Remembering Matt Selby

In those days, we walked in the footsteps of giants. It was the early ’90s, and we were just kids with more ambition and passion than common sense, but we were smart enough to use the pioneering paths of operators like Cliff Young, Blair Taylor and Mel Master to plot a course that would lead us through the tumult of an unforgiving industry together.

We worked every charity event, invented our own food festivals and supported one another unconditionally as we figured out how to put our names, brands and city on the culinary map. There were far fewer restaurants in that era than there are now, so every event was worked by the usual suspects. If you were there, you know who you are —  and you also know what a special bond we formed finding our way together.

No ask was too great, because we knew that a high tide would lift all boats. If one of us succeeded, we all won — and that level of teamwork was what got us through some gloriously challenging times. Now we're there again, facing new challenges in different ways as age and the fallout from a life of stress, strain, success, failure and fading glory haunts us through the loss of our friends.
Now we have to say goodbye to Matt Selby, a self-proclaimed food historian, lover of all things baseball, culinary combatant, iconic local chef and dear friend. I came to know Matty when Vesta first opened and Jax was in its infancy over twenty years ago. We leaned on one another in the empty wasteland that was LoDo, forging a bond that I will always treasure. His infectious smile, hysterical antics, incessant pranks, beaming sense of humor and love of brotherhood created the glue that held us together.

Matty never once let up on the quest to showcase our talent, collectively and individually, and that level of humility and camaraderie left an indelible mark on us all. He respected the craft and tradition as much as he pushed to break boundaries and reach new horizons of success through hard work and intelligence. His self-taught grittiness and iconic tattooed veneer belied a sweetness that made up his core and was served up in heaping helpings with every encounter.

Matty leaves a legacy of passion, unwavering support for his comrades and a zeal for cooking.

Since his death this past weekend, I've spoken with many friends about Matty. We're saddened by the loss and how, yet again, the group has become smaller by one. Still, we bask in the warm glow of fond memories of Matty's outrageously prolific personality and his dedication to being a hospitalitarian.

With gratitude and love, we bid you farewell, my brother. Tonight I'll be listening to Michael McDonald but hearing Matty's voice as he performed his legendary impersonation.

In his memory, cook something for the joy of cooking alone. Share your success with others. Take what you do seriously, not yourself. Pass on your knowledge. Lead with humility. These are Matty's gifts.

Stay gold, Pony Boy, stay gold.

Editor's note: A GoFundMe has been established in Matt Selby's memory.

After twenty years in restaurant kitchens, Jamey Fader is now culinary director for Marczyk Fine Foods and an occasional Westword contributor.