Embodied spaces
How one operator's personality plays out in her trio of interconnected bars and eateries; we dine and drink through Breckenridge's new Hotel Alpenrock resort property + news briefs, events and more
No big organization survives on the work of a single person, but an individual can certainly have such a profound impact on the whole that they become the symbolic linchpin in the operation.
For Choice Restaurant Concepts, which is to say the interconnected trio of T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila, District Elleven and bird tree cafe, that person is Co-owner Crystal Byrd Thompson. But not because of a traditional top down management approach. Rather, she’s the first to say she can’t make decisions alone, relying on staff input. She trusts their feedback and thrives on their enthusiasm.
“I don’t use words like ‘buy-in’ and ‘agency’, she says. “I say ‘do you like this, does it feel good, because you’ll be the one doing it. It’s your business and money when you step out out onto the floor. You’re in charge of what you take home.’ I want them to be happy and proud of where they work, and to have a sense of ownership. If they’re feeling good, they’ll treat our guests well.”
To borrow from the cliché about needing to know the rules before you break them, Crystal did come out of the corporate structure of the fashion and beauty brand Dior. She spent 14 years with the company, starting at a single beauty counter in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (where she and her husband Mikey grew up, and where she attended UTA), and rising to become an account executive overseeing Dior counters inside more than 40 big-name retail stores between Colorado and Utah.
She hired, trained and developed reps; she traveled as a makeup artist; and she created marketing concepts and events to promote the merchandise. “All that translated to building our team here,” she says, pausing for a contemplative beat, before adding: “Dior was a dream job. Not something you just quit.”
And yet she did.
Not too long after the couple opened T-byrd’s in 2016 in its original location on Kiowa St. Mikey was working inside the marijuana industry and Crystal found that juggling Dior duties with running a restaurant didn’t leave time for much else. And this was before they had their daughter Sunny. “I’d be on my way home from Fort Collins or somewhere, and see on the cameras that the T-byrd’s staff was slammed. So I’d show up there, still in my suit, and jump in on the line.”
It’s that kind of roll-up-the-sleeves action that’s earned her not just staff respect, but loyalty. Allie Johnstone, barista, bartender and operations lead for Choice Restaurant Concepts, says “Crystal works harder than I’ve ever seen an owner work.”
She recalls “the moment I knew I loved Crystal,” which was the soft-opening date of Mood (a prior tapas concept in the current T-byrd’s space). A couple of hours before showtime, she and Crystal were both still in paint-covered shorts and t-shirts touching up the end caps of the booths. “It was blood, sweat and tears,” describes Johnstone, saying they’d been working since sun-up, and only had time to run home to change clothes before the long night shift ahead.
“Six years later we’re still busting our asses every day,” she says. “So much care goes into every corner of these businesses. Crystal’s fingerprint is all over it. Nothing is here just because. If something’s there it’s because she cared, and put it there.”
That speaks to the decor and atmosphere that makes the taqueria, coffee cafe and whiskey bar all so interesting and inviting. Once you get to know Crystal, you’ll realize they’re all expressions of her personality and person. (I’ve gotten to know her well over the past two years as a supportive Side Dish sponsor.)
In high school, she worked in her mom’s interior design store. They loved to go thrifting together in search of unique items, things “with a story.” District Elleven best represents that passion, as a wild, floor-to-ceiling array of odd artworks and decorative items. Some paintings came from her mom’s store and almost everything else was curated around Colorado Springs. It took two weeks maneuvering a scissor lift around to hang it all. “I wanted it to feel like your grandfather’s den,” she says, “like things collected over a whole lifetime.” (In fact her grandfather’s antique radio is positioned against a wall near the bar. One other easter egg: an amateurishly painted portrait of Gordon Ramsay in the lounge area that she didn’t hang herself. She has no idea how it got there, like a Banksy-esque art joke played on her.)
In bird tree cafe, rotating art on the walls contributes to its whimsical vibe, as do seasonal decorations tied to themes that inform Johnstone and team’s specialty coffee and tea drinks. (That’s everything from a holiday to a work of literature or movie.) Crystal tells me she also waited tables in college, and always wanted to own a coffee cafe. Even now that she does, she hasn’t had time to train on the espresso machine properly. “I live vicariously through my staff for now,” she jokes. “But when Sunny goes to kindergarten, I want to learn to barista.”
T-byrd’s by contrast is artsy in a colorful and social way. There’s an enormous Mexican-iconography-themed mural spanning an entire wall, hanging faux plants and thatched lanterns, neon lighting framing the large tequila selection at the bar, and papel picado (the strings of folk art banners reminiscent of Tibetan prayer flags). This is Crystal’s playground for events, like themed DJ nights (typically on third Saturdays monthly). The staff loves doing events,” she says. “They all help create them, and they’re really the embodiment of everyone here.
“We’re one big island, but each space has its own dynamic and vibe, she says. “With all three spaces our dynamic is so wild. But back-of-the-house is the heart of it all, where we live. Their energy and creativity fuels us. They’re always playing good music back there.”
She says the respective staffs will retreat to one another’s spaces for social breaks and that they’re all “besties in a way.” Some, like Johnstone, are cross-trained to work at multiple spots. “They manage themselves — that’s how I train,” Crystal says. “I want them to feel like part of the space. Their opinions matter. We’re in this together.”
Johnstone says Crystal doesn’t just understand business, but understands people as individuals, and wants to see both succeed.
“She’s really good with people,” says Mikey. “It’s her best skill. She gets people in a way most people don’t. People genuinely have a connection with her. It’s not fake. We have a lot of regulars because she’s here all the time. She’s become a mom to the staff. And probably half the customers, too,” he jokes.
When it comes to Crystal’s big why, her reason for giving up Dior for all this, she says “It’s because I want to see all these people. I look forward to coming to work and helping the staff and getting to know our regulars. I enjoy talking to them, and seeing people light up in the spaces we’ve created — when they see the new decorations in bird tree or go into District Eleven for the first time and look around with amazement. I just like for people to feel good and have a good time at a fun getaway.”
National Margarita Day Sip with Schnip at T-Byrd’s
Join us for a special Sip with Schnip from noon to 3 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 22. Happy Hours run ALL DAY with $6 Tommy-style and frozen margaritas, and a full food menu that includes $4 HH nachos, $9 Dirty Byrd Wings, $7 pork belly burnt ends and $3.95 tacos. We’ll have a one-day-only, “Schniperita” Margarita special too. Tunes from DJ HotBoii from noon to 5. (In summation: Yeah boyeeeeee!) Be there.
Chef Mario’s pozole with Ranch Foods Direct
I ate at the Alpenrock: Dining and drinking through Breckenridge’s new resort property on the mountain
A few weeks ago, we overnighted as guests of Hotel Alpenrock to check out their culinary offerings. Here’s a breakdown on the spot and our favorite bites and sips:
The setup:
Hotel Alpenrock was formerly a DoubleTree by Hilton, built in the mid 1980s and ready for an overhaul. We’re told that took 18 months. It’s now operated by Sage Hospitality Group, who oversees other resort properties like Denver’s The Oxford Hotel and Estes Park’s The Stanley Hotel. Alpenrock is located directly across from Peak 9’s QuickSilver Super 6 Chairlift, and is Curio Collection by Hilton’s first property at a major ski resort.
Alpenrock’s overall design theme hearkens to snowy Western mountainscapes. The lobby level hosts an array of eclectic artworks, from black and white photography and colorful landscapes to canvas portraits and music-inspired collages. The hotel’s entryway (past valet service) features modernist lines, metamorphic rocks as reception desks and an homage to ski gondolas with the overhead lighting.
Visually designed to be an ode to summertime in the area, Edwin is named for 19th century Breck pioneer and miner Edwin Carter. Its color palate evokes evergreen trees. You enter past reclaimed aspen tree trunks, a bar and an open-fire pizza station. A dining room highlight is a commissioned work by artist Crystal Liu in the style of a Chinese landscape painting: it’s the Blue River that runs through town from the Tenmile Range, with local wildflowers like bluebells, violets and chamomile. Though the setting’s quasi-fine dining, attire is casual, to welcome après-ski guests alongside townies and tourists. Pricing is reasonable given the location and setting.
Edwin bills its menu as “modern, mountain cuisine that balances richness with seasonal freshness.” For our meal, that translates to a hearty, warming bowl of elk green chile, creamy squash ravioli and toasty Winter Harvest pizza. The respectably spicy chile arrives in a house-baked sourdough bread bowl, a crusty treat on its own as we disassemble and dip it. Garnishing fresh herbs and crème fraîche brighten and cool bites. On the side we sip a citrusy and lightly sour N/A cocktail named the Snow Baby, made with Seedlip Spice 94, almond essence, lime and honey.
We move to a nice glass of Nebbiolo to pair with our pasta and pizza. The squash-stuffed ravioli gets a garnish of toasted hazelnut crumbles and arugula, adding texture and nutty-bitter offset to the herby balsamic cream sauce drizzled with citrus oil. The pizza crust holds a delightful chew to its airy crust. It’s designed to be vegan, with a gooey, faux Mozzarella melt, rustic tomato sauce and interesting array of spinach, red onion, butternut squash bits, dried cranberries, basil, sage and rainbow peppercorn. Picture pops of sharp acidity cut with vegetal freshness and some sweet punctuation.
Dessert delivers a fantastic, colorful, lavender-infused cheesecake topped with honeycomb and plated with berries and an electric blue lavender coulis. The portion’s perfect for us given the richness, and the cheesecake texture is ideal: sans gumminess, thicker and not over-sweet by itself.
Honoring the legacy of canaries in mines to protect workers from poisonous gases, this charming, dim-lit bar devotes itself to bespoke cocktails built out of conversation with their talented bartenders. In other words: There’s no menu, so what do you like? (Compare this to Breck’s other new speakeasy on Main Street, Chalet Breckenridge, where I’m told the booze is batched for quicker service. Still, I want to check it out on our next visit to town, and I also wish to hit James Beard Award-winning Chef Matt Vawter’s spots. But I digress… )
I won’t spoil the entryway experience into Canary for you, other than to tease that it’s in back of Edwin somewhere, and the staff will guide you. If you want to get really esoteric and artsy: Lauren picks up on the amusing cat portraits modeled after “The Blue Boy” and “Pinkie” — famous works she and I saw in-person last year during our visit to The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. Hey, meow!)
Our bartender Danny Delgadillo tells us he loves guiding people to design custom drinks, saying it pushes his own creativity constantly. He makes us unique riffs on a classic dirty martini and contemporary espresso martini, discussing desired flavor profiles that lace the drinks’ respective finishes. I wish I’d taken better notes to describe the extra infusions, but I was enjoying myself too much and just wrote down “outstanding drinks.” (Nice job, jackass. Way to get buzzy on the job.)
He’d also welcomed us with mini hot toddy sippers, made with Woodford Reserve and ginger and sage syrups plus muddled rosemary. Yum. I learn he’s from Vegas and most recently worked in Big Sky, Montana at an upscale steakhouse. He has about a decade of experience total in bartending, and it shows, as we sit at the bar and watch him make drinks for everyone else in the cozy, intimate room.
The Carter Lobby Bar and Coffee Bar & Bistro:
Outside of Edwin, and also named after local pioneer Edwin Carter, The Carter Lobby Bar consists of high stools around the U-shaped counter with additional seating fanned out across the lobby, which you can also utilize to enjoy items from the nearby coffee kiosk. Seats around a long fireplace that split the bar from the lobby entryway are particularly coveted for the ambiance.
The coffee kiosks serves craft espresso beverages made with beans from La Colombe out of Philadelphia. Bites include curated pastries plus egg sandwiches made on English muffins, croissants or bagels, and a couple of loaded burrito options.
The Carter offers an expansive craft beer list (that includes Bristol Brewing’s Laughing Lab — heeyo!) and creative cocktail list that reads quite alluring, though we’re not drinking before our drive home this afternoon. (Next time, Sir Carter, ye’ old-fashioned made with Caffè Borghetti, cinnamon and bitters!)
What we do grab to fill our bellies for the road is the bison patty melt on toasted rye, with house-made Thousand Island, a gooey Gruyere melt and caramelized onions. We sub out the fries for a side salad to lighten the load, and it makes for a great sendoff from our lavish overnight.
Bites & Bits
• Manitou Thai & Ramen recently opened in Manitou Springs, at the Barker House, where Persephone Grae’s Cafe formerly resided. (As I noted last month, that outfit relocated to 30th St.) The new Thai spot introduces itself as being owned by sisters, and offering vegetarian and vegan options. See their menu here.
• Bunzys & Booze announced last week that it is relocating. Valentine’s Day was their last day in operation at 1919 E. Boulder St. No new location or timeline for reopening has yet been announced, but owner Nicole Martinez assures me that Side Dish readers will be the first to hear news when it’s time.
• The former Dicky’s Barbecue Pit at 1466 Garden of the Gods Road, #160 — directly next to the newly opened 105 West Brewing Co. — has a “coming soon” sign outside it announcing Japon sushi, ramen, hibachi, teriyaki. It appears to be an expansion of a spot in Denver’s Congress Park neighborhood, owned by the same folks who’re behind Castle Rock’s Ito Sushi Asian Bistro.
• Moctezuma Mexican Grill has expanded from its food truck setup at 5690 N. Union Blvd. to a new brick-and-mortar spot at 1015 N. Academy Blvd., in the former Boston Market. (Nice to see a local take over a chain space.) They’re rightfully known for having some of the better birria in town.
• The Pueblo Chieftain reports that the north side of their town has a new Italian eatery with an attached speakeasy, named A Tavola Italian Cuisine and The Hidden Handle.
• I went live on KRDO last week to talk about the impacts of Michelin now considering Colorado Springs. (I razzed them later by way of constructive feedback, saying the looping footage of Rosie’s Diner wasn’t exactly the best visual B-roll to run over a Michelin story. Tee-hee.)
• The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union condemned the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule that would increase line speeds in meatpacking plants, “presenting a great harm to workers,” they say. “Consumers aren’t safe either… The safety of our food depends on the safety of the workers who process it.”
• From Food & Wine: A Breakthrough Plastic That Leaves Zero Microplastics Behind Is Here. “Made primarily from carboxymethyl cellulose and choline chloride — both FDA-approved food additives — the material is strong, flexible, and capable of decomposing rapidly… scientists believe the plastic could be produced at scale, marking a major step toward reducing global plastic waste.” (Think: shrink wrap over shipped food products, etc.)
Side Dish Dozen happenings
Blackhat Distillery: Our Distiller’s Vault guided tasting is our most exclusive experience. Our head distiller takes you behind the scenes. Advanced tickets required; RSVP at production@blackhatdistillery.com. (The first person to call 719-999-5148 and mention Side Dish will win two free tickets for our March 16 Distillers Vault!)
Bristol Brewing Company: Do you love to sing? Plus good company and good beer?Come join our next cycle of Bristol Beer Choir. We start Feb. 22. All voices 18+ are welcome! 21+ to drink. $50; $35/teachers and college students for the cycle. Also, two words: Chocolate Lab.
Red Gravy: Join us all month for Pastarama Lobster Mac & Cheese is battling Short Rib Ravioli! Try them both and vote for your favorite. The winning dish lives to content against next month’s newcomer. Either way, you win with delicious pasta.
Elephant Thai and Chaang Thai: Check out our dedicated gluten-free and vegan menus at lunch and dinner. Extensive offerings include noodle and curry dishes as well as fried rice plates, soups, salads and veggie-focused entrées.
T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila: Our $12.99 lunch special gets you chips & salsa, two tacos, rice, beans and a fountain drink; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Taco Tuesdays feature $3.50 tacos all day and $5 Margaritas and Swirls. Also, killer happy hours specials at bird tree cafe are 3-6 p.m. daily.
Four by Brother Luck: Book a private Chef’s Table with us for any occasion. Choose five or seven courses. Wine pairings available. Limited to six people for an intimate experience. Email us at info@fourbybrotherluck.com for questions or to reserve.
Hoppenings of the week
Beer Events
Beerio Kart at Westfax Brewing: Feb. 20 6 p.m. Mario Kart meets craft beer for one of the most chaotic, competitive and fun nights at WestFax Springs. Racers compete in Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo Switch) with four racers per heat — top two advance.
Speed Dating at RedLeg Brewing: Feb 21, 4 p.m. Anything is possible! Join us for a post-Valentine’s Speed Dating mixer with all of the fun and none of the pressure.
Bad Romance Slam Poetry & Open Mic at Storybook Brewing: Feb 22, 5 p.m. Celebrate poetry and community at our taproom.
Beer Releases
Jack Sparrow’s Rum Stout at Storybook Brewing: Bold stout infused with rum character, delivering notes of molasses, caramel and warming spice. A pirate-worthy finale to Storybook’s February stout lineup.
Stout Month Anti Stout at Peaks N Pines Brewing: Blonde Stout brewed to celebrate the end of Stout Month. Brewed with and aged on cocoa nibs and infused with cold brew coffee, delivering the flavors of a dark, roasty stout in a bright, pale beer.
Curated by Brandon Heid and Gerry Reyes. For full listings of beer-related events and releases download the free Hoppenings app on Apple on Google.
Upcoming events
Feb. 21: Southeast Asia family style community dinner at The Carter Payne. $45; 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 22: National Margarita Day Sip with Schnip at T-Byrd’s. Noon to 3 p.m. All day happy hours with $6 Tommy-style and frozen margaritas, and a full food menu that includes $4 HH nachos, wings, burnt ends and $3.95 tacos.
Feb. 24: Passport to Italy Wine Dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. 6 p.m.; $89, five courses, partly benefits the Colorado Springs Therapeutic Riding Center.
Feb. 26: California Coastal Wine Tasting Dinner at The Margarita at PineCreek. 6:30 p.m.; $85 includes five courses. Call 719-598-8667 for resos.
Feb. 26-28: Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy at The Loft Music Venue. Storytelling performances and cocktail sipping.
Feb. 27: Polaris Pour — A Night with Chopin at The Aviator at Hotel Polaris. An intimate, guided tasting of Chopin Vodka with sushi pairings and à la carte entrées.
March 4-7: 34th annual Wine Festival of Colorado Springs. Benefitting the Colorado Springs Conservatory. Tastings, educational seminars, winemaker experiences, the iconic Grand Tasting with live music, and an elegant Gala Dinner & Live Auction.
March 14: Equinox, A Culinary Scholarship Fundraiser at The Broadmoor’s Cheyenne Lodge. 5-8 p.m.; $100 early bird tickets through Feb. 14; $125-$150 GA later. Event benefits Pikes Peak State College’s culinary program. Eight tasting stations will revolve culinarily around phases of the day. Enjoy a dessert bar and drink stations.
Parting shot(s)
Our scene lost its Bar Mom this past November.
The industry came together to properly honor her at a memorial this past weekend, held at Lulu’s Downtown. A lot of poignant and funny stories were told at an open mic by everyone who loved her.
Longtime bestie Luis Rodriguez talked about the three times while hanging out with Sally that he lost her, including on their Jay and Silent Bob cruise a couple years ago.
Jacob Pfund told the backstory of launching Rebel Rebel with Sally on Halloween; how when he first called her seeking an investor she said “let’s go” after only a three-second pause. “The support and love I got was incredible,” he said. When she sat at her bar for the first time and he asked her what she thought, she said “it’s perfect.”
The Archives’ Shayne Baldwin reminded everyone that Sally was “a badass bitch.” (Hell yeah she was.)
A number of bartenders told stories of how intimidating it was to make a drink for Sally, who initially only wanted legendary barman Nate Windham to make her drinks. You had to earn her trust and respect, but after that, you were one of her people.
After the passing of her husband John, “You helped her be happy again,” said her niece to the bartending community.
“She built a room full of people to love. She kept going,” Chiba Bar’s Michael Carsten added to that.
That theme was at the heart of the Bar Mom story I wrote about Sally in mid 2024. The Archives’ Dylan Currier noted the story as the turning point of when Sally “got famous.” Strangers would come up to her to say hi, “she’d lean over to me after and say, ‘Who the fuck was that?’ And that was Sally. Rough around the edges. Soft as hell underneath.”
Attempting to sum up her gravity in the community, he said: “As much as we were there for her, she was there for us. She held this industry together in ways that are hard to explain to people outside of it. She shaped friendships. She bridged rooms. She reminded us why we do this in the first place.”
Did I miss the location for your get together on 2-22?