"In 1999, when Chef Alex Seidel first set foot in Colorado, the state was better known as a destination for backpackers, climbers and skiers rather than aficionados of food and drink. But in the last five years—as Denver and Boulder have perhaps eclipsed Aspen as the most buzzed-about towns in the Rocky Mountain State—Seidel has found himself at the center of a rapidly expanding restaurant scene, serving recent transplants from such food meccas as New York, San Francisco, and beyond.
PHOTO BY LAUREN DEFILIPPO
Folks on the coasts may not know his name, but they likely have heard of the James Beard Foundation. This spring, Seidel took home the JBF award for Best Chef Southwest, staking a claim not only for his personal legacy, but for the city of Denver at large."