Round two with chef Kevin Taylor

Lori Midson

Kevin Taylor
Restaurant Kevin Taylor at the Hotel Teatro
1106 14th Street
303-820-2600
www.ktrg.net

This is part two of my interview with Kevin Taylor, executive chef of Restaurant Kevin Taylor, Prima Ristorante, Limelight, Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House, Palettes at the Denver Art Museum, and Rouge, in the Teller House in Central City. Part one of my chat with Taylor ran yesterday.

Culinary inspirations: An always-evolving food scene; great design; luxury in anything; the simple details -- like a table that's completely square; travel; fashion; cooks and waiters; anyone who's creative; and anyone who has passion for what they do.

Greatest accomplishment as a chef: Opening my first restaurant -- Zenith American Grill -- at the age of 25. It was just the newness of it. Everything was on the line, and opening your first restaurant really defines who you are -- and who you're going to be in the future.

Current Denver culinary genius: Alex Seidel. He's turned down so many offers to do more restaurants, and he's stayed true to himself, his passion, his farm and his restaurant over expansion

What you'd like to see more of in Denver/Boulder from a culinary standpoint: Smaller menus and fewer choices. Large menus are hard to execute well and staff, and while more ingredients equal more things, it doesn't necessarily equal more things done well. I'd love to see more tasting menus with only one choice of starter, entree and dessert, but I don't think we're ready for that in this country. That said, we just started a tasting menu at Restaurant Kevin Taylor that's six courses -- and only six courses. You get what you get. If you can control what people eat, you'll have a much better restaurant, and diners will have a much better experience, because the execution will be perfect.

What you'd like to see less of in Denver/Boulder from a culinary standpoint: Hamburgers and budget/discount programs like Groupon. The discounts are so unbelievably steep, and the companies that offer those coupons keep half of whatever they sell. The discount programs are creating a whole different kind of customer -- a one-time customer that's only coming because they have a coupon. And then people get angry when the coupons have expired -- after six months -- and they still want to use them. In no way is it good for the industry.

Favorite restaurant in America: Gotham Bar and Grill in New York. It's always perfect food in an amazing city, and there's no pretense from anyone. The architectural food, dirty sidewalks, sketchy neighborhood -- all the hustle and excitement and amazing food to match. You know you're truly in New York when you're dining there.

Best food city in America: New York. The discipline and execution required to have a successful restaurant there is so unbelievably hard that customers truly get more value than anywhere else in the country. Restaurants have dropped their prices so low in New York -- just to survive -- that it's cheaper to go out than to cook at home. It's truly the best restaurant city in every category: French, Italian, sushi, pizza...and on and on.