Healthy and hearty
Ola Juice Bar expands; Duca's becomes PizzAmoré; we put Winter Warlock in your chili; The Broadmoor does Colorado Appreciation deals + more food & drink news
Just ahead of the new year, Ola Juice Bar opened a second location at 1025 Garden of the Gods Road. This joins the existing, decade-old spot downtown at 27 E. Kiowa St.
Owner of Atlas Group COS Aaron Ewton, whose restaurant portfolio includes the COATI Uprise food hall and PigLatin in addition to Ola, says this new location is more geared toward community space and coworking as compared to downtown’s more cafe-forward approach, where 99 percent of business is grab-and-go. That’s mostly due to the downtown store’s small size with limited seating, while this new spot has a sizable dining room.
Given the larger size, this new location also has an expanded menu, with new items and full coffee service. Popular smoothie and juice flavors as well as the designed acai bowls will remain consistent between locations. “We’re optimizing here and doing some retrofitting there,” Ewton says.
Ola’s ethos has of course revolved around health food since its inception under the original owners. Since he took over the brand in recent years, Ewton has asserted some influence inspired by his background and travels in Latin and South America, where fresh fruits are eaten in abundance. “I’m catering to my personal lifestyle here,” he says, pointing out the proliferation of heavy carbs and deep-fried foods elsewhere in the marketplace. “I’m the number one customer.” He also notes items designed for sports recovery, based out of functional medicine principles.
Ola prides itself in purchasing whole foods versus concentrates and Ewton says he fights to keep prices accessible given that factor. For items like the Adult AB&J Toast pictured at top (which is a delicious treat, by the way) and the requisite avocado toast, Ola sources breads from Provision Bread & Bakery. Seeking something unique in the local landscape, they’re sourcing coffee beans from Georgia’s Valor and South Carolina’s Methodical. All drinks come with oat milk by default, with the plant-based crowd in mind, but you can request whole milk.
Wishing to credit those who helped this second location come together, Ewton shouts-out Echo Architecture for spacial design, Rachel Strong Design for brand work and Hapke’s Hortum for the greenery. Chef Lina Flefel (who worked for COATI at the former Two Suns kiosk) contributed menu consulting and Chef Daniel Bartlett (with a deeper local resume, including almost opening Lumen8) oversees both locations.
Duca's becomes PizzAmoré Woodfire Italian Kitchen
Remember back in August when I told ya that Duca’s Neapolitan Pizza had come under new ownership after 15 years? Founder Tony Duca had sold the business to a couple of guys named Robert Athey and Travis Pickern. Well, all this not-much-time-at-all later it has sold again.
Those business partners are handing it over to Duca’s GM and nephew to Tony Duca, Nic Duca, who as of Feb. 1 will operate as PizzAmoré Woodfire Italian Kitchen. Nic, as you might also recall (or just click the damn link above already and refresh yourself — geez!) is an Air Force Academy grad who’s been with the company for many years and represents the fourth generation of his family working in the food biz.
Nic says he and his wife co-conceived the name-change to PizzAmoré for a fresh start, choosing it because of the obvious association to the Italian word amore, meaning “love.” (Which you should know because of the overuse in Hollywood of the Dean Martin song “That’s Amore,” of course.) “It’s a common term that my family uses at home,” he says. “And we use it around the restaurant — it’s cultural.”
I ask Nic if he still plans to expand to more locations, as the most recent owners said they had planned to do, and he says “not in the short term, but likely in the long term.” His plan for now, he says, “is to blow up this one location with shows and events.” He notes comedy and live music performances.
Also on the way is a liquor license for spirits — as the space already serves wine and beer. Nic says that should happen around March. And there’s new appetizers, pizzas and desserts rolling out — items that Nic had served as specials over the years or plates he’d created with all the fine Neapolitan ingredients around but had not been given a green light to put out. So it’s time, now that he’s his own boss. He says a lot of his recipe creations are similar to family recipes, but his own adaptations.
Among new dishes: children’s pizzas, calzones, garlic knots, cheese bread sticks and a charcuterie board. There’s also something he’s calling Italian Nachos, being jalapeño-cheddar baked chips topped with Italian ingredients. And he’s introducing Italian Iron, being crustless pizzas (with gluten-free options) in cast iron pans, with flavors like Chicken Alfredo or meatball. Who doesn’t love the sound of that? (See what I did there? That my friends is what you call an overly clever blurb outro. Booyah!)
Congrats! You’re making Winter Warlock-Callicrate Beef Chili this month via this awesome Gather recipe.
From a glance at the ingredient list, you know it’s gonna be good. I mean, dark chocolate, Bristol Brewing' Co.’s Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout, roasted green chiles, chipotle peppers in adobo, Ranch Foods Direct Callicrate ground beef… hoo boy! This month’s Roasted Green Chili Con Carne recipe from Gather Food Studio has it ALL going on. Like that one person you had a crush on in high school, except we’re talking food here, not your inability to get up the courage and ask ‘em out and all the sick regurts ever since. Anyhoo, this recipe comes together fast and delivers a lot of flavor with a respectable spice bite and deep richness. We always love a good opportunity to cook with beer, so we’re especially thrilled to have Bristol join in on our collaboration this month with its flagship seasonal oatmeal stout! The great news is that you’re likely gonna pick up a six-pack to execute the recipe, which means one for the pot and five more for you to drink at your leisure. (Might I be so bold as to recommend one to drink while you’re cooking? I think I shall. It is done — go forth and sip in style!)
The Broadmoor offers Colorado Appreciation specials
Now through the end of February is the time to dine at The Broadmoor. Why? Because it’s at its most accessible and affordable thanks to low-season Colorado Appreciation specials. Catch deals on golfing and lodging, but what we care most about here at Side Dish are the prix fixe dinners: three-courses at the Golden Bee ($49 per person), Ristorante del Lago ($59 p/p) or La Taverne ($69 p/p). Menus here.
In the interest of thorough journalism — and because I’m willing to put my body on the line for my work, and because I have the most fabulous food fixer at the big B — I dined all three spots, back-to-back for three days! (Feel free to comment with sympathies below.) Yep: Jan. 1, 2 and 3 you would have found me all over the Five-Star property gettin’ my eat on. It was epic. I’m still kinda full. And I can tell you each spot hits unique high points to spotlight the work their chefs and teams do — to wow newbies or remind longtime locals why they’re well worth special occasion dining.
Below, I’m going to let my photo galleries do the talking instead of belaboring you with tasting notes. Here goes:
Ristorante Del Lago
La Taverne
The Golden Bee
Bites and bits
• The Biscuit Factory Cat Lounge, which only opened in mid October at 2616 W. Colorado Ave., is already moving locations. By Feb. 1, they aim to reopen one block away at 2502 W. Colorado Ave. (across from Mother Muff’s). Meanwhile, they’re still offering service at the current location until Jan. 15; meaning cat adoptions via partner Happy Cats Haven or just kitty visits inside the cafe.
• Bell Brothers Brewing just celebrated its second anniversary. Side Dish partner Focal Pint chats with brewer/co-owner Cody Bell about everything they’ve learned so far, continuing to experiment and future plans.
• And speaking of Focal Pint … we’re recording our first episode of our new tap&table podcast this weekend. We’ll announce the episode release date on our social media channels just as soon as we know it. By this time next week it may just be live. Plus we’ll soon announce our special guests in the coming episodes. Stay tuned.
Upcoming events
• Jan. 5-6: Oyster Bar pop-up at Tipperary Cocktail Parlor.
• Jan. 9: Vusion Dinner with The Joint at Salad or Bust with guest chef Aaron Posey.
• Jan. 18: Chris Viaud Top Chef Dinner at Four by Brother Luck.
• Jan 18: Sip with Schnip at The Carter Payne.
• Jan. 19-20: Roaring Twenties Weekend at The Broadmoor.
Parting shot
