A bar of his (and her) own
Rebel Rebel unites friends in a years-long desire at Eleven18's former bar space; first tastes of Totem (opening next week) and Pin-Txi Wey (now rolling)+ more food & drink news and events
Bar Mom has a new place to drink.
Well, sorta. It’s actually a spot she formerly included in her weekly rounds to see her bartender boys, but a total re-creation of it. And she’s the investor.
If you didn’t already click that link above — which you should if you missed the story, as it won a journalism award earlier this year — then what you most need to know is that Sally Wood is “Bar Mom” to the Springs’ cocktail scene. She’s pictured above with one of her good friends, bartender Jacob Pfund. His local mixologist resume is deep, and he was most recently running Eleven18’s bar program for Chef Brother Luck, who in early September ceased à la carte dining at the spot to shift into a dedicated event space.
With Sally’s financial backing as a silent partner, Jacob as proprietor is now underway with the construction of Rebel Rebel, a bar of his own in Eleven18’s former bar (once called Tipperary, when short-lived Folklore was open).
“I’ve been in this space for two years,” says Pfund. “I was here almost daily. I love it, so it was incredibly crushing when it closed down. It felt like a family member had died.”
Pfund calls it a “win-win” that he’s gotten the opportunity to take the place back, saying that Luck told him he admired his passion for the bar, and wanted to support him in making Rebel Rebel happen. “He has.” Including helping with legal paperwork and overall business mentorship. Plus, the rent’s very good for downtown.
“For me, it’s been a long time coming,” Pfund says. “I’ve been asked for years ‘when are you gonna’ open your own bar.’ My answer has been the same: ‘the stars have to align, I’m not going to fight it. In this situation, everything lined up perfectly.”
Part of that right-time, right-place includes the fact that Sally has been seeking to back a bartender for years, going as far as pursuing other projects that didn’t materialize. So it’s the first situation that’s worked out for her, too. “I want to support my guy, and be part of the industry,” she says. “Leave my mark on something I love.”
I ask if she’ll still do her rounds. Of course. She lists off people she has to see between Cocktails After Dusk, Shame & Regret and Chiba Bar, among others.
Here’s the breakdown of what to expect from Rebel Rebel:
Atmosphere and vibe: “The name’s based on a Bowie song,” explains Pfund. He and Wood explain that they’ve planned a ’70s theme, but “more of a time capsule” versus how you’d decorate for a party or popup. Meaning: “more like how a bar would have been in the ’70s.” Think: blue collar, but quality.
“I feel like there was this huge pressure [across the industry] in the last few years to create serious drinks so that you could charge a serious price,” says Pfund. “It’s almost like the price of your drink validated the skill of the bar. I’m tired of that, I don’t want to be a distraction to your experience when I give you a cocktail. It’s not about me. It’s about your experience with the drink in front of you. I want cocktails to be fun again.”
To that end, there’ll also be a focus on music. Not just room for a DJ or small band occasionally (that’s coming from removing the walk-in cooler to add space), but a record player behind the bar and a vinyl library “for old school hi-fi nostalgia,” he says. He envisions playing whole albums at a time, perhaps with curated guest set lists so to speak, like collaborating with local record shops to borrow and spin their picks. Of note: he’s also aiming to activate the underutilized patio along Wahsatch Avenue.
The food: Super simple, not the focus. A hotdog, chips, maybe a grilled cheese, and bar snacks. Basically just the legally required bites to soak up booze. “We’re a neighborhood bar,” Pfund says.
The drinks: One red and one white wine. Everyman beers like PBR, Montucky Cold Snacks and High Life. (They’ll point people just down the block for craft beers, to Gunslinger Brewing.) Pfund says he’s observed the neighborhood in the past couple years and noticed that despite the somewhat luxury apartments that have gone up, “people just want a cheap beer when they venture out.” While some have been impressed by the former, elaborate cocktails, he feels higher prices prohibited them from making themselves regulars. “I want people to have their seat here.”
He says when he was costing menus in the past, they’d ask “how much can we charge for it.” He wants to flip the script on that and ask “how little can we charge to still make a profit?” He wants beers for $3 to $7, and cocktails between $8 to $12. But he wants to keep two traditions from Eleven18 alive: 1) an absinthe program, with over a dozen choices served in the Parisian way (ice water slow-dripped over a sugar cube on a slotted spoon over a glass). And 2) an at-cost bottle program, from which he procures highly expensive, allocated spirit bottles and sells pours at his cost, so people can try things they’d otherwise never get access to, that other places charge multiples for. (A recent example is a $450 bottle of Bainbridge Yama single grain whiskey; they sold pours for $28. Mezcal moved quickly, with some bottles tapping inside two days.)
As for what cocktails he will make, Pfund says he’ll be able to hit classics and favorites by request. He’ll do popular industry shots like Ferrari’s (equal-parts Fernet and Campari). And he will revive some of his own creations that he’s traveled with between bars, like his Stormin’ Norman (a bestseller at Eleven18) made with Yellow Chartreuse, rye and amaro.
I can’t help but ask: What about the Triple Nickel Tavern, right across the street? “There are a lot similarities,” concedes Pfund. “I’m gunning for the same clientele. But I firmly believe in this neighborhood. I talked to them and they’re excited to have another place nearby. It makes our community stronger to have more than just one.” Sally backs him up on that; her bar routes are evidence that people like to hop, and proximity helps them do so.
I also can’t help but ask: Isn’t this a significant step below your capability as a bartender? (No joke, he’s one of the most talented in town.) “True connoisseurs can see past just making a creative drink,” he says. “I might not offer the most elaborate cocktails anymore — I had a lot of fun the last two years with the ‘ooo’s and aaah’s’ I got — but my skillset and bartending ability is still there. For people who can’t see past ‘my drink’s not on fire’ there’s other places for them out there. But I’d love to win them over with our hospitality and environment.”
When’s it opening?: “We’re pushing hard for Halloween.”
Totem to open next week
I gave you the primer on Totem here in late July, but if you need a recap (and just can’t be bothered to click that cumbersome link), here it is:
A Mazatlán-born cafe and bakery are taking over the former The Well space at the corner of E. Pikes Peak Avenue and Weber Street. Expect a mirror menu to Mexico’s — “elevated international comfort food with Latin American and authentic Mexican” influences — for all three meals, with table service and bakery goods to-go. Plus a very capable coffee and cocktail bar.
The launch date: Thursday, Oct. 23, with a 4 p.m. ribbon cutting and celebration to follow.
I stopped in during staff training and final setup earlier this week to chat with respective co-owner and manager David Ferretís and Alejandro Martinez, whom I’d prior spoken with remote from Mexico. They introduced me to their local management team and provided what few samples they could at the time, so I could get a first taste of Totem and what’s to come.
As I toured, the first batch of plants showed up at their door, and the guys re-emphasized how much they want to achieve the feel of “an interior garden,” to bring the vibe of Pacific coastal Mazatlán to Colorado Springs. A mural that’s underway, of tropical plants, spanning the length of the dining area, underpins that desire.
The guys start me with a chocolate chip “cookie” — I’ve put that in quotes because it’s unlike any other I’ve seen. It’s the size of a bagel, and they say it’s New York style, rightfully pointing out the divinely chewy interior. To any other businesses downtown perhaps feeling trepidatious about their arrival (perception of competition being what it is to some), Ferretís holds the cookie up as example of how “we’re not doing the same thing as others. We don’t want to compete with anyone, we’re just different. Another option. They don’t need to be afraid of us.”
To pair, Head Barista Lia Linares serves me a perfectly on-point cappuccino, made with beans from Denver’s Huckleberry Roasters. That exemplifies another conscious decision to be different; to source coffee from outside of the immediate area given the wide existing support for our local craft roasters. Linares tells me she began her journey with Totem as a customer a couple of years ago, working in Texas between then and now.
Next, the guys introduce me to Head Bartender Aldo Sierra (coming from the same role in Mexico), who gets right to the matter of winning my heart by making me two coffee cocktails: a traditional Carajillo with just espresso and Licor 43 (regular readers will know I’ve become obsessed with these); and a Mezcalillo with espresso and mezcal. They’re both frothy and fantastic, the latter reminding me of a drink I’d once made at home with a splash of mezcal in my pourover, which I’d casually named “mezcoffee.” As I sip, Ferretís points out the the style of the hefty and colorful coffee mugs they’ve purchased from New Zealand, the same ones they use in Mazatlán. They place attention to detail on the little things, which as a whole help compose the atmosphere create a customer’s experience.
From the coffee counter and bar my tour takes me into the back of the house to meet Executive Chef Marcela De La Vega and Pastry Chef Evelyn Avendaño. Both are still dialing the Mazatlán recipes into the local climate as they train their new teams and run test batches. De La Vega says only a handful of recipes have proven good as they are, with the others requiring micro adjustments. She notes how our milk and butter taste different, as one example. Another is for their salsa verde she’s found our tomatillos taste more acidic than sweeter ones back in Mexico, so it requires more balancing. As I depart the prep kitchen area, they’re about to tackle a 30-ingredient mole sauce.
Meanwhile, in the bakery, Avendaño tells me that none of her baked goods have come out to the desired level on her first try. There’s the obvious altitude factor she’s contending with. Each time she runs a batch, she’s adjusting her flour and water ratios by 10 percent, baby stepping into the hopeful sweet spot.
With one week to go to be public-ready, there’s an air of excited anticipation mixed with understandable stress and finish-line fatigue. What’s clear, though, is a strong sense of duty and passion, to see Totem birthed with the beauty it aspires to exude. For a whole year while this space was dormant, the town wondered what would (and could) replace The Well, and become viable where it failed to be (for reasons we’ve discussed.)
All I can say for now, from an early snapshot, is that Totem looks up for the task. The scope of their ambition has precedent, with six years of success in Mazatlán. Maybe they can indeed prove themselves to be something different, and earn a steady fanbase.
Coming full circle (for now)
Chef Fernando Trancoso finally launched Pin-Txi Wey last week, his latest venture after shuttering Inefable in August, 2024, and winding down Tepex more recently at Avenue 19 food hall.
Tepex was Trancoso’s original (and quite popular) food truck concept, which brings him full circle as he heads back out onto the road with Pin-Txi Wey. He’s currently parking at Cheers, noon to 7 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays. He’s hoping to regain spaces in the local brewery circuit soon. Check his Instagram for updates.
I stopped by this week to taste what’s new and chat about the fresh concept, which Trancoso tells me was originally aimed at being a brick-and-mortar. One of the first things he points out is that nowhere on his branding and menu does it say “Mexican food,” even though the current offerings are very much just that. He says the menu will be fluid and change, and with his anticipated catering and events business, he’s willing to make other cuisines.
Meanwhile, on this new truck, which actually is the old truck with a fresh paint job and logo design, there are a couple throwbacks to please former fans: Tepex’s green mole chicken and Inefable’s pork belly al pastor. They’re joined by new items like Chile Colorado, carnitas, beef and potatoes and “lambacoa.” Trancoso jokes that the price of beef has gone up so much, it’s now comparable to buying lamb — so he has.
Also entirely new about this menu: flexibility to generally order the proteins as tacos, bowls, burritos, quesadillas and tostadas. “It’s what people want,” he says, acknowledging that he’s coming off his fine-dining high horse (rooted in his time in Santa Fe) to meet them where they’re at. He’s still doing what he’s known for, he feels, but allowing it to take new forms.
Trancoso and his partner/co-owner Princess Deleon invite me and my former CS Indy colleague and fellow food writer Bryce Crawford (who’s in-town for work) onto the truck to hang out as they cook for us. It gets us out of the aggressive wind that day and allows me to better meet Deleon, who tells us she grew up on a food truck. Specifically her father’s, a local forebearer to today’s prolific food truck scene, named Tacos Yuyin. She says he made it fun for her, and she learned a good work ethic; her favorite dish was his carne asada, which she says he did differently than others.
What we eat:
• a lambacoa taco: maybe my favorite bite; it’s basically lamb birria, laced with clove essence in the aftertaste. Trancoso says he steams it versus braising it, like it’s done in his hometown of Aguas Calientes, Mexico.
• pork belly al pastor straight up: just as I remember it from Inefable. Rich and unctuous, achiote marinated and dressed with a salsa naranja (orange sauce), pickled onions and pineapple for sharp and fruity, acidic offset.
• a chicken mole tostada: the base is a crunchy tortilla with a smear of black bean paste and crema. Then comes the sour-bright mole flavor on the tender protein, and pickled elements of the garnish. Trancoso uses the item to exemplify his hierarchy of “flavor, color, texture.”
• a skewer of shrimp Zarandeados: juicy and slathered in a Guajillo sauce, mildly spicy and faintly smoky, simple and delicious.
• a Chile Colorado burrito: Trancoso says his Chile Colorado rendition is traditional in Northern Mexico and features his favorite trio of chiles in harmony: Ancho “for depth and color,” Guajillo “for sweetness and aroma,” and Morita “for spice and smokiness.” It’s a fantastic red chile pork item and the burrito feels like the right vessel for it, given the options.
• a beef and potato bowl: chewy chunks of beef shoulder, braised with roasted tomatoes and a Serrano pepper salsa and plated with salsa ranchera and nopales (cactus bits, snappy on the outside, slightly slimy on the inside, like aloe stems). Most like a hearty beef stew, pot roast-y and great as leftovers with eggs in the morning (which is what I did with it).
Side Dish Dozen happenings
Bristol Brewing Company: Next Thursday, Oct. 23 offers a special chance to quaff rare beers from our archives plus a pre-release glass of our brand new winter brew: Imperial Warlock. Enjoy our bottle-conditioned Belgian Saison, 3-year aged Old No. 23 Barley Wine, Venetucci Pumpkin Ale, and luscious Imperial Warlock, all paired with a Brent Beavers four-course feast featuring meats from Ranch Foods Direct and Venetucci Pumpkin Ale ice cream from Josh & John’s. Co-hosted by Schnip, and includes a brewery tour with Mike Bristol. Grab your tix here ASAP! Also, help us welcome back Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout at our annual release party (and Sip with Schnip!) on Friday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m., with live music, a free beer sample and a small bite, plus our traditional group toast.
Eleven18 Event Space: Check out our new catering menus for passed apps, live action stations, buffets and plated courses. You can also book Chef Brother Luck for private home events to include bar packages and DJ services if desired.
Elephant Thai: Stop in to try our newly released, super delicious dessert, Bua Loi. It’s made with tapioca and taro balls in a sweet coconut milk broth. Our staple dessert menu includes mango sticky rice, sweet rice with Thai Custard and ice cream items.
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. Happy hours are 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and all day Sunday. $6.50 margs, $4 beers, $5 nachos, and much more. Make any taco a bowl or burrito on our new menu.
Red Gravy: Make us your lunch spot. Our Red Gravy Mix gives you a choice of soup or salad and a half order of pasta for just $16.99. Enjoy happy hours from 4-6 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays, with half-off glass wines, drafts and well drinks plus apps on special.
The Chuckwagon 719: Our sensational smoked brisket burgers are only $7.50! Brisket nachos are $15. We also serve smoked chicken salad by the pound. If you don’t know what our “Tater Bombs” and “Texas Twinkies” are, come see us and find out. Noon to sellout on everything, Thursdays-Sundays.
Rasta Pasta: Come see us for our amazing happy hour deals, 3-5 p.m. daily: $5 munchies, $5 house wines, $4 rum punch and $3 Red Stripe beer. On Tuesdays get two pints for the price of one! Now pouring Goat Patch Hazy IPA and Blonde, Apple Valley Hard Cider, Bristol’s Laughing Lab, Beehive and Rasta Red Ale.
Upcoming events
Oct. 16-19: Brakemans Smashed Burger Bar One Year Anniversary. Daily specials.
Oct. 16-19: Tapateria 15th anniversary celebration. Daily specials, including BOGO’s, extended happy hours, drink deals and a Sunday Birthday Paella.
Oct. 18: Folk ‘n’ Flannel at The Meanwhile Block. Includes a beer garden, chili cook off, live music and more. 4-8 p.m.; $15-$40 supports UpaDowna.
*Oct. 23: Rare Barrel Community Dinner at Bristol Brewing Co. 6:30 p.m.; $120 all inclusive. Sneak peek of first-ever barrel aged Imperial Warlock; rare bottles of Belgian Saison and Old No. 23 Barley Wine from the Bristol archives; first of its kind Venetucci Pumpkin Ale ice cream from Josh & John’s! Food menu also to include Ranch Foods Direct pork belly pastrami and smoked brisket with Smokebrush Porter pan sauce. Very limited seating. Reserve early.
Oct. 23: Wine Exploration 2: Red Wines with Sophie Yoneoka, at The Library at Ivywild School. 5-6:30 p.m.; $50 includes education and storytelling, cheese and charcuterie.
*Oct. 24: Sip with Schnip Winter Warlock release party at Bristol Brewing Co.
Oct. 25: Downtown Candy Crawl. 2-5 p.m.
Oct. 25: Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival. Enjoy dining and drink from Manitou Springs businesses alongside the day’s many festivities.
Oct. 25: Halloween Party at Red Leg Brewing Co. 6-10 p.m.; adults only.
Oct. 25: Baon Supper Club 2 Year Anniversary Dinner Party. 6 p.m., four courses and welcome cocktail; $75.
Oct. 28: Passport to Tellitalia Wine Dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. 6 p.m.; $89. Benefits Happy Cats Haven.
Oct. 30: Spirits of the Night Tequila and Food Tasting at the Fine Arts Center. 6 p.m.; $65, five spirits with small bites.
Parting shot(s)
Last week I finally attended a Sunday Supper Club at Red Gravy. The menu featured Chef Eric Brenner’s “favorite things.” It became easy to understand why that is so after tasting through everything, which was roundly exceptional. Here’s what we ate:
• Seared branzino with sautéed broccolini and Puttanesca relish, inspired by his favorite item at Favazza’s on the St. Louis Hill, where he began his career.
• Mushroom ravioli with Brussels Sprouts leaves and butternut squash in brown butter, a dish with which he won one of his greatest culinary competitions at the Taste of St. Louis.
• Braised veal osso bucco with saffron risotto and pistachio gremolata, in honor of the late Chef Alessandro Bozzato,who opened Truffles in Ladue with Chef Eric.
• Blueberry Gooey Buttercake Ice Cream, a throwback to our collaborative series between Side Dish, Red Gravy and Josh & John’s. (Nailed it!)
Speaking of the collaborative ice cream series, I made my way back to Josh & John’s this week for the first round of our fall series that’s ahead. Our guests were Bristol Brewing Company and Gold Star Bakery.
On Nov. 7 at all J&J’s locations, look for a Venetucci Pumpkin Ale flavor and a Salted Maple Pie. They’re both absurdly delightful. We’re so excited for everyone to try them. If you can’t wait that long for the pumpkin ale flavor, we are doing a sneak peek at our Barrel Room Dinner on Oct. 23. (Info and links higher up in this newsletter).
Watch the flavor being dialed in by all the people in lab coats: