An industry model
OCC's new, multifunctional Pop Kitchen sets the standard for customer and employee wellbeing; Red Leg brews custom Broadmoor beers; celebrate Mardi Gras with our recipes + more food & drink news
Pop Kitchen & Events is basically 99 things in one strikingly beautiful and artistic space. So bear with me as I unpack the new spot, which opened in Old Colorado City on Dec. 27.
First, it helps to know where Owner and Culinary Incubator Amy Kunstle is coming from. The Pueblo native (and Forrest Gumpian, do-it-all type character) is a registered dietician as well as a speech pathologist. She’s also close to completing culinary school at Pikes Peak State College. And for the last four years since she bought the building at 2902 W. Colorado Ave. (the former Agia Sophia coffee shop that closed in 2017), she’s been conceiving and overseeing one of the most mindful, intentional and holistic renovations and buildouts I’ve ever heard of. Seriously.
I’ll explain the multifold business approach which includes a commissary kitchen and pop-up space for other businesses and more, but I’m specifically talking about something I’ve never discussed with any restaurateur/chef in all my years of interviewing: Kunstle has designed the space from top to bottom and every tiny detail in between to be as beneficial as possible to those inhabiting it. She’s done noise audits (gauging decibel levels) on her kitchen equipment; built-out an ergonomically designed kitchen; stayed attuned to natural lighting considerations; installed special flooring to account for impact on cooks’ and baristas’ bodies; and tried to account for all aspects of guest comfort.
“It’s for staff wellbeing as well as equity for customers,” she says, noting Pop is fully ADA accessible. The building is on the national and state historic registry, having at different times been OCC’s City Hall, a firehouse and a jail. “People should be able to go into a building and not have hearing damage or vocal strain. We designed this building with three key points: sustainability, sensitive equipment and recycled materials… Every barrier I experienced as a student I’ve tried to break down, to be kind on the body… It’s a model for what I think the industry deserves.”
Kunstle tells me she comes “from a long line of entrepreneurs.” Her father operated Hedrick-Landrum Nissan and Freedom Ford and Subaru, working the car dealership business from the 1960’s through 2012. She’s had the dream of her own contentious restaurant for 35 years, she says. “I wanted to have an incubator and cut down on the barriers I faced,” she says. “I want to give people food that walks and talks my values.”
The name, Pop, by the way, isn’t a nod to her dad, who amusingly enough didn’t want her to get into the restaurant business, but would approve of her thoughtful approach, she believes. Instead, “Pop” speaks to the spark of entrepreneurial joy, “like when an idea pops into your head and won’t leave you alone,” she says. “I wanted to capture the feeling of something exciting… plus there’s the “pop-up” word association.”
On that note, there will be other businesses popping up at a separate service counter inside which also has a service window cut into the side of the building for walk-up service on 29th Street, just up from Colorado Avenue. Baon Supper Club is one entity who’s signed up to vend Filipino fare on Wednesday and Thursdays, while Mountain Brews Coffee aims to serve walk-up coffee on Mondays (when Pop itself is closed; it’s open Tuesday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. currently for regular breakfast and lunch service).
There’s room in Pop’s kitchen to accommodate up to three other commissary businesses prepping during Pop’s regular service hours, as well. Kunstle and her chef Colton Robertson (who she met at culinary school and who has 10 years industry experience otherwise) have designed a quick-service menu in the mornings consisting of to-go quiches, breakfast burritos and sandwiches plus scones and baked goods. Come lunch, the menu shifts to healthy soups, salads and tartines (open-faced sandwiches) with homemade breads plus a daily blue plate special and more pastries and baked goods for dessert or tea/coffee accompaniment.
Nighttime at Pop will be reserved for private events and buyouts that can range from small parties in private dining rooms to larger independent chef pop-ups at the upstairs banquet kitchen — there’s lots of flexibility, to include in-house catering. “It’s versatile and scalable” says Kunstle. Pop does also have a liquor license. “The emphasis is on how we can support our shared-kitchen customers, not how we compete with them,” she says.
Another aspect of Pop is that it’s also a coffee shop. Remember when I called Kunstle Gumpian — well, she also attended a five-day training at the Seattle Barista Academy to glean the basics of the coffee business. Her mentors there assisted her in setting up Pop’s barista layout and she connected with a Seattle brand named Middle Fork Roasters to bring in exclusive-to-the-Springs beans to set herself apart.
With Middle Fork’s help, she cupped and co-developed four unique blends for Pop, including a Hawaiian decaf, a single-origin Mexican on drip, a tri-origin espresso roast, and a barrel-aged “bourbon-y” blend she named Itty Bitty Bakery Co-op that she says goes wonderful with the sweet items.
The mention of sweets seemingly runs antithetical to Pop’s healthful fundamentals, but Kunstle clarifies her approach: “I make desserts portioned in a size I can live with; I won’t serve you a 700-calorie slice of cake.” Yes, she bakes with real sugar, and simple ingredients. “All our ingredients exist in nature. For my sour cream apple pie, I make the crust and chop the apples; what you see is what you get. I’d rather you understand what you’re eating, the way your mom made it.”
“I’m not a purist,” she says. “I’m a dietician. In a sense I believe all food is necessary and good. Some things give you joy. I want you to have a cheddar biscuit with ham, though I’m careful with nitrates and nitrites. We use meats here more as a garnish… Our biscuits are whole wheat flour and flax seed. We serve grapes on the side of sandwiches instead of chips or fries…. It’s more of a planetary diet.”
That includes more and more local items as Pop ramps up in its early days. She already uses Pueblo’s Milberger Farms chiles and beans; the Springs’ Microvora mushrooms and microgreens; Pastificio ancient grain pastas out of Boulder; and Ellen’s Flowers (edible flowers) from Canyon City. She’s also signing up with Tap Root Cooperative for more items soon, and she utilizes Wildflower’s Botanical Menagerie out of Manitou Springs for herbal teas.
As if all that’s not enough Kunstle mentions cooking classes down the road sometime that would likely revolve around topics like dietetic baking or preparing clear liquid diets. Part of her prior speech pathology work included catering to those with swallowing and feeding disorders. After she wraps up her foundational culinary degree she’s pondering returning for a specific culinary medicine emphasis that would aid specialized class instruction. (Because when you’re Gumpian you never stop running.)
Kunstle credits mentorship from Chef Brent Beavers, now at The Carter Payne (my Sip with Schnip venue partner monthly), but at AspenPointe (working with an underserved community) when she first met with him. She’s also received advice all along the way from Richard Warner and Mary Oreskovitch of Bingo Burger and Diavolo (with whom I’ve done a pop-up). She recalls the early days of their Steel City Diner eatery in Pueblo where she’d take her kids and where she befriended them.
After my visit to Pop last week to dine on my own time and photograph the spot for work, I called Kunstle for a follow-up phone call to glean the full story. After more than an hour to gather everything you’re now reading, I joked about how convoluted the whole enterprise is in terms of getting my head fully around it as a reporter (so that I could accurately tell you about it here).
She laughed, and summed Pop up with a great line: “It’s a weird conglomeration of a lifetime of work.”
Celebrate Mardi Gras at home this month
If you’re jaunting off to New Orleans next week then get on with your bad self (lucky pants). But for everybody else, we’ve got a recipe (two actually) this month to bring Louisiana’s Creole/Cajun flavors home to you. As always, huge thanks to Gather Food Studio chefs Dave Cook and Cortney Smith for creating such delicious food (and spice blends) that mindfully utilizes fresh ingredients from Ranch Foods Direct.
Join us this month in making these hugely flavorful blackened pork chops with red eye gravy as well as a delicious side of red beans and rice. Each utilizes Gather’s high-quality, house-ground Cajun seasoning, available at Ranch Foods Direct — where you’ll actually find most of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, not just the regeneratively ranched pork items. Cortney worked in a Cajun restaurant back in the day and Dave lived in the South for a time, so this blend and these recipes are close to their hearts. (Food so often tells a personally story, and that’s what we’re here for.)
Red Leg at The Broadmoor
Red Leg Brewing has a special contract with The Broadmoor to provide some exclusive beers for the resort. There’s a Broadmoor Ale on tap at the Golden Bee and the Hotel Bar. And a Prospector's Pick Kolsch can be found for sale in cans on property. Recently, that’s been joined by the new Golden Lion ESB, which can also be found in Red Leg’s taproom, I’m told.
I wanted to know more about this collaboration, so I sent some questions off to Red Leg’s owner Todd Baldwin. Here’s our quick Q&A:
Side Dish: How did the collaboration for a Broadmoor-exclusive beer come about?
Todd Baldwin: The collaboration with The Broadmoor came out of three different events that happened over seven years ago. The first was a beer dinner that we did at the Golden Bee. The second was a BBQ and beer event for wounded veterans that was on a produced TV show. And the third was, I believe, when the Broadmoor put out an RFP: We were one of the only local breweries that were willing to dedicate the tank space required to do a special beer like this and keep working with The Broadmoor to find the right fit beer-style-wise for such a large property. At the time, we were making our beer in smaller quantities than we are today, so it was an exciting challenge for us to keep up with their demand while ensuring the quality The Broadmoor and its guests expect. The launch of the Prospectors Pick Kolsch aligned with the opening of Seven Falls 1858 restaurant over six years ago, so it took about a year from first conceiving this collaboration before our first delivery to the property.
Side Dish: I'm guessing the ESB (English style) fits the Golden Bee's offerings specifically?
Baldwin: Yup, you're spot on. With the enormous popularity of Prospector's Pick and obviously The Golden Bee being one of the most famous restaurants in Colorado, I think the natural evolution of our partnership was to work with Chef [David] Patterson, [Director of Public Relations] Krista Heinicke and [Director of Restaurants and Beverage] Jake Zubrod and the rest of the culinary team to align something with the popularity of the Golden Bee. The great thing is that it is an extension of Prospector's Pick Kolsch, so you'll be able to enjoy both of these beers while you're on the property. Maybe someday, each of their main restaurants will have a unique beer style from us.
Side Dish: What does it mean for a local brewery to be featured at our Five-star, Five-diamond property?
Baldwin: Wow, what a question! This literally came up the other day when Krista Heinicke brought over a national publication to discuss Red Leg's relationship with the property. It really is a partnership, and we're so thankful to have been involved with making The Broadmoor and their guests the highest quality products we have been for this long. For The Broadmoor and its staff to really embrace a local brewery and take ownership of these beers has been incredible. When we go down there and hear their employees say, "This is OUR beer made just for the property..." That's when it hits me the gravitas of what our relationship and their continued willingness to partner with a local business like Red Leg means. We believe in supporting our community and its culture, and without the great partnership with The Broadmoor we wouldn't be able to do it as well. We're thankful we answered the RFP seven years ago.
Bites and bits
• Catholic Charities of Central Colorado says its experiencing a donations shortfall of over $628,000, “which has caused us to freeze hiring and re-forecast budgets to cut spending where we can without closing programs.” Among the programs hardest hit are the Marian House Kitchen and The Marketplace pantry.
• Lulu’s Downstairs has closed in Manitou Springs, and hopes to relocate soon according to reporting at The Gazette.
• Mochi Thai’m Donuts plans to open a second spot this summer off Interquest Parkway according to Springs Magazine reporting.
• My review of Saigon Cafe published earlier this week for my paid subscribers. Given a lot of grumbling across town about changes that have taken place at the cafe since new ownership took over, I go to test some new menu items. I also interview owners Tim and Monse Hines (of Monse’s Taste of El Salvador) to ask their intentions, discuss their business transition and solicit feedback on the negative comments. If you don’t wish to wait six weeks to read it, consider a 7-day free trial (and maybe stick around), a monthly $5 subscription or a discounted $50/year membership.
Upcoming events:
• Feb. 13: Mardi Gras Celebration at Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar. NOLA-style cocktails include the Sazerac, French 75 and Hurricane. Food specials: hush puppies, gumbo, blackened catfish, crawfish jambalaya fried rice and locally made king cake.
• Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day - duh. (You still haven’t made reservations?! Get on it!) Oh, and Humble Coffee is celebrating its 10th anniversary with sticker and keychain giveaways. (That’s cool, but that’s not gonna win the day and impress your partner. So back to those dinner reservations…)
Early warnings:
• Feb. 27: Meet the Maker Monte Bernardi five-course wine dinner at The Broadmoor’s Ristorante Del Lago.
• Feb. 28-March 2: Wine Festival of Colorado Springs at various venues. Individual event prices range.
• March 2: Firkin Fest at Bristol Brewing Co. $10-$45.
• May 15: Tickets went on sale today for the Taste of Tri-Lakes Cares Chopped-style fundraiser. I’ll be judging the friendly competition to help raise funds for the vital food bank and community services center.
What’s in my inbox?
So you know from my newsletter a couple weeks ago than I sometimes say yes to odd samples from PR and marketing pitches I receive by email. Hence the writeup on Chuck Norris’ supplement company. (To be clear, I don’t receive any money for these type write-ups, I’m just having fun.)
Well, this week I’ve got another interesting one for you. How’s chocolate mouthwash sound? Tagline: “Ice cream taste, milkshake feel!”
Well, if that’s your jam, check out Supermouth. Specifically the mouthwash page that promotes a trademarked ingredient named Hydroxamin, “our proprietary blend of hydroxyapatite, including its nano-form, which closely mimics the structure of natrual [sic] enamel, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin K2.”
The mouthwashes are alcohol free and aren’t made with artificial flavors or preservatives, etc. They claim to have prebiotics to feed your mouth’s friendly microbes and what’s perhaps most immersive is the product says it “speeds up the body's neutralization of pH levels to create a balanced oral microbiome.” The mouthwash has a pH of 8.5, and they challenge users to test themselves with a pH strip pre- and post-rinse to see the difference. (Because I’m sure lots of you have those just laying around the house, right?)
Anyway, I’ve been using the stuff for a couple weeks now and I have to say the first couple times I swished with the Super Chocolate flavor (the only one I received from among others sold) my brain was telling me it’s food not a cleaning product. Like, the flavor makes you want to swallow because it tastes good. However, after brushing your teeth with something minty or whatever, it’s unusual to then swish with something that indeed tastes like ice cream, as if that would reintroduce a foodstuff requiring brushing again. Point being it’s just weird, but I have liked the clean mouthfeel afterwards and damn if the the stuff hasn’t grown on me.
To show that this place is no joke, I’ll point you also to a 35-minute hybrid live-action animated movie, The Rise of SuperMouth (featuring a villain named Cavitar, mind you), which teaches a lesson about “using the power of smiles” to find inner strength. Surprisingly, it has 141k views on YouTube. (Confession, I didn’t watch it.)
Parting shot(s)
Side Dish was featured in Springs Magazine this week. Editorial Director Jeremey Jones invited me for a Q&A to chat about my work, the Springs’ food/drink scene and much more. You can read the story here.
Oh, you like the T-shirt? Good news: You can get your own here.