Circular seasoning
Bay Water Bagels gears up for farmers market season with its unique product; Dad's Donuts shutters (for now); Navajo Hogan finally reopens — and all those things are wheel shaped, hence my headline
This week, I’m kicking off with news briefs, as I sometimes do depending on local haps and what feature stories I’m working on my back burner. Plus, it just happened to be a tidbit-heavy seven days. Also, why be stringently orderly in an increasingly disorderly world? Oh — and Side Dish just passed its third anniversary in business this week! Come celebrate with me next Tuesday at my happy hour Sip with Schnip at Jax Fish House, 3-6 p.m.
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.
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.
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.