Bruto and chef Kelly Whitaker were among the big winners at the Michelin Guide Awards on September 12, 2023. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)
Chefs from across the state crowded into Denver’s Mission Ballroom Tuesday night with sweaty palms and weak knees to wish for a Michelin star.
And the esteemed Michelin Guide organization, rating restaurants in Colorado for the first time this year, did not disappoint, awarding individual stars to five restaurants in Denver, Boulder and Aspen, as well as a number of special awards during the evening ceremony.
The winners of individual Michelin stars in Colorado were:
Beckon and chef Duncan Holmes in Denver
Bosq and Chef Barclay Dodge in Aspen
Brutø and Michael Diaz de Leon and Kelly Whitaker in Denver
Frasca Food and Wine and Chef Ian Palazzola in Boulder
The Wolf’s Tailor and chefs Taylor Stark and Kelly Whitaker in Denver
Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post
Frasca Food & Wine in Boulder.
The Michelin Guide announced in June that it would publish a Colorado guide for the first time, rating restaurants in Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Snowmass Village, Vail and Beaver Creek Resort. This was big news in the food world as Michelin, which is highly regarded, only lists and rates restaurants in seven other regions of North America: New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, California, Miami/Orlando/Tampa in Florida, Toronto and Vancouver .
The other awards were as follows:
Award for Outstanding Service: Sergei Kiffel and the Frasca Food and Wine team
Award for exceptional cocktails: Caroline Clark from The Wolf’s Tailor in Denver
Sommelier Award: Ryan Fletter and Erin Lindstone from Barolo Grill in Denver
Young Chef/Culinarian: Kelly Kawachi of Blackbelly Market in Boulder
Green Star (sustainable restaurants): Blackbelly Market; Blackberry Bush and Hare in Boulder; Brutø; The Wolf Cutter
The “famously anonymous” Michelin inspectors award one, two or three stars based on five criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef reflected in their cuisine, and the consistency in all areas, according to Michelin, the entire menu and over time.
According to state officials, the Colorado Tourism Office, with help from participating cities, contributed the $135,000 annual cost of promoting the Michelin Guide in Colorado for the next three years. However, some cities, such as Aurora, declined to participate, leading to disappointment among chefs and restaurateurs in those cities.
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