Brass Brewing ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Feb 2023

First visit: Sep 2018

One of my favorite breweries in town has to be Brass Brewing. There's something very comfortable and welcoming about it. It's another military themed brewery, which the Springs has a few of. Here it's the US Army similar to Red Leg in that way. They are about to celebrate their 5th anniversary which means they opened at the same time of our arrival back here as well.

There are a few parking spots next to the building that are free, but if the lot is full, you'll have to back out, and find street parking for a fee (or free on Sunday's before 1, and holidays are free all day). Walk in, and there's a long hallway with table, chairs, and a shuffleboard table. This leads into a spacious room, with more tables, three televisions, and bar stools. Beers are written clearly on the board, so you can actually read them. Order up and you're set to quaff.  Their brews are also consistently great. 

I didn't make it here last year, since it was one of the few that managed to get a 2021 visit. Hopefully I'll get to them all at least once this year.

9/22/18; 4/14/19; 6/20/21; 2/26/23 (new entry)

Delucca Gaucho Pizza & Wine ~ Texas chain : Plano

Preston Rd. just south of Sam Rayburn Tollway (Plano)

Alright - Mr. Music is back! We want more Mr. Music!!

He's excited about a new place - let's see what he has to say:

---

What if I told you about a place that combines the all-you-can-eat serving atmosphere of Fogo de Chao and the beauty of woodfired Neapolitan pizza? Not only that, the toppings represent flavors from around the world. Delucca Gaucho Pizza is that such place! For $24.50, you get the full experience. All-you-can-eat pizza and sides. There are kids prices too. For happy hour, 4:30 - 6:00pm, you can sit at the bar and buy a single pizza for $9. They offer 4 or 5 of their different pizzas. They also have a couple of their sides available for $8 a serving. 

Mr. Music (me!) and a crowd of my favorite foodie buddies with international roots converged at Delucca in Plano to check things out. With 6 including me, Thailand/Laos, India, The UK, Bangladesh and the USA were all represented at our table! The restaurant was spacious and new and super clean. We were greeted by a couple of friendly staff members and they were friendly and attentive the entire time. In the back we could see the woodfire oven and pizzas being turned and pulled from the fire. Yum! Seeing that, brought a new level of excitement for what was in-store! They offer a large wine menu, a good array of exotic mixed drinks and beer for those inclined. The beer menu was not as robust as one might hope. A few non alcoholic specialty drinks were offered as well as iced tea, soda and water. 

Similar to churrascarias, some side items were placed on the table. Arugula salad with lemon honey dressing, homemade kobe meatballs in san marzano marinara and the much awaited lobster bisque. The bisque came a small cup at a time and was thick and rich with plenty of lobster flavor. It also had a light, but noticeable heat that was welcomed! It might have been the table favorite with some getting 3 cups of it. I liked it very much, and had 2 cups but was there for those specialty pies! The salad was very fresh and dressing light; I really liked the flavor. The kobe meatballs were great as was the san marzano marinara. The others were fans of the meatballs too. The waiter suggested saving some bisque and/or marinara to dunk pizza crust into, which some of us did. 

Not surprisingly, a round disc was supplied to the table that was green on one side and red on the other. If you've eaten at the gaucho styled Brazillian steakhouses, you'll know you turn it to green if you want them to bring more pizza, in this case! Red means NO MORE, I'M STUFFED! So just flip it from green to red once you need a break or are done. One of the staff announced "we have 18 pizzas tonight! 13 for dinner and 5 for dessert!" Green was up and pizzas started coming! First, with flavors of India, we were offered chicken tikka masala topped pizza and tastes of Brazil with garlic pichana beef topped pizza. Turkish lamb and Mexican Elotes with corn, sour cream and red chili pepper flakes were next. Then from Italy, a margherita was offered along side hot soprasetta salami pizza. 

Other pizzas came: Buffalo chicken with gorgonzola BBQ sausage with roasted jalapeno 4 cheese truffle; Spinach and bacon; Classic pepperoni; Halal chicken with Catupiry cheese; Mushroom, fontina and vodka tomato and more. For dessert they had several sweet and fruity pizzas. I tried a few including Brazilian guava with mascarpone, dulce de leche with toasted coconut, Italian Nutella with vanilla mascarpone and sliced pear. I really liked most of the dinner pizzas. My favorites were the Turkish lamb and Indian Chicken tikka masala. The pichana and mushroom were great too. I didn't have the pepperoni or buffalo chicken only because I had limited stomach space and they seemed less exotic to me although I plan on it next time. They actually look quite good. If I had to pick a least favorite, I'd have to say the spinach and bacon. I love spinach and spinach on pizza. I am pretty sure it was because of the creamy bechamel sauce. For me, it didn't work on the pizza. Plus I'm not a huge bacon fan. I'd love to see spinach on a different pizza there. The crust in the pizzas was great. As with Neapolitan style, the crust was thin on the bottom of the pie, but fluffier on the edges with a nuce char here and there It had a nice flavor and great chewiness. Now don't think I'm saying it rivals Cane Rossa, Partenope or Pie Tap (let's not get silly here!), but it's good Neapolitan crust. 

The crew had a mixed bag of comments about their favorite pizzas. One thing is for sure, everybody enjoyed the experience and liked the pizza a lot. The Turkish lamb, chicken tikka masala and garlic pichana we're mentioned the most. As far as the dessert pizzas go, they just aren't my thing. I'm glad I tried them and they were very good/interesting, and the nice woodfired chewy crust was a nice contrast to the sweet toppings, but I'm not as much into sweet as I am into savory and spicy! The consensus from the foodie club were very similar. There is no doubt I will be back, and hopefully very soon! I certainly want to bring Lady Music, Music Junior and Baby Music as well as other foodie friends. I am a big fan! It's a great experience!

---

Delucca Gaucho currently has 5 locations: 4 in DFW (including our old stomping grounds of Southlake) and 1 in Austin. I think they would look really good in Colorado too :-)

Storybook Brewing ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Feb 2023

First visit: Dec 2018

Continuing on with the RJG's tour of local breweries, on this fine Sunday I revisited one of our previous favorites in Storybook. Though this is my first visit back since the pandemic (though I did pick up some crowlers once during it). Sitting in a hardcore industrial district near Fillmore and Nevada, Storybook's vibe is decidedly edgy and unpolished, like the neighborhood itself. Storybook's theme is that of the gothic childhood books (note logo). And while I like a comfortable place as much as the next guy, I can go for a little bit of dirt and grime, figuratively speaking of course (it's clean!). Even Mrs. RJG likes places like this on occasion. So you can expect heavy metal music in the background, dogs wandering (Mrs. doesn't like that though), kids running around, and a genuine sense of community. One I'm more familiar with in my hobby record business than my day to day life. It's a dark venue, with plenty of space. Up front are tables and a good sized bar, and in the back are some park benches among the brewing tanks (and that's where I decided to sit and enjoy the moment). You can also go outside to the back, and oftentimes a food truck will be there, as there was on this visit (an Asian bowl specialty truck, though unfortunately I wasted my money on Chipotle earlier). Storybook is one of the more established breweries in town, but it doesn't appear they have any grand plans to expand or begin to can their beers. This is for hardcore local Colorado Springs residents, and we have a few places like this (fortunately). I enjoy them all. Had a very nice pale ale (captured in the Bier Reise), and I was on my way. Wish I could have more, but too much to do and I have to drive...

12/30/18; 1/15/19; 2/13/23 (new entry)

Chipotle ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Feb 2023 (Colorado Springs - Galley)

First visit: 1996 (Denver, CO)

The only thing keeping me from adding Chipotle to the mega-chain roundup is that I have history with the chain going back to the beginning. My issue with mega-chains is they tend to be wildly inconsistent. And my issue with Chipotle is it tends to be wildly inconsistent. Just depends on who is the franchise manager, or the store manager. Many times they just "leave the kids in charge", and then it's a crapshoot. On this visit, I got the latter. Was it terrible? Nope. Was it great? Nope. They did the needful. They could care one cent that I was a paying customer. I might as well have been at the high school cafeteria as far as customer service goes. And that goes for the food too. Mostly pre-prepared. On this visit it was clear the beans needed to be refreshed as but one example. When they folded my burrito, they included the aluminum foil in that fold, so I had to unfold it, creating a sloppy mess. I realize these are first world problems - that is to say they aren't tragic, just annoying. But why do I go back when there's so many other restaurants who clamor for my business? I ask myself this often. As the review below suggests, Chipotle can be a great experience. Keyword: can. Starting in 2024, I'll stick Chipotle in the mega chain wrap up (tin foil included), and it will remain to be seen if I go back or not.

Oh - and the Pollo Asado is gone. Of course it is. Still haven't visited our closest location on Interquest. May never.

---original 4/5/22 review

All these years later, and I never did write about Chipotle. But then again I wouldn't normally. There's no McDonalds in here either, for obvious reasons. But I go back to almost the beginning with Chipotle, when they were just a small Denver area chain. In fact we (including the now famous Rude Dante) had gone to the flagship Denver University location a couple of times instead of Anthony's Pizza, on the odd Friday for lunch from work. Founded in 1993, Chipotle had all of 16 locations when McDonalds (see what I did there?) showed up on the scene. Today they have 3000 locations around the world and are in all the states but Hawaii and Alaska. You want to know the weird thing? McDonalds made them better. Much better. They introduced more product and a variety of sauces, including their very hot red, which remains a staple. Chipotle, more than any other chain, were the leaders of the 90s burrito craze.

As with any publicly traded company, dining experiences are going to be wildly inconsistent. I have sworn off Chipotle so many times, it's become something of a running joke. But then I remember how good it once was, and venture back in. This happened recently while near the Citadel Mall area. And I had a great experience, recalling the good old days. The manager on staff was running a tight ship. And they introduced a new offering for the burrito - that of Pollo Asado, an RJG favorite. This location may actually see just as much activity as the primary, as I'm in the area quite a bit and oftentimes need a quick lunch. But the new location is right around the corner, so I can grab it to-go for a fast bite during work. I haven't been yet though.

As of this writing, there are 80 locations in Colorado, including 9 here in the Springs. In our old stomping grounds of NE Tarrant, our primary was in North Richland Hills (Rufe Snow) and it remains open. There's also an active location in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore that I went to a couple of times for lunch.

5/18/17; 10/13/19; 4/5/22 (new entry); 2/13/23

Mountain Merman Brewing ~ La Veta, Colorado

First visit: Feb 2023

As noted on the Tina's Family Cafe entry, our primary goal was to visit La Veta, one of the hidden gems on the Colorado tourist map. It's perfectly situated in a valley of mountains and its natural beauty is hard to beat. There are no crowds here, so if looking for a quick getaway, La Veta is a great choice. We just went for the day, and this is only the second time for us to do so. The last trip was quite memorable. In early October of 2021, I was still looking for my next job. I was on severance - but getting close to running out - from my Baltimore based gig that had ended due to divestiture (and why there are so many entries for the Charm City in the RJG). With interview opportunities coming in scarce and slow, Mrs. RJG and I decided to exit the doom and gloom of the prospect and go to La Veta, one of those towns we would constantly state "we should go there sometime". And we finally did. It was still a bit pandemic-y at that time, but we enjoyed a nice lunch at Mission Deli Mesa Bar and Grill (now dinner only, fyi). But why so memorable? Because while sitting at lunch, a recruiter called me about a great opportunity. What timing! Once back home, I followed up, and less than one month later I was a VP at the company - based in Baltimore of all things (also documented here somewhere). While that gig only lasted 6 months (nothing to do with me - change in business direction), I have nothing but great memories about it, and La Veta will always be part of that memory. Today I'm secure in another role (since July 2022), likely to take me to retirement. If I can handle it... haha. Anyway, lots of RJG entries from around the country are about to ensue because of this job. Chicago and Phoenix were just the beginning...

The other reason for my interest in going back to La Veta is they have a new brewery! Unfortunately they don't open until 2 in the afternoon, making the lunch decision in La Veta a difficult one. There's not that much to do there - and after a nice drive to Cuchara, one will find themselves with time on their hands. Hence we decided to spend the lunch hours in Walsenburg and head over here for beer afterwards.

We arrived pretty much right at 2 after driving to Cuchara (very much worth doing). Oh wow - what a nice brewery! Completely renovated downtown building with hardwood floors and a beautiful bar setup. Like I said about Walsenburg, it only takes a few innovative people to make a town go. I enjoyed both of my beers (one split with Mrs. RJG), cataloged in the Bier Reise. After quenching our thirst and walking over to Charlie's Market (another destination for out of towners), we headed back home to the Springs. Another great Saturday was spent. 

La Veta is absolutely worth a diversion if you have a little time. Whether coming from US-160 or I-25, take the detour on Colorado 12 and absorb La Veta. And stop by for a beer or 2 at Mountain Merman to get the full flavor - both figuratively and literally.

2/11/23 (new entry)

Tina's Family Cafe ~ Walsenburg, Colorado

First visit: Feb 2023

One week after visiting Westcliffe, we were fortunate to have another beautiful warm Saturday, so we decided to head to La Veta for the day. La Veta is much less developed than Westcliffe, so for lunch and antiquing we started in Walsenburg, which is essentially the supply center for both La Veta and Cuchara. Walsenburg sits just west of I-25, forty minutes south of Pueblo. It's a well situated town whose glory days are well behind them. If looking for anything affordable in Colorado, and not needing to commute to an office or an airport, one could do worse than settling here. It's a bit depressed, nothing that couldn't be solved by a new generation of innovative people.

Having never eaten in Walsenburg prior, I checked a few online sources and settled on Tina's before leaving the house. 90 minutes later we're here, and the location seems perfect. A classic old wood diner with murals adorning the building itself. Once inside, it was clear to both of us that this would be a great place to eat. I started with coffee since they have flavored creamers, and we were offered a small cup of green chile to try. It's of the gravy variety, more of what I'm used to seeing in northern Colorado. Flavorful with a really nice backend kick. Mrs. RJG enjoyed it more than I and she had another cup with her meal. For lunch, I went with what one could call a breakfast burger, layered with ham and a fried egg. I asked for my egg over-medium and that's what I got. I forget though that Mrs. RJG gets kind of grossed out with any kind of egg that might run, so that was my mistake (should have had over hard). I have to say the burger was delicious - and the meat was the hottest temperature hamburger I've had in ages! Hooray. We each had waffle fries which were also great. Mrs. RJG had a green chile cheeseburger. They offer two kinds, one smothered with the aforementioned chile. And the other with green chile strips. Mrs. RJG does not like a sloppy burger, so she went with the latter. She loved everything but the bun (which I thought was delicious). For her, even though they toasted it, it wasn't crispy enough. She doesn't like doughy bread of any sort. But they cooked the meat well done - and that's their default too. Perfect.

Tina's possesses a wonderful cozy setting and is very bright inside from natural sunlight. Definite recommendation from the RJG! If traveling on I-25 to and from New Mexico, have a stop by Walsenburg - it's only 5 minutes from the freeway. And grab a bite at Tina's.

From here we visited 3 different antique malls and shops in the main city center, and Mrs. RJG came home with a couple of goodies. Nothing for me, but plenty to go through.

2/11/23 (new entry)

Whistle Pig Brewing ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Feb 2023

First visit: Mar 2018

Whistle Pig was the first brewery Mrs. RJG and I went to on our return to Colorado Springs. We hadn't yet moved in (that would be another month away), but we had selected our new house on that day. We celebrated by going to Silver Pond Chinese (in this blog, but now closed) followed by a couple of beers. At that time Whistle Pig was the furthest northern brewery in the city limits, so it was more out of convenience than reputation. We enjoyed it and visited a couple of times more.

This is my first visit back since the pandemic, and they've since moved further south near Patty Jewett park. It's a much nicer shopping center and their location is very well appointed. You can sit inside or out - or a hybrid near an open window. Since we were still enjoying a warm winter weekend, I chose the hybrid option. No one was there on this Sunday afternoon, but I tend to enjoy going on off-hours anyway just to soak up the atmosphere and sometimes chat with the bartender. They once were a brewpub with a barbecue focus, but since moving they have partnered with Joey's Pizza, yet another place we have featured here in the RJG (different location). Their barbecue was good, but not exceptional. On this visit, the bartender was very friendly and my ESB was good. When running errands, I'm only good for one refreshing thirst beer these days or I'll get sleepy.

In brewer fandom circles, Whistle Pig has always struggled with reputation. Apparently they got off to a really bad start with negative reviews from those whose palate is far more trained than mine. Over time though, they won back many of them. However the stigma is still around, as recent reviews show more of a mediocre acceptance. The common complaint is that their beers are too malty and not hoppy enough. Of course the craft beer movement today is almost an IPA movement rather than taking all beers into account. As it turns out, I'm usually looking for more malty alternatives as I can get IPA's anywhere. So I guess I'm the perfect customer for Whistle Pig. I like this new location and I've always enjoyed my time with the brewery. I hope their reputation continues upwards.

3/30/18; 3/30/19; 2/6/23 (new entry)

Florence Brewing ~ Florence, Colorado

First visit: Feb 2023

On our way home from Westcliffe, I wanted to spend some time in Florence, a town we've only driven through in the past. Typically we would take a circle tour through Canon City on the way back. Apparently Florence is known as an antique shop capital of sorts. They're not kidding. We walked casually down Main Street and stopped at just about every one. Not a deal in sight - everything is an x factor higher than it should be. Mrs. RJG is an antique shop expert and she walked out empty handed from every store, which never happens. She's very generous, but not that generous. I have a smaller scope of items I look for - with records being foremost. Only in the last shop did I found two for my collection at an excellent price. It seemed the seller got in a new box and just wanted to move them. We still need to go back and finish all the stores, not that we have our hopes up for any great finds though. Instead of Westcliffe, we'll just go here and Canon City to give it focus. There's also a lot of great looking restaurants we want to try.

After doing that activity for at least 2 hours, we built up a mighty thirst. The primary reason for my wanting to go to Florence was to try the brewery, the antiquing was a bonus activity. Florence has at least two historical streets, and Florence sits on the back one (Front St). No matter, all the locals know this place, because it was jam packed! We each were looking for something to quench our thirst, so she got the blonde ale and I had an Irish red. Delicious and refreshing. Fortunately there's a back room where we could sit and relax without the crowds. There was also outdoor seating, and on this warm winter day, that would have been OK too. All in all a perfect end to a great day.

2/4/23 (new entry)

Jersey Mike's Subs ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Jul 2023 (Colorado Springs - Interquest)

First visit: 1988 (Dallas - long closed)

---2/2/23 notes

Time for the annual update. Went to the drive thru. Figured out if I pay with cash, they don't ask for an unearned tip. Had the 8" Italian this time with Mike's Way, no tomato, with spicy mustard as an addition. Everything was perfect. Also ordered a mini Turkey and Provolone for Mrs. RJG, and she wanted it dry but with everything else. She proclaimed it was great as well. Jersey Mike's sees us about 4 to 6 times a year, and usually at this location. We have a long history with the chain, as noted below, so continue to expect annual updates.

As of this update, Jersey Mike's operates 2,431 stores globally (up 312 from last year, almost all in the USA) with 267 on the way. There are 9 in the Colorado Springs area (+1). There are 11 restaurants in our former NE Tarrant area. And that original review location of Las Colinas is hanging in there! To think they were "new" to the DFW area in 2003. In an era where restaurant chains are closing stores all over the place, these statistics are very impressive.

---1/14/22 notes

Our local location passes again with flying colors. We usually use the drive-thru, which is a rare sighting for the chain. And which came in very handy during the pandemic! We have been inside before - spacious comfortable place. Jersey Mike's is another chain who actively solicits for unearned tips, so the drive-thru takes that pressure off too, though they still ask for one on the credit card machine. I think it's entirely unfair that you have real servers out there to take your order at the table, bring you food, make sure you have drinks, etc... and these fast food places want the same tip money for doing nothing but running the cash register. I have no problem with a tip jar to dump extra change, but this is ridiculous. Oh well, a small gripe. On this visit, I had the Super Sub, which is about 2 meats shy of the Italian stuffer that I used to get. Mike's Way of course, with spicy mustard and no tomato. Took it home, unwrap, and devour. Perfect.

---1/2014 notes

Jersey Mike's continues to be the RJG's #1 go-to place for submarine sandwiches. Inexplicably they opened another location only a couple of miles east, also in Southlake and on Southlake boulevard! They could have opened in Keller, NRH, or Grapevine! It seems they are eating their young this way. Oh well, I hope they know what they're doing. I'm sticking with the location listed at the bottom, as that one was is still closer to Casa RJG. (2/2/23 update: To note, they did finally open in Keller while we were still there, just didn't get any notes down about it).

---1/2013 notes

Jersey Mike's no longer offer Tasty Kake's. Apparently the owner of Tasty Kake's will only deliver to large concerns (like grocery stores) rather than individual restaurants. That's a bummer! But the good news is you can now get them at Kroger, so it definitely takes away the need to have them at Jersey Mike's.

---3/2010 notes

I wanted to call out what I said here from the original post, as it was definitely prophetic: "As I said in the C and A Italian Family Deli post, finding a good sandwich in NE Tarrant is pretty tough, so if I was RegularJoeFranchise, I'd give serious thought to opening one in Southlake, Keller, Colleyville or North Richland Hills." And indeed it came to pass that Jersey Mike's opened in Southlake not long after.

---original 5/28/08 review (Las Colinas, Texas)

Jersey Mike's specializes in old fashioned sandwiches, where they slice the meat right in front of you, similar to the delicatessens of yore. They then go on to assemble the sandwich with "Mike's Way", and chips/drink/pay/done. C'ya! The bread is homemade locally and, depending on that location, can be truly sublime. The meats are all top notch, and the fixings are very fresh. No old lettuce here! In the past, I've tried a couple of their hot items, but really I go to Jersey Mike's for cold sub sandwiches, and generally of the Italian variety. I could eat here every week. And sometimes I do. It's perfect for to-go orders, and I can get back home for a quick conference call while stuffing my face. From my perspective, I think it would be hard to beat Jersey Mike's for subs, even for a small family run operation.

The RJG first ran into the name Jersey Mike's from an obscure lonely Dallas location not far from where I grew up in Northwest Dallas, in the Tom Thumb shopping center on Forest Lane near Marsh. It was a favorite place to have lunch with Dad. In those days lunch with Dad meant we had a choice of going to a sub sandwich place - or - going to a sub sandwich place. "I have an idea, Dad - let's go to sub place!", "OK - either Great Outdoors or Jersey Mike's" he'd generously offer as my two choices. And so we did just that on a regular basis. I'm pretty sure it was in the 1988-1989 timeframe, as the RJG was just getting his career started. They closed not long after they opened and I never heard the name again for many years. In fact, I thought they were a little independent at the time. I didn't hear Jersey Mike's again until we moved back in 2003 and they had opened their "first ever DFW location" on Greenville Avenue. Apparently the Dallas Warning News also forgot about the NW Dallas location. Am I the only one who remembers it? Maybe it was all a dream - seems to be the thing to do in Dallas (esoteric TV reference).

1988; 6/16/05; 8/21/06; 5/28/08 (new entry); 3/4/10; 1/17/12; 4/26/13; 1//14; 7/23/15; 4/30/18; 1/30/21; 1/14/22; 2/2/23

Dallas, Texas; Las Colinas, Texas; Greenwood Village, Colorado; Morrisville, North Carolina; Southlake, Texas (2); Keller, Texas; Colorado Springs, Colorado