Meet Our Talent

Rooted in collaboration, the Festival pairs admired talent with each other. Guests are fully engaged in the energy that emerges from this culinary fusion and become captivated by the surprise of each great moment.

Chef

Blake Edmunds

Blake Edmunds is a seasoned, Colorado native chef who is passionate, creative and behind some of your favorite menus in Denver. Before joining The Culinary Creative Group in 2015 to open Bar Dough in 2015, Edmunds worked in acclaimed restaurants around the United States, including: La Cabro d’Or (France), Le Bernardin (New York), the Restaurant at Meadowood (California), Ubuntu (Napa), Haven (Oakland), Sweet Basil (Vail) and Fruition in Denver. After serving as executive chef at Señor Bear, Edmunds was an integral part of opening award-winning Mister Oso in the RiNo neighborhood. Señor Bear and Mister Oso capture Edmund’s creativity, his innovative vision and dedication to his craft by delivering Latin American cuisine in a vibrant, fun environment. Both concepts have received numerous accolades, like being named as a brunch stop in Denver by The New York Times for 36 Hours, recognized as a “Taste Worth Traveling For” by Thrillist and Chase and was listed as one of Denver’s best 100 restaurants in Westword for 2022. Most recently Mister Oso was awarded the bib gourmand from the Michelin guide.

Chef

Carrie Baird

Chef Carrie Baird has made a name for herself leading the kitchens of some of the most acclaimed restaurants in Denver, Colorado over the last two decades. Baird is currently the Culinary Director for The Culinary Creative restaurant group in Denver. She oversees four Tap & Burger concepts and has a new breakfast concept, Fox and the Hen. Which has been named one of the “25 Essential Restaurants” in Denver, CO.

Chef Carrie competed on Season 15 of Bravo’s “Top Chef”. Filmed entirely in Colorado, Baird quickly became a fan favorite. She won many challenges and even baked a cake in the snow. She was a top 4 Finalist. In the spring of 2019 Chef Carrie was a contestant on Food Networks “Beat Bobby Flay” and beat him handily with her Pork Green Chili Huevos Rancheros. In 2020 she was a James beard Award finalist for “Best Chef “. Most recently she was an All Star judge on “Top Chef” Season 18, judging 8 episodes of the season.

Chef

Collin Kelley

Chef Collin Kelly grew up in the restaurant business in Kansas before attending Johnson & Wales University. After graduating, Collin dove head first into hospitality, wearing just about every hat in the industry he could, working at Epicurean Hospitality Group and becoming Food and Beverage Director at El Faro in Mexico. He came back to Denver to serve as chef at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Del Frisco’s, before becoming the youngest restaurant owners in Steamboat at Carl’s Tavern in 2011. Now Collin continues to wear just as many hats at Primrose, where his official title is “The Guy in the Coat.”

Chef

Dana Rodriguez

For Dana Rodriguez, her journey has defined who she is today. She grew up on a farm without any running water or electricity, helping her mother grind corn down to masa to make tortillas for meals in her native city, Chihuahua. Today, in addition to being a James Beard nominated chef, Dana is known for her spirited and strong personality, her passion to serve and her generous motherly care of her employees. She’s also a bad ass and pretty fu**ing crazy (loca). But in the very best way possible.

She opened Cantina Loca in Denver as a culmination of over two decades of experience in all areas of hospitality, as well as creating the Doña Loca brand of premium agave spirits.

Chef

Henrique Gilberto

Henrique’s passion for cooking comes from his father, who fueled his curiosity about food from an early age. The first stage of his trip was to learn everything possible about the ingredients of his homeland, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Since then he has enjoyed the aromas, vibrant colors, subtle flavors.

He considers himself very lucky to have been born in an area so rich in culinary tradition. In fact, this region of southeastern Brazil has the largest variety of artisanal products in the country, which makes it one of the de facto capitals of Brazilian cuisine.

Its style was consolidated thanks to experiences in the kitchens of Alex Atala (@alexatala), Alberto Landgraf (@albertolandgraf) and Massimo Bottura (@massimobottura). At Osteria Francescana (@osteriafrancescana), in Modena, Henrique met his mentor, Yoji Tokuyoshi (@yojitokuyoshi), who inspired him not to follow trends, but to create his own identity. And this he did once back in Brazil starting in the kitchen of Belo Comidaria.Com creating a menu dedicated to the local territory.

He then went to San Sebastian to immerse himself in the Basque culture during Gastronomika (@ssgastronomika) food conference and fell in love with the region that he considers one of the capitals of world gastronomy.He is currently involved in new regional cuisine projects, with the “experimental canteiro” circuit. This is work that he already develops in partnership with the Vista Alegre and Dei Falci farms at Rullus Buffet, where he is Executive Chef. He also opened Cozinha Tupis (@cozinhatupis) in Mercado Novo in 2018, in downtown Belo Horizonte, which is already considered one of the great restaurants in the country.

Chef

Joe Campbell

Originally from Minneapolis, Chef Joe Campbell’s unwavering interest in making food look as beautiful as it tastes led him to attend Le Cordon Bleu. He then trained under award-winning chefs Tim McKee and Landon Schoenfeld, and a former chef for the royal family of Thailand. Joe came to Steamboat Springs in 2013 to work as Executive Chef for Ragnar’s and then Hazie’s and Hotel Madeline. Joe is currently co-founder of Yampa Valley Kitchen and Bésame in Steamboat Springs alongside Chef Hannah Hopkins, and Executive Chef at Mambo.

In 2016, the Colorado Tourism Board selected Joe to represent Steamboat at a food show in Los Angeles. Bésame has been featured in publications such as Mountain Living, TimeOut, Honest Cooking and Good Taste Denver.

Chef

Jonathon Sawyer

Jonathan Sawyer

Chef Jonathon Sawyer is the Chef Partner of Kindling Downtown Cookout & Cocktails owned and operated by Chicago’s Fifty/50 Group. In this role, Chef Sawyer contributes his culinary expertise and passion to the development and creation of the menu, brand and vision behind Kindling. Prior to joining The Fifty/50 Group, Chef Sawyer owned and operated three nationally recognized restaurants in Cleveland, Ohio. The three restaurants; The Greenhouse Tavern, Noodlecat and Trentina, highlighted Chef Sawyer’s ability to wow the public with interesting flavor profiles, ingredients and culinary artistry.

Throughout Chef’s career, he’s won a roster of notable awards for his work. In 2010, Chef Sawyer won Food & Wine’s “Best New Chef” award. In 2015, Chef Sawyer won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes. In 2021, after relocating back to his hometown of Chicago, Chef Sawyer’s restaurant, Adorn Bar & Restaurant, was included in the 2021 Michelin Guidebook.

Chef Sawyer has also been able to share his love of cooking with the masses. He is an acclaimed cookbook author of House of Vinegar, a cult-classic for home-chefs, and Noodlekids Cookbook, a bestseller for young aspiring chefs. Additionally, Chef Sawyer has become a fan-favorite TV personality and has been welcomed onto many national TV shows including The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Chopped, Top Chef, The Dish and Bobby Flay’s Triple Threat most recently.

When Chef Sawyer is not in the kitchen, you can find him hanging out with his wife Amelia, their two kids Catcher & Louisiana, and their three dogs Bowie, Clementine Francis Bean, and Brenda Walks. He also enjoys hot yoga and listening to podcasts. Chef Sawyer is beyond excited to be back in the Windy City with his family, working in one of the most famous and well-known buildings in the world.

Chef

Jose Salazar

Chef Jose Salazar was born in Colombia South America and was raised in Queens NY. Jose got his start in restaurants as a bartender and server at some of New York’s hottest establishments. Although the front of the house is where he started, it was the kitchen that gripped his attention. This prompted him to enroll into the culinary program at the New York Restaurant School. After graduating in 2001, he landed an internship with famed Chef Jean George Vongerichten at his name’s sake restaurant, Jean George. After completing the internship, he went on to work with some of New York’s most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs, including Geoffrey Zacharian of Town, Josh De’ Chellis of Sumile, and Eric and Bruce Bromberg of Blue Ribbon. In 2003 Jose was hired as chef de partie for the opening of the highly anticipated Per-Se restaurant. Then in 2006 he was instrumental in the opening of another of Chef Keller’s projects, Bouchon Bakery, where he became the Executive Sous-Chef.

In 2008, Chef Salazar took his knowledge and experience to Cincinnati Ohio, where he was tapped to be the Executive Chef of The Cincinnatian Hotel. It’s there that Jose was able to hone his own style of cooking, incorporating the ingredients and techniques of the Americas, Europe and Japan. Since landing in the Queen City, Jose has received many favorable reviews, including 5 stars (the highest rating) from The Cincinnati Enquirer. He’s also garnered national attention-such as his 2011 Food and Wine magazine award for “Peoples Best New Chef”.

In December of 2013 Chef Salazar and his wife Ann opened Salazar, their first restaurant in the Over the Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. They recently closed it after a successful 10 year run with plans to expand it to a larger space.

In 2015 Jose and Ann opened Mita’s, located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. Mita’s features the foods and beverages of Spain and Latin America with a formal yet laid-back design. Mita’s has received many local and national accolades, including seven nominations from the James Beard Foundation. In 2013 they received a finalist nod for outstanding restaurant.

In 2019 Jose and Ann opened their third restaurant called Goose & Elder located near historic Findlay Market in Cincinnati. Their latest venture, Daylily is a partnership with Deeper Roots Coffee. It’s a modern take on the classic NYC bodega. This unique concept opened in late summer of 2022 and has already proven to be a hit.

Chef

Linda Hampsten Fox

Linda Hampsten Fox is the chef/owner of The Bindery, an all-day bakery, market and restaurant, in Denver’s historic Lower Highlands (LoHi) neighborhood. In 2024, she will open The Bindery in Concourse A of Denver International Airport.

Linda was named Chef of the Year in 2018 by the Colorado Restaurant Association and in 2023, she was chosen by the James Beard Foundation as one of the TasteTwenty Chefs for her work championing the Foundation’s mission of Good Food for Good.

A native of New Jersey and daughter of Polish and Czech immigrants, Linda’s menu at The Bindery is a direct reflection of her heritage and culinary inspirations from regions where she has lived and spent extended periods of time, including Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, France and the island of Elba.

Linda perfected her craft while apprenticing with chefs in hotel kitchens on the Cote d’Azur to precious vineyards in Tuscany and mountain chalets in Switzerland. While her culinary passion is Mediterranean cuisine, her extensive travels have given her an intimate knowledge of food trends and cultures from all over the world. Through all this, the simple beauty and importance of gathering around the table has become undeniable to her.

Linda dedicates a lot of her cooking skills to national and local nonprofits, including The National Kidney Foundation, Great Chefs of the West, No Child Hungry, Blue Sky Bridge, The Excelsior Foundation, Girls Up, The National Leukemia and Lymphoma Association, ALS, The Parkinson’s Association of The Rockies, Denver Safe House, Fill A Plate For Hunger – We Don’t Waste, Colorado Restaurant Association’s annual Denver Food + Wine Festival and more.

During the pandemic-related restaurant closures, Linda kept her staff employed by turning her restaurant into a large greenhouse. Linda and the staff seeded and raised hundreds of herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and greens. In the meantime, Linda worked with Frontline Foods and World Central Kitchen to help feed thousands of hospital workers and first responders.

In addition to the accolades earned at The Bindery, Linda has an impressive portfolio of references, including celebrities spanning the likes of Dr. Jane Goodall, Michael York, Nancy Pelosi, Dave Matthews, Melissa Etheridge, Amos Lee and Nic & Helen Foster (from the live radio show E-Town in Boulder, Colorado). Her charisma and talents in the kitchen made her a sought-after asset by a cooking school in San Jose Del Cabo, Baja Mexico, and also as a menu developer for a host of restaurants in Denver.

In her free time, you can find Linda mountain biking, surfing or enjoying meals together with her family (husband Steve, daughter Emma and stepsons Jake, Matthew, and Ben).

“I was born during a time of eating innocence. TV dinners and fast foods were just emerging. My mother took us to farms to dig in the dirt and we spent hours on our knees picking strawberries. The air smelled like jam. My father brought home melons bigger than our heads from roadside stands. I am a blue collar tomboy who loved every morsel of Jersey pork roll, clams casino and buttery corn I could eat between running cross country and playing kickball. But I was also a math whiz and an English literature lover. How did I end up on the Cote d’Azur in my late 20’s in a regal hotel with a bunch of French pastry chef’s with puffy hats? It started with a giant leap of faith and a love of cooking, “ says Chef Linda.

Chef

Martín Rios

Chef Rios, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico grew up in Santa Fe starting in the restaurant business as a 17-year-old dishwasher, eventually working his way up to Executive Chef at several restaurants and hotels. Chef Rios received his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America and supplemented that with experience and training in some of the world’s most honored restaurants and with well-known culinary masters.

Chef

Matt Vawter

2024 James Beard Award Winner, Matt Vawter, was born and raised in Summit County, Colorado. After graduating Summit High School he attended the Colorado Mountain College Culinary Apprenticeship Program in Keystone, Colorado. After completing the program at CMC he was encouraged by his mentor to leave Summit County and gain more experience in the burgeoning culinary scene in Denver.

Matt joined the culinary team at Fruition restaurant led by Chef Alex Seidel. During their time together Alex and Matt proved to be a powerful duo leading Fruition to nationwide prominence and eventually partnering to open Mercantile dining & provision in Union Station at the heart of Denver. Despite the collective success of Mercantile and Fruition, Chef Vawter felt the urge to return home to his mountain roots and raise his children in Summit County.

In December of 2020 he opened Rootstalk in Breckenridge with the intention to provide approachable, technique and ingredient driven food to the local community. Rootstalk is built to feel like coming home, channeling Matt’s own experience of returning back to the place that he loves so dearly. Eighteen months after Rootstalk’s opening Matt and his partners opened Radicato in the center of Breckenridge. Radicato speaks to the feeling of being deeply rooted in a place and a desire to devote your energy there. Radicato is a gathering place for both the Summit County Community and visitors to this special place.

Chef

Paul C. Reilly

Chef Paul C. Reilly has imparted quite the culinary footprint, from the French Culinary Institute in New York, to Browne Trading Company in Maine and Encore on Colfax in Denver. His diverse portfolio led him to open American, farm-focused restaurant beast + bottle as executive chef and co-owner with his sister Aileen. In 2016, they opened Coperta, and Pizzeria Coperta in 2019, celebrating the culinary traditions and food of Rome and southern Italy, in Denver.

Paul’s creative use of whole animals and local ingredients has earned accolades such as Best Restaurant for many publications including Denver’s Westword and James Beard Foundation’s 2022 Smart Catch Leader.

Chef

Russell Goodman

Chef Russell was born on eastern Long Island, New York, a historically agricultural area. Gardening and local food were an important part of Russell’s life from a young age, and he developed an early affinity for cooking and food science. While attending Emory University, he also worked in a local bakery learning the basics of baking and pastry. Russell later earned a graduate degree in epidemiology and spent more than a decade working in medical science before returning to cooking. For many years he worked in restaurants and hotels, eventually arriving in Vail, Colorado where he lived and worked before making Steamboat his home.

These days, cooking on the farm is an exhilarating experience for Chef Russell, one in which seasons truly inform his daily work. The farm’s kitchen overlooks the pond garden where he can see fruit developing and ripening. Whether it’s red currants right outside the window or apples and cherries just a few feet away, for a chef to touch the produce as it grows and choose the perfect moment for harvest is truly a rare experience that Russell relishes.

Building equitable and sustainable local food systems is an especially important aspect of Chef Russell’s broader work. After experiencing food insecurity as an adult, his eyes were opened to the issue of hunger in our society. Now, Russell interacts with our community’s food systems to reduce waste and rescue some of the billions of pounds of food discarded every year. Chef Russell is an avid culinary gardener who spends most of his free time in the garden with his wife.

Chef

Justin Fulton

Chef Justin Fulton was raised in Keystone Colorado and found his way into restaurants at the age of 14 when he started working at the Edge Water Cafe on Keystone Lake. He still finds time to forage through the mountains he grew up in for spruce tips and wild chamomile. After high school, he moved to the east coast to attend culinary school in North Carolina. Working his way through some of the best restaurants in the country, such as The Fearrington House (North Carolina), Natalie’s at The Camden Harbor Inn (Maine) and Daniel (New York City), he ultimately found his way home to Colorado in 2020. Launching his restaurant concept, Margot, as a popup in 2022, he offers a contemporary tasting experience every Monday in Lohi Denver.

Chef

Cameron Baker

Cameron Baker was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, where he spent the first twelve years of his life. In 2002 he moved to Summit County. In 2006 at the age of 15 his culinary Journey began working at Food Hedz World Café under chef David Welch. After spending 6 years in David Welches kitchen, he left to continue his culinary education and started attending Colorado Mountain College studying culinary arts, and hospitality management under Kevin Clarke.

After graduating in 2014, Cameron moved to Denver. He joined Alex Seidel and Matt Vawter’s team at Mercantile dining & provision. During the 3 ½ years at Mercantile Cameron refined his craft and worked his way up to Sous Chef. After departing Mercantile, Cameron moved to Fruition Restaurant as Sous Chef where he continued to learn and develop as a chef under the guidance of Alex Seidel. In November of 2020, Cameron returned back home to Summit county to help Matt Vawter open Rootstalk as the Chef De Cuisine.

Now Cameron is the Chef De Cuisine of both Rootstalk and Radicato as well as a partner in both businesses. Being a chef is challenging. It takes perseverance and determination. He believes it’s important to create an environment where everyone is passionate, excited, and constantly pushing forward to better their craft and provide a memorable dining experience for guests.

Culinary Director

Chad Michael George

Chad Michael George is a Denver-based hospitality veteran and the founder of Proof Productions. He is also the President Colorado Bartenders Guild and the Treasurer of EatDenver. Born and raised in St. Louis, he moved to Denver in 2012. Chad is a Certified Sommelier, Certified Sherry Wine Specialist and a graduate of the prestigious B.A.R. 5 Day program. Chad was chosen for 2016 Food & Wine Magazine’s “Top Mixologists” and was long-time member of the team at Williams and Graham, during which time Williams and Graham was named “Best American Cocktail Bar” at Tales of the Cocktail, as well as being in the Drinks International “Top 50 Bars in the World”. He spends his time training and educating restaurant workers, hoping to further elevate the level of knowledge and service in the hospitality industry. He also enjoys golfing, snow skiing, SCUBA diving and driving too fast.

Chef

John Courtney

Chef John Courtney has spent the past two decades chasing excellence in finance and food.

His culinary journey began with an apprenticeship at Le Bistro in Walnut Creek, California, and ignited a passion that took him to renowned institutions like CCA San Francisco and La Bouitte (3 Michelin stars!) in France.

Starting his career in banking, the practice gave Courtney the foundation, and the kitchen, the fire. Chef Courtney honed is skills as a Chef, opening as Chef de Cuisine at acclaimed restaurants like DB Brasserie and Yardbird, before taking on the role of Culinary Director at Simon Hospitality. Building Block 16 at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas was a highlight for Chef, overseeing a vibrant collection of restaurants, Pok Pok; Hattie B’s, Lardo, Ghost Donkey, Tekka Bar Handroll & Sushi, District Donuts Sliders & Brews.

Currently, Chef Courtney is the owner and operator of Chop Shop Park City and The Bake Shop Park City, where he proudly brings award-winning flavors to the community.

You can find Chef John Courtney on TV: Chopped Champion (Season 43), and Late Night Chef Fight competitor. Beyond the accolades, his greatest reward is creating memorable meals and experiences for his guests.

Winemakers and Mixologists

Winemaker

Jon Schlegel

Jon Schlegel’s passion has been hospitality since he can remember. He had two dreams in life– to open a restaurant by 30 years old and to have lived in a foreign country by 40. After founding Snooze an A.M. Eatery and studying wine in Italy for a year and a half, Jon and his family returned to Denver and he began his next project, a winery and tasting room in Denver. Attimo sources its grapes from northern Italy’s finest vineyards and transforms them into incredible bottles of wine from savory Rosso to crisp chardonnay.

Attimo has been featured in Wine & Spirits for their Year’s Best Barolo & Barbaresco. Jon has been featured in City Lifestyle, Westword, 5280 and 303 Magazine.

Sommelier

Scott Thomas

Scott Thomas is a wine culturalist, educator, and sommelier with a twenty-year career in the wine industry. He is the founder of Grappolo Wine School, a Denver-based academy offering immersive wine travel, private & corporate wine events, and structured courses, including the Vinitaly International Italian Wine Maestro certification. He is also the wine director at Restaurant Olivia, a pasta-focused concept with an Italian-heavy wine list in Denver’s Wash Park neighborhood.

His passion for Italian wines grew during his two years in Piedmont and Tuscany, where he earned a Master’s in Wine Culture from Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Sciences and gained practical experience in the vineyards of Chianti Classico. Scott’s professional credentials include Italian Wine Ambassador and Certified Italian Wine educator, Certified Wine Educator, WSET III, Certified Sommelier, and an official Orvieto Ambassador and Langhe Wine Ambassador.

Winemaker

Patrick Houghton

Patrick Houghton is an East Coast transplant who found his way to Steamboat in 2001. After catching the hospitality bug from his parents who were restaurateurs and schoolteachers, he became a devotee of the wine industry passing his Advanced Sommelier level three through the Court of Master Sommeliers and going on to curated programs in Massachusetts and Colorado before finding his happy place as a specialist for Synergy Fine Wines. He loves all things Riesling, Burgundy and Barolo.

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