Chuck Eats KC...and Colorado
Dining and food in Colorado Springs.
Last week I visited Colorado for the first time that wasn’t a layover at the airport or a visit as a toddler. I traveled to Colorado Springs with my family to participate in my niece’s wedding. It was a weekend of visiting sites, like Garden of the Gods, and sampling the food of the city. In this issue of Chuck Eats KC, I want to share my thoughts about the food and drink of Colorado Springs.
Phantom Canyon Brewing Company
The wedding rehearsal dinner was held at Phantom Canyon Brewing Company in downtown Colorado Springs. I don’t visit many brewpubs these days as I don’t drink, but I had been an early adopter of brewpubs and craft brewing in the early 1990s. As brewpubs go, Phantom Canyon is very middle of the road when it comes to decor and amenities. That’s fine. This is 2023 and putting all kinds of antique crap on the walls or having some kind of decor gimmick is tired.
The staff was competent and excellent. Our party was around 25 people. Almost all of the food arrived at the same time. Everybody got what they ordered. I didn’t hear about any issue, so a shout out for the seamless staff work for our event.
I normally stick to an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet, but sometimes when I eat out, I’ll try seafood to enjoy some variety and get a more well-rounded feel for a restaurant’s offerings. On this night, I spotted the beer-battered cod fish and chips on the menu and decided to try their take on the classic. It was excellent. Fish and chips was something I never liked as a young person, because back in those years, fresh seafood was hard to find in Kansas City. Fish was frozen fish sticks, fish sticks and tartar sauce at school, or something from Arthur Treacher’s. That I never had good seafood as a kid made it very easy to become a vegetarian in my early 20s.
While I don’t drink beer or alcohol these days, I was a craft and artisan beer nerd for two decades. I want to point out two beer offering on their menu which look especially inventive and delicious. As a German speaker, I enjoy the play on words in “Glutentag,” but this is an interesting style. A “coffee Vienna lager” featuring Ethiopian beans from a local roaster. I work with the Blue Nile Cafe in Kansas City, so I’ve developed an appreciation for fresh roasted Ethiopian style coffee.
I also was a big fan of malty beers and stouts. The FFFUDGE Imperial Chocolate Stout looks very promising. Especially that it is brewed with cacao nibs from Ghana.
2 E Pikes Peak Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
https://phantomcanyon.com/
Mollica's Italian Market and Deli
We picked up cannoli and other desserts for the wedding at Mollica’s, an Italian market and bakery on the west side of Colorado Springs. The cannoli was excellent. The staff at Mollica’s were very friendly. I got some of those round cookies (below) to go and they were tasty. Looks like they have a big menu of Italian deli food with pasta, pizza, sandwiches and more.
Mollica's Italian Market and Deli
985 Garden Of The Gods Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
https://mollicas.com/
The Broadmoor
On our last day in Colorado Springs, two of my sisters and I ran around enjoying food and sights. We paid a visit to the famous Broadmoor, a picturesque resort hotel, convention facility, and collection of restaurants. The complex has at least 8 restaurants. We had dinner at the Ristorante Del Lago.
Ristorante Del Lago at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs
1 Lake Ave, Lakeside of Broadmoor West, Colorado Springs, CO 80906-4269
https://www.broadmoor.com/dining/ristorante-del-lago
Ziggi’s Coffee
Discovered this local chain with great coffee. I’m now a fan of their Raspberry Truffle (combination of raspberry, smooth white chocolate, espresso and chilled milk).
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