Cirque Kitchen Aims to Elevate the Food Truck Experience

Brandon Becker, co-owner of the Cirque Kitchen food truck, didn't initially intend to pursue a culinary career. Born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, he got an associate's degree in graphic design in Minneapolis and had started to pursue his bachelor's when his path shifted.

"I always worked near the culinary labs on campus to do my homework," he recalls. "There was a culinary instructor that basically said, 'You look miserable.' He talked to me about what I do, and I told him I worked in kitchens, making my way through college. Then one day, he asked me to step into the kitchen and see if I liked the class. Best decision I ever made. ... I switched my major right after that first Intro to Cooking class and never looked back."

That instructor was chef Seth Bixby Daugherty, a native of Denver who had just been named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of 2005. "He groomed me and got me to where I am today," Becker says. "He got me into Cosmos at the Graves 601 Hotel in Minneapolis, and through that, I got to work with many James Beard chefs across Minneapolis. Then I got the chance to stage at a couple of three-star Michelin restaurants, which gave me incredible insight into detail and technique."

In 2013, Becker moved to Denver and worked as executive sous chef at restaurants such as 1515, Atticus and the Rosedale before becoming executive chef at spots like Blackbird Public House, Red Square European Bistro and the District.
After four years in the Mile High, "I was tired of working for other people," Becker says, so he teamed up with his friend and now business partner John Lugovich, who is also a chef and a level-one sommelier.

It was Lugovich who advocated for a food truck. "We didn't want to jump into a brick-and-mortar right away," Becker explains. "Those are scary. John always wanted to open the food truck and do really cool things. Then with my expertise and fine-dining experience, I was like, let's elevate what a food truck can do, and let's put out high-quality restaurant food in a truck. And that's what we set out to do."

Cirque Kitchen food truck officially launched in May 2018, and six years in, the two chefs remain steadfast in their commitment to delivering elevated cuisine from a mobile platform. "I think the most challenging part of the food truck is constantly coming up with menus. We change our menu every eight weeks to a different country or region in the world to educate people on food and culture," says Becker. "I want people to stop and look and be like, 'Oh, I've never had that.'"

Even with the ever-changing menu, there are some staples, including wings, burgers, chicken sandwiches and tots made with whipped horseradish and garlic confit mashed potatoes.
Becker has some personal favorites, too. "Coming from the Midwest, I take fish and chips very seriously. It starts with high-quality fish, and then I use beer from a local brewery to make the dish unique," he says. "And then the short rib on our menu is something I have been perfecting since I started cooking. It's a Zabuton cut of meat — aka Denver steak — that I sous-vide for 72 hours. The process is long, but you get that perfect-quality, melt-in-your-mouth meat."

Another elevated aspect of Cirque Kitchen is its use of real plateware, which Becker started using during the pandemic when the cost of other serving options surged. "I wanted to keep with the sustainability aspect, because all of our food is sourced as local as possible, as organic as possible and as sustainable as possible," he says, and the real plates can be washed and reused. It's an elevated touch that no other food truck is doing, and it brings a whole new experience to dining out at a brewery," he adds.

As Becker gears up for the busy spring and summer food truck season, he's also preparing to launch a new summer pop-up series, the Turkey Club, which is a collaboration with Callan Krystofiak, owner of Bittersweet Provisions.

To keep up on announcements about Becker's latest project and to find Cirque Kitchen's schedule, visit cirquekitchen.com or follow it on Instagram @cirquekitchen.