Springs Magazine published a thorough look into The State of Craft Beer in Colorado Springs last week, plus a roundup of special spots for Mother’s Day brunch and tea.

• The Gazette this week featured La Casita Mexican Grill, who’ll turn 40 on May 5, having originally launched on Cinco de Mayo in 1986. Click into the article to glean the details of specials running May 2-5 at all three locations locally (Eight Street, N. Nevada Avenue and E. Woodmen Road).

• A Westword editorial questions When the Math Stops Working at a Restaurant, saying what Denver needs… “is an honest, clear-eyed conversation about all of the forces that are making it harder to open a restaurant, keep one open, and do right by the people who work in them… The hardest problems only get solved when everyone is willing to tell the truth.”

• Fox31 Denver has a roundup of all the Colorado beers that medaled at the World Beer Cup in Philadelphia on April 22. None were from C. Springs breweries, and Denver’s River North Brewery in particular crushed it this year, earning a gold and two silvers. “… it’s clear that Colorado doesn’t just make world-class beer — we make it consistently,” Colorado Brewers Guild’s Executive Director Shawnee Adelson said.

•Hey Neighbor’s 150 Tables Across COS initiative runs May through October throughout the city. The nonprofit is seeking sponsors and community members to host events, focusing on “the power of a shared meal with neighbors to create connection, trust and belonging.” Visit the link for details.

• Tune into my latest segment on KRCC/Colorado Public Radio: “A mango is a mango. Unless it’s a cake. Plus, the Taco Triangle of Colorado Springs.” (I don’t love my radio voice, but you might.)

Side Dish Dozen happenings

T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila: We celebrate Cinco de Mayo on another level! Plus, it’s happening on Taco Tuesday this year! Get $3.50 tacos all day and $5 Margaritas and Swirls. Free shots, raffles and tunes from DJ Hotboii from 3-8 p.m. Don’t miss it!

Red Gravy: The latest Pastarama drama: Short Rib Ravioli won three months in a row, so we’re making it a permanent menu item! So for May, two new dishes will begin battling it out: a lamb ragù over pappardelle vs. a steak and broccoli rigatoni. Other new menu dishes include Branzino Puttanesca and Pappardelle Bolognes.

Bristol Brewing Company: Bristol’s Pooch Party is next Saturday, May 9! Pet portraits, canine contests, pooch-themed market, training/agility demos and just a fun day out with the hound. Part of our Karma on Tap series, $1 from each pint sold will be donated to Harley's Hope. Also: Blood Orange Beehive honey wheat now on tap!

Four by Brother Luck: Our new spring/summer menu is live! Dishes include PEI Mussels in green chile corn broth with Spanish chorizo; rabbit empanada with habanero carrot purée; yuzu charred octopus with fruit salsa; and seared walleye filet with caviar buerre blanc, succotash and kumquat-fennel salad.

Elephant Thai & Chaang Thai: Come in for our lunch specials, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondays-Fridays. Items are only $10.95 to $11.95. Choose between dishes like pineapple, Panang or yellow curry; Pad Thai; Thai-fried rice; and teriyaki chicken, beef or tofu.

Blackhat Distillery: Experience Blackhat Distillery, where American Agave Spirits meet disciplined craft and elevated Colorado hospitality. Through May’s end, readers can secure access to our guided tours at 50% off and our intimate Distiller’s Vault experience at 25% off. Advance resos required. Tours are booked online, and Vault experiences are arranged directly with our distiller.

Hoppenings this week

Beer Events

Champagne Cabaret - “Witches be Strippin’” at Voodoo Brewing. April 30, 8 p.m.; a 2-hour Neo Burlesque cabaret show with hilarious performances from The Buff Beauty, Bangin Booty, and Foxie Dreame. Enjoy full food menu and drink specials. 21+ only. Tickets: $20 online, $25 at door.

Birthday Celebration & Cinco de Mayo Party at Atrevida Beer Co.: May 2, 3 p.m. This 8-year anniversary bash features 15 different beers, a new beer tapping and live music.

Beer Releases

Hoppy Lager at Fossil Craft Beer Co.: A West Coast Pilsner collab with Armillary Brewing Company. Bright citrus and strawberry notes with subtle cannabis undertones make this the perfect all-day patio beer.

Blood Orange Beehive at Bristol Brewing: A new variant of Bristol’s Beehive Honey Wheat. Combining the beloved original with bright citrus notes.

Bear vs. Bison Hazy IPA at Phantom Canyon: A punchy IPA featuring Galaxy and Eclipse hops. Delivering a collision of mandarin orange, fresh zesty lime, and funky tropical passionfruit.

For full listings of beer-related events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila is THE Cinco de Mayo spot

Upcoming events

May 1-June 12: Pilgrimage of Pints 2026. A self-paced brewery crawl to earn perks and rewards, leading up to the Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival on June 13.

May 2: One Table Asian Pop Up Market at COSCityHub. Noon to 6 p.m. Free. Shop -Asian-owned and Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned businesses.

May 2: Colorado Springs Tacos & Margs Crawl. 2-7 p.m., $23.99-$54.99.

May 2: Kentucky Derby Race Day. Look for one of the many themed celebrations across town. Off-hand, I’ve seen events at The Aviator at Hotel Polaris, and Lumen8.

May 2: 719 Food Truck Social Saturdays at Sunshine Studios. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Music, drinks, games and of course, food trucks.

May 3: Poor Richard’s Block Party (between Platte and Boulder on Tejon St.). 2-6 p.m. Live music, free pizza, guest speakers, activities and meet the new owners.

May 3: Baon Supper Club Asin at Sunog (Salt and Burn) dinner at Good Neighbors Meeting House. 6 p.m.; $125/six courses, welcome drink and take home treats.

May 5: Codigo Tequila Meet the Maker dinner in The Penrose Room at The Broadmoor. 6 p.m., $155; menu here.

May 5: Blind Wine Tasting at 105 W. Brewing Co. 5:30-7 p.m.; $35. Taste five different wines blindly of various price points. Can you pick the $100 bottle? Includes complimentary Bear’L Cellars glass and light snacks.

May 9: Brewer’s Republic Resurrected at Seven’s Gate Taproom. 5 p.m. “Come reminisce like it’s 2010 and your skinny jeans still fit.” Expect Fremont Lush, Prairie BOMB!, Chouffe and a few other surprises.

May 9: Second Annual Murder Mystery Fundraiser at Madera’s Grill and Cantina in Falcon. 5:30 p.m.

May 10: Mother’s Day special menus all over town. Book something early!

May 13: Whiskey Tasting Dinner at Black Forest Bistro. 6 p.m. $150 includes five paired courses with optional upgrades for more allocated whiskies.

May 17 (rescheduled): Patio Brunch Bash Sip with Schnip at Evergreen Restaurant. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $5 Goat Patch beers, bottomless mimosas, live music, pup-friendly patio plus a Breakfast Burger Special and one-day-only special Side Dish Mousse Cake, made with espresso from Kangaroo Coffee!

May 17: Paella on the Patio returns for the season. Seatings at noon, 2:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. $49 includes a wine, sangria or beer. (Next dates: June 14, July 19, Aug. 16, Sept. 20, Oct. 18.)

Parting shot(s)

Congrats to bartender Chris Gary, currently slinging drinks at Roth’s/Brohan’s, for taking home the trophy at this year’s Rooftop Invitational “single elimination mixology tournament.” (And there I was thinking bartenders were tired of being called mixologists.)

Held once again at Lumen8, the competition assembled many of the best bartenders inside the Springs scene — familiar faces you’d recognize if you patronize our top bars. Gary, beating out Chiba Bar’s Michael Carsten in the final round, received an overwhelming response from his peers.

For me, it was great to see him win, as I recall how far he went in the 2023 Bar Battle series that took place in the then Tipperary Cocktail Parlor space. He fell to his friend Shayne Baldwin in round five of six back then, but I’ll never forget the Black Manhattan he made for us judges out of Distillery 291’s High Rye Colorado Bourbon.

Passing mustard

For a second year running, I was invited by Colonel Mustard’s Sandwich Emporium to help judge the Top Mustards of 2026. All this is part of the National Mustard Museum’s annual World-Wide Mustard Competition.

Our local assembly each tasted through 18 mustards this year, giving them number rankings that all get tallied and sent along. Categories included sweet-hot, coarse-grained, whole seed, garlic, herb/veggie, fruit, spirit and exotic.

All the mustards are labeled simply with numbers, so we don’t know the names of the producers or where they come from — removing any potential bias or favoritism.

A shot from Colonel Mustard’s scoring spreadsheet, showing how much math-ing goes into judging each year.

By way of analysis, he says:

— we agreed most on #2 MILD

— we disagreed most on #13 FRUIT enough to keep it out of the TOP 3, but it had the MOST #1 picks (same as #11 HERB/VEGGIE)

— MOST of us (7 of 11) rated #9 HOT last or next to last

In the end, our group preferred:

#1 EXOTIC

#2 HERB/VEGGIE

#3 DELI

Sometimes when I interview people, they tell me things that there’s no way for me to easily verify. So if it sounds plausible enough, I go with it. The “they say” element of attribution at least implies something’s being asserted versus factually stated.

So it’s rare that I first-hand witness, down to a detail, everything someone’s told me. But that’s exactly what happens at Evergreen Restaurant.

Owner Crystal Kiernan told me during a sit-down interview that Evergreen’s mousse cakes, initially popularized by the restaurant’s prior owners, have recently gone viral on TikTok — thanks to fans, not any marketing effort on her part. She says people are destination driving from around the state, drawn in by these vibrantly colored cakes that resemble their respective flavors.

A bright green apple cake resembles the real fruit, for example, as do banana and raspberry cakes. A mango cake, dipped yellow and sprayed with red and green colors to mimic ripening, could be mistaken for the real thing at a glance. It’s all impressive pastry prowess.

The online hype has forced her team to recently double production to meet demand, which has the small cafe selling out daily. “The phone rings all night,” says Kiernan. “When we open, people call to ask what’s in the pastry case.” The fact that the mousse cakes are first-come-first-serve creates a bit of frantic energy around acquiring one, or more. “We have people who’ll buy a whole box, with one of each flavor.”

Okay, so that’s what was told to me. Then I drop by around opening time a week later to photograph pastry chefs Katherine Castro and her sister Lizzy Estrada as they’re dipping and painting the cakes — the final step of a three-day process to bring each one to life. Here’s what I witness:

It starts before I reach the door, as I see a young woman and kid at a patio table happily devouring blueberry and lemon mousse cakes. A few minutes later while I’m snapping pics behind the scenes, I hear the phone ring and a staffer pick it up. After a pause to check inventory, he begins rattling off every flavor stocked at the moment. Not more than five minutes after that, I see a few people file in the front door and begin scanning the front pastry case excitedly. I chat with them, learning they’re down from Johnstown (near Loveland and Greeley, often a 2.5-hour drive), and they heard about the mousse cakes on … wait for it … TikTok. They depart with a full box.

“Well I’ll be damned, Crystal was right!” I exclaim. (No I don’t, but you can imagine it.) I mean, not that I actually doubted one of my Side Dish Dozen members, but like I said, it’s uncanny to witness it all happen, to a tee. As if the whole thing were staged for my benefit. (It wasn’t. Nobody drives from damn Johnstown just for little old me.)

Needless to say, if you’re intrigued by now, you should stop in to try a cake or few yourself. Other flavors include pistachio, hazelnut (with caramel crunch), coffee bean (with crème brûlée), coconut, strawberry and seasonal specials like tomato and pumpkin flavors. The fruit flavors feature homemade fruit jams, and all the mousse cakes are gluten-free (before anyone has to ask).

Returning to my prior chat with Kiernan, she’d attributed the mousse cakes to “keeping me alive here” in her first six months, which spanned the slower winter period that’s tough for everyone in the industry. But also Evergreen’s beef stroganoff has proved to be an enduring top-seller, with its own loyal fanbase. It’s not made with the typical egg noodles, but instead features a beef filet and goat cheese mashed potatoes with a rich sauce made with steak trimmings. The menu suggests a Cabernet Sauvignon to stand up to the dish. It all sounds infallible; I need to try it soon.

Anyway, when I ask her what else she wants people to know about Evergreen, she says “they should know that nothing’s changed, but it’s continued to get better and better.”

To the Eastern European-styled menu, they’ve recently added fresh fish specials, created by Chef Dylan Higgins. I chat with him too when I’m there, gleaning his path to this kitchen. He tells me he got his start in the dish pit at Doug’s Breakfast Lunch, later working for 1231 Craft Kitchen (who used to be co-located with FH Beerworks before both closed) and then Burnt Toast and Avenue 19 food hall. He’d risen to an executive sous chef title by then, taking that experience to a country club in Florida before moving back here.

Kiernan calls Higgins “creative” and says “he’s proven to me that he knows what he’s capable of.” She says they have great rapport, as she can be a reliable soundboard and taster for him given her own private cheffing and catering background.

Together they’ve added new plates to the lunch menu and brunch menu, which now runs Saturdays and Sundays weekly. A new Lobster Benedict is quickly catching on, says Kiernan, noting a refreshed spring menu that includes fresh cocktail creations. Join us this Sunday to dip a toe (er, um tongue) and check it out. Details below:

Patio Brunch Bash Sip with Schnip at Evergreen Restaurant

Join us on our pup-friendly patio from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May 17. Get $5 Goat Patch beers, bottomless mimosas, live music, and a Breakfast Burger Special with egg, bacon, onion jam and Hollandaise on a Provision-baked croissant. Plus a one-day-only special Side Dish Mousse Cake, made with espresso from Kangaroo Coffee!

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We’re seeking beta testers for our new Side Dish app!

So I’ve been keeping a secret from all you subscribers for the past year — which explains why you haven’t seen any Side Dish (formerly Tap&Table) podcasts from Ryan Hannigan and me lately.

Ryan has been busy teaching himself iOS app development so that we can launch a Side Dish exclusive discovery and discounts app, aptly named Side Dishcounts. Ideally, we’d like to have the app in the your hands by summer, but we could use a little help from the community to find bugs and help guide the last stages of development across the finish line. Beta testers will be instrumental in helping us QA test coupon redemptions and some basic Dishcount functions central to the app experience. After we nail that down, we will ask our Beta testers to test drive some social components and other features aiming to activate the foodie community.

Sign up here to lend us a hand, and plan to attend my May 17 Patio Brunch Bash Sip with Schnip at Evergreen Restaurant for an initial trial run with Ryan and me. For the time being, the app is only available for iOS, but once we launch, we hope to have an Android version available in the future.

Lebowski’s Taproom expanding into former Till and Homestead Collective spot

You’ve seen the movie. Many times.

And you’ve surely had Lebowski's Kool-Luah Coffee Liqueur by now.

Now, Lebowski’s Taproom — originally opened in August 2023 at 3240 Centennial Blvd. — is expanding to a second, much-larger location. It will occupy the former Till Kitchen and Homestead Collective space at 9633 Prominent Point. (Yes, the one that supposedly sold and triggered the closure of Dad’s Donuts last month.)

In a chat with Lebowski’s owner David Kowalski this week, he says he has purchased the majority share of the building, while former owner Mitch Yellen of Altitude Hospitality Group retains an interest, but will have no control over operations. Kowalski says it’s possible at some future date Dad’s could make a reappearance on site as part of a subleased bakery component to the building’s North side. Meanwhile, there’s plans for a separate, subleased coffee shop — yet to be named.

Lebowski’s will occupy the central kitchen and dining room/bar, which Kowalski calls the “big brother of our current Westside iteration.” It offers roughly double his current dining room capacity on Centennial. The decor will be identical in terms of paint colors, table and chair style and, of course, Big Lebowski paraphernalia. And the menu will be the same, too.

“It’s been successful on the West side,” says Kowalski, “so there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.” That said, once they get rooted, come fall time or so, he plans to activate the pizza oven they’re inheriting.

As for the large banquet space on the South end, Kowalski says he’s in discussions with “some distillery partners” who might wish to use it as a shared tasting room, which could still be utilized for catered events. He also teases the likelihood of walling off another space near the existing bar (possibly by fall) to create a small speakeasy, not tied to the Lebowski’s theme but to his wife Monica’s heritage. “Something unique” is all he’s willing to say for now.

Expect gaming in the front area, including cornhole and pickleball. Wider event programming will include trivia and bingo nights, sports watching parties and more. “This new location allows us to take everything people love about Lebowski’s and expand it in a meaningful way,” says Monica in a press release.

David says he would love to be soft opening on May 11 to hit a symbolic mark of 1,000 days since the first location launched. If that happens, May 18 would be an actual opening date, which he realizes is “an aggressive target.” So stay tuned to their social media for updates.

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Side Dish and Colorado Public Radio team up to taste The Colorado Farm Brewery, a one-of-a-kind brewhouse

When I tell you that there’s no place quite like Alamosa’s The Colorado Farm Brewery, I’m not being superlative. Why? Because it’s one of the only estate breweries in existence. Co-owner and brewmaster Josh Cody, during our interview and tasting, says he’s not even sure how many estate breweries there are internationally, but he knows it’s a few at best. (I’m unable to locate any others online via a basic search.)

What defines an estate brewery is beer made with all on-site ingredients: water, barley, hops and yeast. Located in the fertile San Luis Valley, The Colorado Farm Brewery has all the elements: they grow their own hops and grains; sprout and dry them (via their other business the Colorado Malting Company); utilize the water from the aquifer below their land; and they captured yeast from the air inside Cody’s grandmother’s kitchen on the farm (which they regularly have cultivated for them).

I practically get teary-eyed every time I visit and look up at a sign in their taproom that reads: “All our beer is born from • grain from the field behind you • yeast from the air around you • hops grown on site • water from beneath you.” There’s a power to reading the words in situ, pausing to absorb the poignancy. (A technicality: while all the beers have some of those four elements, only a few on tap at a given time incorporate all four for the true estate quantification. And some made will use outside ingredients, such as a Harvest Peach and Pineapple Helles we sample.)

Anyway, now that you understand the brewery’s unicorn status and my love for and obsession with it, I want you to give Colorado Public Radio editor Hayley Sanchez’s short writeup a read — and at the top of the page you’ll find a “Listen Now” button to click. That takes you to a 20-minute segment she produced from her brewhouse tour with Cody and my tasting through six Colorado Farm Brewery beers with him. In between sips, he shares lots more information about the farm and his family’s history in the valley. (The tour takes up the first four minutes of the segment, and my chat and tasting runs from that four minute mark onward.)

Craft before flight

I recently caught up with the Colorado Craft/The Archives crew during a media event held at their new Colorado Springs Airport kiosk — which launched back in January, around the Tejon Street Social’s eighth anniversary.

“We take a lot of pride in being the first thing people see when they arrive here and the last thing they see on the way out,” says co-owner and bartender Dylan Currier. He designed the kiosk’s cocktail list, saying “it’s curated for what’s best for the airport, so we still hope people will join us downtown to get the full experience of what we offer.” And now’s a good time to do that, as they recently dropped a new spring/summer menu, which includes N/A options.

Currier talks me through the drink list, saying their BYOB Bloody, with options to customize your spirit, mix and garnishes, is the airport’s bestseller so far. The drink he’s most proud of though is the Nomikai, a nod to C. Springs’ sister city Fujiyoshida, Japan. “We get views of Pikes Peak here, and they get views of Mt. Fuji there,” he says. The drink’s made with Suntory Toki Japanese whisky, Colorado bitters, maraschino liqueur and Leopold Bros absinthe. “If you like and old fashioned, you’ll love this.”

Putting the focus back on downtown, I ask for descriptions of a few drinks he’s excited about from the new cocktail list there. He offers:

• Violet Divide: Leopold Bros blackberry liqueur, elderflower, Strongwater tonic, Family Jones vodka, and “a little saline, to take some of the bitterness out of the tonic”

• Nigh Quarry: “This is our version of an espresso martini,” made with Marble Distilling’s Moonlight Expresso, Montanya Oro Rum, Licor 43 and Bitter & Glitter “for an elegant sparkle”

• Mesa Blanca: Coconut fat washed tequila blanco, lemon, Génépi herbal liqueur, agave and saline

Bites & Bits

• The Blue Moose Tavern in Green Mountain Falls posted last week on Facebook to announce their impending closure, saying “Our landlord has terminated our lease and needs us to be out by the end of the month.” The business says they’re seeking to relocate somewhere; that they’re planning a Big Blowout Bash April 25; and that “we will have business as usual until then.”

• The Brit Pub has started a new Bite Club Wednesdays with weekly-changing, three-course menus for $25/person. The most recent offering: Moroccan-spiced bell pepper hummus with veggies and naan; braised lamb shepherds pie with madeira jus; and cheesecake topped with pumpkin mousse, candied pecan and toasted marshmallow. If you still haven’t check out their Sunday Roast (11 a.m. until sell out), make time to do so. I finally made it down this past weekend (thanks to urging from Lauren and her bestie Lauren; so, the Laurens) and we tried the prime rib roast, leg of lamb and sage- and apricot-stuffed pork belly — and oh my! Superb cookery by Chef Phil Griffin and crew. Each protein option ($22-$32) comes with beef fat-roasted potatoes, honey- and thyme- glazed parsnips, carrot purée, cauliflower cheese, cabbage, gravy and Yorkshire pudding. I think this photo speaks for itself it terms of portions and quality:

• Armillary Brewing Co. is underway with launching at 4810 Old Farm Drive (not far from the Barnes Road and Austin Bluffs Parkway intersection). One beer on the opening menu appears to be a blueberry tart. I’ve made contact with the brewery and aim to have more info soon.

• “Two Denver Coffee Shops Ranked Among the Best in the World” reports Westword.

• “Gray's Coors Tavern takes the top honors in this year's popular vote” for 2026 Top Slopper in Pueblo, reports KRCC. The spot last took home the award in 2023. You have until April 27 to partake in the Pueblo Slopper Tour.

Side Dish Dozen happenings

Gold Star Bakery: Celebrate Mother’s Day with our scratch-made cinnamon rolls and mixed sweet breads boxes. Preorder through May 4; pickup at Ivywild School May 8-9. Principal’s Office: Our Summer Term cocktail menu drops April 27! A fresh drink lineup that leans bright, crisp and just a little unpredictable.

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: We’re on a mission to make Sunday your new favorite day of the week. Party like a local and beat the Sunday scaries with $1 CrackerJax oysters, $20 beer buckets, $10 beer + shot combos and $4 High Noons. Yep, you read that right… Buck a Shuck Oysters every Sunday only at Jax!

Goat Patch Brewing: Our Summer Music Series kicks off May 3 at our Lincoln Center and Monument locations! Every Thursday we drop a new pizza special at Grazing Goat Kitchen at Northgate. Bleating Heart Night at all locations on April 28, 5-9 p.m., benefits Autism Vision of Colorado.

Allusion Speakeasy: Our new Star Wars theme has opened at both locations! Resos required. Check out the amazing lineup of drinks, in cool glassware as usual. We’ve also got you covered on N/A “light side libations” and all-age Padawan Brunches, April 25-26 and May 2-3.

Evergreen: Come try drinks from our new spring cocktail menu. And join us for lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesdays-Fridays, and brunch, during those same hours, Saturdays-Sundays. Menu items include shakshuka, saganaki, pork belly paprikash, Chicken Kiev, and an array of flatbreads.

Edelweiss: Make reservations now for Mother’s Day — we fill up quick! Specials on a limited dinner menu include herb-rubbed prime rib with mashed potatoes and horseradish cream sauce, and Trout Almondine, pan seared with lemon-almond cream sauce. We’ll seat on the patio and have live music; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Kangaroo Coffee: If you still haven’t tried our newest signature beverage, our Coconut Lavender Chai, then stop by! Or get one delivered through Uber Eats or DoorDash. Also, in case you didn’t know, we make a huge commitment to sustainability and operate with a zero waste initiative.

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

Music Video Bingo at Fossil Craft Beer Co.: April 24 and every Friday night, 6 p.m.

Poker Night at Nano 108: April 24 and every Friday night, 6:30 p.m.

Big Table Beer Launch at Atrevida Beer Co: April 25, 3-9 p.m. A portion of the proceeds from the beer sales will go to support Big Table.

Colorado Pint Day at participating breweries: April 26, click the link for a map; collect the annual commemorative glass and support the Colorado Brewer’s Guild.

Beer Releases

XM133 Cold IPA at Wackadoo Brewing: check out this latest release as they broaden their IPA lineup for summer.

Beta Wave Toasted Coconut Caramel Stout at Westfax Springs: barrel aged and rich with notes of bourbon and dark chocolate; 14% ABV so watch out!

Bayou Belgo at Peaks N Pines Brewing: a Cajun-spiced Belgian pale ale with Southern charm and complex spice notes.

Curated by Brandon Heid and Gerry Reyes. For full listings of beer-related events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

April 25: 19th annual Spring Wine Extravaganza at Cañon City’s Winery at Holy Cross Abbey. 1-4 p.m.; $50 includes wine, food and live music.

April 26: Third Annual Rooftop Invitational cocktail competition at Lumen8 Rooftop Social. 6 p.m. Eight teams, single elimination rounds with surprise challenge ingredients. Spectate and sip the creations.

April 27: Corrido Tequila Dinner at Ephemera. Seatings between 5:30 and 7:30; $105 for four paired courses.

April 28: Passport To Castello Banfi wine dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. 6 p.m.; $89 for five paired courses, call 719-475-9700 to reserve.

April 29: Colorado Pint Day. Starting at 11 a.m., hit participating local breweries to snag the 2025 limited edition Colorado Brewer’s Guild glass free with a pint purchase.

May 2: One Table Asian Pop Up Market at COSCityHub. Noon to 6 p.m. Free. Shop -Asian-owned and Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned businesses.

May 2: Colorado Springs Tacos & Margs Crawl. 2-7 p.m., $23.99-$54.99.

May 2: Kentucky Derby Race Day. Look for one of the many themed celebrations across town. Off-hand, I’ve seen events at The Aviator at Hotel Polaris, and Lumen8.

May 2: 719 Food Truck Social Saturdays at Sunshine Studios. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Music, drinks, games and of course, food trucks.

May 3: Baon Supper Club Asin at Sunog (Salt and Burn) dinner at Good Neighbors. 6 p.m.; $125 includes six courses, welcome drink and take home treats.

May 5: Codigo Tequila Meet the Maker dinner in The Penrose Room at The Broadmoor. 6 p.m., $155; menu here.

May 5: Blind Wine Tasting at 105 W. Brewing Co. 5:30-7 p.m.; $35. Taste five different wines blindly of various price points. Can you pick the $100 bottle? Includes complimentary Bear'L Cellars glass and light snacks.

Parting shot(s)

After Cinchona Coffee’s opening celebration earlier this week I convinced Downtown Colorado Springs’ Kelsee Swenn — my Weenies & ‘tinis partner in hot dog crime — to put the giant ribbon-cutting scissors to further good use. She gave me a rather expert beard trimming, enjoying it so much that she got an idea for a new business (she already operates Good Intentions): “Kelsee’s Kut + Kolor Kombos, Colorado Springs’ first open air sidewalk salon. Fresh fades, fresh air, quality you can trust.”

Taqueria Los Gallitos

Launched in late January, Taqueria Los Gallitos comes to the Springs via Denver, where there’s already multiple locations dating back many years. When I was recently interviewing the Galvan brothers for their opening of a second Por Favor Tacos location, they told me they used to frequent one of the Denver eateries, which they called their favorite taco spot. (That’s saying something — a lot, actually.) “But not for the service,” they joked, noting it’s all about the tacos and agua frescas.

I take their advice and get a wide selection of tacos ($2.75-$3 each) for my buddy and I to share for lunch one day. We order the asada, barbacoa, birria, pastor, tripa, lengua, suadero and cecina. Those latter two were new to me; I can’t remember seeing them offered anywhere else in town.

Cecina is salted, air-dried beef or pork, while suadero is an equally thin cut of beef flank, prized for its unctuous qualities. Everything else, including the tripe and tongue, I’m guessing you’re familiar-enough with to know what you’re in for.

The tricky part — actually the second tricky part, as the digital menu above the counter constantly refreshes with rotating screens, making ordering a bit hectic — is that our tacos are put on a tray for pickup with no verbal cues or guide on what’s what. (Hence that service the guys joked about.) We end up doing some guessing at the table. And neither of us are dummies. It’s just a few of them are difficult to tell from one another after we weed out the obvious ones. But the challenge makes the dining fun for us.

The crispy tripe rates as the best bite of the meal for me, while my friend fales for what we believe is the suadero, notably tender and juicy. The pastor’s great, too, and I really enjoy the lengua taco with the hottest salsa available from the central salsa bar — I’m not sure what it is exactly, but damn does it bring the fire.

Know that the tacos are much more street cart than restaurant style, so formed on smaller, double-wrapped tortillas. They all get cilantro and onion topping, with lime wedges and a grilled green onion bulb and stem for garnish. You’ll want to order at least four per person, and more likely five or six to really fill up. From the salsa bar grab small plastic ramekins of all four available salsas plus other fixings like fresh cucumber wheels, radish rounds, a curtido-like cabbage slaw and pickled peppers and carrots. The bright orange salsa holds a vinegary acidity and serious kick that I like paired with the beef options in particular.

For drinks we nab cups of cucumber-lime and watermelon agua fresca, which are sweet but not cloyingly so, and help cool our tongues from the spicy salsas. The flavors taste natural and they manage to lighten up the heavy elements of the food.

We finish with Gallitos’ chocolate tres leches and cajeta flan. My dining mate loves them both (taking leftovers back to his kids) and I’m happy enough with my bites. The less dense style of flan, full of air bubble pock marks, differs from my favorite versions which are rich and custardy. But the flavor’s spot on, and I appreciate the more complex taste of the goat milk cajeta versus caramel common to gringo versions. With layers of icing and cake crumb, saturated fully moist at the bottom, the tres leches holds a nice spongy texture and milk chocolate flavor. A couple bites is all I need, sweetness wise, so I recommend planning to share these or pace yourself on leftovers.

Moctezuma Mexican Grill

I was really impressed by Moctezuma’s original food truck when I visited it in 2022, shortly after it had opened. It’s located at the edge of a small shopping center at 5690 N. Union Blvd., not far from East Library. (I would link to my original coverage, but it’s part of the dead CS Indy archive, which I haven’t lamented about lately as much as I used to.)

I remember how welcoming the Colmenares family was at Moctezuma, and how exceptional their birria in particular was — and still is, I’m happy to report after a visit to the newly opened brick-and-mortar location at 1015 N. Academy Blvd.

I order a taco trio, which includes rice and beans for $14 and a couple minor up-charges depending on meat choices. I choose pastor, carne asada and birria with cheese. They arrive as large, double-wrapped tacos garnished with cilantro and red onion (versus the typical white). The birria includes a bowl of the fabulous house consommé.

All the tacos are on-point and on-style, with pineapple popping the pastor’s tender pork bits with zing and mild sweetness. I briefly regret not getting the pineapple agua fresca in order to double down on the flavor (I tried a sample and it’s lovely), but I’m quite happy with the tart sweetness of hibiscus on my agua de jamaica. I enjoy the asada with pickled onions added from the salsa bar, plus an earthy/smoky hot sauce that complements the tender beef.

But the showstopper as expected is the fragrant birria, laced with more depth of spices than average renditions. I know preparations range by Mexican region and family preference for customized recipes, and I’m a huge fan of the way Moctezuma does theirs. It has big cinnamon notes and floral qualities from coriander, with cumin earthiness and something that’s hard to peg in the finish. I ask if it’s a hint of star anise, but an employee says no, she believes there’s ginger in the recipe though. Whatever it is, I love the complexity and layered unfolding of flavors, and the toasted cheese makes bites after consommé dips all the more rewarding.

Moctezuma’s space feels welcoming, with bright colors, shiny counters and glowing signs on faux foliage walls. I ask about what distinguishes it from the food truck, and staff tell me they serve french fries here, with an option for Moctezuma Fries, which have meat, salsa and toppings, kinda like nachos. There’s also a liquor license here to enjoy boozy drinks with your bites, if you wish.

Sofia’s Antojitos

Sofia’s entered the scene in early 2022, earning a favorable writeup from me in the CS Indy in July of that year — I only remember the timing of this because when I drop by this past week I spy a plaque of my writeup on a half-wall near the ordering counter. At that time we enjoyed some new-to-us snacks (antojitos) made with non-traditional ingredients like ramen noodles and Doritos. And we savored a torta sandwich and several sweet treats — Sofia’s strong suit.

The outfit has since opened a second location at 4037 Tutt Blvd. (launched in fall 2023) and third spot in Woodland Park at 727 Gold Hill Place S. (launched in fall 2025). But, as it pertains to this new taco triangle I’m writing about here, home base at 1035 N. Academy Blvd. is where I re-visit.

It’s just after 5 p.m. on a Tuesday and a line has suddenly queued at the register for the dinner rush, as I await my to-go order (that I’d thankfully put in just ahead of them).

I stay on-theme with an order of four tacos: pastor, barbacoa, pierna (pork leg) and birria with queso. All are pretty loaded with meat, threatening to overwhelm the single corn tortillas they come on with cilantro and onions plus lime and cucumber garnishes. (Each is $2.99, save for the quesobirria, which is $4.50.)

The quesobirria stands out from the pack, with a toasted shell, thick cheese melt and juicy, consommé-saturated, shredded meat. It’s not as outwardly aromatic and spice-forward as Moctezuma’s, but it’s good. The pastor, too, lands different, sans pineapple sweetness but still flavorful from the achiote influence.

Both the barbacoa and pierna meats are a little dry, the former pot roasty other than some delightful fatty bits, and not particularly expressive of its seasoning — best with bites of medium-spiced, deep red salsa. The pierna’s pork bits go beyond the tenderness of the pastor, seemingly from a lengthy marinade and braise. Texturally they’re almost granular and sandy to the teeth, dissolving effortlessly as you chew. There’s a muddy earthiness to the flavor and faint smoky quality, I think from the typical ancho-guajillo mashup in the base. They benefit from lime juice and the salsa.

To wrap all this up, I’ll return to my chat with Por Favor’s Galvan brothers, and how they were telling me that even though all these tacos and Mexican items in general are ubiquitous, each family finds ways to personalize the recipes and make them their own. So as you dine across regions of Mexico and across restaurants in C. Springs, you’ll find notable differences in common items. This may smack as somewhat obvious, but I find it nice to reflect on momentarily. Particularly because if you ever read stupid reviews online, it’s as if people think there’s ONE right way to make a certain item (the way they like it, of course), leaving little room for interpretation.

Their point is further illustrated by a visit to this taco triangle, where each spot boasts their own flavor and form. So it matters not that they’re all essentially on top of one another in the marketplace. They’re all different, so really they aren’t competitors at that level and there’s plenty of town love to go around. If anything, their co-location just creates a convenience factor for those living and/or working in the direct area. I’ve talked to three friends who all have day jobs nearby (one of whom initially suggested that I do this trio of taco reviews — thanks Chris) and appreciation of that variety is the takeaway sentiment.

I’m not sure every other — or really any other — cuisine could pull off this hat trick. Picture three Thai or sushi places each within 50 yards of one another; would they last? Could they be as uniquely expressive?

I think back to Mayor Yemi’s call for more taco spots (on our podcast a couple years ago), which I recently referenced in my Por Favor writeup. If any food or drink category could literally occupy a town block-by-block it’s probably coffee first (hence the joke in Best of Show about characters meeting at facing Starbucks across a street) and tacos second.

Why? Because tacos are universally awesome. No other day of the week has as strong a food association as Taco Tuesday by way of proof. Sorry Meatball Monday and Wing Wednesday and Sweetbreads Sundays (I just made that one up) — you just ain’t all that sticky mentally, or addictive.

Notice I did not pick a favorite spot here by way of a contest or convenient outro to this article. Because I feel like there’s a right time for all of them — Por Favor and dozens of others in the city included (Huevones, El Chapin, Dos Santos, Tommy’s Tacos … I could go on). So hit this taco triangle when you can, to knock a few off your list, or just to experience the novelty of the setting.

All three held soft openings on April 15 — the two ice cream spots concurrently, coincidentally — which sent me on a bountiful (read: overindulgent) journey around town that day. Here’s some outtakes, before we get into more news this week:

Beware the Frostbite!

Josh & John’s opens its first drive-thru on April 17, at 11 a.m., at 870 Garden of the Gods Road. It has taken over the former Dutch Bros Coffee kiosk, as that brand has moved one lot away to occupy the former Sonic Drive-In. As I noted here in early February, this marks the seventh location for 40-year-old J&J’s. “I am intrigued by the challenge of offering super-premium ice cream in a format that typically isn’t done,” owner John Krakauer told Side Dish at the time of that announcement. When I saw him yesterday at the preview, he was all smiles, especially when his friend, Mayor Yemi Mobolade showed up with his family for ice cream.

A highlight at the drive-thru is a new lineup of specialty shakes, exclusive to this location. We went for the Snow Drift (cookie butter S’mores), Bomb Cyclone (mocha espresso) and Frostbite (black raspberry Oreo). Though I’m always fond of a coffee ice cream and the easy joy of a creamy cookie slurry, I concur with Lauren’s daughter that the black raspberry and Oreo combo steals the show, wonderful in the balance and harmony between the flavors. Try it first.

And from J&J’s menu of flagship flavors (like Purple Mountain Majesty, our longtime favorite) and seasonals by the scoop, we try the Rice Crispy Treat, Banana Pudding, Dirty Chai and Lemon Coconut Curry. All are delicious and on-point, with the latter two earning the most of my affection; I love the savory spice influence especially. The tastings made me nostalgic for my two prior seasonal collaborations with J&J’s. I may or may not be waiting excitedly by my phone for their next call.

A Monument Moose walks into downtown …

It’s not the setup for a joke. Rather, Monument Moose is one of Lolley’s Ice Cream’s most popular seasonal flavors up at their Tri-Lakes store, made with their Chocolate Decadence base flavor, plus fudge, peanut butter and caramel. It was created as part of Lolley’s annual Ice Cream Madness contest, where fans suggest flavor creations; the store picks their favorite eight and makes them; and those finalists face-off in bracketed rounds as customers up-vote their favorites.

At our soft preview we revisit the fantastic Monument Moose and also try this year’s winning flavor: honey raspberry cornbread. Wow! Co-owner Dustin Sapp likens it to a memorable, elote-inspired ice cream he and his wife and co-owner Shelley had in Mexico. It’s part of the six-flavor Spring lineup, which includes three vegan flavors — the lemon berry shortcake with coconut ice cream, blueberry-strawberry compote and homemade vegan shortcake crumble wins me over. Recall that everything Lolley’s serves is gluten-free; it’s a dedicated celiac-safe kitchen.

Other of our favorite flavors to dive into if this is your first (Monument) moose rodeo: sweet cream espresso (oh my!); Graham Slam; vegan cocoa coconut (trust me); and snickerdoodle dough. Expect around 20 flavors on at a given time, with five or six being seasonal specialties. Also you can turn any flavor into an affogato, as Lolley’s also offers espresso and coffee service. I order a classic vanilla bean affogato to conclude my sugar binge, and it’s pure joy in a cup.

One more distinguishing factor to them (versus Josh & John’s a block away, since everyone’s clued into that), is they also sell an array of house-baked, gluten-free goodies like cookies, brownies, macarons and bundt cakes. “We’re more than just an ice cream shop,” Dustin says. “We’re more like a dessert cafe.” (In my recent interview with the Sapps, I professed equal love for both businesses.)

Know before you go: Lolley’s is located at 216 N. Tejon St., next to T-byrd’s Tacos & Tequila. Doors soft open Friday, and expect a grand opening celebration announced for sometime in early May.

Capture all the chinchillas!

So, chinchillas are what Cinchona Coffee calls their reward points on Cash App (whereas Josh & John’s are called “punches” à la their old school physical vouchers). I learned this when at the preview on Wednesday, paying for a couple of boutique Third Wave Chocolate bars, a cappuccino and blueberry matcha cheong tea.

As I told you in Side Dish a few weeks ago, Cinchona owner and barista Andrew Shepherd Combs is moving from popup service inside Provision Bread & Bakery to a storefront over, at 2 S. Wahsatch Ave., to finaly open his own cafe. Look for it to open to the public at 6 a.m. on April 20 (huh-huh, 4/20 bro!).

He’s on a limited menu for the preview and there’s more furnishing of the space to come, but he and a co-tenant named Sentai (who sells skateboard decks and streetwear) at least have signs hung out front. It’s official.

My cappuccino is superb, because that’s how Combs rolls. We’ve had the blueberry matcha many times before and will get it many times again. Its color in the glass is hypnotic and it’s nicely sweet balanced with the bitter green tea. “We serve a stupidly good matcha standard in our drinks,” Combs wrote on Cinchona’s Instagram page at one point, partly in explanation of the pricing around his products. They aren’t cheap because neither are his meticulously sourced ingredients.

Anyway, before I left, we made sure to take another photo with Combs’ foot on the counter, just to playfully troll an online commenter who’d griped about his shoes being on the counter when I photographed him a few weeks ago in the construction site. (You know, dear commenter, that countertop will be wiped clean… we give up.)

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Miguel’s doubling locations in the coming weeks

Miguel’s Mexican Bar & Grill is underway with an ambitious expansion that will see two new locations coming online imminently.

First, the former Salsa on the Rock at 802 Village Center Drive in Rockrimmon has been transformed into Miguel’s next spot, and it might be open by the time you read this (or within days). Following that within a month or so, expect what was Tsing Tao House at 3604 Hartsel Drive, near Woodmen Road, to open as the fourth Miguel’s.

The outfit, launched on Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard over two decades ago (originally named Carlos Miguel’s due to a prior business partner), added a second location on S. Eighth Street in 2020. I reached out to co-owner Miguel Martin to chat about the dual openings and learn more about the sudden growth.

He tells me that he and his current business partner Manuel Pacheco, who’s also the chef, became friends many years ago in California while working together in the restaurant industry. “We came out of continental steakhouses, big catering houses,” he says, “and we learned a lot from the great chefs we were working with out there.”

When they later reunited in Colorado, they constructed a menu that reflects broad Mexican cuisines, from Mexico City to Jalisco and Veracruz: “tacos, tamales, steaks, seafood, a little bit of everything,” he says, adding that the menu focuses on fresh items, executability and authenticity. (The menu will be the same at all four locations.)

I ask him what his bestsellers are, and he points to their molcajete bowl (with steak, shrimp, carnitas and chicken), pollo boracho in habanero sauce, and their Baja fish tacos served with jicama and fixings.

He notes that “times are tough,” so Miguel’s offers a daily lunch item at $10.99 to address affordability. And there’s a meal deal for two, for $30, which offers an appetizer, entrée and dessert to share.

He and Pacheco also launched Aspen American Bar and Grill off of Lake Avenue a few years ago, before turning around and selling it in mid 2025 to Srini Boddeda, who added an Indian menu atop the American bistro items.

I’m curious if they’re eyeing more expansion after these next two Miguel’s stores come online, and Martin says “I don’t know if we will do more of them, and if we do, it’s going to be a while.”

“How does it feel to be doubling your business after all these years,” I ask him.

“It’s nuts,” he begins. “I’m not sure if it’s exciting or suicide.” He continues after a pause: “We aren’t doing anything magical. We’re just doing things right.”

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Try the globally viral Raspberry Danish Latte at The French Kitchen

Confession: I got a little meddlesome this week and texted The French Kitchen owner (my friend and a Side Dish Dozen alum) Blandine Mazéran, saying “Maybe you should put C. Springs on the map for this,” with a link to an article from The Guardian.

You should read it for the full story, but the takeaway for you lazies who won’t click it is that a coffee shop in Northfield, Minnesota named Little Joy created a Raspberry Danish Latte last month. Then they shared the recipe online, encouraging other shops to copy their idea, and even created a map to highlight places serving it. The drink’s gone international since, to “every continent except Antarctica.” At a glance, I see hundreds (maybe thousands?) of places pinpointed.

But zoom in on Colorado and guess who’s absent from the list? Smallorado Springs — yup. I expected to spy cities like Denver and Boulder on the map, but not Salida, Del Norte and even Beulah. Among those making the latte are industry-respected craft outfits like Harbinger Coffee in Fort Collins, so it’s been plenty legitimized.

Instead of waiting to see who might discover the drink in C. Springs, I tipped off TFK, thinking that as a boulangerie and pâtisserie with coffee service it would make sense thematically that they serve a pastry-inspired latte. Plus, when sidedishsidekick’s daughter Ella gave Blandine the idea for making the viral, Olympics-inspired Paris Chocolate Muffin in mid 2024, she jumped on it. (That item lives on every Valentine’s Day now at TFK as the “chocolate love muffin.”)

So now, take a look at TFK’s alluring Raspberry Danish Latte rendition, concocted by Barista Alex Wilson and Chef Nathan Potter:

As of April 16 you can try the Raspberry Danish Latte at TFK for $6.75 — or make it a “berry bundle” with a raspberry chocolatine (already existent on their menu) for $11. In May, that bundle will include a blackberry Queenet option. And you should have until June’s end to get the viral drink before TFK’s next Taste of the Season refresh.

“Our team gets excited when we get tips like this,” Blandine tells me at my tasting and photography session earlier this week. They had just been sitting down to plan out the seasonal drink menu when I texted, so my timing was coincidentally good.

As for the drink, the global attention tells you that it’s damn delightful. For my tastes, I love the vanilla cream cheese foam’s texture and natural (though sugar-enhanced) sweetness of the raspberries in the bottommost layer, below a double shot of espresso and milk. The fresh raspberry garnish also feels special and lends more eye appeal.

Whether this drink will live on past this initial hype, like the Dubai chocolate craze has continued in the marketplace, we shall see. But for now, it’s sure cool to see the creative collaboration around a recipe given freely to the world. Little Joy’s store manager told The Guardian that they knew most people wouldn’t attempt the DIY drink at home, and obviously wouldn’t drive to Minnesota for it, so encouraging other businesses to make it made sense. “Which is why we’re inviting any coffee shop to steal this drink and put it on their own menu. Not you, Starbucks,” she said.

Bites & Bits

• Bella’s Bagels returned home from BagelFest West in Los Angeles (held April 12) as the winner in the Schmear of the Year category. Their Pueblo Green Chile Cream Cheese — what else would you rep our great state with? — earned the top honor over a lemon meringue flavor (the runner up, from Encinitas, Calif.) and garlic flavor (third place, out of Koreatown, L.A.). “Colorado heat has been delivered,” co-owner Jason Stele said in a proud Facebook post. What’s more: Stele and crew got a surprise, congratulatory visit from Governor Jared Polis on April 15:

• The Grilled Cheese Food Truck announced that it has expanded into a new, much larger food bus after four years in business. In addition to signature sandwiches and seasonal specials (like a summertime Peach Valley with Brie, peach slices, mint and honey) they offer gluten-free and vegan options and recently began serving doggy ice cream for your pets for $1.50.

• Online scuttlebutt earlier this week had it that Capriotti’s had closed all its C. Springs locations. I saw other Springs media personalities report it (as if fact-checked). Then I stopped by the E. Cheyenne Road location April 15 to find a sign in the window saying “This Location is Temporarily Closed.” Which is how Google stated it as well when I searched. (Are you with me? Key word: “temporarily.”) Capriotti’s corporate website only showed that our local spots were “Not Accepting Online Orders. And Capriotti’s Cheyenne Road Facebook page continued to put up daily posts as if it was open — seemingly stuck on autopilot from a scheduler somewhere. Though literally as I write this around noon on April 16, that page’s hours have been updated to say “Permanently Closed.”

• The Gazette reported on the April 1 opening of a second Mountain Mike’s Pizza location in the area, at 8099 Carmela Grove, near Woodmen and Marksheffel roads. The first location at 123 Spectrum Loop opened in January 2025, and is owned by a separate franchisee according to the article, which notes more than 320 locations of the 48-year-old chain across the U.S.

• Fox21 noted the permanent closure of Biaggi’s this week at 1805 Briargate Parkway after more than 23 years at the location. The article cited “extensive damage to the building” which has had it closed for business since fall 2025, with hopes to reopen.

• Continuing her reporting on the Noma fallout, local chef Hannah Cupples has posted two more pieces in her Old School Mentality Gets 86’d series. One is a conversation with key figure Jason Ignacio White, and the other is takeaways from her trip in late March to Philadelphia, where she attended the Chef Assembly. She found the experience frustrating, “because the topic of abuse and exploitation in the service industry was not only ignored… it was mocked,” she writes. Click in to give it a read, and subscribe free (or paid).

• “The Mexican version of Boston Market.” That’s how New Denizen describes Chicken Riot, a new Cherry Creek spot from the guys behind Riot BBQ (formerly the beleaguered AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q). This month’s roundup of 5 new restaurants & bars you should know about (around Denver) also features the amazing Poulette Bakeshop, which I recently tried thanks to a gift pastry box from a chef friend. “Honestly, if you haven’t made the drive down to Parker to try Poulette by now, I’m not sure we can be friends,” writes New Denizen (real name Laura).

Side Dish Dozen happenings

Blackhat Distillery: Experience Blackhat Distillery, where American Agave Spirits meet disciplined craft and elevated Colorado hospitality. Through May’s end, readers can secure access to our guided tours at 50% off and our intimate Distiller’s Vault experience at 25% off. Advance resos required. Tours are booked online, and Vault experiences are arranged directly with our distiller.

Four by Brother Luck: Reserve early for Mother’s Day brunch! Come see us for our newly expanded and revamped happy hours, 3-6 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays. Book a five- or seven-course private Chef’s Table with us (wine pairing optional) for any occasion.

Red Gravy: Try the undefeated Pastarama champ, our Short Rib Ravioli! Facing a new contender: Four-Cheese Manicotti: pasta filled with Ricotta, Parmesan and basil and baked with marinara, Mozzarella & Provel cheeses. Topped with Fried Spinach.

Elephant Thai & Chaang Thai: Stop in for new menu additions: a Vegan Appetizer Sampler; Sweet Chile Sriracha Tempura Shrimp; Nam Jim Jaew lime leaf-lemongrass pork with sticky rice (gluten-free) and Chef Suwanna’s homemade coconut ice cream.

T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila: Happy hours are 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and all day Sunday. Taco Tuesdays feature $3.50 tacos all day and $5 Margaritas. Our $12.99 lunch special gets you chips & salsa, two tacos, rice, beans and a fountain drink; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. District Elleven: new Tapa Tuesdays!

Bristol Brewing Company: Have you had our Hefe? It’s a fresh and flavorful toast to spring at the Bristol Pub, along with our Blood Orange Beehive, Chocolate Lab, and the return of Yellow Kite Pilsner, all on tap now. See you in the Schoolyard!

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

Plants & Pints with Phelan Gardens at Red Leg Brewing: April 18, noon. An earth day celebration. Purchase a pint and get a free starter veggie plant. Enjoy a pop up sale featuring annuals, perennials, herbs and house plants.

Magic: The Gathering Night at Lost Friend Brewing: April 18, 5 p.m. Join us every other Saturday for Magic nights Bring your own decks and enjoy a fun, relaxed, free night of games with players of all skill levels. 10% off your bar tab while playing.

Pints & Poses (Beer Yoga) at Urban Animal Brewing (Star Ranch): April 19, 10:45 a.m. Every 1st & 3rd Sunday. Calm pups welcome. $18 gets you an hour of stretchy, breathy goodness + a pint.

Beer Releases

Plume Domination West Coast IPA at Cerberus Brewing: A bold, hoppy brew with proceeds benefiting the SOCO Interagency Wildland Fire Team.

La Matts Blue Lager at WestFax Springs: A crisp, clean Canadian-style crusher collaboration rooted in longtime friendship, with a nod to shared Upstate NY roots.

Curated by Brandon Heid and Gerry Reyes. For full listings of beer-related events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Join us for a patio brunch bash, Sunday, April 26, 10-2

Upcoming events

April 18: Pikes Peak Library District Foundation’s annual Night at the Library at Library 21c. 6-8 p.m; $150 benefits PPLD. Featuring 20 local food and drink vendors serving snacks inspired by classic and modern storybook themes.

April 21: Adictivo Tequila Dinner at TAPAteria. 6 p.m.; $99 for five paired courses.

April 23: A Night with Hendrick’s Gin in The Aviator at Hotel Polaris. 4 and 5:30 p.m. tastings, $10.

April 25: 19th annual Spring Wine Extravaganza at Cañon City’s Winery at Holy Cross Abbey. 1-4 p.m.; $50 includes wine, food and live music.

April 25: Small Brew Saturday at Local Relic. Noon to 4 p.m., snacks available.

April 26: Patio Brunch Bash Sip with Schnip at Evergreen Restaurant. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $5 Goat Patch beers, bottomless mimosas, live music, pup-friendly patio plus a Breakfast Burger Special with egg, bacon, onion jam and Hollandaise on a Provision-baked croissant. And a one-day-only special Side Dish Mousse Cake, made with espresso from Kangaroo Coffee!

April 26: Third Annual Rooftop Invitational cocktail competition at Lumen8 Rooftop Social. 6 p.m. Eight teams, single elimination rounds with surprise challenge ingredients. Spectate and sip the creations.

April 27: Corrido Tequila Dinner at Ephemera. Seatings between 5:30 and 7:30; $105 for four paired courses.

April 28: Passport To Castello Banfi wine dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. 6 p.m.; $89 for five paired courses, call 719-475-9700 to reserve.

April 29: Colorado Pint Day. Starting at 11 a.m., hit participating local breweries to snag the 2025 limited edition Colorado Brewer’s Guild glass free with a pint purchase.

Parting shot(s)

This week was jammed packed with tastings for me. (Tough gig, I know.) Here’s some shots with the industry folks I met up with:

1) Chef Nate at The French Kitchen to taste the Raspberry Danish Latte. Note how it looks like the characters in the mural behind me are watching me drink in the first photo, and how I share a similar pose and expression to the mural character in the second photo. A total accident in composition, I promise… unless Chloé at TFK is an even more masterful marketing hand than I realized.

2) I’ve enjoyed getting to know Josh & John’s founder John Krakauer more over the past couple years of our seasonal Side Dish flavor collaborations. I have a blast bantering with him, and the bonus (of course) is that there always seems to be ice cream around and in-hand when we talk. Even if he has just sweetened me up with the good, cold stuff, I’m always happy to see him and the awesome J&J’s crew members who have really woven themselves into the community.

3) What a joy it was to finally meet Lolley’s Ice Cream owners Shelley and Dustin Sapp in person, having only talked to them by phone prior (even though I’ve eaten ice cream at their Monument shop many times). They and their staff graciously tasted me through almost their whole current menu — kudos for the actual silverware (mini spoons) that prevents disposable waste! Welcome to the Springs! (From Monument.)

Some weeks in Side Dish, you’ll notice I do area travel pieces, such as my recent roundups of Taos and Buena Vista. I might also throw in a random staycation, as well as foreign destinations like Spain and Portugal (because I know not how to go on vacation without working). You can always access these via my home page, generally under the “reviews” section (if you’re a newer subscriber and didn’t know this).

I say generally, because sometimes I squeeze little trips away into this weekly newsletter, as opposed to a separate review mailing. A recent example of that is our jaunt to Breckenridge. The goal usually is to check out food and drink spots that are new to us since our last visit to an area (sometimes dating back years). In other instances, it might be my first trip to a place, and I go to recreate, working in culinary stops as a bonus; my writeup of Glenwood Springs fits that mold.

I’m telling you all this 1) to reassure you that my main focus remains on home base in the Colorado Springs marketplace and 2) with the assumption that you also enjoy day trips or few-day journeys around Colorado. And would that you’re inspired by our far-away voyages, you might appreciate tips for an itinerary. (We have one friend in Spain presently, and another headed to Portugal soon, and we’ve provided advisements.)

So, all that in mind, this week I’m kicking off with highlights from a short overnight in Cañon City. The obvious tourist draws are the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, Royal Gorge Route Railroad and extensive penitentiary facilities. (Kidding on that last one! Oy! Sadly, being a prison town is part of Cañon City’s fabric. You can’t go and not notice.) Eschewing all this, we just relaxed around Main Street and enjoyed the quietude of a small town, needing a metal break from hustle and bustle, if only for a few hours. Here’s what we got into:

Stay: Hotel St. Cloud

After a seven-year renovation and restoration, Hotel St. Cloud reopened in mid 2025. Its history dates back to 1881 in Silver Cliff, Colorado, from where it was deconstructed and relocated to Cañon City just five years later, reopening in 1887. Needless to say, it’s had many owners and operators over the years, as well as different names. The history section of the hotel’s website site notes “The Dark Age” in 1925 when it became the KKK’s headquarters, with 20-percent of the town’s population belonging. There’s brighter times, such as “The Hollywood Era” in the late 1940s.

I asked my next door neighbor Bob if he was familiar with the hotel, as he grew up in Cañon City. He surprised me by saying “I worked there for a summer when I was in high school.” This was in the mid 1950’s and it was named Hotel Cañon at that time. He recalls operating the elevator (getting good at timing the shutoff to line up the floors) and hauling in heavy luggage in an era before rolling luggage had come along. He made 50 cents an hour, and was embarrassed to be seen outside of work in his bellhop outfit, so he would try and sneak the four blocks to work from home without being bothered. He describes the hotel as “really upscale and fancy” back then, saying “for Cañon City it was top of the line.”

Some 30 years later, in 1987 it closed, and would remain vacant until a “preservation attempt” in 2014. The restoration, under a new, Denver-based owner, began in 2018. One travel writer I find online calls it “a herculean effort to restore a vintage hotel.” It would total $15 million in costs before it was completed.

For all that, the floor in our room isn’t even level — your water bottle will roll towards the interior wall with the slightest nudge, as if on a boat that’s listing. We’re aware of this odd feature before booking, as the room’s listed (with a $30 discount off $204 this night) as the “Tilted Cowboy,” with “All the luxury of our Standard King — plush bedding, modern amenities —in a room with a subtle tilt.” We were intrigued; we had to do it. It was faintly disorienting for a few seconds here and there when moving about it, but not to a degree to cause any seasickness or real discomfort. (If anything, it felt like a metaphor for navigating today’s crazy-ass chaos world — you can get around well enough, but your senses constantly perceive that something’s off.)

Hotel St. Cloud’s lobby feels chic and stylish, with a showpiece landscape photo of a bison over a fireplace (glowing because it’s actually a TV screen with a frame around it — I went snooping at the edges). There’s a cool four-way leather chair adjacent to a pool table, and the Fremont Public House acts as the lobby bar one storefront over. (You can take drinks up to your room if you wish.) The hotel also owns Fremont Provisions, a sports bar, a couple blocks away down Main Street. But we opt to eat on-property at their finer dining spot, named 1887.

1887 Historic Eatery

The hotel’s restoration did a great job in terms of making it feel hip and boutique. A fair comparison might be The Mining Exchange in Colorado Springs, in terms of preserving history and creating a new narrative around the thematics. So think of 1887 as like Oro. Historic photo reproductions play off frontier and Western styles; tin ceiling tiles stretch over a display case of sweets in the center of the room; and pretty charger plates hold leather-bound menus next to hotel logo pint glasses for water service. Table service rates attentive and sincere; we enjoy bantering with our waiter.

Complimentary bread service features house-baked wheat rolls flecked with thyme and rosemary and egg-wash basted with a seasoning that evokes sweet onions. We order a pinot noir that outperforms its easy $7.50 price by the glass. (Beers are relatively affordable for today’s prices at $5 and $6.50; cocktails are uniformly $13 and “free spirited” mocktails are all a fair $8.)

We bypass apps like crab cakes and pork belly bites plus soups and salads and go right to mains, where the real pricing kicks in. Salmon for $36 and lamb lollies for $44. The fish is advertised as glazed with a lemon-lavender-infused honey, drawing us in, but what arrives is a sickly sweet faux maple syrup (Log Cabin methinks) with high fructose corn syrup vibes start to finish. Like breakfast for dinner sweet. Speaking as a former beekeeper, I can say that no bees I’m aware of make a “honey” like this. Everything it touches is worse off for it: the fingerlings, carrots and dry (cooked past medium) fish. In my notes I callously scribble “a sentient being was murdered for this dish? Twice!”

The Mediterranean-marinated lamb arrives under a glass cloche filled in hickory smoke, with sides of roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and potatoes. It’s certainly better by comparison to the fish (so is a kick to the groin … okay I’m still being mean), but it’s still got issues that leave us feeling like Cañon City has a ways to go to rise from has-the-look to has-the-taste. The lamb’s rosemary-balsamic reduction has the highly saline flavor of bagged demi-glace (I could be wrong; maybe they’re doing real cookery, but it’s how I perceived it) and though we saw the real stuff waft out from the cloche, the residual smoke taste reminds us of liquid smoke influence. The hash and whole affair would be more enjoyable if they’d arrived on hot plates to hold some temp; it’s all room-temp quickly. It’s the small details like this that could help elevate the spot, in addition to rethinking the saucing.

The War Room Cocktail Lounge

Love ’em or tired of ’em, speakeasies are still en vogue. With assistance from a server, enter through a fake bookshelf door at 1887’s rear into The War Room. Full credit due: It’s a beautiful space, with shiny, mirror bar shelves reflecting bright light over an array of top shelf spirits, including many allocated whiskies. Booth seats have buffalo nickels at the back of each dimple of the button tuft, and large mural opposite the bar depicts a World War II-era meeting of military leaders. Dozens and dozens of bottles are locked behind mesh screens in a tall display case against another wall of the bar as part of a locker program for regulars.

We’re faded after a long day of adventuring, so we opt to skip a nightcap, but I’m glad to have toured through the space. Would that I had ordered something, it probably would have been The General, made with scotch, honey and bitters, or The Retiree, with bourbon, maple and bitters. (But I’d already had enough maple with my meal — zing! How do you like that call-back?)

Standard Oil Coffee Company

Also belonging to Hotel St. Cloud, Standard Oil Coffee Co. resides just across Seventh Street as a neighboring cafe for daytime coffee and sweets. They serve fine pastries made by the hotel, including a ridiculously good Dubai Chocolate Brownie that I felt compelled to try. The kataif crunch texture is totally on-point, layered thick under a pistachio crumble topping and thin hard chocolate vein, with a chewy chocolate bottom. I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did, and I failed with my intent to just take a bite and save the rest for later — I put the whole damn thing down, paired with sips of a lovely cortado.

For takeaway drinks in our travel mugs, we order two specialty lattes from the seasonal menu: a rose-cardamom latte and orange-rosemary. Neither smacks too sweet, and the though the rosemary’s subtle in the latter drink, the orange shows up juicy and bright, simply delightful. I usually love rose lattes but this one’s a bit too floral for my tastes, overwhelming the cardamom and inherent coffee flavor; I have to add another espresso double shot to it later to balance out the taste to my liking.

Notably, Standard Oil serves drinks made with Hold Fast Coffee Co.-roasted beans (the City Slicker blend most prominently) out of Colorado Springs. That’s also what’s stocked in Hotel St. Cloud’s rooms in coffee pod form, so you can enjoy a first cuppa right out of bed if you wish.

Christy’s on Main

By Lauren Hug

Cheery yellow chairs and bright pink umbrellas line the sidewalk outside Christy’s, external symbols of the friendliness and whimsy that awaits you inside. They serve a wide variety of flavors and styles, catering to every kind of donut lover.

We try three. The raised, glazed yeast donut is a little on the dryer side, pairing well with coffee — which Christy’s also serves, including specialty lattes. A cinnamon roll cut to look somewhat like a pineapple, then fried and glazed like a donut, offers a nice contrast between crispy edges and chewy inside. The blueberry cake donut is a delight: soft and sweet and perfect with sips of coffee. I’m not normally a cake donut fan, but I’d make a return trip just for that.

The shop’s prices are unusually affordable for today’s landscape, with the cost of a dozen ranging from $15-$17. That alone is a reason to visit and sample almost everything they have to offer.

Other coffee options:

• The Pour House has expanded from its flagship location, 15 minutes away in Florence, to a spot along Main Street in Cañon City. It’s an excellent craft coffee shop.

• The Bean Pedaler is a cool, bicycle-themed spot also located on Main Street.

• Cafe Belay is located out on a frontage road off Hwy. 50 as you’re coming into town, and impressed us last time we were in the area.

Next time we go:

• Whitewater Rooftop Social, opened in spring 2024, features a giant elevated patio that overlooks the Royal Gorge Train station and Arkansas River. Find common pub fare and bar bites and sip a craft beer (including Bristol and Reg Leg pours).

• Antithesis, supposedly opening sometime in May. It’s billed as an upscale 50-seat restaurant inside the historic Robison Mansion, formerly Royal Gorge Mansion. (I contacted them with a request for more info but didn’t hear back this week.)

On the way:

Coyote’s Coffee Den (Penrose)

You can’t not pause in Penrose at Coyote’s on your drive south. For more than two decades it’s been a requisite stop for me. I don’t necessarily have a go-to drink, but I’m happy on this trip to revisit the Mexican mocha. I order it with oat milk and added cayenne for more spicy bite. The base mix already has some nice earthy heat and deep chocolatey sweetness; it sips somewhere in between a latte and hot chocolate.

Brush Hollow Winery (Penrose)

Brush Hollow opened six years ago in Penrose, stemming from a prior distilling operation in Laramie, Wyoming. (They also briefly popped up in Cascade, not far from Wines of Colorado as it were, but that test didn’t prove concept for a steady location.) They’re known for their Neapolitan wood oven pizzas (which we can’t try because of fire restrictions this day); a fat house cat that’s depicted on one of the labels; special Friday night pasta services; and wines made on site from Colorado-grown grapes (most from the Palisade area, but some local to town).

Winemaker Robert Vanatta (pictured above) guides us through our wine flight we’ve selected — watch the one-minute clip I filmed here — which includes some wines that earned medals at the Governor’s Cup in recent years. I won’t go through our tasting notes wine by wine (because he already covers descriptors in that video clip), but I can tell you we like the Syrah a lot; enjoyed the Aromella’s tropical elements; were challenged by the Maréchal Foch (aged in Axe and the Oak bourbon barrels, taking on a brown color and sour cherry taste with umami back notes of mushroom); and brought a bottle home of the lightly sweet Pueblo Green Chile, with a wonderful chile nose and true flavor, leaving a residual smolder in our throats.

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Check out Ranch Foods Direct’s April newsletter for a short but poignant interview with renowned animal welfare advocate Temple Grandin, who envisions a future with “a big market for ranch-to-retail” and a secure food system with “a more distribute supply chain.” Also well worth a read: the “water crisis deepens” for Colorado ranchers, coming on the heels of the hottest winter on record in the region and wildfires in Nebraska that reduced hay supplies. What’s worse: “Groundwater is running short in many areas of the plains due to over-pumping… In some wells, there’s only 10 feet of water left in the hole, and it’s undrinkable.”

Bites & Bits

• Rock Bottom Brewery has gone out of business at 3316 Cinema Point after 20 years, having just celebrated National Beer Day on April 7 with $2 pints. Leave it to the internet to pay timely tribute: “Super sad actually. They finally hit rock bottom,” commented one smart-ass on The 411 For The 719 Facebook group. The first Rock Bottom location opened in Denver in 1991, and the company’s website cites 17 locations still alive. The brewery’s parent company, SPB Hospitality, had sold in late 2024 to Kelly Companies of Southern California, who owns Champps.

• The Gazette reported last week that “New owners of Cogstone Brewing Co. keeping legacy alive.” (Though other than naming buyers Mike and Mary O’Neil, the article has no direct quotes from them and reads more as a swan song to founding sellers Robert Hemphill and Marc Malenfant.)

• Downtown’s Savory Spice Shop, open since 2010, recently posted to say that they’ll be changing their name to Pine & Pepper Spice Shop. “We'll continue offering the exact same freshly ground spices, herbs, and blends you trust,” they wrote. “We’re proud to remain a Savory Spice franchise… What's new is the opportunity to grow in ways that feel uniquely rooted here in Colorado Springs-creating local blends, featuring Colorado artisan products, and making shopping online even easier.”

• Springs Magazine profiled Atrevida Beer Co. this week ahead of the brewery’s eighth anniversary celebration, coming up on Cinco de Mayo. Owners Jessica and Rich Fierro reflect on everything from early inspiration and diversity topics (Jessica being the first female, Latina-owned brewery in the state) to the 2022 Club Q shooting (Rich disarmed the shooter) and Atrevida’s commitment to the community.

• In chain news, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue just opened a seventh location in Colorado, at 2130 Southgate Road, #101. According to a press release, the brand dates back 70 years, to a single shop in Honolulu; today there’s more than 230 international locations. This new store, as well as the Barnes Road and Interquest Parkway shops, are operated by franchisee Ron Chadwick Jr., who owns six stores in the region. The company’s signature items is the Plate Lunch, offering two rice scoops, macaroni salad and an entrée, with choices like chicken katsu, loco moco, mixed barbecue or garlic shrimp.

• Taste of Pikes Peak, to be held July 9 at Hillside Gardens, is seeking food and beverage vendors. Register here.

Side Dish Dozen happenings

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: Every Saturday, dig into a shrimp boil or go big with shrimp + snow crab — served with sausage, potatoes, collards and cornbread. Pair it with $20 beer buckets and make a night of it.

Edelweiss: Catch our 2026 Spring Wine Dinner at 6 p.m., April 22. $85 for five paired courses. Dishes include roasted beet salad; panko-crusted Brie with lingonberry; pork loin with apricot coulis; hanger steak; and a white chocolate and raspberry sorbet beehive for dessert. Also, make reservations now for Mother’s Day, as we fill up quick.

Goat Patch Brewing: Every Thursday we drop a new pizza special at Grazing Goat Kitchen at Northgate. Single-topping pizzas at lunch are only $10, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Paint Your Pet at Lincoln Center, 5-7 p.m., April 11; $30 includes two beers. Mellow Mondays Coloring Nights at Monument for kids and adults are 5-8 p.m.

Gold Star Bakery: Celebrate Mother’s Day with scratch-made cinnamon rolls and mixed boxes of sweet breads from Gold Star Bakery. Perfect for brunch tables, family gatherings or sharing with friends. Reserve yours today to make your celebration a little sweeter. Preorder through May 4; pickup at Ivywild School May 8-9.

Kangaroo Coffee: Join us for a special event with IM BEE Botanicals, April 21, 4-7 p.m. Introducing Golden Bloom Body Polish, a body scrub made with Kangaroo coffee beans! Try it, meet the maker, enjoy charcuterie and sip some coffee. (Sign up here.) Also you have to try our new Coconut Lavender Chai: Stop by or have one delivered!

Wobbly Olive: Every weekday happy hour at both locations is 4-6 p.m.; all cocktails and beers are half off, plus $5 house wines. Allusion Speakeasy: Our new Star Wars theme has opened downtown as of April 9, and will open April 16 at our Powers location; Lord of the Rings closes April 12. Expect amazing on-theme cocktails, N/A “light side libations” and all-age Padawan Brunches for Star Wars.

Evergreen Restaurant: Come try drinks from our new spring cocktail menu. And join us for lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays. Menu items include our lamb burger, smoked salmon pinsa (flatbread), and shrimp linguine, with gluten-free bread and pasta options.

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

Bristol’s Prohibition Party: April 11, 7 p.m. Toast Prohibition’s repeal. Costume mandatory. Get 33¢ Yellow Kite pilsners and enjoy pilsner cocktails and mocktails, photo ops, a costume contest and scandalous casino games.

Sizzling Chili Cook-Off at Urban Animal Brewing (Downtown): April 12, 4 p.m. Taste mouthwatering chili creations from local competitors. All proceeds benefit the local fire department.

Queers & Beers at Seven’s Gate Taproom: April 15, 7 p.m. A welcoming space for LGBTQ+ folks and allies to connect, unwind and build community. Happy Hour runs 7 PM to close.

Beer Releases

Sweet Tea Ale at Goat Patch Brewing Co. (all locations): A malty ale brewed with black tea and sweet notes of peach. Smooth and flavorful, ideal for patio season.

Apricot IPA at South Park Brewing: A hazy IPA with subtle citrus notes and juicy apricot flavor, finished with nice hop crispness.

I Left My Kilt in El Paso at Gunslinger Brewing Co.: A Scottish Ale, perfect for smoky meat pairings.

Curated by Brandon Heid and Gerry Reyes. For full listings of beer-related events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

April 11: The SoulFULL Series at COS City Hub with Latimer’s Kitchen & Catering. $99 includes six courses by five local chefs and a drink ticket.

April 16: Fables & Folktales Wine Dinner at Margarita at PineCreek. $85; call 719-598-8667 to reserve.

April 18: Pikes Peak Library District Foundation’s annual Night at the Library at Library 21c. 6-8 p.m; $150 benefits PPLD. Featuring 20 local food and drink vendors serving snacks inspired by classic and modern storybook themes.

April 21: Adictivo Tequila Dinner at TAPAteria. 6 p.m.; $99 for five paired courses.

April 25: 19th annual Spring Wine Extravaganza at Cañon City’s Winery at Holy Cross Abbey. 1-4 p.m.; $50 includes wine, food and live music.

April 26: Sip with Schnip Brunch at Evergreen Restaurant. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Details to come.

April 26: Third Annual Rooftop Invitational cocktail competition at Lumen8 Rooftop Social. 6 p.m. Eight teams, single elimination rounds with surprise challenge ingredients. Spectate and sip the creations.

April 27: Corrido Tequila Dinner at Ephemera. Seatings between 5:30 and 7:30; $105 for four paired courses.

April 28: Passport To Castello Banfi wine dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. 6 p.m.; $89 for five paired courses, call 719-475-9700 to reserve.

April 29: Colorado Pint Day. Starting at 11 a.m., hit participating local breweries to snag the 2025 limited edition Colorado Brewer’s Guild glass free with a pint purchase.

Parting shot(s)

Visit Colorado Springs’ President and CEO Doug Price invited me to present with him at this week’s HSMAI Southern Colorado State of the Springs program, held at The Mining Exchange. (HSMAI stands for Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, if you didn’t know.)

We discussed the arrival of Michelin inspectors to our area, continuing a conversation that we had started on Visit COS’ Peak into COS podcast last month, which included Chef Brother Luck.

During a separate part of Price’s presentation, he shared data points with the crowd of hospitality professionals, mostly folks who work in our area hotels and are concerned with tourism matters.

A few points I found notable:

• The U.S. economy saw a 5 percent decrease in international tourism during 2025, and a $6 billion loss to our economy during the Oct.-Nov. government shutdown.

• In 2024 (the most recent data available), visitors in the Pikes Peak Region totaled 25.5 million and represented $3.1 billion in spending.

• Expect 353 new hotel rooms getting added to our local inventory in 2026 between several new projects under development.

Por Favor Tacos & Tragos was a long time in the making for the Galvan family.

When I first met and interviewed them in mid 2024, as their spot at at 4657 Centennial Blvd. was just getting open, they told me it was the fulfillment of a dream briefly deferred by the 2008 recession when they were living in California. Everardo Galvan Sr., a longtime GM for Miguel’s Mexican Bar & Grill locally, and his wife Maria had continued to desire a restaurant of their own.

When it finally came to fruition, their daughter and three sons jumped in to help out, some leaving behind other careers to join the family business. That risk — if it ever really was one, given how good their tacos and margaritas are — has paid off over the last 20 months. (July 3 will be their second anniversary.) Por Favor has earned a loyal fan base and quickly outgrown its relatively small dining space.

Hence the reason they just opened a second location on April 2 at 13395 Voyager Parkway (in the former Broken Bones BBQ space). Design wise, it’s a tasteful clone stamp of the flagship eatery, complete with faux foliage and neon signs and a mirror food and drink menu. It holds almost the same amount of eaters at any one time: 71 here compared to 64 at Centennial.

I sat down with the family and got a first look at the new location a couple days prior to that. As Everardo Sr., the acting CFO, buzzed around making final touches to the neon lights behind the bar, his sons crowded around a booth with me to talk about Por Favor’s hospitality ethos and what comes next for the company. Oldest son Everardo Jr. acts as marketing director; middle son Yuriam holds the CEO title; and youngest son Edgar is Por Favor’s talented bar director. (His seasonal pumpkin spice bourbon old fashioned and cold brew margarita really won us over in the last fall.)

From our conversation, quoting from the group unless otherwise noted:

•Why expand?

“Lets see how far we can take it, why put a limit?” — Everardo Jr.

“We were all in sales prior to coming back into the restaurant industry. Our goal with Por Favor was to scale while we’re young. It’s fun see how quickly we’ve been able to do it. The competition within ourselves is what keeps it going.” — Yuriam

“We created a monster, and we want to see how fat we can get it.” — Edgar

(Unknowingly, they’re answering Mayor Yemi’s call for more taco spots.)

• Lessons learned from the first location?

“When we first opened we had nachos on the menu. They did sell well, but they pushed back ticket times in the kitchen. It just wasn’t efficient to keep them, as it was affecting how we take care of our guests.” They also cut a soup of the day and a pickled veggie mix for similar reasons.

“We’re always brainstorming improvements.” Everardo Sr. figured out a strategy to arrange tables in rows in the new space so they can plug-and-play to guest party size easily by quickly moving and connecting two- and four-tops. Again that’s in the service of accommodating guest needs.

“Birria remains our specialty. It’s our top seller.”

• Their hospitality ethos?

“We’ve learned that in the restaurant industry today, having good food is not enough. You have to create an experience. When we were in the auto industry, we were told that if you act like a competitor you’ll be treated like the competition. The standards are so low now across the country that you can leverage that by going above and beyond. If you actually serve people and create a culture of ‘let’s make someone’s day better than when they came in’ then we did our job.” — Everardo

“We take time to get to know people, to listen and make sure they’re seen and heard and feel cared for. The staff has taken to keeping notes in their personal phones of repeat customers’ names for quick reference. We didn’t ask them to do that. They did it themselves. They saw us do it and took the initiative.” — Yuriam

“When it comes to Mexican culture in general, we shake hands, give hugs, kiss babies. I learned that from my parents. They’re such great hosts. My dad was the most popular person at the Cheyenne Mountain Miguel’s location. These recipes are my mom’s. So coming to Por Favor is like coming into our house. Now, as guests come back over and over again we’re meeting their extended families.” — Edgar

• What’s next?

Seasonal specials — always one taco, one cocktail and one dessert variant — will pick back up in summer at both locations once the new Voyager location stabilizes.

Location #3. “We’re scouting South and East now.” Everardo Sr. projects it could be another year until they open, insisting they’re not in any rush. They’ll likely stick to the Springs area for now, but have already looked into Castle Rock as well.

Maintain their 4.9 rating on Google after nearly 1,000 reviews. They say one bad review, inspired by a spilled tray of food (a total accident), dropped them to 4.8 for a while. It took them 76 more five-star reviews to regain the .1 upgrade. One particularly favorite review — as in devastatingly silly and unfair — was when someone graded them down for a Valentine’s Day special, saying “everything was great, but the tortilla was red.”

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Make Ephemera’s pork belly with Ranch Foods Direct

“This miso pork belly harkens back to our early days, slinging sliders and street vendor-style foods in one of COATI’s pods as we awaited our space’s completion upstairs,” Ephemera’s chef and co-owner Ian Dedrickson tells Side Dish. “We always strive to use pork from high-quality, local sources, especially since our team visited a Colorado slaughterhouse, where our staff saw the full process of animals being turned into the packaged product we receive. Quality meats must come from quality ethics and a full understanding of our consumption of living creatures. We pride ourselves on sourcing from purveyors and producers who value and demonstrate the quality ethics they practice, much like Ranch Foods Direct.” Get the recipe here.

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Dough and sugar (and caffeine)

By Lauren Hug

I’m not a beignet expert. I haven’t had the world-famous Cafe Du Monde versions. I do, however, consider myself something of a fried dough connoisseur (donuts, sopaipillas, bunelos, churros, porras, etc.). And Rocky Mountain Beignets — with locations in both Manitou Springs and downtown Colorado Springs — serves up some delightful renditions.

The regular-sized beignets (three to an order for $6.99) are pillowy, slightly chewy clouds of almost savory yum that don’t even need the dusting of powdered sugar to be a delectable treat. (For context, you should know I eat my sopaipillas plain, without dipping them in honey or honey butter.) The sugar nicely complements the beignets’ dough, though, and you can adjust your sweetness level by shaking it off or swabbing the beignet in the piles of powder that line the bottom of the serving box.

For those who crave a higher powdered sugar-to-dough ratio, the beignet bites ($6.99 for a sizable cup) deliver. Tiny, poppable and smothered in a mountain of sugar, the bites are ideal for dipping in a variety of sauces (75 cents each). The single cup of caramel sauce we ordered provided more than enough to dip every bite.

But what’s a beignet without coffee?

Rocky Mountain Beignets offers lots of java options, so coffee lovers should put the shop on their list. Especially since it’s one of the few places downtown where you can get a coffee drink after 5 p.m. (And, yes, they have decaf.) I was tempted by the Banana Pudding Latte spring menu special, but went with the chicory coffee, for a satisfying roasty flavor and more of the Louisiana vibe. My daughter opted for the White Chocolate Raspberry Latte from the seasonal menu. She typically prefers her coffee drinks iced, but felt this one would be better served hot.

You can also pair your bites with club soda drinks (called Southern Refreshers), Italian cream soda options, milkshakes and a cold brew float made with Blue Bell ice cream, an authentically Southern (Texas) brand.

The downtown space where we stop in is big and bright, with tables sporting beautiful Mardi Gras mask inlays. There’s a nano market of cajun food products for sale. And there are shelves full of games in one corner. Notably: Rocky Mountain Beignets hosts a game night every Thursday, with all-you-can-eat beignets for $10. So even though I can’t tell you how the beignets compare to New Orleans, I can at least tell you I’ll be going back.

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Bites & Bits

• Not among the many April Fool’s jokes perpetrated on Wednesday of this week: Poor Richard’s announced its sale to former FOX21 news director/anchor Joe Cole and his wife Sarah. Springs Magazine offered this timely writeup of the transaction. On comment threads across social media and other local media sites community members have expressed gratitude to Richard Skorman and his wife Patricia Seator for the legacy they’ve created over the past 51 years. Skorman said in a press release that he’d received several offers, but opted to sell to the Coles because “we didn’t want someone who would change the heart of this place.”

• The Sportsbook Bar & Grill plans to open a downtown Colorado Springs location sometime this summer at 402 S. Tejon St., in the SpringHill Suites building under Lumen8 Rooftop Social. The company has existing locations in Parker, Highlands Ranch and Greenwood Village and says its the spot for all sports viewing, from Football, baseball and soccer to rugby and UFC matches. Greenwood Village was the OG location, opened in late 2012, and taken out of business for all of 2024 due to “an arson event,” but it was back open by early 2025. Here’s info on the other spots.

• “Sysco announced plans to buy Restaurant Depot for an eye-popping sum earlier this week. Now, independent restaurants are organizing to fight the deal,” reports Food & Wine. The price tag would be $29.1 billion. Opponents say wholesale shops like Restaurant Depot provide necessary competition, and even negotiation positions for pricing against Sysco food reps. Sysco counters that prices would actually be lowered due to “purchasing efficiencies,” saying they would also add new stores in “geographic food distribution deserts” that would offer broader product offerings. The article briefly outlines a history of past antitrust concerns, including a 2015 failed deal for Sysco to merge with US Foods. And it links to a lengthier More Perfect Union writeup for deeper backstory, which argues that Sysco has grown into the behemoth it is today thanks to “relentless acquisitions that went unchecked,” having acquired more than 150 companies dating back to 1969. “Sysco has allegedly used its consolidated buying power to pressure producers into accepting the lowest rates possible,” says the article. “… repeatedly partner[ing] with producers that have some of the most exploitative production models in the food industry.” Beyond all that, More Perfect Union explains the reason why too much food has started to taste the same, even states apart.

• April’s Culinary Connections meals highlight both Syrian and Afghan cuisines. Choose between chicken shawarma or vegetarian falafel, each plated with fattoush, Riz bi Sha’rieh, cucumber yogurt dip, baba ganoush, pita and Afghan baklava. Order now for pickup on April 18. View the menus at that link, and learn more about the inspiring program here.

• Westword reports that the city of Westminster (roughly 1/5 the size of C Springs, mind you) is launching its first-ever Restaurant Week, to run April 17 to 26. Denver’s popular restaurant week ran March 6-15, and I shared my thoughts on what it would take for C Springs to run a successful one here in my news briefs section last month. Relatedly, reports Westword, Westminster is also slated to get three new food halls.

• Local Chef Hannah Cupples continues her “Old School Mentality Gets 86’d” series of writings about the fall of global culinary star Noma. In her third installment, published April 3, she offers “An update on the progress made so far... and what’s to come.” She offers a handy timeline of events to get readers up to speed; day-by-day reports based on her time at the protests in L.A.; and teasers for what’s next in her reporting, to include interviews with a key player in the saga and a local business owner “about how we can be a force for positive change.”

•Hey Neighbor is gearing up for its 150 Tables Across COS initiative, which runs May through October in neighborhoods throughout the city and metro area. The nonprofit (formerly named CONO) is seeking sponsors and community members to host events, focusing on “the power of a shared meal with neighbors to create connection, trust and belonging.” Visit the link for details.

• Pure Distilling has finally released that special Crème de Violette that I teased back in February, made with both European Alpine Violets and Cañon City-grown Western Dog Violets, as well as blue spirulina for natural coloring. “Dog Violet Crème de Violette is light, sweet and floral but well-balanced, so it will enhance your cocktails without overpowering,” says the company in a release, which also notes that Pure Distilling cocktails will now be sold at Switchbacks FC games.

• The Mountain Freshies 2026 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is now registering members. Their delivery season of locally (and naturally) grown produce and other farm products will run July 8 through Oct. 15, with pickup points around the area, including Manitou Springs’ Flying Pig Farm on Wednesdays.

New spring menus abound

If you follow your favorite eateries online or pay attention to foodie Facebook groups, you’ve probably noticed some fresh posts this week spotlighting new spring items. The Warehouse Restaurant caught my eye (hello yak grillades & grits, rabbit loin parmesan, and spring lamb sirlion) — as did Side Dish Dozen member The Wobbly Olive (hello birria hand pies, spring garden gnocchi, and Dubai angel food cake).

I got invites to two other tastings, which I’ll share with photo galleries and some details below:

• Firstly, The Broadmoor invited select media for a spring menu preview at Summit, featuring new plates by Chef de Cuisine Rocio Neyra Palmer and her team. Everything was roundly lovely, vibrant and delicately flavorful, letting the superior-quality ingredients speak for themselves. (I’ve written many times in the past about the Broadmoor’s exclusive sourcing.)

Picture clockwise in a spiral: Chef Rocio; Gentile Yellow Tomato & Tomatillo Gazpacho; Crushed Burrata Salad with tangerine, espelette pepper candied almonds and garlic focaccia; Fort Collins Mushroom Lasagna with mushroom ragout, buffalo ricotta and fontina béchamel; the striking dining room; Moulard Duck Chile Relleno with crispy sweet potato, garden squash, cotija and red chile relish (chef’s favorite); Beef Tenderloin with pommes purée, Colorado asparagus, heirloom carrots and bordelaise sauce; Parisienne Gnocchi with English peas, spinach, grilled spring onions and heirloom carrot purée; bartenders Ben (left) and Dennis, displaying the Sparkling Summit (lavender gin, lychee liqueur, lemon, sparkling prosecco) and The Smokin Marg (reposado tequila, lime, Chichicapa Mescal, Grand Marnier).

For a dessert showcase, Pastry Chef Issi presented four gorgeous and truly impressive desserts. Clockwise from top left: Tropical Baba au Rhum with mango sorbet; Tres Leches White Chocolate Sphere with vanilla ice cream and cake crumble; Vanilla, Chocolate and Pistachio Profiteroles with croquant glazing; and Ancho-Cayenne Chocolate Tart with strawberry sorbet. (Watch my mesmerizing 20-second video of the Chocolate Sphere being melted tableside with a hot horchata cream.)

What else to know: Not only Summit, but La Taverne, Ristorante Del Lago, Golden Bee, The Grille, Play at the Broadmoor all have refreshed spring menus. Executive Chef for The Broadmoor Justin Miller says roughly 25 to 35 percent of the menus change across the outlets seasonally. Summit is also doing a 150/250 prix-fixe menu through April 30 to celebrate Colorado and America’s respective anniversaries; both options are three courses, with the higher price point including wine pairings. Also keep an eye out for announcements on upcoming Meet the Maker events on property, featuring various specialty tequila, bourbon and wine products.

• Next up: Side Dish Dozen member Elephant Thai invited me by to photograph some newly added menu items and a couple variants of existing menu choices. These plates will be redundant at owner Suwanna Meyer’s other outfit, Chaang Thai.

Picture clockwise in a spiral: Vegan Appetizer Sampler of fried tofu, kabocha squash tempura, and vegetable egg rolls and samosas with homemade sweet chile sauce; Red Curry Quarter duck leg with pineapple and bell peppers; Sweet Chile Sriracha Tempura Shrimp; Khao Soi Noodles with pork cutlet (options for vegan tofu; slow-cooked beef or chicken drumsticks); homemade coconut ice cream with peanut crumble; owner Suwanna Meyer; Nam Jim Jaew 48-hour, lime leaf- and lemongrass- marinated pork, grilled, with sticky rice (gluten-free); Chu Chee tilapia in red curry with bell peppers, broccoli and basil (sub salmon for $5 more); and a medley photo.

Side Dish Dozen happenings

Bristol Brewing Company: Join us at Bristol’s swanky speakeasy in the Ivywild Gym on April 11 for our annual Prohibition Party! Celebrate the repeal of Prohibition from 7-10 p.m. with 33 cent Yellowkite Pilsners, cocktails, scandalous casino games and a 1920’s themed costume contest! Must be in costume and must know the secret password to enter. Stay glued to our social media for clues!

Red Gravy: Uh-oh, it’s more drama with Pastarama! The Short Rib Ravioli is the undefeated champ of February and March. Now it faces off against a new contender: Four-Cheese Manicotti: Pasta Tubes filled with Ricotta, Parmesan and basil and baked with marinara, Mozzarella & Provel cheeses. Topped with Fried Spinach; $20.

T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila: Taco Tuesdays feature $3.50 tacos all day and $5 Margaritas and Swirls. Happy hours are 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and all day Sunday. Our $12.99 lunch special gets you chips & salsa, two tacos, rice, beans and a fountain drink; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. bird tree cafe: Happy hours, 3-6 p.m. daily. District Elleven: new Tapa Tuesdays!

Blackhat Distillery: We’re very proud of our Head Distiller Kyle Bonasso’s Duelers agave spirit lineup. Stop by our tasting room to try the Blanco, Double Oak, Dark and barrel-strength Midnight. Tours available during select times Thursdays-Saturdays. Or, step into the Distiller’s Vault with Kyle, 5:30-7 p.m. third Mondays monthly. Tickets required; RSVP at production@blackhatdistillery.com.

Four by Brother Luck: Book a five- or seven-course private Chef’s Table with us for any occasion. Wine pairings available. Email info@fourbybrotherluck.com to reserve. Come see us for our newly expanded and revamped happy hours, 3-6 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays. Reserve now for Easter Brunch, April 5.

Elephant Thai & Chaang Thai: Come for our desserts! Sticky rice and mango, sweet rice and Thai custard, coconut sticky rice, or one of our five ice cream desserts, including with fried bananas or churros. Also newly released is Chef Suwanna’s homemade coconut ice cream!

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

Hot Wheels Car Show at Mash Mechanix Brewing Co.: April 4, noon. Check out classic cars, trucks, rat rods and more with a beer in hand.

Meet & Greet with William Schultz at Seven’s Gate Taproom: April 4, 6 p.m. The local author of Jesus Springs: Evangelical Capitalism and the Fate of an American City dives into the story behind Colorado Springs’ culture and influence.

Brewster’s Easter Brunch at Whistle Pig Brewing Company: April 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Great Craft Beer Egg Hunt at more than half a dozen local breweries. April 5. See the social media pages of each participant for more details: Bristol, Lost Friend, Fossil, Goat Patch, Peak N Pines, Wackadoo, Mash Mechanix and Nano 108.

Beer Releases

American Hop Revolution IPA at Peaks N Pines: A collaborative beer brewed with all Colorado ingredients: hops from Montrose’s Billy Goat Farms, grain from Loveland’s Root Shoot Malting and yeast from Golden’s Propagate Labs. (Releasing April 5.)

Pueblo Chile Lager at South Park Brewing: Bright, crisp lager with that signature Pueblo chile kick. Easy drinker with a little extra flavor.

Dark Mexican Lager at 105 West Brewing: A smooth, approachable dark lager. Great if you want something lighter, but not your typical light beer.

Curated by Brandon Heid and Gerry Reyes. For full listings of beer-related events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

April 4: Pikes Peak Chocolate & Cheese Fest at Norris Penrose Event Center. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry tickets range $6 to $59 VIP. Tasting tickets sold on site.

April 7: Fluff & Flame: A Spring S’more and Wine Experience at Latigo Winery. 6 p.m., $40.

April 11: The SoulFULL Series at COS City Hub with Latimer’s Kitchen & Catering. $99 includes six courses by five local chefs and a drink ticket. “Inviting meaningful conversation that fosters connection, collaboration and shared responsibility for the well-being of our city.”

April 16: Fables & Folktales Wine Dinner at Margarita at PineCreek. $85; call 719-598-8667 to reserve.

April 18: Pikes Peak Library District Foundation’s annual Night at the Library at Library 21c. 6-8 p.m; $150 benefits PPLD. Featuring 20 local food and drink vendors serving snacks inspired by classic and modern storybook themes.

April 21: Adictivo Tequila Dinner at TAPAteria. 6 p.m.; $99 for five paired courses.

April 25: 19th annual Spring Wine Extravaganza at Cañon City’s Winery at Holy Cross Abbey. 1-4 p.m.; $50 includes wine, food and live music.

April 26: Sip with Schnip Brunch at Evergreen Restaurant. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Full details to come.

April 26: Third Annual Rooftop Invitational cocktail competition at Lumen8 Rooftop Social. 6 p.m. Eight teams, single elimination rounds with surprise challenge ingredients. Spectate and sip the creations.

Parting shot(s)

Choojai Sushi Thai & Ramen (at Trails End Taproom)

I read online that “Choojai” translates from Thai to mean delight and encouragement, something like positive reinforcement. I think that spirit will serve it well at Trails End Taproom, which remains a somewhat odd space on the whole, filling the big shoes Mason Jar left behind by way of legacy real estate. It’s the holdout in the self-pour beer category of drinking out, with half the dining room space still devoted a wall of eclectic taps. (It’s also for sale, as announced this past November.)

So don’t be surprised if there’s more change-ups sometime soon. Recall that Chuckwagon 719 came and went from the space in early 2025, citing a landlord dispute. Though Choojai has now been open a few months in the same half of the building Chuckwagon occupied, it feels as if they’ve barely moved in decor wise. Aside from the couple of banners photographed above, the white walls are blank, feeling more hollow than intentionally minimalist.

Maybe I’m just reading into things. I feel reassured that the operation’s not fly-by-night when I chat up our server and learn that Choojai’s owner has two existing eateries operating with this same menu, under different names. He says one in Grand Junction has been around three years, and a location in Evergreen has operated for two. That helps explain the expansive eight-page menu with which we’re presented.

I often worry that catch-all Asian fusion menus lose themselves in trying to offer something for everyone while specializing in no particular item, such that they rarely transcend from being serviceable to being exceptional in any way. On the whole, that’s how Choojai stacks up for me.

Crab rangoons are textbook fine and only ordered to stave off getting hangry while we await our mains, as we’ve arrived unintentionally ravenous from a prior social engagement. So too does an Uni Shooter help pass the time: cold, gooey sea urchin bits and creamy quail egg in rice vinegar with briny red tobiko and sharp scallion garnish.

We order two sushi rolls and neither wows us. The textures feel off, with the rice a touch mushier than ideal. And for how each roll reads on paper, neither really pop with flavor once we’re chewing on them. The salmon and lemon roll is almost overly rich with both cream cheese and avocado filling and the oily, hearty fish. The acidity of thin lemon segments, rind on, helps cut through that some. Spicy mayo adds a bit of tangy counterpoint. Adding wasabi doesn’t always improve sushi for me, but in this case it helps a lot.

The Señor Pico Roll gets spicy salmon, cucumber, tempura crunch, avocado and jalapeño inside and then a topping of yellowtail slivers garnished with kimchi sauce and cilantro. Despite the complexity of contrasting heat, sourness and fishy meatiness with herbal punctuation it just doesn’t synthesize into a coherent crescendo of joy on the tongue. Pickled ginger doesn’t always improve sushi for me, but in this case it helps a lot.

Next comes spicy miso ramen with all the traditional garnishes, and we slurp it down dutifully but not impressed enough to rate it above average. (I’m probably judging more harshly since having been ruined by Hayato’s excellence.) No notes. Not as in it’s perfect so I have no notes to offer — as in I take no notes into my phone as I’m not sure what else to say about it.

Finally redemption comes in the form of a bowl of duck curry that almost manages to earn its hefty $35 price tag. (Another fantastic local version that I’m fond of is only $22.95 by comparison.) Every element hits high notes for us, starting with the velvety red curry broth. The salty duck skin retains a crispiness despite being half submerged, with the flesh juicy, tender and fabulously succulent. Large cubes of pineapple, red and green bell pepper slivers and whole cherry tomatoes swim with it under an aromatic garnish of fried basil leaves. It’s a lovely symphony of sweet-heat that never loses sight of the starring protein, whose inherent duck-y flavor lingers in the finish.

My dining mates agree they’d return for this one item. So, in the end, Choojai achieves its “delightful” intent.

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Manitou Thai & Ramen

Sisters Khem Boning and Natalie Donadio started in the restaurant industry five years ago in Denver, with a Thai food catering business named Hot Chicks. Khem tells me they regularly fed lunch to hospital staffs, so they’re used to high-volume business.

Safe to say then, that though they’re only a little over a month old, they’re ready for Manitou Springs’ busy tourist season ahead. She tells me they were initially seeking to open in Colorado Springs, but their Realtor found this spot (the former Persephone Grae’s Cafe in the Barker House Apartments lobby level), and “we really like this city.” (Their Facebook page says they’re also seeking a brick-and-mortar location in Denver to relaunch Hot Chicks in the future.)

I take a couple of friends to lunch and we start with basic vegetable egg rolls that satisfy with a big crunch, dipped in sweet chile sauce.

We bypass the abbreviated noodles and curries menu sections — the full, two-page menu is right-sized for the relatively small location — and opt for one of the three “chef’s recommended” plates: Pa Lo. It’s a 12-hour braised, five-spice pork belly served over rice with boiled egg and bok choy. It exudes significant anise flavor and Khem recommends we add extra house cilantro-lime sauce, set in a condiment tray at the table. We do just that, enhancing bites with the herbal-citrus influence. The pork texture’s pretty divine, offering little resistance to our utensils.

Next up, we order the classic tonkotsu ramen, to test the other half of the business name. It’s chashu pork again delights texturally, drier and more bacon-y than in the Pa Lo. The broth’s stylistically creamy, but almost understated to the point of tasting a little lean and bland. One of my dining mates disagrees, finding it beautifully subtle. Once I add a healthy spoonful of red chile oil from the condiment tray, my bowl comes more to life and I’m happy.

I’m happier back in Thai territory though, with a selection from the rice bowls portion of the menu. The Traditional Thai Spicy Basil was Hot Chicks’ flagship item, Khem later tells me. So I’m glad we unknowingly ordered it, drawn in by the two chile icons (indicating heat level) in the menu’s margin and promise of big basil flavor.

We pick ground chicken over pork or beef for this one, and it comes stir-fried in a garlic and chile seasoning with white onions and green bell peppers, garnished with fried basil leaves. The default spice level as they make it rates respectably medium (you can always add more chile oil at the table if you wish) and bites with more rice can tone that heat down a touch if needed. The basil essence really stars and makes it a memorable dish. My friends, who are savvy foodies, sum up our experience by saying “we would happily come here again and eat all of these dishes.”

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Starving Colorado- Crêperie & Homemade Ice Cream

When we finish our lunch at Manitou Thai & Ramen my friends insist I try an ice cream that really impressed them a few months back — to the point they’re still talking about it.

We walk down Manitou Avenue, full of ice cream options, to a spot that I realize I haven’t yet been to since it opened nearly two years ago. (Mea culpa.) We duck in the door at Starving Colorado to find a bright shop split in half: ice cream on the left, crepes on the right. Sugar sugar everywhere.

I have to get the whiskey-pistachio flavor they recommend, and the vegan coconut crème brûlée catches my eye too. Both are superb, and I relish every bite. Almost assuredly, you will too if you go.

I meet shop owner Rafael Shlomo, profiled here shortly after opening in the Pikes Peak Bulletin, and I call him back later to glean more info when he’s not busy.

I learn that this ice cream is made for Starving by a custom, small-batch purveyor in the region “that makes unique flavors.” Other options that I passed up this day included basil-blackberry and strawberry-cornbread.

I’ll have to come back sometime to try the crepes, for which he tells me he buys the highest quality, “premium” ingredients.

Shlomo was an accountant for 25 years, retiring out of the field not too long after relocating his family (with three kids) to Manitou Springs. He tells me that before that career, growing up, he worked with his father and grandfather at their Mediterranean restaurant in Tel Aviv, doing just about every job required. “I loved working with them,” he says, explaining that his desire of opening his own spot here was to bring to the area products that he loves working with. “To bring the customers a smile.”

With Starving growing well enough in year two, he says he hopes eventually expand to locations out of state.

Bites & Bits

• Following a soft opening weekend of mostly private events, The Navajo Hogan began welcoming all patrons on March 24. I attended a friends and family preview on March 20, and it was awesome to see the stage back in action, courtesy The G-Men. (Imagine the honor of being the first band to mark the historic roadhouse’s new era.) We sipped on some drinks with friends and shared a pizza and fry bread for light bites. Get in to check the place out for yourself soon. I know the town is pumped for this opening. My own metrics show it, with nearly four times my average weekly newsletter readership back in early February with my preview, and roughly 10 times the social media traffic of a typical Side Dish post. Rock on C. Springs!

• According to Downtown Partnership, Slice 420 will be opening Slice 420 Express downtown soon, in the former Bento Heaven location. It will mark the company’s third location, and offer late night service.

• Roots Cafe closed downtown on March 20, encouraging fans to follow their social media for info on a new location and a re-launch date.

• Columbine Pour House, who I profiled here a couple weeks ago and who had hoped to launch on March 20, has experienced delays with final Health Department approval. So they haven’t yet opened doors in Green Mountain Falls, but they aim to soon. For context: These type hold-ups aren’t uncommon and often keep restaurateurs guessing at soft open dates. It’s why you see me more often than not use the word “tentative” when announcing upcoming openings.

• Old Colorado City’s European Cafe & Restaurant, in business for more than 25 years, posted a note at its location to say that their building has been sold and they’ll be forced to relocate by May 15. “We are actively looking for a new location,” they wrote.

• The Gazette profiled The Airplane Restaurant last week, ahead of the unique restaurant’s 24th anniversary in May.

• There’s a New Place to Store Greenhouse Gases: In Your Beer, reports the New York Times. For breweries: save money and help save the planet. It’s a no-brainer.

• Woodland Park’s Cafe Leo has a busy few months ahead of itself with a dual expansion underway. Firstly, it’s expanding into the neighboring storefront next door on Midland Avenue, which will enable a new curbside pickup service for busy commuters. Second, it’s moving into a new-built store in Falcon, which will have a drive-thru window attached. Store manager Marleia Michie tells Side Dish the goal is to open both spaces sometime in May or June. In addition to the craft coffee drinks served, using beans from the Springs’ Building Three Coffee roasters, she touts Cafe Leo’s bagel sandwiches and European-style pastries, including Norwegian sweet buns (courtesy the shop’s owners from Norway). She also mentions French-style pop tarts, which we happen to have enjoyed last month on our way through town. They’re made with a layered puff pastry and feature either buttercream frostings or varieties of royal icing. While the sweet buns are airy yeast buns with different icings, drizzles and toppings. If you go late in the day (they’re open until 8 p.m.) you might find BOGO deals to sell-out what sweets are left, as we did.

• Owner Patru Dumitru gave a “Last call for Microvora,” his local functional mushroom company. “ I have to shut down this chapter of the business due to overextending ourselves on extraction equipment/ expansion,” he wrote on Facebook.

• Springs Magazine reported on the opening of Monse’s Sweet Kitchen, offering “boba, empanadas and a full lineup of gluten-free desserts.” It’s attached to Monse’s Taste of El Salvador, and conceived as a grab-and-go. Owners Monse and Tim Hines told writer Katy Houston that the second Monse’s location destined for the former Saigon Cafe space should be open downtown by this summer. Ditto for the new iteration of Mountain Shadows, which they purchased early last year.

• Updating on Side Dish’s March 12 story on Noma’s industry reckoning: On March 20, the Los Angeles Times reported that Noma requested a private meeting with protestors, asking them to cease the demonstrations outside of the popup. Additionally, a former intern came forward to dispute allegations of abuse that happened to her, saying: “I do not think about that time as traumatic… It’s still, for me, one of the best life experiences I was able to have at such a young age.” Another intern backed her story, while leveling a charge of verbal abuse at protest leader Jason Ignacio White, sayin that interns “were suffering under him.” White disputed that and stood by his accounting of matters. The sold-out popup continues to plate $1500-per-person meals, with a retail arm set to open soon, too.

• Cinchona Coffee is drawing closer to opening its own space, directly adjacent to Provision Bread & Bakery, from which it’s been operating for the past year. Initially, Cinchona owner and barista Andrew Shepherd Combs planned a one-month popup at Provision, but one thing lead to another and he ended up extending the arrangement with Provision owner Brandon DelGrosso. There’s also been a synergy between fellow maker in the space, Joel Bogdanoff of Third Wave Chocolate. I’ve been so smitten by both the coffee and chocolate that we did a podcast episode with the guys last year. I stopped by earlier this week to check on Cinchona’s progress with its buildout. Combs isn’t ready to project a precise opening date, but let’s say it could be as early as around a month from now. Stay tuned; I’m planning a pre-opening tasting preview.

• Some local restaurants are offering outreach during the latest government shutdown. (Read: absolute clusterfuck.) The Brit shot a video at the Colorado Springs Airport on March 23 to say that they and sister outfit Codswallop will give one free entrée to furloughed federal employees. Poor Richard’s is offering free meals to affected workers until the shutdown’s over. And Bonny & Read is offering 50 percent off along with all of restaurateur Joe Campana’s outfits. Those 10 businesses, listed at that link, include The Rabbit Hole, Shame & Regret and Stir Coffee & Cocktails. Transparency note: I haven’t had much spare time to look further online, so I suspect I’m missing something; comment and share if you know about somewhere else.

• Recent scientific work (which in our society is starting to mean less and less… but I digress) has shown that kimchi “might help remove microplastics from the human body.” So, if you needed another reason to enjoy one of our local Korean restaurants soon, there it is. (If you pay with the swipe of a plastic credit card, that will be ironic in this context. Oh look at me, making light of a serious health problem. Ahem.)

• Listen up: My latest segment with KRCC/Colorado Public Radio is live, here.

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Buying local food is an act of resistance

“What do cattle producers and union workers — workers in general in the meat industry — have in common?” asks Ranch Foods Direct owner Mike Callicrate. “We’re against abusive corporate power.”

Callicrate spoke these words earlier this week in Greeley, on the picket line of JBS meatpacking workers. The strike is now in its second week.

“We’ve lost over half our ranchers… 86,000 feedlots like mine [since 1995],” Callicrate continued. “How can we possibly feed ourselves?

“JBS is running a strip-mining operation in America. It’s got to stop.”

Callicrate argues that a company on track to make nearly $2 billion in profits in 2025 should be able to take better care of its factory workers. To opt out of the system that supports this type of corporate greed, one clear option is to buy from area ranchers and farmers whenever possible. Recognizing that beef prices have skyrocketed for consumers, Ranch Foods Direct has extended its ground beef bundles, available at both retail locations in Colorado Springs. Side Dish is proud to be sponsored by Callicrate and Ranch Foods Direct.

For sale, or not for sale, that is the question

Dad’s Donuts posted on Facebook March 21 to announce “the indefinite closure of Dad’s Donuts,” saying that “Due to circumstances beyond our control, the building we currently operate out of has been sold, and we are required to vacate the premises.”

Enter the immediate confusion.

Many people who contacted Side Dish this week took that to mean their building sold downtown at 29 E. Moreno Ave. — the last location standing. But that’s not the case.

The post was actually referring to where the donuts were being produced, at 9633 Prominent Point, formerly Till and the short-lived Homestead Collective.

Recall that Dad’s Donuts’ parent company Altitude Hospitality Group opened and closed The Homestead Collective inside of a few months in mid 2025, controversially citing a lack of community support. The Interquest and Briargate Dad’s Donuts locations both ceased service on Jan. 1, 2026. Interquest had only opened a few months prior, in September 2025.

Okay, so why does this matter? Well, here’s where things get more confusing: The building at Prominent Point has not been sold. Repeat: not been sold.

I learned this after calling the commercial real estate broker’s office that’s listing it, and texting directly with Mitch Yellen, owner of Altitude Hospitality Group.

This flies in the face of the very clear wording in that Facebook post by the company, and what you may have read in the Gazette on March 22. (Said broker I spoke with shared some choice words about our town’s daily newspaper lazily misinforming the public and failing to fact-check the Facebook post.)

Okay, so what exactly is going on?

The broker confirmed that “active discussions” have been had, and even “contracts submitted” recently, but the spot remains for sale as of today. “In my world, something is ‘sold’ when ownership is conveyed with a title in a new name,” they said.

I also call a local Realtor friend who sells commercial real estate (in addition to residential), Lauren Collier, for more background on the inner workings of that world. “Commercial deals take ages to put together,” she says. “Offers and counters going back and forth definitely don’t mean it’s sold.”

You still with me here, or have your eyes glazed over? Yes, that’s a donut pun. You’re welcome.

Onto Yellen, who insists the messaging “was corrected once we realized the confusion” but didn’t elaborate as to where that correction was made. The Facebook post still says “sold” as of our text exchange and this writing.

“I’m in discussion with three groups on the building right now and will have something more concrete in a few weeks,” he says.

When I had last spoken with Yellen in July 2025, he had called Dad’s Donut the silver lining in his company’s portfolio, saying he was eyeing a Denver location by year’s end and the beginning of franchising in early 2026.

Neither of those have come to fruition, but in the confusing Dad’s Donuts Facebook post, they also wrote: “This is not goodbye. It’s simply a pause,” noting they are seeking a new space and “path forward.”

In my text exchange with Yellen, he says “Dad’s is looking at spots in Breck and Dallas.”

Five questions with Gabrielle Rossignol, baker at and owner of Bay Water Bagels

What made you want to start a bagel business?

We are a military family, and Colorado Springs is our final stop before my husband gets out of the Army. His most recent station was in Hawaii, and there’s no bagel scene there. I’m originally from Boston. I missed bagels, and couldn’t find one worth paying for. I love to cook. I’ve made macarons and more complex things and figured if I can make a good sourdough bread, why not make a bagel?

I eventually settled on my recipe. My husband said the bagels were too good not to share them. When we got to Colorado, I launched Bay Water Bagels. That was in January 2025, and a couple of months later I was accepted into markets here…

Food safety is my number one priority. I was a former ServSafe proctor for McDonald’s for four years. I’ve been with them for 14 years. I’m the Director of Human Resources for an owner/operator with 30 locations on the East Coast.

What sets your bagels apart? How do you make them?

Mine are a sourdough hybrid, using a small amount of added yeast but a 25 percent sourdough base. I lower my PH with baking soda. I didn’t want to use sugar, so I use honey. And I add molasses and bake at a higher than normal temperature to Maillard brown my crust. So they’re not your typical blond bagel. They have a chewy crunch, and aren’t super bready. They don’t sit heavy and make you feel weighed down.

People at markets will often get back in line after eating one, realizing they want another. Another thing I think is lacking with other bagels is aroma. Mine are very aromatic, when you go to take a bite it hits you and you can already start to taste the flavor.

Tell us about your bagel flavors and house-made cream cheeses.

I make 21 total varieties. Of those, seven are specialty, which get mix-ins to the dough.

My top seller by far, which is my favorite too, is my jalapeño cheddar. I’ve never liked pickled jalapeños in jars, so I fresh-slice mine, both green and red peppers. And I hand-shred Tillamook cheddar. I never buy pre-shredded because I don’t want the anticaking agents. The fresh cheese helps with the final texture.

For my cinnamon-sugar I mix vanilla bean paste into the dough, plus cocoa powder, cinnamon and brown sugar, so the flavors are spread throughout the bagel. I make one called “Sweet Heat” that’s made with jalapeños and cranberries. My everything bagel is also popular, and my salted pretzel, finished with Maldon sea salt, is quickly gaining in popularity.

I make cream cheese weekly at a commissary kitchen. There are seven flavors, ranging from chive, roasted garlic, a combo of those two — people are crazy about that one — and an orange honey nut, that’s made with orange zest and pecan. It goes really well with our blueberry bagel, enhancing the flavors. I did a chai latte cream cheese for the fall that my customers love, so I keep making it. I’ve also started selling a whipped brown butter spread.

I see that you make babka too. How’d that come about?

For Christmas, my dad sent us a box of Katz’s Deli pastrami and a chocolate babka. I hadn’t had or even heard of it before. My one-and-a-half and five-and-a-half year old stood at the kitchen counter with me and we devoured the whole loaf inside of 10 minutes. I immediately decided that I had to make one for my family, so I developed my own recipe. I now sell loaves and eight-packs of babka muffins.

What’s next for you?

For now I’ll continue to sell year-round from my home kitchen. My goal is in two years to open a brick and mortar location somewhere in the Springs. My husband will join me after he retires from the Army.

May to October, I’ll be at the Black Forest Farmers Market every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the Acacia Park market every Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. At markets I sell by the dozen or half dozen, and I do flights of three mini bagels with cream cheese. This year I’m going to launch a shaved pastrami bagel sandwich with horseradish and chive aioli.

How to get Bay Water Bagels: All orders are custom. Order online by 5 p.m. for next-day service. Pickup time slots (in the Briargate area) run 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekends. (During market season, weekend pickups will be at the respective markets.) Delivery is also available.

Editor’s note: Something I found amusing from my interview is that neither Rossignol or her husband drink coffee. Which, for a bagel business just strikes me as wild. They’re missing out on the ultimate pairing! I’m still not over it. Clearly.

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Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

Beerio Kart Bracket Night at WestFax Springs: March 27, 6 p.m. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tournament with a twist — finish your beer before you cross the finish line. 4 racers per heat, single elimination. Limited spots; go early.

Plant Swap at Goat Patch (Northgate): March 28, 11 a.m. Bring a plant or cutting and trade with others. Easy way to meet other plant people and hang out.

Cribbage & Board Game Night at South Park Brewing: April 1, 6 p.m. Join us every Wednesday night to play cribbage or your favorite board game. We have cribbage boards and a number of great board games if you don’t bring your favorite.

Beer Releases

Alligator Blood Orange IPA at Nano 108 Brewing: Bright and citrus-forward with bold blood orange flavor, light sweetness and a crisp hop finish. Brewed alongside adults from the Colorado Springs Down syndrome community.

New Zealand Pilsner at Fossil Craft Beer Co: Crisp, clean and packed with New Zealand hops. Light-bodied and super refreshing. The perfect patio beer.

Raglan Red at Lost Friend Brewery: Malt-forward Irish Red Ale with toasted caramel notes and a smooth, easy finish.

Curated by Brandon Heid and Gerry Reyes. For full listings of beer-related events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Side Dish Dozen happenings

Principal’s Office: Vote for your favorite cocktail in our Cocktail Madness competition through March 30 for a chance to win free cocktails and PO swag. Also, Easter preorders at Gold Star Bakery run through March 30 for pickup April 3-5.

Kangaroo Coffee: Our new Signature Beverage: Coconut Lavender Chai! Created by the UCCS Chancellor’s Leadership Class and premiering April 2. Up to 50 percent of April sales of this delicious new drink support their Carry the Light fundraising campaign. Stop in any of our Springs locations and discover a new KC favorite!

Goat Patch Brewing: Win beer for a year with our new giveaways. Plant Swap at Northgate March 28. Bleating Heart Night at all locations March 31 benefits Front Rangers Junior Cycling. Stop by any taproom for a pint of the Tejon Mexican Lager, back on tap for the season.

Edelweiss: Catch our 2026 Spring Wine Dinner at 6 p.m., April 22. $85 gets you five vino-paired courses. Dishes included panko-crusted Brie with lingonberry sauce; pork loin with potato pancakes and apricot coulis; hanger steak; and a white chocolate and raspberry sorbet beehive for dessert! Also, our patio is open; call to reserve a table.

Evergreen Restaurant: Our new spring cocktail menu launches next week! Join us for lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays. Menu items include our lamb burger, smoked salmon pinsa (flatbread), and shrimp linguine, with gluten-free bread and pasta options.

Allusion Speakeasy: You have until April 5 to enjoy Bar-kini Bottom at our downtown location. And until April 12 to relish Lord of the Rings at our Powers location. Next up at both locations: Star Wars, April 9 downtown and April 16 on Powers. Expect cocktails, N/A “light side libations” and all-age Padawan Brunches.

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: Our fantastic new lineup of Weekly Specials means different daily deals, like All Night Happy Hour on Mondays, Po Boys on Wednesdays, a bundled $65 Friday Date Night for two, and $1 oysters on Locals Sunday. Finish out Oyster Month with us at National Oysters on the Half Shell Day, March 31, 3-6 p.m.

Upcoming events

March 28: 2nd Annual Greek Bake Sale at Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Featuring items like baklava, spanakopita and Greek coffee.

March 31: National Oysters on the Half Shell Day Sip with Schnip at Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar. 3 p.m. onward. Join us for a 1994 Throwback Night. The first 100 oyster dozens will be sold at 1994 prices: 50 cents an oyster! Enjoy our ’90s East Coast & West Coast hip hop playlist, ’94 trivia, swag and giveaways. ’90s attire strongly encouraged!

March 31: Passport to Italy wine dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. $89, five courses.

April 4: Pikes Peak Chocolate & Cheese Fest at Norris Penrose Event Center. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry tickets range $6 to $59 VIP. Tasting tickets sold on site.

April 7: Fluff & Flame: A Spring S'more and Wine Experience at Latigo Winery. 6 p.m., $40.

April 11: The SoulFULL Series at COS City Hub with Latimer’s Kitchen & Catering. $99 includes six courses by five local chefs and a drink ticket. “Inviting meaningful conversation that fosters connection, collaboration and shared responsibility for the well-being of our city.”

April 18: Pikes Peak Library District Foundation’s annual Night at the Library at Library 21c. 6-8 p.m; $150 benefits PPLD. Featuring 20 local food and drink vendors serving snacks inspired by classic and modern storybook themes.

Parting shot(s)

Rebel Rebel owner Jacob Pfund reached out midweek to let me know that for the first time in seven years, he and his employee Ashton Longwell would be bartending a shift with Camille Stellar. She’s usually behind the counter at Chiba Bar. The significance of the moment is that the three all worked together back in the day at The Principal’s Office in Ivywild School. So consider this a class reunion.

The best restaurant stories are about “found family.” The lovably dysfunctional crew of The Bear growing together amidst lots of yelling. The cult-like love between the staff and their god-like chef in The Menu. A culinarily talented rat finding acceptance in a French kitchen in Ratatouille.

And families take care of kids.

“Everyone loves them,” says Choice Restaurant Concepts co-owner Crystal Byrd Thompson about children of team members. “Children are part of our world.”

We’re chatting about the challenges parents in the hospitality industry face regarding childcare. For starters, it’s expensive. The current annual cost of childcare for one child in Colorado is $20,000 (nearly $1,700 a month), according to Kids Strong Start, a local hub for information and action around childcare. That’s half what the average Colorado food prep and serving worker earns annually, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Even if child care were affordable, many restaurant employees work shifts on nights and weekends, times when most child care centers are closed.

“The restaurant industry’s so hard,” Crystal says. “Sometimes it’s hard to find daycare. It was for me too. I know how stressful it can be.”

So she tries to schedule parents for shifts whenever they have childcare. And when they don’t, her answer is clear: “Bring them,” she says. “If you have to, bring them.”

At her three co-located restaurants — bird tree café, T-Byrds Tacos and Tequila and District Elleven — everyone on the team willingly pitches in to care for staff kids.

“It’s so nice because all our employees see them as their kids,” Crystal says. “They all take care of them. They always get them hot chocolate or lemonade, or ask ‘what do you need?’ When customers ask ‘whose baby is that?’ They’re like, ‘That’s our baby!’”

Crystal tells me parents voluntarily take turns watching each other’s children on excursions to the park nearby and in the restaurants — worry not eaters, toddlers aren’t in the kitchen making your tacos. This arrangement works because the parents are on site and they all trust each other.

“This is not a drop and go,” Crystal makes clear. “The parents are providing care, and then it’s also the rest of the staff helping watch over. We all have eyes on them. There’s so many eyes. They trust their baby being here. Everyone trusts.”

Welcoming kids in a workplace has “always been a natural thing” for Crystal. “My mom had her own store,” she says. “I would come after school to help her and babysit my sisters on site. I just grew up like that.”

Now her four-year-old daughter Sunny is experiencing childhood in a workplace as well.

“She was born in this space,” Crystal says. “She grew up in this space. Even in the old T-Byrds, when we were painting and doing all the construction and stuff, she’d sleep in the carrier on the pool table. All she wants to do is come to the restaurant. She wants to see all her friends. This is our home.”

Crystal didn’t set out to build a childcare model. She is simply open to parenting and work co-existing in the spaces she owns in order to meet her workforce’s needs. This makes her part of a growing number of working mothers merging livelihood, parenthood and childhood in ways that don’t neatly fit into childcare models based on strict separation of work and care.

London-based Georgia Norton, a researcher of innovation in early childhood, may be the world’s first expert in this previously invisible and wildly diverse sector serving people (especially mothers) who see value in parents working in proximity to their children. I reach out to her after spotting similarities between her case studies in The Case for Child Care Plus Coworking and what’s happening in Crystal’s restaurants.

“I wanted to shine a light on people doing interesting things [around child care] because we so dearly need some good news,” Georgia tells me over video chat about the reason behind her research. “We need constructive and practical ideas right now. Not utopian. Or expensive. For that story to be the same in Australia, France, Taiwan, South America, it showed me that this was something universal.”

While the 160 childcare-plus-working spaces worldwide Georgia studied differ in the details, several common themes are present in Crystal’s approach. The trust Crystal describes is crucial to successfully and safely combining work and child care. She trusts employees to effectively do their jobs and care for their children at the same time, and co-workers feel confident caring for each other’s children.

Knowing and trusting the people caring for your child is “different from when you go to a massive, fancy nursery school or preschool setting,” Georgia says. In formalized child care spaces “you’re paying for trust, but you don’t really know them, and you’re held at arm’s length.”

Her research revealed that people creating and seeking out spaces that co-mingle work and care feel safer with proximity and access to their children than with all the regulations and inspections intended to safeguard official childcare centers.

“This is the stuff you can’t just franchise suddenly,” Georgia says. “Each community is so bonded and unique.”

Another theme in Georgia’s research is: “Not waiting for permission to make the solution that you choose.”

“It’s easy because I own this space,” Crystal tells me about her decision to allow employees to bring their children to work. “We’re also lucky because we have three different spaces. We can put kids in the back in District with some Legos. Or in a back booth at T-Byrds when we’re not busy. This is a great location because we have the park across the street that we can dip over to, and the splash pads in the summer.”

As a frequent visitor to Crystal’s restaurants, I find it charming to see staff kids sitting in a booth with their tablets and headphones, or coming in glowing from playing in the park. It’s clear they belong there.

“It meant everything in the world to me to be able to bring my child to work during Covid,” says Allie Johnstone, barista, bartender and operations lead for Choice Restaurant Concepts. “It was the only way to keep my world still going and to provide for myself and her.”

When I tell Georgia a bit about how children integrate into Crystal’s restaurants, she replies, “That’s really interesting to hear from the field. Have kids come to the place and they’ll carve out their own ownership over a space. It will make sense. Everyone can still thrive. It’s that adjacency.”

“Family doesn’t have to be at odds with the workplace,” she adds. “Let’s see what happens in the messy overlap. There may be problems, but there seem to be so many more benefits. These communities end up unlocking all sorts of interesting social safety nets, solidarity, and support. Things you could never design for or know about going into it.”

Her research makes a strong case for combining work and child care in ways that make sense for specific employers, parents and children. Exactly what Crystal is doing. Georgia’s paper concludes: “Blending workspaces with early childhood care and education… can free up space and time for stronger local relationships, foster social cohesion, and show the next generation what it looks like to have real autonomy and agency in how we work and live.”

The children of the Choice Restaurants Concepts team experience a workplace where they are welcomed and where their parents’ co-workers become extended family.

“It’s like you’re at home, but you’re not,” Crystal says. Then she pauses and looks around bird tree café where we’re seated, and reconsiders. “This is our home.”

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Beer syrup and the Funky Chicken (what’s newish at Phantom Canyon)

Last week I dropped by Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. — the Springs’ oldest operating brewery dating back to 1993 if ya’ didn’t know.

I was just planning to grab a quick beer with a chef buddy passing through town. But just a minute in the place and I got spotted by Chef Manny Coss, who I hadn’t caught up with in a couple years. (He’s been at the company for 12 years, the past six of those as executive chef.) He and GM of the past five years Mario Moser insisted on bringing some newer food items out to show us, and poured a few of Head Brewer Brian Koch’s beers to pair.

Being the professionals that we are (ahem), my buddy and I graciously accepted the sudden food challenge. (No stakes, really, but we opened up stomach real estate on the fly.) Below, I’ll detail the action in-brief.

Item one: The buffalo sauce- and buttermilk-marinated Funky Chicken sandwich with pimento, bacon and Hefeweizen maple glaze. Hot damn! What a crunchy treat. Try it with the Puff Puff Give Hazy IPA.

Second in line: Nashville hot chicken sliders on ricotta-thyme waffles with pickles, red cabbage slaw and Hefeweizen maple syrup. A really fun take on chicken and waffles, again with a lot of crunch, but more of a sweet, breakfast-y edge (reinforced by a sweet potato fries pairing). And what’s nice to sip with breakfast? A Dry Irish Stout on nitro, of course.

Next up: Elote dip with lime, cotija and tajin and tortilla chips. Absolutely kick-ass paired with the Dos Lunes Mexican Lager with a lime garnish.

And lastly, Box Car red ale-battered spicy pickles with sriracha and ranch dips. Read: super beer-friendly, salty, acidic, tangy yum yums.

Before the spread arrived, I had already ordered a nitro-charged English Dark Milk beer named The Local (which was the silver medal winner at the 2026 Colorado Brewer’s Cup). It sips velvety and smooth at a sessionable 4.2 percent ABV and features toasty malt flavor and mild chocolatey-ness. It too pairs well with the chicken and waffles, accordingly, and is a pleasant meal finisher.

I ask Chef Coss the overall inspiration and intention of his last menu refresh, and he says he aimed for fan favorites, with the house beers in mind for complementary flavors. “Nationally trendy stuff,” he says unapologetically. “We see what’s happening out there, and did it the Phantom way.”

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Bites & Bits

• The news organization behind the Smart Brevity method, Axios, launched a new Colorado Springs daily newsletter on March 9. (It’s free to sign up for, and I recommend that you do.) I spoke with the local journalist behind it, Glenn Wallace, last week to chat about the news of Michelin coming to town, and more. I’m quoted in his March 18 newsletter along with local restaurateurs Jay Gust and James Africano, as well as a Colorado Restaurant Association spokesperson and the Michelin-veteran GM/sommelier at Roth’s Sea & Steak (whose team is really gunning for an award). That’s a commendable amount of sources squeezed into the tight, bullet point-style story, and Wallace told Inside the News in Colorado’s Corey Hutchins last week that “it takes a lot of work to write this short.” Hutchins amusingly aped the Smart Brevity style for his own writeup, offering insight into what Axios’ arrival means for the local (often beleaguered) media landscape.

• I will now borrow from that same Axios newsletter (item #2 after the Michelin story) to site their exclusive reporting (meaning early access to) the James Beard Foundation’s 2026 annual industry report. It’s a state-of-the-industry breakdown for independent eateries: an 18 page document created from a survey of nearly 400 industry people who represent nearly every state in the country. Axios’ summary says restaurants “have hit a price ceiling,” with those who raised prices more than 10 percent last year “most likely to report lower profits.” They note that “Operators say diners are pushing back — skipping second drinks, sharing desserts and trimming add-ons to manage the final check.” Some operators still report good overall revenue and many remain optimistic, even though labor and food costs remain persistent problems. As a resource for industry folks, the report offers takeaways on key trends and ideas for “what restaurants can do in 2026” to adapt.

• Counterfeit Cowboy, which I first told you about here last July, has finally opened downtown. Quick reminder on the concept: The Western-themed bar comes to us via Bloom Ultra Lounge and Lazy Susan’s Cocktail Lounge co-owners Stephon Black and business partner Susan Gates. In addition to cocktails, whiskies and brews, the spot has joined the trendy hotdog train with loaded dogs alongside barbecue offerings, reports Downtown Partnership (who’s gotten there for a first visit before me). There’s also a jukebox and dance floor. When I interviewed Black last year, I asked how they would distinguish themselves from nearby Cowboys Nightclub, and he quipped: “I don’t see a lot of people going there for an Old Fashioned,” saying everyone was welcome but they were seeking a “responsible and more sophisticated” drinker.

• “Proposal to levy new fees on alcohol products in Colorado dies,” reported the Gazette earlier this week.

• BJ’s Velvet Freez opened at its new location next to Fargo’s Pizza last week.

• Black Forest Bistro announced plans for a new on-site spinoff named The Patio at the Bistro, which will be their “Small Global Plates (International Tapas) concept with a rotating menu from Chef Deanna’s travels around the World paired with Flip’s Award Winning patio cocktails.”

• Westword recently picked their Nine Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings This Spring.

• Another pick from 5280 of somewhere already open: Rougarou, “Denver’s Hottest New Destination for Southern Food.”

Side Dish Dozen happenings

T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila: Our $12.99 lunch special gets you chips & salsa, two tacos, rice, beans and a fountain drink; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Taco Tuesdays feature $3.50 tacos all day and $5 Margaritas and Swirls. Also, killer happy hours specials at bird tree cafe are 3-6 p.m. daily.

Elephant Thai & Chaang Thai: Our customers love our desserts! Fall in love with sticky rice and mango, sweet rice and Thai custard, coconut sticky rice, or one of our five ice cream desserts, including the cold, sweet stuff with fried bananas or churros.

Bristol Brewing Company: Our One Day Beer Choir is March 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m; $15 for beer and vocal music. The Bristol Spelling Bee is March 26, 6:30 p.m. Spell beer-related words for prizes. Catch our Hefeweizen Release Party with DJ music, March 27, 6 p.m. And a Craft & Vendor Market in the Schoolyard, March 28, noon to 5 p.m.

Four by Brother Luck: Our expansive new happy hour menu is live! 3-6 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays. Come try Bar Manager Kyle Mcnerny’s awesome new cocktails alongside items like hominy hummus, pork belly sliders, tomatillo gazpacho and our duck chile poutine. Also, make your Easter Brunch reservations early!

Blackhat Distillery: Join our Bob Ross painting class with a certified instructor from 5-8 p.m., March 30. $125 includes cocktails and all supplies; no experience necessary. Come sample and sip in our tasting room, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays. Tours available during select times Thursdays-Saturdays.

Red Gravy: The Pastarama drama continues! Short Rib Ravioli now faces off against Creole Rigatoni, made with shrimp, Andouille sausage, Creole-spiced tomato cream, pimento and basil. Enjoy happy hours from 4-6 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays, with half-off glass wines, drafts and well drinks plus apps on special.

Hoppenings of the week

Beer Events

Live Music at 105 West Brewing: March 21, 6 p.m. Enjoy a live performance from These Guys. Expect great beer, amazing food and good vibes for a perfect weekend brewery stop.

Dog Training Night at Goat Patch Brewing – Lincoln Center: March 23, 6 p.m. Learn helpful training tips, ask questions and hang out with other dog owners while enjoying great beer. Participants get $1 off pints during the free event.

Hefeweizen Release Party at Bristol Brewing Company: March 27, 6 p.m. Celebrate the return of Bristol Hefeweizen with free tastings. The Hoppenings team will be popping up, hosting a free-entry raffle and giving away Bristol swag!

Beer Releases

Hazy Does It at Deuces Wild Brewery: Hazy Does It delivers a juicy burst of citrus aroma with a smooth, pillowy body and just enough bitterness to keep things balanced — perfect for anyone chasing that soft, citrus-forward haze.

Orange Guava Session Pale Ale at Peaks N Pines Brewing: This beer starts with a vibrant citrus hop character before orange and guava are added for a tropical twist. Light, fruity and incredibly easy-drinking, this one feels built for sunny patio days.

Stouty McStout at Urban Animal Beer Co.: Don’t let the warmer weather fool you (although we love it). Stouty McStout proves there’s always room for a good stout. This smooth, rich brew delivers roasted malt character with notes of chocolate and coffee, balanced by a velvety body.

Curated by Brandon Heid and Gerry Reyes. For full listings of beer-related events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.

Upcoming events

March 19: Georgian Wine Tasting Evening at Evergreen Restaurant. 6 p.m.; $75 includes six wines and share appetizers.

March 21: Local Relic’s Small Brew Saturday at The Carter Payne. Noon to 4 p.m. Light bites available.

March 21: World Down Syndrome Day Blood Orange IPA beer release at Nano 108. Noon to 10 p.m. The brewery teamed up with adults from the Colorado Springs Down Syndrome community to brew; $1 from every beer sold will be donated back to them.

March 25: Mollydooker Wine Dinner at The Cliff House at Pikes Peak. 6 p.m.; $125, four paired courses.

March 26: Food for Thought Wine Tasting Dinner at Margarita at PineCreek. 6:30 p.m.; $85. Reserve at 719-598-8667.

March 28: 2nd Annual Greek Bake Sale at Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Featuring items like baklava, spanakopita and Greek coffee.

March 31: National Oysters on the Half Shell Day Sip with Schnip at Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar. 3 p.m. onward. Join us for a 1994 Throwback Night. The first 100 oyster dozens will be sold at 1994 prices: 50 cents an oyster! Enjoy our ’90s East Coast & West Coast hip hop playlist, ’94 trivia, swag and giveaways. ’90s attire strongly encouraged!

March 31: Passport to Italy wine dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. 6 p.m., $89, five courses.

[Save the date] April 18: Pikes Peak Library District Foundation’s annual Night at the Library at Library 21c. 6-8 p.m; $150 benefits PPLD. Featuring 20 local food and drink vendors serving snacks inspired by classic and modern storybook themes.

Parting shot(s)

Pikes Peak State College’s culinary program was on bright display this past weekend at their Equinox culinary scholarship soirée at Broadmoor’s Cheyenne Lodge.

Professional guest chefs worked alongside the culinary students to present dishes themed around times of the day: dawn, noon, dusk, twilight and midnight. Area chefs participating were Katie Fisco (Baon Supper Club, a PPSC graduate); Four by Brother Luck (Haley Jordan, a PPSC graduate); Supansa Banker (Chef’s Roots); Nick Jacob (Cheyenne Mountain Country Club, a former PPSC student); James Africano (The Warehouse); Rocio Neyra Palmer (Summit at The Broadmoor); and Pikes Peak State College chefs Heidi Block, Mark Painter, Michael Paradiso and Richard Carpenter.

As usual, we ate too much but loved every bite. Especially the lavish dessert spread with colorful mini treats. Next year when tickets go on sale grab a pair and support this great local program — vital to feeding talent into our hospitality industry.

I’ve been to Taos many times over the past 25 years, relying on recommendations from friends who love the area, including a couple of my college housemates who grew up there. It’s a magical town with an artsy energy and unique mingling of Native American, Hispanic and Anglo cultures, lending to sprinkles of new-age woo-wooism atop cowboy and Western iconography and desert naturalism. I’m not even exactly sure what that last sentence fully implies, which seems to prove my point about Taos’ one-of-a-kindness.

If you’ve still never been, you’ve just gotta go. I believe the below tips will help make the most of your dining and drinking time. (It’s just a starting point; there’s much more to see and do.) We recently spent a long weekend in the area after too many years away, and I enjoyed visiting past favorite spots and many new-to-me places. We got into quite a bit of eating and drinking, with your next adventure in mind, dear reader. (How selfless, I know.) In no particular order, here’s our highlights:

Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Tomorrow and Tomorrow is somewhat newer to Taos’ food and drink scene, opened in the late summer of 2024. They specialize in organic-flour sourdough bagels and breads, which are turned into both open- and closed-face sandwiches. The bagels aren’t perfect wheels, but larger, slightly misshapen pucks that hold a lot of toppings easily. Bread slices are huge too, as wide as a plate and generously smeared.

Between a couple of visits (because we like the place so much) we get a few items: The lox bagel (on a fluffy everything bagel) gets a bounty of housemade cream cheese with smoked salmon strips, sharp red onions, cucumber wheels, capers, locally grown sprouts, and finishing salt, pepper and lemon. The organic tomato puts a trio of wide tomato slices on the thick cream cheese layer with capers, dill, olive oil and again salt, pepper and lemon. It’s filling on its own, but we also devour a slice of sourdough with locally made fruit jam and a dollop of ricotta cheese.

The cafe serves excellent espresso drinks made with Portland-based Roseline Coffee’s beans. We sip a classic cortado, a housemade chai with a shot added to make it dirty, and a special-of-the-day maple-cinnamon latte. All are great, and make a little remote laptop work pass much more pleasantly. The place makes you want to linger.

ACEQ

Up the road from Taos about 20 minutes, in the tiny (and cute!) village of Arroyo Seco, very chic ACEQ came recommended to us by locals, especially for cocktails. I start with a mezcal drink made with ginger and lime juices and garnish of toasted sesame oil for texture — delightful. Lauren becomes quickly fixated on her tomato-basil shrub vodka martini, mixed with dry vermouth, infused with cherry tomato and fresh basil essences, and fat-washed in olive oil. It tastes like sipping the summer garden, in a very good way, with high acidity aiding food pairings.

For bites we opt for a trio of small plates. Lamb loin chops (locally sourced) come with a sweet pea purée, chimichurri and balsamic reduction, all great in their own ways with the meat. We quickly see ACEQ is good with sauces, as the elote corn ribs with red chile butter, cotija and lime come with a superlative mole sauce. Just as impressive is “Chef Gabe’s award-winning Chimayo Red Chile” sauce on a plate of smoked beef tips, with pickled onion, cilantro and flour tortillas. It’s 11 of 10 delicious, with mild heat, big earthiness and a little tangy richness in the finish.

World Cup Café

A tiny spot at the edge of Tao’s main plaza, World Cup has been around for 30 years, but feels more relevant than ever. That’s partly because of the resistance vibes in the signage, but mostly because their craft coffee is totally on-point, as illustrated to us by our beautifully balanced specialty mochas. The Mocha Borgia is the dark chocolate and orange pairing that’s a less sweet and more natural tasting version of a Terry’s Chocolate. The Mocha Picante mixes red chile pepper into the dark chocolate for a spicy kick and nice, back-of-the-throat smolder. We return on our way out of town to order both drinks again for our drive home; they’re that good.

Michael’s Kitchen Restaurant & Bakery

Michael’s is the place everyone tells you to go for breakfast, because 50-plus years of pastry- and New Mexican-food service lends them the credibility of being time-tested. It’s got the local diner charm, and usually a line out the door. (We waited for about 20 minutes to get in.) The plates are generally affordable, and huge. Mains come with two side item choices; a side of pancakes is actually a plate of three — wow. I get Huevos Rancheros, requesting both red and green chile, enjoying the latter most. Lauren follows suit with Christmas (red and green chile) chicken enchiladas, equally enjoyable. The pinto beans are notably good, as are the house sopaipillas for a doughy treat. They’re particularly good with sips of the piñon roast coffee, roasted for Michael’s by Albuquerque’s Red Rock Roasters. (You can buy retail bags of it to-go.)

Chokolá

You might know this about me, that I’m a chocoholic. I’ve become obsessed with bean-to-bar chocolatiers such as the Springs’ own Third Wave Chocolate, with whom we made a podcast episode. Anyway, Chokolá precedes Third Wave by almost a decade, producing gorgeous dessert treats that highlight various cacao varietals. They make truffles, tarts, mousses and of course, bars to takeaway and savor later.

I spend more than I care to admit, but don’t regret the purchases bite-by-bite. Caramel-filled chocolate flavors included a miso, a lavender and an Earl Grey, all on-point. I get a passionfruit truffle, a chile-infused one and a fabulous black sesame flavor that has somewhat of a Middle Eastern vibe.

From the wide selection of bars, I pick a few interesting flavors and one single-origin bar: a Bolivian. Like Third Wave’s bars, this one’s made with only cacao and a touch of sugar. Terroir-wise, which is to say what I faintly taste in the background of the deeply earthy chocolate, I get a little fruity acidity up front that quickly fades to a clean, smooth cacao bitterness; the flavors linger pleasantly on my mid palate.

The flavored bars by contrast are bright with their infusions throughout. A lavender bar tastes like fresh picked petals rich with oil, almost a touch soapy up-front but quickly fading to a clean floral finish. A Goat Dark Milk bar sweetened with coconut sugar hosts a touch of barnyard tang and a hint of caramel in the finish. And the most unique, the Sourdough and Olive Oil dark chocolate, features a distinct bready vibe with a tiny crunch, evoking crust, almost like how tyrosine crystals in aged cheese offer toothsomeness. I imagine if you’re someone who digs Nutella-lathered bread, this one’s for you — sub the nuttiness for a superbly rich chocolate body.

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De La Tierra Restaurant at El Monte Sagrado

De La Tierra is the eatery inside a resort hotel just up from the town plaza, and we catch a colorful breakfast there. Both plates we choose highlight blue corn. The Sunrise Power Bowl features a base of blue corn atole, which is typically a sweetened masa drink, but here served more like a porridge. It’s plated with tricolor quinoa, pepitas, house granola, mixed berries and brown sugar (which we leave off to reduce sweetness). The blue corn piñon pancakes arrive in a lavish piñon-caramel sauce, with butter, berries and more piñon nuts for garnish, plus a side of maple. Sweet? Yes. Amazing? Oh yeah.

Taos Mesa Brewing

The OG “Mothership” location launched in 2012, just outside of town on the mesa that’s famous for the Taos Earthships. The brewery hosts concerts between April and October, but it’s easier to drop by their Taos Taproom, opened about a decade ago, for regular beer and wood oven pizza service. TMB brews with grains from the San Luis Valley’s Proximity Malt, making them more local (in sourcing) than most outfits.

What the staff I chat with lack in product knowledge they make up for in kindness, which is to say I appreciate the attentive service but would like to know a little more than they or the beer menu can tell me about the house brews (like hop profiles, etc.). They also can’t answer the mystery as to why the menu of more than 20 beers is numbered, but with #1 missing. It literally starts with #2. “Taos is a quirky town,” one says by way of explanation.

Anyway, our tasting paddle shows proficiency, with no major low or high points, but a comfortable middle by way of hitting styles and landing overall totally pleasant and drinkable. We sip a pale ale that reminds me of one of Il Vicino’s beers from the late ’90s here in the Springs. There’s a bready RyePA, a creamy-textured Cold IPA, a big bouquet’d West Coast IPA, and perhaps our favorite: a low ABV (3.2%), malty and faintly nutty English mild, named Little Brown Beer.

Lambert’s of Taos

Lambert’s is a great fine dining option, where family friends kindly treated us to a lovely meal. Hence why I didn’t disrupt it by taking my usual food and drink pics. So my callout here is to commend the expert cook-job on our fish dishes. Lauren’s cornmeal-crusted ruby trout was a crispy-skinned delight served with wonderful garnishes: scallion chimichurri, huitlacoche hominy and piquillo pepper. My Scottish salmon arrived with a punchy dashi velouté, romanesco, fennel, radicchio and smoked salmon roe for briny pop. I loved seeing lesser-served vegetables treated respectfully.

Doc Martin’s

A town icon attached to the Taos Inn: go to hear live music in the entryway lounge and sip on one of the house margaritas. The Cowboy Buddha is a simple but potent Herradura silver tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime pour. I really enjoy my El Chupacabra, made with a pepper-infused blanco tequila, triple sec, house sour mix, lime and a salt and chile pepper rim.

La Cueva Cafe

And the award for Lowest Restaurant Ceiling Ever goes to … La Cueva Cafe! Though it may feel like a one-room Hobbit hole size-wise, La Cueva boasts big flavor. The chicken mole enchiladas are excellent. The sauce isn’t too sweet (like many renditions) and has a deep, rich flavor with alluring chile and cacao essences. The pulled chicken’s seasoned well and nicely tender. The beans are bully too.

Bonus stops (on the way to Taos):

You can of course choose to stay on I-25 longer and get to Taos via Trinidad, Raton and Cimarron. If you’re aiming to ski at Angel Fire, this is the better route. But the more scenic and charming drive means heading West on US-160 out of Walsenburg. If you don’t mind adding an hour to the drive, then don’t turn South in Fort Garland, but head West into the Alamosa area and wider San Luis Valley. Many recreational options, from hot springs to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, deserve attention. But looking just through a food and drink lens, here are some picks:

Gub Gub’s

Along Main Street in Walsenburg, at the turnoff for US-160 toward the Spanish Peaks, Gub Gub’s is a great stop in the morning hours for housemade bagels and Kangaroo Coffee. By later hours, nab a pizza on house dough, an ice cream scoop or cocktail.

Next time: We weren’t driving through at the right hours to hit Crafty Canary Brewery, but it’s on my list for the future.

Worth The Drive Bakery

One of the dozen Amish businesses sprinkled around the San Luis Valley, Worth the Drive Bakery is exactly that to many online commenters who initially got our attention. Head out of Alamosa to the farmland around Monte Vista and you’ll find this mini retail market. It sells everything from local jams, dairy, meat and produce items to the star attraction: house-baked breads and sweets.

You might be familiar with their outstanding hand pies, sold in C. Springs at Bread & Butter Neighborhood Market. We nab a fresh trio here: blueberry (not our fave), raspberry (true flavor) and strawberry rhubarb (pure joy). Plus a box of donuts (solidly good); a fluffy loaf of whole wheat-honey (make a sandwich with me!); and a satisfying savory snack of a chicken patty on bacon cheddar bread. Restraint was shown: We didn’t get the much-hyped, giant cinnamon rolls, though fairly priced and alluring.

The Colorado Farm Brewery

Expect an in-depth story from me in the coming weeks in partnership with Colorado Public Radio about this gem of a brewery. I’ll save my ammo for that, but for now know that if you’re heading to Taos and don’t mind the detour (down US-285 through Antonito once you leave the Alamosa area), this is highly worthwhile destination. It’s one of the world’s only estate breweries, with some house beers made entirely from on-site ingredients (including San Luis Valley water, yeast and farm-grown and -malted grains). Stay tuned for much more about it.

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