Policing the plate
Side Dish interviews KRDO's Restaurant Roundup team; Castle Rock's 105 West Brewing Co. to expand and replace Trinity Brewing; Pies & Grinders joins Red Leg Brewing lineup + food & drink news
Around the beginning of this year I covered the launch of KRDO’s Restaurant Roundup, venturing to do some analysis on the segment and pose early questions. Echoing sentiments I heard from folks in the industry, I wondered what the harm to small businesses might be — in broadcasting their El Paso County Public Health inspections.
Throughout the year I kept a loose eye on the reports, noticing lots of online engagement inside of local foodie Facebook groups in which they were shared. In September, I unknowingly allowed one restaurant who’d been shut down by the Health Department to run damage control through Side Dish, inviting me to dine and catch up on recent news, failing to disclose at the time that they’d been featured on Restaurant Roundup. (Fortunately during my fact-checking I found the report, thereby making the whole incident part of the story.)
As a fellow journalist/media person, I could tell Restaurant Roundup had grown legs and would be around to stay. But I didn’t know until I sat down a few weeks ago with part of the team behind the segment just how popular it had become. Restaurant Roundup Reporter Julia Donovan told me they garner tens of thousands of clicks per article, and that one recent piece was the highest viewed article yet for the entire year on KRDO’s website. News Director Staci-Lyn Onofre called their digital metrics “off the charts for the website and social media engagement.” (Yeah, that’s sales department gold right there.)
General Manager of KRDO TV and KRDO AM/FM NewsRadio Steve Doerr was the third KRDO rep who graciously sat down with me to record my podcast segment. I learned that he, like Onofre and Donovan, had spent time inside the industry during his high school and college years. He preferred back-of-the-house to front, while Onofre was mainly a server. Donovan cut her teeth at Dunkin’ Donuts, and more recently waited tables in the Denver area. The restaurant at which she worked required her to do food-safety training, so she’s perfectly aware of the type of infractions the Health Department looks for.
It’s safe to say their journo cred is intact, and as I said to them in one of my questions, I find their footing defensible in that they’re working from publicly available records that they neither created or influenced. They aren’t in the field with the Health Department during the surprise inspections. They do follow up with them as needed and describe a good rapport with the PIO’s there. And Donovan says they always provide contact info to restaurants they reach out to, seeking comments and updates. Doerr adds that they’ll report on air once an establishment has made remedies, and they’ll sometimes tour a spot to highlight those corrections.
“If you look at the segment, more than half the segment is about is usually a positive story,” he says. “Nobody wants to talk about that part. They just want to talk about the part where, ‘oh, you said they got a bad health score. You know, that’s gonna damage the industry.’ We don’t believe that’s the case. We think it’s actually helping the industry. Because everybody should be held to the highest standard possible. We’re here collaboratively with the restaurant industry.”
That gets right to the heart of why I wanted to sit down with KRDO’s team: to unpack the controversy around the show and hear more about their intent when they created it. Onofre noted the role of serving as a public watchdog and holding restaurants accountable. Donovan later echoed that “people aren’t necessarily looking at the health inspection website, so when a restaurant does poorly on a health inspection, there’s not a lot of incentive for them to do better. But now we’re kind of holding them accountable, and it seems like places are turning around just because of this.”
Doerr adds “I think there’s always going to be a group of people who just don’t want us to report on this at all… we’re not going to apologize for what we believe is doing our job” and “for doing stories that people want to watch… We are not sensationalist. We are telling good stories.”
I don’t want to give the full rundown of our chat, because I really want you to watch or listen to the whole thing. It runs around 20 minutes — perfectly digestible. Stick in until the end, when I pose questions to KRDO that were handed off to me by local chefs who are decidedly not fans of the show. I’m genuinely curious if any of those chefs’ perceptions and positions will change after they hear the answers from Doerr, Onofre and Donovan.
For my part, I want to thank them again for all making time for me to drop by the station and interview them on their home turf. I found it to be a fruitful discussion.
New month, new Ranch Foods Direct collab recipe
Cheers to consulting Blue Star Group Chef Will Merwin for sharing his stellar pork green chili recipe with us this month for our Ranch Foods Direct collaboration. I’m sure you’ve had dozens of good pork green chili renditions before, but this one’s a great one. It calls for Callicrate pork shoulder (bone-in) and comes together relatively quickly at home. I snapped the above photo then promptly dove into the bowl, savoring the spicy finish and rich meatiness. Give it a try; you might just replace your old go-to recipe with this one after you experience it.
From three to two: Trinity Brewing gives way to 105 West Brewing’s second location
This past weekend, Trinity Brewing announced it was ceasing operations as of Dec. 21 and handing its facility over to Castle Rock’s 105 West Brewing Company. This Springs expansion will mark 105 W’s second location. Service will begin Jan. 1 and they plan to remain open during upcoming months of renovations according to 105 W’s own post on Facebook.
Quick histories for the uninitiated: Trinity was launched in 2008 by Jason “Saison Man” Yester, a former Bristol Brewing hand who made it a mission to brew innovative saisons and “kill the pint glass” (a slogan directed at appropriate glassware). He was pioneering for his era, earning many awards and accolades across the industry. He was also mercurial and outspoken, stirring controversy more than once inside the local beer community. (I remember this well from my time at the CS Indy.)
He decided to sell the business in mid 2020, telling the Denver Gazette at the time that he was pursuing the “next chapter” in his life. His buyer was Matt Dettmann, a home brewer, real estate investor and former restaurateur. I noted in Side Dish last week that Dettmann closed Trinity’s Forge Brewery location (just down the street from its mothership) on Nov. 14. I did not know that so soon he’d be announcing this closure.
I reached out for comment last week and wasn’t able to connect. But Dettmann sent me a short response this week to say he’s received well wishes from literally hundreds of folks and wished to keep the attention on 105 West, not Trinity. “They are an awesome group, and the plans they have for this location are excellent,” he says. “I think when they are done with their vision, this location will be one of the coolest spots for craft beer/craft food in the Springs and I wish them the very best.”
As for 105 West Brewing Company’s brief backstory, Founder/Brewer Eric Seufert launched it in 2015. From my chat with him this week I learned he’s 50 years old and a father of six kids; a former Army helicopter pilot; and he used to operate the Castle Rock Homebrew Store. He and his team at 105 W won coveted Great American Beer Festival awards in 2017 (a silver in the American-Style Wheat Beer category with a lemon rye) and 2018 (a gold in the Specialty Saison category with an apricot saison).
Like Trinity’s founder Jason Yester, Seufert says he’s a huge Belgian beer and saison fan. He tells me he was a big fan of Yester’s back in the day, adding he’d be open to reviving some OG Trinity brews if the recipes came his way, to pay homage.
That prompts me to ask exactly what he did acquire in this transaction, as the wording in the online postings made it unclear if this was a business sale. He clarifies that he did not buy Trinity’s business or branding, but instead signed a new lease agreement with the landlord and went under contract to purchase Trinity’s physical assets. “All that would fall out if you could pick up the building and shake it,” he says, listing items like a forklift, kegs, coolers, brewhouse equipment and taproom furniture. He says he was already looking to expand into the Springs and even had plans drawn for a new buildout, but the cost estimates started to not make sense.
Regarding planned overhauls to Trinity’s space, Seufert says he’s underway with evaluations this week, as we speak, to see what’s doable now and soon down the road “to make the space efficient.” He’s eying a roll-up door or two “to open it up a little more” and figuring out where to put a wood-fired pizza oven so they can mirror Castle Rock’s popular pizza menu. Seufert tells me he spent more than three years personally developing and perfecting his dough recipe.
While awaiting the wood oven, he’s eyeing the temporary use of a conveyor pizza oven, though he knows his dough recipe calls for higher temp cooking, so it likely will need adjusting. He plans to serve smoked wings, brats and sandwiches and potentially burgers and fish ‘n chips later, once he can establish a good “synergy between the two locations.” To be clear: He’s not keeping any Trinity food items and their vegan focus won’t continue with 105 W other than they will offer vegan cheese for the pizzas.
“We’re ultra casual,” Seufert says, noting that customers order at the bar or kitchen window and pick items up when they’re ready. “We pride ourselves on being extremely fast and handling large crowds. On a Sunday in summer it’s not uncommon for us to have 250 guests at a time in Castle Rock.”
Something fairly unique about 105 W: It’s a gratuity-free establishment. Anything left behind gets pooled and donated to a rotating monthly charity. Seufert tells me in the past decade they’ve given away around half a million dollars. When I ask why he went with a no-tip model he says it’s because when he started on a $60,000 budget in an 1,800 square-foot space originally, the tiny staff did both the brewing and beer-tending and essentially wore all that hats in order to create full-time jobs. It was easier for him to set stable living wages and give bonuses versus managing different pay scales for hours worked at certain posts. He took inspiration from his time living in Europe, where his wife’s from. “It just worked — our teamwork’s exceptional” he says, offering side commentary that he doesn’t believe skilled assistant brewers who take a year to train are paid enough elsewhere across the industry.
That said, they do have to charge a little more for their food and drink, he notes. So there’s an educational component to getting customers used to the system and perceiving the true cost given the built-in gratuity pricing. (Anyone remember how that went down for short-lived Ephiphany downtown, the Russ Ware factor aside?)
Expect 24 taps of 105 W beers — here’s the current tap list — which will be trucked down from the Castle Rock, which has a 15-barrel brew system, 30-barrel storage tanks and a fully automated canning line for on-site sales and on-premise accounts like restaurants, bars and golf courses. Formerly, 105 W did distribute to liquor stores across the state (between 2019 and 2024) but Seufert says for all the work it was basically a break-even enterprise, so he scrapped it.
He still needs to assess Trinity’s equipment that he’s acquiring when we talk, so he’s not sure whether he’ll activate it as-is or change it up. He’s also pondering bringing in a pilot system for small-batch brewing that could potentially feed some kegs back up to Castle Rock for continuity.
Another interesting aspect about his outfit is all the brewers are also winemakers. As a separate entity loosely tied to 105 W (for legality reasons), Bear’l Cellars gives a nod to 105 W’s bear logo and operates in a separate building in Castle Rock. Started in 2022, Bear’l makes popular wine styles mostly from California- and Washington-grown grapes. They keg it to be able to pour by the glass at 105 W and sell bottles to carry out. Summertime ushers in wine-based frozen cocktails and lighter, carbonated offerings like a peach Chardonnay. In winter you’ll find house Glühwein.
“We try to adapt to the changing market and offer a diversity of drinks in the brewery, while staying as true to craft as we can,” says Seufert. “A new IPA doesn’t work like it did 10 years ago to get people to show up. We have to reach a different market segment to stay competitive.”
So they source fruited (and lower ABV by style) meads from Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, which he says appeal to seltzer drinkers. Plus canned ciders and cocktails and N/A beers. And when it comes to their own beer lineup, they break it into six categories to ensure “something for everyone.” Funny enough given the earlier IPA reference, he notes six IPAs on tap presently and says they hit 10 this past July when they honored their JulyPA tradition.
Bites & Bits
• Locally owned and operated Pies & Grinders announced the opening of a fourth Colorado Springs area location, this one situated at Red Leg Brewing Company. A grand opening ceremony will take place on Dec. 5 at noon. Pies & Grinders originally launched in 2001 in Black Forest and has since expanded into Monument and opened off Powers Boulevard (at Research Parkway). At Red Leg, they’re replacing High Rise Pizza Kitchen, who had delivered pies for service from their Rockrimmon location. Red Leg’s media rep says the brewery worked with Pies & Grinders to upgrade their Conex box in the patio/food court area so that their pizza will be cooked on site.
• Fox21 reported on the Inaugural Christkindlmarket to debut in Old Colorado City, Dec. 11 to 23 in Bancroft Park. Food vendors will include Wimberger’s Old World Bakery, Bob’s Roasted Nuts and Germans Pretzelkings. See full event details here.
• The Gazette published an article on area baristas continuing to picket unfair labor practices as part of the longest Starbucks strike in the company’s history.
• Here’s a random glance into an hour of food-inspired internet scrolling for me this week: It started with reading this beautifully written New York Times review of a Kaiseki spot in NYC’s Chinatown. Which led me to refreshing my memory on exactly what Kaiseki is and isn’t, via this Michelin Guide article. Then researching if Denver has any spots I could potentially hit in the future, which brought me back to this New Denizen article from earlier this year that I’d forgotten about, featuring The Counter at Odell’s, an experience oddly to be had inside a bagel shop. Next I found some recent Westword articles that are relevant in terms of confirming that Denver seems to have several Kaiseki-inspired spots that are actually more of Omakase places. Read: Denver’s Omakase Scene Is the Next Level of Sushi Sophistication. Then check out this Dec. 1 article about Kizaki, from the chef behind Sushi Den and three other celebrated Japanese spots in Denver. Kizaki only opened in April, but has already earned a Michelin Star and was just named to Esquire’s 2025 list of the Best New Restaurants in America. All of which leads me to conclude that I want to eat it all. Like, everything, everywhere and damnit life is too short and work too long and my food budget too small and also I’d like a second stomach and a bullet train between here and Denver and I could go on but now you see what happens to my brain when I go scrolling down a food hole. Tee-hee. (Walks away from keyboard whistling.)
• Speaking of New Denizen, here’s her November new restaurant roundup in the Denver area, which includes a quirky pasta spot named Boombots and a new cocktail spot called Peach Crease Club with “one-of-a-kind” drinks.
Side Dish Dozen happenings
Red Gravy: The next Sunday Supper Club with Chef Eric Brenner is Dec. 14. $150 all inclusive for a four-course, wine- and spirit-paired meal. This month’s theme is Francophilia. The menu highlights French bistro favorites: Sole Meunière; roast chicken with lentils and truffle sauce; tournedo of beef filet with béarnaise; and a dessert soufflé with crème anglaise. (See highlights from a recent Supper Club here.)
Kangaroo Coffee: Give the gift of good vibes and great coffee this holiday season. For every $25 Kangaroo Coffee gift card you buy thru Dec. 25 you’ll receive a $5 coupon to enjoy for yourself. Come to our Cozy PJ Board Game Party, 6-8 p.m., Dec. 5: Enjoy specially crafted coffee drinks with Minor Figures oat milk; savor a refreshing Frios Pop; enter a raffle to win awesome Minor Figures merch.
District Elleven: Join us Dec. 5 from 8 p.m. to midnight for our Prohibition Party and Six Year Anniversary Party! Live DJ, Blanton’s raffle, free bday shots and more. Also catch all-day happy hours on Tuesdays with $6 Manhattans, Old Fashioned drinks and martinis, $4 Jameson, $5 Buffalo Trace, $6 wines and $5-$6 small plates.
Four by Brother Luck: Come with a party of five or more on Wednesdays for our Midweek Society special and get 15 percent off your check; it’s our way of celebrating community at the heart of the week. Now booking holiday events at our Eleven18 Event Space. Catering for any occasion available.
Elephant Thai: We would love to be part of your holiday season, whether for dine-in, takeaway, delivery or catering. Take advantage of our weekday happy hours from 4-6 p.m. with $7 wines, $1 off Thai beers and $2 off gyoza, veggie egg rolls and crab rangoons.
Rasta Pasta: Come in for our daily lunch specials until 3 p.m., ranging from $11 to $17 and including our beloved garlic bread. If you’ve never tried our bestselling Chicken Montego Bay, you should: jerk chicken, fresh veggies, pineapple and penne pasta in a white wine and Alfredo sauce. One love!
Bristol Brewing Company: Join us for the Bristol Beer Choir Christmas Concert on Dec. 7 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. We’ve been practicing the last six weeks and are ready for you! We’re still pouring our community beers in the taproom (pumpkin ale, smoked porter and piñon nut brown ale) and seasonal favorite Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout.
Upcoming events
Dec. 5: Prohibition Era Party at Urban Animal Beer Co. 5 p.m.; costume prizes, 10 cent Kolsch beers.
Dec. 11: Beer, Blood, and Blame! A Murder Mystery Beer Dinner at Cerberus Brewing Co. 6 p.m.; $50 for three beer-paired courses.
Dec. 14: Gingergread House Contest at Red Leg Brewing Co. 6-7:30 p.m. Tickets required to compete, or come spectate and watch the action.
Dec. 14: Holiday Swing Brunch + Sip with Schnip at Kangaroo Coffee Hillside. Coffee flights, Gold Star Bakery sweets, brunch by Red Gravy Chef Eric Brenner and live music by Lookie Here.
Dec. 16: Passport to Piedmont wine dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. 6 p.m.; $89, benefitting Westside Cares.
Dec. 18: American Culinary Federation Pikes Peak Chapter Holiday Happy Hour Mixer at The Warehouse. 4-7 p.m. A Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Chef Sigi Krauss.
Dec. 18: Cookies & Cocktails at Pure Distilling. 5:30-10 p.m.; $20 includes a cocktail flight and four macarons to pair.
Dec. 20: Local Relic’s Small Brew Saturday at The Carter Payne. Noon to 4 p.m.
Dec. 20: ‘Isa Pang Lasa’ (One Last Taste) dinner with Baon Supper Club at Good Neighbors Meeting House. 6 p.m.; $125 includes seven courses and takeaway treats.
Parting shot(s)
This isn’t local, but this viral news story is too good to pass up sharing, and in my defense, it does have a food and drink connection: A raccoon broke into and trashed a liquor store in Virginia (those are called ABC stores in the South) and then passed out drunk in its bathroom. Now the area animal shelter is selling Trashed Panda shirts to raise funds, including for “Equipment needed to ensure safe and humane response to wildlife calls, including the ones who occasionally party a little too hard.” Awesome.
Love these articles man, especially the inside scoop on 105, cheers 🍻
My curiosity on which restaurant had to redeem itself after the KRDO story made me click the link, and then I realized it was an article I had missed entirely, so I just now learned about the app Hoppenings. What a great idea! I *immediately* downloaded it, of course.
Second - funny you should mention Boombot in Denver. My amazing and oh-so-talented little sister Chef Nora Dillon (of Ephemera and Four by BL fame) recently moved to Denver and just started working there! We are SO excited to go up and try them out - especially after snarfing on a giant loaf of their focaccia (holy shit) she brought down for Thanksgiving and then finding their Instagram page (holy shit).
Anxiously awaiting 105W - I enjoy Castle Rock's beer scene, and I've been over Trinity for quite a while. And I'm still mourning Metric's exit stage left :(
Cheers