Denver is home to 20 up-and-coming chefs, bartenders, sommeliers and restaurateurs who should be on your radar now, according to StarChefs.
For the restaurant trade publication’s , five U.S. cities’ rising restaurant and bar professionals are honored: Denver, Washington D.C., Nashville, New Orleans and San Francisco.
Winners have all worked for less than a decade in senior-level positions such as executive chef, beverage director and bar director.
“In each market, the editorial team tastes and interviews with over 150 chefs, pastry chefs, bartenders, sommeliers and artisans, ultimately selecting a group of 18 to 24 professionals (who) best represent the future of American dining,” the StarChefs website says of its Rising Stars program. “Creativity, ambition, presentation, philosophy and, most important, delicious food, cocktails and/or pairings win a professional the designation of a StarChefs Rising Star.”
To celebrate the Denver winners, StarChefs will host Rising Stars Restaurant Week(s) from July 19 to Aug. 2. During that time, diners can go to any of the winners’ establishments and order “the signature dishes, desserts, pastries, drinks and pairings that wowed the StarChefs editorial team.” Signature food and drinks are also listed with recipes on the StarChefs website.
Here are the 2022 Rising Stars Denver award-winners, their winning categories and where you can find them:
Manuel Barrella Lopez, Chef, Bellota
Shawn Bergin, Baker, Bakery Four
Tajahi and Danielle Cooke, Community, Freedom Street Social
Michael Diaz de Leon, Game Changer, Bruto
Dave Hadley, Chef, at Room for Milly
Alex Jump, Bartender, Death & Co
Clara Klein, Sommelier, Sunday Vinyl
Saura Kline, Host Chef,
Liliana Myers, Pastry Chef, Safta
Anthony and Anna Nguyen, Chefs, Sap Sua
Jessica Richter and Adam Branz, Restaurateurs,
Chris Rogers, Sommelier, Tavernetta
Taylor Stark, Chef, The Wolf’s Tailor
Kelly Whitaker, Mentor, id est hospitality group (Basta, Bruto, , The Wolf’s Tailor)
Brian Wilson, Chef, Cart-Driver LoHi
Mary Allison Wright and McLain Hedges, Community, Yacht Club
