Celebrity Chefs

Living the high life: A photo recap of the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen

While the rest of you were in Denver, languishing in the beat of the summer heat, thousands of culinary cognoscenti, many of them heeled in stilettos and outfitted in backless black dresses showcasing perfect spray tans, spent the weekend at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen hobnobbing with some of t ... More >>

Part two with Jimmy Bernat, exec chef of Jimmy's Urban Bar & Grill

Jimmy Bernat Jimmy's Urban Bar & Grill 1530 Blake Street 303-298-5000 lodojimmys.com This is part two of my interview with Jimmy Bernat, exec chef of Jimmy's Urban Bar & Grill; part one of our chat ran yesterday. Which chef has most inspired you? My dad pretty much got me into cooking at a young a ... More >>

Round two with Tommy Lee, exec chef of Uncle

Tommy Lee Uncle 2215 West 32nd Avenue 303-433-3263 uncledenver.tumblr.com This is part two of my interview with Tommy Lee, exec chef of Uncle; part one of our chat ran yesterday. What do you enjoy most about your craft? Like most cooks, I enjoy the creativity of coming up with new dishes, but the ... More >>

Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain skewer each other, vegetarians and Paula Deen in Boulder

Last night's "Good vs. Evil" throw down of jabs between Eric Ripert and Tony Bourdain solidified three things that most of us already know: Bourdain's favorite noun is "motherfucker," his adjective of choice is "motherfucking" and Paula Deen, according to Bourdain, is a motherfucking motherfucker wh ... More >>

Reader: Fat Sully's needs to slice Guy Fieri's name off the menu!

When Fat Sully's opens its walk-up window on South Broadway tomorrow, one of the pizzas it will be offering will be the "Guy Fieri," after the Diners, Drive-ins and Dives star who stopped by the original Fat Sully's at the Atomic Cowboy a few weeks ago. "We made him a slice topped with sausage, mush ... More >>

Reader: I can't stand Guy Fieri, but his visits feed the economy

Guy Fieri is back in town, Lori Midson reports, visiting establishments ranging from the Denver Biscuit Company to Prohibition to the Highland Tavern for his show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives . Some readers are fed up with Fieri, but still see benefits in his visits here: See also: - Love him or ... More >>

A star-studded celebrity chef cast will return to the hills of Aspen for next year's FOOD & WINE Classic

As always, the celebrity chef lineup for the 2013 FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, which will take over Glitter Gulch June 14-16, is a gallery of big, bold culinary mugs: Mario Batali, José Andrés, Tom Colicchio, Marcus Samuelsson, Andrew Zimmern, Jacques and Claudine Pépin, Ming Tsai, Hugh Acheson, ... More >>

Round two with Jay Leandro, chef at Pub 17 on Welton Street

Jay Leandro Pub 17 on Welton Street 1750 Welton Street hyatt.com/gallery/pub17/index.html 303-295-1117 Part one of my interview with Jay Leandro, exec chef of Pub 17 on Welton Street, ran yesterday; this is part two of our conversation. Favorite Denver/Boulder restaurant(s) other than your own: P ... More >>

Reader: Jenn Wohletz's "premeditated hate" for Guy Fieri is no laughing matter

Jenn Wohletz doesn't like Guy Fieri. She's been an anti-fan since the late '90s, and recently served up "Five reasons why Guy Fieri should drive to Douchebagistan and never come back." And responses to her piece keep coming. Some positive, some definitely not... See also - Five reasons why Guy Fie ... More >>

Five reasons why Guy Fieri should drive to Douchebagistan and never come back

Guy Fieri is getting more bad press than Congress and/or Lindsay Lohan right now -- okay, maybe the same amount of rotten press, but that's still plenty -- all apparently inspired by the review that Pete Wells, restaurant critic for the New York Times, just gave Fieri's brand-new restaurant, Guy's A ... More >>

Reader: Tom Colicchio probably hasn't so much as microwaved a burrito in years

Three Colorado chefs started out on the season premiere ofTop Chef Seattle last week, and two moved on. But Euclid Hall's Jorel Pierce was out, booted by Tom Colicchio. And how did that feel? "While the pressure was intense and intimidating," Pierce says, "I know now that I learned a lot about mys ... More >>

Euclid Hall's Jorel Pierce on being booted from Top Chef Seattle

I keep threatening to break up with Top Chef, the Bravo reality show that pits "cheftestants" (Bravo's word, not mine) against one another in a string of often ridiculous challenges and theatrically contrived snippets that force the chefs to look into a camera and say really stupid shit -- things li ... More >>

Tyler Wiard meets Tom Colicchio, his "celebrity chef who needs to shut up," on Top Chef tonight

The tenth season of Bravo's Top Chef starts tonight, with three Colorado chefs among the competitors: Eliza Gavin of Telluride's 221 South Oak; Jorel Pierce, the executive chef of Euclid Hall; and Tyler Wiard, exec chef at Elway's Cherry Creek and culinary director of the Elway's group (which curren ... More >>

Round two with Ed Kammerer, exec chef of Highland Pacific

Ed Kammerer Highland Pacific Restaurant & Oyster Bar 3934 West 32nd Avenue 303-477-6644 www.highlandpacific.net Part one of my interview with Ed Kammerer, exec chef-owner of Highland Pacific Restaurant & Oyster Bar, ran yesterday; this is part two of our chat. Rules of conduct in your kitchen: We ... More >>

Round two with Lucas Forgy, exec chef of Freshcraft: Avery beer rep is a ninja!

Lucas Forgy Freshcraft 1530 Blake Street 303-758-9608 www.freshcraft.com Part one of my interview with Lucas Forgy, exec chef of Freshcraft, ran yesterday; this is part two of our chat. What do you enjoy most about your craft? Being able to engage with people in real time and make things happen.

Part two with JP Krause, exec chef of Aloft

JP Krause Aloft Broomfield 8300 Arista Place, Broomfield 303-635-2000 www.aloftbroomfielddenver.com Part one of my interview with JP Krause, exec chef of Aloft Broomfield, ran yesterday. This is part two of our interview. Favorite restaurant in America: Denver's own Bennett's BBQ, but not becau ... More >>

Round two with Duncan Smith, exec chef of Dazzle

Duncan Smith Dazzle 930 Lincoln Street 303-839-5100 www.dazzlejazz.com Part one of my interview with Duncan Smith, exec chef of Dazzle, ran yesterday; this is part two of our conversation. Rules of conduct in your kitchen: They're really quite simple. First, show up clean and ready to work befor ... More >>

Round two with Josh Barhaug, exec chef of Fired Up

Josh Barhaug Fired Up 1135 Bannock Street 303-825-1995 www.gtfiredup.com Part one of my chef interview with Josh Barhaug, who mans the line -- and pizza oven -- at Fired Up, ran yesterday; this is part two of our chat. What you'd like to see more of in Denver/Boulder from a culinary standpoint: ... More >>

Round two with Bentley Folse, exec chef of Finley's Pub

Bentley Folse Finley's Pub 375 South Pearl Street 303-282-4790 www.finleysdenver.com Part one of my interview with Bentley Folse, exec chef of Finley's Pub, ran yesterday; this is part two. Favorite restaurant in America: Both Clancy's and Commander's Palace in New Orleans. Clancy's is a quaint ... More >>

Photos: Famous faces, food and debauchery from the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen

We've got all sorts of takeaways from the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, which just celebrated its thirtieth year in Glitter Gulch over the weekend, and we'll be posting stories throughout the week about the new Chefs Club in the St. Regis, along with surprising observations and confessions from Gran ... More >>

Reader: Celebrity Chef Tour has jumped the shark -- where's Henry Winkler?

Celebrity chefs are winging into Colorado for this weekend's Aspen Food & Wine festival, and one lands in Denver today: Amanda Cohen, chef-owner of Dirt Candy, a renowned vegetarian restaurant in New York, will be at Linger tonight as part of the Celebrity Chef Tour, a moveable feast that crosses A ... More >>

Announcement: We have a winner of our Celebrity Chef Tour contest

Amanda Cohen, the chef-owner of Dirty Candy, a vegetarian restaurant in New York that's generated national accolades, will be in Denver Wednesday night as part of the Celebrity Chef Tour, a moveable feast that traverses to venues all over America to pay homage to the late James Beard, the "father of ... More >>

Round two with Randy Balch, chef of Wazee Supper Club

Randy Balch Wazee Supper Club 1600 15th Street 303-623-9518 www.wazeesupperclub.com This is part two of my interview with Randy Balch, chef of Wazee Supper Club. Read part one of my chef and tell interview with Balch. Favorite dish on your menu: The meat-over pizza, with Canadian bacon, pepperon ... More >>

Biker Jim on where he'd eat if had only 24 hours in Denver

This is part two of our interview with Biker Jim, chef-owner of Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs. Read part one of the Biker Jim interview. Jim Pittenger Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs 2148 Larimer Street 303-550-8231 www.bikerjimsdogs.com What you'd like to see more of in Denver/Boulder from a culinary stand ... More >>

Round two with Beau Green, exec chef of the Denver Zoo

Beau Green Denver Zoo 2300 Steele Street www.denverzoo.org Read part one of my interview with Beau Green, exec chef of the Denver Zoo. Most memorable meal you've ever had: Chef Travis Kight -- our corporate chef here at the zoo -- always takes me out to the best/coolest places to eat. During my tr ... More >>

District Meats exec chef Jeff Russell deems Paula Dean "evil"

Jeff Russell District Meats 1625 Wazee Street 303-623-1630 www.charliepalmer.com This is part one of my interview with Jeff Russell, exec chef of District Meats. You can read part two of our chat in this space tomorrow. Dinner was bonding time, Jeff Russell recalls. "Food was the thing that brough ... More >>

Empty your wallets! Tickets to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen are now on sale

I'll never forget the first time I attended the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. It was the final year that Julia Child, the late, great American chef who demystified French cuisine -- and passed away in 2004 -- made an appearance at the annual Aspen culinary orgy, back when there was no Food Network, ... More >>

Jenna Johansen, former exec chef of Dish, in Edwards, goes Around the World in 80 Plates on Bravo TV's new chef reality show

Jenna Johansen, the former exec chef -- and still part-owner -- of Dish restaurant, in Edwards (she's now in Denver, engaged to Il Mondo Vecchio sausage king Mark DeNittis, who's involved with a new project, Salumeria Cansano in Wash Park), is strutting her culinary prowess on a new Bravo TV show, A ... More >>

Round two with the Trinity Grille's Patrick Canfield

Patrick Canfield Trinity Grille 1801 Broadway 303-293-2288 www.trinitygrille.com This is part two of my chef and tell interview with the Trinity Grille's Patrick Canfield. Part one of our chat ran yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: Edwardo's in Westcliffe, Colorado. Going there always rem ... More >>

Round two with Jeremy Kittelson, exec chef of Ambria

Jeremy Kittelson Ambria 1201 16th Street 303-623-8646 www.ambriadenver.com This is part two of my chef and tell interview with Jeremy Kittleson, exec chef of Ambria. Part one of our chat ran yesterday. Favorite Denver/Boulder restaurant(s) other than your own: I really like going to Euclid Hall. ... More >>

Top five reasons to get off Paula Deen's ass already

Unless you've been trekking in the Himalayas this week, you've undoubtedly heard all about celebrity chef Paula Deen's admission that she has Type 2 diabetes. Deen is known for her signature deep-South-deep-fried-deeply-buttered cuisine, and the criticism of her condition/food/pimping diabetes drugs ... More >>

Tickets now on sale for the 30th anniversary of the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen

Lori Midson​O come, all ye faithful, to one of the biggest culinary red carpets rides in the country: the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. If you've been really, really nice this year and you've got a high roller in your circle of family and friends, then you might as well ask for the BIg One: a ... More >>

Round two with Eric Uffelmann, exec chef of Marlowe's

Lori Midson​ Eric Uffelmann Marlowe's 501 16th Street 303-595-3700 www.marlowesdenver.com This is part two of my interview. Part one of my interview with Eric Uffelmann, exec chef of Marlowe's, ran yesterday. How do you handle customer complaints -- and what should customers do when they're ... More >>

Readers: The naked truth on Padma, Nigella, Nadia -- anyone but Mario Batali!

Padma should show off the family jewels.​Inspired by the nakey pictures of Anthony Bourdain that have surfaced on the web, last week we served up the "Five celebrity chefs we'd love to see naked," starting with Rachel Ray and ending with...Mario Batali? Why not? Batali had already exposed his ... More >>

Five celebrity chefs we'd love to see naked

Courtesy of TMZ​The week's top foodie fracas started when TMZ posted photos of Anthony Bourdain and his then-sous chef in a pool, nakie-nakie-eggs-and-bakey. Apparently the photos were twelve-year-old shots taken during a Caribbean vacation by Bourdain's now ex-wife, and Bourdain had no reser ... More >>

The Simpsons Preview: "The Food Wife," with (bleep) Ramsay, Bourdain, Batali and more

Quick! Can you name the celebrity chefs?​ This Sunday night, at 8 p.m. on FOX, The Simpsons will dish up a food-centric episode, in which oh-my-god! star chefs Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay all appear in animated cameos. It's all part of a weird dream that Marge has about s ... More >>

Biker Jim gets his first food truck -- and has plans to go national

Biker Jim now has two hot dog carts, a brick-and-mortar and a new food truck that will go national.​The text from Biker Jim simply read: "Tired. Taking a nap." The sultan of sausages and high-priest of hot dogs had just returned from a food truck show in Las Vegas, where he pimped frankfurters ... More >>

Round two with Brandon Foster, exec chef of Vesta Dipping Grill: The cheeseburger Big Bite from 7-Eleven rules

Lori Midson​ Brandon Foster Vesta Dipping Grill 1822 Blake Street 303-296-1970 www.vestagrill.com This is part two of my interview with Brandon Foster, executive chef of Vesta Dipping Grill. Part one of my interview with Foster ran yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: Chez Panisse. I ... More >>

Round two with Scott Yosten, exec chef of Steakhouse 10

Lori Midson​ Scott Yosten Steakhouse 10 3516 South Elati Street 303-789-0911 www.steakhouse10.com This is part two of my interview with Scott Yosten, exec chef of Steakhouse 10. Part one of my interview with Yosten ran in this space yesterday. Favorite food city: Chicago. The ethnic borough ... More >>

Round two with Eric Rivera, exec chef of Cafe|Bar

Lori Midson​ Eric Rivera Cafe|Bar 295 South Pennsylvania Street 303-362-0227 www.cafebarcolorado.com This is part two of my interview with Eric Rivera exec chef of Cafe|Bar. Part one of my chat with Rivera ran yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: Bouchon, in Napa Valley. The food an ... More >>

Round two with Simon Purvis, exec chef of EDGE at the Four Seasons

This is part two of my interview with Simon Purvis, executive chef of the EDGE at the Four Seasons. Part one of that interview ran in this space yesterday. Simon Purvis EDGE at the Four Seasons 1111 14th Street 303-389-3000 www.fourseasons.com/denver/dining Favorite restaurant in America: I had ... More >>

The Eat Is On

The dishes at Dish: Kickin' pork green chile from Sam's No. 3

Patrick Armatas Sam's No. 3 http://samsno3.com/ What dish are you serving at Dish? We're serving our kickin' pork green chile, as well as our veggie green chile; the pork green chile is easily the most popular item we serve at the restaurants. Customers like it so much, in fact, that they even bu ... More >>

Round two with Brett Smith, exec chef of Zolo Grill

Lori MidsonBrett Smith, head cooker at Zolo Grill​ Brett Smith Zolo Grill 2525 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder 303-449-0444 www.zologrill.com This is part two of my interview with Brett Smith, the executive chef at Zolo Grill. Part one of my chat with Smith ran in this space yesterday. Favorite r ... More >>

Round two with Doug Anderson, head baker at Hi*Rise

Lori Midson​ Doug Anderson Hi*Rise 2162 Larimer Street 303-296-3656 www.hirisedenver.com This is part two of my interview with Doug Anderson, owner and chief baker of Hi*Rise. Part one of my chat with Anderson ran in this space yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: I'm totally unqualifi ... More >>

Round two with Doug Anderson, head baker at Hi*Rise

Lori Midson​ Doug Anderson Hi*Rise 2162 Larimer Street 303-296-3656 www.hirisedenver.com This is part two of my interview with Doug Anderson, owner and chief baker of Hi*Rise. Part one of my chat with Anderson ran in this space yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: I'm totally unqualif ... More >>

Round two with Andy Martinez, exec chef of Citron New World Bistro

Lori Midson​ Andy Martinez Citron New World Bistro 3535 South Yosemite Street 303-771-5800 www.citronbistro.com This is part two of my interview with Andy Martinez, exec chef of Citron New World Bistro. Part one of that interview ran in this space yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: ... More >>

Round two with Mike Sullivan, exec chef of Devil's Food Bakery and Cookery

Lori Midson​ Mike Sullivan Devil's Food Bakery and Cookery 1020 South Gaylord Street 303-733-7448 www.devilsfoodbakery.com This is part two of my interview with Mike Sullivan, executive chef of Devil's Food Bakery and Cookery. Part one of my chat with Sullivan ran in this space yesterday. F ... More >>

Round two with Trattoria Stella's Valentino Ujkic

Lori Midson​ Valentino Ujkic Trattoria Stella 3201 East Colfax Avenue 303-320-8635 http://trattoriastella.squarespace.com This is part two of my interview with Valentino Ujkic , executive chef of Trattroria Stella. Part one of that interview ran yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: K ... More >>

Photos: Food lust and chef candy from the 2011 Aspen Food & Wine Classic

Lori Midson​The cognoscenti of the food world -- 5,000 strong -- descended upon Aspen this past weekend for the 29th annual Food & Wine magazine Classic, one of the most heralded culinary jubilees in the country, It was a whirlwind weekend of unparalleled gluttony, hangovers, pig parties, cele ... More >>