Meet the Side Dish Dozen
I launch a sponsorship club; we make tagine; Tapateria sells; tap&table goes to PPSC culinary school; another Meet the Maker Broadmoor banger + more food & drink news
Dear Side Dish subscribers (and those of you who read regularly but are for reasons unknown allergic to the blue “subscribe now” button below 😉):
I’m thrilled to announce the Side Dish Dozen, which is a Schnip-curated selection of stalwart local businesses bundled into a sponsorship group to give this newsletter a stable financial position in 2024 and beyond. Another way to say that: Thanks to a supportive collection of restaurateurs, chefs and brewers I will be able to pay myself a real salary this year instead of working full-time-plus hours for barely part-time pay. I committed to myself early-on that Side Dish won’t ever be a vanity project; it must constitute a sustainable living. As of today, it does.
As expected in year one, mid March 2023 to present, I was in a startup phase that consisted more of sweat equity and groundwork laying. Thanks to early paid subscriber support and my principal sponsor, Ranch Foods Direct, to whom I’m forever grateful, I was able to float this endeavor forward with strong confidence in Side Dish’s potential. (Of course support from friends and loved ones put a lot of fuel in the tank, too.) But I could see looking forward that unless I could find two or three more RFD-like sponsors and convert two to three times more free subscribers into paid (I’m currently at a 12-percent ratio) I wouldn’t be able to win the day through those steps alone.
To borrow from one of my new Side Dish Dozen sponsors, Goat Patch Brewing, “It Takes a Tribe.” (That’s the name of their award-winning red ale, if you didn’t know.) Hence my goal of coming alongside a select bundle of companies to essentially do business with so I can fund journalism for the wider community. They are town champions to me, co-investing to improve our cultural scene and ensure that the food and drink industry receives thorough and smart reporting coverage and attention. And they’re businesses that consistently execute at a high level and have earned loyal community support over the years.
In the interest of full transparency and tightrope walking the chef knife’s blade edge related to potential conflict of interest I will say these businesses are now in a special category where they won’t be critically reviewed by me in the traditional secret-shopped sense. Instead, for their investment in Side Dish, I'll be including some logos and ads and a devoted listings lineup in each newsletter to highlight their weekly programming. I’ll also be working with each one of them this year on a monthly event and a single feature blurb, more in a profile/newsy capacity. Most importantly I want their monthly stories to read as entertaining and informative, not as dry sponsored content that feels inauthentic and icky deep down. That’s not how I roll.
Third Thursday Sip with Schnip nights monthly will now travel to each sponsor space where we aim to enhance them with more specials, guest presenters and even nonprofit beneficiaries. A special thanks to The Carter Payne for hosting them up to now. We will return to party there in August, as great news for me they’re also a sponsor now. (Not every event will hit a third Thursday due to calendar conflicts but the majority will, and we’ll message each one way ahead of time.)
On that note, please join me on March 21 for my Side Dish 1-Year Anniversary Sip With Schnip Party at Red Gravy from 6-9 p.m. They’re offering happy hour all night with half-off apps and select wine, beer and spirit drinks and we’ll announce more details next week. It’s also Red Gravy’s 8-year anniversary and we’re collectively marking other milestones that we’ll share in Red Gravy’s writeup on March 15 here.
Without further ado for now, please welcome me in thanking these generous businesses for stepping up to sponsor Side Dish in a more than meaningful way: Bristol Brewing Company, Edelweiss, Four by Brother Luck (including Tipperary Cocktail Parlor and The Studio), Red Gravy, Goat Patch Brewing, Wobbly Olive (including Allusion Speakeasy), The Carter Payne, Rasta Pasta, Odyssey Gastropub and Blue Star Group (including Principal’s Office, Stellina Pizza Cafe, Gold Star Bakery, Decent Pizza Co., Ivywild Kitchen, Lazo Emanadas and La’au’s Taco Shop).
A few sponsor spots remain and I’ll aim to announce the final 2024 Side Dish Dozen members in the coming weeks — else the club name just won’t make much sense after all. Sincerely, thank you all for being here, reading, listening and supporting. Special thanks to my tap&table cohost Ryan Hannigan for all the Side Dish Dozen design work and Side Dish’s overall brand creation. Thanks also Gather Food Studio for creating the wonderful monthly recipes featured in thus-far this newsletter.
Ranch Foods Direct March Schnip’s Pick Recipe
Our featured Gather Food Studio recipe this month in partnership with Side Dish sponsor Ranch Foods Direct is a divine Beef & Chickpea Tagine. It utilizes Callicrate beef stew meat (as well as tallow and bone broth), available at both retail locations. In-store you’ll also find Gather’s fresh Tagine Spice blend, and let me promise you you’re in for an aromatic delight when you open up the spice packet and sear the spices in the pan. If you have one (or care to pick one up at a local kitchen supply store), a tagine pot will serve you well. But sub a dutch oven for this Moroccan dish otherwise or just a large pan with a lid and you can easily get the job done. Thanks as always to Gather and RFD; if you’re new to Side Dish, find all our past recipes here.
Meet the Maker series continues at The Broadmoor
I’ve been grateful to attend most of the Meet the Maker series dinners around The Broadmoor campus in the past several months. That includes the original Distillery 291 whiskey dinner as well as the Buffalo Trace Distillery dinner where I was able to interview Sazerac Master Blender & Director of Quality Drew Mayville. Next up on March 12 is the Heaven Hill Distillery whiskey dinner at The Broadmoor’s Grille.
Meanwhile, earlier this week I attended the Monte Bernardi wine dinner at Ristorante del Lago. Viticulturist and oenologist Michael Schmelzer came in town from Panzano in Italy’s Chianti region to co-present four of his outstanding wines (alongside Broadmoor alum and all-round amazing local sommelier Michael “Bucky” Buckelew). Some of what we drank is already out of stock, but find other Chianti Classico labels from the vineyard at Ristorante del Lago. (The MB1933 is a particular treat.) Chef de Cuisine Randi Powell and her team buried us in brilliant food. Her salads offered a light start and balance to heavier plates like a braised lamb shank over polenta while the pastas and pizza satisfied the starch expectations beautifully. A double dessert destroyed any last vestiges of moderation and we left with more than one to-go box. (The prices on these dinners aren’t cheap, nor should they be for the exceptional food quality and generous portions with gracious pours. You get your money’s worth for a special occasion meal, which is my general takeaway from meals on property.)
Bites and bits
• Longtime employee Kevin Hubbell has become the new owner of Tapateria. “I’m not redrawing the farm,” he wrote on his personal Facebook page. “And you can expect our very high standards going forward. Also, [former owner, Chef] Jay Gust will never be out of the picture, he’s a true friend and mentor.” I reached out to Gust, who responded with: “It’s been a long time coming for him to finally buy Tapa. He has put time and effort and work and love into both restaurants [Pizzeria Rustica being the second] and I’m very proud of him, taking the next bite at the apple, and starting the next part of the story.”
• The Chuckwagon 719 (who you can read about in my review here) announced on their Facebook page this week that they’re signing a lease on a brick and mortar spot, aiming to open at April’s beginning. That spot happens to be the current location of The Sourdough Boulangerie at 6453 Omaha Blvd. The bakery plans to move a storefront over into the neighboring building.
• In Focal Pint this week, Ryan Hannigan recaps his recent craft beer explorations in New York City and highlights Manitou Brewing Co.’s 10th anniversary and Whistle Pig Brewing’s 8th anniversary.
• Not a food/drink thing, but sometimes I like to share my other work. Richard Lewis’ death was in the news this week. In my earlier days of working at the CS Indy (in 2010 specifically), when I was the A&E Editor, I got the opportunity to interview Lewis for a show he was supposed to do in Colorado Springs. Things went sideways quickly (playfully, I think, but I’m still not sure) when I jokingly asked him “What went wrong” about his 40 years of success in the comedy business. He went a little on-character bananas and replied: “That was the single worst warm-up question I've ever heard. It was dyslexic, it was psychotic…” (I’m still proud of having been name-called by him. And I still blame my former colleague, our Music Editor, Bill Forman, for suggesting I ask the question. Then again, it did elicit a memorable response.)
• Ah, hell, while I’m at it, let me plug one other passion project. If you like my food and drink content (I mean, you’re reading this right now, yeah?), I would be grateful if you checked out another podcast I co-wrote and -produced not long ago: It’s in the true-crime genre and locally set in Colorado Springs. It’s called Vulnerable Creatures, and just last week I published a bonus episode that features a new interview we (my writing partner on the show Lauren Hug and I) conducted earlier in the month. A new source stepped forward with relevant information we wished to share with our earlier audience and hopefully new listeners too. Find it streaming on all major platforms. 🎧
Tune in to tap&table with PPSC
Our latest tap&table episode is live! This episode features a special conversation with members of the Culinary Arts program at Pikes Peak State College. Ryan and I are back in the classroom learning about how PPSC prepares students for the real world. Culinary Arts Instructor Heidi Block and PPSC student Lyle Gallin also get us super excited for the 2024 Chef Henry Trujillo Memorial Scholarship Soirée on March 9 in The Broadmoor's Cheyenne Lodge. Seriously, you have to listen to/watch this episode just to hear Gallin read through the special event’s dessert menu in detail. You’re gonna want to buy tickets before he even gets to the chocolate raspberry-Chambord roulade with chocolate Swiss buttercream.🤤
*Please subscribe to our tap&table YouTube channel to help us build our audience. And/or follow us on your favorite podcast platform, to include Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify.
Join Pikes Peak State College Saturday, March 9 in The Broadmoor's Cheyenne Lodge for the 2024 Chef Henry Trujillo Memorial Scholarship Soirée. This experience takes you across the decades of Chef Trujillo's life to delight your palate. Tickets are $75 and help fund the Chef Henry Trujillo Memorial Scholarship. Support future culinary artists and experience gourmet flavors from regional food producers paired with local beers and Colorado wines. Attend, cherish and uplift. We're honoring Chef Trujillo's spirit — be part of it.
Side Dish Dozen happenings
• Red Gravy: Wine Wednesday tastings in Blue at Red Gravy + half-priced bottles.
• Goat Patch Brewing: March 1 beer releases, Goat Patch Punch and Blood Orange Pale Ale. 5-10 p.m; concurrent with Hockey Night in the Taproom - CC vs. Minnesota Duluth (7-9 p.m. March 1; 6-8 p.m. March 2). March 5 Bleating Heart Night - $1 from each pint sold benefits Upadowna, 5-9 p.m.
• Blue Star Group: Leap Year Luau at La’au’s Taco Shop. March 7, 4-9 p.m. Celebrate the reopening of La'au's Taco Shop in its new location at The Well. Food + drink specials, live music from DJ Joe Slivik. Win Free Tacos for a Year. 10% of sales will go to the Maui Strong Fund. Also Lazo Empanadas and Decent Pizza Co. are doing a Gold Camp Elementary Giveback Night, March 6, 3-9 p.m.; 10% of sales benefiting.
• Rasta Pasta: Daily Happy Hour 3-5 p.m. $3 Red Stripes, $4 house rum punch, $5 house wines, $5 Munchies menu: Island Chips and Salsa and Dippin’ Breads (marinara, rosé sauce or Caribbean Curry Bread.
• Wobbly Olive / Allusion Speakeasy: Happy hours 4-6 p.m., M-F at Wobbly Olive includes half-off craft cocktails. Current Allusion theme: Barbie. Ken’s Mojo Dojo Casa House is downtown; Barbie’s Dream Bar is at Cinema Point.
• Bristol Brewing Company: March 2, Barrel Room Pop-up 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with $5 pints, $12 garlic buffalo wings from Spark BBQ + yard games. (If you snoozed on Firkin Fest tickets, too bad, it’s sold out.)
• Edelweiss: Flammkuchen (German pizza) specials all of March. “These are very thin, almost cracker crust and minimal toppings. They’re great with a glass of wine as a little snack,” says co-owner Dieter Schnakenberg, noting they serve a traditional flammkuchen on the regular daily menu.
• Four by Brother Luck: Happy hours 3-6 p.m. daily. Also: Sushi-making class at The Studio, March 8 and 9, 6 p.m. $75. Discover the art of preparing sushi rice and creating beautiful rolls. Chef Luck shares insider tips and tricks.
• The Carter Payne: March 3, Sunday School - The World of Whites, noon to 2:30 p.m. Explore six international white wines from classic to contemporary. $50 tickets. March 6, Whiskey Church with Arvada’s Talnua Distillery. 6:30 p.m.; $35 tickets.
• Odyssey Gastropub: March 1-2, CC Hockey ticket holders get BOGO drafts and house wine on game days. Daily happy hours 3-6 p.m. New Menus dropping March 8.
Upcoming events
• March is Oyster Month at Jax Fish House. (When else will I ever receive a press release using the phrase “bivalve-centric specials”?) March 1-16 catch a selection of East Coast oysters; March 17-31 look for a variety of West Coast Oysters. Wine and drink specials also featured. And on March 3 and 24 catch Bubbles & Pearls events: the Kick Off features an all you can eat and drink menu for $125 p/p tax/tip included. (Tickets here.) The Throw Down will feature four special oyster and sparkling wine stations plus passed apps and more for $225 p/p tax/tip included. (Tickets here.)🦪
• March 1: Second Annual Dynamo Coffee Roasters Beer Collaboration Release at FH Beerworks. 5 p.m. (Next up: Collab release with Nano 108 on March 8 and a Beer-Muda Triangle St. Patrick’s Day collab event with Nano 108 and Peaks N Pines from March 13-15).🍺☕️
• March 2: Manitou Springs 2024 Carnivale with Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-Off at 11 a.m. in Soda Springs Park.
• March 7: Masa Workshop at Eleven18. 5:30 p.m.; $85. Learn about the heirloom corn tortillas served at Eleven18 and how to make your own tortillas, sopes and gorditas from Chef Julian Salas, owner at Don Zorros Molino. Enjoy your creations with toppings by Chef Beto Reyes while sipping bottomless margaritas.🌮
• March 8: Central Colorado Foodshed Gathering at the Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Register by March 3; light breakfast and lunch provided by UCCS Grain School.)🥬
• March 21: Side Dish 1-Year Anniversary & Red Gravy 8-Year Anniversary Sip With Schnip Party at Red Gravy. 6-9 p.m. Happy hour all night with half-off apps and select wine, beer and spirit drinks. More details coming soon.🎉
Parting shots(s)
I very much appreciated attending my first polo match last weekend thanks to the Broadmoor Winter Polo Classic put on with the Colorado Springs Sports Corp. I ran into lots of friends (including my former food writing colleague many years back at the Indy, Monika Mitchell Randall). I sipped on Distillery 291 whiskey cocktails. I passed off a flowery Casa Bonita-brand Buff as a fancy ascot (haha!). And I enjoyed watching the players and horses kick up a bunch of dirt in the name of fun. Just one idea for the sport though: Have y’all ever thought about rebranding to something flashier? My suggestion: Light Combat Equine Foosball. (Just consider it.)
I'm glad you were able to summon a coalition to make this a more permanent fixture and your wage a more guaranteed, reliable thing. Working for a paper, it's easy to forget that there's an entire department whose work, full-time, is to make sure everyone's paycheck rolls in. Congrats, duder!