Life in Louisiana revolves around food. My first 18 years in Ruston LA was no exception. I remember the peach festivals in July and the crawfish festivals in May and Sundays were all about big home cooked meals.
Shortly after moving to Colorado in 1999, I was sucked into the restaurant industry. I began working as a dish washer in Winter Park to facilitate the life as a ski bum. I fell in love with cooking and decided to attend The Art Institute of Colorado in Denver in 2001.
I have had the opportunity to work with the best chefs of the West here in Denver for the past decade. Some of the local favorites include: Dazzle, Panzano, Solera, Montecito and Highlands Garden Café. I’ve learned a few things and have been able to formulate my own philosophy concerning food. I believe a good meal has a few key factors: fresh seasonal ingredients, a passion for highlighting those ingredients and a lot of love mixed into the pot. My main goal in creating new dishes is letting the ingredients shine. A tomato should taste like a tomato. A plate should be a celebration of the season; of the harvest at hand. I also believe chefs have a responsibility, especially today, to use their ingredients wisely and to be aware of where they came from and how they were produced. Every kitchen that I have the opportunity to manage will strive to hit that mark.