After celebrating a 20-year tenure, Chef Penelope Wong submitted her resignation from her role as Executive Chef at Glenmoor Country Club in 2018. After successfully accomplishing the goals she has set for herself, her team and her department at the country club, Chef Penelope set out to seek new ventures and new challenges in the culinary industry. That new venture is the wildly popular Yuan Wonton - A food truck Denver has desperately needed.

In December of 2018, Chef Penelope, along with her husband, Rob Jenks, set out to start their own business. After months of research, planning and execution, Chef Penelope revealed the concept of a food truck specializing in hand made dumplings and wontons. After a complete custom build-out that Chef Penelope and Rob had executed on their own, Yuan Wonton, Denver’s dumpling truck, officially launched in the Denver market in September of 2019, exactly 1-year after Chef Penelope left the private club arena.

Jared Leonard has a problem. He likes opening restaurants. Lots of restaurants. The thing is though, he's pretty damn good at opening restaurants. He opens restaurants that work. He opens restaurants that are successful. He opens restaurants with amazingly simple food and impeccable service. Maybe it isn't a problem... Jared's latest concept is Grabowski's Pizzeria in the The Source Hotel and Market Hall. Ya think you know 'Chicago Style' pizza? Think again. This ain't no doughy Pizzeria Uno thick crust pie - Nah, this is 'Real Deal' Chi-town Tavern goodness. Let's check in on our old friend, and see what he's got in the oven for us...also, wtf is a Grabowski?

Jared Leonard is a restaurant man. Part restaurateur, part entrepreneur, part family man, and clearly a workaholic. He's one of the good guys. His newest concept is Grabowski’s - A Chicago, tavern style pizzeria

Frank Bonanno (ever heard of him?) is the chef and proprietor of Bonanno Concepts, a Denver restaurant group that’s the umbrella to some of Denver’s most established restaurants and bars: Mizuna, Luca, Osteria Marco, French 75, Green Russell, Wednesday's Pies, Russell's Smokehouse, Vesper Lounge, Lou's Food Bar, Salt & Grinder and his newest venture, Denver Milk Market--a 16-concept market and food hall. Mizuna is widely recognized among the top restaurants in the country; Green Russell has been twice recognized by Travel & Leisure as one of the top cocktail bars in the world.

Frank Bonanno is a graduate of the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business and the Culinary Institute of American in Hyde Park, NY. He has authored two cookbooks, received multiple James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist nominations, and was the host of the widely popular PBS show called Chef Driven. Thirteen of Frank’s former executive chefs have moved on to open restaurants of their own, virtually shaping the Colorado culinary landscape.

Julia Joun is the Founder and Executive Director of the Flatirons Food Film Festival. In its seventh year, the Festival that runs Oct. 10-13 is an annual multi-day film festival in Boulder, CO. It is intended to bring together those interested in eating, food culture, and food issues to educate, entertain, and inspire them. The Festival screens a mix of US and international feature and documentary films that address a wide range of food-related topics and issues. They also present film-related culinary events, engage expert speakers for every film, and host distinguished visiting speakers to enhance the educational and convivial aspects of the films. This year's Festival has eight film programs, speakers and panels and panel discussions, lectures, events like a pollinator fair and farm-to-table dinner at Bramble and Hare, and exhibitions of art inspired by our films. Grab your popcorn, and cozy in...

Julia Joun, Founder and Executive Director of the Flatirons Food Film Festival, has followed the Denver and Boulder culinary scene for nearly 30 years. Her twin passions for food and film led her to found the Festival. Julia believes that food, restaurants, farms, and adult beverages in the area are better than ever. She relaxes by finding the perfect tomato at the Boulder Farmers Market and watching films. On the flip side of her double life, she is a professional writer, who specializes in software documentation.

Fresh seafood in a land-locked state?? That's crazy talk! NOPE!! In fact, the technology that Niceland Seafood employs will BLOW both coasts of your mind! Niceland Seafood is the first turn-key provider of fresh Icelandic Fish to offer full traceability from sea to pan. Meghan Russell, Director of US Sales & Strategy and Patrick Dunaway, Sales Aquaculture Specialist join me to talk about the GIANT waves Niceland Seafood is making! Play nice...

Although a small nation, Iceland leads the world when it comes to sustainable fisheries, advanced data systems, and cutting-edge processing technologies that minimize time and waste. Their breathtaking nature has some of the cleanest waters in the world. They believe in maintaining the health of their marine life, just like fishing has maintained life on the beautiful island for centuries. Niceland Seafood is the first turn-key provider of fresh Icelandic fish that is delivered directly through a new fully traceable digital sales channel. This is Sea-to-Pan traceability, allowing them not only to supply you with fish directly, but also allowing you to know where your fish came from and how it got to you! Meghan Russell, and Patrick Dunaway are here to tell us a whale of a tale...

Patrick Williams is the National Beverage Director for Punch Bowl Social. Around 17 years ago, Patrick stepped behind a bar for the first time. A light shone down on him, and with a twinkle in his eye, he realized he was on the right path. Fast Company ranked Punch Bowl Social #1 in the Gaming Category - Considering Patrick puts the PUNCH in Punch Bowl Social - Dude might know a thing or two about his craft. Let's get muddled and shaken with the King of Punch!

Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, he relocated to Denver, Colorado in 2006 to follow his dream in the bar and restaurant business. Feeding off of the creativity and ingenuity of his mentors and peers (some of the most recognized bartenders in Denver), he found he was a natural at crafting cocktails. Patrick fell in love with the ‘process’ and all things muddled and shaken. A Bar Smarts Advanced graduate, Certified Cicerone, member of the Colorado and United States Bartender Guilds, and crowned Denver’s Punch King 2015 & 2016, Patrick is most proud of founding PBS’s Best of the Bowl cocktail competition – an internal, but national, cocktail competition amongst Punch Bowl bartenders.

Linda Hampsten Fox is the creative force and mind behind The Bindery—an all-day bakery, market and eatery in the Lower Highlands neighborhood of Denver. The Colorado Restaurant Association named her Chef of the Year in 2018. The Bindery is a true journey of food culture - Let's take a journey with their creator.

Linda Hampsten has been cooking professionally for most of her life. She perfected her craft while apprenticing with chefs in Switzerland, Italy and France from the 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.

Victoria Wolf and Richard Ouellette run Victoria's Gluten Free Kitchen here in Denver, CO. Victoria didn't set out to start a business - but she did, and the gluten free community is sure glad she did. Armed with 27 years experience in marketing, coupled with Richard's vast amount of experience in grocery, food service and broker segments - they took a simple pizza crust recipe and built one of the hottest brands out there. Let's hear how they did it, and more importantly...why.

Cooking since she was 9, Victoria has always loved food. However, gluten-free baking never interested her but the quest to create a gluten-free pizza which reminded her of what she used to love was the motivation she needed. After creating the original pizza crust, she spent two years perfecting the sandwich bread recipe. Now, what started as one product has mushroomed into 12 SKUs and counting.

Rich too has been cooking since he was 9 and worked side-by-side with Victoria to create the products. He brings the much-needed non-gluten-free perspective to the brand. I’m proud to welcome to power couple behind Victoria’s Gluten Free Kitchen to the show.

Bill Miner has had quite a life - Raised in rural Ohio in the beautiful rolling hills and farmland of the Buckeye State. Bill has cooked for Rock-n-Roll royalty, as well as ski resort greasy spoons. An Art Institute alumni, Bill's fascination with cured meats has not only turned his company, il porcellino salumi into a national brand - it's also given him numerous accolades and awards. It took me some time to land my friend, Bill. He's not one to boast of his greatness...the geniuses never are.

Bill Miner is a super genius - a genius with a passion for cured meats. That passion turned into il porcellino salumi, a whole animal butcher shop and delicatessen born in October, 2015 at 41st & Tennyson Street. The basis of the business has always been charcuterie and house cured meats utilizing locally raised animals. The shop received quick praise upon opening, being named Best New Deli in Denver and Best Sandwich Shop by Westword in2015 & 2016, and a Top Ten New Restaurant by multiple publications in Denver. The praise for the salami and charcuterie started coming in 2017, when il porcellino salumi won two Good Food Awards, for its Coppa and its Head Cheese. In 2018, Bill Miner was crowned the Grand Champion at Charcuterie Masters in NYC, beating out 100+ other national competitors from around the country, including all of the big boys, for one of il porcellino’s best selling products, Spiced Juniper Salami.

Jason zumBrunnen is the co-founder and Brew master at Ratio Beerworks in Denver, CO. Before forming Ratio, Jason tried his hand at many unusual jobs, including working at Cirque du Soleil (NOT as an acrobat!), working at film studios in LA, selling plastic, and touring the world singing and playing guitar in a punk rock band. He learned how to drink on tour - And learned how to brew in Germany. Music. Beer. Chef or Death feels right at home...

In many ways, Ratio Beerworks started in the punk scene back in the late 90’s. They cut their teeth by touring, playing out, creating zines, and working at labels. That DIY mindset prepared them for the challenges of creating and sharing our passions on their own terms. Over the years that energy has been channeled into brewing, learning the craft in Germany and honing their skills at some of the most respected breweries in Colorado. After moving on to successful careers in brewing, marketing, and finance; they have teamed up again for their most ambitious project yet - Ratio Beerworks, a Denver micro brewery.