Anatomy of a Chef

This Cleveland native left the Midwest for Denver and isn’t looking back.

Born in Olmstead Falls, Ohio, David began his hospitality career as a busser in the local mom and pop breakfast place in Olmstead Falls. He moved up to a Lonestar Steakhouse as a host, then dishwasher and finally prep cook and line cook which whetted his appetite for the high energy environment of the kitchen.

David graduated from Cuyahoga Community College with a Professional Culinarian Certificate that he describes as the best decision he ever made, “not only because of what I learned there, but the connections and networking that I did with the culinary instructors and fellow classmates.”

Natural career progression landed David at Table 45 in his first sous chef slot where he began to appreciate the creation of menu items, combinations of flavors and presentations that tell a story both in flavor and style. Much of the produce came from a farm down the road from the restaurant where David explored the growers end of the business.

He moved on from Table 45 to sous chef positions at L’Albatros and Urban Farmer Steakhouse in Cleveland before heading west to Colorado.

David works quietly and efficiently in his kitchen and expects others to do the same. After work you can find him hanging out at Euclid Hall where they have everything he wants to eat.

He lives in Lakewood, Colorado with his girlfriend and cat.

Chef Said What??:

“Italian food is rustic by nature, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful on a plate.”

David and his crew make everything from scratch from sauces to pasta, but did tell me “The only cans we use are tomatoes.”

I asked Chef what advice he would give to new culinary graduates:

“Make sure this is what you want to do. A chef often spends 9-12 hours a day in your feet.”

“Before you decide on a certain school check out community colleges and don’t spend $80k!!”

“Work while you are in school.”

“I have two sides of me as a chef. One half is an elegant side of cooking, and the other half is the bbq side!”

Other than a sharp knife chef’s favorite tools are: Spoon and a cake taster.

Best lesson David’s father ever taught him? “Never take a step backwards.”

Eat, Cook, Explore:

Herbs / spices he would choose for a year: Fresh Thyme, Fresh Tarragon, Smoked Paprika.

When grilling pork make a carolina style bbq sauce with a base of vinegar and mustard to compliment the meat.

When grilling beef make a mild sweet tomato base without vinegar to compliment the meat.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

If you're looking to build your personal chef business harnessing social media is the answer. Quality photos of your food is the most efficient way to increase revenue and build your customer base.

Show notes at aoachef.com

HELP US PROMOTE YOU LOCAL CHEF!!

If you like the show please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is how we can attract your favorite chef and introduce them to a new audience!

Review the show in iTunes We rely on it!!

Are you a chef or do you know a chef that would like to appear on the show?

Drop me a line at [email protected]

Have you thanked a chef today?

Click to view: show page on Awesound

If you're looking to build your personal chef business harnessing social media is the answer. Quality photos of your food is the most efficient way to increase revenue and build your customer base.

Show notes at aoachef.com

HELP US PROMOTE YOU LOCAL CHEF!!

If you like the show please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is how we can attract your favorite chef and introduce them to a new audience!

Review the show in iTunes We rely on it!!

Are you a chef or do you know a chef that would like to appear on the show?

Drop me a line at [email protected]

Have you thanked a chef today?

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Chef Chris grew up in West Hills, California, and moved to Cocoa Beach because his father supported NASA. Chris became an executive chef at Bistro Twentynine at the age of 20 in Palm Springs, California, then opened another restaurant, Bistro 39, which was the sister restaurant in Oceanside, California.

Chris has an amazing wife who supports him 100 percent in life, which could include some lonely nights and holidays due to the vicious hours and days that we work. Chris has two beautiful stepdaughters, Maggie and Miranda. Maggie pretty much eats anything that’s not spicy, and Miranda is a vegetarian

Like a lot of us, Chris started out at McDonald’s at 16, and eventually worked in the Cocoa Beach Resort as a dishwasher and worked his way up to fry, grill and then sous chef at the age of 18. Chris has been part owner and executive chef at Amici’s Beachside Bistro, Kiwi Tennis Club, Silvestro’s and Trend Kitchen.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Chef Chris grew up in West Hills, California, and moved to Cocoa Beach because his father supported NASA. Chris became an executive chef at Bistro Twentynine at the age of 20 in Palm Springs, California, then opened another restaurant, Bistro 39, which was the sister restaurant in Oceanside, California.

Chris has an amazing wife who supports him 100 percent in life, which could include some lonely nights and holidays due to the vicious hours and days that we work. Chris has two beautiful stepdaughters, Maggie and Miranda. Maggie pretty much eats anything that’s not spicy, and Miranda is a vegetarian

Like a lot of us, Chris started out at McDonald’s at 16, and eventually worked in the Cocoa Beach Resort as a dishwasher and worked his way up to fry, grill and then sous chef at the age of 18. Chris has been part owner and executive chef at Amici’s Beachside Bistro, Kiwi Tennis Club, Silvestro’s and Trend Kitchen.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

As Executive Chef of Urban Farmer in Denver,

Chris Starkus curates a locally focused, sustainably sourced steakhouse menu influenced by the bounty of Colorado.

Chris highlights his seasonally-driven menu

with nose-to-tail cuts of naturally-raised meat,

executed with finely honed French techniques.

Overseeing the whole animal butchery in-house, charcuterie program.

He also enjoys tending to the restaurant’s rooftop apiary and state-of-the-art Urban Cultivators

featuring homegrown mushrooms, microgreens, and sprouted grains. Inspired by America’s European ancestry,

Chris unites ingredients grown on-site with those harvested from closely regarded purveyors to offer rustic brunch, lunch,

and dinner preparations with bold, straightforward flavors.

That love for cuisine developed during his upbringing in Santa Clarita, CA, thanks to the influence of his great grandmother, Mini, and grandmother, Mary. The matriarchs’ from-scratch family meals—a tradition of their Italian heritage

After completing his culinary studies in 2001,

Chris found work at Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois,

and a year later, he made his way onto the opening team of Puck’s

Postrio Las Vegas,

first as tournant and later as assistant pastry chef, a yearlong apprenticeship position.

His experience and dedication to the brand

made him an obvious choice for the opening

Executive Chef at Urban Farmer’s fourth location in Denver.

Since joining the Sage Restaurant Group team,

Chris has competed on Food Network’s Chopped,

and has even studied beekeeping at Oregon State University,

contributing to his work on the restaurant’s rooftop apiary.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

As Executive Chef of Urban Farmer in Denver,

Chris Starkus curates a locally focused, sustainably sourced steakhouse menu influenced by the bounty of Colorado.

Chris highlights his seasonally-driven menu

with nose-to-tail cuts of naturally-raised meat,

executed with finely honed French techniques.

Overseeing the whole animal butchery in-house, charcuterie program.

He also enjoys tending to the restaurant’s rooftop apiary and state-of-the-art Urban Cultivators

featuring homegrown mushrooms, microgreens, and sprouted grains. Inspired by America’s European ancestry,

Chris unites ingredients grown on-site with those harvested from closely regarded purveyors to offer rustic brunch, lunch,

and dinner preparations with bold, straightforward flavors.

That love for cuisine developed during his upbringing in Santa Clarita, CA, thanks to the influence of his great grandmother, Mini, and grandmother, Mary. The matriarchs’ from-scratch family meals—a tradition of their Italian heritage

After completing his culinary studies in 2001,

Chris found work at Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois,

and a year later, he made his way onto the opening team of Puck’s

Postrio Las Vegas,

first as tournant and later as assistant pastry chef, a yearlong apprenticeship position.

His experience and dedication to the brand

made him an obvious choice for the opening

Executive Chef at Urban Farmer’s fourth location in Denver.

Since joining the Sage Restaurant Group team,

Chris has competed on Food Network’s Chopped,

and has even studied beekeeping at Oregon State University,

contributing to his work on the restaurant’s rooftop apiary.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Chef Katie Button was born in the South, raised in the North, and educated in Europe. Now, she has returned to her roots as chef and owner of two unique restaurant concepts in Asheville, North Carolina: Cúrate Tapas Bar and Nightbell.

Chef Button pursued science degrees in college and earned her master’s in biomedical engineering in Paris, France. She then changed course and devoted her pursuits to the culinary field, working for José Andrés at his restaurants in the United States and then for Ferran Adrià at the world-renowned elBulli in Spain.

After meeting her husband Félix Meana, Chef Button moved to Asheville and created Heirloom Hospitality Group with Meana and her parents in 2011. Together, they opened Cúrate in 2011. The Spanish tapas restaurant received instant attention and accolades, from mentions in The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times to local awards and press.

Nightbell, the second venue for Button and Heirloom Hospitality Group, opened in 2014. Nightbell is a contemporary American small plate restaurant with a craft cocktail bar and lounge. Button’s menu is a blend of comfort food and innovative twists on the classics, and her serious commitment to local farmers and sustainable products is evident.

Chef Button was a semi-finalist for the James Beard Rising Star Chef award from 2012-2014 and was a finalist in 2014, and also received a nomination for Best Chef Southeast in 2015. Chef Button was one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs of 2015 and hosted an international television series, The Best Chefs in the World.

The young chef also won the Robb Report Culinary Master Competition over Eric Ripert, Masa Takayama, Charlie Palmer, and Michael Mina, and in January 2013 she earned a StarChefs.com Rising Stars Award and the Golden Whisk from Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.

Button remains dedicated to causes beyond solely culinary pursuits. Her dedication to an eco-friendly approach to restaurant ownership was recently lauded by Grist.org, and both her restaurants, Cúrate and Nightbell, are living wage certified and work with local companies and organizations to recycle, compost, and reduce food waste and environmental impact. Chef Button cooked at this year’s Human Rights Campaign fundraiser in Washington, D.C., a Chef Action Network summit in Asheville, and works locally with Chefs at Welcome Table and Green Opportunities’ Kitchen Ready Program. She has also attended the James Beard Foundation Boot Camp for Policy and Change, an educational program with Chefs Action Network for select chefs from across the country.

Chef Button published her first cookbook in October 2016. The book, Cúrate: Authentic Spanish Food from an American Kitchen, celebrates the broad appeal of Spanish cooking and shows readers how to recreate and adapt classic dishes in the home kitchen using seasonal local ingredients.

Show notes at aoachef.com

HELP US PROMOTE YOU LOCAL CHEF!!

If you like the show please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is how we can attract your favorite chef and introduce them to a new audience!

Review the show in iTunes We rely on it!!

Are you a chef or do you know a chef that would like to appear on the show?

Drop me a line at [email protected]

Have you thanked a chef today?

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Chef Katie Button was born in the South, raised in the North, and educated in Europe. Now, she has returned to her roots as chef and owner of two unique restaurant concepts in Asheville, North Carolina: Cúrate Tapas Bar and Nightbell.

Chef Button pursued science degrees in college and earned her master’s in biomedical engineering in Paris, France. She then changed course and devoted her pursuits to the culinary field, working for José Andrés at his restaurants in the United States and then for Ferran Adrià at the world-renowned elBulli in Spain.

After meeting her husband Félix Meana, Chef Button moved to Asheville and created Heirloom Hospitality Group with Meana and her parents in 2011. Together, they opened Cúrate in 2011. The Spanish tapas restaurant received instant attention and accolades, from mentions in The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times to local awards and press.

Nightbell, the second venue for Button and Heirloom Hospitality Group, opened in 2014. Nightbell is a contemporary American small plate restaurant with a craft cocktail bar and lounge. Button’s menu is a blend of comfort food and innovative twists on the classics, and her serious commitment to local farmers and sustainable products is evident.

Chef Button was a semi-finalist for the James Beard Rising Star Chef award from 2012-2014 and was a finalist in 2014, and also received a nomination for Best Chef Southeast in 2015. Chef Button was one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs of 2015 and hosted an international television series, The Best Chefs in the World.

The young chef also won the Robb Report Culinary Master Competition over Eric Ripert, Masa Takayama, Charlie Palmer, and Michael Mina, and in January 2013 she earned a StarChefs.com Rising Stars Award and the Golden Whisk from Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.

Button remains dedicated to causes beyond solely culinary pursuits. Her dedication to an eco-friendly approach to restaurant ownership was recently lauded by Grist.org, and both her restaurants, Cúrate and Nightbell, are living wage certified and work with local companies and organizations to recycle, compost, and reduce food waste and environmental impact. Chef Button cooked at this year’s Human Rights Campaign fundraiser in Washington, D.C., a Chef Action Network summit in Asheville, and works locally with Chefs at Welcome Table and Green Opportunities’ Kitchen Ready Program. She has also attended the James Beard Foundation Boot Camp for Policy and Change, an educational program with Chefs Action Network for select chefs from across the country.

Chef Button published her first cookbook in October 2016. The book, Cúrate: Authentic Spanish Food from an American Kitchen, celebrates the broad appeal of Spanish cooking and shows readers how to recreate and adapt classic dishes in the home kitchen using seasonal local ingredients.

Show notes at aoachef.com

HELP US PROMOTE YOU LOCAL CHEF!!

If you like the show please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is how we can attract your favorite chef and introduce them to a new audience!

Review the show in iTunes We rely on it!!

Are you a chef or do you know a chef that would like to appear on the show?

Drop me a line at [email protected]

Have you thanked a chef today?

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Chef Katie Button was born in the South, raised in the North, and educated in Europe. Now, she has returned to her roots as chef and owner of two unique restaurant concepts in Asheville, North Carolina: Cúrate Tapas Bar and Nightbell.

Chef Button pursued science degrees in college and earned her master’s in biomedical engineering in Paris, France. She then changed course and devoted her pursuits to the culinary field, working for José Andrés at his restaurants in the United States and then for Ferran Adrià at the world-renowned elBulli in Spain.

After meeting her husband Félix Meana, Chef Button moved to Asheville and created Heirloom Hospitality Group with Meana and her parents in 2011. Together, they opened Cúrate in 2011. The Spanish tapas restaurant received instant attention and accolades, from mentions in The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times to local awards and press.

Nightbell, the second venue for Button and Heirloom Hospitality Group, opened in 2014. Nightbell is a contemporary American small plate restaurant with a craft cocktail bar and lounge. Button’s menu is a blend of comfort food and innovative twists on the classics, and her serious commitment to local farmers and sustainable products is evident.

Chef Button was a semi-finalist for the James Beard Rising Star Chef award from 2012-2014 and was a finalist in 2014, and also received a nomination for Best Chef Southeast in 2015. Chef Button was one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs of 2015 and hosted an international television series, The Best Chefs in the World.

The young chef also won the Robb Report Culinary Master Competition over Eric Ripert, Masa Takayama, Charlie Palmer, and Michael Mina, and in January 2013 she earned a StarChefs.com Rising Stars Award and the Golden Whisk from Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.

Button remains dedicated to causes beyond solely culinary pursuits. Her dedication to an eco-friendly approach to restaurant ownership was recently lauded by Grist.org, and both her restaurants, Cúrate and Nightbell, are living wage certified and work with local companies and organizations to recycle, compost, and reduce food waste and environmental impact. Chef Button cooked at this year’s Human Rights Campaign fundraiser in Washington, D.C., a Chef Action Network summit in Asheville, and works locally with Chefs at Welcome Table and Green Opportunities’ Kitchen Ready Program. She has also attended the James Beard Foundation Boot Camp for Policy and Change, an educational program with Chefs Action Network for select chefs from across the country.

Chef Button published her first cookbook in October 2016. The book, Cúrate: Authentic Spanish Food from an American Kitchen, celebrates the broad appeal of Spanish cooking and shows readers how to recreate and adapt classic dishes in the home kitchen using seasonal local ingredients.

Show notes at aoachef.com

HELP US PROMOTE YOU LOCAL CHEF!!

If you like the show please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is how we can attract your favorite chef and introduce them to a new audience!

Review the show in iTunes We rely on it!!

Are you a chef or do you know a chef that would like to appear on the show?

Drop me a line at [email protected]

Have you thanked a chef today?

Click to view: show page on Awesound