Matt Vawter
Rootstalk
CHEF MATT VAWTER 2024 James Beard Foundation Award Winner | Best Chef: Mountain James Beard Foundation Award ‘Best Chef: Mountain’ winner Chef Matt Vawter, raised in Summit County, Colorado, began his culinary journey at the Colorado Mountain College Culinary Apprenticeship Program in Keystone. In 2007, he joined Fruition restaurant in Denver under Chef Alex Seidel, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Chris Schmidt
Il Mago
Bio coming soon!
Linda Hampsten Fox
The Bindery
Bio coming soon!
Alon Shaya
Safta
Born in Israel, raised in Philadelphia, and a proud New Orleanian, Alon Shaya has always had a deep love and appreciation for food and the singular way restaurants anchor their communities. In 2017, he and his wife, Emily, founded Pomegranate Hospitality, whose restaurants include Saba (New Orleans), Safta (Denver), Miss River and Chandelier Bar at […]
Cody Cheetham
Sunday Vinyl and Tavernetta Denver
Originally from Montana, Cody Cheetham attended The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, a Le Cordon Bleu affiliate school. After completing this program, he spent a season cooking in Sorrento, Italy, and then moved back to Chicago, where he worked with many renowned chefs, including James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Shawn McClain, Paul Virant of […]
Chris Royster
The Flagstaff House
Executive Chef and co-owner Chris Royster of The Flagstaff House is celebrated as a Zagat “30 Under 30” awardee and a Food Network Chopped Champion. His culinary journey is a testament to a family deeply rooted in an appreciation for exceptional cuisine. Chris’s childhood in Hyde Park, New York, was infused with culinary influences from […]
