Smoke show
Chuckwagon 719 expanding into OCC with two new concepts; a deep-dive on the wave of recent restaurant closures; a one-word review + more food & drink news
Talk about lighting growth: The Chuckwagon 719 only launched in April, 2023; they went to brick-and-mortar at 6453 Omaha Blvd. in May, 2024; and now they’re planning an early January 2025 launch of Hammond’s Pastrami & Smoked Delicatessen followed by a hopeful mid-February launch of The Seared Steer. Both new concepts will be housed at 2925 W. Colorado Ave. with Trails End Taproom, in the legacy Mason Jar location (that briefly housed a Felipe’s 109 expansion earlier this year).
With two on-site kitchens available to them, Hammond’s will operate by day (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and the Steer will serve by night ( 3-10 p.m.). Trails End will open earlier to sync up for consistent beer, wine and cocktail service, which they’ll control for their part of the wider partnership. Whereas Chuckwagon can only seat around 40 people at a time, here they’ll be able to put up to 150 butts in seats between the heated porch and indoor spaces. A to-go window will facilitate takeout deli item sales, broken into “regular or giant” sizes, says Chuckwagon owner Jared Hammond. (Remember, they’re from Texas, where everything is bigger.)
I sit down one recent morning (as the line starts to grow outside Chuckwagon an hour before opening) with Jared and his wife Deidre plus their new business partners in the Hammond’s and Seared Steer ventures, Ciera and Zach Romey. The Hammonds say their eldest son and daughter in law will manage the Omaha Boulevard spot while they float between the East and West sides to help open and stabilize the new deli and steakhouse. They note how their two current smokers (capable of making 25 briskets daily in total) will move over to OCC and be replaced here by a massive new, high-tech smoker that can handle 60-80 briskets daily. “It’s a giant rotisserie,” says Deidre, “and uses about one tenth of the wood we’re using now, so it’s more efficient.” Jared, noting it’s not cheap, says “it will pay for itself” in time, and they show me photos of the sweet beast on their phones, with the pride of expecting parents. (As far as I understand them, Texans get sentimental about only one thing: barbecue.)
Before I detail what to expect from the new eateries, a quick intro on the Romeys: They’re the couple behind Robhots Gummies, a Pueblo West-based marijuana edibles company whose products are sold in four states, “in almost every dispensary,” says Zach. Ciera has done all their marketing while Zach handled web and graphic design and says he’s managed the licensed marijuana kitchen (which has extra stringent manufacturing standards) for nearly the past decade. So although they don’t bring restaurant experience to this venture, they bring knowledge around food safety and production. Plus, “we’re foodies who love going to everywhere from dive bars to nice spots and we love cooking at home,” says Zach, a Kansas City native by way of barbecue appreciation. They are just one of many people to have approached the Hammonds with investment interest according to Jared. But for a number of reasons, they’re the only ones who had the right fit. Now, they’ll manage both OCC concepts to allow the Hammonds to focus on the food. The team is already envisioning future locations, to Denver and beyond.
Full menus will be revealed soon, but here’s some special teaser items they detail:
• A smoked charcuterie board, with house-smoked meats and cheeses. “Nobody has this around here,” Deidre says.
• A smoked prime rib sandwich with American cheese and homemade horseradish.
• Their version of a Three-Way sandwich. Those are popular in the Northeast and also called a North Shore Roast Beef or Boston Three-Way, and they inspired Arby’s creation in the 1960s. Hammond’s will thin-slice rare-to-medium-rare roast beef and pair it with white American cheese, James River-style house barbecue sauce and mayo (or potentially a tallow aioli that Jared’s R&D-ing). “For ours, we smoke the top round as opposed to roasting it, but everything else we kept the same,” says Zach.
• Sandwiches made with pastrami, brined and smoked in-house and cured for up to 12 days. Also pastrami sliced to order, by the pound, for deli takeaway. “Since we introduced them, our pastrami sandwiches at Chuckwagon and by-the-pound pastrami are the first thing that sell out each day,” says Deidre.
• A cold cut brisket sandwich called The Longhorn, with thin-sliced brisket piled thick with onion jam, homemade barbecue sauce, pickled onions and jalapeños. “We can’t find someone doing a sandwich like this anywhere online,” says Jared. “We might be the first.”
• In addition to smoked prime rib, daily-hand-cut T-bone steaks and a Porterhouse for two, look for a unique bison chicken fried steak with either traditional or jalapeño gravy at The Seared Steer. “Again, we might be the first,” says Jared. “This will set us apart.”
• Sides will include mashed potatoes and smashed fried okra, and Jared says they’ll only fry in tallow, and won’t use any seed oils. “It’ll cost more,” he says, “but we’re going with it... We concentrate on volume to make our money versus nickel-and-diming people. We give everyone more than they order. They’re probably getting 1.3 pounds when they order 1. We want to see people smile. We’re Texans.”
Red Gravy Bolognese tomato sauce with Callicrate Beef
For Side Dish’s December collaboration recipe with Ranch Foods Direct, our guest is Chef Eric Brenner of Red Gravy. He shares his Bolognese Tomato Sauce, which his restaurant uses on its Bucatini Bolognese, baked lasagna and as a dipping sauce on Red Gravy’s toasted ravioli plate. To make the rich sauce at home, you’ll need to swing by Ranch Foods Direct for two pounds of Callicrate ground beef. Remember to mention that you’re a Side Dish subscriber for 5% off your whole shopping basket.
The latest round of restaurant closures feels bleak, but it doesn’t portend doom for all
“The sky isn’t falling, but natural selection is at work.”
Not to sound dismissive of real problems, but that’s how I ended my State of the Scene editorial here in Side Dish back in late June of this year. I just re-read it to see how it’s held up, and it pretty much addresses everything that’s resurfaced this past week, here near the finish line of they year, when another half dozen businesses have suddenly (to us) closed or announced impending closures.
If you are a newer subscriber since June, I encourage you to read the piece. If you read it prior, you may wish to quickly skim it for points I won’t belabor here by detailing them in depth twice. I covered Colorado’s nation-leading restaurant inflation; minimum wage increases; new paid sick time and retirement-package laws; the meager 20-percent success rates of restaurants in the U.S.; rising rents; rising food costs; rising inequity in this country; homogenous menus; poor locations; the unseen aspects of why some businesses close, such as poor management of finances or lack of a real business plan or savvy; and unprecedented change in the marketplace following a global pandemic and the ongoing fallout effect. I predicted more would close, but encouraged us to keep that in perspective, because it only tells part of the story.
The other part is still hella convoluted and nuanced and every business’ story holds aspects unique to their situation. And as generally empathetic people, it hurts us to see anyone go hooves up. It’s livelihoods at stake, jobs lost and often insurmountable debt accumulated that’s usurped someone’s entrepreneurial dreams. But if we’re doing honest math, these closures still represent a fraction of an industry that continues to grow despite the enormous challenges before it.
That’s essentially the story the Downtown Partnership was trying to seed as they released a comprehensive list of 2024 closings (23 total) and openings (29 total) in the heart of the city (which included some non-rood-related retail outfits). Fox21 tersely repurposed the press release here if you want to see the full list. (Most everything you’ll see has been covered here in Side Dish during the year, so you’ll be familiar with it.) In a lengthy correspondence with my friend and former Indy colleague Carrie Simison (Director of Marketing & Communications for Downtown Partnership, which advertises in Side Dish and I belong to as a member), she in-part said “we know that there are businesses that are struggling, but the end of the day, the turnover is for so many more reasons that don’t include that Downtown is failing.” She notes a low vacancy rate and generally quick flips of available spaces as evidence. “There are a lot of success and good stories to tell right now as well,” she insists.
But only one of this week’s announced closures is in downtown: Munchies 719. (Last week I did note the impending closure of China Town restaurant downtown.) In their swan song Facebook post, Munchies owners Chuck and MaryAnn Thomas summed up their impetus to close after service on Dec. 31 as: “Economic changes, Global Pandemic, Political Diversity, Rising cost of product, Parking, etc etc etc. People can give many reasons for closing, for MaryAnn and I, it is simply time to focus on us and move forward into another chapter of life.” (Chuck and I were in contact with a plan to chat for more info, but we were unable to connect in time before I went to publish.)
Just a quick note on parking since they mentioned it: Many online commenters continued to bellyache about it, saying it’s why they never come downtown. While others reminded them it’s only $1/hour to park in city garages and $1.50/hour at meters, which is pretty damn fair compared to most big (or big-ish) cities. A restaurateur commented that he’s skeptical that’s the real reason they’re griping, as many of these same people probably pay more than that in third-party delivery fees to have food delivered their houses.
But back to who’s down and out in the other cardinal directions of Colorado Springs: I did speak with two others, and other media beat me to reporting on two more in some capacity. First, The Gazette wrote about the already-shuttered Drifter’s Hamburgers, making lots of comparisons to In-N-Out, who recently opened a third C. Springs location at 495 Garden of the Gods Road, virtually a stone’s throw from Drifter’s doorstep. (Are we yet feeling the pain of chain drain yet, I would ask?) The Gazette writer wasn’t able to get owner Richard Beaven to comment, and Beaven didn’t return my phone call either, so we don’t know the exact reasons Drifter’s opted to close.
I did however speak to Side Dish sponsor Mike Callicrate from Ranch Foods Direct, who had sold his sustainably raised ground beef to Drifter’s since its opening over a decade ago. But they’d quietly pulled the Ranch Foods Direct sign out of their window in August 2023, says Callicrate, when they suddenly stopped buying from him. (So the reference in the Gazette article about Drifter’s being “known for its high-quality beef that was free of hormones and antibiotics” seems more than a year out-of-date and inaccurate to recent offerings. To the best of Callicrate’s knowledge, he says they moved to a ground beef product from Shamrock Foods.) Callicrate says RFD immediately got calls from their loyal customers who noticed the beef difference at Drifter’s after the changeup. Commenting on the many prior years’ business relationship, Callicrate says “Richard was as a good an operator as there was in the business from an operations perspective, but it’s one of those things… you’ve got In-N-Out breathing down your neck with their cult following. The chains have the advantage… If you want mom and pop models like Drifter’s to succeed, you’ve got to support them.”
In contrast to Drifter’s, we do know why Mountain Shadows ceased operations earlier in the week in Old Colorado City, though, thanks in-part to this KKTV story with its owner Kasie Swain. She cited hardship dating back to the pandemic, and “the taxes on small businesses and the requirements we have, the FAMLI leave now, and sick pay, we’ve never had that in the restaurant because we can’t afford that, but it just keeps going up.” She also lamented increasing payroll demands she couldn’t afford. As she said in her own Facebook post, she is seeking a buyer, so it is possible Mountain Shadows will return in some form. Meanwhile a GoFundMe has been started to support the staff who lost jobs, and we did connect through text briefly, shortly before I published this week, and she told me “My heart is so very broken. 32 years of my love has ended.”
That brings us to Mark Anthony’s Pretzels, a 2011-launched brand that gained prominence during the pandemic thanks to wild Facebook group support of its eponymous owner, who hand-delivered his baked goods to anyone ordering with him as a pivot to stay alive. He has also enjoyed years-long support from wholesale clients like Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., who did cease buying from him four months ago due to a top-down decision from parent company Wynkoop Brewing in Denver, he says, noting the disappoint of local staff who favored his product quality.
I spoke with Anthony late last week ahead of his public announcement — that he will cease operations as of Dec. 20 — and he said businesses like The Public House, Trinity Brewing and Voodoo breweries, and Denver’s The Little Pub Company conglomerate remained steady clients. “It’s become too hard to do business in Colorado,” he tells me. “It’s a combination of everything.” He’s down from 100 cases a week in sales last year on average (“a good living”) to 20 cases a week this year on average. He was unable to acquire a retail location here and was eyeing the January 2025 minimum wage increase here (up 39 cents an hour to $14.81) as another upcoming hurdle when he’s already found difficulty hiring help for various reasons.
So, he’s decided to sell his equipment (which he’s in the process of negotiating) and move to Stephenville, Texas, an hour outside of Fort Worth. It’s a town of roughly 20,000 people with an additional student body of many thousand more, “and there’s the giant chains there,” he says, “but not a lot of good small businesses.” So he sees a niche where he believes he can appeal to the “Cowboy Capital of the World” (as the town’s called, because of a large rodeo athlete contingent) with a pizzeria or possibly another concept. “Everything’s cheaper there,” he says, noting the minimum wage too. “I started [in Colorado Springs] with only $2,000,” he says. “But we’re going to open right down there,” with proper equipment investment. “I’m a little too old to be making pretzels by hand too much longer anyway,” he says.
Lastly on our down-and-out list, we come to announcements this week from FH Beerworks and NEAT Whiskey House, as well as their food-service partner 1231 Craft Kitchen. They’ll all go dark on Dec. 21.
“You know how creative we can get,” FH and Neat owner Travis Fields tells me during a phone call on Wednesday, as we’ve known each other since many months before he opened his brewery, when he brought me homebrew samples to the CS Indy offices where I was working during that era. “I’ve told people that it took me a decade, but I’ve finally found a problem that I can’t solve,” he says. “It’s been a perfect storm of stuff. And it’s come to a point where we are at the end of our resources.”
He points out that they aren’t alone in the beer world, where overall beer sales in 2023 were down 5 percent, equating to some 173 million barrels below 2022 according to Brewer’s Association data. (Plus, there’s the widespread data about younger generations drinking less alcohol and the shift towards the N/A and sober marketplace items.) FH/Neat does not have business investors to save the day, and Travis’ wife and co-owner Niki says “We’ve put literally everything we have personally into it.” In a correspondence between her and my Tap&Table podcast partner Ryan Hannigan (of Focus on the Beer) that she approved be shared with me, Niki cited a list of factors that contributed to their demise. Those included rent that increased 5-percent annually, high cost-of-goods and “added fees and taxes over the years, a global pandemic in the middle of it all which increased our debt to stay open, increasing labor costs, all while sales are declining for our industry as a whole.” She added, “people are more strapped for money so they're not going out, increasing marketing costs to try to bring people out, but only to end up with less ROI because people can't go out.”
And lastly, she says, “our off premise accounts keep closing — about 10 percent of the restaurant and liquor store accounts we were in locally closed this year.” Travis equates that directly with grocery stores being allowed to start selling full-strength beer (in early 2019) and wine (as of spring, 2023), which many in the industry warned would be a death knell for local liquor stores. (This recent Denver Gazette article cited dozens of known closures but “hundreds more expected.”) Lesson: be careful what you vote for. Gulp.
Travis acknowledged that “everything has skyrocketed since COVID” and he understands why people aren’t going out as much when their grocery bills have multiplied. Still, echoing what many have said online this week, he says, “If you care about a place go spend money there before it gets to a point where they can’t operate anymore.” Though he genuinely appreciates the sympathetic words offered online, he says he can’t help but feel saddened by 300-plus comments and over 140 shares on their going-out-of-business post when they never get engagement anywhere near that on, say, a new beer release post. “It’s like, where have you been? It’s a similar platitude as being at a funeral and saying ‘oh, they’re in a better place now,’ but it still really sucks for those who are still here.”
Until the brewery and whiskey bar close on Dec. 21, the best way to help them transition, says Travis, is to come help drain the kegs and bottles and liquidate the products. He’s planning to offer discounted beer can sales by the case next week to that end, so keep an eye out for announcements on that. NEAT Whiskey House has started selling bottles already.
Elsewhere in town commentary, several folks championed this Facebook post by Phil Duhon, owner of Burnt Toast and Operations Manager at Avenue 19. They felt his six-point state-of-the-scene assessment was pretty spot on, as he cited inflated cost of goods, insurance and labor plus onerous taxes and fees. Then he acknowledged how “we’re afraid to raise prices. We can not compete with coperate [sic], it’s just that simple. They have teams to advertise, scout locations, company backing when it’s slow etc. mom and pops can’t compete with them or their pricing. They get better cost than we do. Trust me, we don’t want to raise prices because we feel it too, but we have to to survive.”
Another poignant Facebook post that was favorited by CoS Foodies members was by Kyle Gerstner, who I contacted to inquire about the source of statistics he presented. I came to learn he’s the owner of seven Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers locations in Colorado (as well as four Freddy’s between Florida and Georgia) and he opened a Colorado Springs Rock N Roll Sushi location in mid 2023. Gerstner sent me two expansive quarterly retail market reports for our area: a Q3 2024 spreadsheet to be compared to a Q4 report from 2021 to contrast where trends have gone and/or been consistent. All the data came through a national real estate brokerage firm. With limited time, I scanned it to see how he’d compiled the market snapshot he posted to Facebook. His takeaway is: there’s been minimal population growth to translate to new customers; the restaurant market is oversaturated (hence my own opening quip about natural selection at work); all costs of doing business across the board are up; and consumers’ disposable income is down. “As consumers, we’ve had to become more discerning with where we spend our money. With less to go around, we expect better value — searching for discounts and deals, but still desiring quality, hospitality, and feeling valued by the businesses we support,” he wrote. “It’s important to recognize that the challenges we face are not due to a lack of effort, but systemic changes in the market.”
In a word: Yep.
By way of a somber outro here, I’ll give the last word to Side Dish Dozen member The French Kitchen and its owner Blandine Mazéran. She chimed in on a post this week to say: “If I had to pick between Covid year and this year, I'd pick Covid year without a doubt. This year has been the roughest for us with a huge loss of traffic. The holiday season is always an important period for small businesses who count on the additional income, but again, this year's holiday season is scary. Small businesses are never safe.”
Bites & Bits
• Dig the new coffee & donut flights at Happy Hour Donuts: an iced peppermint mocha, cookie butter latte, iced sugar cookie latte and gingerbread latte with holiday donut flavors like the Santa, with caramel buttercream filling and vanilla glaze and buttercream. Full details here.
• Bad Ass Coffee, the chain who’s first location in the area opened in Peyton at the turn of the new year in 2021 (to 2022) will celebrate the grand opening of a third spot at 13491 Bass Pro Drive on Dec. 14. The second Bad Ass, at 7980 Woodmen Center Heights, opened in July, 2023. Local franchisees Lee Wilwerding and Starlene Cook are behind all three coffee shops. A press release notes “the brand has set aggressive expansion plans to open a multitude of new locations over the next five years.”
• Through year’s end, select Broadmoor dining facilities are offering seasonal specialty menus. Ristorante Del Lago’s offering a Feast of the Seven Fishes tasting menu for $110/person. La Taverne has an à la carte Hanukkah menu and the Summit is featuring a three-course truffle tasting menu for $85/person. (Read to the bottom to see my experience of the truffle tasting in my Parting Shot(s) section.) Also, plan ahead for the Jan. 1 to Feb. 28 Colorado Appreciation Menus at the Golden Bee ($49/person), Ristorante Del Lago ($59/person) and La Taverne ($69/person).
• Can I get away with a one-word review here? I’m going for it: fabulous! That’s my take on my first visit to ICONS since it reopened in its new space a few weeks ago.
Side Dish Dozen happenings
Big Lost Meadery: Ascent Beverage is hosting free Big Lost mead tastings at Klix Wine and Spirits Dec. 12, Old Ranch Liquor Dec. 13 and Mountain Post Liquor Dec. 14. All tastings from 3-6 p.m. Also catch Ascent’s Dec. 12 Spirit Makers’ Sip With Schnip at Bunzy’s & Booze with Ascent Beverage!
bird tree cafe: December’s coffee-drink theme is It’s a Wonderful Latté; come savor Allie’s specials. New happy hours, 3-6 p.m. daily, with roughly half-off food and drink items. And homemade kolaches are back! We have savory flavors (sausage, cheddar-sausage or sausage-cheddar-jalapeño) and sweet (with rotating house-made jams).
The Carter Payne: Local Relic’s 12 Beers of Christmas Pop-Up, 1-5 p.m., Dec. 15, with those beers available alongside 50 other beers for sale; plus small-plate dining options for onsite imbibing. Whiskey Church with Balcone's Distilling and the Colorado Spirits Collective, Dec. 18. More upcoming event nights here, including Dec. 28’s Evening with 1874 Distilling and Dec. 31’s New York New Year’s party.
Goat Patch Brewing: Our One Stop Holiday Shop featuring multiple local vendors (and holiday bundles from our brewery) runs from noon to 5 p.m., Dec. 14 — which is also Second Saturday, meaning a 2 p.m. firkin release: cranberry citrus. Pints are only $2! Bleating Heart Night, 5-9 p.m., Dec. 17, benefitting One Nation Walking Together.
Odyssey Gastropub: Our newly opened sister outfit in The Lincoln Center, Nacho Matrix, now offers catering. It’s available for events at our neighbor Goat Patch Brewing, for your home or office gatherings, etc., and delivery is available.
Rasta Pasta: Give gift cards from locally owned restaurants this holiday season. Give an experience, not another material object. Give nourishment, atmosphere and vibe. Give someone an excuse to treat themselves or try something new. Gift cards from local restaurants support the industry and fine folks that work in it.
Kangaroo Coffee: Roo Crew! Just two more weeks to stop in and pick up a KC gift card (or 100) to spread hoppiness to all. Stop in Dec. 19 for some holiday cheer at our Hillside Coffee House from 5-8 p.m. with The Story Lounge and their tale telling. And check out the awesome new art installation as well.
Bristol Brewing Company: Be the hero of the holiday party! Our Shuffle variety packs bring all the flavors so everyone gets a well-made beer they’ll love. Available in cans or bottles at your favorite store.
Edelweiss: Enjoy our house house Glühwein (mulled wine) with your meal and take a 1-liter bottle home for later, or gifting. We’re also selling Christmas cookies and Stollen, as well as gift cards for family and friends.
Gold Star Bakery: Featuring Holiday Pie Fest, with seasonal specials such as Spiced Apple Cranberry, German Chocolate, Bourbon Pecan or Mixed Berry. Pre-order early, as the deadline is Dec. 19 (for pickup on Dec. 24). Don't miss your favorite freshly baked pies, whether it’s for your family gathering, a sweet gift or a festive treat.
Allusion Speakeasy: So you’ve hit downtown’s Nightmare Before Christmas theme, but have visited us at the Powers location for the current Princesses & Villains theme? You have to experience Ariel’s Tingala cocktail. (You have until mid January when Harry Potter returns.)
Four by Brother Luck: Join our Pastry Chef Marjorie Furio for a hands-on Christmas Cookie Baking Experience class at 10 a.m., Dec. 14; $30. Give a Gift Card to Eleven18 so your giftee can book a Chef’s Counter with Brother or hit the raw bar.
Red Gravy: Come try our December special: Rigatoni Alessandro, made with smoked salmon, garbanzo, tomato confit, Kalamata olives and capers in a lemon cream sauce with fresh basil. (Fun fact: Chef Eric named this for Alessandro Bozato, a chef he worked for in St. Louis; they used to cook a similar dish at Truffles in Ladue.)
The French Kitchen: Browse our Holiday Catalogue to choose a special culinary gift this season. Might we suggest our seasonal Yule Logs? We have cookie dough, peppermint, triple chocolate or salted butter caramel flavors available by the whole log or slice, with mixed boxes available. We’re opening an extra day, Monday, Dec. 23 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for holiday shopping.
Upcoming events
Dec. 12: Spirit Makers’ Sip With Schnip at Bunzy’s & Booze with Ascent Beverage. 5-9 p.m.; cocktails will be 50 percent off for Side Dish subscribers. Drinks made with products from: Big Lost Meadery, Jackson Hole Still Works, Apple Valley Cider Co., Backwards Distilling, Arcola Whiskey, 1874 Distilling and Robb's Red Rumm.
Dec. 14: Holiday Tea at the McAllister House Museum. Seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; $45. Service of finger sandwiches, scones, and delectable fancy pastries followed by a museum tour.
Dec. 14: AANHPI (Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) Business Mixer at Hafa Adai Fiesta Food. 1 p.m. Enjoy Chamorro food and networking.
Dec. 15: Nightmare Before Christmas Drag Brunch at Munchies. 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Parting shot(s)
As noted above in the Bites & Bits section, here’s my snapshot of the special truffle tasting menu currently available at Summit at the Broadmoor. I was treated to a media preview recently, where Chef Rocio Neyra Palmer (a not long ago guest on Tap&Table) presented her team’s creations. She brought out a big bowl of black truffles to show us the coveted and pricey ingredient that informs the dishes. First came a lavish Burgundy Truffle Risotto made with local mushrooms and a truffle-infused Parmesan cream sauce. Next up Beef Wellington with asparagus and mashed potatoes and a Perigourdine Sauce that Palmer describes as a Bordelaise fortified with foie gras fat, brandy, a trio of wines, and emulsified mushrooms and truffle rind scraps as part of her zero-waste cooking ethos. (This Wellington rendition will ruin you for all others.) Lastly, a Summit pastry chef appeared to present a hazelnut brownie with a feuilletine crunch base followed by a milk chocolate layer, milk chocolate mousse layer and ganache top accompanied by caramel bonbons and a small lemon-basil sorbet scoop. No, there’s no truffles in this course, but nothing in the beautifully presented sweet ending leaves you wanting for more.
We’ve had to limit dining out because it’s super expensive now. But one of our weekly favorites was Molly’s Mountain Pies—THE BEST PIZZA. But they suddenly closed a few weeks ago and we don’t know if they plan on reopening. It’s hard for everyone all around.
Unless there's nothing else to eat, I always choose local places. But, sometimes I don't know what's close! What's your go-to for searching local spors in COS? I'd love it if your site had a map on it. For example, we're heading to Palmer Park to take a hike today, and figured we'd have lunch after. But I can't find a local place over that direction. 100%, would love a map of all of the places you've reviewed linked to their info/review!
Edit: I looked around on Google maps and realized the French Kitchen is that direction, so I'll pop in and check them out.