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.

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.

Linda Hampsten Fox is the chef/owner of The Bindery, an all-day bakery, market and restaurant, in Denver’s historic Lower Highlands (LoHi) neighborhood. In 2024, she will open The Bindery in Concourse A of Denver International Airport.

Linda was named Chef of the Year in 2018 by the Colorado Restaurant Association and in 2023, she was chosen by the James Beard Foundation as one of the TasteTwenty Chefs for her work championing the Foundation’s mission of Good Food for Good.

A native of New Jersey and daughter of Polish and Czech immigrants, Linda’s menu at The Bindery is a direct reflection of her heritage and culinary inspirations from regions where she has lived and spent extended periods of time, including Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, France and the island of Elba.

Linda perfected her craft while apprenticing with chefs in hotel kitchens on the Cote d’Azur to precious vineyards in Tuscany and mountain chalets in Switzerland. While her culinary passion is Mediterranean cuisine, her extensive travels have given her an intimate knowledge of food trends and cultures from all over the world. Through all this, the simple beauty and importance of gathering around the table has become undeniable to her.

Linda dedicates a lot of her cooking skills to national and local nonprofits, including The National Kidney Foundation, Great Chefs of the West, No Child Hungry, Blue Sky Bridge, The Excelsior Foundation, Girls Up, The National Leukemia and Lymphoma Association, ALS, The Parkinson’s Association of The Rockies, Denver Safe House, Fill A Plate For Hunger - We Don’t Waste, Colorado Restaurant Association’s annual Denver Food + Wine Festival and more.

During the pandemic-related restaurant closures, Linda kept her staff employed by turning her restaurant into a large greenhouse. Linda and the staff seeded and raised hundreds of herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and greens. In the meantime, Linda worked with Frontline Foods and World Central Kitchen to help feed thousands of hospital workers and first responders.

In addition to the accolades earned at The Bindery, Linda has an impressive portfolio of references, including celebrities spanning the likes of Dr. Jane Goodall, Michael York, Nancy Pelosi, Dave Matthews, Melissa Etheridge, Amos Lee and Nic & Helen Foster (from the live radio show E-Town in Boulder, Colorado). Her charisma and talents in the kitchen made her a sought-after asset by a cooking school in San Jose Del Cabo, Baja Mexico, and also as a menu developer for a host of restaurants in Denver.

In her free time, you can find Linda mountain biking, surfing or enjoying meals together with her family (husband Steve, daughter Emma and stepsons Jake, Matthew, and Ben).

“I was born during a time of eating innocence. TV dinners and fast foods were just emerging. My mother took us to farms to dig in the dirt and we spent hours on our knees picking strawberries. The air smelled like jam. My father brought home melons bigger than our heads from roadside stands. I am a blue collar tomboy who loved every morsel of Jersey pork roll, clams casino and buttery corn I could eat between running cross country and playing kickball. But I was also a math whiz and an English literature lover. How did I end up on the Cote d’Azur in my late 20’s in a regal hotel with a bunch of French pastry chef’s with puffy hats? It started with a giant leap of faith and a love of cooking, “ says Chef Linda.

After years as the highly regarded executive chef for the award-winning Buddakan in New York City, Lon Symensma headed west to open ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro, in Denver, CO. ChoLon, which translates to “big market,” is named after the largest Chinese-influenced market in Saigon, Vietnam. “ChoLon showcases my passion for Asian ingredients and French cooking,” says Chef Symensma.

In March 2015, Chef Symensma expanded with a smaller-scale, wallet friendly outpost called Cho77 in the Byers neighborhood of Denver. The restaurant earned a three star review and was voted as one of the 2015 Best Mile High Meals by The Denver Post. His next restaurant, Concourse, opened in the fall of 2016. The 3,500 square feet space and feature about 100 seats. “The size is right in between what I have a ChoLon and what I have at Cho77,” Chef Symensma explains. “I think it is a manageable in-between, with some really cool patio space.” Two additional restaurants comprise ChoLon Restaurant Concepts: BorroCho Tacos, a taco catering service, and Le Roux, a French restaurant named after Chef Symensma’s CIA mentor and chef-instructor Xavier Leroux.

For Chef Symensma, inspiration comes from travel. “Visiting other countries and immersing myself in their cultures and cuisines has always been a tremendous source of inspiration for me, not to mention something that I feel is very important for a chef to experience,” he says. 

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.

Roberto Arturo Rivero Posada was born and raised in Mexico City and started his culinary journey helping his mother cook weekly meals as she traveled a lot for work. He grew up in a family were culinary reunions and festivities were something common and fell in love with his grandmothers’ cooking.

"In 2007 started my culinary training at Universidad Panamericana de hostelería in Mexico City. I have been an entrepreneur since my graduation had Arturo Rivero catering services where I had the opportunity to cook for different ambassadors and politicians."

"In 2017 I moved to Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, and opened Briqueta, which started as an American Bbq joint, in 2021 evolved after a long time of travels to a fusion between the traditional Mexican cuisine and the bbq techniques, to get a all smoked Mexican-meat menu."

I was born and raised in La Paz, Baja California Sur. I started my career in hospitality in the early 2000´s and worked in different customer service fields. Hotels, Real Estate and Event promoter at a known Beach Club in La Paz.

I moved to El Pescadero in 2009 and worked full time at local resort, where I developed my career as a bartender-mixologist and then F&B manager. In 2017 me and my wife decided to open our own Beach Bar at Los Cerritos Beach here in Baja, known now as Barracuda Cantina. Our Bar has been featured in a documentary series "Taco Chronicles" on NETFLIX. Committed to our community at BC, we offer an authentic Baja experience cooking fresh fish tacos, ceviches and mixing the best Mexican spirits and liquors from around the world.

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.

Jon Schlegel’s passion has been hospitality since he can remember. He had two dreams in life– to open a restaurant by 30 years old and to have lived in a foreign country by 40. After founding Snooze an A.M. Eatery and studying wine in Italy for a year and a half, Jon and his family returned to Denver and he began his next project, a winery and tasting room in Denver. Attimo sources its grapes from northern Italy’s finest vineyards and transforms them into incredible bottles of wine from savory Rosso to crisp chardonnay.

Attimo has been featured in Wine & Spirits for their Year’s Best Barolo & Barbaresco. Jon has been featured in City Lifestyle, Westword, 5280 and 303 Magazine.

Juan Carlos González, best known as “Tio Pesca”, with a career in marketing and degree in brand design. Studies in quantum physics, epigenetics and maguey structure in different microclimates.

Has funded Santa Sabia Distillery and created worldwide brands as Pescador de sueños Mezcal (fisherman of dreams), Aprendiz Mezcal (apprentice), Mezcal Tio Pesca (uncle fisherman), agave spirits Vecindad (neighborhood) and Agave Brix.

His passion to rescue agaves by seed propagation and preserve historical taste, recipes and ancestral methods of producing agave spirits, keeps the fisherman of dreams alive.

He is currently developing a theory that shows the Agave since a spiritual and energetic approach landing it in to a scientific ground. Base on empirical studies, research and lived experiences throughout the journey of “Tio Pesca”.

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.