Reclaiming spaces
Monse's/Saigon Cafe owners take over Mountain Shadows and Wild Goose spot; KRDO launches Restaurant Roundup to publicize health ratings; a Goulash recipe + more food & drink news
As if undertaking one new restaurant overhaul while operating two other popular eateries weren’t enough stress and effort, Monse and Tim Hines are underway with two simultaneous renovation projects in significant locations: one in Old Colorado City and one downtown.
The pair, known for seven-year-old Monse’s Taste of El Salvador and Saigon Cafe (which they’ve owned for a year and a half), recently purchased Mountain Shadows Restaurant — property, business and all. And they’ve taken a lease on the former Wild Goose Meeting House space. You’ll recall that Mountain Shadows closed in early December, 2024 after owner Kasie Swain was forced to call it quits, ending a 32-year run. Then, in mid January, she announced she had found a buyer with whom she would work to help transition the business. Turns out she was referencing the Hines (under the new umbrella of Food Connections) and their silent partners, who’re also a part of what will become The Best Coffee & Lounge in the old Goose spot — which was notably co-owned by Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade. It closed in September, 2024.
I sat down earlier this week with Tim to get the details on both business. Here’s a breakdown of what I learned:
• The when: A tentative springtime opening for The Best Coffee & Lounge, sometime in April or later. And a hopeful late summer Mountain Shadows re-opening.
• The why: “Our vision comes from the success we’ve experienced with a supportive community at Monse’s and eventually at Saigon, too,” he says (referring to the bumpy start that I wrote about here back in January, 2024, when former Saigon fans resisted changes). “We were exploring how else to expand. There were so many closings last year around town. We asked ourselves if there are any that just can’t close, that we could bring our following to. What if we revitalized locations that people strongly identify with locally? The same footprint, but slightly new concepts… How do we keep plugging into the community to expand the quality of what’s here?” The “Best” in The Best Coffee & Lounge is an acronym, he says, standing for: B - Building community. E- Elevating dining atmosphere. S - Strengthening local relations. And T - Transforming the restaurant scene.
• What to expect at The Best Coffee & Lounge: A similar layout as the Goose but more coffee counter/cocktail bar seating and a patio expanded 12 more feet to the east than the prior footprint. “We want it to make it comfortable but feel high-end … less like the college dorm bookshelf vibe.” (Snap!) He says they’re investing in beautiful decor, to include outdoor fire pits on the patio. They won’t start with events like live music nights, but eventually intend to incorporate them, seeking to poll patrons along the way to find out what they’d like to see by way of programming. Hours will be something like 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. six days a week initially, with full coffee service and breakfast bites in the morning hours; wraps, soups and sandwiches and such by lunch hours; and “creative starters” and light eats by evening hours. Caveat: Monse is still developing the menu, with intentions to keep it small, so that could shift some. Tim says we might see a couple of popular items from the Salvadoran pupuseria come over, revealing that their original intent was to place another Monse’s downtown somewhere. They’ll likely serve brews from a variety of fine craft coffee roasters, local and regional; ditto that on the craft beer selections, both tap and bottle/can. Wine will be quality but limited, and cocktails will probably be a mix of classics and some signature creations. Getting back to the name, Tim envisions “the best of everything.”
• What to expect at the revamped Mountain Shadows: A significant overhaul to the structure, which must come up to new construction codes with necessary updates (having been grandfathered prior). Expect more seating, including an expanded patio and more outdoor seating. Taking a cue from the name, Tim says they’re going for somewhat of a cozy mountain cabin vibe atmosphere wise, with structural elements like higher ceilings supporting that, plus improved landscaping. They’ll expand hours into afternoon and evening service, potentially serving breakfast fare late into the day. The liquor license has transferred over, so expect a robust hooch menu for all hours as well. “We’ll stay true to Mountain Shadows’ personality, and our intention is to be true to the menu,” he says. Like at Saigon, they may meet some resistance when making modifications to popular items, mostly with an intention to incorporate house-made approaches to everything possible, as well as more local products, like Ranch Foods Direct beef and pork cuts, utilized at both Monse’s and Saigon. Still, you’ll find biscuits and gravy, pancakes and cinnamon rolls and the like, but with newly added gluten-free and vegan options, which both Monse’s and Saigon place an emphasis on. (Note: while Monse’s is entirely gluten-free, the others have some degrees of mixed kitchens, but with caution towards isolating products.) “We love what Mountain Shadows was, and we believe there’s value in trying to keep as much of that as we can,” he says. “But we want to make it more of a full-service offering, maximizing the attraction to complement the existing menu while adding new items.”
Goulash with Ranch Foods Direct
Edelweiss joins Side Dish for its February collaboration recipe with Ranch Foods Direct. The legacy German restaurant shares their fantastic recipe for Goulash. It calls for your choice of Callicrate beef (and some Ranch Foods Direct broth bombs) and a dutch oven cook. Try the dish at Edelweiss on Mondays, when it’s a special served with spaetzle, if you want to see how they plate it before you make it at home.
Side note related to Ranch Foods Direct: The Falcon Herald just published this piece about RFD and their mission to serve healthy food and create a better food system overall. Part of the article reads like a nice primer for what newbies should know about the business. From the article: “[Mike] Callicrate raises 1,200 head of cattle and 800 pigs a year on his farm in St. Francis, Kansas. The animals are raised on a balanced grass and grain diet that includes barley and some corn. Lastly, the meat is dry aged for two weeks, which serves as a natural disinfecting process against harmful pathogens. Because animals are killed prior to transport, it minimizes both animal stressors and transportation costs. In addition, this model allows for more sustainable practices like rotational grazing, and it returns nutrients to the land with the use of animal manure and carcasses as fertilizer.”
A very public scorecard
At the end of January, KRDO13 launched a Restaurant Roundup segment “in light of the ongoing concerns with food safety,” citing recent national scares with outbreaks that forced food recalls and such. Now, each week, they publish the best and worst scores captured by El Paso County Public Health inspectors. “The goal of Restaurant Roundup is not to dictate who is doing a good job or not but to provide valuable information related to food safety so that people can make a more informed decision when it comes to choosing where to spend their money,” reporter Bart Bedsole wrote.
The segment has a western theme, hence the “Roundup” moniker. As Bedsole reads off violations on air, cheesy wild west-style six-shooter sound effects are played. (Talk about insult to injury.) He does give restaurants a chance to comment and notes when they pass re-inspections. But rattling off violations certainly sounds awful on air and could potentially scare off business forever. A leaky prep sink violation isn’t likely to dissuade a diner, but cross-contamination risks like improperly handling raw meat probably would. And should, were it habitual. But without full context, we don’t know if infractions are infrequent moments in time or regular bad practices, so it all comes down to the unannounced inspections. The luck of the draw (no pun intended).
With the inherent threat of public shaming, Restaurant Roundup could prove a popular segment and effective at co-policing places simply by reporting on the scores. Ask yourself if you would head out to dine at a place after reading the headline “Multiple moldy foods found at popular mall eatery”? Doubtful. Nobody is going to want to be That Guy that week, desperately hoping for the bad press to disappear in the collective memory and crazy-ass news cycle soon.
I know I could go down the rabbit hole and make a larger story out of this, phoning lots of restaurateurs to get their feedback about the fairness and efficacy of this style of restaurant reporting and watchdogging. (But I’m currently frying other fish.) An industry person who brought the KRDO13 segment to my attention didn’t wish to be named, but was very concerned about the significant harm the segment could do to businesses — especially when they’re already reeling with so many challenges. They gave a real example from one of their inspections, of getting dinged for a cooler reading a single degree above the temperature limit because it was being constantly opened during a rush and had dropped a little temp. Someone hearing or reading “improper food temperatures” as the listed violation wouldn’t know that context and the severity of the infraction, and might quickly write the place off as somewhere they wouldn’t feel confident dining. Worse, they’d tell multiple friends, too.
Even if a restaurant choose to comment, it’s not guaranteed Restaurant Roundup would quote that exact part of the response. In reports so far, they understandably condense upwards of a dozen violations or more down to the most severe and paraphrase the replies from restaurant spokespeople. They can’t go point-by-point and expect audiences to stay glued to the TV for every restaurant excuse; I get it. But my initial instinct is there’s a risk in the general public, often with short attention spans (as they doom scroll and whatnot) parsing the data sensibly. They might just jump to a conclusion and create a list of no-go spots. Any lacking context could prove deadly. (Not pathogen deadly; but highly detrimental to business.) I’m not saying Restaurant Roundup is out to assassinate — as they stated, they just want to provide people with information to make informed decisions — and the show does list the high scores too that will inadvertently act as positive-praise calling cards for those restaurants tidy enough to receive 0-1 violations.
But all this makes me think back to my own time in the industry and my first job (from ages 15-18) in Birmingham, Alabama. There, restaurants received letter grades from the health department. Those had to be posted conspicuously in the front windows of businesses, so anything less than a B looked pretty bad. Other cities and counties have done the same, and media across the country have reported on those grades in various ways historically. Restaurant Roundup may know how to tie to pretty lasso, but it’s not reinventing the wheel here.
Obviously everyone wants a safe food system and to not get sick from dining out. The health department inspectors are following checklists and doing their job. I guess the question is if the media needs to piggyback on? I said above, this show could prove effective at co-policing places. That’s the public service. But what’s the potential public harm? What if, accolades aside for the best weekly, it does create a shit-list that ends up shuttering some places? In some instances it could be warranted; in others lacking nuance could smack unfair. For years people have asked me if am I worried about destroying businesses when I write a negative food review. Touché. But that’s more about my subjective opinion of taste, not an objective observance of a health violation. What’s more damaging? Me rating something bland or overcooked (which can be improved) or you hearing someone didn’t wash their hands between touching your food and money at the register? (Ick!)
I’m feeling conflicted as I try to wrap up this blurb, and perhaps I’ve already digressed too far and overthought the matter. I rarely place polls in my newsletters, but I honestly would like to know what you think. This isn’t a perfect prompt, but perhaps it will give a snapshot that tells us something. You can comment to weigh in, too.
Bites & Bits
• In early December I reported on the impending opening of Codswallop in Old Colorado City as a precursor to The Brit opening next to the Switchbacks FC stadium later this year. At the time, business partners Steve Jones, Phil Griffin, Martin Troy and Nova (the one from TV, yes) were aiming to be open within a week or so. But that didn’t happen, and the guys are still overcoming hurdles to get their doors open. I spoke with Troy this week to learn more about the delays and get an update. He says they’re in a holding pattern with final and inspections and such from Regional Building, as they had to bring several elements up to code, including “reverse engineering” the existing hood system to get it welded to the exhaust vs. bolted, as just one example of a costly upgrade. They’re also needing the fire department to pass them on the fire suppression and air-extraction systems he says, while the health inspector will need to make a final check-off as well. He says everything structurally/physically is done though, so it’s just a permitting delay at this point. “It’s kinda hurry-up-and-wait,” he jokes through the charming Irish accent everyone loved him for during his 22 years Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub & Restaurant. Hopefully it will be within another couple weeks or so; keep an eye on their social media for updates.
• On February 3, a number of businesses around the country closed for a “Day Without Immigrants” protest against recent immigration policies by the White House. One locally was Sonora’s Prime Carniceria & Taco Shop, who I reviewed here in June, 2023. The outfit posted that day to say, “We will be closing today to stand in solidarity with our community. We truly appreciate your understanding and support during this time. Together, we will get through this.” The post drew a thousand supportive likes, loves and hugs as well as 50 shares and a couple hundred comments. (Many multiples beyond an average post for their page.) Not all the comments were favorable, and many were outwardly xenophobic (which is unsurprising these days). Some folks said they’ll never come back, while others said they’ve never been in but will now make the effort.
• Remember the viral Paris Chocolate Muffins from last year’s Olympics? The ones that The French Kitchen hacked a recipe for locally and oozed melty chocolate bliss all over the Springs? Well, six months later here and well-timed for Valentine’s Day, TFK has brought the dessert back and renamed it the “Chocolate Love Muffin.” Additionally, there’s a Strawberry Love Muffin which can be bundled in boxes or purchased individually. Both are available for February only.
• If you want to make a Valentine’s Day impression on someone, it helps to have a good dark chocolate ganache recipe. Thankfully, Season Two Taste recently published theirs. Thanks Chef Jason!
• Springs Magazine reported on a soon-to-arrive expansion of a Lakewood-based ’za spot named Pizzeria Leopold. The outfit will open in Old Colorado City and feature a rooftop bar and retail grocery/deli component, according to the article.
• Lauren bought the absurd gold suitcase of Napoleon XO Brandy zodiac bottles from Costco because it was marked down multiple times, to only $50. We don’t even drink brandy, but she figured the cool bottles were worth it alone for random gifting. The packaging and presentation is pretty hilarious in itself, and who knows what second life it could have later as a craft project? Meanwhile, she also started a new Instagram handle, sidedishsidekick, where she’s posting B-roll of Side Dish’s dining adventures and offering a unique perspective from the other side of the table. Follow it for supplemental content and dumb photos of me like this.
• The Gazette reported earlier this week on the invasion of… I mean, um, arrival of another coffee chain, named Black Rock Coffee Bar. I joke because the outfit comes out of the gate swinging with plans for 10 area locations. The first one will open later this month near the Flying Horse development just west of Black Forest. The article lists several other franchises that have come to market in recent years, challenging marketshare for our independent spots. (My words, not theirs.) A Black Rock rep says they believe there’s room for more coffee houses in town, of course. As always, I say shop local first, else you’re supporting a culture-draining clone stamp model that will eventually render the national landscape homogenous. Gulp.
• Clever community building (and marketing): When Happy Hour Donuts has unsold inventory for the day, they go around town and give them away, to avoid food waste. They posted a tour of one day’s donations, made to Voodoo Brewing, a UCHealth Urgent Care location, the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region and to a local CSFD fire station. Sweet.
Side Dish Dozen happenings
T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila: Taco Tuesdays feature $3.50 tacos all day and $5 Margaritas and Swirls. Happy hours are 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and all day Sunday, when there’s free parking in the downtown garages.
Red Gravy: The next Sunday Supper Club on Feb. 16 features some of Gordon Ramsay’s most popular dishes, including Beef Wellington, and Sticky Toffee Pudding. Four wine-paired courses are $150 inclusive.
Rasta Pasta: Come for dinner Feb. 8 and stick around for the 9 p.m. show by The Goodies, featuring Jus Goodie during their Colorado tour.
Stellina Pizza Cafe: Date Night is back at Stellina. Through Feb. 28 enjoy a four-course, prix-fixe menu for two. $60 per couple; get a full carafe of house-made red Sangria for $35 more.
Kangaroo Coffee: Join us at our Hillside cafe at 7 p.m., Feb. 13 for a “Dating Disasters” themed open-mic night with The Story Lounge. Special-event beverages will be sold.
Wobbly Olive: Our winter menu features warm goat cheese dip, clam chowder and sweet and spicy barbecue pork belly. Allusion Speakeasy: Come get your Harry Potter fix with our magical craft cocktails.
Odyssey Gastropub: New menus are out. Enjoy miso mussels and Korean pork belly bites or our flounder banh mi.
Edelweiss: Limited Valentine’s Day reservations remain; don’t wait. Get four courses for $95/couple. Entrée options include Steak Oscar and a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin.
Bristol Brewing Company: Congrats to Mike Bristol for earning the Ambassador of Craft award from the Colorado Brewers Guild! And cheers to Bristol brewers Chris Hastings and Forrester Juergens on their silver medal wins for Beehive Honey Wheat and London Brown Ale in the 2025 Colorado Brewer’s Cup competition. Find both beers on draft around town and at the brewery inside Ivywild School.
Goat Patch Brewing: Make & Take Workshop: Adult Valentine Cards, noon-2 p.m., Feb. 8. Super Bowl Sunday Firkin: Double Dry Hopped Hibiscus Pale Ale release, 2-9 p.m., Feb. 9; $5 pints.
Four by Brother Luck: Offering our lavish five-course Valentine’s Menu Feb. 12, 13 and 15 (as the 14th is sold out). Eleven18: Check out our Cocktail Club Social with Natural Wine Company, Feb. 16.
Hammond’s Pastrami & Smoked Delicatessen: Enjoy our pastrami reuben and take home more pastrami, by the pound, from our deli, which also sells our brisket, prime rib and more.
Ascent Beverage: Find our products at your favorite bar or fine liquor store. Proudly distributing regionally made brands like Apple Valley Cider, 1874 Distilling, Jackson Hole Stillworks and Backwards Distilling.
Upcoming events
*Lots of reservation slots around town have filled up, but there’s still just a little time to make whatever Valentine’s Day plans you can, now. Some spots are extending special menus into adjacent days, if you’re flexible. Think beyond fine dining spots only; many middle-tier places have some cool menus assembled too.
Feb. 13: Vegan Beer Pairing Dinner at Cerberus. Four courses; $75.
Feb. 15: Wine Ride with The Local Motive. Starts at 5 p.m. at My Cellar Wine Bar. (Preceded the night prior by a Galentine’s Crawl.)
Feb. 15: Colonel Mustard’s Sandwich Emporium hosts CribbagePalooza II at Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center. 5:30-9:30 p.m.; $25-$35 includes sandwiches, barbecue and drinks. (Also, Feb. 21 brings a mustard-themed dinner party at the Emporium; $65 includes three wine-paired courses. Dessert is: mustard ice cream in a pretzel crust with champagne honey mustard whipped cream.)
Feb. 17: Fight Night at Cocktails After Dusk. 6 p.m. $25 includes three full-sized cocktails from the evening’s competitors and hosts, plus small bites.
Feb. 20: Girl Scout Cookies and Beer Pairing at Mash Mechanix Brewing. 6-8 p.m., $25 tickets includes a flight of four beers, each paired with cookies.
Feb. 20: Reading the Landscape of Fountain Creek Liquid Lecture Series with Colorado College and the Fountain Creek Brewshed Alliance at Goat Patch Brewing. 6-7 p.m. presentation of aerial imagery and lidar by CC Geology professor Sarah Schanz. $1 off beers during the lecture, plus giveaways.
Feb. 21: Pagmamahal Ng Lasa (For the Love of Flavor) dinner with Baon Supper Club at The Carter Payne. 6 p.m., $95 includes five courses and welcome drink; $20 more for Local Relic beer pairings.
Feb. 23: Sip With Schnip at T-Byrd’s Tacos & Tequila. Details to come; save the date.
Feb. 26-March 1: Wine Festival of Colorado Springs featuring the wines of California’s central coast. Multiple events and venues.
Parting shot(s)
I stopped by the Feb. 1 release party for the Pikes Patch Double IPA, the first collaboration brew between Goat Patch Brewing and Pikes Peak Brewing since GPB acquired PPB back in November, 2024. That was after GPB, in June, announced a second tap house location on the way for the north side. Expect and update on that new location’s opening from me soon. (GPB and now PPB as part of the portfolio are Side Dish Dozen sponsor members.)
Anyway, the Pikes Patch, brewed by members of both brewery teams, “embodies the spirit of camaraderie, creativity and a shared passion for great beer while celebrating a legacy that will never be forgotten,” GPB said of the beer, honoring PPB’s founder/brewer and prior owner Chris Wright. Both breweries have produced strong IPA’s over the years — GPB’s hazy in particular being a Springs standard-bearer for excellence — so it was no surprise to me how delightful Pikes Patch IPA is. It’s an American-style quad-hop beer (with Nugget, El Dorado, Amarillo and a Eureka dry hop) that drinks lighter than its 7.6-percent ABV, but definitely pops the hops at 92 IBUs. Act now and you can still find it on tap at both breweries.
Oops, sorry everyone — I just learned the hard way that trying to make the vote-count visible in my poll reset the existing votes. (Thanks Substack for the warning - ugh.) There were 47 votes at the time, with "depends" leading at around 40% and "no" closely behind, with very few "yes" votes. Feel free to re-vote if you're seeing this. My bad!