Full-Service Restaurant Moves Into Former Digs of Judge’s Char-Grill
Trevor Phipps
Lately it seems as if a new culinary hub opens in the city of Woodland Park at least once a month.
The city is becoming home to international flavors from Mexican food to Asian varieties, and now a Thai restaurant. This local culinary surge is showing now signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Last fall, Thai Good Eats opened their pool hall with a limited menu of mostly barbecue items. They kept promising the opening of a full-service eatery with a delicious menu of Thai favorites. They haven’t backed down from this commitment, as their vision recently become a reality.
In early June, owners Rick and Danielle Bowers got their chance of fulfilling this dream, when Judge’s Char-Grill moved to a new bigger location in the old Stuft Food Emporium building across Hwy. 24 from Walmart. The Bowers took the spot and opened their restaurant right next door to their pool hall.
According to head chef and owner Danielle Bowers, the idea to get into the food business started when they moved to the area and her husband had trouble finding work as a welder. Rick Bowers built a food cart and started selling tacos.
But eventually his welding business picked up, and they still had six months left on their food license. Danielle Bowers then went to the farmer’s market and started selling items like salads and lumpias.
After that, Danielle said that the owner of the Thunderbird Inn in Florissant, Russ Howard, was the only one who would sign their commissary agreement. She started selling food out of a tent before switching to a food truck.
The business did so well that she expanded to a bigger food truck. The family then had the idea to open their first brick and mortar location.
Thai Food Specialties Part of a Family Tradition
Preparing food was not new to Danielle as she has cooked for more than 20 years. “How I started was I went to baking and cake decorating school because I was just amazed at how expensive wedding cakes are,” Danielle Bowers said. “When we went to order a wedding cake I felt this is so expensive, I should do this for a living. I went to school and then I started catering desserts at weddings.”
She then decided to attend culinary school. Even though she had been cooking with her family in Thailand most of her life, she learned how to prepare different styles of food such as Italian, French and German.
Today, she uses mostly recipes that came from her family. “This is the exact same food my mom and I used to prepare,” Bowers said.
She said that her most favorite dish to prepare is Thai Basil Chicken. “Thai Basil Chicken was called poor people food a long time ago,” Bowers said. “It is the most popular Thai dish.”
The restaurant also offers Thai Boat Noodles. “The reason why they call it boat noodle is because most of the time the ladies sell them on a canoe in the river,” the owner said. “You don’t find it on the streets.”
The eatery offers other popular Thai dishes, including Hellfire Pork Belly, chicken and ribeye steak satay, and red and green curry chicken. Patrons also have the choice to order pork, shrimp, or shrimp and pineapple fried rice.
The eatery also offers a slew of salads and soups. Along with delicious Thai dishes the restaurant offers other items like Vietnamese Pho and Korean BBQ short ribs.
To add to the theme of the culinary hub, the dining room is decorated with art that comes directly from Thailand. The restaurant is open Tuesday thru Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is closed on Mondays.
For more information, call 719-725-1195.
