THEY’VE GOT
Chef & Founder
Alex Seidel
Chef/Owner of Mercantile Dining and Fruition Restaurant in Denver, Colorado
2018 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southwest
2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 2015 and 2017 Semifinalist, Best Chefs in America
2010 Food & Wine Mag Best New Chef
Alex Seidel
Born in 1973 in Wisconsin, Seidel began his culinary career at 14, serving as sous chef at Racine’s Main Street Bistro by age 20. He attended culinary school at Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, finishing at the top of his class. Alex Seidel is chef-owner of Fruition Restaurant, Mercantile dining & provision, Füdmill and Chook.
Alex, Fruition and Mercantile have been fortunate to find themselves featured as Chef of the Year and Best Restaurant rankings in numerous local and national magazines and guides including Denver Magazine , 5280, Bon Appetite, Gayot , and Zagat, and alumni from the restaurants have gone on to receive similar honors. Seidel himself has been the recipient of many accolades, including Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chef in 2010, Chef of the Year titles from local media including Denver Magazine and 5280. Seidel was awarded the 2018 James Beard Foundation Best Chef: South West. In addition to his restaurants, Seidel owns Fruition Farms Creamery, Colorado’s first artisan sheep’s milk creamery, located in Larkspur, Colorado. Seidel participates in numerous off-site events for both charitable and fine dining experiences.
He very much enjoys furthering the culture of cuisine all the while staying down to earth and championing such causes as food advocacy, mindfulness when it comes to eating habits and waste. Becoming a chef and a business owner has allowed him to hone his very impressive skills while controlling the ingredients and the sourcing of his provisions.
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Chef
Hosea Rosenberg
Executive Chef and Owner of Blackbelly and Santo restaurants.
Winner of Bravo’s Top Chef in 2009
Hosea Rosenberg
Hosea Rosenberg is the Executive Chef and Owner of Blackbelly and Santo restaurants in Boulder, CO. His menus highlight seasonal ingredients and responsibly raised animals, with flavor being paramount in his cooking. Rosenberg’s culinary path began, while earning a degree in Engineering Physics at the University of Colorado.
Cooking in restaurants was expected to be a means to pay for college tuition, but it quickly became evident it was his life’s passion. He trained under established chefs including Wolfgang Puck and Kevin Taylor giving him the experience and work ethic to achieve national culinary fame as winner of Bravo TV’s Top Chef, Season 5, in 2009.
In the years that followed, Rosenberg opened Blackbelly in Boulder, Colorado, first as a boutique catering business, with a food truck and farm; which evolved into the addition of a full-service restaurant, butcher shop & market by 2016. In 2017 Rosenberg opened his second restaurant concept in Boulder, Santo, an homage to the cuisine of his childhood in Taos, New Mexico. To date, Chef Hosea has earned numerous additional honors and accolades, including: Best Chef of Denver International Wine Festival, Guest Chef at the James Beard House, and he was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a business owner inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit of the nation.
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Chef
Kelly Whitaker
Chef/Owner of Dry Storage and Basta in Boulder, Colorado, and Wolf’s Tailor in Denver, Colorado
2019 Bon Appetit named The Wolf’s Tailor one of American’s 10 Best New Restaurants on it’s “Hot 10” List
2019 James Beard nomination for Best Chef: Southwest
2016 Denver Eater Chef of the Year (twice earned this recognition)
2016 #2 on “Denver’s 25 Best Restaurants” for Basta
Kelly Whitaker
Kelly Whitaker earned a degree in hospitality management from Colorado State University, and trained in kitchens around the world before opening Basta in Boulder in 2010. Wood-fired Basta placed second on 5280’s “Denver’s 25 Best Restaurants” list in 2016, the year after Whitaker received the magazine’s “Best Chef” accolade. He also owns Denver’s The Wolf’s Tailor and Æ (Ash), a mobile, wood-fired kitchen from which he caters events statewide. Whitaker has twice been named Eater Denver’s “Chef of the Year.”
Chef Whitaker will take part in the Chefs’ Dinner at Alpine Mountain Ranch on Friday evening alongside Chefs Paul Reilly and Tajahi Cooke.
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Caroline Glover
CAROLINE GLOVER FOUNDED ANNETTE IN THE FALL OF 2016. SHE NAMED THE RESTAURANT FOR HER FEISTY AND BRILLIANT GREAT AUNT NETSIE, A NOVELIST AND SHORT STORY WRITER WHO LIVED IN SMALL TOWN TEXAS. NETSIE DIDN’T TEACH CAROLINE TO COOK, THOUGH HER TAMALES AND MARTINIS WERE EXEMPLARY. INSTEAD, SHE TAUGHT CAROLINE TO HAVE AN OPINION. THAT CONFIDENCE IN HER OWN GOOD TASTE HAS CARRIED CAROLINE THROUGH 11 YEARS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY.
IN 2017, ANNETTE WAS NAMED ONE OF THE 50 BEST NEW RESTAURANTS IN THE COUNTRY BY BON APPÉTIT MAGAZINE, AND CAROLINE AND HER STAFF WERE NOMINATED FOR TWO JAMES BEARD AWARDS, IN THE BEST CHEF SOUTHWEST AND BEST NEW RESTAURANT CATEGORIES. ANNETTE WAS ALSO NAMED DENVER’S BEST NEW RESTAURANT AND ONE OF THE CITIES 25 BEST RESTAURANTS BY 5280 MAGAZINE, AND WAS EATER DENVER’S RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR.
BEFORE LAUNCHING ANNETTE, CAROLINE SPENT TWO YEARS AT THE ACCLAIMED DENVER RESTAURANT ACORN, RISING TO BECOME A SOUS CHEF UNDER EXECUTIVE CHEF AMOS WATTS AND OWNER STEVE REDZIKOWSKI. DURING HER TENURE, IN 2015, ACORN WAS NAMED BEST RESTAURANT IN DENVER BY 5280 MAGAZINE.
CAROLINE IS A GRADUATE OF THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA IN HYDE PARK, NEW YORK. AFTER SCHOOL, SHE WORKED FOR TWO YEARS AT THE SPOTTED PIG IN NEW YORK CITY, A PIONEERING GASTROPUB RUN BY FAMED BRITISH CHEF APRIL BLOOMFIELD. SHE BECAME A SOUS CHEF UNDER BLOOMFIELD AND EXECUTIVE CHEF NATE SMITH (NOW A BROOKLYN RESTAURANTEUR IN HIS OWN RIGHT) BEFORE LEAVING TO WORK ON FARMS IN PENNSYLVANIA, VERMONT AND COLORADO.
CAROLINE UNITED HER PASSIONS FOR FARMING AND COOKING IN 2011, WHEN SHE SPENT A SEASON WORKING AT A LOCAVORE BED AND BREAKFAST IN PAONIA, COLORADO THEN FOUNDED HER OWN FARM-TO-TABLE SUPPER CLUB WHILE WORKING ON A FARM IN CARBONDALE. SHE MOVED TO DENVER IN 2014, GOT A DOG NAMED OLIVE LATER THAT SAME YEAR, AND MARRIED HER HUSBAND NELSON, A WRITER, IN 2016.
ANNETTE IS CAROLINE’S FIRST RESTAURANT.
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Dana Rodriguez
If you met Dana Rodriguez on the street, you’d never know that she grew up on a farm without any running water or electricity, or that she helped her mother grind corn down to masa to make tortillas almost every day at mealtime. You certainly wouldn’t guess that she studied computers or owned her own clothing boutique in her native Chihuahua, Mexico. Indeed, Dana has made quite a journey.
What you WOULD know if you met her, is that 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.
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Chef
Jeff Osaka
Owner of Osaka Ramen, Sushi-Rama, and Empire Lounge & Restaurant
2014 James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef: Southwest
Co-Founder of Denver Central Market
Jeff Osaka
Born in Los Angeles, where the food is as diverse as the city’s culture, chef and visionary Jeff Osaka has always been fascinated by the restaurant industry and has garnered praise from critics and peers alike for his indelible contributions to the culinary world.
Throughout his 25 years of experience, Osaka has worked as a private consultant, cooking and catering for some of the most notable names in Hollywood (including Steven Spielberg) and alongside Chefs Bradley Ogden at One Market and Wolfgang Puck at Chinois Las Vegas. While at Chinois, Chef Osaka refined his cooking technique to deftly implement Puck’s concept of marrying Asian cuisine with French influences. Following his time in Las Vegas, Osaka moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where he, alongside friend and Wine Director Ken Fredrickson M.S., opened Restaurant Terroir in 1998 which was followed by Asian-influenced Koshu in 2000.
In November of 2008, Osaka brought his experience and passion to Denver, Colo. where he opened twelve, a restaurant intensely inspired by the changing seasons as the restaurant’s entire menu changed every month. By the time twelve closed in August 2014, Osaka had featured more than 70 different menus and 1,000 different dishes during the restaurant’s highly successful six-year reign.
In 2014, Chef Jeff Osaka received a James Beard Foundation Best Chef Southwest semifinalist nomination.
In 2015, Chef Osaka opened Osaka Ramen, his interpretation of a traditional ramen shop as well as Sushi-Rama, a conveyor-belt sushi concept, both located in the heart of the RiNo Arts District. In fall 2016, Osaka, alongside business partner Ken Wolf, introduced Denver Central Market and later that year, Chef brought back his critically-acclaimed twelve concept with 12@Madison in the Congress Park neighborhood (which sadly shuttered in May 2020 in the midst of COVID-19). In 2018, Sushi-Rama expanded with locations in DTC, Lone Tree, and Denver International Airport and a fifth location opened in April 2019 in Aurora, Colorado. In Summer 2019, Chef Osaka took over operations and revamped The Empire Lounge & Restaurant in Louisville, Colo., a main street favorite for classic American fare.
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Chef
Alberto Collarte
Executive chef at Grand Solmar Resort
Alberto Collarte
Chef Alberto Collarte, originally from Santiago de Chile, nurtured his passion for cuisine at an early age, cooking with his father and grandmother. Family meals were the cornerstone of their time together and food was the joy that anchored many childhood memories.
Sadly, a few months prior to finishing a degree in Communications, Alberto’s father passed away. The unexpected loss of his cooking mentor spurred a desire in him to follow his dreams and study Gastronomy, at The Culinary Institute of Santiago.
In 2003, determined to master the traditions of Mexican cuisine, Alberto started his journey in Vallarta, Jalisco at the hotel Meliá. He worked in the famous Mexican/French restaurant, Bianco, under the tutelage of Chef Roger Dreier as Chef de Partie.
While known for his passion of working with unique Baja products; Chef Collarte thrives on surprising his guests with innovative cuisine that is also a byproduct of his extensive world travels. He describes his work as mestizo.
Today Chef Collarte shares his culinary talents as the Executive Chef at Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa in Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S.
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Kent Hall
A Michigan native, Chef Kent Hall made the unlikely shift to cooking after many successful years in the construction industry. Following his true passion, Hall began experimenting and researching flavors found in Hispanic surfer communities along the Baja peninsula, and those self-taught brilliant flavor combinations eventually became Taco Cabo, a well known fast-casual hot spot along the river in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Tacos, burritos, flan and other offerings are all made in-house, including a line of hot sauces. In early mornings, before Hall’s prep team arrives, he can be found in his kitchen baking bread, continuing his experimental style, blending organic and heritage grains to add even more robust offerings to this down-home Baja taco shack.
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Caesar Pita
Chef Pita grew up in his grandparents’ restaurant, an authentic Mexican eatery with a special focus on local produce and comida Queretana, or traditional food of Querétaro City.
At the ripe age of 17, Pita opened his own bakery. Seven years later, he sought to explore new flavors and opportunities, and traveled to Vancouver, Canada. He then jetted to Lasarte, Spain in 2007, to cook at the Michelin-three-starred Martín Berasategui Restaurant. His celebrated achievements include working in renowned restaurants such as Chef Enrique Olvera’s Pujol Restaurant in Mexico City, Esperanza Hotel an Auberge Resorts property, the luxurious One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, and Geranium, a high-concept, Michelin-three-starred restaurant in Copenhagen. Pita returned to Copenhagen in 2016 to take part in the MAD5 Symposium hosted by Noma chef Rene Redzepi, a gathering of more than 300 chefs redefining the future of fine dining. This experience defined for Pita what he calls “the new way” of cooking: with passion, love, and care—not only for the food, but for the earth and its future generations.
After a successful time at Rancho Pescadero, the farm-to-table enclave in Todos Santos, Chef César Pita arrived in Viceroy Los Cabos where he showcased his illustrious background by overseeing the culinary artistry. At the beginning of 2021, Chef Pita opened his own restaurant “Lumbre”, located in the heart of San Jose del Cabo, a place that honors the bounty of Baja California Sur, not only in its food, but in every element of the place.
Cooking and travelling are his two passions. He is always looking for inspiration around the world and ways to grow his kitchen. Bold, adventurous, and always charismatic, are adjectives that best describe Chef Pita´s style.
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Chef Pita creció en el restaurante de sus abuelos, un restaurante auténtico mexicano con un enfoque especial en productos locales y comida queretana.
A la edad de 17 años, Pita abrió su propia pastelería. Siete años después, trató de explorar nuevos sabores y oportunidades, y viajó a Vancouver, Canadá. Luego viajó a Lasarte España en 2007, para cocinar en el restaurante Martín Berasategui, con tres estrellas Michelin. Sus celebrados logros incluyen trabajar en restaurantes de renombre, como el restaurante Pujol del chef Enrique Olvera en la Ciudad de México, el hotel Esperanza, una propiedad de Auberge Resorts, el lujoso One&Only Palmilla en Los Cabos y Geranium, un restaurante de alto concepto con tres estrellas Michelin en Copenhague. Pita regresó a Copenhague en 2016 para participar en el Simposio MAD5 organizado por el chef de Noma Rene Redzepi, una reunión de más de 300 chefs que proponen redefinir el futuro del “fine dining”. Esta experiencia definió para Pita lo que él llama “la nueva forma” de cocinar: con pasión, amor y cuidado, no solo por la comida, sino por la tierra y las futuras generaciones.
Después de un tiempo exitoso en Rancho Pescadero, el paraíso del “farm-to-table” en Todos Santos, el chef César Pita llego a Viceroy Los Cabos donde lidereo el arte culinario y mostro su vasta experiencia. En enero de este año, el Chef Pita abrió su propio restaurante “Lumbre”, ubicado en el corazón de San José del Cabo, un lugar que honra la generosidad de Baja California Sur, no solo en su comida, sino en cada elemento del lugar.
Cocinar y viajar son sus dos pasiones. En permanente búsqueda de inspiración alrededor del mundo y formas de evolucionar su cocina. Audaz, aventurero y siempre carismático, son adjetivos que mejor describen el estilo del Chef Pita.
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Chef
Jennifer Jasinski
O The Crafted Concepts restaurants:
Rioja, Bistro Vendôme, Stoic & Genuine, Ultreia
Jennifer Jasinski
Fresh, local ingredients and simple flavor combinations.
Bright, balanced preparations.
Perfectionism in culinary execution.
Dedication to her staff.
Resounding critical acclaim.
Cooking started at a young age out of necessity for Jasinski. Growing up in a single-parent household with two siblings who all took turns cooking, Jasinski developed a knack for following recipes and creating her own, until eventually, it was always her turn to cook. In a high school occupational program for aspiring chefs, Jasinski made the decision to leave her other passion – music – behind, and dedicate her studies to cooking, permanently trading the melodic sounds of her clarinet, oboe and flute for the cacophony of clanging pots and pans. At the time, the best cooking school in the state of California was right in her own backyard, Santa Barbara City College, where she not only refined her cooking skills, but got a taste of restaurant management and front-of-the-house experience.
Ever the over-achiever, Jasinski then took her training to the next level at the Culinary Institute of America, making the dean’s list and unsettling more than a few teachers by challenging their principals or techniques. “I believe you get out of things what you put into them,” she explains. “I always want to get the most out of everything I do.” And she does. Working her way through school waiting tables on campus during the week and apprenticing in the famed Rainbow Room kitchen in New York City on weekends, Jasinski completed her formal education before she was 21-years-old.
After graduation, Jasinski worked at the Rainbow Room under renowned restaurateur Joe Baum and Chef André Rene, which gave her the real foundation of her training. The turning point in her career came from a chance meeting with a guest at the restaurant – Wolfgang Puck. In polite, casual conversation, he mentioned she should “look him up” when she was in Los Angeles. So she did.
Weary of the crazy, fast paced lifestyle in New York City, Jasinski was drawn back to sunny Southern California with a bold strategy: to apply for a job at the top ten restaurants in Los Angeles, one of which was Puck’s Spago. She landed a job at the prestigious Hotel Bel Air, where she had the opportunity to re-acquaint herself with Puck, a consultant at the time for the hotel’s restaurant.
When their paths crossed this time, Puck took more than a passing interest, referring her to Jody Denton, of Mansion on Turtle Creek fame, who was in the process of training a kitchen team for a new restaurant opening. Jasinski started as lead line cook at Eureka, a Los Angeles brewery restaurant, and within one year was promoted to sous chef. From there, Jasinski’s fate was inexorably linked to Puck’s.
Their creative and fruitful 10-year relationship took Jasinski around the country, with her helping to develop and open restaurants, create menus, train and manage staff, and, of course, wear her chef’s hat for restaurant concepts ranging from fine dining to café cuisine. Her impressive restaurant credits include sous chef at Postrio, San Francisco; café chef at Spago, Las Vegas; executive sous chef at Granita, Malibu; executive sous chef at Spago, Chicago; and corporate chef at Wolfgang Puck Food Company. With Puck’s support and encouragement, she even did a stint in Paris at Ledoyan, a Michelin two-star restaurant.
“Wolfgang was my mentor and my culinary role model,” Jasinski says. “His philosophy that it’s not necessarily what you do, but how you do it, is my mantra…You can make mashed potatoes, or you can make great potato puree.”
In 2000, Jasinski decided to simplify her life and settle down in Denver, one of the stops she fell in love with on the Wolfgang Puck tour. She became Executive Chef at Panzano, where profiles and reviews in local and national publications put Jasinski at the head of her class. Not only was she wildly successful, but she had the opportunity to work with future business partner Beth Gruitch.
In 2003, Jasinski and Gruitch decided to leave their posts to begin their first venture into restaurant ownership. The following year they opened Rioja, a restaurant in Denver’s Larimer Square with a contemporary design and Mediterranean menu influenced by local and seasonal Rocky Mountain ingredients. Having designed over 10 kitchen models during her tenure with Puck, Jasinski had no qualms about doing the same for her own.
2013 was a very good year for Chef Jen. She became the first Denver chef to win The James Beard Foundation Best Chef Southwest award in a ceremony in New York City on May 6th. She was a finalist on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters Season 5 with other notable chefs Brian Voltaggio, David Burke, Douglas Keane and Sang Yoon and won the Princess of Porc title at the Denver tour stop of Cochon 555 in 2014. In 2016 she was named a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef award. 2020 brought another semi-finalist nod from the Beard Foundation as Crafted Concepts joined some of the nation’s best operators in the Outstanding Restaurateur category. She was also named one of Nation’s Restaurant News’ 50 Most Influential Women in Foodservice in 2020.
Rioja, Bistro Vendôme, Euclid Hall and Stoic & Genuine are consistently listed among the top restaurants in Denver by 5280 Magazine, the Rocky Mountain News, Zagat and the Gabby Gourmet Restaurant Guide and Rioja has been annually awarded four stars by AAA since 2008. Jasinski has been named Chef of the Year, Best New Chef, Rising Star and more in Denver Magazine, Restaurant Hospitality, Nation’s Restaurant News, The Denver Post, eater.com and 5280 Magazine. In 2007, she was the Jean Yancey award winner in the National Association of Women Business Owners Outstanding Women in Business awards presented by the Denver Business Journal. Jasinski was named 2004 Colorado Chef of the Year and 2005 Western Regional Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation, and also appeared on The Food Network’s “Thanksgiving Challenge” the same year.
In April 2006, Jasinski and Gruitch made the decision to purchase Bistro Vendôme, a classic French bistro located across the street from Rioja. The pair opened Euclid Hall Bar and Kitchen on 8/9/10 at 11:12:13 a.m., their third restaurant just around the corner from Rioja. Euclid Hall was one of 5280 magazine’s top 10 new restaurants in 2010. 2011 brought the release of Jasinski’s new cookbook, The Perfect Bite, 76 recipes from the Rioja kitchen. Stoic & Genuine, their fish house in Denver’s historic Union Station, opened in July of 2014. Ultreia opened in Denver Union Station in December 2017 showcasing food from the Iberian Peninsula countries of Spain and Portugal.
A tireless worker, Jasinski appears as a guest chef at numerous fundraisers throughout the country. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, mountain biking and skiing with her family and friends.
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Joe Campbell
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Joe started his cooking career at the young age of 14, working his way through the ranks. Joe’s unwavering interest in making food look as beautiful as it tastes led him to getting serious about his craft, attending Le Cordon Bleu (LCB) and graduating at the top of his 2005 class. After LCB, Joe turned his culinary talents toward fine dining, training under James Beard award-winning Chef Tim McKee and award-winning Chef Landon Schoenfeld. Chef Landon gets all the credit for nurturing Joe’s passion and sparking his drive to constantly grow and learn. His passion for food and travel took Joe across Asia, where he had the unique opportunity to train under a former Chef for the Royal Family of Thailand.
In 2013, Joe made his way to Steamboat Springs after being recruited to Ragnar’s as the Executive Chef. His success at Ragnar’s led him to revamping another Steamboat staple, Hazies at the top of the gondola. Joe’s stylish and unique menu allowed Hazies to become one of the top-rated restaurants in Steamboat. In 2016, the Colorado Tourism Board selected Joe to represent Steamboat at a food show in Los Angeles. A brief stint in Telluride at the prestigious Hotel Madeline allowed Joe to further his skills, but Steamboat called him home. Joe returned to Steamboat to take on the role of Executive Chef at Mambo, introducing his take on modern Italian cuisine to the already popular menu.
In 2018 Joe and Co-Founder Hannah Hopkins collaborated to bring Steamboat a new cutting-edge restaurant, Bésame, a Latin fusion inspired creation. Bésame has allowed Joe to grow as a chef through endless learning opportunities, which earned him a loyal following in the community and amongst his peers. His cuisine is flavor packed, authentic and highlights the sweet, salty, sour, spicy and savory flavors that have been inspired by his travels. Joe continually delivers world class fare and Bésame is a must-do for any visit to Steamboat. While Joe enjoys the challenges of his new position as dual Executive Chef of Mambo and Bésame, he still makes time to travel and continues to takes every opportunity to learn and to fine tune his craft.
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Kelly Kawachi
Hawaii-native Kelly Kawachi is the Head Butcher of Blackbelly in Boulder, CO. Kelly spent her early years working in the fast-paced kitchen of Alan Wong’s in Honolulu. It was there that she developed her love for the industry and became dedicated to mastering every station, eventually working her way to the Sous Chef position. After a few years there, she longed for a growth experience in a new environment away from home, leading Kelly to Colorado to attend university in Grand Junction. Upon finishing school, she was ready to resume her work in the industry, however, sought a different challenge. She had a lot of experience butchering fish in Hawaii, but after spending time in Colorado, she was intrigued to learn how to properly handle animals raised on land. She had also developed an interest in charcuterie making, and understood she had to learn more about whole animal butchery in order to become a charcutier. She came across Blackbelly as an up-and-coming entity opening its new butcher shop space in 2016 in east Boulder. She was taken on as an apprentice at first, and after years of learning the art and craft of whole animal butchery and charcuterie making, Kelly was elevated to run the entire program as the Head Butcher in the March of 2021. Kelly will lead the group into its next Blackbelly Butcher shop expansion slated to open Fall 2021.
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Restauranteur
Beth Gruitch
Co-Owner/Restauranteur of Rioja, Bistro Vendôme, Euclid Hall, Stoic & Genuine and Ultreia in Denver, Colorado
Restaurant recipient of AAA 4 Stars
Wine Spectator Award
5280 Magazine Top of the Town
Beth Gruitch
When people say the restaurant business is in your blood, Beth Gruitch is a believer. Her great grandparents, three generations before her, must have passed down the gene. They owned and ran a diner, setting the standards that have led to Beth’s record of critical acclaim. “It doesn’t matter if you’re running a gastropub or a five-star restaurant,” she explains, “it’s all about being proud of the product you put out, and to that end, I have no tolerance for shortcuts – no matter what the restaurant concept.”
While Gruitch claims she simply “fell into” the restaurant business, destiny probably played more of a hand. After high school, the Colorado native learned the business from the ground-up, bussing and waiting tables, washing dishes, bartending and managing a restaurant office. The long hours and backbreaking work temporarily dissuaded her from pursuing a restaurant career, so she moved on to explore other options. She tried retail sales (drawing on her penchant for shopping) and taught pre-school (testing her infinite patience), until she was finally drawn back to the restaurant business.
Gruitch decided to supplement her hands-on experience with academic training before she seriously entered the competitive restaurant world. She earned a four-year business degree in Restaurant Hospitality from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and graduated with several offers on the table. She first took a job managing Boogie’s in Las Vegas, a fun and wild upscale diner, then managed DIVE!, the kitschy submarine-themed restaurant partnership between Steven Spielberg and Levy Restaurants.
Deciding it was time to expand her culinary horizons beyond diner food, Gruitch officially joined the ranks of Levy Restaurants in Chicago, managing some of the group’s high-end concepts like Bistro 110 and Voila. This was the turning point in her career where she realized she only wanted to work with people who shared her passion for food and wine and took pride in the product and service they offered.
Gruitch found herself back in Colorado and accepted the general manager position at Panzano in the Kimpton Monaco Hotel in February 1999, where she met chef Jennifer Jasinski. During their tenure at Panzano, the duo led the restaurant to the top of Denver’s culinary mountain – consistently named one of the top 5 Denver restaurants for food and service.
In 2003, Gruitch and Jasinski decided to leave their posts at Panzano to begin their first venture into restaurant ownership. The following year they opened Rioja, a restaurant in Denver’s Larimer Square with a contemporary design and Mediterranean menu influenced by local and seasonal Rocky Mountain ingredients.
Perhaps her business partner, Jasinski says it best. “Beth assures that all the best happens for the guests in all our restaurants. She makes sure we hire the best service staff, give them complete and thorough training and coaches them to perform. She’s the reason people rave about our service.”
In April 2006, Jasinski and Gruitch purchased Bistro Vendôme, a classic French bistro directly across the street from Rioja. The pair opened Euclid Hall Bar and Kitchen in 2010, their third restaurant, focused on international pub food and craft beer. Euclid Hall was one of 5280 magazine’s top 10 new restaurants in 2010. In addition, Gruitch completed her level-one sommelier certification in 2007, continuing to keep her at the top of her game overseeing the beverage programs for all five restaurants. In 2014, the pair opened Stoic & Genuine, their fish house in Denver’s Historic Union Station, named to the Best New Restaurants and Best Restaurants lists at 5280 magazine. Their newest restaurant, Ultreia, features the foods of Portugal and Spain and opened to raves late 2017 in historic Denver Union Station including Westword’s Best Iberian Restaurant.
Over the years, Rioja, Bistro Vendôme, Euclid Hall, Stoic & Genuine and now Ultreia have been listed among the top restaurants in Denver by the Rocky Mountain News, 5280 Magazine and the Gabby Gourmet Restaurant Guide and Rioja has been annually awarded four stars by AAA since 2008 and Wine Spectator Awards. 2011 brought the release of Rioja’s cookbook, The Perfect Bite, 76 recipes from the Rioja kitchen.
Busy with staffing, wine lists, cocktail menus, accounting and logistics for five active restaurants, Beth still finds time to be involved in the myriad charitable events in which her restaurants participate and serves on the executive board of Denver Civic Ventures at the Downtown Denver Partnership and EatDenver. She lives in Sunnyside with her partner David and boss-of-the-house bulldog, Winnie.
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Biju Thomas
Chef Biju Thomas is a professional chef known for light, simple dishes bursting with bold flavors. He has designed the menus of many successful restaurants in Denver and Boulder, Colorado and has launched his own restaurant, Biju’s Little Curry Shop, in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood.
In 2009, Chef Biju teamed up with sports physiologist Dr. Allen Lim to improve the everyday diets and performance nutrition of professional cyclists and their teams. In the years since, Chef Biju has cooked for dozens of elite professional cyclists, teaching them the craft of cooking. His Feed Zone series of books with Lim, The Feed Zone Cookbook and Feed Zone Portables, feature 225 easy, healthy recipes and snack ideas for an active lifestyle.
Biju has been a chef for pro cycling teams and coordinated food for one of the sport’s biggest races, the Tour of California. Biju has also been the chef for the Dempsey/Del Piero Racing, a Grand-Am and Le Mans motorsports team. He also contributes recipes to Skratch Labs, Omega Juicers, and Map My Fitness.
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Chef
Patrick Ayres
Chef at Destination Hospitality in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Executive Sous Chef at the James Beard Award-winning Canlis Restaurant from 2010 until 2013
Patrick Ayres
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 until 2013. Chef Patrick and his wife, Kaylee, had their first daughter while in Seattle and quickly thereafter decided it was time to head back to Colorado. The first stepping-stone 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 had to close at the end of 2018.
Chef Ayres is a member of the team at Destination Hospitality Group and assisting in developing each of their restaurants with his knowledge and experiences in the culinary world. Not many Chefs get to bring their career back full-circle to the same building where it all began.
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Butcher
Laura Posiak
Owner of LAURA The Butcher in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Facilitates butchery education and curriculum at Colorado Mountain College
Developer of ethical and sustainable meat consumption programs
Laura Posiak
While farming throughout Europe in 2010, Laura’s passion for butchery began while working alongside the town butcher in a small village outside of Parma, Italy. Here, Laura learned traditional methods of animal preparation, harvesting, nose to tail butchery, and the traditional Italian art of curing meat. Upon returning to the United States, Laura continued to refine her butchery skills while working at local butcher shops within San Francisco and also Portland, Maine.
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.
You can see Posiak at work Saturday while she performs a sausage making demo.
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Master Sommelier
Brett Zimmerman
Owner of Boulder Wine Merchant and Chief Wine Officer for Integrated Beverage Group in Denver, Colorado
Brett Zimmerman
Owner of Boulder Wine Merchant, Chief Wine Officer for Integrated Beverage Group
Born and raised in Colorado, Brett Zimmerman discovered his passion for wine while working his way through the University of Colorado. Following graduation and time spent at two of Boulder’s top restaurants, Zimmerman accepted a sommelier position at the highly acclaimed Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago.
He continued his education after relocating to San Francisco to serve as sommelier for celebrated restaurant Aqua, before ultimately deciding to return to his native state and open his own restaurant, Mateo – a popular Provençal-style restaurant in downtown Boulder, Colorado.
Zimmerman moved from restaurants to distribution and served as the General Manager of the American Fine Wine Division of Southern Wine and Spirits. In the spring of 2007, Zimmerman successfully passed his Masters Examination and earned the highly coveted distinction of Master Sommelier.
In August of 2010, Master Zimmerman purchased the Boulder Wine Merchant from fellow Master Sommeliers Wayne Belding and Sally Mohr. In addition to his ownership role at the Boulder Wine Merchant, Zimmerman oversees quality control for wine production with Integrated Beverage Group. As Chief Wine Officer, Zimmerman works with the winemaking team to produce quality wines sourced from their wineries in Oregon and Sonoma. Zimmerman also contributes with product development, sales, and activation.
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Sommelier
Erik Segelbaum
Wine Enthusiast 40 under 40 Tastemaker
Food & Wine Magazine 2019 Sommelier of the Year
Erik Segelbaum
Meet Erik Segelbaum, 2020 Wine Enthusiast 40 under 40 Global Tastemaker and Food & Wine Magazine 2019 Sommelier of the Year . With nearly 3 decades of industry experience, he has a proven track record of success in hospitality. This includes creating and running highly profitable, award winning and operationally efficient beverage programs, delivering enlightening staff and management training, effective profitability maximization strategies, operational improvements, revenue amplification and more. Prior to founding SOMLYAY, Segelbaum held a number of diverse roles that include Corporate Beverage Director for Starr Restaurants, Head Sommelier of MV The World and Corporate Wine Directer of Schwartz Brothers Restaurants.
Erik is an Advanced Sommelier with The Court of Master Sommeliers, Certified Specialist of Wine (with distinction) with The Society of Wine Educators and Wine and Spirits Locations Specialist (with distinction). Erik’s hospitality experience includes 10 years as a fine dining chef and nearly two decades in front-of-house. Segelbaum is adept at managing the critical path for restaurant, hotel and venue openings. He has built and implemented nearly 30 opening beverage programs including training and directly managing large teams. His experience set includes everything from Michelin Star fine dining to fast casual to multi-unit concepts. Segelbaum is a wine educator with ongoing sessions at Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. as well as private and corporate events. Segelbaum lectures at many conferences including CIA’s Bev Pro, SommCon, VIBE, ABID, and more. Segelbaum is a wine journalist with recurring columns and content in multiple consumer and trade publications. Segelbaum serves as the Vice President of the United Sommeliers Foundation, a charitable fund that provides financial assistance to sommeliers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own (such as the global COVID-19 pandemic).
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Jon Schlegel
Founder & Winemaker
Jon Schlegel is the visionary of Attimo and the man with the plan. Jon’s passion has been hospitality since he can remember. His path in the industry has continued at several successful restaurants from San Diego to Las Vegas and back to Denver. Jon is the founder of Snooze an A.M. Eatery. Opening this concept by the age of 30 was his first dream, but having the chance to live abroad was the dream at 40. When Jon turned 38 and opened San Diego Snooze, Jon began working towards the next goal and chose Piedmont because the mountains felt like home to him and his family. Not to mention the wines, food and hospitality were on epic levels and the birth place of the Slow Food Movement. Attimo completes his dreams by sharing the best moments of his time in Italy with his native home of Denver.
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Edgar Torres
A journey into the coastal town of Cambria, CA opened the eyes of my father, a young immigrant, to a better life for his family. Sure enough, my father was right. A whole world was out there for his children to embrace.
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.
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Mixologist
Mark Stanford
Beverage Director for Truffle Pig and Carl’s Tavern in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
1st Place, Peoples Choice, Knob Creek “Repeal Day” Old Fashioned Competition in Denver, CO 2017
Finalist in Tuaca’s Colorado’s “Bartender’s Cup”
Regional Semi-Finalist Herradura Tequila’s “Bar Legends” Competition
Regional Semi-Finalist in HeavenHill Distilleries “Bartender of the Year” Competition
Mark Stanford
Mark’s career began bartending in Wilmington, DE and Philadelphia, PA under influential individuals who allowed him the creative freedom to infuse both environmental and culinary elements into cocktails. Mark’s extensive experience in the craft cocktail and mixology realm has lead him to Steamboat Springs, CO where he has developed a reputable beverage program that encompasses two local restaurants; Truffle Pig and Carl’s Tavern.
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.
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Danny Sanchez
Danny loves to share his passion and experience for making cocktails, Agave spirits natural grown ingredients from our native farmers, using seasonal ingredients and quality spirits from around the world and home made syrups and infusions. Always conscious and respecting the freshness of the produce he uses at Barracuda Cantina.
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Barney Treadway
Barney Treadway’s early life experiences with extensive international travel led to a degree in anthropology, while a knack for computers led to a career in internet start-ups. From these disparate disciplines came a blend of analytical thought and appreciation of the crafted products of other cultures. This led to his creation of a unique wine bar concept in the mountains in 2004 as a break from coding and then the subsequent tumble down the endless rabbit hole that is wine, spirits and beer knowledge and education.
This fascination led to the founding of a larger wine bar (Bitto Bistro), a now twelve year old wine and cheese concept featuring Colorado’s most extensive wine flight program. More recently he purchased the Wine Education Institute with its existing WSET programs and soon added French, Italian and Spanish Wine Scholar programs, as well as an online sommelier certification growing the school into Colorado’s most extensive alcohol education resource for consumers and professionals. Beer certification programs and various spirits certifications have been added recently with more curriculum under development all the time.
Barney keeps his programming chops exercised with various apps that combine his passions with his coding acumen including innovative software to facilitate charity wine auctions to custom student learning and support tools.
Along the way Barney has collected a varied assortment of credentials, with wine sommelier certifications from 3 different entities, a WSET Advanced in wine, Ale Sommelier certification to a certification in Scotch and now Irish Whisky! Learning and teaching in the field of wine, spirits, and beer is a never ending passion, and a tasty one as well.
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WSET Instructor
Daniel Schlachet
Daniel Schlachet
Daniel Schlachet comes from a culinary background with over ten years experience working in kitchens. His passion for all things food and drink led him to pursue his studies in the world of wine.
Daniel achieved the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines with Merit as well as becoming one of only a few Italian Wine Scholars and Spanish Wine Scholars in Colorado through the Wine Scholar Guild. He was recently awarded the French Wine Scholar as well, being certified now to teach all three. He also teaches WSET spirits classes as well!
Knowing the ever changing industry, Daniel is continuing his education through ongoing classes and certifications. Becoming an instructor for the Wine Education Institute, not only can he continue to reinforce what he has learned, but also share his joy and passion for wine! Because like wine, information is meant to be shared.
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Chef
Eric Skokan
Chef/Owner of Black Cat Bistro and Provisions and Black Cat Organic Farm in Boulder, Colorado
2017 James Beard nomination for Best Chef: Southwest
2014 International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Award for Best American Cookbook: Farm, Fork, Food: A Year of Spectacular Recipes Inspired by Black Cat Farm
Erik Skokan
Black Cat Farm~Table~Bistro opened its doors in 2006. Founded by Chef Eric Skokan and his wife, Jill, Black Cat is named after its “lucky” location on 13th street in Boulder. A small neighborhood bistro, Black Cat serves as Chef Eric’s incubator for the developing concept of Front Range Cuisine, an expression of the forests, fields and mountains of Colorado.
In 2012, Jill and Eric opened Bramble & Hare ~ farmhouse kitchen and pub next door to Black Cat as a way to offer their Farm to Table cuisine in a more casual setting.
Chef Skokan will be participating in the Chefs’ Dinner on Friday evening.
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