What’s long-time Colorado Springs food journalist Matthew Schniper's goal for his Side Dish with Schniper newsletter? "Gastro-diplomat."
"I didn't coin this term, but someone lent me this term," he said.
Schniper said he likes the way that term ties together consumers, businesses, readers and chefs, "just that all-purpose intermediary. I want to make sure people are supporting our restaurants and going out." He wants to help people find both the new eating establishments and the new things at places that have been here a long time.
Now, you can hear and read about the tastiest morsels here at KRCC in a monthly conversation that highlights the city's culinary scene.
KRCC's Andrea Chalfin brings you this introductory conversation.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
What is it about food that has you basically dedicating your life to it?
I don't know if you knew this, but it's super tasty. It's just delicious. So on a gut level, that's it.
But I would say it started for me, I've been working in the industry since I was 15. I did 10 years in the industry, but I consider the 20 years in journalism after that part of it because I'm still very much in it. I'm in those kitchens all the time talking to people. I'm in the restaurants a few times a week. Reporting on the scene is still being part of the scene.
These people live on a knife's edge. This is a hard industry financially, especially right now. So, for me, I think I just feel completely emotionally connected to it, and it's just my community.
If you had one word to describe the Colorado Springs culinary scene, what would it be?
I'm going to go with nascent. I want to say we have a long way to go to become a great food city and I don't want to take away from that which we're doing right already. We've far too long and too many areas set a lower standard than some of the best food scenes.
I want to be careful, too. I don't want to just make it all about fine dining. We want to support those small taco shops and those little mom and pops in the international places on South Academy. They all matter. They're all part of the fabric of it.
But as a whole, I think to some degree we felt a little complacent and good enough or this is okay, but I think we could always do better. It's like chasing the dragon. There's always something better out there. There's always something you can do and you get in the kitchens with the chefs where they obsess about being better. So I just think it's everything from service to really great consistent food and then encouraging new things.
What do you think would take the culinary scene here to the next level?
There's a few key factors. One, I've said this for years. We've really got to support our locals and independents more than the chains. I get it, there's a time and a place for that and people sometimes get on my case about being too harsh on the chains or whatever, but not only is it a financial drain sometimes, but it's a creativity drain. You've got to support those independents.
Consumers also need to send a message to chefs that they're going to support experimental things or the new things. So we've got to try the special. You've got to go out of your comfort zone so to speak. Don't just eat burgers, tacos, pizza, barbecue – it's all delicious. It's great. There's a time for that too. But go eat the pho, the ramen. Send the message that we will support new things and I think that will help.
I guess lastly, there's a lot of talk in the last couple of years since Michelin came to Colorado as a whole. They're trying to get it (Michelin to come) here to the Springs. I know there's efforts underway. If – huge if – Michelin comes to the Springs that should help raise the bar by creating a whole bunch of attention on the scene, from outside to an inspirational level, people inside the scene are going to want to step up in a way. I think it sets an inspiration point. I don't want to put too much weight into it, but it will change the conversation at the very least.
So what does this town need?
We need more diners Monday through Wednesday for capacity. We can't just go out to eat Thursdays through Saturdays.
Now, I want to be sensitive to the economy we're in, the state of people's budgets right now. It's tough for a lot of people, so I don't want to act like going out to eat all the time is just easy for us.
But that said, if we take out that part of it, we need to support the restaurants earlier in the week too so they can keep their staffs working. We can't just have these completely dead nights. If you can build that kind of capacity and that kind of regularity, then the kitchens can settle in and invest and do those things that grow the menu or have more specials or things like that.
So if we could be more of a 24-hour city … actually, let's just be an 18-hour city, a 12-hour city, whatever. Let's just get closer to that.
Another random thing on my mind about this is so many people do the third-party deliveries. I get it, there's an economy for that. We're creating some jobs there. But I don't know if the average person knows that the restaurants pay up to 30 percent of service charges for that. It's almost a losing proposition. That's an extractive model. The money leaves. I want people to go and dine in more. Stop ordering the food. Get out of your sweatpants. Get off the couch. Go to the place. Just spend money in-house, and it makes such a difference. It could really help.
Quick hits from Side Dish with Schniper:
On notable restaurant closures in 2025: "I think it's those legacy spots that need to be honored for their time and appreciated."
- Luigi's. "That was a 60-year-plus run on South Tejon. That's a loss to the community."
- Señor Manuel: "They never recovered from that fire they had in 2024. So this year, they announced after saying, Hey, we'll be coming back. We'll be coming back. Then they're suddenly like, never mind, we're not coming back. That was 55 years."
- Dale Street Cafe: "Closed after 20 plus years, so there's some longevity there. A lot of people frequented that place."
Notable new restaurant openings in 2025:
- Totem: "Totem is awesome, beautiful. They did a great job, converting it from a food hall back into a single establishment. They came out of Mazatlan, so there's an authenticity there too."
- Latin Social: "That's a great addition for downtown, building some more capacity on North Tejon because I know South Tejon has had a lot of development, and the north restaurateurs are starting to feel neglected or ignored, and we need to get some energy back up here, and I think they helped add that."
- The Brit: "Opening next to the (downtown) stadium was a big deal. So I mean that's going to do great during game time and everything else. Cool spot."
- The Penrose Room: "Reopening at the Broadmoor is notable for that demographic. Its closure was noticed, and when it finally reopened and rebooted, that was kind of a big deal.
- Roth's Sea & Steak: "There's a cocktail bar upstairs if you just want to grab a drink and a small plate. Or you can have a full dinner downstairs, but you've got to see it (at least once)."
- Base Camp in Old Colorado City
- Oro at the Mining Exchange
For a rundown of news and notes from Side Dish with Schniper, check out his 2025 recap.
