Encore (lack of) performance
Homestead Collective shutters trio of concepts, but Dad's Donuts grows; stellar bites at Baon Supper Club; Nana's COS opens; Weenies & 'tinis launches; Samich Shack relocates + more food & drink news
The Homestead Collective, which only launched on May 18 at 9633 Prominent Point, announced that as of July 28, Till Kitchen, Garden of the Gods Market & Cafe and Campfire Pizza were all closed. “The simple truth is, we didn’t see the community support we needed to sustain these restaurants,” they in-part wrote on social media.
That did not play well with commenters to said post, one of whom summed it up by saying, “It’s disappointing to see the blame placed on the very people you hoped to serve, rather than reflecting on what could have been done differently from a business perspective.” Others were even more pointed. (To their credit, Homestead didn’t delete or turn off comments, but took the punches on the chin. Wise move.)
As I noted in my early May preview of the Collective, this revival of the former Till/Pinery North space was in essence attempting to recreate parent company Altitude Hospitality Group’s founding Till/Garden of the Gods concept à la 2016. That also featured pizza and coffee offerings (plus a small retail market) alongside daytime and evening fine dining. But that didn’t bear fruit, and in early 2020 Altitude attempted a full rebrand as a gaming spot called North Side Social. Then came the pandemic and shuttered it. Later came a pivot to event space, with The Pinery North.
Count me among folks who wondered what might be different this time around, not all these years later, for Homestead to work where the original failed. Owner Mitch Yellen cited divine inspiration, his fighting spirit and a deep desire to “do something special, something elevated” in the (enormous, 18,000-ish square-foot) space when it was announced. Was he blinded by passion, bound to make the same mistake twice?
I texted him that question with an invite to elaborate on the public release, and we ended up speaking for half an hour. (Yes, we are professionally past the upset around my negative Trainwreck review several years ago, and he says that it’s smashing numbers and doing quite well downtown.) One of the first things he tells me is “I only opened this for my investors, not my ego. I didn’t want to lose money for anyone. My wife and I have done everything we could, with our own money, to make this work. Unfortunately there were things working against us.”
Number one, he says, “the economy.” Two, the most pressing, “the bank called the loan,” he says. I’ll add a number three from another part of our convo, which is “in the end, it was too big of a building… when you do what I do, you risk failure.”
The Homestead Collective remains open in-part for now, as Dad’s Donuts and Red Leaf Organic Coffee are still serving, and the company’s private events space is available to rent. The outdoor picnic and play areas are also open to enjoy. They’ll continue on with their Saturday farmers markets until September’s end, too. “These parts of Homestead are still very much alive and thriving and they need your continued support,” concludes their social media post.
Yellen tells me that if the building finds a buyer they will sell; it had been under contract at one point prior to The Homestead Collective’s launch. But he says he anticipates Dad’s Donuts and Red Leaf to stay open for the next six to 12 months potentially, as business is going well and there’s the potential to sublet from a new owner should a purchase happen.
Meanwhile, Dad’s is the silver lining in the Altitude Hospitality portfolio, on the up-and-up with its third location opening on Interquest Parkway imminently (perhaps sometime next week). Yellen says he’s eyeing two Denver area locations by year’s end, too, with a goal of beginning to franchise by early next year.
Recipe: Ranch Foods Direct oxtail-bone marrow risotto
This month’s Schnip’s Pick recipe with my lead sponsor Ranch Foods Direct comes via Chef Jay Gust of Pizzeria Rustica and Ascent Restaurant Group. The flip, as you can see in the photo, is that’s not a Callicrate beef or pork protein presented as the focal point to the dish, but a king oyster mushroom. You will often find them available at Ranch Foods Direct from local growers, so we have you covered. Where Callicrate products do come into play in this deeply earthy and rich risotto recipe is in almost every other element, from oxtail and beef broth to marrow bones. That said, it’s some of the meatiest rice I’ve ever tasted. When you’re in shopping, remember to mention that you’re a Side Dish subscriber to get 5 percent off your whole shopping basket.
“Food for the journey”
The headline above is the translation of the Tagalog word “Baon” — and it’s what Chef Katie Fisco decided to name her business: Baon Supper Club.
Don’t take that literally and mistake it for a social eatery such as a classic Wisconsin supper club (like the one I visited in Racine last July). Fisco’s supper club doesn’t yet exist in brick-and-mortar. Instead, she offers cooking classes and private, in-home, immersive dining experiences. And — as you’ve seen listed in this newsletter’s event section — she hosts periodic (roughly monthly) popups at local spots like The Carter Payne, The Kamayan Hideaway by Lumpia Lheas (a fellow Filipino business), and Good Neighbors Meeting House.
It’s that last venue, at which she’s planning a monthly last-Saturday series, that we catch this past weekend for her Tag-Ulan “rainy season” dinner, featuring five Filipino comfort food-inspired courses. On the whole, the meal was colorful, creative, very hearty, and in a one-word review: outstanding. Fisco came out of the kitchen several times to introduce courses; throw out questions as discussion talking points so folks seated next to one another could meet and chat; and tell stories about each item’s conception and intention.
Course one was in effect a deconstructed soup (minus the broth), as components of bulalo, made with bone marrow. Course two, sinigang, stuck to its sour soup roots with shrimp and tamarind components, but went down a fusion road by packing traditional ingredients into Italian Cappelletti pasta dumplings. Next up, arroz caldo is typically a Filipino chicken and rice soup, but Fisco turned the concept into saffron-infused arancini essentially, capturing the chicken broth vibe with a big, crisp strip of chicken skin and a dollop of lavish cured egg yolk.
The next two courses repeat the same word twice in the name: kare kare and bilog bilog. Fisco jokes with us that “When Filipino people like something, they say the name twice.” (I later find a Reddit thread on the reasons behind repeated Tagalog words.) Anyway, the kare kare is traditionally a thick peanut sauce oxtail stew, but Fisco spins it into a more of a center-plate, protein-forward entrée with a cashew curry sauce and green beans. (Bonus: locally sourced items from Centennial Cuts and Frost Livestock.) For dessert: the bilog bilog are mochi balls rolled in heavily toasted coconut flakes, swimming in a coconut milk broth flecked with strips of jackfruit and purple yam bits, all topped with crunchy pandan pearls that were like a form of astronaut food.
Back to the “Baon” name, Fisco says she heard it as a kid mostly from her mom, like when headed out for school she would say “don’t forget your baon!” That idea of “food for the journey” comes alive with these dinners, as the courses consumed feel like a mini trip through another culture and cuisine. True journeys, be it on the road or on the plate, are memorable, as this evening proved to be. Follow Baon’s social media for announcements on upcoming dinner.
Just don’t call it a “glizzy”🙄
Side Dish is thrilled to partner with our friends at Downtown COS for this summertime culinary crawl! It’s time to download your free Weenies & ’tinis passport here. And join us at ICONS for a free kickoff party from 4-6 p.m., July 31. Come nab a very cool custom sticker and enjoy live performances.
The framework is simple: 11 downtown food and drink spots have created unique, elevated hot dog interpretations and paired them with fun martini spinoffs. (ICONS and The Joint at Avenue 19 are offering the vegan options.) Sip and dine at your leisure, and earn points to win prizes the more spots you visit.
Downtown CS’s Marketing Manager Kelsee Swenn and I have already been dining around for some early samples as we gathered photos and videos for event promotion in the coming days. We’re pleased as punch (does anyone still say that?) by what we’ve tried so far. Here are some teasers to whet your appetite:
I’ll conclude by quoting myself from Downtown COS’ press release — because let’s be honest how meta is that, and I’ll probably never get the chance to do so again:
“With Downtown COS’ brilliantly offbeat Weenies & ’tinis series, hotdogs are finally having their day. (Just spare my ears, and don’t call them ‘glizzies.’ Le sigh),” says Matthew Schniper, Food & Drink Journalist behind Side Dish with Schniper. “With nearly a dozen creative interpretations at awesome Downtown eateries and drink spots, one of America’s most beloved picnic and gameday items has been rightfully placed on a culinary pedestal. Naturally, that calls for fine martini pairings: business in one hand, party in the other. Let’s go!”
Nana’s COS now open
In early July I told you of the imminent arrival of Denver-born Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings to Colorado Springs by way of my self-preview at an Aurora location. If you missed it for any reason, click into that to get the basic backstory and framework. But you can now find out about Nana’s yourself simply by visiting their spot at 1895 Democracy Point, in the former Longboard Tacos space as part of the now disbanded FO4R North complex.
I visited for my second taste of Nana’s this past weekend via a media invite to experience the new location, and my first impression is it’s much more stunning than the smaller strip-mall spot I prior dined in. The overhead dragon installation that spans nearly the entirety of the ceiling, wrapping around past the bar towards the patio, starting at the entryway, is nothing short of cool-as-shit. Other adornments, from tile work, lanterns and a mural to a rotating statue and oversized face masks makes for an overall beautiful atmosphere. The company’s incredibly rapid growth will likely make them start feeling like a chain soon, but they’re clearly putting heart and a local’s touch into their buildouts for now.
As for bites and sips, Nana’s presented a couple of repeat dishes for me (the xiao long soup bun and stir fried green beans), both standouts that are worth ordering. But I was able to try a few new-to-me items too: honey chicken feet, truffle soup bun and shrimp fried rice, as well as purple yam buns for dessert and a mango green tea and Lychee Dynasty cocktail (with tequila, lychee, grapefruit and lime).
The chicken feet might intimidate some eaters, but once you try them you’ll realize there’s no reason they should. If you like wings, you’ll like these, although it’s worth noting they aren’t crispy skinned, but rather soft and somewhat mushy texturally (based on what we received), with a lot of little bones to work around. The truffle soup bun, not cheap at nearly twice the cost as the xiao long soup bun, are pretty sensational if you’re willing to make the upcharge. The black dough wrappers are cool and they’re super earthy and hearty.
The shrimp fried rice with bits of onions, carrots and peas and a handful of big prawns hold a pretty basic stir-fry wok hay and isn’t remarkable in any way, but it’s a simple delight if that’s what you’re craving. The purple yam buns look like oversized mushroom caps to the eye, but are pillowy soft with a starchy and lightly sweet yam core. Between them and the salted egg custard buns I tried prior, I would recommend the salted egg ones first for the gooey core and more impactful, coconut flake-coated dough. But both are worth getting whenever you make it by.
Samich Shack moves; a cowboy cocktail bar on the way
Stephon Black seems to have his hand in everything. The Samich Shack owner is also partnered in Lazy Susan’s Cocktail Lounge and Bloom Ultra Lounge, and in past conversations we’ve discussed his side work in real estate and a greenhouse irrigation company he co-owns. On our most recent chat this week, I learn he’s also got his hand in a yak ranch in Lake George, and he’s working on launching an event center as well as another downtown drink spot in the coming months.
We’re catching up because nearly a couple months ago he relocated Samich Shack (which once existed inside COATI food hall) out of the drive-thru at 5830 Omaha Blvd. and into brick-and-mortar at 5867 Palmer Park Blvd., a couple doors down from Lazy Susan’s. It’s a wide space with ample seating and room to grow. In fact smoothies and Hold Fast Coffee service will be added to the menu in just a couple of weeks. Currently they’re open daily but for Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the same menu of thick sandwiches composed with Boar’s Head deli meats.
As for what’s ahead, Black and business partner Susan Gates aim to launch Park Social, the event center concept, in another neighboring storefront in their shopping center (just down from the newer VASA Fitness location). He says there’s 8,000 square-feet of space to utilize, and they envision decorating it with the inspiration of a library in mind. Think bookshelves spanning the walls and overhead chandeliers, with a stage area and rear bar plus a separate conference/presentation room. It’s awaiting a liquor license, and could open within a couple months, he projects. “We have gotten lots of requests for parties at our spaces, for as many as 200 to 250 people,” he says. “So that’s one reason we’re doing this.”
And in downtown, in the former Slayton’s Barbeque spot at 28 S. Tejon St., which has more recently been part of Urban Egg, look for the opening closer to year’s end of Counterfeit Cowboy. “It will be a cowboy bar-themed cocktail lounge,” he says, noting inspiration from his ranch.
I ask the obvious question of how it will be different from Cowboys Nightclub just a block away, and he says “I don’t see a lot of people going there for an Old Fashioned.” Which is to say they aim to make quality crafted cocktails versus well drinks, though they will offer PBR and Montucky Cold Snacks and maintain “an appealing price point.” He’s careful not to stereotype a perception of a typical Cowboys customer, because he wants to be open and welcoming to all patrons, so he politely talks around a “responsible and more sophisticated” drinker, someone seeking a nice atmosphere to gather with friends and make memories. “That’s Lazy Susan’s, that’s Bloom, that will be Counterfeit Cowboy too,” he says.
Side Dish Dozen happenings
Eleven18 Latin Tapas Bar: Due to strong demand and sold-out seating in July, our Lucky Dumpling Popup returns in August for an encore performance, with a new five-course menu: “This isn’t just a sequel — it’s a reinvention.” Reserve now for service on Aug. 7-9 and 28-30. Chef Brother Luck is also seating Aug. 5 and 19 for his Chef’s Counter BBQ Experience, “including a live re-creation of the dish that won him victory on Beat Bobby Flay.”
Rasta Pasta: PastaPalooza is July 31, with live music at 8 p.m. from Sugar Sounds trio Down time Briffaut; $5. We are part of The Goodies summer tour, Aug. 15, come for the free show.
The Chuckwagon 719: Smoked ribeyes are returning to the Chuckwagon as of Aug. 2-3 and will be available all day, Saturdays and Sundays. Also now serving our pastrami and turkey sandwiches Saturdays and Sundays, and chicken salad sandwiches Thursdays-Sundays. As always, noon to sellout on everything.
bird tree cafe: Our new Alice in Wonderland theme is going over quite well so far! Come sample mixologist/barista Allie Johnstone’s latest clever creations, such as the Queen of Hearts latte and White Rabbit Mocha.
Red Gravy: We’re jazzed to be part of the Weenies & ’tinis hotdog and cocktail crawl! Chef Eric’s Italian Sausage Dog comes with roasted peppers, caramelized onions and Provolone cheese on The French Kitchen baguette. We’re pairing it with our beloved Filthy Dirty Martini, which hosts vodka, olive juice, a touch of balsamic vinegar and gorgonzola-stuffed olives. It’s all the flavors you love us for, spun into a playful handheld bite and sipper.
Bristol Brewing Company: Celebrate National IPA Day on Thursday, Aug. 7 with our Mini Mug Hunt from 6-8 p.m. We’re hiding 200 tiny, numbered beer mugs throughout the Bristol Pub, the Barrel Room and the Schoolyard. Starting at 6 you have 30 minutes to find as many minis as you can, and then at 7 we’ll randomly draw mug numbers for prizes. The beer will be flowing, the BBQ will be hot and a DJ will provide the hype while you hunt. Grab your crew and come play with us!
Upcoming events
July 31: Weenies & ’tinis Kick Off Party at ICONS. 4-6 p.m.; free entry, custom sticker and other giveaways, live performances. Plus hotdogs and cocktails (obviously)! Sign up for your free mobile passport ahead of the event. Weenies & ’tinis runs Aug. 1-17.
Aug. 2: 3rd Annual Indian Food Festival at Lewis-Palmer High School. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free; VIP Experience tickets available.
Aug 2: National Mustard Day and Five-Year Anniversary Celebration at Colonel Mustard’s Sandwich Emporium. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; mustard ice cream, raffles, mustard trivia and “special treats.” Come dine on the new covered rear patio.
Aug. 2: Vino and Notes in Woodland Park’s Memorial Park.
Aug. 5: Raise Hell For a Reason Charity Pint Night at Seven’s Gate. 4-7 p.m.; $1 from each pint sold benefits Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.
Aug. 11: Cocktails After Dusk's 1st Anniversary & Title-Belt Championship! 7-10 p.m. $25 includes a welcome cocktail, six samples from competitors and sponsor tasting booths. Live DJ music and food always available, with specials for the event.
Aug. 17: Swiftie Party at Red Leg Brewing Company. 4-6 p.m.
Aug. 22-23: Polaris Pour Bourbon Festival at Polaris Hotel. Tastings, whiskey takeovers at restaurants on property, lodging options and more.
Early notices: Pasta in the Park, Aug. 23. Tails, Tunes & Tastes, Aug. 28.
Parting shot(s)
Side Dish Dozen member Goat Patch Brewing celebrated its eighth anniversary this past weekend, with a Sip with Schnip kickoff event at the new Northgate location, followed by a very full weekend of activities.
Chef of Grazing Goat Kitchen, Morgan Bryson, guided me through making my own “Schnip of Hazy” pizza special for the weekend. I rarely say “you missed out,” but in this case you did if you didn’t make it by. The spent grain crust was a beautiful foundation (pairing wonderfully with the Red RyePA) and the Hazy IPA-infused ricotta cheese equally starred, with crispy bacon, arugula and Calabrian hot honey. I’m biased, but this pizza deserves to be on the regular menu. It’s that good.
I missed a lot of the other eighth anniversary entertainment due to other foodie engagements around town (busy weekend!), but I did make it by for the short speechifying by Goat Patch co-owner Justin Grant. That was just ahead of check presentations from the brewery’s Bleating Heart Initiative. Throughout the year, patrons who purchase a pint of the World Beer Cup- and GABF-winning Scottish Red Ale get a wooden coin to deposit into one of two drop boxes in the taproom to vote and send some money to local nonprofits. This year, proceeds went to The Lockwood Foundation ($2,125) and the Colorado Brewer’s Guild ($1,231).
