Meet the 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
Alberto Collarte Pindar
Events participating in:
Friday Night Dinner at Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club
Saturday Grand Tasting
Alberto Collarte Pindar
Chef
Alex Seidel
Events participating in:
Friday Night dinner at Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club
Alex Seidel
Alex was recognized as Food & Wine’s “Best New Chef” in 2010, he was a finalist for James Beard’s “Best Chef, Southwest,” and earned “Chef of the Year” titles from local media, including Denver Magazine and 5280. Alex cooked at the 20th Anniversary of “Dinners Across America” and was an opening chef of Aspen’s Chefs Club by Food & Wine.
Chef
Bruce Kalman
Events participating in:
Saturday Grand Tasting
Sunday Vinyl Brunch
Bruce Kalman
Chef
Clay Conely
Events participating in:
Friday Night Dinner at Truffle Pig
Saturday Grand Tasting
Clay Conely
Chef
Collin Kelley
Events participating in:
Thursday Night Dinner at Primrose
Collin Kelley
Chef
Dana Rodriguez
Events participating in:
Thursday Night Dinner at Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club
Friday Seminar Tortillas, Tequila and Tinto
Saturday Grand Tasting
Dana Rodriguez
If you met her, what you would know is she is immediately engaging—her friends and nearly everyone in the restaurant industry know her simply as “Loca.” Loca is the kind of woman who fills a room the instant that she enters it—her laugh carries above the noise, and you know immediately that you are in the presence of a salt-of- the-earth woman who knows above all else how to cook, and how to work hard.
After vacationing and visiting family in Colorado twenty years ago, Dana decided to stay in the state and applied for a job at Panzano, an upscale Italian restaurant in the Hotel Monaco. It was there she met Jennifer Jasinski, the chef who took Dana under her wing, focused on her strong work ethic and intelligence, and helped to develop Dana into the talented chef she is today. From dishwasher to prep cook, through pasta making and the bakeshop, and finally as a sous chef at Panzano, Dana worked her way through the ranks learning from Jasinski and others the skills necessary to excel at each job and how to manage staff.
Dana continued working with Jasinski and her partner, Beth Gruitch, for many years, going on to become a sous chef at Rioja and Chef de Cuisine at Bistro Vendome. It was in these roles that Dana learned what it was to truly run a kitchen.
In late 2012, Dana’s path crossed with Tony and Tabatha again (Tony and Dana had been friends for nearly fifteen years, since the days of Panzano), and Work & Class was born. In her role as owner and Executive Chef, Dana is excited about cooking food that reminds her of home—food that is close to her heart.
Chef
Hosea Rosenberg
Events participating in:
Friday Night Lamb Dinner at Snow Bowl
Saturday Grand Tasting
Hosea Rosenberg
He’s achieved many accolades including Bravo TV’s Top Chef, Season 5, Best Chef for Denver International Wine Festival, Guest Chef at the James Beard House, and he was recognized by the United States Small Business Administration as a “business owner inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit of the nation.”
Chef
Joe Campbell
Events participating in:
Thursday Night Dinner at Yampa Valley Kitchen
Joe Campbell
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
Jon Claude “JC” Stevens
Events participating in:
Friday Night Lamb Dinner at Snow Bowl
Saturday Grand Tasting
Sunday Vinyl Brunch
Jon-Claude JC Stevens
JC has earned a #1 worldwide ranking from guests for his creations at Club Med Resorts. Snow Bowl was featured in 2019’s Best of the Boat, 5280 Magazine and Mountain Living Magazine.
Chef
Jonathon Sawyer
Events participating in:
Thursday Night Dinner at Yampa Valley Kitchen
Saturday Grand Tasting
Jonathon Sawyer
Chef Jonathon earned the Rising Star Chef award from both Restaurant Hospitality and GAYOT. He earned Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef award in 2010 and was a Best Chef: Great Lakes finalist for James Beard Foundation. He has had several national television appearances, including Cleveland Hustles, Dinner Impossible, Unique Eats, Best Thing I Ever Ate, Chopped, Iron Chef America and Iron Chef: Gauntlet.
Chef
Kelly Whitaker
Events participating in:
Friday Night Dinner at Jace Gallery
Saturday Grand Tasting
Kelly Whitaker
The Wolf’s Tailor was included in Bon Appetit’s The Hot 10: America’s Best New Restaurants of 2019. Basta earned the number two spot on 5280’s Denver’s 25 Best Restaurants list in 2016, and Kelly himself received the magazine’s Best Chef accolade the following year. Hw has twice been named Eater Denver’s Chef of the Year (readers’ and editors’ choice), and was awarded the 2014 Chefs Collaborative Heart of the Collaborative Award.
Chef
Matt Vawter
Events participating in:
Friday Night Dinner at Marabou Ranch
Saturday Grand Tasting
Matt Vawter
He received national recognition in Zagat’s “30 Under 30” list in 2014 and was a semifinalist for Eater’s Young Gun list. In 2015, Vawter and the rest of the Mercantile team were recognized by Westworld as the Best New Restaurant, as well as Best New Restaurant and third Best Restaurant in Denver by 5280 Magazine.
Chef
Paul C. Reilly
Events participating in:
Friday Night Dinner at Marabou Ranch
Saturday Grand Tasting
Paul C. Reilly
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
Poncho Cadena
Events participating in:
Friday Night Dinner at Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club
Poncho Cadena
Chef
Roberto Arturo Rivero
Events participating in:
Friday Night Dinner at Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club
Saturday Grand Tasting
Roberto Arturo Rivero
Chef
Schuyler Houfek
Events participating in:
Thursday Night Dinner at Truffle Pig
Friday Night Dinner at Truffle Pig
Schuyler Houfek
Chef
Tristan Epps
Events participating in:
Thursday Night Dinner at Primrose
Tristen Epps
Tristen has worked in kitchens across the United States and three continents, cooking alongside celebrated chefs such as Richard Rosendale, Thomas Keller, and Marcus Samuelsson. Samuelsson first became Tristen’s mentor on ABC’s The Taste, where he came in second. On the show, Samuelsson called him the best chef of the competition, offered him a ticket to New York and a job at his restaurant. Tristen’s subsequent three years with Samuelsson were the most pivotal of his career, working alongside Samuelsson at his restaurants in New York, Washington D.C., Bermuda and Sweden and now Miami.
Tristen’s skills have been widely recognized including being crowned champion on Food Network’s popular show, Chopped. One of his signature dishes was featured on the Cooking Channel’s Best Thing I Ever Ate, and he was highlighted in Bon Appetit Magazine as the creator of one of the best five meals of Carla Hall’s life. He is thrilled to be Chef De Cuisine at Red Rooster Overtown and immerse himself in the history and culture of the neighborhood.
Chef
William Dissen
Events participating in:
Friday Night Dinner at Marabou Ranch
Saturday Grand Tasting
William Dissen
William was named Rising Star Chef in 2013 by Star Chef Magazine, was a six-time Featured Chef at James Beard House, Small Business Leader of the Year for Asheville Chamber of Commerce and was featured in Business Insider Magazine’s 12 Up & Coming Southern Chefs.
Winemakers and Mixologists
Mixologist
Amandine Chatelier
Events participating in:
Friday Cognac Seminar
Saturday Perception Lunch
Saturday Grand Tasting
Chatelier Amandine
Winemaker
Cris Cherry
Events participating in:
Friday Night dinner at Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club
Saturday Grand Tasting
Chris Perry
Mixologist
Danny Sanchez
Events participating in:
Friday Night Dinner at Alpine Mountain Ranch
Saturday Grand Tasting
Danny Sanchez
Winemaker
Edgar Torres
Events participating in:
Saturday Grand Tasting
Edgar Torres
Bodega is the Spaniard term for a winery or cellar. Considering my Hispanic heritage and passion for Spanish wines, the brand name seemed a natural fit.
My wine journey started as a waiter in Paso Robles, CA. There I was exposed to many great wine producers. Several became friends and eventually opened their doors to my learning desires. I started as a Cellar Rat, and moved on to learn the many different aspects of the wine industry. My enthusiasm for producing great wines brought me and my wife to the development of our own brand, Bodega de Edgar, in 2007.
Starting at just 250 cases, Bodega de Edgar is now approaching 3,500 cases with the 2018 vintage. As always, my focus is on sourcing the highest quality fruit to produce the best wines, while still maintaining an affordable price point.
Winemaker
James Blanchard
Events participating in:
Saturday Grand Tasting
James Blanchard
Winemaker
Jon Schlegel
Events Participating in:
Thursday Fly Fishing & Barolo Tasting at Marabou
Friday Bianco, Arneis, Chardonnay, Favorita & Bubbles Seminar
Saturday Grand Tasting
Jon Schlegel
Mixologist
Mark Stanford
Events participating in:
Thursday Bubbles, Bourbon & Burgers Dinner at Truffle Pig
Friday Old Fashioned as a Style Not a Cocktail Seminar
Friday Huneeus Wine Dinner at Truffle Pig
Saturday Prohibition Style Cocktails Seminar
Saturday Margaritas 101 Seminar
Sunday Bloody Mary Cocktail Seminar at Sunday Vinyl Brunch
Mark Stanford
Mark has been invited to compete in several regional, national, and international cocktail competitions.
1st Place “People’s Choice”, Knob Creek Bourbon “Repeal Day” Competition 2017
1st Place “Crafted Taste” Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cocktail Competition 2018
3rd Place, Patron’s International Cocktail Development Program, Jalisco, Mexico 2018
Finalist, Tuaca’s “Colorado’s Bartender’s Cup” 2017
Regional Finalist, Herradura Tequila “Bar Legends” Competition 2018
Regional Finalist, HeavenHill Distilleries “Bartender of the Year” 2019
Regional Finalist, Jack Daniel’s Whiskey “Classic Sour” Competition 2019
Mark’s passion for the world of craft cocktails, mixology, spirits, and how to elevate the guest experience has drawn the attention of multiple publications, loyal guests, and the spirits world as a whole. Mark’s captivating presentations have become a mainstay in the Steamboat Food & Wine Festival repertoire. Mark also founded BellRinger Consulting, a hospitality based consultancy focusing primarily on special events, business governance, beverage program development, and services centered around enhancing beverage program efficiency.
Specialists
Cheesemaker
Jackie Chang
Events participating in:
Jackie Chang
When Jackie visited Haystack founder Jim Schott’s dairy on a school field trip with her daughter, she fell in love – with the goats. Soon, she was spending her days at the dairy, caring for the goats and working in the cheese room part-time. Jackie developed her taste for the craft and the trade of cheesemaking took bloom.
As Haystack’s head cheesemaker since 2004, Jackie has developed many of the most popular and award-winning varieties including: Cashmere and Green Chile Jack. Her creations win top awards year after year from The American Cheese Society, World Cheese Awards and the World Cheese Championship Contest.
Jackie awes the Haystack team with her boundless optimism, energy, and unrelenting passion for cheese. Jackie has taken accredited courses to increase her knowledge of cheesemaking and affinage including the Vermont Institute Affinage 2011, Academie Opus Caseus Affinage and Cheesemaking with Ivan Larcher in France during 2015. Her significant contributions to the cheese industry were recognized with her induction into the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers in 2017.
When not tirelessly working long days over a milk vat or on the production line, Jackie loves cooking elaborate Taiwanese feasts, as well as practicing yoga, hiking, cycling, swimming, and drinking wine. She dreams of one day running a food truck specializing in traditional Asian snacks…with cheese of course.
Butcher
Kelly Kawachi
Events Participating in:
Friday Night Lamb Dinner at Snow Bowl
Kelly Kawachi
Butcher
Laura Posiak
Events participating in:
Friday Tapas Style Lunch
Laura Posiak
In 2017 Laura pursued the educational aspects of butchery, where she designed and facilitated curriculum at a culinary school located in Maine.
Laura relocated to Steamboat Springs and opened a boutique catering business focused on artisanal meats and cheeses. She will be teaching adult butchery classes at Colorado Mountain College as well as developing programs designed for young kids where she’ll teach principles in ethical and sustainable meat consumption.
