Born in Roanoke, Virginia, Ian Palazzola began his culinary journey at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta. There, he did an externship with restaurateur Kevin Rathbun at his namesake restaurant; eventually, Ian worked his way up to Sous Chef. From there, Ian worked at Restaurant Eugene, the original flagship restaurant of chef Linton Hopkins.
Ian found his way to Colorado via Aspen’s The Little Nell, at what is now known as Element 47. After his time cooking in Aspen, Ian ventured to San Francisco to help open Mourad. During Ian’s tenure, Mourad earned a Michelin Star, he was promoted to Chef de Cuisine, and he was also named a “Rising Star” by StarChefs.
After four years, the mountains called to him again and Ian moved back to Colorado to be Executive Chef of the acclaimed (and now-closed) Acorn in Denver.
In February 2022, Ian joined Frasca Hospitality Group as part of the culinary team at Tavernetta, before moving to FHG’s flagship Boulder restaurant, Frasca Food and Wine, in August 2022 as Sous Chef. In spring 2023, Ian was appointed Executive Chef at Frasca Food and Wine and, under his direction, Frasca Food and Wine earned a Michelin Star in the inaugural Michelin Guide Colorado in 2023.
