CHARM 101: It’s no wonder Rod Quass and his wife Ami fell in love with the old Victorian tucked a block off Colorado Avenue in Old Colorado City. They’ve since renovated and reopened it as 2 South Food and Wine Bar. From the fragrant scent of wood-burning smoke drifting from an iron fire pit nearby to the big friendly porch and the beautiful antique front door inlaid with stained glass, the inn-like setting makes a thoroughly charming impression. Two bars and two dining areas inside and two patios outside offer creative dining spaces. By next summer, Quass envisions a new outdoor kitchen with a separate patio menu.

THE BACKSTORY: The couple has a nonprofit background running an outdoor adventure camp. “We made everything from scratch, including the tortillas, so it wasn’t your typical camp food experience,” Rod says. They spent roughly six years looking for the right building in order to open their first restaurant. Jay Gust, a mutual friend who is the executive chef at Pizzeria Rustica and TAPAteria introduced them to their chef Tyler Peoples. With the building blocks in place, they opened late last year and launched the new year with an elaborate Spanish wine dinner — complete with “Cresta De Gallo” and traditional cock’s comb — to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

FOOD PHILOSOPHY: “The simpler the food the better,” Rod says. “We want this to be comfortable feel-good food.” From the bacon to the marshmallows, nearly everything is made in-house. They love starting with Callicrate Beef. “It’s night and day better than anything else,” Rod says. “We have a lot of people who ask for it specifically.” Callicrate Beef is featured in several menu items including oxtail bolognese, Philly cheese-steak sandwiches, braised short-rib, house-made charcuterie and daily chalkboard specials. The Callicrate burger is topped with aged cheddar, spicy pickles, shredded romaine and their own original ketchup-mustard combo sauce.

UP NEXT: Look for monthly wine dinners, live music on the weekends and cooking classes taught by the chef.