Artificial(-inspired) ingredients
How a chatbot taught a business professional to cook for real; a local bartender king is crowned (actually, belted); new Indian eats; saucy Dish Picks + more food & drink briefs and events
This week I’m kicking off with a guest column from CEO/Executive Director Jonathan Liebert of the BBB of Southern Colorado. I was recently sharing an overdue drink and meal with Jonathan at my house and he was telling Lauren and me about how AI had improved his cooking. I was naturally intrigued, and invited him to pen something for Side Dish — especially since my own toying with AI thus far has only yielded me silly photos, like the one of me and a tarantula from Lauren’s “Mattatouille” story. I’m convinced that my arduous weekly writing, the old-school way, is what will give me an edge in a world increasingly saturated with bot-written content that lacks authenticity. So consider Side Dish a proudly analog effort, despite the irony of existing as a digital newsletter. But clearly AI is revolutionizing other industries, and individuals, as Jonathan shows us here. Enjoy!
By Jonathan Liebert
This year, I did something I never imagined.
We’ve always tried to eat well in my house — but I wanted more. I wanted to understand what went into my food. I wanted to cook meals that were both healthy and soulful, dishes that connect me to culture, memory and something deeper than just fuel. So I moved to Tuscany to enroll in culinary school… Just kidding! That actually sounds awesome, but I don’t have the finances for that. Instead, I had to settle for building my own custom chatbot in ChatGPT, and the results have been amazing.
Chef Enzo isn’t real (in the traditional sense), but he’s become a very real part of my daily food rhythm. He’s a Generative AI chatbot I created to help me learn how to cook. I built him with a few specific instructions:
1. Teach me how to cook fresh European cuisine, primarily Italian.
2. Let’s start on easy mode — I’m still learning.
3. Use ingredients I can actually find in Colorado, not in Europe.
4. Focus on fresh meals from scratch.
5. Each dish must feed a family of four.
6. Create recipes that take about an hour, or an hour and a half to create.
7. Tell me about cultural, regional and historical information about the dishes we create.
This digital creation has completely changed the way I cook, eat and connect with my family. What started as an AI experiment turned into something so much more: a full-on food journey that’s made me healthier, more educated about food and a whole lot closer to the people I love.
Let’s Cook (for Real)
Chef Enzo doesn’t just throw recipes at me. He teaches me why things matter. Like how the foundation of any great Italian dish starts with a proper soffritto — onion, celery, and carrot cooked down slowly until it becomes the flavor base that makes everything else sing. Or how not all canned tomatoes are created equal, and that once you taste a real San Marzano tomato, there’s no going back. They’re sweeter, richer, less acidic — the kind of tomato that makes your red sauce taste like it simmered in Naples for hours, even if you only had 45 minutes and a hungry teenager waiting.
Learning how to build a proper red sauce, with patience, layering and intention felt like unlocking a secret code. It’s not just sauce anymore. It’s heritage in a pan. Since then, we’ve cooked:
• Baked Ziti, bubbling with mozzarella and a garlic-kissed marinara.
• Chicken Parmigiana, breaded to golden perfection, served over spaghetti with basil from the backyard.
• A slow-cooked ragu that filled the house with the kind of aroma that makes people wander into the kitchen, asking, “What are you making?”
• A silky, creamy risotto with saffron and parmesan, stirred slowly until it reached that magical just-right consistency.
Each recipe has taught me something. Not just technique, but respect — for ingredients, for time and for the simple magic of making something by hand.
Real-Time Teaching, Real-World Flexibility
One of the best parts of cooking with Enzo? He’s always available, patient and never condescending. That is of course unless you program him to yell at you like he’s Chef Ramsay and you’re a newbie that works in his kitchen! I would not recommend this approach. If I have a question mid-recipe, like “How finely should I chop the onions?” or “Is it okay if I only have dried oregano?” — he answers right away. Sometimes he’ll pull up a short video, other times he’ll just walk me through the technique step-by-step, like a calm mentor who’s seen it all.
And the flexibility? Game-changing. I can modify recipes on the fly. Swap out ingredients. Adjust based on what I actually have. I’ve even taken pictures of what’s in my fridge and asked, “Hey Chef Enzo, what can I make with this?” In seconds, I’ve got options. Actual dinner ideas.
And let’s be honest: coming up with what to cook, especially after a long day, is half the battle. It’s the silent burden every busy person carries. But now, I’ve got an idea generator in my pocket that actually knows my style, my pace, my pantry, which makes the decision process easier, faster and even kind of fun.
Through him, I’ve started to understand food as culture. As history. As science. And that’s changed how I eat, and how I teach my kids about eating, too.
Gathering Around the Table
One of the most unexpected and rewarding parts of this journey? How much it’s supported my wife and brought our family closer together.
Dinner has always mattered to us, but now it’s not just a meal, it’s a shared experience. With Chef Enzo helping streamline the process and generate fresh, realistic ideas every night, it’s taken pressure off my wife and made it easier for both of us to cook more intentionally. It’s no longer one person figuring it all out. It’s a team effort.
The kids don’t just show up to eat anymore. They get involved. They ask what we’re making, stir sauces and give (very loud and sometimes very unfiltered) reviews on seasoning. In the process, they’re learning what good food really is. Fresh, simple made with love, and not from a box.
My family helps with plating. They add some creative flair, and suddenly the kitchen feels like a place of connection rather than stress. We all sit down together, nearly every night, to something we made from scratch. We talk about our day. We pass the bread. And we eat with intention.
One of the biggest changes on this journey is how much I’ve come to appreciate fresh ingredients, and not just because the recipes call for them. I actually taste the difference now.
When you use a handful of fresh basil instead of dried flakes, or finish a dish with a drizzle of high-quality olive oil, the whole thing comes alive. Chef Enzo’s taught me to pay attention to ingredients: to smell, taste and respect them. The better the ingredients, the less you need to mess with them.
I now find myself browsing the produce section like a curious explorer. I’m comparing tomatoes. Smelling citrus. Asking questions about cheese. And once you’ve had a proper Parmigiano-Reggiano melting over your baked ziti you realize this isn’t just food. This is flavor with a story.
I’ve even started cooking more for friends. Hosting dinners. Sharing wine and warm bread, fresh from the oven. Serving that ravioli I made by hand, even if it’s still a little uneven, a little rustic. But that’s part of the charm. It’s real. It’s mine.
Old Traditions, New Tools
Here’s the practical side: cooking like this is cheaper than eating out. It’s healthier too. I know what’s in my food. I’m not loading up on preservatives or hidden sugars. And honestly, it’s just more fun. Cooking has become a creative outlet, a form of mindfulness and a kind of therapy. It’s helped me slow down. Pay attention. Create something meaningful with my hands after a long day in front of screens.
Look, I get it: AI in the kitchen sounds weird. But this isn’t about replacing tradition. It’s about reviving it. Chef Enzo helps me bring old-world recipes into a modern workflow. He doesn’t replace intuition — he builds it.
So if you’re feeling stuck in the kitchen or just want to eat more like a human and less like a drive-thru regular, try this: Open your fridge and ask a few good questions. And maybe, just maybe, invite a chatbot into your kitchen.
Jonathan Liebert is a CEO, social entrepreneur, AI thought leader and proud food collaboration with Chef Enzo, his custom-built AI kitchen companion. When he’s not helping small businesses grow, you can find him stirring risotto, hosting pasta night or asking the grocery store clerk if they carry certified San Marzano tomatoes.
Epilogue (By Matthew Schniper)
As Jonathan was fulfilling my requests for graphics and chatting with Chef Enzo, he shared what he wrote with the chatbot, asking what it thought of his story. It replied with both deserved and excessive praise, saying it “made me feel like I was right there at the table with your family.” (See! The thinking machines DO have feelings now! I knew it! … Also I digress.)
Concluding its reply, Chef Enzo offered a “bonus recipe, so readers can cook something right after they finish reading. That could make the piece even more irresistible.”
Sure, why not?
For your cooking consideration, courtesy Jonathan’s culinary chatbot, I’ve added Chef Enzo’s Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, a 20-minute dish, to my recipes page. Buon Appetito!
As for the cultural background, since that’s what Jonathan has prompted, Chef Enzo shares several paragraphs, which I’ve edited down:
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is as Neapolitan as the sound of church bells over the bay. Its origins trace back to the cucina povera — ‘poor kitchen’ — of Southern Italy, where humble ingredients were transformed into something deeply satisfying. Garlic, olive oil, pasta, and chili peppers were pantry staples that could be stored for months, making them invaluable for families on tight budgets.
This dish is also a midnight classic in Italy, famously called spaghettata di mezzanotte — the ‘midnight spaghetti.’ Friends gather late into the evening, and when stomachs start to growl, someone inevitably says, ‘Facciamo due spaghetti.’
In Naples, they’ll tell you the secret isn’t just in the ingredients — it’s in the patience to let the garlic gently perfume the oil without burning, and the confidence to keep it simple. Because in Italian cooking, less isn’t less — it’s pure.
Ranch Foods Direct has launched a new, weekly Sunday night dinner series at their Fillmore location, featuring house-cured meats and local cheeses, American Wagyu beef dishes and wine pairings. Meals are prepared by Chef Zevon Burnett. Dinners begin at 5 p.m. and are limited to 12 seats; tickets are $150.
Bites & Bits
• Too saucy? This week, Side Dish dropped a series of unsolicited, but hopefully tasteful Dish Picks on the city. (Cheers to Ryan Hannigan on the awesome graphics and editing work!) Utilitarian takeaway: My picks for the three best beer/pizza pairings at Goat Patch Northgate.
• This is an interesting tidbit that could easily be turned into a longer piece if I had time this week to call a bunch of people (which I didn’t — other irons in the fire): But I happened to be talking with one local business owner who mentioned some sticker shock when his invoice arrived for a quarterly supply order of cacao powder. Why? Because of a new “tariff” line item equating to $973.84 (9.4%) on top of a $10,000 order (of 2,000 pounds). Never mind that drought in areas of cacao production have driven up costs by 50 cents a pound, they told me, “it’s that this new line item didn’t exist last time we ordered in early summer,” they said, preferring to remain anonymous for worry of appearing political and potentially alienating customers. “We’re we lucky that we buy in bulk,” they said, “so for now we are eating the cost.” But down the road, not long from now, they’ll likely be forced to raise prices by at least 25 cents per item to even back out. “People don’t like to see prices going up, especially the regulars… I wish people understood that these aren’t really tariffs on other countries — it’s the importers and businesses and consumers who are going to pay it. In the end, for products only grown out of this country, which we have no choice but to import, it’s going to hurt us. There’s real consequences to these tariffs.”
• Ordering is now open for chicken or vegetarian Syrian meals, for pickup on Aug. 23, via Culinary Connections. If you’re unfamiliar with the refugee-cooked food program, check out my story from this past May, when I reported on Culinary Connections first service of delicious Afghan food out of First United Methodist Church’s commercial kitchen in downtown Colorado Springs. As I said then, “this is food with a mission, with purpose… nothing short of a radical act of cooking.”
• Pho King Wing, which I positively reviewed here in May, 2023, announced on July 25 that it had permanently closed “due to irreconcilable difficulties.” The Facebook post went on to give some details about issues with “the management” (ostensibly the property management/landlord") and a Regional Building Department inspection, related to a gas supply pressure test and prior shutdown as well. They also cited “escalating labor costs and staffing issues” as factors for the decision.
• It’s the final weekend of Weenies & ‘tinis! Don’t miss the creative pairings at the 11 participating Downtown restaurants and bars.
• Springs Magazine just picked their 15 Favorite Patios and Outdoor Dining Restaurants in Colorado Springs. It’s a solid list. If I were to add to it? Edelweiss Restaurant (a Dozen member but obvious choice), Paradox Beer Company (stunning views over the back side of Pike’s Peak), My Cellar Wine Bar (a particularly good mountain view among the many along Briargate/Interquest), and perhaps Pub Dog Colorado (’cuz pups).
• “Restaurants are under threat as costs skyrocket and consumers cut back” reports CNN.
• U.S. Drinking Drops to New Low, reports the New York Times.
• A dear friend/reader sent me this blip from BuzzFeed, where women are reported to be ordering takeout under male names under the assumption they’ll receive more food. Anyone locally aware of this, or tried it?
New Indian spot in Southgate
Consider this a very mini review based on my first visit to Yumz Indian and Pakistani Cuisine. It recently opened in the former I Love Phở space at 1817 S. Nevada Ave. in Southgate. I was in with friends and mostly trying not to work, and didn’t get an opportunity to speak with any ownership to learn more about the business; there was just our server and two cooks in the kitchen, busy at work on to-go orders it appeared.
We ordered some requisite mango lassis and a chai tea, which were fine, plus a spread of: Cauliflower Manchurian (fried with a “sweet and spicy sauce” which was a tangy tomato sauce of sorts); Paneer Karahi (housemade cheese in a ginger-garlic-tomato sauce); chicken vindaloo (medium spicy with potatoes); a tandoori mix plate of chicken and lamb kababs (more like sausages); honey-ginger naan and pickled mango and raita for condiments.
Overall everything was serviceable but not memorable in a way that, say Mausam was upon first visit. We did like their naan style, and the honey-ginger topping was perfectly pleasing with bites of everything. In fairness, the menu’s fairly large and this was but a few items from it, so there’s certainly much more to explore. A friend had recommended the spot, saying that they love it and had been many times already. The menu is reasonably priced. Whether it will earn over regulars (perhaps from Little Nepal not too far away on Eight Street) will be a question for longevity. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Like I said, very mini review, first visit. At least now you know Yumz is there to check out for yourself (and let me know your impressions.)
The new bartender king in town (for now)
Cocktails After Dusk — that odd, cool drink spot located inside Salad or Bust by evening hours — celebrated its one-year anniversary that past Monday evening. The festivities? The Fight Night Title-Belt Championship, completing many earlier rounds of bartender battles over the last several months.
Fight Night operates similarly (but a little differently) from the Rooftop Invitational at Lumen8 (which crowned The Archives’ Jake Beer as victor back in April). And as the Bar Battle series I co-presented with Tipperary-turned-Eleven18 earlier in 2024 — which awarded The Archives’ Shayne Baldwin top honors. (Suffice to say you now know where some very talented bartenders work.)
Beating out Baldwin and five other competitors, John Terry from Chiba Bar came out on top at Cocktails After Dusk this week. Terry’s the lovable fella you’ve surely seen in all of Chiba Bar’s fantastic and hilarious Instagram posts. (I’ll say it again: Chiba is on top with their social media game in town.)
I didn’t have to judge this time, so I was free to float around, snap pics and video and take in more of the scene. Though I did linger near the judge’s table and graciously was given sips off my industry friend Montana Horsfall’s drinks so I could taste along with the final rounds. (Attendees were given samples of the drinks from the first rounds, batched out ahead of time by the competitors).
Check out my short highlight reel here, which I believe gives a sense of the evening’s high energy. Cocktails After Dusk’s Anastacio GarciaLiley and Tim Chapman deserve credit for not only creating this very cool event, but what they’ve accomplished in a short time building their brand in an arguably tough spot. Consumers are so drawn toward atmosphere and ambiance that they might be quick to snub a drink spot located in a salad bar. But they’re missing some of the best-made and creative cocktails in town. We loved our first visit late last year, and I’ve been remiss to get back to show it the support it deserves and attend the prior Fight Night rounds.
Since I wasn’t judging, I don’t have elaborate drink notes to reveal here to explain just how John Terry edged out very capable and accomplished runner-up Regan Capozzella (currently out of the industry, but well known from her Brooklyn’s on Boulder years). Just know that the judges didn’t have an easy job throughout the evening, as competitors threw some wild stuff their way for tough evaluation.
For whatever complaints you might have about Colorado Springs — traffic and potholes, a miserable dating scene (I’m told), whatever your beef is — these bartender battles prove that there’s no cause for whining about a sophisticated cocktail culture. A handful of our finest spots show that it’s as strong as the big cities we look to for inspiration on the food front. Plus, many of our bartenders are just the damn nicest and kindest people you’ll meet. Like the barbers who become alternate therapists for their clients, our bartenders hear all the dirty secrets, and tend to their guests in a nurturing way inherent to making a special drink on the spot, just for them.
Fight Night isn’t actually about machismo competitiveness — which you wouldn’t know from Terry’s playful showboating in the above photo. Like the other battles in town, it’s about celebrating the people who make the industry what it is. Drink to that — even if it’s with a mocktail.
Side Dish Dozen happenings
Bristol Brewing Company: Red Baron Octoberfest is back on draft in the Bristol Pub on Aug. 23! And as usual, we’re celebrating this beloved German beer style with another beloved German icon, the VW bus. Head to Bristol for Buses at the Brewery from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., grab a fresh Octoberfest and admire a host of iconic Volkswagen buses and other vintage VWs. As usual, there’ll be a tie-dye station, strong stein contest, live music, footlong brats from Spark BBQ and more. Prost!
The Chuckwagon 719: Smoked ribeyes have returned and are available all day, Saturdays and Sundays. All our meats — brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, sausage, turkey, pastrami and chicken — are slow-smoked by us daily and sliced to order. We make all sides, sauces and desserts from scratch too. Noon to sellout on everything.
Four by Brother Luck & bird tree cafe (written by Lauren Hug): I've always loved the playfulness and whimsy of Wonderland, so it's delightful that TWO downtown restaurants and Side Dish Dozen members are offering culinary interpretations of the classic this month. Bird tree cafe sets the mood with mystical woodland decor and a creative drink menu with nods to well-known characters like the White Rabbit (a white chocolate cream cheese mocha with house-made carrot cake syrup), the Queen of Hearts (strawberry rose mocha), and the Cheshire Cat (a black current ube chai). Four by Brother Luck is hosting a Mad Hatter Tea Party Dinner on August 21. Given the excellence of their past theme dinners, expect culinary magic, unexpected delights and probably at least one edible flower nodding from your plate.
Rasta Pasta: We are part of The Goodies summer tour, Aug. 15. Come enjoy the free show. Also, we now have an exclusive Bristol Beer! Pair your next plate of pasta with our Rasta Red Ale!
Red Gravy: Our Red Gravy Mix during lunch hours gives you a choice of soup or salad and a half order of pasta for just $15.99. Enjoy happy hours from 4-6 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays, with half-off glass wines, drafts and well drinks plus apps on special. Come try our newly available Sea Scallops Puttanesca for dinner, a play on the classic dish built around a fabulous angle hair pesto pasta.
Upcoming events
Aug. 17: Paella on the Patio at TAPAteria. Three seatings; $45 includes a wine, sangria or beer.
Aug. 17: Smokin’ the Ute Pass Summit BBQ Contest & Fundraiser. Noon to 2 p.m. at Paradox Beer Company.
Aug. 22-23: Polaris Pour Bourbon Festival at Polaris Hotel. Tastings, whiskey takeovers at restaurants on property, lodging options and more.
Aug. 23: Cerberus’ 9th Anniversary Bash. Exclusive beer releases, live music, parking lot party, pig roast and more.
Aug. 23: Pasta in the Park on the Myron Stratton Home grounds, beenefitting TESSA. 6 p.m.; $120. Online silent auction available for non-attendees.
Aug. 28: Sip with Schnip at Red Gravy. 5-8 p.m. Extended happy hour; samples of new menu items, including the Mortadella and Provolone sandwich. (Bourdain’s favorite!) We’re celebrating the reopening of Tejon Street in front of our building, with wider sidewalks, new benches and a more pedestrian-forward design.
Sept. 13: SoCo Still Fest at The Alexander. 1-4 p.m.; $77.05-$117.45.
Sept. 13: Holes & Hops Cornhole & Brewfest Fundraiser at Weidner Field. 2-6 p.m.; benefits Colorado Youth Outdoors.
Sept. 13: Sober Soiree at the Meanwhile Block. 6:30-9 p.m.; $125 benefits Homeward Pikes Peak.
Sept. 14: Fiddles, Vittles & Vino at Rock Ledge Ranch.
Parting shot(s)
District Elleven and Chef Dustin Archuleta just released a new menu at its whiskey bar. I went to shoot some photos of it last weekend.
“Our goal is to capture the late-night crowd with an upscale gastropub menu that reflects the skill and flavors of our kitchen,” Archuleta says. “Between me and my Sous Chef Joel Blantz we worked really hard on compiling flavors and techniques that will resonate with our guests. This menu inspired us to look at our past and do more culinarily-driven things in the future. You can expect to see tasting menus that are the best hits from our Mood era, as well as whiskey tastings at District Elleven and tequila tastings in T-Byrd’s.”
Below are some quick descriptors of and impressions on what’s pictured, plus some more quotes from Archuleta explaining their intentions:
Callicrate beef au poivre sliders on brioche buns with aged Gruyère, green peppercorn aioli, brandy onion jam and arugula. Holy hell delicious! — “The au louvre sliders are inspired by the French green peppercorn steak, a true homage to beef that lifts up the amazing Callicrate ground beef product we get.”
Calabrian deviled eggs with aged chorizo and Manchego crisps. — “Though we use an Italian Calabrian pepper, the deviled eggs are inspired by the flavors of Spain. The Calabrian chile pairs well with the Manchego and the chorizo to give a flavor profile that’s very distinctly Spanish.”
Fig- and bourbon-glazed pork belly with a red cabbage puree, fried Brussels leaves and green apple matchsticks. It will be fall before we know it, and this is a beautiful late-summer dish whose flavors hint at the approaching season. — “The fig-glazed pork belly is a dish that shows the capabilities of our kitchen. Me and my culinary staff have our roots set in more of a fine dining setting. This dish is a ringing bell of Mood and shows the kind of the skills we have and where we wanna go as far as special events and special menus for District Elleven.”
Smoked Old Fashioned cheesecake mousse with brown sugar, nutmeg, Mille-feuille, candied orange peel and Luxardo marinated cherries. Naturally, you should pair this with the drink, perhaps one made with a premium whiskey. — “This is our restaurant’s third iteration of a deconstructed cheesecake and my personal favorite. The flavor profile is inspired by the Old Fashioned, bolstered by a bourbon caramel, and fresh cherries that are lightly cooked in a Luxardo syrup.”
Chocolate milk- and bourbon-soaked chocolate cake with bourbon dulce de leche, caramel tuiles and passionfruit gel. Pretty to look at, decadent to eat; reminded me of tres leches because of the wet cake crumb, and the tropical element pairs wonderfully with the Blue Hawaiian cocktail. — “This dessert was a challenge proposed to us by our owners, asking us to do a smoked chocolate cake. So Joel put coffee and a milk-bourbon soak together and paired it with passionfruit to give a lift to the chocolate and a surprisingly good pairing with the smoke.”
Blue Hawaiian cocktail: Black truffle-washed white rum, pineapple, coconut, Amaretto, blue spirulina — lactose clarified with a flamed sugar cube. What a surprising drink! I can’t think of a prior cocktail I’ve tried with a truffle element to a tiki drink. It fuses umami earthy elements to beach-y fruity notes in a way I wouldn’t think could work — but it does. This is one to try.
Matthew, I was so excited about reading your piece on the Afghani women starting their own cooking business through the 4 different agency's listed. Thanks for supporting this endeavor through your newsletter. Hope to meet you at one of your restaurant meetings in the future. Kam, The Haphazard Sourdough Baker.