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
Collin Kelley
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.”
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Chef
Dana Rodriguez
Dana Rodriguez
Business-owner, chef, and entrepreneur Dana Rodriguez knows how to turn up the heat. Chef Dana, or “Loca” as she’s known by her friends and team members, hails from a farm in Chihuahua, Mexico, where she grew up without running water or electricity, under the watchful eye of a mother who taught her to grind corn daily into masa for tortillas. In her early 20s, Dana relocated to Denver and took a job at the city’s storied Panzano restaurant, starting as a dishwasher and eventually working her way up to the position of Executive Chef, learning the ropes of the industry while working alongside some of the city’s top culinary talent.
Since then, Dana has gone on to open the Denver essentials Work & Class, Super Mega Bien, and global steakhouse Carne. At the close of 2021, Dana was announced as Culinary Partner at Casa Bonita, bringing her brand of “loca” to the iconic, beloved Colorado restaurant and entertainment experience. Dana has garnered an impressive six James Beard nominations, including in the 2023 “Outstanding Chef” category.
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Chef
Matt Vawter
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.
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Chef
Paul C. Reilly
Paul C. Reilly
Chef Paul C Reilly grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley and has been working in kitchens since he was fourteen. Paul is the culinary director and proprietor of beast + bottle group managing award winning concepts in Denver, Colorado.
beast + bottle group began in 2013, and has since become Denver’s premier farm to table restaurant experience serving relentlessly local seasonal cuisine in downtown Denver. Coperta, opened in 2016, and celebrates the food and wine of Rome and southern Italy. His restaurants are no strangers to local and national accolades and have been featured in numerous top of the city lists. Paul also works as the consulting chef for the New Belgium Brewery sports pub at Denver International Airport.
Most recently, Paul was named a Best Chef: Mountain Region Semi-finalist by the James Beard Foundation in 2025.
Paul is an ambassador of the good food movement working closely with Boulder County Farmers Markets, Good Food 100, Slow Food Denver, and JBF Smart Catch. Paul cooked at the James Beard House in 2015 and was a featured chef at the James Beard Gala for Good in 2019. He was a James Beard Foundation Scholarship Winner in 2012 and an alumnus of the James Beard Boot Camp for Policy and Change, three times over. .
When not in the kitchen, Paul loves music and baseball. He will most certainly beat you at NHL 94 for Sega Genesis and Saved By The Bell Trivia.
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Chef
Jose Salazar
Jose Salazar
Chef Jose was born in Colombia S.A. and raised in Queens N.Y. He started his career in restaurants as a bartender before discovering his true calling – the kitchen. After graduating from the New York Restaurant School in 2001, he interned with renowned Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and worked with top N.Y.C chefs like Geoffrey Zakarian, Josh De’ Chellis, and Eric and Bruce Bromberg. However, his four years with Chef Thomas Keller, at Per Se and Bouchon Bakery, had the most palpable impression on his cooking philosophies.
In 2008, he moved to Cincinnati to become Executive Chef at the Cincinnatian Hotel, where he refined his unique blend of European, Latin American and Japanese techniques.
In 2013, Chef Jose and his wife Ann opened their first restaurant, Salazar, in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, quickly gaining recognition for its modern American fare. In 2015, they opened Mita’s, featuring Spanish and Latin American cuisine, followed by Goose & Elder in 2019, Daylily Deli in 2022, and Safi Wine Bar in 2024. In December 2023, Chef Jose closed Salazar as he prepared to move it to a larger location in downtown Cincinnati. The new restaurant space, which originally seated only 40 guests, has expanded to 180 seats with a patio and three private dining rooms, and opening is tentatively scheduled for October of 2025.
Chef Jose has earned numerous local and national accolades, including several James Beard nominations for “Best Chef Great Lakes” and “Outstanding Restaurant.”
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Chef
Tristen Epps
Tristen Epps
Born of Trinidadian roots, Chef Tristen Epps traces his interest in cooking back to his childhood, which was spent traveling the globe with his active military mother. Postings in Guam, Japan and the Philippines helped fuel his passion for international flavor; even as a youngster, he immersed himself in the food culture wherever they landed, developing his nuanced globally influenced palate. Since that time, he has cooked all over the United States and on three continents, continuing to expand his knowledge and ardor for new flavors.
He completed his bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts and Food & Beverage Industry Management at Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, NC. Subsequently, he completed a grueling three-year apprenticeship at The Greenbrier, the legendary national historic landmark hotel, under the thoughtful and exacting eye of AFC certified Master Chef Richard Rosendale. From there he moved onto restaurants throughout the U.S., eventually finding his way onto a competitive cooking show, ABC’s The Taste, in 2014. There, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson became his on- and off-screen mentor, offering to move him to New York City to work at his wildly successful and acclaimed Red Rooster Harlem. During his years working under Samuelsson, he was entrusted with projects in London, Sweden, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and more. After leaving for his first Executive Chef role helming Cooks & Captains in Brooklyn, New York, and a two-year stint in Denver, Epps ultimately returned to work with Samuelsson again when he was tapped to take on the role of executive chef for Red Rooster’s Miami offshoot, which is located in the historically black neighborhood of Overtown. Under his purview, the restaurant was recognized by the Michelin Guide, named among the Top 12 Best New Restaurants in the World by Condé Nast Traveler, and earned the title of Best Restaurant in Miami. Personal accolades followed, as he was named a Rising Star Chef by Star Chefs of America in 2021, Top 20 Under 40 Most Professional in Miami by Brickell Magazine in 2022, and 40 under 40 Black Professionals by Legacy Magazine in 2023.
Having moved on to run the culinary program at South Beach’s Eden Roc Hotel, Epps earned a James Beard Semi-Finalist nomination for Best Chef South in 2024 for his eponymous Ocean Social by Tristen Epps.
Dedicated to bringing recognition to Black foodways and elevating it within fine-dining culture, Tristen aspires to be a trailblazer and role model for the next generation of chefs.
Epps currently resides in Houston, TX, and recently founded Epps & Flows Culinary, a platform for collaborative dinners showcasing his neo Afro-Caribbean cuisine. He is currently laying the groundwork for two exciting concepts, Buboy, a woodfired Afro-Caribbean tasting menu restaurant, as well as a casual hot dog bar that reimagines the beloved staple with bold flavors and unique toppings.
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Chef
Russell Goodman
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.
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Chef
Justin Fulton
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.
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Chef
John Courtney
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.
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Chef
Cameron Baker
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.
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Chef
Hrant Arakelian
Hrant Arakelian
Hrant was born in Lebanon (his father is Armenian and his mother a native of East Tennessee) and raised in Muscat, Oman. At a young age, Hrant was invited to share in the passion his parents held for cooking, and he considers those early childhood memories of being in the kitchen and at the table with his parents to be the primary driving force behind his culinary pursuit. His family departed the Middle East for Nashville around the time of his eighth birthday and have since made it their permanent home. As a young man, Hrant was inspired to do a fair amount of travel. His backpacking tour through Europe, as well as extended stays back in Oman accompanied by his father, only further spurred his interest in the world’s cuisines. This diverse exposure—both at home and abroad—set the course for his professional life in the kitchen.
Upon his entry into professional kitchens, Hrant found himself working with restaurateur Randy Rayburn at long-time Hillsboro Village staple Sunset Grill. He honed his skills at Flyte World Dining & Wine, and in 2008, Hrant was offered the Sous Chef position at Zola’s. His time spent working under local legend Deb Paquette led him to management and sous chef positions at the Amerigo Company and beyond. Hrant has held Sous and Executive Chef roles at Rumours East, Adele’s, Butchertown Hall, The Holland House Bar & Refuge, and most recently served as Chef de Cuisine at Deb Paquette’s flagship kitchen, Etch.
After almost two decades of honing his skill, Hrant and his wife Liz (an industry veteran and long-standing former Beverage Director of East Nashville’s Lockeland Table) finally set out on their own project. Hrant’s passion for the family traditions and food of his childhood, matched by Liz’s curious spirit for wine and libations, and their shared dream of bringing modern Middle Eastern food to their neighbors, led to the opening of Lyra in East Nashville. Several years after launching Lyra, Liz and Hrant debuted their fast-casual concept Vega Shawarma, with the goal of bringing fresh, handmade shawarmas and vegan fare to Nashville.
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Chef
Chris Curren
Chris Curren
With nearly two decades of experience in top restaurants in Chicago and Cleveland, Chef Chris Curren has become a fixture in the Midwestern culinary scene. An Ohio native, Curren graduated from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute with an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts in 2002 and went on to hone his professional skills in Cleveland-area kitchens under the influential Chef Bruce Kalman (Spiaggia, UNION, Knead & Co. Pasta Bar + Market), and at top spots including celebrated contemporary American restaurant Three Birds.
After relocating to Chicago in 2006, Curren opened the critically-renowned fine-dining concept Blue 13, which would garner recognition in the prestigious Michelin Guide. While serving as executive chef/owner, he began to truly showcase his unique style of marrying traditional American cuisine with global influences and earned Jean Banchet Award nominations in both the Rising Star Chef and Best Fine Dining categories in 2011.
Curren would go on to lead culinary operations at some of the city’s top hospitality collectives, serving as Corporate Executive Chef at Fifty/50 Restaurant Group (Homestead On The Roof, The Berkshire Room, Steadfast) and later as Executive Chef at acclaimed sommelier Alpana Singh’s Seven Lions in the Loop and at West Loop hotspot Fulton Market Kitchen.
In 2021, Curren debuted The Graceful Ordinary, a convivial upscale American restaurant, alongside his wife Megan in St. Charles, IL, where he utilizes his extensive culinary talents and creativity to present an elevated, yet approachable menu of refined rustic cuisine.
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Chef
Jon-Claude “JC” Stevens
Jon-Claude ``JC`` Stevens
After owning and operating JC’s Daily Bread in Florida for fifteen years, Chef Jon-Claude Stevens exploded on the Steamboat Springs food scene in 2018, spending time at Aurum Food & Wine, Rex American Grill, and Snow Bowl. By 2023, “JC” joined the esteemed team at Besame Steamboat, working with local greats Chef Joe Campbell and Hannah Hopkins, quickly climbing the ranks to become Chef de Cuisine. JC draws inspiration from his international upbringing—family roots in Côte d’Ivoire, time in Quebec, and a childhood spent in international schools. He studied at The Culinary Institute of America and earned a #1 worldwide ranking as a baker for Club Med Resorts.
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Chef
Johnny Curiel
Johnny Curiel
Born into a family of chefs, Johnny Curiel grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico with an irresistible allure of a kitchen, beginning his culinary career at age 14 as a dishwasher in his father’s restaurant.
After growing up in his father’s restaurants, Curiel embarked on his lifelong culinary journey. At age 18, Curiel went on a culinary immersion to Mexico with a simple mission: to unearth the heart and soul of his country’s rich and diverse cooking traditions. His journeys took him from bustling restaurants and street food stands to abuelas’ home kitchens, learning age-old techniques and wisdom of generations along the way.
Drawing on his experiences in Mexico, Curiel joined Chef Richard Sandoval’s renowned team to cook at restaurants around the U.S. and Mexico, namely Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, and Aspen. He went onto establish himself in Denver’s burgeoning culinary scene, working with Chef Troy Guard in popular kitchens such as Guard + Grace, Los Chingones, and Mr. Tuna. His talent led him into restaurant consulting –– from coast to coast –– where he got the long-awaited approval from his father and gained the courage to start his own concept.
Chef Curiel makes his solo restaurant debut with Alma Fonda Fina, a restaurant dedicated to sharing the integrity, tradition and culturally rich experiences that defined his culinary journey and create a transportive dining experience that embodies the beauty of Mexico. As Chef Curiel continues to push the boundaries of taste and tradition, he pays homage to his roots and uses food as a way to showcase his cultural pride.
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Chef
Joe Campbell
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.
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Chef
Maggie DeMarco
Maggie DeMarco
Hospitality is intrinsic to Maggie’s character, and cooking is deeply embedded in her being. Her success in culinary competitions with the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) earned her a full-tuition scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated as valedictorian of her Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees.
Driven by passion and determination, Maggie amassed a culinary resume that surpassed that of some chefs twice her age. She has trained in Michelin-recognized restaurants in the US and abroad, including Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in California, La Cabra in Spain, Shilling Canning Company in Washington, DC, and Oasis Sapori Antichi in Italy.
At 25, Maggie was promoted to Chef de Cuisine at Telluride’s renowned fine-dining French restaurant, La Marmotte. She authored and developed a distinguished Mentorship and Culinary Training Program, hosting over 15 culinary externs and graduates from The Culinary Institute of America and Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Maggie does not speak of her successes at La Marmotte without attributing it to the strong mentorship and support she received from owners Josh Klein and Melisa Pignataro and Director of Operations Maury Kepley.
During our Steamboat Food & Wine Festival, Chef Maggie will lead a team of young cooks and emerging chefs, assisting the renowned list of guest chefs in executing their events. She aims to provide growth opportunities for the next generation of chefs to work alongside the very chefs they look up to.
Additionally, Maggie will donate all personal earnings from her participation in the Telluride Reserve to the Burnt Chef Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating the mental health stigma in the hospitality industry and beyond through providing access to free educational resources, training, and support programs.
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Chef
Mutsuko Soma
Mutsuko Soma
Mutsuko Soma is a celebrated chef and soba master originally from Tochigi, Japan. After moving to the U.S. and studying culinary arts in Seattle, she returned to Japan in 2009 to formally train in traditional soba-making. In 2017, she opened Kamonegi, followed by the sake-focused Hannyatou in 2019—both acclaimed for their authenticity and innovation in Japanese cuisine. Soma’s work has earned national recognition from Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, and the James Beard Foundation.
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Chef
Jared Russell
Jared Russell
Chef Jarred Russell is known for his ingredient-driven cuisine and leadership grounded in mentorship, technique, and curiosity. He began his career in his mother’s Italian restaurant, where he developed a lasting respect for hospitality and cuisine.
In Dallas, he rose to Chef de Cuisine during his five-year tenure at Nonna before opening Fachini as Executive Chef, helping establish one of the city’s most anticipated Italian restaurants. He then spent three years at The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-starred flagship in Napa Valley, as Chef Tournant—a trusted leadership role combining station mastery with the training and mentorship of new cooks.
In 2022, Russell moved to Denver to assume the role of Executive Chef at Fruition, where he led a team-focused, seasonal kitchen that earned recognition in the inaugural Colorado Michelin Guide. He now leads the kitchen at Kawa Ni, a modern Japanese izakaya, where he brings his ethos of mentorship and thoughtful cooking to a menu that balances traditional flavors with creative interpretations.
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Chef
Kevin Nashan
Mutsuko Soma
Kevin Nashan grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico and worked at his family restaurant La Tertulia. Kevin graduated from college at St. Louis University (St. Louis, Mo.) with a marketing and political science degree. Kevin then went on to graduate from the Culinary University of America (Hyde Park, N.Y.)
Kevin has worked at Martin Berasategui (Lasarte, Spain), Le Francais (Wheeling, Illinois), Commander’s Palace (New Orleans, La.), Restaurant Daniel (New York, N.Y.). He also staged at El Bulli (Rosas, Spain) and George Blanc (Vonnas, France).
With his wife Mina Nashan and brother Chris Nashan, Kevin owns and operates 7 restaurants both in St. Louis, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sidney Street Café (22 years St. Louis, Mo.), Peacemaker Lobster & Crab (10 years St. Louis, Mo.), 4 Hands Brewery (7 years St. Louis, Mo.), Peacemaker Lobster & Crab (6 years Tulsa, Ok.), and La Tertulia (4 years Tulsa, Ok), Peacemaker Kirkwood (1 year Kirkwood, Mo.), Peacemaker Lambert Airport (just opened)
Kevin Nashan won a James Beard award for Best Chef Midwest in 2017 at Sidney Street Café. Kevin and his team were featured recently in Art Culinaire issue 139. He has cooked for President Barack Obama. Kevin Nashan lives in both St. Louis and Tulsa with his wife of 24 years Mina Nashan and two young boys Max Nashan (16) and Miles Nashan (14).
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Chef
Patrick Ayres
Jared Russell
Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Chef Patrick Ayres moved to Steamboat Springs in 2001 to begin high school. In 2003, his restaurant career began as a busser in the same building that now houses Aurum Food and Wine. After high school, Chef Ayres returned to Louisiana to attend Louisiana Culinary Institute.
Upon graduation, he made his way to Seattle, WA where, after climbing the ladder, he served as Executive Sous Chef at the James Beard award winning Canlis Restaurant from 2010 through 2013. After having his first child, Ayres decided to move back to Colorado. The first steppingstone back to Steamboat was a position as Executive Chef at the beautiful High Lonesome Ranch for two years. That experience set Chef Ayres up to move back home and open Cloverdale Farm and Restaurant where they achieved numerous accolades and national press but unfortunately, they had to close at the end of 2018.
Today, Ayres is the Executive Chef of the Steamboat Ski and Resort Company overseeing all 14 of the restaurants located on the ski mountain and base area. Now, with two daughters and a guinea pig named Pig, he is looking to remain and Steamboat and continue to put his fingerprint on the Steamboat Springs culinary scene
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Winemaker
Jon Schlegel
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.
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Sommelier
Scott Thomas
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.
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Winemaker
Patrick Houghton
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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Sommelier & Mixologist
Chad Michael George
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.
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Partners
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