Grand Tasting Archives - 2025 Denver Food and Wine Festival

Alex Figura
Johnny Bechamel’s

Chef Alex Figura brings a wealth of global culinary expertise to Mama + Papa’s Hospitality. His journey through world-renowned kitchens includes the three-Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca in Spain and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York. Figura’s passion for Italian cuisine was cultivated during his formative years at Philadelphia’s acclaimed Vetri, widely […]

Mawa McQueen
Crepe Therapy Café

Crepe Therapy Café was originally established in 2018 in Snowmass Village, Colorado, as The Crêpe Shack. Despite the small size of the storefront, it launched with a global-sized impact, offering the famous Bougie Crêpe (also known as the Caviar Crêpe) at opening day. Owner and founder Mawa McQueen, an award-winning chef and restaurateur, got her […]

Travis Culver
Sweet Basil

Originally from Southampton, New York, Travis moved to Vail from Delray Beach, Florida. Florida is where Travis became a chef, sharpening his cooking skills by asking questions, staying late, arriving early, and learning all he could under Chef Lindsay Autry (Top Chef). In ten years at the same restaurant, Travis grew from pantry cook to […]

Luke Hodnett
Leven Deli Co.

Denver’s Best Deli & Wine Bar – Leven Deli Co.

Harrison Porter + Rema Maaliki
BearLeek

Opening in summer of 2025, Chefs Harrison Porter (Executive Chef and Owner) and Rema Maaliki (Co-owner and Chef de Cuisine) use their combined experiences from around the world, as well as in some of Denver’s most dynamic kitchens (Mercantile dining & provision, Brasserie Brixton, Wolf’s Tailor, Alma Fonda Fina) to launch their debut concept: BearLeek— […]

Kenneth Minton III
Coperta

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 […]