Times of old and new horizons
Hatch Cover celebrates its 50th with throwback menu; Mochi Thai'm expands to "lucky" third location; Golden Pine Coffee Roasters launches superlative new FancyPants Series + more food & drink news
“I bartended here for seven years before we had kids. Some of our regulars have been coming here for 20-plus years. On a Friday night, I knew 90 percent of my customers names and what they drank.”
That’s Susan Hirt, co-owner of The Hatch Cover Bar & Grill with her husband Rob. They’ve owned the beloved, South-end legacy dive since 2001, becoming only the fourth owners in its now-50-year history. They also just sold Mother Muff’s Kitchen & Spirits on the Westside, which they’d procured in 2014. (More on that below.)
Both Rob and Susan started as teenagers in the industry. Her grandparents owned a bar in Illinois. He grew up in New York, and was a GM for two Bennigan's locations at one point. When they took over The Hatch Cover — which, fun fact was originally part of a small chain that launched in San Diego, with a Redding, Calif. location only closing in recent years as the last vestige of that — it was more of a fine dining spot for its era, serving steaks and seafood, with some tableside service. (Tableside, by the way, has seen a resurgence lately.)
The Hirts ran it in that style for a couple of years, but decided in 2003 to transition it into the bar you know today. More of a neighborhood place, “blue collar meets the Broadmoor,” he says, acknowledging the proximity to Fort Carson as well. “It’s a family-friendly dive. There’s always sports on the TV’s. We have kids in during the day hours with their parents.” (After 8 p.m. it’s 21-and-up.) “We have regulars who come for both lunch and dinner. It took us a few years to dial in the menu to what people were looking for, but we still have some dishes original to old era, like our crab-stuffed trout and crab-stuffed mushrooms. We sell more garlic bread on the side than you can imagine, sopping up our scratch-made sauces.”
He emphasizes how they make Alfredo and garlic cream sauces to-order, not batched, and certainly not from a bag. “Now that we’ve sold Mother Muff’s, our goal is to make even more from scratch,” Susan says. (Again, more on that below.) “With our 50th, we want to celebrate what has been, but also move into a new direction.”
Fear not, they aren’t likely to ditch your favorite item, as they’ll only cut the poorest selling dishes, but in the coming months they aim to do more specials as tryouts for dishes that might become flagships in time. “When we opened everyone was competing with Applebee’s and Chili’s with these Cheesecake Factory-sized, enormous menus,” Rob says. “Our menu has about 70 items; we might shrink it by 20 percent.”
Susan says their popular rewards program will certainly stick around. It offers a buy-10-get-the-11th-free in different sections of the menu. So whether it’s a burger or cocktail you earn by repeat ordering, you get hooked up with loyal patronage. Of some 30,000 members in the system, they estimate around 8,500 are active and using their rewards.
To celebrate the 50th, between Aug. 7 and 9, they’re offering “1975 prices” alongside giveaways and more. Rob says they researched what was trending back then, for example Miller Light was the #1 beer, so bottles are going for $2.75 on Thursday. The Harvey Wallbanger was apparently the top cocktail of the day, so those will be $3 on Friday. On the food side, throwbacks include spaghetti and meatballs for $5.99 on Saturday and nachos and pizzas for $7 on Friday.
If you miss those, remember you can find 80 cent wings all the time, with affordability in mind. “I was raised by a single mom,” says Susan. “I worked six days a week in my 20s. We know that people are struggling. I want people to be able to go out and eat.”
Okay, now to the relevant side news about Mother Muff’s. It had 35 years history before the Hirts took it over a decade ago. Susan was the mastermind behind spinning it towards breakfast all day. “I don’t like to get up early in the morning,” she says. “Even at our wedding we served a breakfast buffet. I thought it would be a neat concept, so we rebranded.”
When it came time to sell recently, Rob mentioned he was ready to his longtime friend Tim Wuestneck, a former GM at Paravicini’s and Walter’s Bistro years before that. After some thinking, Tim reached back out to him to express interest, and it took roughly a year for everything to come together in June of this year for the sale.
Rob says Tim and his partner Shaney Shaffer are keeping everything as it is, and that “it’s business as usual over there.” Rob adds that no employees left, and that the team is strong. He should know, because both his teenagers still work there, for Tim now. The irony is he and Susan say that part of the motivation to sell and just focus on The Hatch Cover is that they missed huge chunks of their kids growing up. But now their kids are growing up inside the industry, just as they did.
Oxtail-bone marrow risotto with Ranch Foods Direct
Mention that you’re a Side Dish subscriber when you’re in shopping at Ranch Foods Direct and get 5 percent off your whole shopping basket. Stop in this month to make this fantastic recipe from Chef Jay Gust of Pizzeria Rustica.
Mochi Thai’m growing to third location
“Three is a lucky number for Thai people,” says Mochi Thai’m owner Sakeo Williams. We’re chatting by phone, discussing how she opened her first spot (at 721 N. Academy Boulevard) three years ago as of August, and her second location (1856 Democracy Point, #100) a year ago as of June. Now, come October sometime, tentatively, she’ll be adding another donuts and boba stop in the Broadmoor Towne Center (at 2130 Southgate Road, #106, in the former Garbanzo’s Mediterranean Fresh space).
That makes three, at an ambitious one-per-year pace, but Williams says “for us personally that will be it.” However they are underway with creating a franchising agreement so that other locations can pop up elsewhere to grow the brand. She says that will probably be more than a year in the making, though they already have an interested party who would like to purchase the rights to several Northern Colorado locations in large markets.
As for why this new location here, other than the good luck, she says there’s been customer demand (requests) for a location on the south side, and that it makes sense to be closer to Fort Carson as well. “We have done this with the unwavering support from our celiac and gluten-free community,” she says. “Being able to be a safe haven for them gives us purpose.” The new store will be larger than the other two, she adds, allowing for larger event-space bookings and room to add fun things for kids, like claw machines.
For anyone still not initiated to Mochi Thai’m, I ask Williams for a reminder on key points to know and what makes them stand out. She highlights how there’s no display cases at her shops because donuts are made fresh every time, to-order. There’s always eight flagship flavors, including the popular ube and Thai tea, and every week she rotates in four limited-time specialty flavors, such as a cinnamon roll, passionfruit-orange-guava or recent vanilla custard in honor of Guam Liberation Day (which commemorates the end of Japanese occupation of Guam during WWII).
Golden Pine Coffee launches new FancyPants Series
From Side Dish reporting last year, you probably recall that after 15 years in business and a sudden closure, R&R Coffee returned to Black Forest under its Golden Pine Coffee Roasters banner. GP’s Black Forest Roasterie at 12470 Black Forest Road has been open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays for some time now (with caveats of sometimes closing earlier on Wednesdays and Fridays to attend farmers markets and do home deliveries).
Owner/Roaster Ryan Wanner offers pourover and drip coffee service currently, but has been upgrading his small, 700 square-foot space slowly in order to start offering lattes again — something there’s been high demand for from his longtime regulars. Wanner says his new espresso bar should finally open later this month, and when it does, he’ll expand hours out to opening at 6 a.m. He also aims to launch online ordering.
Meanwhile, to keep himself inspired on the roasting side, and reward his most passionate customers with something special, he’s launched a new FancyPants Series. It features some very rare, limited-lot, pricey-to-obtain beans that go beyond normal coffee processing on the production side. Example: The first release of the series, a Colombian bean from the prolific Quindío region, undergoes “a 12-hour anoxic fermentation with fresh passion fruit and coffee mossto. The coffee is then partially depulped, leaving about 50 percent of the mucilage intact. Another 12-hour anoxic fermentation follows. After that, the coffee cherry is dried on raised beds for 26 days in the ‘honey’ process. The dried parchment is then stored for 10 days to stabilize before this lot was selected.”
What does all that result in? An absolute fruit bomb from the co-fermentation, and perhaps the most interesting and impressive coffee I’ve experienced. It’s insanely good. Everyone I’ve shared it with at home has been equally stunned. When I opened the bag for him to smell, a guest in my home, Alex, said it smelled like gummy bears. As I grind it a candy aroma fills my kitchen. When I start my pourover, the sweet smell takes on a blueberry note, which he likens to a blueberry scone, saying it also smells “like you’re having coffee and pancakes at an IHOP.” Summing up our collective enthusiasm, he says, “Wow. Seriously — what the fuck?!”
Because he’s making me laugh and quite accurately capturing the scene, I keep transcribing what he says: “Never in my life has coffee tasted like that. It doesn’t need anything. It’s water smooth. There’s no bitterness.”
Over the course of days I play with the beans, mixing a half-and-half cuppa with a Colombian decaf roasted by Hold Fast locally for example. It’s fantastic, and still highly fruity at the reduced potency. Even when Alex later makes a batch of nothing-special commodity coffee he has on hand, it’s laced with flavor and aroma from this FancyPants coffee simply by passing through the same grinder. The fruit is everywhere. It has permeated my humble home coffee bar and we are all better for it, and happier.
“Expect wild stuff like this out of this FancyPants series,” Wanner says.
Now comes the bad news for you: Wanner sold out of this first run of 14 bags pretty much instantly. It’s an extreme kindness he gifted me one to futz with and write about, especially now that I understand how precious it is. (I would go Gollum for this, which is like the equivalent of going cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs from my childhood.) But — are you detecting the hope and joy returning? — Wanner will be releasing another special FancyPants coffee sometime in September or early October, he says, and you can keep an eye on his social media for updates.
Whereas his regular-release, 12-ounce bags tend to sell for around $20, the FancyPants will generally cost closer to $25 for 8 ounces, which is pretty comparable with what I’ve seen at other craft roasteries with their one-off bougie bean releases. By way of price justification, Wanner tells me his importer was only able to obtain around a 150-pound bag, of which he was able to purchase just under 10 pounds.
When I meet up with Wanner to get the beans from him, I ask him more about why he’s launching this series, and he points to Golden Pines’ updated tagline: Let’s explore coffee. “Anyone can do a fine latte or espresso drink, but there’s so much more to the coffee world,” he says. “It’s fun to see what people are doing at origin to create these spectacular products. Let’s play with that, and see what we come up with. Let’s dig into it deeper.”
Bites & Bits
• Dave’s Hot Chicken, whose first location in town opened in late 2023 at 1286 Interquest Parkway #190, will expand to a second Springs spot at 5860 Barnes Road (near Powers Boulevard). It’s set to go live on Aug. 22. Then, come October tentatively, expect a third Dave’s location in the new King Soopers shopping center at Sawcut Point in Fountain, off the Mesa Ridge Parkway.
“People keep asking us to come closer to town,” says local franchisee Jay Hafemeister. (Who I know personally, and was present when I stupidly got reaper spice in my eye during my initial visit in 2023 — haha, good times!) “I know Powers Boulevard isn’t quite central to town, but we are excited to get further south,” he says.
I ask him what else is new, and he says “the menu has evolved quite a bit since we launched. It’s more diverse, with items like the Dave’s Bites and loaded fries. They’ve been great adds for us. But we’re still focused on awesome chicken, and the spice is still center, and king.”
• Odd and “nostalgic” Mousse of the Month flavor at The French Kitchen: Cracker Jack.
• New Denizen’s 6 new restaurants you should know about (in the Denver area) include a vegan spot in Edgewater, a controversial RiNO rooftop “clubby cocktail bar” that’s located atop a private apartment building, and a Park Hill brunch place that was experiencing open staff rebellion at the time of her visit.
• Recent stories shared and reported by Ranch Foods Direct’s Mike Callicrate, a longtime food activist, include headlines like: Concentration and Consolidation has Destroyed the World’s Food Systems; Fact check: Yes, nearly 25 cents of every dollar spent via SNAP goes back to farmers; and It’s the worst time to be an American farmer in decades.
• Springs Magazine offers 10 of the Most Unique Places to Eat in Colorado Springs this week. Side note: I pondered what might be missing and could only come up with cat cafes; themed sips and bites at elaborately decorated Allusion Speakeasy (a Side Dish Dozen member); the quality (for captive fare) eateries at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo; and maybe Manitou’s Maté Factor Café, which some friends used to lovingly refer to as “Ewok village.” (And of course, if I tapped into my youthful wise-ass side, I might posit “your mom’s house.” Ooooo, burn!)
Side Dish Dozen happenings
Edelweiss: Join us for live acoustic music on the patio (’90s hits) every Wednesday evening over the next several weeks. We also offer traditional live music Thursdays-Sundays, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Come early for happy hours in the Ratskeller, from 4:30-6:30 p.m., and enjoy our expansive German beer list, with specialty imported brews on tap and in bottles.
Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: On Aug. 1 Colorado turned 149 and we're celebrating all month long with Colorado-inspired and -sourced features across our menus. Join us for a Crispy Skin Alamosa Striped Bass. “This dish features hybrid striped bass from our partners in the San Luis Valley, as well as Olathe corn and Western Slope heirloom tomatoes from Tuxedo Farms. Working with local farmers, ranchers and fishers is one of the best parts of what we do” says Culinary Director Sheila Lucero.
Kangaroo Coffee: Order online for in-store pickup around town at our many locations. Or get a drink delivered through Uber Eats or DoorDash. Try our blood orange-coconut-ginger Roofresher or our Roo Signature lattes like the peanut butter mocha. We also carry burritos, bagels, breakfast sandwiches and much more.
Stellina Pizza Cafe: Come in for our summertime pasta special pancetta carbonara on house-made Rigatoni. This rich Roman classic features a creamy sauce made from eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano and pancetta, finished with fresh basil. (Vegetarian available.) And join us for a family-friendly, community group ride at 6 p.m., Aug. 12. Reserve a PikeRide electric bike for just $5 (16-plus) or ride along on your own bicycle for free. Riders can enjoy an extended happy hour; RSVP at stellinapizza.co/events.
Nacho Matrix: We’re launching brunch service on Aug. 16! Visit us from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays and discover how we’re “Nacho typical brunch!” Catch our happy hours from 3-6 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends. At sister outfit Odyssey Gastropub, join us for Thirsty Thursdays with we pick em' specials of rotating $5 beers, $6 shots and a $7 cocktail.
Goat Patch Brewing: Beer release party for our new Altbier, 5 p.m., Aug. 8 at both locations. Our summer music series at the Lincoln Center continues weekly from 6-8 p.m. Tie-Dye Party at our Northgate location, noon to 2 p.m., Aug. 17, and at Pikes Peak Brewing. 1-3 p.m., Aug. 24.
Upcoming events
Aug. 11: Cocktails After Dusk's 1st Anniversary & Title-Belt Championship! 7-10 p.m. $25 includes welcome cocktail, six competitor samples and sponsor tasting booths. Live DJ music and food available.
Aug. 17: Swiftie Party at Red Leg Brewing Company. 4-6 p.m.
Aug. 22-23: Polaris Pour Bourbon Festival at Polaris Hotel. Tastings, whiskey takeovers at restaurants on property, lodging options and more.
Aug. 23: Cerberus’ 9th Anniversary Bash. Exclusive beer releases, live music, parking lot party, pig roast and more.
Aug. 23: Pasta in the Park at the Myron Stratton Home. Benefits TESSA. 6 p.m.; $120.
Aug. 28: Tails, Tunes & Tastes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. 6-9:30 p.m. $64.75-$74.75; unlimited small plates and two drinks.
Early notices: Sober Soiree & SoCo Still Fest, Sept. 13. Fiddles, Vittles & Vino, Sept. 14.
Parting shot(s)
Look Ma, we made the news! Our Weenies & ’tinis collaboration between Downtown COS and Side Dish has garnered a lot of attention this week. As of our appearance on KRDO Wednesday morning, Marketing Manager Kelsee Swenn of Downtown COS says half a dozen people (that we know about because they checked in on the free passport) have already dined through all 11 participating eateries. They’ve joined Kelsee and me in this elite club. You have until Aug. 17 to catch up and do your own tour. Below, I’m sharing photos from the final batch of spots we visited as we completed ours, plus a fun photo from our kickoff party at ICONS last week. Cheers!
