Our Winner: Alex Seidel
Chef-Owner, Fruition Restaurant, fruitionrestaurant.com

Roots:
Racine, WI

Classrooms:
Le Cordon Bleu, Portland

Kitchens:
Louise’s Trattoria and Main Street Bistro in Wisconsin; Pazzo in Portland; Club 19 Restaurant, Anton & Michel, and Carmel Valley Ranch in California; Sweet Basil in Vail; Mizuna and Fruition Restaurant in Denver

Why He’s Our Winner:
In today’s farm-to-table climate, it is no longer enough for a chef to excel in the kitchen; one must also be familiar with the field. For many, this means forging relationships with area farmers. For Seidel, it meant becoming one. In May, Seidel purchased a 10-acre farm in Larkspur. He’s begun producing fruits, vegetables, and eggs for the restaurant with plans for beekeeping and cheese making. While many successful chefs satisfy their itch for a new challenge by opening a second space, Seidel is further strength-ening the success story he’s already got. We’ve always loved his laborious, technique-driven approach to bringing us time-tested flavor combinations in unexpected yet humble ways. Infuse this with the knowledge and ingredients coming out of Fruition Farms, and Seidel’s food can’t be beat.

Unexpected after-school snack:
Raw pasta and peanut butter, “My mom wasn’t the greatest cook.”

Most memorable professional moment:
Taking his entire staff to Oregon last year to witness the food philosophy there.

Number of times he’s turned down the chance to open a second restaurant:
A dozen.

What’s next:
“There’s always projects in the works, but I never talk about them until they’re done.”

Troy Guard
Chef-Owner, TAG, tag-restaurant.com

Roots:
Honolulu, HI; Seattle, WA; San Diego, CA

Classrooms:
Wittenberg University

Kitchens:
La Costa Resort and Spa in California; Roy’s Kahana Bar & Grill in Hawaii; The Peninsula Hotel and Roy’s at New China Max in Hong Kong; Roy’s and Nobu in Tokyo; Roy’s and Tao in New York City; Doc Cheng’s at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore; Tamayo, Zengo, nine75, Ocean, and TAG in Denver

Why We Love Him:
When Guard resurfaced to open his eponymous TAG in May, Denver was reminded just how extensive this chef’s pantry is. Inspired by years of cooking around the world, Guard is once again turning out innovative yet cohesive creations. In a food moment that is all-things-local (for good reason), we love Guard for reminding us how much fun culinary globetrotting can be while still managing to respect his Colorado surroundings.

How he got from Singapore to Denver:
Richard Sandoval, the restaurateur behind Tamayo, was Guard’s guest chef for a Cinco de Mayo dinner at Doc Cheng's in the Raffles Hotel. Impressed, Sandoval asked Guard to open Zengo with him.

Menu item that best demonstrates his style:
Szechuan Colorado Lamb.

2009 accomplishment he’s proud of:
Creating 35 new jobs.

What’s next:
More TAGs, “maybe by the ocean.”

Jeff Osaka
Chef-Owner, Twelve Restaurant, twelverestaurant.com

Roots:
Los Angeles, CA

Classrooms:
Diablo Valley College

Kitchens:
DC3, Tarpy’s Roadhouse, One Market, Pastis, Pinot Bistro, Joe’s Restaurant, Chloe, and Melisse in California; Chinois in Las Vegas; Restaurant Terroir and Koshu in Jackson, WY; Twelve Restaurant in Denver

Why We Love Him:
One year ago this fall, Osaka moved to Denver to open Twelve Restaurant in an unconventional neighborhood for a restaurant of its kind. This curious confidence can also be seen in Osaka’s food, where he is comfortable letting ingredients speak for themselves. We love Osaka for bringing Denver the kind of exceptionally controlled food that is causing diners to rethink what it means to be a good chef.

Trip to the bathroom that launched his career:
Dining at L.A.’s DC3 at age 27, he passed the kitchen and was so intrigued he asked for a job.

Connection to Charlie Chaplin:
The actor was a regular at Osaka’s grandfather’s L.A. restaurant.

How he became a Jew:
Impressed with Hanukkah dinner while Osaka was his personal chef, Steven Spielberg dubbed him “bar mitzvahed.”

What’s next:
Japanese spot in the Ballpark District.

John Broening
Chef-Owner, Olivéa and Executive Chef, Duo Restaurant, olivearestaurant.com and duodenver.com

Roots:
Baltimore, MD; Paris, France; Moscow, Russia; Estoril, Portugal

Classrooms:
Haverford College, Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School (now The Institute of Culinary Education)

Kitchens:
China Grill and Metro in New York City; Bix, Roti, Enrico’s, Hawthorne Lane, and Grand Café in San Francisco; Le Bistrot de l’Etoile Niel and Le Grenadin Gourmand in Paris; Primitivo in Colorado Springs; Brasserie Rouge, Udi’s Handcrafted Foods, Duo Restaurant, and Olivéa in Denver

Why We Love Him:
Many area chefs naively admit to cooking the kind of food they think Denver likes. When Broening opened Olivéa earlier this year, however, he chose to bring us the food he likes: Mediterranean food that is as intelligent as he is. Sugo? Romesco? Agrodolce? Preparations from the Olivéa menu we should know and, under Broening’s watch, love. In addition to being a talented chef, Broening is a thinker. We love him for bringing Denver the kind of menu that forces us to do the same.

What surprised him about the French when he staged under chef Guy Savoy:
Their frugality, “The garbage can was barely half full at the end of the day.”

Why he moved to Colorado:
He felt needed here.

Secret we’re glad his wife, Yasmin Lozada-Hissom, kept from him:
Sending his resume to Duo while he was sleeping.

What’s next:
A cookbook akin to his seasonal recipe column in The Denver Post.

See Our Winners

• Chef of the Year
• Specialty Chef of the Year
• Pastry Chef of the Year
• Rising Star of the Year
• Mixologist of the Year