
Denver Magazine contacted me last month to shoot their first ever Chef of the Year special section for the magazine. I've always enjoyed food, food photography and portraits of chefs so I jumped on the opportunity. We ended up not shooting any finished plates of food for the piece but instead shooting some group portraits of chefs and mixologists in their environments. It figured to be a logistical nightmare but Stacey Brugeman, Denver Magazine's food editor, and Tom Visocchi, the magazine's art director, pulled it all together like the pros they are and we were able to get all 20 chefs together on a Tuesday in September for the portraits. Results were kept under wraps until a party this past Monday at the May D&H Clocktower in downtown Denver so we had to be careful with letting anyone in on the results beforehand. We even had to be a bit dishonest with Alex Seidel of
Fruition Restaurant, the Chef of the Year (on the cover), to keep it all secret when we made a trip down to Fruition Farms to photograph him with his chickens and goats Frick and Frack on the farm he has recently purchased. On a side note, what he intends to do down there sounds amazing and I'm hoping it takes off in the near future.
Congratulations to all the finalists and category winners...There are some truly talented folks featured on the pages of Denver Magazine this month. Everyone selected was chosen by their peers which speaks volumes about the integrity of the selection process. I've eaten at many of the places listed and am headed out tonight to one of the finalists that I've yet to try. So if you're in the mood for a good
meal,
dessert or
drink one evening in Denver
here would be a good place to start your serach. Enjoy.