Theatrical release
Commonfork Bites & Brews celebrates grand opening at City Rock; a sustainable new source for microgreens; rut season reviewed in Estes Park; winners at the HOSPYS + more food & drink news
As announced in Side Dish in late August, CityROCK climbing gym has rebranded its front eatery/bar — formerly The UTE — naming it Commonfork Bites & Brews.
Though Commonfork has been operating since that time, the establishment will finally host a launch party, on Friday, Nov. 14, from 4-9 p.m. Commonfork will offer food and drink specials for the celebration and highlight new batched cocktails. Regular hours moving forward are 4-10 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
I sat down with GM and co-owner Heather Robinson recently to learn more about the impetus to rename and refocus The UTE, as well as glean a quick history on the whole venture. Here’s excerpts from our chat, with details on what’s new, and why you should consider stopping by, especially if you’ve never been in:
Why the new name?
“For years this restaurant has operated under the shadow of the gym,” says Robinson. “There’s been this stigma that unless you’re a climber it’s not accessible to you. We felt like this restaurant really should be its own entity. Because it is. We want people to see it as independent, separate from the gym. The UTE was a hard name for people to understand; they didn’t get it. Commonfork comes down to community and food. People will look at the sign now and clearly know it’s a restaurant.”
How did a restaurant attached to a climbing gym come to be in the first place? And where did The UTE originate?
Robinson shows me several photographs of the original UTE 70 Theater that are framed together, and hang in CityROCK’s office. On the back of the frame, news clippings are taped together: articles from the Colorado Springs Free Press (dated Nov. 21, 1965) and Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph (dated May 27, 1967 and Nov. 15, 1984). They correspond with opening and closing announcements, and are less than politically correct by today’s standards, referring to “America’s most modern Indian theatre… designed to resemble a modernistic Indian teepee.” (It debuted with a John Wayne movie in Technicolor.) The Telegraph article says the UTE 70 replaced an earlier Ute Theater, built in 1935. The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum has more info on that, noting its early opulence among other interesting historical footnotes.
Jumping to late 2009: a small shareholder group opened City Rock (majority-owned today by Lara Grosjean). The former theater concessions area in the front went from being a CrossFit gym to a blank common area, eventually opening as The UTE and Yeti in January, 2015. The name obviously honored the building’s legacy, but it also tied into climbing as a reference to the famous Yak & Yeti hotel in Nepal, at the base of Mount Everest. In a partnership with local nonprofit UpaDowna, whose mascot is also a yeti, The UTE developed a very competent craft beer program in April of that year. The space was partly utilized to gather people around outdoors education. Around the time of the pandemic’s arrival in 2020, The UTE dropped the Yeti component, ending the partnership. Still today, though, the original marquee letters from the UTE 70 hang inside CityRock’s entryway.
How is Commonfork different from The UTE?
The answer is: virtually no different at all with a healthy food focus and smart beer menu. But batched cocktails ($10-$12) are new thanks to an expanded liquor license. “We recognize that not everyone loves beer or wine,” says Robinson. So they’ve created half a dozen batched drinks that will seasonally refresh, each featuring a different spirit. Some are offered as mocktails, with Robinson recognizing that people aren’t drinking as much. They’ve always had an eye toward N/A beverages, serving Springs Culture Kombucha, sparkling waters and natural sodas, plus N/A beers.
“We still want to highlight our beers, though” she says, citing a wide tap list and canned selection that’s 90 percent Colorado sourced. All craft, always rotating. By intention they don’t feature C. Springs breweries, because those are already well-represented across town. “We want people to visit those breweries,” she says.
Bar Manager Matthew Brotherton adds: “We want people to try something they’ve never had before, and we [including bartender Steven Champion] have the knowledge behind the bar to know what we’re selling them. And we can pair it with your food. A lot of people just say, “Matt, give me a beer. When I’m not here, they don’t know what they like.” (Look for rotating beer-of-the-day specials for just $4.)
Commonfork has also launched a trivia night for the first time, which runs 7-10 p.m., Saturdays. That’s more adult-leaning, though the space is family-friendly all hours.
What about the eats?
Seasonal menus maintain around a dozen flagship items while changing out half a dozen dishes or so. The latest refresh happened in September, and there’s always monthly specials.
“Our food is made to-order, health focused and dietary-restriction-friendly, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free items, plus flexibility to adjust other menu items as needed,” says Robinson. “There’s no fryers here, either.”
She says they work hard to be affordable, and objectively speaking they are: starters range from $6 to $13; salads $5 to $15; sandwiches and flatbread pizzas $11.50 to $15; and entrées $12 to $18. Smoothies, like the bestselling Pro Shake (chocolate, peanut butter, banana, almond milk, cinnamon and whey or pea protein) are $6 to $7. Robinson calls their vegan peanut butter pie ($7) a “hallmark dish” and must-get.
Brotherton favors the bestselling Korean BBQ Bowl (with beef over basmati with roasted pears and veggies in a tamari-chile sauce). Robinson says a great dish for newbies to try is kitchen manager Nick Treslo’s Harvest Bowl. It features a bountiful mix of quinoa, roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, apples, kale, goat cheese and toasted pecans mixed with apple cider vinaigrette. You can add any protein to it, including tofu, chicken and chilled shrimp.
The vibe?
Despite the distancing efforts, Commonfork is uniquely still a restaurant attached to a climbing gym. There’s a cool factor to that, and you will continue to see people with chalk dust on their clothes, hauling rope bags alongside baby carriers and gym duffels. It’s a super casual, come-as-you-are kinda place, so those same climber customers could care less if you visit in business clothes on the way home from office work. CityROCK prides itself on being a supportive, safe space, and that ethos bleeds into their attentive food service.
Robinson emphasizes the “hyper small” staff, with Kyle Caskey acting as Treslo’s right hand in the kitchen, which equates to a full staff of just four people. So it’s easy for guests to get to know them, seeing the same faces all the time. If you’re seeking a Cheers-type bar where the bartender will know your name too, Commonfork makes a case for becoming a regular.
Freshmakers
Do a quick online search to inquire about the benefits of eating microgreens and you’ll see why they’re worth regular consideration in your diet. But most peoples’ exposure to them happens only at fine dining restaurants: they’re a pretty, colorful, go-to garnish for center plate dishes.
Whereas growing sprouts is easily accomplished at home in jars on a countertop (as I’ve done for years), cultivating microgreens requires soil or a hydroponics rig, and a whole grow-light setup that’s disincentivizing given the upfront investment and logistics. The items can be found at markets if you know where to go, but they’re lesser seen and and just not top-of-mind for the typical shopper.
All of which leads us to the question: What if you could get them locally grown and conveniently delivered? Well, that’s part of Colorado Fresh Greens’ concept, via a weekly subscription model that runs parallel to wholesale restaurant distribution.
Colorado Fresh Greens, located East of Colorado Springs near Ellicott, only launched in August of this year as the retirement project of Steve & Debbie Kitts. It’s a business two years in the making for them, and they now grow hydroponically inside of a purpose-built, 600-square-foot facility on their 35-acre property. They’re currently producing: radish, kale, arugula, broccoli, field pea, sunflower, celery, cilantro and Bull’s Blood beet microgreens.
All the seeds, substrate materials and nutrients they use are organic; the packaging is compostable; and they self-distribute in an electric vehicle charged from solar panels on their house. “Our focus is on sustainability and freshness,” Steve tells me during our phone chat. “We’ll usually do same-day harvest and delivery, or next-day.” He notes how that freshness significantly expands shelf-life to a week or two for most micros, comparing that to items from big distributors that tend to perish more quickly as they’re delivered days past harvest from places farther from our market.
Steve insists he’ll throw out product that hasn’t sold after a couple days from harvest, and says (by way of transparency) that as someone who grew up farming and ranching, “my word means something.” He left those humble roots and found a career in the video production industry, and Debbie formerly worked as a fire inspector. This is actually the third corporation they’ve started as entrepreneurs, he says.
Regarding their environmental passion, Steve credits that to living near Three Mile Island when the nuclear accident happened there in 1979. “That got us interested in sustainability and doing all we could do to help our planet.”
As for the first couple months in biz since Colorado Fresh Greens launched, he says the early feedback from chefs has been great. He’s already picked up two respected fine dining spots by way of validation: The Warehouse and Carlos’ Bistro. They’re actively looking for more restaurant clients and say they’re open for product requests: “Tell us what you want and we’ll grow it for you.”
Back to retail shoppers, you can sign up at their website for a subscription, as noted. Or for one-off purchasing, look for them at area farmers markets come spring.
Estes Park
A guest travel column by Lauren Hug
Each year, my daughter and I spend a few days in Estes Park, usually in late spring when there’s still snow on the ground and elk-watching isn’t really a thing. But this year, for the first time, we added a fall visit in pursuit of colorful autumn leaves and a change of scenery.
Apparently, we had unknowingly timed our trip with the tail end of rut season, when elk (and tourists) were still everywhere. It meant longer waits at restaurants and coffee shops, packed parking lots and tons of traffic (both pedestrian and vehicle) through downtown. As a devoted off- and shoulder-season traveler I tend to avoid crowds as much as possible, but I’d absolutely visit Estes Park intentionally during the rut again. The elk were magnificent! Worth the trip regardless of the human hordes.
So, I can now highly recommend planning a trip to Estes Park in winter, spring, or fall. (I haven’t yet adventured there in the summer.) Whichever time you choose, here’s a little guide to some of our favorite food spots and coffee shops:
The coffee
We’re always in search of great coffee and — maybe even more important to us — a great coffee shop vibe.
Raven’s Roast is our favorite in the Estes Park area. This downtown riverwalk coffee shop is eclectic and cozy with raven-themed art, living greenery and inviting natural light streaming in from the front windows. Every visit we find some enchanting artwork, sticker or pin we can’t leave without buying. We even have a favorite table: a small one perched in the front window, perfect for people- and nature-watching. The drink menu is so huge anyone can find exactly what they want, but since neither of us have a standard drink of choice, we usually choose from the curated seasonal specials. This time I ordered the Autumn Chai (a gingerbread-spiced play on the classic), while my daughter went for the Aspen Leaf, a toasted caramel and marshmallow masterpiece so good we went back a second time during our stay and both ordered it.
Coffee on the Rocks on Moraine Avenue is the perfect place for a drink with a view. It sits on a pond that’s home to tons of adorable ducks and geese. You can sip while you feed them (with reasonably priced duck-safe food for sale in the shop). There are also boozy coffee options for those who like to partake.
The Spice Rack is a cheerful hidden gem further away from town on CO-66, boasting a fun mural of civilized elk enjoying coffee or tea time. Inside you’ll find freshly baked pastries, coffee drinks made with OZO coffee from Boulder, enticing grab-and-go sandwiches, a huge array of spices, and wares from local makers. We tried the Wildflower Misto, a well-balanced blend of lavender and blackberry that tastes almost like blueberry. We also got a self-serve drip coffee (choice of two different roasts), which was excellent. The pastries are a little hit-or-miss. We’ve had a perfect and huge butter croissant, a respectable chocolate croissant, and a scone that needed more time in the oven. The charm and location (right by the entrance to the YMCA of the Rockies, where we always stay) keep us coming back.
The meals
Along Moraine Avenue just outside of downtown Estes Park are three solid and affordable eateries:
Scratch Deli & Bakery is a homey, simple place serving a sizeable selection of sandwich options on your choice of house-baked bread. The Turkey Bacon Avocado on honey wheat is solid, with roasted turkey instead of deli meat, and dressed with a not-too-spicy sriracha aioli. The BLT on toasted rye is the one we’re still thinking about: crisp bacon, crunchy toast and fresh lettuce and tomato. On the preset menu the BLT is served on focaccia, but we lucked into the rye experience because focaccia was sold out by the time we got there. Now we wouldn’t order it any other way.
Boss Burgers and Gyros is a no-frills, family-owned joint with a bit of a vintage drive-in vibe serving well-seasoned gyros sauced with delectable homemade tzatziki, burger options including buffalo and elk, and several hot dog and sandwiches choices. The food is good, the prices are great and the service is always friendly. Make sure to order the seasoned fries for an extra kick of flavor.
When it comes to bang for your buck, you can’t beat Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ & Brew. No matter what we order the generous portion sizes guarantee we’ll have enough left over for another meal the next day. Our favorite meats are the pulled pork and the beef brisket, but the sausage, chicken and ribs are all good too. You really can’t go wrong here. Standout sides include the BBQ baked beans, jalapeño hushpuppies (I’m a sucker for hushpuppies!), and Southern okra.
Inside the Stanley Hotel complex you’ll find The Post (part of the Big Red F Restaurant Group which includes Side Dish Dozen member Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar). The Post is known for its chicken for good reason. The chicken tenders might be the best we’ve ever had anywhere: crispy and light with no hint of grease. The hot honey chili was the perfect complement, a balanced combo of spicy and sweet. We also loved the deviled eggs, which isn’t surprising given that the lobster deviled eggs at Jax are a personal favorite. The Post’s version sports a pickled red pepper relish that adds a bright flavor pop. And let me rhapsodize about the collard greens: tangy, just a little sweet and perfectly textured. I’d go back for those alone. A half-portion could be a meal in itself. While the desserts looked amazing, we were too full to order one. But I’m planning to try the Banana Pudding Tiramisu (coffee-soaked Nila wafers, banana mascarpone custard, Oreo cookie crumble) on our next trip. Know before you go that you have to pay $10 for parking, which gives you access to wander the hotel grounds and a $5 credit toward your dining bill.
Haps at the HOSPYS
We ventured to Denver on Nov. 10 to attend the Colorado Restaurant Association’s HOSPYS Hospitality Awards in hopes of seeing Kangaroo Coffee’s Doug Hammond win the award for Operator of the Year. As with Red Gravy chef Eric Brenner’s nomination last year (in the Chef of the Year category), unfortunately that didn’t happen. But it’s a huge honor to be nominated anyway, and in the room with much of the top talent in the state. Doug and Eric (both Side Dish Dozen members) should be proud of their respective accomplishments that earned them consideration.
A quick rundown of the 2025 winners (which you should consider a lead-list of where to dine and drink when you’re next in Denver and beyond):
Front-of-House Employee of the Year: Laine Droski, Leven Deli Co., Denver
Back-of-House Employee of the Year: Alondra Ramos, Restaurant Olivia, Denver
Manager of the Year: Jenny Knickerbocker, Destination Hospitality, Steamboat Springs
Bartender of the Year: Scott Hanley, The Candlelight Tavern, Denver
Food Truck of the Year: Sunny Sky Pies, Fort Collins
Operator of the Year: Mary Nguyen, Olive & Finch Collective, Denver, Aurora (about which Lauren Hug wrote a guest review here this past July)
Beverage Professional of the Year: Gavin Bistodeau, Melrose Spirit Co., Grand Junction
Newcomer Restaurant of the Year: Champagne Tiger, Denver (about which Chris Aaby filed a guest review here this past spring)
Pastry Chef/Baker of the Year: Ismael de Sousa, Reunion Bread Co., Denver
Chef of the Year: An Nguyen, Dân Dã, Aurora
Restaurant of the Year: Bin 707, Grand Junction
Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree: Sheila Lucero, Big Red F Restaurant Group (who I interviewed in April here about her seafood sustainability efforts and tenure at Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar)
Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree: Nick Ault, The Duffeyroll Bakery & Café, Denver
Legacy Employee of the Year: Chris Seres, The Fort Restaurant, Morrison
Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree: Kevin Taylor, Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group, Denver, Broomfield
Richard P. Ayers Award for Distinguished Service: Dick Carleton, Dick and Jane Enterprises Inc., Summit County
But wait, I’m not done with the HOSPYS reporting yet, friends. Because we enjoyed our own private little afterparty at the nearest cool bar near the awards venue that was still open on a Monday night around 10 p.m. That would be Union Lodge No. 1, a decade-old pre-Prohibition-style cocktail spot. We had a blast with the Kangroo crew.
And in the morning (because a few of us opted to stay overnight, so as not to have to drive home tipsy), Lauren and I joined Doug in a tribute to the winner of his category, Operator of the Year, Mary Nguyen.
Which is to say we took him to breakfast at Olive & Finch Collective’s location at the The Denver Performing Arts Complex. We enjoyed everything, including a smoked sea salt and caramel latte and maple (functional) mushroom latte. The menu’s eclectic and accessible, great for pre-show dining at the Arts Complex.
Side Dish Dozen happenings
Edelweiss: Our famous Christmas Stollen — traditional German Christmas bread made with nuts, dried fruits, cream cheese and marzipan — is now available through early January. Loaves are $19 and available for pickup at the restaurant, or we can ship to your friends and family for you. Join us for a warm cup of Gluhwein (mulled wine) sometime this season, and peruse our pastry cases for your perfect sweet pairing. Enjoy traditional live music Thursdays-Sundays, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Wobbly Olive: We’ve just dropped a new food menu! Come try our Autumn Flatbread with maple butter-roasted butternut squash, apple brandy caramelized onions, blue cheese and balsamic glaze. Start with our loaded baked potato disco fries or Lebanese black garlic dip. Main plates include pesto chicken parmesan, mushroom bourguignon and char siu pork belly. For dessert: pecan pie lumpia with pumpkin caramel sauce.
Principal’s Office: Now serving breakfast, 8-11 a.m., daily! Come in for craft coffee and plates like sweet potato hash, egg & cheddar biscuits with tots and a breakfast quesadilla. Holiday Pie Fest continues at Gold Star Bakery: pre-order your Thanksgiving pies and sweets through Nov. 19. Visit Stellina Pizza Cafe for the current wild boar and pumpkin bolognese on housemade rigatoni special. And consider our Nov. 24 Friendsgiving Edition Supper Club at 6 p.m.
Goat Patch Brewing: Our special holiday release, a Tart Cranberry Ale, releases at both taprooms and Pikes Peak Brewing on Nov. 21. Catch Singo Bingo, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at Lincoln Center (and every other Thursday). And Trivia Tuesdays at Pikes Peak Brewing, 6:30 to 9 p.m., weekly.
Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: Join us for lunch (11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday–Friday) and weekend brunch (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). We reward service industry workers every Tuesday from 4-9 p.m. with food and drink specials, like the $7 Beer & a Buddy shot combo and $5 oyster shooters. Mondays offer all night happy hour, 4-9 p.m. Now offering direct delivery. Click “pickup & delivery” on our homepage to get started.
Nacho Matrix: Come see us for brunch, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, where you’ll find items like elote chilaquiles, steak & egg nachos, our vegan breakfast burrito and tres leches french toast. Start with an avocado toast flight and finish with cheesecake churro bites. Pair your meal with bottomless mimosas, a Michelada, espresso martini, or another of our speciality cocktails.
Upcoming events
Nov. 15: We Fortify’s 3rd annual Gala, Not Gala at the Meanwhile Block. 5-9 p.m.; $150 includes dinner; Chef Brother Luck will emcee and DJ.
Nov. 18: Passport To Regaleali wine dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. 6 p.m.; $89 five paired courses benefits All Breed Rescue and Training.
Nov. 19: Wednesday Cocktail Club Friendsgiving Social at Lazy Susan’s. 6-9 p.m. Join a “speed-friending” activity and drinks.
Nov. 22: 5th annual EaDo Colorado Springs Christkindle Market at Mash Mechanix. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendors, holiday drink specials and barbeque bites.
Nov. 22: Stuff your Stanley tumbler at Lolley’s Ice Cream. Noon to 5 p.m.; bring your clean 30–40 oz tumbler and fill it with your favorite ice cream: 6 scoops for $9.50 or 10 scoops for $12.50.
Nov. 23: Frost n’ Sip: Cozy Fall Edition at Latigo Winery. 4 p.m. Small Batch Cookies will guide guests through cookie decorating while enjoying wine. Tickets required.
Nov. 24: Friendsgiving Pot Luck at Cocktails After Dusk. 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Nov. 26: A Friendsgiving Celebration at Oro at The Mining Exchange. 6-9 p.m.; $60 includes a glass of wine. To be followed by a Tuscan Thanksgiving feast, Nov 27, with seatings at 3 and 6 p.m.; $90, reservations required.
Nov. 29: 4th annual Winter(ish) Market at Lost Friend Brewing. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; with 40-plus vendors, food treats and drinks from the brewery.
Parting shot(s)
Still in the HOSPYS spirit on our way home to the Springs, we took a very slight detour to visit the Pearl Street The Duffeyroll Bakery & Café, whose cofounder Nick Ault was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Colorado Restaurant Association the night prior. The bakery will turn 40 years old in May 2026.
We’d never had a Duffeyroll, which has earned the distinction as Best Cinnamon Roll in Denver in the past. It’s basically a croissant-cinnamon roll hybrid in terms of the flaky exterior and airy, doughy interior. A leaflet that comes inside my box of six mini rolls — $8.49 usually but only $5 on Mini Mondays if you can catch that — notes that they import Korintje cinnamon — which is a Southeast Asian variety said to be more robust and ideal for baking applications.
The bakery is waiting on a fresh batch of The Original flavor to come out of the oven when we arrive, so we skip including it in our half-dozen, doubling up instead on the Mountain Maple flavor (yum!). The other glazes are: Irish Cream, Zesty Orange, English Toffee and Pecanilla Crunch. (There’s also savory swirls as a whole other menu category that we don’t try, but they’re alluring.)
I think my favorite of the batch might be the Zesty Orange, enhanced by Grand Marnier. I appreciate that the whole concept has been built around a less-sickeningly-sweet cinnamon roll rendition than a commercial Cinnabon or whatnot. The glazes are restrained in portion by design, and though nobody’s saying that makes the Duffeyrolls count as a health-food, it makes them healthier than more sizable and saccharine variations. So they’re a fun, more modest sugar treat. I see the appeal.
And because a good cinnamon roll calls for a good coffee, we walk just down the street from Duffyroll Café to fill our travel mugs with the good stuff from Lavender Coffee Boutique. As chichi and hipster as the name sounds, the place is. Remember, we’re just blocks from the bougie Wash Park houses, in the Platt Park neighborhood off the Washington/Emerson streets exit of I-25.
Lavender opened in late 2023, with a partial focus on CBD coffees. Our barista tells us they’re poised to open another location in Cherry Hills Village around year’s end. I note the wide retail bean selection near the front counter, asking where they roast, and am told they’re roasted for Lavender by Sträva Craft Coffee.
We order the Lavender Haze and Fig Latte ($8 and $8.50 respectively). The first gets Earl Grey and lavender syrup infusions with cold brew (made from their Platte Park Dark Roast Blend) in oat milk. It’s nicely floral with a subtle lavender flower finish and balanced with mild sweetness. The cold brew component manages not to crank me out as it typically does.
We ask for the Fig Latte in oat milk as well, appreciating its up-front aromatics. It’s made with thyme and orange that accents natural fig sweetness with a touch of raw sugar and the deep espresso body. It almost plays savory, making me think of bergamot black tea because of the citrus element — which then makes me think of the Earl Grey component of the Lavender Haze. All of which feels like a circular thinking loop, meaning it’s possible the cold brew amped me up more than I realized.