Refresh and revive
Blue Star Group joins The Well and brings back La'au's; T-Byrd's is in the Mood; we have a Bar Battle winner + more food & drink news
It’s that time of the year again when The Well food hall announces its vendor refreshes. And 2024 is indeed offering quite the shake-up, despite Formosa Bites opting to stay aboard another year. (Yay! I’ve been longtime fan.)
The biggest news is that the Blue Star Group is taking over two stalls. One will replace Opus Creative Kitchen (formerly Shovel Ready), which is pursuing its own location. The other takes over Sivar, which is being retired for now according to co-owner Tim Hines. “We appreciated the local support and are a little saddened to see it temporarily pause,” he tells Side Dish. “It will help us dedicate our focus to the Saigon Cafe effort — which is super exciting!” (Expect a writeup from me very soon on that.)
As I teased with the above images, indeed La’au’s Taco Shop will be what inhabits one of the spaces. It originally opened around the turn of 2008 in a hidden spot on the Colorado College campus and it closed down in early 2023. Catering from the brand has continued out of the Ivywild School, but now it will have a physical space again. Look for a soft opening on Feb. 1 and give grace around the rapid reboot.
As for the second BSG concept, all The Well reps will say for now is that BSG will “unveil a brand new addition to their gastronomic line-up, set for launch in March.” I have spoken with BSG Founder Joseph Coleman about it but have agreed to embargo that info until his team is ready. (Sorry fans who’ve commented to my earlier online teaser; Nosh is not returning.)
Which brings us to the fourth available stall, which Tossed has vacated. (Tossed Chef/Owner Morgan Bryson tells Side Dish she’s now “planning on focusing on the food truck, catering and meal prep.”) Gift Horse Bar & Cafe, The Well’s own house anchor, is taking it over February 6 with a new concept of its own named Giddy Up & Go. Operational parter for The Well, Justin Anderson, tells Side Dish that it’s being created largely to fulfill regular requests for breakfast options on site. (Although it will also serve lunch items, staying open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; The Well is closed Mondays.)
“The menu will be unique and different, but not too far out of the box,” he says, noting it won’t be simple scrambled eggs, bacon and toast — things easily made at home. Instead, he mentions customizable salads (continuing what Tossed introduced); sandwiches built on Springs Bagel Company bagels; and purveyed pastries from nearby Provision Bread & Bakery.
Anderson wants to remind the community about The Well’s philanthropic underpinnings. A statement he provided in a press release says, “Collaborating with a local, well-respected and accomplished team the like of Blue Star Group aligns perfectly with our continued goal to elevate our food and beverage offerings… At the heart of it, alongside our philanthropic partners, both groups share a fundamental vision centered around fostering and nurturing community in diverse ways.”
Speaking later to Side Dish, he tells me “We are evolving, not pivoting. The first year we highlighted out-of-state concepts [aside from Dun Sun]. The second year we went all local, which included a culinary education and workforce program [Opus].” And now, the lineup remains local but bolstered by a longtime local, strong brand.
“We’re finally gaining traction on the things we originally set out to do,” he says.
Speaking of The Blue Star Group …
Remember back in October when I teased the reopening of the flagship Blue Star itself? That was when the group had announced their acquisition of Gold Star Pies and I’d run into Joseph Coleman at a restaurant opening and shaken him down for info. Well, I pinned Coleman down again as our special guest in Episode 2 of tap&table, which just released Jan. 24. We do a deep dive on Coleman’s rise in the industry; look at lessons learned from the last Blue Star iteration; and fully detail what to expect out of the new Blue Star later this year. Plus, Coleman tells us hilarious stories from the past, hence the Episode’s title. Tune in. Follow the show to receive notifications on new episodes as they release and don’t be afraid to click those stars and rate the show — and hell, you can even comment if you’re feeling frisky. Cheers!
Side Dish sponsor Ranch Foods Direct in the media
The Kansas City PBS nonprofit newsroom Flatland just produced a piece highlighting Ranch Foods Direct and rancher Mike Callicrate. Subtitled “How One Cattle Rancher Ditched The Industrial Meat Model And Forged A More Sustainable One” the story follows Callicrate to his ranch in Saint Francis, Kansas as well as into his retail markets. It highlights beneficial methods such as rotational grazing and notes the food security inherent to small-farm models, which came into focus during the pandemic. Watch the worthwhile, nine-minute video segment while in the article. And check out Ranch Foods Direct’s own insightful video below.
“You can not feed the world by destroying the soil you grow your food in.” — Mike Callicrate
Also don’t forget the final week of our January Gather Food Studio recipe special with Ranch Foods Direct, featuring Bristol Brewing Co’s Winter Warlock oatmeal stout.
T-Byrd’s is in the Mood
Forgive the cheeky headline. But what else am I supposed to do with this week’s news that T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila has moved out of its original 26 E. Kiowa St. spot and taken over the former Mood space at 218 N. Tejon St.? I mean … it’s a literal headline people. Just go with it.
Anyway, that effectively folds all the Choice Restaurant Concepts under one roof, sharing one kitchen. Bird Tree Cafe remains untouched, as does whiskey/cocktail bar District Elleven physically — though it is receiving a menu update, which I’ll detail below.
With the move, T-Byrd's favorites/flagships are staying on the menu but expect several new tacos and a significantly expanded tequila selection at the bar. Like, muy muchas tequilas amigos and amigas — something in the ballpark of 100-plus.
Choice’s Executive Chef Dustin Archuleta walks me through some of the changes during my recent visit. He says he’s revisited the base recipes for his chicken tinga, carne asada and such with an eye toward traditional preparations. New tacos include a vegetarian mushroom taco; a Japanese-inspired yuzu-marinated shrimp taco; and a shawarma-inspired pork belly with yogurt sauce and cabbage on a corn tortilla (for somewhat of a Middle Eastern/Mexican hybrid). Also look for a new salad, the return of tamales and a burrito, soon. Service (a soft opening) has begun in the new space.
Meanwhile at District Elleven the new menu will tentatively drop in mid February. Again some of the bestselling plates will remain, but otherwise Archuleta says he’s overhauling the menu to add new small plates and entrées (including a vegetarian dish) as well as a new six-item dessert menu. Those include a tart filled with apricot, pistachio ganache and a rosewater Bavarian cream; a pear bread pudding; and a chocolate entremet with layers of toasted white chocolate mousse, gooseberry gel and dark chocolate cake encased in a white chocolate shell.
Team Lead at District Elleven Colby Schaffer says his team will update its cocktail menu accordingly, including dessert options to match the expanded sweets. “We want Mood fans to know that we’re essentially absorbing the Mood experience into District Elleven,” he says, noting the company felt they were competing with themselves in a way, prior. “We’re dropping the Spanish distinction [tapas] and placing a focus on our culinary-driven food menu and cocktails and whiskey program. … but we’ll still swing the lamps and have fun and not get too hoity-toity.”
Regarding the overall decision to fold-in at 218 N. Tejon St., Schaffer says “it means we get to keep our focus on one building and give these three spaces our full resources and attention.”
Bites and bits
• Last Friday night during service “someone threw something through our window” Odyssey Gastropub posted on their Facebook page. Fortunately, nobody was injured and the person was arrested, but “We could really use some community love and support right now,” they wrote. “Unfortunately this was the 4th criminal incident that we have been a part of in the last two weeks, and it’s feeling pretty heavy for everyone…”
• Back in June I told you Luchals is set to expand. At the time, Owner/Chef Chantal Lucas was anticipating a late 2023 opening in Fountain, but that’s now pushed back to early April, tentatively. I caught up with her for an update and she says she has hired an executive chef/GM and to expect a celebrity guest at her eventual grand opening. She’ll reveal menu updates closer to opening.
• The Warehouse just released its new winter menu. New items include a lamb loin, venison chops and quail "wings."
• Jose Muldoon’s is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, but it also just shuttered its 13-year-old location off Powers Boulevard last week, citing “financial challenges.”
Upcoming events
*Reminder: Make your Valentine’s Day reservations now. There’s tons of special menus across town — so many that I’m not even attempting to sort and list them here ‘cuz that’s boring AF to compile. Truth.
• Jan. 27: The Great Fruitcake Toss in Manitou Springs. 1-3 p.m.; $1.
• Feb. 2: Downtown Colorado Springs’ Haute Chocolate Hop. 5 p.m.; $10.
Parting shot(s)
“I've been to and competed in a handful of C. Springs competitions over the years; this was definitely the highest display of skill I've ever seen from competitors. Not a single dud in the bunch! An absolute HONOR to compete alongside these fine bartenders. And certainly a PRIVILEGE to compete in front of this amazing C. Springs community.”
Those are the words of The Archives’ Head Bartender Shayne Baldwin, winner of our Bar Battle Royale on Jan. 22. Baldwin was competing against Jacob Pfund (Tipperary), Andrew Alverson (District Elleven) and Zach Sherwood (503W; runner-up winner). And speaking as a judge, he’s 100 percent correct about the skill levels on display, especially with the round-one prepared drinks spotlighting Basil Hayden bourbon. The bartenders were given that drink clue a couple weeks ahead of time so they could each craft a special presentation, whereas the later rounds feature a Chopped-style mystery spirit they must make drinks with on the fly.
Courtesy co-presenter and sponsor Southern Glazer’s, Maker’s Mark 46 French Oaked bourbon was presented as the round two challenge. A returning spirit from an earlier month, Haku Vodka, was given to Sherwood and Baldwin in the final round. Overall, the night held lots of highlights, from a presentation inspired by the Pacific Northwest coastal forest (Alverson); to a tea-inspired sipper (Sherwood); to a wild bourbon drink with a pop rocks rim and smoked cheese wedge garnish (Pfund) and an ice cream-paired, flower-garnished drink (Baldwin).
I want to personally congratulate all the competitors again for the truly impressive showing of talent in our local industry. They put a lot of heart into their work while pushing themselves creatively. It shows. And it tastes damn good, too.
As always, a great read on our local dining scene.