'Part of the skyline'
Red Gravy's holistic approach pays off; Pikes Peak CRA launches its own dining guide; corned beef everywhere! + more food & drink news
I’ve spent a lot of time lately talking with Red Gravy Chef/Owner Eric Brenner. Not just because Red Gravy is my March Side Dish Dozen feature business, but because when we get on the phone or gather in person we tend to carry on for the better part of an hour or more. As evidenced on the State of Plate podcast episode I had him on, he’s a prolific thinker who looks outward into the wider restaurant community just as much as he focuses inward on his own business. I’ve always appreciated that about him; it’s genuine, not just tossing around the word “community” for marketing.
One of the first topics we spoke about roughly a decade ago when I first interviewed him is how to bring our local industry together to be “less competitive and more collaborative.” He was coming from St. Louis’ Italian community The Hill, with a savvy, tight-bound restaurant culture. Part of what he aims to achieve with Red Gravy is a model he can share with others, be that with setting up the most advantageous system for third-party-platform delivery services or creating kitchen and staffing efficiencies that benefit everyone’s wellbeing — including end-user customers.
Brenner’s big news of today, though — colossal really if you understand the knife edge the food and drink industry lives and dies on — is that he and his new business partner (Jonah Attebery) just bought their building at 23 S. Tejon St. from its prior landlord. That’s after Brenner bought his prior business partners out nine months ago. The move enabled him to hire seasoned GM Johnathan Shankland to handle day-to-day management and promote A.D. Hamlin to Red Gravy’s chef role. It also freed him from seven years of cooking, running inventories and 99 other roles to move into an ownership position and start evaluating the business from the 30,000-foot view.
“We’re eight years in and we have no debt,” he says. “We’re profitable. The fear and worry of missteps is gone… By owning our own building we have equity. There’s no lease clock. We don’t have to worry about high rents. There’s more ability to borrow, buy, grow and expand. It preserves the longevity of the business. It firmly plants us in this space — we’re growing roots.”
During many of our chats, Brenner references COVID. We are approaching the four-year anniversary of the restaurant shutdown next week. Red Gravy was outspoken during the early pandemic and Brenner jumped into action by forming Meals to Heal, which fed frontline workers while keeping his kitchen staff employed.
“The shutdown forced introspection in industry,” he says. “Some got out. People like me saw it as an opportunity to stop and examine the decades-old model of running restaurants — to look at what’s broken. There’s so many opportunities to be a better employer. We can run a higher labor percentage and still be profitable. That’s a novel way of profit-sharing. Invest back into people. It drives retention.”
“We’re growing roots.”
And now that Brenner’s had time to step back and dial-in further internally, he’s tackling more elements at the ground level. “It’s things that guests won’t necessarily see, but investments they’ll innately feel, that ultimately improve the entire experience.” Example: Kitchen upgrades and improvements that create better work flows and result in a happier staff. The team is rethinking the prep and execution on popular menu items to retain high quality but improve ticket times during the rush. The business and building purchases “have given us the confidence to work on Red Gravy and make sure the food is the best it can be,” he says.
Brenner reiterates one of his favorite mantras that he’s told me before: “We’re cooking for people, not cooking at people.” He says they’re tracking what guests are enjoying and always aiming to meet them where they are. That underpins Red Gravy’s approachable, familiar, beloved American-Italian menu, where yes you can just have damn good spaghetti and meatballs or fettuccine Alfredo sans snooty judgment. Or you could fork into his classic Bucatini Amatriciana with guanciale and Calabrese peppers or gorgeously simple Cacio e Pepe. He also stands by his St. Louis-style pizza which he believes to be highly underrated in town.
Looking ahead, more-significant renovations are on deck for later this year and next. Red Gravy’s building houses 4,000 square-feet of unutilized space on a second floor. It’s sat idle for years, lacking a proper access point. Brenner envisions additional event and kitchen space for food classes and guest-chef demos and the like. He also mentions ramping up a catering arm and even creating product placements in grocery stores — something he holds past development experience in at the national level.
“The ability to grow within these four walls here is going to be epic,” he says. “The thesis for me, eight years later, is that Red Gravy made it through COVID and a bunch of pivots and now we own the building, and are a part of the skyline. It’s a story of perseverance and deeply connecting with the community.”
Seven questions with Chef Eric Brenner
What are five ingredients you’d want to see in a pantry if you’re cooking at someone else’s house?
A good olive oil, citrus, dry pasta, garlic/shallots and fresh herbs.
What’s your current favorite kitchen tool?
A fish spatula. I sharpen the edge for cutting, and in a pinch it’s a whisk.
What music are you listening to when cooking at home?
My go-to lately is Louis Prima. It’s fun and makes me happy.
What chef are you most inspired by?
José Andrés. His restaurants are amazing, but the fact that he continually gives his time and energy to help people all over the world — on their worst day, through catastrophes — the scale of what he’s done with World Central Kitchen is very inspiring.
When did you decide the chef’s life was your thing?
I was in college studying graphic design and architecture, and out playing music on weekends and working in restaurants. I was getting married and we were arguing about money. My wife said ‘you’re good at everything, but if you chose one thing you’d be great.’ I chose cooking; I had been doing it 10 years. I quit the band, cut my hair, joined a culinary school, did an ACF apprenticeship program, and read every book… on baking, charcuterie, etc. and I realized the vastness of what I didn’t know. So I saw being a chef as a career with robust opportunities and a lot of avenues I could pursue.
What was the most impressive meal you’ve had out recently?
Inefable. Fernando’s duck confit in green mole.
What are you watching?
Dinner Time Live with David Chang.
Join us for a special Third Thursday Anniversary Bash Sip with Schnip — March 21, 6-9 p.m.
We're celebrating Red Gravy's 8th anniversary and Side Dish's 1st anniversary at Red Gravy with a little help from some friends. Catch half-off seven different apps and featured drinks. Garlic cheese bread on The French Kitchen baguettes will be $5.50; Brussels sprouts, $5.50; arancini, $6; calamari, $7.25; plus more. Beers from Bristol Brewing and Goat Patch Brewing will be $3.50. Catch special Stranahan's Blue Peak whiskey cocktails for $6 plus free samplings of the spirit. See the full menu here. A portion of proceeds will benefit Big Table. First drink free to Side Dish paid subscribers. (Note: A huge thanks to The Carter Payne for hosting monthly Sip with Schnip events all last year. We’re now going to travel monthly to each Side Dish Dozen member location; which puts us back at The Carter Payne in August!)
Make corned beef with Ranch Foods Direct
Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Ranch Foods Direct wants to welcome fellow Ranch Fooders and corned beef lovers to this new recipe from one of their resident chefs, Nate Watts. In this recipe, Nate makes corned beef from scratch, pickles from scratch, mustard from scratch and corned beef and cabbage stew … wait for it … from scratch! This recipe takes some effort, but it’s well worth it in the end.
If you aren’t up for the task at home, Ranch Foods has your back. Let them do the work for you. They’re selling corned beef brisket in both retail stores. Corned beef brisket whole is $11.49/lb. Corned beef brisket flat is $12.29/lb. And corned beef brisket point is $12.65/lb. Cheers to Chef Nate for this wonderful product! (Remember to mention you’re a Side Dish subscriber to get 5 percent off your market purchase.)
Our CRA chapter launches its own dining guide
“We wanted to do more than put our name on a dining guide. We wanted a dining guide created by restaurants, for restaurants.”
That’s Colorado Restaurant Association Pikes Peak Chapter board co-chair Rebecca Taraborelli of Rasta Pasta. (A Side Dish Dozen member business.)
“With all of the changes in the media landscape in Colorado Springs, we feel it is more important than ever for the restaurant industry to come together and create their own dining guide, one that is truly restaurant centric and easy and affordable for any restaurant to be a part of,” she says.
So, meet the Pikes Peak Dining Guide. (Interested restaurateurs: find ad rates there.)
I asked Taraborelli to tell me a little more about the intention behind it, after she shared how there’s no sales reps behind the effort, just volunteerism by the CRA’s nearly 20-member board.
“Restaurant owners have a love-hate relationship with dining guides,” she says, “and with print advertising in general. Most options are frankly too niche or expensive. We are creating the dining guide that we wished existed for our restaurants. We want a fair priced ad in a high-quality publication with a year-long shelf life. We want QR codes connecting readers directly to our full menus. We also want a full online version that doesn’t cost extra, and includes hyperlinks directly to our websites. Restaurants want a dining guide that is informative for visitors, but also exciting for locals who love discovering restaurants they haven’t tried before. We also want representation for all types of businesses, not just higher-end. Real foodies embrace good food at all price points, all over the area, so the Taste of Pikes Peak Dining Guide will too.”
Touching on a topic I’ve been confronted with several times in the past — regarding the role of food critics in the world of online review sites — Taraborelli lastly speaks to the relevance today of this type of printed compendium:
“In the year 2024, some may ask, why produce a dining guide at all? Don’t most diners turn to Google or Yelp to decide where to get a meal? These tools have a place, but we believe diners should not be at the mercy of algorithms to discover restaurant options or to decide where to eat. A quality, comprehensive dining guide is more valuable than ever. It is not about opinions, rankings and pitting restaurants against each other. The Taste of Pikes Peak Dining Guide represents an industry coming together to highlight the many diverse dining options in our region.”
You can’t hear it as you read this, but this is the sound of me loudly applauding. 👏
(Also I’m probably gonna start a band now, just so I can name it “At the Mercy of Algorithms.” Likely thrash metal. I play bass. All other instruments please apply.)
Bites and bits
• Throwback story: Remember when I soaked in hops and barley while sipping brews at The Beer Spa? (I’ve still never hipstered harder.)
• We’re in between publishing weeks, working on our next tap&table podcast episode. Catch up on our first five episodes here — many goodies await you.
• Speaking of which, Happy Beerthday to my tap&table cohost Ryan Hannigan! As he notes in his Substack newsletter Focal Pint this week, he’s celebrating alongside Red Swing Brewhouse, who’s honoring their own 3-year anniversary all day on March 16.
• The Just Love Coffee Cafe franchise location at the developing Creekwalk on South Nevada Avenue has shuttered after roughly a year in business. “I’m sorry, but we had to close permanently, we just didn’t have enough support to stay open,” owner Michele Draper wrote on their Facebook page.
• The former IHOP at 3167 W. Colorado Ave. will soon open as Mausam Indian Flavors.
• Chef Kate Doncilovic, most recently at Opus Creative Kitchen at The Well, has taken a culinary position at The Steakhouse at Flying Horse.
• Trails End Taproom plans to reopen soon and has announced they’ll be joined by Felipe’s 109 in the space. Felipe’s, if you didn’t know, is “home of the tacoburger” and has been serving the Southeast side of town for the past few years, having originally started out as a food truck.
• Both Hector Diaz (Lucy I’m Home) and Andy Schlesinger (The Exchange) tipped me off recently to the opening of Arelita Authentic Cuban Food at 2306 E. Platte Ave. I haven’t been able to get over there yet (in fact I’m behind on a long list of newer places I need to visit - ahem). So the Gazette beat me to the punch, referencing the same tip-off from Schlesinger. (Touché, Teresa.) In my correspondence, he had told me: “It’s a totally authentic Miami/Florida-style Cuban dive restaurant, where mom and pop make everything delicious… this is the kind of cooking that Cuban grandmas make.”
Side Dish sponsor events
• Red Gravy: St. Patrick was Italian. Come celebrate this weekend with Red Gravy. Corned beef ravioli while they last. Green Jell-O shots for the parade.
• Edelweiss: St. Patrick's Day specials this weekend: Corned Beef and Cabbage, $19.95 at brunch and $26.95 at dinner (which includes a house salad.) Drink specials: an Irish Grasshopper and an Irish Mule as well as green beer (of course). Brunch is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; dinner 4-9 p.m. Make Easter reservations now.
• Rasta Pasta: The Rasta Pasta Patio is a wonderful spot to take in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 16 at noon. The Chicken Montego Bay pairs surprisingly well with a shot of Jamison. (Why not?)
• Blue Star Group: Get tickets now for the March 25 "Spring Break" Stellina Supper Club. $75 includes a 5-course dinner (gratuity included) with specialty wine, beer and cocktails available for purchase. View the menu and buy tickets here. Celebrate Literacy Month by donating a new or gently used book to receive a free kids gelato at Stellina Pizza Cafe March 18-31. Catch Wing Wednesdays at Decent Pizza: get nine wings for the price of six.
• Bristol Brewing Company: Trivia every Wednesday at 6:30 with your Master of Merriment Zach in the Wildcat Room.
• Goat Patch Brewing: Mexican Lager release, March 15, 5 p.m. Hockey Nights with Colorado College vs. Omaha in the quarterfinals: March 15, 7 p.m.; March 16, 6 p.m.; March 17, 6 p.m. (if CC doesn’t sweep the first two games). Make & Take Workshop with Saturday Side Hustle: Goat Patch Teeny Terrariums, March 16, noon to 2 p.m., $29, tickets here. Bleating Heart Night benefits Concrete Couch, March 19, 5-9 p.m. Singo Music Bingo - Boogie Nights, March 21, 6-8 p.m.
• Odyssey Gastropub: Happy hour every damn day 3-6.
• The Carter Payne: Jazz 93.5 Ad Lib Lab, March 20, 5:30 p.m., a monthly jazz jam session for students and young musicians; free. Sunday School - Wine and Food Pairing, March 24, noon to 2:30 p.m.; $50.
• Four by Brother Luck: Knife Skills class at The Studio, March 21 (7 p.m.) and 23 (6 p.m.); $75. A hands-on experience that includes appetizers and drinks.
• Wobbly Olive: Saint Patrick’s Day specials March 15-17: Herb-braised corned beef with creamed Yukon potatoes, quick-pickled red cabbage, bacon lardon, Creole remoulade and sliced chives. $3 Kilbeggan Shots, $6 cocktails: Trust Me I’m Irish (Kilbeggan, pear liqueur, ginger liqueur, honey, citrus) and On Raglan Road (Kilbeggan, morning tea syrup, oleo saccharum, bitters, absinthe spritz, citrus).
Upcoming events
• March 15-24: The Beer-Muda Triangle Saint Patrick’s Day Collaboration continues between Nano 108, FH Beerworks and Peaks N Pines. Stop by each one to try interesting variants of Irish beer styles; get a card punched for a change to win a $50 gift card to each brewery. (East-side represent!)
• March 16: Tasting Seminar with The Wine Seller: Passion For Pinot Noir at The Margarita at Pine Creek. 6:30 p.m., $55.
• March 23: Pop-up Wine Dinner with Chef Supansa Banker, Angelo Cellars and Passaggio Wines. 6:30 p.m. Five paired courses, $125. 734-277-3676 for location and menu info.
• March 24: The ACF Pikes Peak Chapter 2024 Culinary Passport dinner. 4-7 p.m. at the Broadmoor Cheyenne Lodge. Enjoy international food tastings from 14 Colorado chefs plus wines and local beers. $75 tickets benefit the American Culinary Federation Pikes Peak Chapter Endowment Fund, Homeward Pikes Peak, & Care and Share of Southern Colorado.
• March 24: Women’s Dinner at Ephemera. 6-8 p.m.; eight courses, $165. Featuring chefs Katie Fisco, Hannah Cupples and Nora Dillon. Proceeds to benefit TESSA.
• March 24: Whiskey Dinner of the Year at District Elleven. Extremely allocated Sazerac labels. 6 p.m.; $600.
• March 26: Passport to Sicily wine dinner with Coaltrain at Pizzeria Rustica. 6 p.m., $79++. Five courses. Proceeds benefit Rocky Mountain Field Institute; 719-475-9700 for resos.
Parting shot(s)
I attended the Lockhart Honey dinner at The Carter Payne last weekend. Impressively, each drink and food item for all five courses (minus greeting wines) utilized honey as an ingredient in some way. That included honey-fermented strawberries; cranberry hot honey over coffee- and oat-crusted catfish; honey- and IPA-brined smoked brisket; saffron-honey mousse; a Bee’s Knees cocktail; a Distillery 291 rye whiskey and Borghetti coffee liqueur and honey cocktail; a honey, ginger and fenugreek imperial red ale from house brewery Local Relic; and a lavender-lemon mead from Drekar Meadery. In two words: sweet action! And bonus: we were treated to an incredible vocal performance by ICONS owners Josh Franklin and John Wolfe — who excitingly will return on May 5 for the Better Together – A Paired Dinner Experience in Partnership with Icons at Carter Payne. The meal will help support ICONS’ reopening after the fire-related-damage it sustained this past December. If you’re in a position to, donate here to help restore this vital business the community.
