Matt Selby

Taste of Taste of the Nation

Mouthing Off

Best roast duck

Vesta Dipping Grill

The Bite

Denver restaurants play musical chefs.

Best Cheese Plate

Vesta Dipping Grill

Best Dinner Destination for a Third Date

Vesta Dipping Grill

Road Warriors

The owners of Steuben's have region to believe.

American Idyll

Steuben's is dedicated to regional specialties -- and that's both good and bad.

Survival of the Fittest

How the right cuisines could conquer the world.

Vesta Dipping Grill

What a concept!

Simmer Time

What a concept!

Tough Toque

Cooks sharpen their knives, and tongues, to prepare for Battle of the Chefs.

It's My Party

And I'll dine if I want to.

Burning Passion

Vesta Dipping Grill plays with fire.

Top Denver chefs play with fire for charity tonight at Elway's Cherry Creek

Real food. Sharp utensils. Big fire. A good cause. And Denver's top chefs. That's what's on tap tonight, from 6 to 9 p.m., at Elway's Cherry Creek, 2500 East First Avenue, when eleven of the town's top cookers - Tyler Wiard (Elway's, Cherry Creek); Sean Yontz (Mezcal, Tambien and Sketch); Justin ... More >>

Partake in tonight's Plates for the Peak at Vesta Dipping Grill

One of the best food events of the year, Plates for the Peak, a small plates fundraiser and silent auction to benefit Urban Peak, a non-profit that saves kids from the jaws of homelessness, returns for a sixth year to Vesta Dipping Grill, 1822 Blake Street, tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. The star-st ... More >>

Jonesy's EatBar staff bears their cleavage for a good cause

See more of Lori Midson's photos at westword.com/slideshow. While I didn't buy the shirt straight off the bartender's back at last night's feel-good Share Our Strength-Taste of the Nation fundraiser at Jonesy's EatBar, the rowdy (in all the good ways) gastropub at 400 East 20th Avenue, I did purch ... More >>

Taste of the Nation is hottest ticket in town

Photo by Lori MidsonSean Yontz and Matt Selby One of Denver's best annual culinary celebrations comes down on Sunday, July 19, at Mile High Station (2027 West Lower Colfax Avenue), this site of this year's Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation, a fantastic food-centric event that raises funds to ... More >>

Sober and not-so-sober observations from the Taste of the Nation

Lori MidsonStaff from Vesta Dipping Grill and Steuben'sYesterday afternoon, Denver's best chefs rolled out the culinary red carpet and rubbed tongs with smitten admirers and other do-gooders who showed up in droves at Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation, a charity event that benefits anti-hunge ... More >>

Still alive after the first Denver Five

Nancy LevineJimmy Zanon's watermelon/chile margarita​ Last night I attended the first of a quintet of dinners coming from the Denver Five, the merry band of chefs who've represented Denver so ably by cooking at the renowned James Beard House in New York City the last two years. The group consists ... More >>

Chef and Tell: Matt Selby

Photo by Lori MidsonThe tattooed knuckles of Vesta Dipping Grill executive chef Matt Selby​During the Taste of the Nation, the July 19 charity event that Matt Selby chef-chaired, he turned to me and uttered one word: "Wow." He was awestruck by the size of the crowd, but also by something else: ... More >>

Interview with Matt Selby

Photo by Lori MidsonThe tattooed knuckles of Vesta Dipping Grill executive chef Matt Selby​During the Taste of the Nation, the July 19 charity event that Matt Selby chef-chaired, he turned to me and uttered one word: "Wow." He was awestruck by the size of the crowd, but also by something else: ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, August 5 edition

The Breathe boys.​Who's gonna clean up this mess? Today in Backbeat Online: • Q&A with Kyle Evans of Breathe Carolina. • Q&A with Krispy Kream of the Knux. • Tip sheet: Meet Shel, our new favorite band. • A first look at Pictureplane's new video. • MP3 Freeloader: Joy Subtraction. ... More >>

Cafe Society: Week in review

Things you might have missed this week while using the PopTart setting on your toaster... July restaurant closings and openings.Seeing Jason Sheehan in person: Check out this video of a chat he had at the Denver Press Club.Jason asking where the best Rocky Mountain oysters can be found.Sketch losing ... More >>

Tonight: Denver Five dinner at TAG with local winemaker Ben Parsons

The Denver Five: Keegan Gerhard, Troy Guard, Matt Selby, Jamey Fader and Tyler Wiard​ To celebrate the fact that the Taste of Colorado won't be back for another year, the Denver Five, a cartel of homegrown chefs that get together every so often in each other's restaurant kitchens, are cooking ... More >>

Snaps from the Denver Food & Wine Classic

Lori MidsonTyler Wiard, Jamey Fader, Troy Guard and Matt Selby​The three-day Denver Food & Wine Classic wrapped up on Saturday, September 12 with a Grand Tasting on the wet and sloppy grounds (thanks, rain) of Metro State College. To see a slideshow of all the fun, including some action snaps ... More >>

Tonight: The Denver Five converge at Elway's for a "partio"

The Denver Five: Keegan Gerhard, Troy Guard, Matt Selby, Jamey Fader and Tyler Wiard​The Denver Five -- Tyler Wiard, Keegan Gerhard (D Bar Desserts), Troy Guard (TAG), Matt Selby (Vesta Dipping Grill and Steuben's) and Jamey Fader (Lola and Big Red F Restaurant Group) will convene tonight at E ... More >>

Behind the Bar with Leigh Jones of Jonesy's EatBar

Nancy LevineLeigh Jones, behind the bar at Jonesy's EatBar.​Leigh Jones, the woman behind Jonesy's EatBar and the Horseshoe Lounge (with partner Margaret Moore), was also the co-owner and designer of the Dish, B-52 Billiards, Brasserie Rouge, Atomic Cowboy and Buffalo Billiards in Nashville an ... More >>

50top is the most exclusive dinner invitation in Denver

Nancy LevineLeigh Jones, behind the bar at Jonesy's EatBar.​Leigh Jones, the woman behind Jonesy's EatBar and the Horseshoe Lounge (with partner Margaret Moore), was also the co-owner and designer of the Dish, B-52 Billiards, Brasserie Rouge, Atomic Cowboy and Buffalo Billiards in Nashville an ... More >>

Matt Selby gets called to Washington DC to cook for the Taste of America gala

Lori Midson​On Monday, February 22, Matt Selby, executive chef of Steuben's and Vesta Dipping Grill, will join 15 of the nation's top chefs and mixologists in Washington DC, as part of the Share Our Strength contingent at the Democratic Governor's Association conference. Selby, who is the chef ... More >>

Food, Ink: Five notably bad food tattoos

Tattoos have risen in popularity over the years as a permanent form of self-expression -- a branding of time and history -- but devotion and proclamation no longer stop at inking the name of your betrothed on your bicep. And just in case you haven't noticed, the food industry is hardly immune to the ... More >>

Sunday's hot food ticket: Chefs Up Front

Lori Midson Matt Selby at the 2009 Taste of the Nation event in Denver​More than twenty of Denver's star chefs will converge on the Colorado Convention Center this Sunday, March 21, for Chefs Up Front, a culinary bash to benefit Operation Frontline Colorado, a local nonprofit that fights hunge ... More >>

Food Ink: Matt Selby's tatts

Fennel, salt, pepper and lemon​As part of an upcoming photo essay project spotlighting Denver restaurant pros whose tatts are as prevalent as their dissections, burns, blisters, knife slashes and stabs, we promised that we'd post some of the best on the Cafe Society blog. Earlier this week, ... More >>

Tonight: Elway's, Wynkoop, Parisi, 8 Rivers events

A Flickr photo.​Some of Denver's favorite restaurants are hosting special events tonight, featuring everything from rum to Wynkoop beer to five of the town's best chefs. First up: The Five -- Troy Guard of TAG, Jamey Fader of Lola, Matt Selby of Steuben's and Vesta, Brian Laird of Barolo and ... More >>

Vesta Dipping Grill and Infinite Monkey Theorem team up for a fantastic meal

Hello there, pork belly. ​ Twirling the stem of a glass of 2009 Infinite Monkey Theorem Sauvignon Blanc between my fingers, I dive in with my nose and inhale like L.A. in the 1980s. And...nothing. I stare inquisitively into the glass and wonder when I'll be able to pick up distinct smells, whe ... More >>

Food and Shelter

Hello there, pork belly. ​ Twirling the stem of a glass of 2009 Infinite Monkey Theorem Sauvignon Blanc between my fingers, I dive in with my nose and inhale like L.A. in the 1980s. And...nothing. I stare inquisitively into the glass and wonder when I'll be able to pick up distinct smells, whe ... More >>

Manning the Grill

Hello there, pork belly. ​ Twirling the stem of a glass of 2009 Infinite Monkey Theorem Sauvignon Blanc between my fingers, I dive in with my nose and inhale like L.A. in the 1980s. And...nothing. I stare inquisitively into the glass and wonder when I'll be able to pick up distinct smells, whe ... More >>

Eating as Art

Hello there, pork belly. ​ Twirling the stem of a glass of 2009 Infinite Monkey Theorem Sauvignon Blanc between my fingers, I dive in with my nose and inhale like L.A. in the 1980s. And...nothing. I stare inquisitively into the glass and wonder when I'll be able to pick up distinct smells, whe ... More >>

No One Goes Hungry at Share Our Strength

Hello there, pork belly. ​ Twirling the stem of a glass of 2009 Infinite Monkey Theorem Sauvignon Blanc between my fingers, I dive in with my nose and inhale like L.A. in the 1980s. And...nothing. I stare inquisitively into the glass and wonder when I'll be able to pick up distinct smells, whe ... More >>

Sunday's Taste of the Nation event at Mile High Station hottest ticket in town

Lori Midson ​If you attend only one food-centric soiree this summer, make it Sunday's Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation event, where 30 of Denver's top restaurants, including Vesta Dipping Grill, TAG, Argyll, Black Pearl, Elway's Cherry Creek, Duo, Solera, Table 6, Venue, Opus and Marco' ... More >>

After eleven years, Vesta Dipping Grill executive chef, Wade Kirwan, steps off the line

Lori Midson ​ Eleven years ago, Wade Kirwan wandered into Vesta Dipping Grill, at 1822 Blake Street, and snagged a gig as a line cook. Just five weeks later, he was elevated to the sous chef position, which was followed by an executive sous chef stint and then five years as executive chef -- ... More >>

This weekend: Crested Butte hosts the Denver FIVE and more

A Flickr photo​The Crested Butte Annual Arts Festival kicks off today and runs through Sunday, August 1; among the fabulous culinary offerings are cocktail seminars, gourmet dinners and free demonstrations. But the real draw is tonight's five-course dinner prepared by the infamous Denver FIV ... More >>

The Denver FIVE host their last bash of the year tonight at the James Beard House

​Tonight, while the rest of us will be grubbing and imbibing at Dish, Westword's annual bash dedicated to Denver's dining culture, the chefs who comprise the Denver FIVE -- Jamey Fader, Troy Guard, Brian Laird, Matt Selby and Tyler Wiard -- will be bringing down the storied James Beard House i ... More >>

Tickets go on sale today for the Denver Celebrity Chef Tour -- and the lineup is stellar

Lori Midson​Tickets go on sale today for the Denver Celebrity Chef Tour, a star-studded squad of kitchen sorcerers, including Matt Selby (Vesta Dipping Grill and Steuben's); Alex Seidel (Fruition and Fruition Farms); Eric Skokan (Black Cat, Boulder); and Michael Ginor, the co-founder and chef ... More >>

Vesta Dipping Grill cookbook now on sale at a store near you

Lori Midson​I have, in my grubby little hands, a copy of the just-published Vesta Dipping Grill cookbook, 151 pages of recipes (including chef Matt Selby's fifty dipping sauces), hot food porn, biographies of Selby and owners Josh and Jen Wolkon (who also run Steuben's) and a section on the " ... More >>

More predictions, rants and raves from local chefs on the culinary trends of 2011

Sustainably-farmed fish will be a big trend in 2011, say local chefs​Yesterday, several local chefs -- Michael Long (Aria and Opus); Eric Skokan (Black Cat); Brandon Biederman (Steuben's); Brad Rowell (Colt & Gray); and Troy Guard (TAG and TAG Raw Bar) -- dished on the culinary trends that wou ... More >>

A Hairy Affair

Sustainably-farmed fish will be a big trend in 2011, say local chefs​Yesterday, several local chefs -- Michael Long (Aria and Opus); Eric Skokan (Black Cat); Brandon Biederman (Steuben's); Brad Rowell (Colt & Gray); and Troy Guard (TAG and TAG Raw Bar) -- dished on the culinary trends that wou ... More >>

Reader: Forget throwing napkins -- throw in the towel!

​Does your server need your help? If your server is Kyle Garratt, who offered up "How to help your server and how not to help" in his latest In the Weeds, just refrain from tossing a dirty napkin at hi, Readers are throwing plenty of other things. Notes Douglas Stiff: I love the passion and f ... More >>

Readers: Could an over-glorified prep cook make gnocchi this good?

​Denver chefs can be amazingly supportive of each other. Witness the comment that Matt Selby (Steuben's, Vesta Dipping Grill) posted after the first installment of the Chef and Tell interview with Annabelle Forrestal, exec chef of Vine Street Pub, Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery and Southern Sun: ... More >>

Four chefs give the lowdown on what makes LoDo cook

The future home of Squeaky Bean...and the site of last night's LoDo residents meeting.​Chefs are Denver's rock stars, and lower downtown is one hell of a stage. Last night I was lucky enough to moderate a panel of four LoDo chefs -- Jen Jasinski, Matt Selby, Tom Coohill and Max MacKissock -- w ... More >>