When Matt Selby found a home at Corner House, did he trade up?

Nine years ago, my husband and I put together a short list of cities where we'd want to raise our kids. New York, where we lived at the time, wasn't on it. Denver was. Months later, to see if both his potential job and the city seemed like the right...

By Gretchen Kurtz

May 28, 2013

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Nine years ago, my husband and I put together a short list of cities where we'd want to raise our kids. New York, where we lived at the time, wasn't on it. Denver was.

Months later, to see if both his potential job and the city seemed like the right fit, we found ourselves in LoDo, looking for places to eat. And everyone we met, from the realtor to the concierge to the people my husband would end up working with, recommended the same place: Vesta Dipping Grill. See also: - Chef and Tell: Matt Selby - Slide Show: Behind the scenes at Corner House - Matt Selby leaving Vesta group for Corner House

We ended up not being able to eat there that night; Vesta was full and, given jet lag, we were too tired to wait for a late open table.

But once we made the move to Denver, it was one of the first restaurants we visited, and we weren't disappointed. I've had my eye on Vesta ever since, and it's safe to say that Matt Selby was the first chef in Denver I knew by name.

Over the years, I've enjoyed watching Selby's role expand from executive chef at Vesta to company chef for Vesta, Steuben's and Ace. And when he went off on his own, I couldn't wait to follow him to Corner House, which he and two partners opened in Jefferson Park this winter.

See if his new venture will be the place that everyone recommends to newcomers when my review is posted here tomorrow.

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Gretchen Kurtz has worked as a writer for 25 years; during that time she's stomped grapes in Napa, eaten b'stilla in Fez, and baked with Buddy Valastro, aka the Cake Boss. Her work has appeared in publications including Boulevard (Paris), Diversion, the New York Times and Westword. Our restaurant critic since 2012, she loves helping you decide where to eat and drink tonight.

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