Talent

Barbecue is an unexpected second career for Jackson, a tall Texan with a wide-open smile that quickly leads to playful banter. Jackson’s short journey to celebrated pitmaster of the mountains had some surprising twists, including a decades-long stint at a car lot and the astonishing discovery of a fortune in cash hidden in a car trunk there. That treasure allowed him to move to Cloudcroft in 2015 and buy — mortgage-free — the 5,000-square-foot Mountaintop Mercantile that’s a prominent fixture in town.

When Jackson bought the vacant Mountaintop Mercantile, he turned the second-floor bakery into his living quarters. He furnished his new restaurant with mismatched dining tables and on opening day, gave away all the food as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The secret was out: Some seriously fantastic Central-Texas-style smoked meats were now available under the Ponderosa pines of the Lincoln National Forest.

Jared Wolfe is the owner and Pitmaster of Wolfepack BBQ in Kansas City. Known for his expertise in traditional barbecue techniques, Jared's commitment to crafting exceptional smoked meats and distinctive flavors defines the culinary experience at Wolfepack BBQ. His passion for barbecue shines through in every dish, honoring not only Kansas City's rich heritage, but as well as many other regions across the country.

Originally from Minneapolis, Chef Joe Campbell’s unwavering interest in making food look as beautiful as it tastes led him to attend Le Cordon Bleu. He then trained under award-winning chefs Tim McKee and Landon Schoenfeld, and a former chef for the royal family of Thailand. Joe came to Steamboat Springs in 2013 to work as Executive Chef for Ragnar’s and then Hazie’s and Hotel Madeline. Joe is currently co-founder of Yampa Valley Kitchen and Bésame in Steamboat Springs alongside Chef Hannah Hopkins, and Executive Chef at Mambo.

In 2016, the Colorado Tourism Board selected Joe to represent Steamboat at a food show in Los Angeles. Bésame has been featured in publications such as Mountain Living, TimeOut, Honest Cooking and Good Taste Denver.

Born into a family of chefs, Johnny Curiel grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico with an irresistible allure of a kitchen, beginning his culinary career at age 14 as a dishwasher in his father’s restaurant.

After growing up in his father’s restaurants, Curiel embarked on his lifelong culinary journey. At age 18, Curiel went on a culinary immersion to Mexico with a simple mission: to unearth the heart and soul of his country’s rich and diverse cooking traditions. His journeys took him from bustling restaurants and street food stands to abuelas’ home kitchens, learning age-old techniques and wisdom of generations along the way.

Drawing on his experiences in Mexico, Curiel joined Chef Richard Sandoval’s renowned team to cook at restaurants around the U.S. and Mexico, namely Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, and Aspen. He went onto establish himself in Denver’s burgeoning culinary scene, working with Chef Troy Guard in popular kitchens such as Guard + Grace, Los Chingones, and Mr. Tuna. His talent led him into restaurant consulting –– from coast to coast –– where he got the long-awaited approval from his father and gained the courage to start his own concept.

Chef Curiel makes his solo restaurant debut with Alma Fonda Fina, a restaurant dedicated to sharing the integrity, tradition and culturally rich experiences that defined his culinary journey and create a transportive dining experience that embodies the beauty of Mexico. As Chef Curiel continues to push the boundaries of taste and tradition, he pays homage to his roots and uses food as a way to showcase his cultural pride.

Chef John Courtney has spent the past two decades chasing excellence in finance and food.

His culinary journey began with an apprenticeship at Le Bistro in Walnut Creek, California, and ignited a passion that took him to renowned institutions like CCA San Francisco and La Bouitte (3 Michelin stars!) in France.

Starting his career in banking, the practice gave Courtney the foundation, and the kitchen, the fire. Chef Courtney honed is skills as a Chef, opening as Chef de Cuisine at acclaimed restaurants like DB Brasserie and Yardbird, before taking on the role of Culinary Director at Simon Hospitality. Building Block 16 at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas was a highlight for Chef, overseeing a vibrant collection of restaurants, Pok Pok; Hattie B’s, Lardo, Ghost Donkey, Tekka Bar Handroll & Sushi, District Donuts Sliders & Brews.

Currently, Chef Courtney is the owner and operator of Chop Shop Park City and The Bake Shop Park City, where he proudly brings award-winning flavors to the community.

You can find Chef John Courtney on TV: Chopped Champion (Season 43), and Late Night Chef Fight competitor. Beyond the accolades, his greatest reward is creating memorable meals and experiences for his guests.

As a kid, chef Kenny could always be found in the kitchen at home helping with dinner. Coming from a family of seven, this was always a hefty task. Kenny has always found joy in cooking for those around him and watching everyone come together over a scratch meal. His mom, to this day, says she starts dinner, but Kenny always finishes it. His passion for food only grew from there. Taking culinary classes every year since 6th grade and eventually attending and graduating from Johnson and Wales Culinary Program in Denver.

From there, he got an internship at Twelve with James Beard Best Chef nominee, Jeff Osaka. Known for constant menu changes, and using seasonally focused ingredients, Kenny acquired a love for working with local farmers and ranchers. When his internship ended, he joined the team at Rioja under JBF Winner, Jennifer Jasinski, and climbed through the ranks under chef Jen, starting as a prep cook and moving all the way up the line.

Kenny joined the team at Coperta in august of 2016, then worked as Sous Chef at beast + bottle under chef Paul for a year. Kenny rejoined the b+b team as the opening chef at Pizzeria Coperta in 2019. He came back to the Coperta kitchen as Sous Chef in the summer of 2020. Bringing the combined passion of cooking for people, and using locally sourced produce and proteins, Kenny always strives to bring the joy he found in the kitchen as a child and continues to do so today.

Hospitality is intrinsic to Maggie's character, and cooking is deeply embedded in her being. Her success in culinary competitions with the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) earned her a full-tuition scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated as valedictorian of her Associate's and Bachelor's degrees.

Driven by passion and determination, Maggie amassed a culinary resume that surpassed that of some chefs twice her age. She has trained in Michelin-recognized restaurants in the US and abroad, including Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in California, La Cabra in Spain, Shilling Canning Company in Washington, DC, and Oasis Sapori Antichi in Italy.

At 25, Maggie was promoted to Chef de Cuisine at Telluride’s renowned fine-dining French restaurant, La Marmotte. She authored and developed a distinguished Mentorship and Culinary Training Program, hosting over 15 culinary externs and graduates from The Culinary Institute of America and Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Maggie does not speak of her successes at La Marmotte without attributing it to the strong mentorship and support she received from owners Josh Klein and Melisa Pignataro and Director of Operations Maury Kepley.

During the Telluride Reserve, Chef Maggie will lead a team of young cooks and emerging chefs, assisting the Reserve's renowned list of guest chefs in executing their events. She aims to provide growth opportunities for the next generation of chefs to work alongside the very chefs they look up to.

Additionally, Maggie will donate all personal earnings from her participation in the Telluride Reserve to the Burnt Chef Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating the mental health stigma in the hospitality industry and beyond through providing access to free educational resources, training, and support programs.

2024 James Beard Award Winner, Matt Vawter, was born and raised in Summit County, Colorado. After graduating Summit High School he attended the Colorado Mountain College Culinary Apprenticeship Program in Keystone, Colorado. After completing the program at CMC he was encouraged by his mentor to leave Summit County and gain more experience in the burgeoning culinary scene in Denver.

Matt joined the culinary team at Fruition restaurant led by Chef Alex Seidel. During their time together Alex and Matt proved to be a powerful duo leading Fruition to nationwide prominence and eventually partnering to open Mercantile dining & provision in Union Station at the heart of Denver. Despite the collective success of Mercantile and Fruition, Chef Vawter felt the urge to return home to his mountain roots and raise his children in Summit County.

In December of 2020 he opened Rootstalk in Breckenridge with the intention to provide approachable, technique and ingredient driven food to the local community. Rootstalk is built to feel like coming home, channeling Matt’s own experience of returning back to the place that he loves so dearly. Eighteen months after Rootstalk’s opening Matt and his partners opened Radicato in the center of Breckenridge. Radicato speaks to the feeling of being deeply rooted in a place and a desire to devote your energy there. Radicato is a gathering place for both the Summit County Community and visitors to this special place.

Chef Paul C. Reilly has imparted quite the culinary footprint, from the French Culinary Institute in New York, to Browne Trading Company in Maine and Encore on Colfax in Denver. His diverse portfolio led him to open American, farm-focused restaurant beast + bottle as executive chef and co-owner with his sister Aileen. In 2016, they opened Coperta, and Pizzeria Coperta in 2019, celebrating the culinary traditions and food of Rome and southern Italy, in Denver.

Paul’s creative use of whole animals and local ingredients has earned accolades such as Best Restaurant for many publications including Denver’s Westword and James Beard Foundation’s 2022 Smart Catch Leader.

Born and raised on the east coast, I attended Elon University and graduated with a degree in International Business. After living abroad for several years throughout Europe and Australia, I moved to California and jumped headfirst into the world of luxury hotels serving as a Concierge for the Auberge Resorts Collection. With an existing passion for wine and newfound love of Napa Valley, I transitioned into more specialized roles with esteemed local wineries such as Heitz Cellar, Stony Hill, and Burgess. Today I am fortunate to hold the Director of Marketing and Business Development role with Mending Wall winery, working closely under the guidance of acclaimed winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown and fellow vintners Frank Dotzler, Mark Pulido, and Donna Walker.

Veteran sommelier, Kenny Koda and his wife, Chef Ania, manage the renowned Ania’s Table and K-Bar in the elegant Lumiere Hotel. This powerhouse combination of talent offers a uniquely sophisticated dining and wine experience for their guests.

Kenny’’s sommelier journey began at Harmons in Telluride and then was recruited to be Rudd Winery’s wine director, from there, he continued to hone his skill at Press Restaurant, Dean & Deluca and a number of other wineries along the way.

When they are not in Telluride offering luxurious dining, fine wines and carefully curated cocktails in Ania’s Table and K-Bar, Kenny and Ania divide their time between Kaui and Italy.