Talent

Alex Seidel is the chef-owner of Fruition Restaurant, Mercantile dining & provision, Füdmill, and Chook Chicken, all of which are located in the Denver, Colorado area. 

Seidel is the recipient of many awards, including James Beard Foundation ‘Best Chef: Southwest’ in 2018, Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chef in 2010, and Chef of the Year titles from local Colorado media, including Denver Life Magazine and 5280. 

Always passionate about the connection to food and its journey from pasture to plate, Seidel owned Fruition Farms and Creamery, located just south of Denver, producing artisan cheeses, raised meats, and grew produce for over ten years. Seidel sold the farm in 2021, but through the experience, he, along with his kitchen and farming teams, was able to learn about Colorado agriculture and the roots of ‘farm to table’ firsthand while also giving back to the community. 

Born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, Seidel now lives in Lakewood, Colorado.

Cameron Baker was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, where he spent the first twelve years of his life. In 2002 he moved to Summit County. In 2006 at the age of 15 his culinary Journey began working at Food Hedz World Café under chef David Welch. After spending 6 years in David Welches kitchen, he left to continue his culinary education and started attending Colorado Mountain College studying culinary arts, and hospitality management under Kevin Clarke. 

After graduating in 2014, Cameron moved to Denver. He joined Alex Seidel and Matt Vawter’s team at Mercantile dining & provision. During the 3 ½ years at Mercantile Cameron refined his craft and worked his way up to Sous Chef. After departing Mercantile, Cameron moved to Fruition Restaurant as Sous Chef where he continued to learn and develop as a chef under the guidance of Alex Seidel. In November of 2020, Cameron returned back home to Summit county to help Matt Vawter open Rootstalk as the Chef De Cuisine.

Now Cameron is the Chef De Cuisine of both Rootstalk and Radicato as well as a partner in both businesses. Being a chef is challenging. It takes perseverance and determination. He believes it’s important to create an environment where everyone is passionate, excited, and constantly pushing forward to better their craft and provide a memorable dining experience for guests.

Chef Pita grew up in his grandparents’ restaurant, an authentic Mexican eatery with a special focus on local produce and comida Queretana, or traditional food of Querétaro City.

At the ripe age of 17, Pita opened his own bakery. Seven years later, he sought to explore new flavors and opportunities, and traveled to Vancouver, Canada. He then jetted to Lasarte, Spain in 2007, to cook at the Michelin-three-starred Martín Berasategui Restaurant. His celebrated achievements include working in renowned restaurants such as Chef Enrique Olvera’s Pujol Restaurant in Mexico City, Esperanza Hotel an Auberge Resorts property, the luxurious One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, and Geranium, a high-concept, Michelin-three-starred restaurant in Copenhagen. Pita returned to Copenhagen in 2016 to take part in the MAD5 Symposium hosted by Noma chef Rene Redzepi, a gathering of more than 300 chefs redefining the future of fine dining. This experience defined for Pita what he calls “the new way” of cooking: with passion, love, and care—not only for the food, but for the earth and its future generations.

After a successful time at Rancho Pescadero, the farm-to-table enclave in Todos Santos, Chef César Pita arrived in Viceroy Los Cabos where he showcased his illustrious background by overseeing the culinary artistry. At the beginning of 2021, Chef Pita opened his own restaurant “Lumbre”, located in the heart of San Jose del Cabo, a place that honors the bounty of Baja California Sur, not only in its food, but in every element of the place. 

Cooking and travelling are his two passions. He is always looking for inspiration around the world and ways to grow his kitchen. Bold, adventurous, and always charismatic, are adjectives that best describe Chef Pita ́s style.