Challenge to a duel

Louie Louie's Piano Bar opens; Red Swing and Batch Slapped breweries and Formosa Bites announce closures; ICONS secures a space; ice cream at Ice Guys + more food & drink news

The opening preview of Louie Louie’s Piano Bar on May 22. Photos by Matthew Schniper.

Louie Louie’s Piano Bar grand opens May 24 and 25 at 522 S. Tejon St. on the Trolley Block. Catch dueling piano performances both nights, running 7:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

The musician-owned and -operated outfit originally launched in 2008 in Lubbock, Texas before expanding to Dallas’ Deep Ellum entertainment district in 2015. (The OG spot closed during Covid, but Dallas continues to rock out hard, which looks like this.) I attended a preview on Wednesday evening and briefly interviewed a trio of the owners before that evening’s teaser performance.

“If there’s a song in your heart, or anywhere else in your body, bring it up here and we’ll try to ruin it for you.”

That’s co-owner and performer Joey Hamende on stage, soliciting song requests in a comedic way that’s part of each night’s act. “We play pianos — that’s it,” he joked dryly, when handed the mic earlier in the evening as the company first introduced itself to an invited crowd of friends, those involved in the building renovation, business leaders, media and other assorted attendees.

When I get a few minutes with Hamende one-on-one, he elaborates on the concept, telling me: “We aren’t a bar with a show. We’re a show that has a bar.” In other words, the music takes center stage, but like at a comedy club, you’re certainly encouraged to get lubricated at the bar to make the evening more entertaining. Singing along, particularly when directed by the performers, is definitely encouraged too.

Co-owner Ronnie Wilson, who trained Hamende, refers to the younger musicians as his “grandchildren” to me, metaphorically, and says it takes years to prepare them for showtime. He’s proud to point out that one of their star performers, Amanda Chapa, who plays for us along with Hamende, started at Louie Louie’s as a server, but trained herself on musical instruments and is “now at the top of the food chain here.”

When I ask him “why Colorado Springs?” he says “I have loved this town for 40 years. I used to live in Denver. This is a perfect-sized, nice environment.” A few of the prior Texas staff seem to agree, as he tells me they’ve moved here to be part of this location, to get it off the ground.

Owners Ronnie Wilson and Joey Hamende.

I catch several songs before ducking out early for a dinner, and I quickly get caught up in the energy. The show’s fun, funny and definitely unique to town, with the closest thing probably being the singalongs at The Broadmoor’s Golden Bee. The performers are quite talented and great at inspiring audience participation. I even found myself singing along when “everyone wearing glasses” was asked to finish a verse. And let me be clear that I don’t sing, have a terrible voice that’s unfit for karaoke, and I only play bass as music performance goes. But, there I was, at least drowned out by my other four-eyed comrades. A couple people in the crowd that I spoke with likened the show to cruise ship entertainment, but I’ve never been on a cruise, so I’m accepting their guidance on that.

Regarding the space, it’s wide and open, with both ground-level and balcony seating and standing room. The sound and lighting rig is top-of-the-line and some taxidermy overlooks the venue’s main floor. I’m told by a sound tech up from Dallas that at that location, for some reason women throw bras over the mounted heads’ antlers and horns, so that’s become a thing. We muse over who’ll be first to start the trend here, if it happens. "Hopefully,” she says, enthusiastically.

The view from side stage and the balcony, and a cool lighting design made with rotating lights inside drums.

Wilson and Hamende tell me they might feature some touring bands later given this ready-to-go stage setup, “maybe a band we like, or someone who’s already performing in Denver and wants to come down.” In Texas, they’ve hosted everything from blues to classical music and rap, they say. “We just love music.”

As for food and drink — this being a newsletter more devoted to those items, ahem — Hamende says “We serve food in Dallas but we didn’t want to do it again. It’s not really what we do.” (Ignore the food menu currently on the C. Springs website.) He again guides me back to them primarily being musicians and show-people. So aside from the legally required snacks like chips and peanuts behind the bar, they’re encouraging guests to bring food in from their neighboring businesses on the block. He says they’re working on potential delivery options from food runners.

At the bar, I meet another co-owner who’s also the director of operations, Anthony Cooper, who makes it clear he just goes by “Cooper.” He’s also right up front about Louie Louie’s being a speed bar, not a craft bar. “We’re centered around live entertainment,” he says, “but our drinks are well-made. We’ll still make you a good Old Fashioned — we’re just not going to smoke it or anything.” He’s in the process of curating a unique bottle selection, more localized, for this location and he’s opened meanwhile with an initial lineup of familiar and respectable commercial spirits.

I ask him for something popular in Texas and he suggests a Lubbock drink I was entirely unfamiliar with, named The Chilton. It’s utterly simple and refreshing, if smack-you-in-the-face sour. The recipe here calls for Tito’s vodka (or Deep Eddy for a craftier Texas product), juice from a whole fresh-squeezed lemon and soda water. I take a sip. I almost pucker. I dig it. My partner, a longtime former resident of the Lone Star State, does not. So I hereby call out her true Texas cred, thereby also opting to mess with Texas, effectively. (Shots fired … er, um, sipped.)

The marquee, The Chilton, the ribbon cutting and the long entryway.

Wines at the venue are unapologetically basic, like Barefoot Wine at the moment, and there’s no beer taps. Instead, Cooper prefers bottles for overall ease and cleanliness he says. He’s still stocking the coolers with more variety, but I spy several domestic crowdpleasers and New Belgium brews at a glance as well as a couple Bristol Brewing labels. Non-alcoholic options range from soft drinks and juices to NA Heineken bottles. You can order at the bar or await table service during shows.

Also of logistical note: Expect $10-$15 cover charges on weekends and reservations are recommended, but not required. The cover charge is only $5 on weekdays. Look for industry nights on Wednesdays and military discounts on Thursdays. They’re currently closed Sundays-Tuesdays, but will likely expand as the Springs catches on to their act and demand grows. (Like, if you ever pass by the South Tejon block and some rando is standing outside Louie Louie on a Tuesday, banging on the locked doors, yelling “play Free Bird!” I’m sure they’ll get the cue that it’s time.)

Anyway, and if you thought I was going to leave you hanging without a video preview here, you are quite mistaken, pal (tsk-tsk). Enjoy!

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Make our Ranch Foods Direct May Schnip’s Pick Recipe

Since you’ve tuned in the last many weeks, you already know that this month’s featured collaboration recipe with Ranch Foods Direct is with our May guest The French Kitchen. TFK culinary instructor, Chef Luis Pagan, has shared Seco de Carne with us: “one of the iconic dishes in Peru.” It’s a cilantro beef stew marinated with a fermented drink the Incas drank, named Chicha de Jora. Chef Pagan plates his Seco de Carne with rice and and Mayocoba beans, for which you can find many recipes online. Some call for lard and bacon, but Pagan prefers pig tails for their natural fat. Ranch Foods Direct has you covered on all the pork products you seek, in addition to the Callicrate beef chuck roast you’ll need here. Get the recipe here.

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A sudden spate of closures

Bear with me, because I’m approaching this blurb a little atypically, due mostly to timing circumstance and a number of details that remain fluid as I approach hitting the publish button this week. I initially planned to write each of the bits below as standalone items, but given some embargoed elements related to deals not quite inked and forthcoming interviews I’ve decided it makes most sense for some broad brushstrokes for now with individual updates later. So, reveal behind the curtain of my mind concluded, let’s get going:

Last week, the announced closing of fixture The Perk Downtown rattled lots of townies. Just as the Springs was celebrating the announcement of being the 3rd best place to live, Sourdough Boulangerie baker Shawn Saunders pointed out the sad irony that in one of the key images circling social media, The Perk was pictured in the foreground of Pikes Peak from the viewpoint of AdAmAn Alley across the street. Implicit message: We’re awesome, but guess what? Many, independent, small businesses continue to struggle, and some are dying. Just as the stock market isn’t the economy, the Springs’ growth and lifestyle metrics don’t necessarily reflect the lives of ordinary people and businesses inside of the 719 area code.

Which brings us to the next business closure announcement: two-year-old Batch Slapped Brewery/Cidery (located off Powers Boulevard on Palmer Park Boulevard) announced on Monday that it will cease operations on July 13, saying “the challenges facing small businesses in today's competitive market are significant, and despite our best efforts, we have been unable to overcome them.” That’s not too far off from what The Perk had said in its announcement, about “Due to the financial challenges of running a successful business in this environment…”

The staff photo on the Facebook announcement about the closure of Batch Slapped. Stop by before July to support the business during its closing weeks.

Which isn’t to say there’s a definitive pattern — like when Covid itself took out scores of businesses — because these are tactfully crafted public announcements that are direct to the heart of the matter yet vague on specific details. All businesses operate differently, and we often don’t see behind the scenes to know if poor business decisions were made, or if uncontrollable factors like ingredient costs or unreasonable landlords factored in, or if indeed just the financial climate and lack of profits are responsible for closing doors. And counter to that, comments of support on each of these announcements shows a fan base validating the quality of these places. So it’s not to say that they suck in any way and the marketplace is sorting it out. Perhaps the scarier message is you can have a good or even great product yet still fail in business.

All my analysis and speculation might not satisfy those who still feel a pattern is at play, due to four public announcements inside of one week — I get it. But moving on to Red Swing Brewhouse, who celebrated their third anniversary in March (taking almost a year to get open after initially acquiring the space from former tenant FH Beerworks). On Wednesday, they told their fans they would close permanently after business on Thursday. They invited folks in for last pints, priced at $4, with house swag on sale at 50-percent off. Their Facebook post didn’t cite specific reasons for closure, so I reached out to owner Claude Burns.

Burns tells me “the bottom line is we were spending more money than we were taking in, losing money month after month.” He noticed decreased production levels and began to question his location and beer-consumer habits downtown, despite the Trolley Block across from him really popping recently. (On that note, Pikes Peak Brewing had to retreat fully back to Monument from their COATI-attached space, too, after Covid’s impact on their hopeful expansion with their lager house concept.)

Burns feels like the beers Red Swing was putting out were “spot on” — giving credit to his founding brewer Alan Stiles (formerly of Phantom Canyon and other local spots) and recent brewer Peter Hall. They were recently selected by the Lazy Dog Restaurant group to be featured among the Lazy Dog Beer Club with Red Swing’s golden ale. It will go out in cans across the Western U.S. He was in the process of delivering a keg to our local location on Academy Boulevard as he was winding down business to close, calling the whole matter bittersweet. “Yeah, it would have been a great promotion if we were staying open.”

Red Swing’s storefront on South Tejon St. Photo by Matthew Schniper.

“The hard part is nailing down what’s really going on in regards to the numbers we were seeing,” he says. He also wonders about changing habits away from craft beers and towards cocktail culture. I did a brief search to refresh my own memory, and found that 25 breweries had closed in Colorado during 2023 according to the Colorado Brewery List. In August of that year, Westword questioned Is the Local Craft Beer Scene in Trouble?

According to nationwide data released in April of this year by the Brewers Association, 495 breweries opened across the country in 2023, while 418 closed: “Openings decreased for a second consecutive year, with the trend reflecting a more mature market. The closing rate increased in 2023 but continued to remain relatively low, at approximately 4%.” A takeaway note from the article: “even as growth has downshifted, small brewers have proved quite resilient.”

What the data doesn’t quantify of course is that all breweries aren’t alike or excellent and some — as we have all tasted in our years of local sampling and traveling far and wide — do put out forgettable and subpar beers. Some folks should have stayed homebrewers, and putting out bad product into a competitive marketplace is obviously a non-starter, bound for a necessary ending. I don’t rank Red Swing or Batch Slapped among them based off my samplings and input from trusted colleagues. So their closures I believe pertain to other forces at play.

If location be one of those forces, I can tell you that another local brewing outfit will soon test the theory in Red Swing’s space. They aren’t ready to announce as of this writing due to pending paperwork to finalize everything, but stay tuned to my social media before next week’s newsletter (or just wait) for an announcement on what’s to come.

[Post-publish update: Urban Animal Brewing just announced they’ll be taking over.]

So, to recap, we have three spots, composed of two breweries and a coffee shop, all citing financial factors as their primary reasons for closing. Not specifically inflation, or rising rent, or food costs, or labor cost, but summary challenges that proved insurmountable.

The fourth business to announce its closure provides much the same explanation. Formosa Bites, the Taiwanese food truck turned vendor at The Well, wrote on its Facebook page on Wednesday that it will cease serving on June 16. “From the start, we grappled with high operating costs and lower than projected sales,” they wrote. The rest of the post is heart-wrenching, particularly for me, as I’ve been a fan since I first met owner/chef Terry Lim in early 2022, and tracked his business closely. Terry’s wife Doreen details depleting their savings, Terry having to take a second job, incredibly long work hours for him and an ultimately unsustainable situation for their family.

It’s the type of transparent post that reminds you of the people behind the places and the sacrifices they make to follow their dreams, passions or at least entrepreneurial ambitions. The calloused marketplace at-large doesn’t care. It’s a force that sometimes chews up and spits out the good and rewards the bad, as confounding as that is. Look no further for evidence than the plethora of online reviews and spats inside foodie groups and personal pages about chain places with long lines day after day and independent places that suffer meanwhile, wondering where the support is. That’s just one example, with other factors (like size and scaling) that create a whole other digression related to viability and advantages, so let’s not go there now.

Photos by Matthew Schniper.

Back to Formosa Bites, they would need to be evaluated in relation to the food hall model under which they’ve most recently been operating. With a central bar and shared overhead it’s a wholly different beast than a standalone brick-and-mortar. Broadly speaking, it works for some (particularly as the intended incubation space) and not for others (look no further than the downstairs stall turnover since COATI began, or the quick death of the Tejon Eatery, since revived in better form as Avenue 19.) Also, Formosa experienced an earlier difficulty when their truck broke down and they ran into months of trouble trying to get it fixed, which is what led them to signing on at The Well in 2023.

I have been in touch with the Lim family, with plans to speak with Terry whenever he can find time. He may wish not to elaborate much on the Facebook post. I’ll reach out to The Well when it’s time, to confirm details of what I’ve heard is next for the kiosk after Formosa shutters. Again, I’m aware of something that remains fluid as this time, and I’ll be able to share the details with you soon, once it finishes taking shape. Sorry to be vague, but I assure you it’s out of respect for the timelines of all involved parties and for sensitivity around contracts not quite inked, and factors like that.

Since this whole posting involves disparate businesses linked only by the commonality of closures, I’ll conclude with a reminder that if you wish to support any or all of them as they wind down (which will be sincerely appreciated), you have until May 26 for The Perk, June 16 for Formosa Bites and July 13 for Batch Slapped.

And this is not a personal plug, but a community invite: We started the Culinary Colorado Springs Facebook Group during the pandemic to support the industry, and it remains active today. If you’re aware of any businesses struggling, or you are one, we invite you to post and share your story. Don’t be shy to call for support; people showed up strong in the past to help out and they might again.

I’ll start the ball rolling: I just happened to notice a call in the CoS Foodies group that Heirloom Bar and Grill is “barely keeping their doors open” according to the anonymous poster. So, if you haven’t checked out that popular former food truck, click my link here to read about my visit back in January and consider visiting. And in that same post, Taste of Brasil commented they’re “in the same boat.”

Wait, crap … here I am at the end of my own post which started with the premise that there’s not necessarily a wider pattern at play, but here we have more spots struggling hard. Is it normal for a city that’s now our size? Like, by the numbers no big deal? Or is it really that bad out there right now? I rarely try to solicit comments here, but if you have thoughts, I’d like to hear them.

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ICONS secures its new space

Last week, ICONS (“that gay bar with the singing bartenders”) closed on its new location at 16 E. Kiowa St., just around the block from its former, fire-damaged location. The outfit’s GoFundMe page remains active and close to two-thirds of its goal of $75,000 — so donate if you’re able to and want to be part of reviving the vital venue. “We couldn’t have gotten here without the help of so many people — we’re overwhelmed with the support of this incredible community. There’s still a long road ahead but this was a milestone on the journey,” partners/owners Josh Franklin and John Wolfe wrote on an Instagram post.

I ran into the couple at the Louie Louie’s preview on Wednesday and Franklin told me that construction begins on Tuesday, and fortunately, they’ve already procured a liquor license. He said that of the $50,000 raised more than $40,000 has already been spent on a list of required items, from plans and permits to costly mandates like our Citywide Development Impact fee (“a Police and Fire Impact Fee”) that Franklin says tallied $6,000. “So the GoFundMe is still going and still necessary,” he says.

ICONS owners John Wolfe (left) and Josh Franklin. Photo by Matthew Schniper.

They hope to be open by mid or late July, with factors such as adding a rooftop patio in phase one or delaying until a phase two determining the timeframe. “But by this fall for sure,” he says. I ask about the food/drink menus and he says they’ll be similar to before, with “fantastic hot dogs” and favorite cocktails retained, but some new touches. And perhaps of most import and impact, Franklin says the entire former staff will return to reopen ICONS; they’re hanging on with temp jobs meanwhile.

Allow me to editorialize for a moment: That’s amazing! It speaks volumes to the community and culture built by the establishment. It’s also somewhat rare to see employee loyalty and buy-in like that. Pursuant to the call for support on the GoFundMe page, it helps highlight how ICONS is “an essential part of the fabric of downtown.” The people that comprise the business are the ones who create the safe space for their queer peers and allies. And of course they’re the talented performers that entertain the hell out of guests. They’re indispensable fixtures. So, it’s lovely to hear that the whole cast will be reunited under the new banner, same as the old banner, but bigger, better, and most importantly, back on stage.

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Ice is nice

I recently made it over to Ice Guys, which opened in November attached to Dice Guys (see what they did there), which hosts The Fifty-Niner speakeasy in back as well as Springs Ensemble Theater. There’s a lot going on both in that sentence and at the actual establishments, but I’m writing here to focus on Ice Guys’ ice cream.

Owner Adam Stepan bought the whole building in Old Colorado City in 2019, first opening the game shop in fall, 2020 (in Ice Guys’ current space), then the speakeasy in April, 2021. He spent a decade in the food and drink industry in Texas before moving to Colorado for health reasons (requiring a more arid climate). He was a wunderkind who started his first business selling sports memorabilia at age 8. That segued to selling Magic: The Gathering cards online. He was also child stage actor, learned stage sound and lighting, later studied pre-med — only to use that education mixing cocktails, he jokes — and also dabbled in real estate.

So yeah, not only is our local Forrest Gump directing a SET show at the moment, he’s also overseeing the other businesses and working to expand this ice cream enterprise. The longterm plan is for his own food truck (perhaps next summer) and to find space to manufacture their own product, he says. Meanwhile, they work with Sugar Lab of Colorado, out of South Denver, and mostly serve ice creams developed by boutique Denver brands High Point Creamery and Eiskaffee. But Stepan says he’s working on his own recipes for the future. And he’s intent to maintain the same small-batch, high-quality-ingredient standard as what he’s buying now. “We’ll stay craft,” he says.

Ice Guys' narrow space for obtaining the good, cold stuff. Photos by Matthew Schniper.

I’m attending a party at The Fifty-Niner when I stop in, and I’ve ordered an Americano coffee from their bar with intent to make my own affogato. The Ice Guys staff is happy to help me and provides me with several samples of alluring flavors like coconut crème brûlée (vegan), basil-blackberry and Earl Grey and shortbread. But I settle on the excellent Tin Cup whiskey and pistachio brittle, which I’m sure you can understand. (They had me at “whiskey.”) You can taste the hooch and the pistachio element reminds me of Roman gelato and I’m as content as can be. I return to the party in back and a few folks side-eye me and a couple ask “where did you get that?” (Please, people, I’m a professional. I know how to make things happen.)

Ice Guys’ current hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday-Sunday; noon to 9 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday. You know what to do.

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Side Dish Dozen happenings

• Blue Star Group: Big news! La'au's is now "The Official Taco Shop of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks!" Catch Gold Star Bakery bake sales (a special pop up in the hallway) at Ivywild School May 24-27, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Also, just a handful of seats remain available for the final Stellina Supper Club of the season on June 3.

• Ascent Beverage: Find our products such as Robb's Red Rumm and Jackson Hole Still Works in outstanding drinks at Bunzy’s-n-Booze. Owner Nicole Martinez believes in making everything fresh daily from-scratch with quality ingredients. Friday May 24 is open mic night from 6-8:30 p.m. 

• Wobbly Olive: Thank you to all who joined us last week at our Rooster’s Revival Sip with Schnip event. We were thrilled to see so many of you enjoying our newly released Pu Pu Platter from our spring menu — one of that evening’s specials. Our guests are loving cooking their own bulgogi flanken ribs and Thai peanut chicken satay at the table. The platter also comes with kimchi and seaweed salads and sushi rice.

The Pu Pu Platter in action.

• Red Gravy: It’s the downtown lunch deal you need to know about: our $14.99 Red Gravy Mix. Choose a soup or salad and any half portion of pasta. If you haven’t yet tried our Penne Pomodoro, you’re missing a beautifully simple yet vibrant pasta made with grape and sun-dried tomatoes, garlic (importantly), basil, zucchini and extra virgin olive oil. (You won’t even realized that it happens to be vegan.)

• Edelweiss: Make reservations now for Father's Day, coming up on us fast, in just a few weeks. We’re offering our award-winning patio dining plus strolling musicians, a prime rib special and a limited dinner menu all day. 

• The French Kitchen: Get 20% off baguettes through May 29. We make ours with four simple ingredients: high-quality, European-style unbleached and unbromated flour, yeast, salt, and water — no additives or conditioners. Remember to pre-order your crepes for our 7-year anniversary party on June 1, with cooking demos, free samples and a big sale.

• Kangaroo Coffee: In recognition of World Bee Day we’re featuring a Honey Bee Latte. And in honor of another important contributor to society's well being, we're also featuring a Shrek2tsie Roll RedBull — the film was released 20 years ago. Also, we're happy to report that our Cat Cafe auction item for the Humane Society of Pikes Peak Region raised $500!

• Rasta Pasta: Our garlic bread has a cult following. It's made with real garlic and is really garlicky! We source our bread locally from Delicias Bakery and serve a piece with every pasta dish. We also have bread baskets and dipping bread apps with either Marinara, Rose' (a mix of marinara and Alfredo) or Caribbean Curry dipping sauces. 

• Four by Brother Luck: Visit for the outstanding desserts by pastry chef Marjorie Furio, such as the Forest Floor, made with raspberry semifreddo, chocolate and dulce de leche ganache, chocolate rosemary soil, Nutella snow and pine needle sponge cake. Have a creative cocktail with bartender Kyle McNerney too. Also, seats remain for the Tuna poke and coconut mango pudding class, May 25, 6 p.m. at The Studio.

The Forest Floor and a happy bartender at Four by Brother Luck. Photos by Matthew Schniper.

• Odyssey Gastropub: We’ve added an extra day of brunch for Memorial Day! Stop in between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Monday, May 27 to enjoy our fabulous brunch menu.  

• District Elleven: Come in for Tapas Tuesdays and take advantage of $6 tapas, $6 red and white wines, $8 Old Fashioned cocktails, $5 well drinks and $4 beers from 4 p.m. to midnight.

• Bristol Brewing Company: World Peace Death Ray Cold IPA Release Party May 31, 6-8 p.m. with a group toast, food pairing, live music and Guess-The-Beer blind tasting game with prizes for winners. Also check out our new merch.

• The Carter Payne: Local Relic beers on draft right now: Lavender butterfly pea saison, Ube sour and Juicy Brut IPA. Featuring Chef Brent’s pan-seared sesame crab cakes over a mixed green apple and cucumber salad. Pair it with a strawberry black pepper mojito at the cocktail bar. Book early for Father’s Day Brunch, by dads for dads. Book our banquet spaces for creative events for all occasions.

• Goat Patch Brewing: Summer Music Series kickoff, May 26, 6-8 p.m. with Ryan Flores. Bleating Heart Night, May 28, 5-9 p.m.; $1 from each pint sold benefits Citizens Project. Trivia, May 29, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Featuring two summer wheat beers on tap now: the calamansi and dragonfruit, each brewed with the respective fruit.

Upcoming events

*Farmers Market season is ramping up, with venues like the Fountain Community Market and Monument Hill Farmers Market launching May 25. Visit COS has this handy online guide to all our area markets, so visit it to find the market(s) nearest you and show support to our regional growers and ranchers this year. Environmentally, socially and for a myriad of other reasons that also end in an “ly” word construct, local food matters more than ever. So make these markets a shopping habit.

• June 1: Manitou Springs Colorado Wine Festival. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m; $60. Sample Colorado wines, meads and glögg and enjoy live music and food trucks.

• June 2: 2nd annual 719 Battle of the Food Trucks at the Meanwhile Block. 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $39.99 to $59.99 for 11 sampling tickets from dozens of food trucks. (I’ll be co-judging.)

• June 4: First Food Truck Tuesday event of the season at the Pioneers Museum. 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

• June 8: 12th annual Feast of St. Arnold family-friendly beer festival on the grounds of the Chapel of our Saviour Episcopal Church. Benefits Westside Cares. Noon to 4:30 p.m.; $50-$90.

• June 9: Ancestry Wine Dinner at Inefable. 5-9 p.m.; $130. Featuring wines from Portugal and Mexico that celebrate Chef Fernando's heritage.

• June 9: Rosé-a-Palooza at The Well. 2:30-4:30 p.m. $40; reserve at 719-475-9700.

• June 15: Sip with Schnip at The French Kitchen. 1-3 p.m.; details to come.

• June 17: Meet the Maker series dinner with Valserena Parmigiano Reggiano at the Broadmoor’s Ristorante del Lago. Multiple paired courses; $200.

• June 29: [Early notice] Field of Drinks Beer Festival at Metcalfe Baseball Field in Fountain. Noon to 4 p.m.; $35. Featuring 20 Southern Colorado breweries, live music, food trucks and more.

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Parting shot(s)

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at last week’s Rooster’s Revival Sip with Schnip event at the downtown Wobbly Olive. Here’s a few shots from the evening. And mark your calendars for Saturday, June 15, 1-3 p.m. for the next Sip with Schnip event at The French Kitchen. (We’re breaking form, so note this is not on a third Thursday.)

Photos by Ryan Hannigan and Matthew Schniper.

Supportive members from our Side Dish Dozen sponsorship group, left to right: Rebecca Taraborelli (Rasta Pasta), Tyler and Jenny Sherman (Odyssey Gastropub), Eric Brenner (Red Gravy), Schnip (who else wear’s their own face on a T-shirt?), Doug Hammond (Kangaroo Coffee) and Mark Henry (Wobbly Olive, with his son).