Author: Kate Jonuska

Most kings are born rather than made, polished and practiced from birth to ascend the throne of their ancestors. So, too, do dukes, barons and lords create more dukes, barons and lords as the title passes down. At Duca’s (which is duke in Italian) Neapolitan Pizza in North Colorado Springs, more than their noble name…

I’ve sometimes had trouble writing dining columns. I’d squeeze my eyes shut and focus on wringing delicate flavors from my palate’s memory. I’d pour over notes, zoom in on my food photos for garnishing details. I’ve agonized over adjectives (“What shade of rich was it?”) and debated degrees of judgement (“Bad, but how bad?). I…

Linking places with the dramatic events that have unfolded there is common. Consider the cases of Roswell, N.M., Waco, Texas, or Woodstock, N.Y. For residents of the Pikes Peak region as well as those that breathlessly watched the coverage worldwide, the neighborhood of Mountain Shadows has joined that infamous league, its very name now conjuring…

A platter arrives overflowing with greens like a personal salad bar: rounds of seed-in jalapenos, a pile of bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, basil and limes. Instead of dressings, the table offers a bevy of Asian condiments such as sriracha as well as teriyaki, soy and fish sauces. Indeed, Pho Lu’u Asian Noodle Restaurant’s palpably fresh spread,…

When the first snows dust the top of Pikes Peak and I try to remember to grab a light coat for evenings out, my food fancies take an abrupt, yet expected turn. Not toward the fresh donuts available on the Peak, because that’s rather year round in my case. When Labor Day has come and…

La Bella Vita. The beautiful life. It’s a common phrase, and a familiar name for an Italian restaurant. In the case of the new La Bella Vita Ristorante Italiano, a vibrant new life has been created by two skilled restaurateurs, obviously devoting themselves to the success of a prized, polished dream. Literally. Co-owner and manager…

Ah, America. The land of opportunity, of milk and honey, and of an abundance of opportunities to consume as much milk and honey – or beef, noodles, curry, sushi, salad or fried foods – as your stomach can hold for one low, low price. Of course, I’m referring to the trend of all-you-can-eat dining. It…

Now that the heat of summer and the flames of the Waldo Canyon fire have receded, the pines shading the log cabin of the Black Bear Restaurant in Green Mountain Falls are once again safe and thriving. Shuttered while in direct danger, the restaurant reopened after the scare with a new bourbon bar in the…

Maybe it’s the warm sun of late summer flooding Pikes Peak-area patios or, rather, how tasty a pint of beer pairs with that sunshine. Wanting to seize these quickly shortening days, taverns and pubs and bars and saloons sing a sweet siren song in September – and all those drinkers need to eat sometime. Plus,…