Mattatouille
Schniper watches the beloved 2008 Pixar flick about a rat chef for the fist time; Chris completes his 3-part Denver dive with a cocktail roundup; Paris Baguette unwrapped + more food & drink haps
*We’re back to regular programming next week. A huge thanks to all guest writers who filled in for me over these past few newsletters while I was in travel mode. I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed their fine contributions.
Critters and critics
Story and (almost all) photos by Lauren Hug
“What’s the point of a food critic in a world with Yelp?”
I bluntly asked Matthew Schniper that question in our very first conversation six years ago. (Which started because he yelled my name across a bar. True story.)
At the time, my concept of a food critic was distinctively negative. I envisioned an egotistical, out-of-touch snob with no special skills or expertise, who thrived on running down restaurants by blowing up minor flaws. In other words: a villain.
But chatty, jovial Matthew didn’t seem to fit that image. Instead of being insulted by me dissing his decade-plus career, he told me (just as bluntly) I was wrong and invited me to tag along on an outing to see what he actually does.
He reviews restaurants, yes. But he also tells the stories of the food and drink professionals in the community. He delves into their backgrounds, influences, experiences, passions, challenges. Having worked in the industry himself for 10 years, he understands and respects the hard work, creativity and resilience that goes into culinary creations — and he wrestles with the impact a single opinion can have on someone’s livelihood or lifelong dream.
Having eaten pretty much everything Colorado Springs has to offer over the past 20 years, he’s a chronicler of our city’s evolving palate, too, providing historical context for trends and themes in our food scene.
And he loves food — the flavors, aromas, textures, colors, cultural expressions, technical excellence, unexpected fusions and the simplest of recipes executed with heart and perfection.
Matthew looks for the positives everywhere he goes. He hopes to enjoy every dish, every culinary experience.
He’s the furthest thing from a villain.
So where did I get that image of a critic?
Enter Ratatouille. Not the French veggie stew, the enduringly popular 2007 Pixar movie about a rat who dreams of becoming a chef.
It was my first — and until 2022’s The Menu and The Bear — only pop culture encounter with a depiction of a food critic, and it single-handedly shaped my perception of the profession. (Matthew says I also need to watch 2014’s Chef.)
Though Matthew ventured into food criticism in 2006, a year before Ratatouille was released, shockingly, he had never seen it.
When I shared that fact via social media, a stranger on the internet replied, “Any critic hired should have to watch that video as part of a ‘training program’ 😂.”
“I was a grown-up when it came out,” Matthew said by way of defense. He doesn’t have kids, so doesn’t watch children’s movies generally.
But as many food lovers and culinary industry professionals know, Ratatouille is more than kid flick.
When I saw an article about how Anthony Bourdain said it was “the best food movie ever made,” I knew I had the leverage to make Matthew watch it. (Touché, said he.)
So watch it we did.
Matthew’s first comment on the depiction of critics in Ratatouille comes when the kitchen staff reads a review of chef rat Remy’s soup: “Against all odds, Gusteau’s has recaptured our attention. Only time will tell if they deserve it.”
“That’s a lazy last line,” Matthew says. “Poorly written reviews always end with ‘time will tell’ or ‘wait and see.’”
He next comments on formidable critic Anton Ego’s office: “It’s shaped like a coffin.” A detail I don’t remember noticing before. “It makes critics look like they’re evil.”
“Lies!” Matthew exclaims when Ego strides into the restaurant and announces he’ll return. “A real critic wouldn’t have announced he was coming back and given a time. You want to secret shop a place.”
He enthusiastically approves of a later scene where the critic checks his watch and makes a note while waiting on slow service. “That’s right on. That’s a thing. I’m definitely watching the time.”
There are lots of chuckles — and comments about authenticity — during a cooking and plating montage where hordes of rats work in teams in the kitchen.
“The rat riding the cheese down the cheese-greater is great!”
“The plate wipe is legit.”
But it’s the critic’s lengthy review that sparks the most comments.
“We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read.” — Anton Ego
“It’s true that it’s fun to write negative reviews and it’s fun to read them,” Matthew says, “but only when they’re deserved, and that’s not often.”
“[T]here are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new.” — Anton Ego
“It’s self-serving to say critics defend the new. But it’s fair to say we champion people who are deserving or who break a boundary or who push something forward.”
He likes that it’s a simple dish that wins the critic over. “I’m glad they didn’t choose molecular gastronomy to impress the critic. Simple is good. Like the simplicity of good matzo ball soup.”
He also likes that critic didn’t “rat the rat out” in writing the review.
“If there was a real-life genius rat cooking delicious food, I would eat it,” Matthew says. “If they were following hygiene and food safety protocols,” he adds.
“The critic character is never developed or deep,” Matthew laments after the movie. “It’s a hollow character. One-dimensional. Egotistical. Brutal. Mean.”
Exactly how I perceived food critics before meeting Matthew.
“It’s easy to vilify critics as a category,” he continues. “There’s too much mystique around it. If I was going to portray an original critic character, I would make them more like me. Not for sale. Some good write ups. Some bad. Someone who would love to be blown away more. Surprised more. Like with Hamsa Hummus [currently on popup hiatus] or Third Wave Chocolate. It can be this good!
“We’re not the big bad evil. We’re the softy who wants to be transported back and have an authentic experience.”
Ratatouille takes place in a time before Yelp, where a single bad review from a critic like Anton Ego might be the only voice an eater ever heard. These days we’re drowning in “reviews” on social media from anyone and everyone — from friends of a restaurant’s owner to someone with an axe to grind against them. I now believe professional food critics — especially ones with deep roots in a local food scene — matter more than ever in this digital world.
In a sea of voices (some of them dubious), Matthew is a trustworthy source with an established viewpoint speaking from kitchen and community experience. While the act of reviewing is a subjective, he strives for fairness to both readers and restaurants, bringing context, depth and journalistic integrity to his reviews.
The first restaurant Matthew and I ever visited together — the week after chatting at that bar — was objectively bad and overpriced. I didn’t need any expertise to see that. But Matthew didn’t write a scathing review despite having plenty of evidence to do so. He provided factual information and enough of his observations to give readers a framework for making their own decision about whether the restaurant was worth their money or time.
“I see my role as the medium between the expert (the chef) and the consumer,” he says in our post-Ratatouille conversation.
“I’m aware I’m not a chef. They know more about food than I do. I was just a line cook for a stint. The most credit I’ll take is as a good home cook.”
That’s why he’s forever asking chefs, cooks, servers, bartenders, and everyone else in the hospitality industry what they’re eating, trends they’re seeing and places he must go. Based on intel gleaned from conversations with servers at the aforementioned bad restaurant, Matthew orchestrated a delightful impromptu food crawl through two dive bars serving distinctive, delicious house-made entrées and a visit to a dessert food truck vendor in a local park.
He's a critic, yes. But he’s also a guide to the unexpected, the undiscovered and the exceptional.
And in a social media world, Matthew’s role is constantly evolving.
During the COVID pandemic — when on-site dining was shut down for an extended period of time in 2020 — Matthew defied the villain critic stereotype yet again. Not wanting to kick any restaurants while they were already down, he suspended criticism for a few months. Instead, he used his industry knowledge and relationships to co-found (with me) an intentionally non-critical Facebook group (Culinary Distancing COS, now Culinary Colorado Springs) to help consumers understand what restaurateurs were going through and to rally community support for local food and drink businesses.
That decision ended up creating $1.1 million in social return on investment, according to a study by the Colorado Institute for Social Impact. Food and drink business owners said the group helped their business financially and had a positive impact on them emotionally.
In 2023, Matthew faced another role defying (or defining) moment. For 17 years, he’d been the food and drink editor and critic for the Colorado Springs Independent, and that publication abruptly shut down. He was a food journalist without a formal platform.
“There are a very small number of critics left who are still making a living,” he tells me. “It’s a dying job.”
Yet Matthew boldly launched his own publication. The one you’re reading right now. Two years in, it’s going strong — thanks to subscribers and sponsors — who see the value in the food criticism and journalism he provides. Matthew recently received two Excellence in Journalism Awards from the Colorado chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
These aren’t the actions or accolades of a villain.
“What’s ultimately accurate about the critic [in Ratatouille],” Matthew says, “is he’s coming from a place of love.”
Matthew is a champion for anyone who loves food — a connector between those who love to create it and those who love to experience it.
Postscript. The morning after watching Ratatouille, Matthew texted me: “I woke up, thinking I would like my “little chef inside” [a reference to how Linguini, the protagonist, referred to Remy] to be a tarantula instead of a rat … for better steering. Six additional points of hair-pull contact for more dexterous movements.”
A bit more insight for you into the mind of a true food critic. He obsesses over little details for accuracy. And now he finally knows why everyone loves Ratatouille. (You can thank me for making him watch it.)
Chris drinks Denver, Pt. 3: Favorite cocktail bars downtown
Story and photos by Chris Aaby
If you’re heading to a theater show, concert, ball game or just planning to enjoy a night out in Denver, consider some of my favorite spots to grab a drink before or after your activity.
1. The Wild
Tucked in a corner across the street from Union Station, below a parking garage, The Wild is a stylish and cozy coffee shop by day and a cocktail bar at night. I’ve stopped for coffee several times when I needed a quiet place to get work done. They also have a small snack menu to pair with your drinks. Their cocktail list features classics and seasonally changing house cocktails.
2. The Emerald Eye
When I first came across The Emerald Eye, they had barely opened for the day (theater dining makes me the early bird), but the bartender was ready to serve us some fast and fantastic cocktails. Find the door with the green eye on Larimer Street near 14th and head down the stairs. The bar has a tropical theme and great seating. The drink that keeps me coming back is the Clarified Punch, but their menu changes with the seasons and features creative flavors from Central/South America and the Caribbean.
3. Urban Cowboy: Public House
Just next to the boutique hotel Urban Cowboy, the Public House bar has a cozy Colorado-western vibe. I’ve been here a few times, thanks to the location being down the street from my Denver office. I’ve had some creative drinks and a tasty pizza. I was one of the people who recommended that Schniper visit. You can read about his experience (which differs from mine) here.
4. Honor Farm
If you love Halloween and wish it were all year round, this bar is for you. They have really creative drink names like Deathamphetamine (espresso martini), Dead & Confused (whiskey sour), and Rhot to Go (Negroni). We only had cocktails, but there’s a window to order food from a Samosa Shop. The stairs in the back will take you to the Hell or Highwater Tiki Bar.
5. Union Lodge No. 1
This small bar, located just off the 16th Street Mall, has a menu that takes you back to the pre-Prohibition era. With that description, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this cozy bar packs a punch. I enjoyed the Union Gin Fizz. No reservations here, just walk up and see if there’s space.
Next on My List to Try
Still on my radar for a future Denver night out:
Room for Milly – I’m a sucker for a good Instagram photo, and Room for Milly looks like it’s made for it. Located just up from the South Platte River, it’s the perfect stop before heading to dinner in the Highlands above.
The Roosevelt – My husband loves to read, and the décor of this bar caught my eye when we walked by. There are shelves and shelves of books. Their website says they feature handcrafted American cocktails. We’ll check it out one night before the theater.
The Front Porch – Right next door to The Roosevelt, by the same owner, The Front Porch has name nights where you drink free all night if your name is on the list! Check out the calendar here (I just missed mine on May 3). Every Wednesday is flip night: order a drink, flip a coin, and if you guess right, your drink is free!
Picking through Paris Baguette
Story and photos by Lauren Hug
I generally steer clear of chains — especially when we have standout local bakeries like The French Kitchen, Nightingale Bread, Provision Bread & Bakery and The Sourdough Boulangerie, all of which are in my regular rotation. But after seeing classy Paris Baguette boxes around town, I decided to stop in on a trip up north.
The experience is undeniably fun! You grab a tray and tongs and help yourself to a large array of beautiful pastries and treats. It's easy to get carried away loading up with a variety of goodies because everything looks SO GOOD.
Buuuuut, not everything tastes as good as it looks. (Take a visual tour via sidedishsidekick here.)
The sticky milk buns are the clear highlight for me: dense, slightly sweet yeast rolls topped with just the right amount of simple syrup. Comforting and memorable, they’re the one item I'd consider making a special trip for. Everything else we try is serviceable, but forgettable. The croissant is okay — not buttery or flaky enough to compete with my local faves — but filling it with strawberries and cream somehow makes it special. The pastry cream is excellent. It elevates the King Cream donut. Without the cream, it's just a croissant in a different shape.
And speaking of donuts and croissants, I've discovered I'm not a croissant donut person. I didn't love Dad's Donuts and I'm not impressed with Paris Baguette's either. Probably a "me thing," since other people seem to love the concept. But I really like the coffee-flavored filling and icing on one version. Too bad it's delivered via that pastry style.
We skip the mochi donuts, offered in two flavors, because they look sad compared to Mochi Thai'm's, which are made fresh in front of you, and happen to be located across the parking lot.
Because we gathered a hefty assortment of pastries, we also pass on the pre-made, pre-packed sandwiches that remind me of European grab-and-go spots ... and the tempting cake slices in fun flavors like Blueberry Chiffon and Tiramisu. We discuss ordering a whole Cappuccino Cake (designed to look like a cappuccino mug) for a special occasion in the future, though, because it's so cute.
We sample all our pastries in the brightly lit, cafe-esque space while sipping a Lavazza coffee and iced mocha. Both are solid, not special. Now that I've experienced it, I can confidently say Paris Baguette was a fun, one-time visit for me. While it's more welcoming and cozy than most chains, the products still feel commercial, not artisan, so I’ll be sticking with my local faves.
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Upcoming events
May 31: OMG! Oh My Gulay, A Vegan Feast at Good Neighbors Meeting House. Seven-course fine Filipino fare; $75.
May 31: Tacos and Tequila Festival at UCHealth Park.
May 31: 8th Anniversary Carnival party at The French Kitchen. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Outdoor games, children’s activities, vendor market, and the return of the Queenut (fried Queenets).
June 1: Manitou Springs Wine Festival in Memorial Park. Noon to 5 p.m.; $60.
June 1: 719 Battle of the Food Trucks at the Meanwhile Block. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $40-$65.
June 14: Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival at Chapel of Our Saviour Episcopal Church.
June 14: Famous Dave's All-Star BBQ Series at Texas T-Bone Steakhouse. Seven teams will compete to move up towards the grand final.
Parting shot(s)
As for the travel mode I’ve been referencing these last few newsletters: Side Dish has been gathering food knowledge and experiences across Spain. Expect a roundup story soon(ish) with lessons learned, experiences experienced, many things eaten and drank, etc. etc. Thanks to my faithful researcher, travel planner and partner sidedishsidekick, here’s some snapshots from behind the scenes.
And now I need to hear the review of Chef. Saw it after dropping the progeny off at camp on a hot summer day while suffering from allergies. The cool, Air conditioned, pollen free theater was a balm and the light movie was more wonderful than I had any right to expect. You would love it. Saw it again not too long ago and it still hits. In fact I need a series of food movie reviews please.
Agree 100 with Lauren about croissant donuts. I even gave Dads a second chance. Just Nope although other people clearly think they are awesome. Different strokes. And the Manitou wine festival is the 7th not the 1st.