Somehow, another season has come and gone. The farms are closed for the winter. The orchards and vineyards are dormant and our agritourism has dwindled compared to what it was a few short months ago. On the flip side, the mountain biking has been incredible and I can’t wait for the upcoming winter to have the opportunity to chase storms all over the state for the deepest powder. This cycle is so much more than just our way of life — this cycle is unique. Our collective version of this cycle is what makes our region so special. Agritourism and outdoor recreation may not be the most lucrative industries in western Colorado, but they arguably do the most to both create and inform our culture.

One of the major motivations for me as a chef is to create a sense of place within our restaurants. We have always sourced local and have explored dishes and menu options allowing us to use ingredients that are representative of where we live in the world. That conversation is a really tricky one. I have come to realize that our culinary history doesn’t run very deep. Not that it’s shallow, more so that it’s young comparatively. Our traditions, seeds, cultural inspiration and background as a state are only a few generations old. I have argued that the traditions we are all building today will have a greater impact on “Colorado Cuisine” than any other time in the last 200 years.

A year ago I wrote about the James Beard Awards and how we all have the ability to change the culinary landscape by drawing attention to what is happening here — not only all over Colorado, but more so in remote parts of the state and our surrounding regions seeing the same types of growth. This year, I couldn’t be more excited to share that we weren’t the only ones to feel this way. The James Beard Foundation has created an entirely new region within the United States, the newly-named “Mountain Region,” which includes Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and Utah. That means that the agriculture and cuisine that define our way of life are both different and unique enough to be recognized as its own entity.

The recession that started in 2008 changed our food systems and promted artisan producers to use local ingredients grown from first-generation farmers on small farms. Designer beef has taken off and “land management” now means pasture-raised proteins and organic certifications. This is all new. Colorado has become an international tourism destination. And while our state capital may have more restaurants per capita and a more robust restaurant scene than all but a couple other cities in America, I think it’s safe to say that family-owned Mexican restaurants in the San Luis Valley or Salt Lake City have just as much regional influence as does a popular “must stop” on Denver’s Larimer Square. Because of that, we are able to see regional differences in similar cuisines and restaurants in our mountain region. We may even be able to finally put the great “green chile debate” to bed as even the James Beard Foundation believes Colorado green chile is special enough to not even be considered “Southwestern.”

I wax poetic (at the drop of a hat) about the attributes of local ingredients, regional cuisine, our food movements and the state of the industry in the pages of Spoke+Blossom. The goal is to flip the script of the negative connotations that western Colorado has been subject to for so long, showcasing just how special a place we are all so lucky to be a part of.

I will be the first to say we have a unique set of challenges here, but I wouldn’t trade it for anywhere else. The more I travel and study food and restaurants, the more I see just how unique we are. The James Beard redistricting is validation that the work we are all doing is both significant and the beginning of something new. We are creating tradition and cuisine to be proud of and to perpetuate. The best way to do so is to weigh in; please take a moment to go to the website (jamesbeard.secure-platform.com) and nominate a chef or restaurant you believe deserves a James Beard Award.

Originally published in the Winter 2020 issue of Spoke+Blossom

#TheNewWest : Redefining Regional Cuisine