"Burn it down"
COATI food hall reboots after four years; Tap&Table tours a hot pepper micro-farm; Wild Goose announces closure; Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory makes viral Dubai Bar + more food & drink news
COATI will celebrate its fourth anniversary with a big party on Sept. 7. The ticketed event, running until late, includes a Taste of COATI from noon to 4 p.m., with unlimited tasting samples from 10 food vendors and four drink makers; Metric Brewing is doing a tap takeover as well.
But that’s a boring listing lead, so let’s start over here with the more pertinent info about what’s new at the colorful food hall: Most prominently, if you haven’t been in for a while, you’ll notice several new food stalls greeting you on the south wall just past the entryway. PigLatin Cochina Chef/Co-owner Andres Velez is behind them. He and co-owner Aaron Ewton, who heads COATI’s parent company Atlas Restaurant Group, have “moved into a formal partnership named Cochino Concepts,” says Ewton, adding “we have more things coming down the pipeline soon.” At COATI alone, he says there are still several thousand square feet of unused space that they’re slowly “carving out.”
The two initially came together to open PigLatin eight years ago, and Velez has operated Korean-inspired Anju inside COATI since its inception. Kicking off the many changes underway, the partners opened Toasted Bunz several months ago at the food hall as a bodega-inspired sandwich concept that includes burgers and hot dogs. And just ahead of this anniversary party, they’ve unveiled two more brands: Green Freak and Arepapi. “We wanted to burn it down and start over,” jokes Ewton, alluding to taking the food hall “in a new direction” as a “necessary reboot.”
Green Freak’s tagline is “greens, grains and gains” — not a far cry from Ewton’s other Atlas business Ola Juice Bar in terms of the healthy focus. “If you're trying not to eat anything fried or anything too heavy, this is your go-to,” says Velez. “We have salmon, chicken, shrimp, tofu — and it's mixture of greens and grains and different toppings. You can build your own, or we have presets; so different combinations of flavors.” At a media preview, samples include the Gimmie Chimi and the Heat Freak with added chicken. The latter gets spinach, kale, cherry tomatoes, red onions, corn and bean relish, fried panela cheese, radishes and a red pepper buffalo vinaigrette. The former starts with wild rice and black beans, which receive roasted tomatoes and onions, fried plantains and garnishes of cilantro, pickled onions and a chimichurri dressing. Even with the limited fried elements, everything’s light and fresh.
Arepapi presets itself as Latin street food with a focus on (naturally gluten-free) arepas — nine creations by Velez to be exact. But again, you can customize plates: a press release says to “think of it as a Latin American pita with build-your-own options.” Velez says he’s been kicking around the idea for Arepapi for the past five years, getting back “more to the roots of my culture.” He’s Colombian. He notes he used to serve arepa sliders at PigLatin in the early days “but they got out of hand” with too much labor intensity on that menu, so he decided to shelve them. Now that he’s revisiting them as the focus item on this menu, he’s re-envisioned his approach, saying he doesn’t care for Colombians’ typical, simple presentation. Instead, he likes how Venezuelans have turned the item more in a sandwich direction.
But, he clarifies, “That’s still not my thing. So I decided to make more interesting fillings, to make it more myself.” There’s a Cubano spinoff and other renditions built around Caribbean beef, citrus grilled chicken, steak, pork belly, shrimp and even scrambled eggs and chorizo. At the tasting, he gives us the Mother Clucker, inspired by a Venezuelan Arepa Pepiada and constructed with a cooling avocado-cilantro chicken salad topped with grilled pineapple, red onion, cotija and a spicy salsa roja for counterpoint. “You won’t see anything like these arepas in other places,” he insists.
What’s else to know about what’s new (or at least new-ish since you may have last visited) at COATI?
• What was previously the Pikes Peak Brewing Lager House attached to the food hall on its north side is now called Uprise Taphouse. It sports more than 40 rotating regional and local tap beers. Its rooftop bar and event space has been rebranded to be called Outlaws, and includes a collage mural with photos of Hunter S. Thompson intermixed with Western imagery. A poster of Johnny Cash flipping the bird hangs behind the bar. “It resonates with our rebellious spirit and how we see ourselves in terms of what we bring to the community,” Ewton says. “We’re our own unique personality — not cookie cutter.”
• Chef Ben Hoffer, recently the lead mentor at Shovel Ready, has come aboard Atlas as Culinary Director, overseeing the company’s kitchens.
• The former cubby that COATI called the Plant Vault has become an arts space with 30-day popup displays by rotating artists.
• Ephemera, located upstairs at COATI, is unchanged by the happenings downstairs (and remains among our few top, creative fine-dining spaces in town, inspired by its own artistic approach). They will take part in the Taste of COATI event on Sept. 7.
• Vintage & Vinyl now has a retail store set up across from Luchals and Rival Bar and opens noon to 9 p.m., Thursdays-Sundays.
Tap&Table tours a rare Colorado hot pepper micro-farm
Maybe you’ve already met Cindy & Jeff from Leaning Tree Micro-Farm, as they display weekly at the Old Colorado City Farmers Market. Their products are unique and interesting, ranging from dried hot pepper varietals to infused jams, baked goods, fruit-based hot sauces and coffee. On an acre and a half of farmland in Fowler, Colo., they grow 60 pepper varieties that include mild and medium cultivars as well as the worlds hottest peppers, like Carolina Reapers, Morugas, Hellboys, Scotch Brains, St. Lucia Scotch Bonnets and many more. “It’s a little bit of everything to make everyone happy, depending on what heat level they like,” says Jeff, noting the farm also produces 10 heirloom tomato varieties, cucumbers, zucchini and basil. “Every type of Superhot has a unique flavor and heat profile,” Cindy had told me prior to our visit. “Chilacas and Bulgarian Carrot peppers have a smoky, late-arriving heat. Reapers are pure heat, etc., etc.” Even at its tiny size, Leaning Tree is one of the top three Scotch Bonnet growers in the U.S. My cohost Ryan Hannigan and I were thrilled to tour the farm and do a product tasting with Jeff and Cindy — which will compose another episode that we’ll drop very soon as a spicy Pt. 1/ Pt. 2 punch. This first episode gets us out from behind the microphones and literally into the field, for more of a documentary short film feel. We sincerely hope you enjoy it. And make an effort to sample some of Leaning Tree’s products yourself; they can also be ordered online.
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Take a day-drive through Fowler
While we were in Fowler — where you can visit the Leaning Tree Micro-Farm farm stand in season — we needed a bite of lunch before our drive home. Jeff and Cindy advised us to head down the street of the 1200-ish population town to The Oxford Bar & Grill, which is attached to the Blackbird Soda Shoppe. Both opened under the same ownership in recent months, in a historic building on Main Street that we’re told used to host a JCPenney, then a pharmacy and most recently a flower shop. We’re also told the owners, JD and Jen Johnson formerly ran a business named Shorty’s Backyard, with locations in Pueblo downtown and in Pueblo West. His parents had moved to Fowler in the 90s, and he opted to return to the area around four years ago. Based on the businesses’ buildout, it’s clear the couple’s investing in the tiny community.
We nab two short rib burgers made from beef raised in the area and butchered at Blue Ribbon Processing in Fowler. The Colorado comes with bacon, queso and Pueblo chiles while The Mesa gets grilled onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, Pueblo chile, garlic and Provolone. Especially for a small town bar, we’re impressed by both, starting with the medium-rare/medium-cooked meat flavor and continuing through with the quality toppings that capture spice-laced, fatty richness on the one burger and vegetal, earthiness on the other. We sip from a couple frozen drinks with Blue Bunny ice cream from Blackbird, one called the Pre-Game and the other the Blood Moon. The first blends vanilla ice cream with frozen lemonade and prickly pear and piña colada syrups. The latter with the same ice cream and lemonade plus blood orange, coconut and vanilla syrups. The flavor combos are fun for the sugar rush and brain freeze. It’s all small town charm.
Make Beef Bulgogi with Ranch Foods Direct
Our Schnip’s Pick cut-of-the-month at Ranch Foods Direct is Callicrate top sirloin, featured in this outstanding beef bulgogi recipe. It’s courtesy our guest chef Supansa Banker of personal chef and catering business Chef’s Roots. Just click on the image link and you’ll be directed to a short grocery list that includes the top sirloin and RFD beef tallow. Mention Side Dish at RFD’s retail market for 5% off your shopping cart.
Wild Goose Meeting House announces imminent closure
In a Facebook post on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 22, The Wild Goose Meeting House announced it would shutter permanently on Sept. 14 after almost 11 years in business. In part, the post said: “This difficult decision comes after extensive efforts to navigate the challenges of the past several years, ongoing competition, and the broader impact of inflation on the hospitality industry.”
The coffee cafe is co-owned by Mayor Yemi Mobolade and has seen a number of hardships over recent years despite making it past a decade in business (which anyone in the industry will tell you is increasingly hard to do). The specific challenges I’m referencing mostly revolved around former co-owner Russ Ware and business practices he engaged in. As always, I would link to some of my own reporting in the Colorado Springs Independent from past years, but with their archives still defunct, I’m left to link to Gazette reporting here if you need to play catch-up on the tip dispute with workers in 2020, the major kerfuffle with siphoned money toward short-lived Epiphany in 2022 and the 2024 lawsuit against Ware and Mobolade by Shamrock Foods for alleged failure to pay for nearly six figures of products.
When I reach financial manager and Wild Goose and sister outfit Good Neighbors co-owner Mike Gemm, he doesn’t wish to make comment on any of those matters involving Ware that I pose to him. He instead says the Goose’s closure relates to “a variety of factors, including margins, how we deal with customers, labor, supply, economics — it’s not one thing that’s the reason.”
I ask how Good Neighbors is faring these days and he says “it’s business as usual there,” clarifying that the two businesses are separate legal entities. “It’s doing well and serving that community well,” he adds.
That begets the next obvious question, given the similarities in offerings between the cafes: “What’s different downtown, then?”
“For us I go back to our statement [on Facebook],” he says. “There’s a lot of ongoing competition. We ask ‘are we serving our customers well’ and we think some of our competition is serving our customers better.”
Gemm wishes to highlight the other part of Wild Goose’s Facebook announcement, reiterating how grateful they are to the community for its longtime support. To clarify the closure date: it will be after service on Sept. 14, and Gemm says as of now they haven’t scheduled any special programming for the closing weeks, but to keep an eye on their social page for announcements if they opt to.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory hops on (and tries to keep up with) viral Dubai Chocolate Bar trend
The Springs, as usual, might be a little late to the party, but our two local Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory locations are helping us get hip by now offering Dubai Chocolate Bars. The items, originally conceived by Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, have become a TikTok sensation. Fix’s owner told CNN she was shocked to see the bars become a global fad, calling it “insane what’s been happening.”
That was many months ago, and GM and owner Robyn Frier of our Springs RMCF location says the Dubai Chocolate Bar’s arrival to her stores began because one of the wider company’s California locations was getting customer requests and put it on their menu. I came to learn that all 150 stores nationwide essentially share ideas and menus to create product consistency from door-to-door; ideas must be approved by the home office (and original location) in Durango, Colorado though. Fun fact: Our Old Colorado City location is the first franchise (as in second RMCF location), opened in 1982, the year after the original location was established.
Anyway, the Dubai bars are made with four simple ingredients, says Frier: the milk chocolate shell (which technically has its own ingredient list but stick with me), pistachio paste, tahini and kataifi. People online go bananas for the bar because of its unique crunch factor, likened to an ASMR experience. RMCF’s Dubai bars are $22.50, which sounds steep, until you understand that they weigh a half pound. That’s equivalent to the weight of about seven basic Hershey’s bars.
The recipe she and her brother Jason Baalman (who’s also active in the business since their father passed away in 2015 and their mom moved into semi retirement) received from California was only shelf-stable for three days, though. So he got to tinkering to figure out how to extend the shelf life. They’re now up to eight days, but they’re in talks with the R&D team in Durango on how to potentially extend that longer and approve an updated version.
Frier says that since they announced the bars last week they’re beginning to receive more calls and have already produced more than 200 bars. They’re ramping up to meet demand such that in an eight hour day, a team of two should be able to make close to 100 bars. (FWIW, when The French Kitchen started making their viral Paris Chocolate Muffin, inspired by the Olympic Village and a local suggestion, they sold upwards of 100 muffins a day, inspiring them to extend sales through the Paralympics.) For now, RMCF’s Dubai Bars are on a 1-per-customer limit and must be pre-ordered by calling 719-635-4131 (the OCC location) or 719-593-0089 (Shops at Briargate). As soon as the siblings feel they have enough back stock — perhaps within the next couple weeks —she says she aims to lift that limit, and continue making the Dubai bars “until demand ceases.” She adds they have some “other spinoff items we’re awaiting approval on.”
Galvanizing the homelessness discussion
I received a huge response to my story in last week’s newsletter about the City’s homelessness response plan and passionate input from restaurateurs/retailers. I heard from more affected businesses who reached out with additional sad/wild/scary stories of things that have happened to them. They confirmed a common theme around public urination (sometimes on front windows during service), near-daily encounters with feces, instances of threat to their staffs, and assaults on themselves as the interveners in various situations. Some gave examples of compassionate outreach that essentially backfired; such as providing access to a bathroom only for a person to use drugs in it. Even handing out water would lead to more requests, which opened a door to loitering that affected customers. I won’t belabor you with every detail, but two conversations stood out that I’ll briefly quote from.
One was with longtime bartender personality Montana Horsfall, who has worked in the wider downtown corridor between bars for the past 12 years. She said: “Number one, it has gotten significantly worse. And number two, more dangerous. Number three: Compassion goes both ways. I don’t have a problem with the homeless when they don’t give me a problem. I have a problem with the problems they’re causing.”
Another chat, adjacent to my visit to COATI, was with Atlas Restaurant Group’s Aaron Ewton, who operates several downtown establishments and lives very near the area. He’d experienced multiple menacing situations; he says he’s been punched by people on two separate instances; he’s had younger female employees be aggressively sexually harassed; and he’s been disappointed by interactions with police where they’ve engaged suspects and he’s desired to press charges, he says, but been told that “there’s nothing we can do” seemingly by way of probable cause and specifics to the circumstances. He says it feels like “the unhoused community is armed with info on exactly what they can and can’t do” to get away with bad behavior and crimes; in other words knowing how to not escalate to an arrest. To counter that, his advice to other businesses is “be informed and know what your limits are,” such as how to forcibly remove someone from a space. “I think the fear is we’re more likely to get an assault charge for taking action.”
Ultimately, Ewton says, “It’s hard to invest in this downtown community if your team members’ safety is always a question.” He calls himself a big proponent of downtown for the past decade, but he’s now questioning if he would sign any new leases beyond what Atlas has committed to and “whether some of our concepts should stay,” he says. “I wonder if we could have better success in other neighborhoods. For us, it’s sad.”
On Tuesday, Mayor Yemi Mobolade responded to the community’s concern with an email addressed to “my fellow business owners” and sent to those who’d signed up for last week’s public-input session via the Downtown Partnership. It’s too lengthy to share in full, but he assured that, “I have heard from many of you that it is impacting and disrupting the services you are working hard to provide to our community. And that it is diminishing your quality of life.” Mobolade listed seven action items added to the homelessness plan from the business owners’ feedback, including increasing the number of Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) officers; reviewing City ordinances; exploring legislative reform “to increase enforcement abilities,” and providing a toolkit “on how to access resources available for trespassing, vandalism, waste cleanup, etc.” The Mayor went further to say he’s planning to take ride alongs with the HOT team, Police and Fire departments “to engage directly with this pressing issue… and gather critical insights that can inform better policies and practices.”
I asked a couple business owners on Wednesday how they felt about the Mayor’s message, and one found it “vague,” wishing for more details. (Perhaps those will be released with the official plan in September; those I’ve spoken with seem intent to press the City until satisfied with answers.) Another questioned what the cost to the City (read: taxpayers) will be for the necessary “funding priorities” mentioned.
Bites & Bits
• The economics of eating out have some of Denver’s top chefs dismayed, discouraged and looking elsewhere says The Colorado Sun. “… Higher operating costs were exacerbated by the more commonly known culprits, like inflation, which pushed up the price of not just food, but also construction, insurance, utilities and property taxes. Labor shortages fueled rising wages and new worker benefits, like the state’s paid-leave program. ….” The article holds a wealth of info that might foretell what’s to come in Colorado Springs. Additionally, it notes frustration with bureaucracy at the City level that’s delaying openings and making it more difficult to do business. That’s something Lemon Lodge Ski Bar cited as to why they were closing earlier this year, pointing the finger at Pikes Peak Regional Building Department.
• Go Fish Food Truck announced on Aug. 22 that it will cease operating Oct. 6. “There is not one single factor but a multitude of factors that have led me to make this decision,” owner Christina Voreadis wrote on Facebook. She says the truck is for sale on Marketplace and she’s open to selling the business as a whole.
• Stompin’ Groundz has obtained a liquor license. On Aug. 23, it’s launching happy hours from 4-6 p.m. with a cocktail and beer menu.
• Yes, I have seen the sign at 324 E. Pikes Peak Ave. and am aware that night ramen is coming soon. I’ve got an interview set up and will have news for you soon on who’s behind it, what to expect, and when it’s opening. (Side tangent: Do you know how much writers and copy editors squirm when businesses adopt lower case branding and we have to break grammatical rules and risk reader confusion? Kinda a lot, as we all become a little OCD after too long in the business.)
Side Dish Dozen happenings
• Rasta Pasta: We’re proud to team up with US Foods and donate the pasta for TESSA’s Pasta in the Park fundraiser on Aug. 24. Come support the event!
• Blue Star Group: Only a handful of tickets remain for Aug. 26’s Stellina Supper Club. A summer-inspired, 5-course dinner will feature a Palisade peach spritzer and lamb ragu. Buy tickets here. Also, don’t miss summer pie flavors at Gold Star Bakery: Strawberry Rhubarb and Key Lime Pie. Order before EOD Aug. 24 for pick up Aug. 30.
• Allusion Speakeasy: Our new Beetlejuice theme launches Aug. 29. Make your reservations now. See some of the awesome glassware we’ve procured here. And find out how we redesign our popup bars quarterly, on the fly, here.
• The Carter Payne: On draft now from Local Relic: oak-smoked plum table sour (Schnip has sipped and it’s epic), matcha saison and a dozen-plus other creative brews. Join us in the taproom before close of business on Sept. 1 to celebrate the retirement of our restaurant arm. From there forward it’s special dinners and private events.
• Edelweiss: Join us for happy hour in the Ratskeller, 4:30-6:30, daily. Stick around for a schnitzel plate (we serve four customizable options) or one of our other traditional German entrées. Always save room for our splendid desserts.
• The French Kitchen: As first teased here in Side Dish, we’ve now begun sales of our retail crêpes! Also, due to high demand, we’ve extended sales of our Olympic Village-inspired Paris Chocolate Muffins through Sept. 7.
• Red Gravy: Come see us at the Revel: The Urban Arts Party on Sept. 7. For our course, we’re serving steelhead trout with a tarragon risotto cake, Caponata, citrus-fennel slaw and basil vinaigrette.
• District Elleven: Come for happy hour, 4-6 p.m., Tuesdays-Fridays and gets $6 tapas, $6 wines, an $8 Old Fashioned, $5 wells and $4 beers.
• Bristol Brewing Company: Check out a host of iconic VW buses at our annual Buses at the Brewery event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Aug. 24. In keeping with the German vibe, we'll be celebrating our Red Baron Octoberfest. That same evening, at 8 p.m., join us for Movies Under the Stars with the first Deadpool movie.
• Ascent Beverage: Head to Basil & Barley Pizzeria Napoletana for their Bees Knees cocktail made with Jackson Hole Still Works Absaroka Double barrel aged gin.
• Eleven18: Visit us for our happy hours, 4-5:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays. Stay over for samplings from our raw bar or paella for two.
• Goat Patch Brewing: Wheat Exotic beer fruited with soursop, persimmon and rose petals releases, 5 p.m., Aug. 23. Redraw the Farm plays 6-8 p.m., Aug. 25. Trivia, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Aug. 28.
• Odyssey Gastropub: Fellow restaurant workers, catch Service Industry Tuesdays with happy hour pricing all day. Get our unbeatable OG Combo: $15 for a cheeseburger, fries, draft beer, and well shot.
• Kangaroo Coffee: Hop by one of our four regular C. Springs locations for our signature, six-shot Avalanche breve with caramel and white chocolate. Or keep it traditional with a cappuccino or Americano. Hot day: get a Roofresher.
Upcoming events
*Support your local growers and ranchers at our area farmers markets. Check out Visit COS’ handy online guide.
• Aug 24: Italian Wine & Cheese Tasting at My Cellar Wine Bar. Anytime noon to midnight. $35 gets samples of six wines, seven cheeses and tiramisu.
• Aug. 24: Pasta in the Park at the Myron Stratton Home. 6-10 p.m. $120 tickets benefit TESSA (domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking response advocates). Enjoy pasta samples created by local eateries and other involved organizations alongside adult beverages and much more. (I’ll be judging; come say hi.)
• Aug. 25: Twist of New Orleans, a curated evening of painting, dinner and live jazz at Summa. 4-8 p.m.; $90-$170 tickets here.
• Aug. 25: Bohemian Tea Party at Smokebrush Farm. 1-4 p.m.; $71.21-$129.89. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter. Enjoy farm-to-table dishes paired with teas and a performance by a dulcimer master.
• Aug. 25: OCC Brewing’s 3rd Anniversary Party. $3 off beers all day plus special beer releases, taco specials and live music 4-6 p.m.
• Aug. 27: Boodle Fight, No Forks Allowed with Baon Supper Club and Fil Craves By: D'nette. $65 gets you a seat at a communal dinner where you’ll eat with your hands and explore Filipino culture.
• Sept. 7: Limited tickets remain for Revel: The Urban Arts Party. 5-8:30 p.m., $175 includes a six-course, wine-paired, al fresco dinner in AdAmAn Alley, plus greeting cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment and a post-meal dance party.
• Sept. 8: Fiddles, Vittles and Vino at Rock Ledge Ranch. 2:30 p.m. to late. Sample from a variety of local vendors and enjoy beers, wines and spirit pours alongside live music performances. $65 tickets benefit the historic ranch.
• Sept. 13 [Early warning]: Sober Soiree at the Meanwhile Block. 6-10 p.m., $100 tickets benefit Homeward Pikes Peak. Samples, chefs, mixologists, live music.
Parting shot(s)
I have to say, regarding local coverage on homelessness, the most burdened and aggrieved over the unhoused seem to be… not the unhoused.
Good luck nailing the Mayor down. Interesting to note his lawsuit with Shamrock Foods. Sort of makes it look like he was job hunting when the Mayor gig came up.