Risky business
Wobbly Olive celebrates a decade of near-constant change; brewers on the move; The Perk Downtown to close; Elephant Thai to move + more food & drink news
I distinctly remember sitting on Wobbly Olive’s patio just outside of the First & Main IMAX 10 years ago with my fellow food writer Bryce Crawford, being served by Sean Fitzgerald. For what it’s worth, Bryce recalls sitting inside and obsessing over the styling silverware. We agree that we probably made two visits — something the Indy newsroom could afford at the time by way of best practices. I digress, as my intro.
Anyway, neither Bryce nor I knew Fitzgerald was the owner at the time. We just knew we were getting extra personable service and that the food in front of us — from highly talented opening Chef David Cook, now of Gather Food Studio — was unlike anything on the East side. At the time, it heralded the arrival of more gourmet, independent eats amidst a sea of chain food. We were overjoyed, I wrote it a glowing review and professional relationships were born that continue to bear fruit today. (Gather was an early Side Dish recipe partner and Wobbly Olive became part of my Side Dish Dozen sponsorship a couple months ago. Also I co-presented a Bar Battle series with Fitzgerald and team at Tipperary Cocktail Parlor last winter.)
Flash forward to present day, on the heels of our tap&table episode with Fitzgerald and his wife Inez plus business partner (and chef) Mark Henry, and I’m having a follow-up chat with Sean and Henry to tackle another topic that we didn’t fully cover in the podcast, as that was largely focused on their groundbreaking Allusion Speakeasy rotating bar concept. The making of that episode got me thinking though about the concept of constant change and innovation that has somewhat become the overarching story of Wobbly Olive as it’s grown to two locations, each hosting an Allusion theme bar inside it. So I ask the guys about it.
“Constant innovation has been an important factor to some of our successes,” says Fitzgerald. “But innovation presents a razor’s edge in terms of doing too much or not doing enough. Five years ago I’d have changed the menu monthly, but I realized that was exhausting our people. We don’t want to change so often that people can’t get comfortable. But we don’t want to be behind trends, even if the Springs is already several years behind trendier cities. So we have to strike a balance of remaining approachable and pushing boundaries — not too hard, but right up to the line.”
Speaking on the bar side, Sean cites a cocktail he created and was proud of, which fell completely flat several years ago when he put it on his menu. It was with gin, sweet corn, green chile liqueur and lime juice. Odd, interesting, would probably go over well in Pueblo given the green chile obsession. But not here, not then. He still feels it was ahead of its time, maybe worth revisiting some day.
Which gets to Henry’s immediate point, that with any envelope pushing comes “the responsibility we have to educate customers.” Speaking for the kitchen, “we’re not cooking for ourselves,” he says, “we’re cooking for the customer.” Since Henry took over as executive chef of Wobbly Olive’s kitchens last year (expanding their partnership from Rooster’s House of Ramen’s prior hosting of Sakura speakeasy, which grew into Allusion), food sales have doubled. That’s while Henry and the Fitzgeralds have managed to actually lower prices in hopes of giving diners a break from inflation and a value that might get repeat customers in more regularly. (That’s an innovation in itself, as I haven’t heard other restaurants articulate a similar mindset and mission.)
Henry’s own example of an item he’d happily introduce if he felt it would sell is sweetbreads. But he knows now ain’t the time to thrust it upon consumers who haven’t even embraced less challenging foods. “Everything in cooking has already been done,” he says, “so how do you innovate it?” On that question, he says the best example from his career was when he created the popular Thai chicken peanut sausage for the Meat Locker when Ivywild School launched. While sausage making is a centuries-old art, he hadn’t seen anyone else put that particular spin and flavor profile into a sausage link. On his present menu, he feels the pork tenderloin souvlaki with Moroccan eggplant salad presents a similar creative inspiration. As does a pupu platter with bulgogi flanken ribs, a Thai peanut satay (that pays homage to the old sausage), kimchi and seaweed salads and sushi rice with bang bang sauce. It arrives with a burner for DIY cooking that’s similar to an interactive experience you’ll only find locally at a place like Seoul Korean BBQ.
Henry credits Sean as the inspiration for the pupu platter and says it’s not something he’d have taken on back when he was a sole operator due to the financial cost/risk alone. The behind-the-scenes element of that, aside from R&Ding the product, is buying new plate ware, just as Allusion invests in whole new sets of glassware every three months to match themes. It’s an entrepreneurial endeavor that might just blow up in your face if nobody orders the dish. (In this case, it’s already a bestseller.)
“Sean is balls out. So if he says let’s do a pupu platter, 30 seconds later he’s looking up Lazy Susan platters and mini hibachi grills,” says Henry. “There’s nothing he won’t try. He’s arrogant, but not so much that he’ll say something will work 100 percent. But he’s willing to give it a shot. Left to my own devices, I wouldn’t have done this. Again, that’s part of Wobbly’s success.”
Responding to that, Fitzgerald asks, “What’s the worst that can happen? I’ve already lived it. Folklore is a prime example. [That was his Irish bar effort with Brother Luck, which closed after a matter of months as is now hosting Eleven18 and Tipperary.] … Wobbly West (a location that lasted a couple years in Old Colorado City) was three times over budget and six months delayed in opening; it was a miserable buildout. So the worst that can happen is we have to close and change gears. Pulling the plug isn’t always a bad thing. I’m honest with my failures.”
Part of that relates to ego, which the two say gets back to an introspective conversation they’ve had in the past to refocus their sights: “is this about ego or earning money,” Fitzgerald asked. “Ego doesn’t pay the bills,” Henry answered.
“Our locations aren’t our identities, with our names on the door,” says Fitzgerald. “We will be whatever the community needs us to be. Wobbly Olive is an ‘Ameri-clectic’ bistro, we can do whatever we want, which gives us the latitude to take risks.”
Third Thursday Sip with Schnip at The Wobbly Olive Downtown featuring a one-night Rooster’s revival
Our affair is set for May 16, 6-9 p.m. Rooster’s House of Ramen throwbacks will join The Wobbly Olive’s full new spring menu alongside featured Suntory Japanese whiskey cocktails (and Wobbly’s full cocktail selection). Join us for cocktail prices of yesteryear and good times with good people. Come meet other Side Dish subscribers and supporters or just grab your own cozy table to slurp your noodles in peace. We’d love to see you either way, to help us toast Wobbly’s 10th anniversary since the original location off Powers Boulevard opened.
First Frost Fest fun + brewers on the move
El Paso County Parks, The Friends of El Paso County Nature Centers and participating breweries gathered at Bear Creek Regional Park last Saturday for the inaugural Frost Fest fundraiser for local parks and trails. There were some great brews on display, but of particular interest were the multiple collaboration beers between local brewhouses.
If you act soon, you can still sample many of those beers at local tap rooms. The People’s Choice Award ended up going to Phantom Canyon, Pikes Peak and Cerberus for their team effort on the Sticky Situation Honey Blonde, made with five gallons of the good sticky stuff. Each took that same base beer and added their own unique spin for the event. Phantom steeped sage in their portion, Pikes Peak added orange peel and Cerberus infused cucumber and lime.
Meanwhile, the judges’ choice Pinnacle Brew Award went to Mash Mechanix, Brass and Local Relic breweries, who combined forces to create the Duplex Cyclone India Pale Lager (essentially an IPA made with lager yeast). It’s a big beer at 8.5% ABV and holds a potent aroma they describe as “grassy with overlying notes of citrus, lemon, melon and malt.” Me: I called it pleasantly weedy, like marijuana evoking. (FWIW: The hops used here are Pahto, Czech Saaz and Lemon Drop, none of which make this particular list I found of cannabis aroma hops.) As for the Duplex Cyclone, it hails from the engines used in B-29 Superfortress bombers during WWII. If you’re familiar with these three breweries, you’ll know that the Mash Mechanix crew are self-described gearheads, so they clearly influenced the moniker.
While we’re on the topic of beer, there’s been a brewer reshuffling recently that’s not uncommon in an industry where a vacant seat at the head of a beer house tends to create a domino effect down the line. What’s happened in recent months and weeks pretty much started when Charles McManus left his post at Phantom Canyon to take a job at Burns Family Artisan Ales in Denver. As we shared in our recent tap&table episode filmed in Phantom’s underbelly, Kat Hess came over to fill McManus’ seat (having gotten her start at Pikes Peak Brewing). Then she rapidly moved up to take charge at Phantom’s parent company Wynkoop Brewing in Denver. Which now brings Brian Koch over from Cerberus to fill Kat’s pink boots at Phantom (metaphorically).
Okay, if you’re still with me here, that means Cerberus now had a vacancy to fill with Koch gone. So, they re-attracted their former head brewer (circa 2021-2023) Troy Johnson, who has a long beer resume in town. All done? No. Troy was most recently serving as Head of Production at Goat Patch Brewing, which left a void in that role. So, to complete this wild game of musical chairs, Kyle Stevens has departed his head brewer position at OCC Brewing to take Troy’s spot at Goat Patch Brewing.
Phew, that was convoluted as shit, right? I think I need a beer about now.
A Peruvian classic with Ranch Foods Direct chuck roast
This month’s featured collaboration recipe with Ranch Foods Direct features guest chef Luis Pagan, a culinary instructor at The French Kitchen. He’s shared a popular Peruvian plate called Seco de Carne, which is a cilantro beef stew marinated with a fermented beverage the Incas used to consume, named Chicha de Jora, which you can find at local import markets. Meanwhile, you’ll want to hit up Ranch Foods Direct for the Callicrate chuck roast the recipe calls for. Nab some tallow while you’re there because we often call for it as an oil substitution in our monthly recipes. And if you want to nab any online recipe for Peruvian Mayocoba beans, which Pagan prefers to serve with his Seco de Carne, pick up some bacon from RFD too to lace those beans. And, a final note for those newly subscribed to Side Dish: You can find all our past recipes with Ranch Foods Direct products at this link; get caught up in your kitchen.
Bites and Bits
• The Perk Downtown will cease operations after service on May 26. Owners Don and Kay Heaberlin started a GoFundMe seeking $12,000 support to “cover lost wages and help with the transition of our great staff into their next chapter of life post The Perk Downtown.” The post explains: “Due to the financial challenges of running a successful business in this environment and the impending retirement of the owners, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Despite our best efforts to adapt and overcome these hurdles, the reality of our situation has led us to this moment of farewell.”
• Elephant Thai is in the process of relocating five minutes from its current location at 3408 N. Academy Blvd. to 4703 N. Academy Blvd., the former space of Border Burger Bar. Owner Suwanna Meyer, who also operates Chaang Thai at 7525 N. Academy Blvd., says her currently landlord did not renew her contract after five years at the location. So, she needed to find new digs for Elephant Thai despite business going well at the spot. She hopes to be ready by June’s end, possibly sooner, depending on building permits and the usual opening hurdles. She’s planning on adding a cocktail menu, whereas she currently serves only beer and wine. And she’s looking to expand the food menu a bit, as there’s more dining room seating plus patio seating. “The ambiance will be exceptional,” she says. She’s already hired an artist to paint a large wall mural of Wat Arun, which she tells me is “recognized as one of the most iconic and beautiful temples in Thailand.” She also notes that on the other side of the Chao Phraya River, across from the temple, there’s “a ton of restaurants.”
• Food Truck Tuesdays will return June 4 to the grounds of the Pioneers Museum. Each week will feature 10 trucks from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (There are 20 total trucks, trading off every other week.) See the list of participants at the above link.
• A franchise location of The Boil Daddy recently opened at 5996 Stetson Hills Blvd. The chain, started in June 2020 in Los Angeles, presents Cajun-style seafood boils plus wings and po’ boys.
• Curry Culture debuted this week off Platte Avenue with a $9.99 lunch buffet and buy-one-get-one-half-off dinner entrée deal that runs through May 18.
• Ephemera recently announced an expanded à la carte menu as of May 20, as well as a transition to a five-course chef’s tasting menu (down from a seven-course). The price will drop from $89 to $69. In a post, citing the “vision of accessibility for all,” the outfit notes “We created Ephemera to showcase our favorite ingredients and foods to as many people as possible.”
• Fiddles, Vittles and Vino will return on Sept. 8 after a hiatus. Tickets are available now for $65, benefitting Rock Ledge Ranch. The last event was held pre-pandemic in 2019. Co-organizer Brent Beavers, chef at The Carter Payne, says though they’ve decided to return, this will be the last year they’ll host the fundraiser. So this is the last hurrah!
• At Taste of Tri-Lakes Cares on May 15, we judges (myself, Teresa Farney from the Gazette and CEO of Mountain View Electric Ruth Marks) selected Uva Wine Bar as our winner of the Chopped-style chef’s competition. Each team had to use a basket of challenge ingredients from the nonprofit’s food pantry, adding to them whatever this wished. Uva’s crew, led by Chef Ray Walters, made a sushi-style treat out of Sour Patch Kids sticky rice; sweet pea mayo; teriyaki tempura beef made with Odell Brewing’s Sippin’ Pretty sour ale; a sriracha furikake saltine crisp and sweet tomato gel garnish. For some honorable mention runners up, in second place we tied two assisted living facilities who showed a lot of creativity: Bethesda Gardens and Jackson Creek. And for third, we awarded reigning champion from last year, O’Malley’s, who put out a delicious pasta, espresso martini shot and outstanding tiramisu. “Literally and figuratively, A Taste of Tri-Lakes Cares is what we do with this event,” says Executive Director Haley Chapin.
• The Ice Cream Lab, formerly located near Pizzeria Rustica in Old Colorado City, has relocated to 6628b Delmonico Drive, inside Delmonico Square. The business had formerly eyed an opening downtown, but according to posts on their Facebook, after they put money into construction, “the landlords voided the lease due to us needing to install a grease trap.” So they regrouped and posted on May 12 that they’ll announce a grand reopening date soon. The new location will feature both rolled iced cream and liquid nitrogen ice cream plus waffle cone tacos. Tagline: “It’s not just ice cream... it’s an experience!”
Side Dish Dozen happenings
• Wobbly Olive: May 16 Rooster’s Revival Third Thursday Sip with Schnip at The Wobbly Olive Downtown, 6-9 p.m. Menu and more details at the top of this newsletter (in case you’ve already forgotten, or scrolled through it like a naughty person).
• Bristol Brewing Company: Beers & Gear Outdoor Expo, May 18, 2-5 p.m. Vendors from local outdoor gear shops and nonprofits, live music, giveaways, food and beer specials, limited edition swag, and $1 from each pint sold benefits outdoor nonprofits at the expo. Come at 1 p.m. for a casual group run/trail ride hosted by the Trail’s End Trailblazers and get a free pint when you return to enjoy the Expo.
• Goat Patch Brewing: Barbie-themed Baby Goat Yoga, May 18; classes from 10-11 a.m., noon to 1 p.m. and 2-3 p.m. $15-$25. Bleating Heart Night, May 21, 5-9 p.m.; $1 from each pint sold benefits the The Lotus Foundation. Therapeutic Thursday Coloring Night, May 9, 6-8 p.m. American Craft Beer Week brewery tours, May 18, 2-3 p.m. and 4-5 p.m. $12 includes a logo glass and free pint.
• The French Kitchen: 20 percent off quiche Lorraine, May 18. Stock up on Hamburger buns for Memorial Day on May 27 and National Hamburger Day on May 28. And don’t forget to pre-order your crepes for our 7-year anniversary party on June 1, with demos, free samples and a big sale.
• Kangaroo Coffee: While we continue with our community events this week — more than a thousand followers (yes that's true) showed up for our hosted Not A Thrift Store school bus event at our Hillside Coffee House event on Wednesday! — our baristas are continuing their creative ways with featured drinks including a Northern Lights Red Bull, The Happy Camper, and a Mango Peach Lemonade Roofresher to keep everyone hopping.
• Bird tree cafe: $3.50 Tivoli Outlaws and $5 Infused Wheatley Vodka Shots available all hours. Beautiful art by AFW this month on our walls and at District Elleven.
• Four by Brother Luck: New menu just released. Woody Creek Distillers Spirits Dinner, 6 p.m. May 23 — four whiskey-sample-paired courses + one cocktail, $95. Not Your Basic Brunch collaboration at Eleven18 with chef Beto Reyes, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekends. Tuna poke and coconut mango pudding class, May 25, 6 p.m. at The Studio.
• The Carter Payne: On draft right now: Huell Melon Session Saison, Dragonfruit Serrano Sour and Carrot-Dandelion Root Saison. Chef Brent’s Puerto Rican inspired Ensalada de Carrucho (ceviche-style conch salad) is back as a special May 16-18.
• Blue Star Group: Mark Your Calendar for June 3: the final Stellina Supper Club of the season. Get your tickets early here for the five-course meal. The Principal's Office has a new spring cocktail menu, perfect for patio sipping. Consider the Aperol of My Eye (with tart apple, lemon, sparkling wine and soda water) or the Thunderstone (mezcal, Stellina limoncello, passionfruit, honey and lemon).
• Edelweiss: Beautiful weather has arrived, so join us for a meal on our award-winning patio. Reservations are highly encouraged this week due to citywide graduation ceremonies. We welcome you for your celebrations!
• Red Gravy: Join us for our stellar lunch deal: the $14.99 Red Gravy Mix, where you choose a soup or salad and any half portion of pasta. Perhaps our Caesar and Penne Florentine?
• Odyssey Gastropub: Happy Hours 3-6 p.m., seven days a week! $2 off beers, $4 house wines, $4 well liquor + several food specials as well.
• Rasta Pasta: We’re a great place to bring your visiting family during graduation week. We’re a little Jamaican, a little Italian and TOTALLY Colorado. Show your out of town guests something they cannot experience anywhere else!
• Ascent Beverage: Featuring our Robb's Red Rumm spirit in the Dark and Shiny mule at Rasta Pasta. Just $10.
Upcoming events
• May 21: MIRASOL, Looking at the Sun Colorado Springs film premiere at UCCS, benefitting the Palmer Land Conservancy. 5:30 p.m. Locally-sourced food by Chef Ed Salazar at opening reception; panel discussion with filmmaker Ben Knight following the screening, plus desserts, cocktails and after-party live Latin Jazz show.
• May 26: 90s Dinner at Ephemera. 5 or 8 p.m.; seven courses, $99.
• June 1: Manitou Springs Colorado Wine Festival in Memorial Park. (Not the one across town with Prospect Lake in it, smart guy.) 12:30-5 p.m. $60.
• June 2: 2nd annual 719 Battle of the Food Trucks on 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 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: Rosé-a-Palooza at The Well. 2:30-4:30 p.m. $40; reserve at 719-475-9700.
Parting shot(s)
Did any of ya’ll get to see the Northern Lights this past week? I missed out, catching clouds each time I went outside. I wasn’t able to venture far outside the city to catch some darker skies. But, like you, I’ve seen everyone else’s images online and they’re pretty stunning. This batch of Northern Lights photos was taken by a college friend named Marcus, who’s located in Western Wyoming. I’m particularly enamored with the final photo which looks like the beginning of traveling warp speed in the movies.
And my other photo this week I snapped at Spruce Mountain Ranch ahead of judging at Taste of Tri-Lakes Cares. I walked out to the pasture and became quick pals with a few cows. It made me nostalgic for my visit in early 2023 to PBJ Cattle Company in Divide, when I went to write about their yak herd, and got to love on the sweetest cow named Pumpkin.
