Moving and morphing
Unexplained calls to restaurants ahead of protest; Munchies morphs into Colorado Custom Catering; Paris Crepe relocates; Siebenaller moves to The Mining Exchange + more food & drink news and events
Just for funsies this week, let’s mix things up and start with news briefs. But first, a late story at deadline relating to planned protests this weekend.
Much ado about nothing? (Or: misinformation on the streets)
A downtown restaurateur told me that earlier this week he had been called by a someone identifying themselves as a Colorado Springs Police Department representative. They don’t recall the rep’s name, and the caller ID only showed “unknown number” — though that’s how real calls from CSPD have shown up in their phone in the past, they say. (They know because they’ve had to report prior situations affecting their business, sometimes related to damage caused by unhoused persons.)
The person they spoke with advised them that they may wish to board up their windows this weekend in anticipation of a protest downtown. (Ostensibly, the No Kings Protest planned for noon to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, June 14 at City Hall). The restaurateur (who doesn’t wish to be identified) said they initially wondered if the correspondence was a prank, feeling the recommendation extreme, with potential for negative backlash. They spoke to a fellow restaurateur who claims to have been contacted as well, and who also expressed similar confusion over the matter — as it was told to me. (I reached out to that person for more info and didn’t hear back.)
I also called several other operators along Tejon Street who said they and their staff, to the best of their knowledge, were not contacted by anyone. Which left me with lots of questions. (I was skeptical, wondering if the supposed representative was indeed CSPD affiliated, or if someone was attempting to sow fear. I mean, shit, I don’t have to tell you about the times we’re living in, and the opposing stories coming out of L.A. between the White House, mainstream media and citizen social media posters about the actual situation on the ground with protests there.)
So I next spoke with Downtown Colorado Springs to see if they had heard anything similar from CSPD, or were jointly advising businesses to be protest-ready, but they were unaware of any reported outreach at that time. However, Director of Downtown Safety and Public Space Management, Pat Rigdon (a former CSPD deputy police chief), did follow up with CSPD Police Chief Adrian Vasquez on the morning of June 12 to inquire about the situation.
Rigdon (who for transparency I should note was in my Leadership Pikes Peak class several years ago, so we’re acquainted) gave me a call after his chat with the chief to relay more info. He confirmed that CSPD was well aware of the planned protest and anticipating for around as many as 1,000 to 1,500 people to participate, lining Nevada Avenue between Uintah Street and City Hall (at 107 N. Nevada Ave. at the Kiowa Street intersection). Rigdon reports the chief said nobody from CSPD should have been telling business owners to board up their windows.
As for their mission, “CSPD’s primary responsibility is to protect innocent civilians and property,” Rigdon says. “They won’t let window-breaking happen. Our message is to obviously remain vigilant. But if it was me, I would go about business as usual.” Rigdon actually was a former downtown business owner himself, who with his wife opened Mary’s Mountain Cookies in 2022 — they’ve since sold it.
And speaking as a former officer, he says “You do everything you can to let [protestors] have their time, get it done safe and all go home.”
I called the restaurateur back after speaking to Rigdon, to relay what I learned, and they said “the more conversations I’ve now had about this, I don’t believe it’s real.”
Related/unrelated
According to the just-released 2025 State of Journalism report by Muck Rack, mis- and disinformation are viewed as the the most serious threat to journalism’s future. Also 34% of journalists now self-publish, working independently outside of a newsroom. (Like me!)
Make Father’s Day memorable with Ranch Foods Direct
Bites & Bits
• Brass Brewing Co. posted earlier this week that after seven years in business, it was “passing the guidon to another amazing Veteran-Owned brewery: Gunslinger Brewing Company.” But first, a farewell Brass party — stay tuned for details they say. As for Gunslinger, they appear to have been around in some form since 2019 as a trio of homebrewers. I’m aiming to make contact soon for some more reporting on them.
• South Park Brewing just marked its first anniversary in Colorado Springs, which is a continuation of a decade prior business in Fairplay. Despite passing the milestone in June, they plan to officially celebrate in September, timed with Oktoberfest, “as we always have,” they wrote in a post.
• Check out two newly launched food trucks on the scene: Salt Fire Chile (tacos; menu here) and Gossip Point COS (Indian; menu here).
• Download the free, 2025 Crafts & Drafts Passport for drink deals around town.
• Sonora’s Prime Carniceria & Taco Shop, home to a birria pizza, will soon open a new location in Fountain, expanding on their existing four locations (in Colorado Springs, Falcon and East and South Pueblo).
• Yobel reopened downtown at 517 S Cascade Ave., behind COATI, in mid-April. That was after a 16 month hiatus due to the smoke damage to their prior location — from the fire at neighboring Taste of Jerusalem in December, 2023. For anyone unfamiliar, Yobel is an ethical, fair-trade, women’s and men’s fashion boutique that’s currently working with 65 international artisans explains co-owner and local artist Clay Ross. The business has a deeper history that dates back to a retail shop inside Ivywild School, and international mission work prior to that — I went to India with them for a story I published in the CS Indy in 2014 — but in this latest incarnation Yobel’s scope (literally 4,700 square feet) has expanded to include space for member and studio artists. And, pursuant to why you’re reading about all this here, the Rosses have added a small bar inside the shared space. During Yobel/The LookUp Gallery hours (noon to 7 p.m., Mondays and Thursdays-Saturdays; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday; until 9 p.m. on First Fridays), guests can peruse offerings with a glass of vino or beer in hand, or a neat pour of Axe and the Oak whiskey (from his brother Casey Ross’ business) or tequila. “Spirits are poured neat” he says, sans ice cubes or garnish, as a workaround for Health Department rules that would have greatly complicated their buildout requirements and added high costs to do so. “It’s simple,” he says. “It creates some staying power and allows people to put their feet up, visit with our artists, see art, and sip and shop.” Guests can also order food from COATI, to pair with the drinks.
• Stompin’ Groundz just released some new food items, and is also hosting twice monthly farmers markets for the Southeast neighborhoods. It will celebrate its one-year anniversary early next month with a big party.
• Springs Magazine and writer Warren Epstein ask the curious (and rightful) question, “Is Carlos’ Bistro Worth It?” this week. Though they don’t entirely answer it to satisfaction (by my reading of it), I do appreciate the analysis of the lowered menu prices for many items as well as off-menu crazy things that cost upwards of $300. It certainly says something that a writer on assignment had to do so much work asking questions on pricing so as not to be surprised — yet still get surprised at happy hour by ordering incorrectly for a deal. It seems a meal there is what you want to make of it in terms of spending less than $100 or multiples of that, but as I’ve always heard (and once experienced), Carlos Echeandia “goes to extremes to make every diner feel special.”
• The New York Times announced on June 11 that it would replace longtime critic Pete Wells, who retired from that desk last year, with two “co-chief restaurant critics” — a first in the paper’s history. Ligaya Mishan and Tejal Rao will share the duties, with Mishan based in New York and Rao in California. “The change is part of an effort to expand starred restaurant reviews across the country, instead of focusing them almost exclusively in New York,” says the Times. (Who knows, Colorado Springs could get revisited, since it was featured in the 36 Hours column in May, 2024.) The paper calls this “an ‘ambitious new plan’ to cover the nation’s restaurants in a more visual, personal and transparent way.” As such, the writers are “forgoing anonymity, and will not try to hide their faces publicly … Maintaining that level of anonymity — a policy that goes back decades — is just not possible anymore,” they say. (For my part, we too did our best to secret shop undetected back in our CS Indy days, but operating in a small community made that difficult. Especially since I also reported on the news side, not just the review side, meaning I often needed to get face-to-face with operators and chefs prior to them even opening. And now with Side Dish, my face is literally my logo.)
• You know you’re from Alabama (like me) when you’re scrolling Facebook and see a post from a grade school-era person that reads: “Trussville peeps. Is hooters shutting down for real this time? If so their last night open, needs to be all the old regulars!!!” (God bless your devotion to boobs, say I. Surprising reveal: It’s not a post from a dude.)
Munchies morphs into Colorado Custom Catering
Munchies 719 was a successful food truck that launched in 2019 and later served out of the Triple Nickel for a couple years before moving into brick-and-mortar downtown in November, 2022. As part of a wave of closures around town at the time, Munchies shuttered on Dec. 31, 2024, citing “Economic changes, Global Pandemic, Political Diversity, Rising cost of product, Parking, etc etc etc.”
But as of two weeks ago, Muchies owners Chuck and MaryAnn Thomas are back in action as Colorado Custom Catering (CCC). Turns out he’s spent the last many months revamping his original truck — including new windows and a freehand graffiti spray paint job he did himself. Which effectively makes Thomas one of the rare chefs around to have gone from truck to sit-down back to truck.
“Brick-and-mortar is just too damn expensive,” he says, noting he had to file bankruptcy on the Munchies brand. “It was $11,000 a month just to unlock the doors each day.” They’d sunk several hundred thousand dollars fixing up the space (the former/iconic Michelle’s Chocolatiers) in hopes of working toward a purchase of the building, but failed to come to terms with their landlord, he says.
So what is CCC, then?
“Basically all the same stuff as Munchies,” he concedes, like hot dogs, burgers and chicken & waffles. On social media, you can find a copy of the truck menu, while at their website CCC offers an expansive catering menu. “We’re trying to focus more on the catering side of the business,” he says, citing 11 weddings already booked this season ahead. (Clients can have the truck park and order from the window, or arrange buffet or plated service.)
CCC is utilizing Five Star Food Stop as its commissary and Thomas says he and Brent Cunningham (who formerly operated Dazed Creations at the space, before it briefly expanded into Munchies, then folded last year) are working together to remodel the front area there. They envision teaching some cooking classes at the venue. Meanwhile, check CCC’s pages for upcoming truck service, to include Peyton’s new Ascent Brewery on some Saturdays and Food Truck Tuesdays every other week at the Pioneer’s Museum (next up June 24).
Paris Crepe moves a couple doors down Tejon Street
Roughly a month ago, 15-year-old Paris Crepe closed for a few days to relocated two doors down, to 1027 S. Tejon St. It had been at its prior location (1019 S. Tejon St., the old Montague’s tea house) five years, and before that occupied what’s now bird tree cafe.
I stop by to catch up with owner Wahid Hafsaoui, who tells more this is a better spot overall, with more space and good terms with the landlord. It remains a work-in-progress, with dining room chandeliers and a new kitchen hood coming soon, plus a private party space in the rear that’s still being furnished. (Formerly the building housed a thrift store.)
Meanwhile, the International-inspired menu (originally designed by his wife Stacy) is the same, with bestselling Benedict crepes (a salmon or a pastrami) the most recent addition. But Hafsaoui says his sweet crepes remain in high demand. The menu has been successful enough to birth an expansion in to Denver in 2019 (which was closed by the pandemic two years later) and next month the couple will open their first location in Las Vegas.
Hafsaoui moved there a few years ago and left employees in charge here. He says his goal is to open four Paris Crepe locations in Vegas inside of the next three years. I ask if the margins on this model are still good given post-pandemic effects and today’s tariff-worried economy, and he says yes hesitantly, because food costs are way up. He says it reminds him of 2009-2010, post recession.
I can’t leave without revisiting one of my favorite crepes on the menu, the Thai Beef, made with tender strips of flank steak, sharp red onions, cilantro, roasted pears and peanut sauce, with crumbled peanut garnish. The crepe holds a lovely savory/sweet balance from the rich meat and veggies and inherent sugariness of the fruit and peanut elements.
Siebenaller departs Evergreen for The Mining Exchange
In fall, 2024, Chef Noah Siebenaller took a posting at Evergreen Restaurant, coming from a gig in Denver’s Cherry Creek area overseeing a trio of spots for a New York City restaurant group named Quality Branded. Side Dish has loosely tracked his prior career dating back to 2017, from Phantom Canyon to Beasts & Brews and later Choice Restaurant Concepts (Side Dish Dozen members District Elleven, Bird Tree Cafe and T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila).
Now, Siebenaller, who says his consulting contract concluded, is on the move once again — this time to The Mining Exchange Hotel, where he’s taken the executive chef position to oversee operations at BLK MGK coffee shop, Golden Hour bar and the newly opened eatery Oro. The Mining Exchange is a Wyndam Registry Collection Hotel, managed by Practice Hospitality and owned by Kemmons Wilson (who bought it from locals Perry Sanders and John Goede in 2022).
With the move, he’s inheriting menus created by others, which he says he’ll be able to exert “property-level creativity” over. “My first major project will be to update the banquet menus,” he says. With Oro specifically, the menus were designed by a Portland-based culinary consulting group named Giant Squid Ink. On their team is James Beard Award nominee Chef Aaron Barnett and Joel Gunderson, a nationally recognized sommelier according to their site.
Due to my travel last month, I haven’t been by the space yet to dine — and I aim to give it time to get settled before I do — but you can view this preview by Springs Magazine’s Jeremy Jones to learn more now.
I ask Siebenaller how he’s feeling as he heads into the role and he says, “I’m excited to have joined the Mining Exchange Team. I look forward to bringing my skill and experience to the property and continuing its tradition of great food and beverage offerings. It’s an absolutely beautiful hotel.”
He notes locally sourced items at the hotel, including Provision pastries and breads, Hold Fast coffee and Rock River Ranch bison. “With purchasing at a larger scale, hotels can have a huge impact in supporting local,” he says.
To plan some cultural programming around a drink or meal at the hotel, catch live music nights curated by Dizzy Charlies weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in Golden Hour’s lounge and the outdoor terrace.
And, circling back around to Evergreen Restaurant, I stop by to chat with owners Alex and Lera Saprin about their plans. They say they aren’t looking to fill another exec chef position at the eatery and are empowering existing staff to run day-to-day operations. They’ve launched a refreshed patio menu; started delivery service via DoorDash; and updated hours (to include nightly dinner service Tuesday-Sunday and additional brunch/lunch hours Fridays-Sundays).
The two are also busy in Denver scoping a location for the next concept they aim to launch as early as sometime later this year, they say.
Side Dish Dozen happenings
Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: Treat your dad to Father’s Day at Jax this Sunday. Featuring downtown’s best brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Or reserve for our Father’s Day Off the Grill dinner, 4-9 p.m., with specials like Grilled Tiger Shrimp, Whole Striped Bass and NY Strip. Plus, a free beer for dad! Also, June is Rosé Month at Jax! Sip on a specially curated menu of pink wine and bubbles over sustainable seafood.
Edelweiss: Make reservations for Father’s Day now. We’ll have strolling musicians and patio dining (weather permitting). Return for traditional live music Thursdays-Sundays, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. And happy hours in the Ratskeller, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays.
Allusion Speakeasy: Check out the Shrek-themed cocktail lineup at our Powers location. The Croaking Harold, Farbucks, Gratuitous Hair Flip, Wine-y Baby and more. Our downtown location has its own exclusive lineup too!
Odyssey Gastropub: During Pride weekend come for jello shots ($3/one or two/$5) and $3 Outlaw lagers. New summer menu items include Miso Blue Crab Dip with local corn, poblano chiles, cheddar and Old Bay-seasoned kettle chips; and Andes Mountain steelhead trout with marble potato hash, romesco and cilantro oil. At Nacho Matrix our Taco Tuesdays feature $3 crunchy tacos and $6 margs. We offer catering with pickup and delivery options plus service at neighboring Goat Patch.
Kangaroo Coffee: Swing by our kiosk this weekend at the Switchbacks FC’s match (at 7 p.m. vs. Oakland) for an iced coffee beverage or Roofresher. Speaking of which, the Roofresher of the month is sparkling watermelon cucumber mint! Visit each of our locations to discover special drinks of the week created by our staff. And at our Hillside Coffee House next to Memorial Park, host your next meeting or event in our free community room; call or stop by to reserve.
Goat Patch Brewing: Catch Wednesday trivia nights in our Northgate taproom, 6:30-8:30 p.m. weekly. Dine at Grazing Goat Kitchen for outstanding Neapolitan pizzas and more. Join us at the Lincoln Center every Sunday, 6-8 p.m., for our free Summer Music Series. We’ve also launched new Dungeons & Dragons Nights, 6:30-9:30 p.m., every other Monday (June 16, 30); get $1 off pints during game play.
Use code SIDEDISH for $5 off GA tickets 👇
Upcoming events
June 14-15: Pikes Peak Pride will include nearly 20 food and drink vendors throughout the festival.
June 14: Mi Familia Community Dinner at The Carter Payne. 5:30 p.m.; $30.
June 14: Feast of Saint Arnold beer festival at Chapel of Our Saviour Episcopal Church. Noon to 4:30 p.m.
June 14: Famous Dave's 3rd annual All-Star BBQ Series at Texas T-Bone Steakhouse. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Seven teams will compete to move up towards the grand final of the World Food Championships. Free BBQ samples, a beer garden, giveaways, games and more. Free to attend.
June 15: Glitter & Ganache: Pride after-party at Four by Brother Luck. 3-5 p.m. Live DJ, oysters and Champagne specials and more.
June 21: Phantom Canyon House Party. 2-6 p.m. Includes unlimited beer tastings from more than a dozen breweries, giveaways and live ’90s DJ music. Dress to impress; prizes. Proceeds benefit Inside Out Youth Services. $30-$50 tickets.
June 22: Paella on the Patio continues at TAPAteria. Three seatings; one of them is vegan.
June 24: The Pizza Protest at City Hall. 11:30 a.m. Bring $5 to donate toward pizza for a community picnic and represent your cause.
June 26: Moonlight on the Mountain at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. 5-9:30 p.m.
June 28: Colorado Springs Mimosa Fest. (Put on by a national outfit named Bar Crawl Nation, if that tells you anything. Hint: it does.)
*Early notice* July 17: 2025 Taste of Pikes Peak. The food event of the year. Get your tickets early! I highly recommend the VIP passes and early entry tickets to beat the crowds and get exclusive bites. (Interested vendors apply to display by July 11.)
Parting shot
Wise words of guidance and about how to keep the pendejos away — at Agave Lounge in Old Colorado City.