Lori Midson

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J. Michael Melton
Zydeco's
1730 Wynkoop Street
303-293-2887
www.zydecosdenver.com

This is part two of my chat with J. Michael Melton, exec chef of Zydeco's. Part one of our interview ran in this space yesterday.

Favorite Denver/Boulder restaurant(s) other than your own: I eat at Tom's Home Cookin' once a week. It reminds me of my elementary-school cafeteria, except Ms. Eleonora isn't there to say "There ya go, baby" -- and give me an extra milk. Shells and Sauce is my neighborhood joint, and I love to go there when I get the time. I have a requirement-slash-resolution for 2012, which includes getting out more and actually visiting the restaurants I read so much about.

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Lori Midson

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J. Michael Melton
Zydeco's
1730 Wynkoop Street
303-293-2887
www.zydecosdenver.com

This is part one of my chat with J. Michael Melton, exec chef of Zydeco's. Part two of our interview will run in this space tomorrow.

I got the gift of the Southern double name," drawls J. Michael Melton in his very Southern accent. "My daddy calls me James, sometimes Jamey, occasionally Mike, more often Mikey, and me and my family? We're from South Carolina, and in South Carolina, we eat. And we eat well."

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Lori Midson

​"Every season the bar gets higher, every season it means more to be the one on top -- do you have what it takes to be the next TOP CHEF?" So begins the wording on the Bravo website, taunting cookers from around the country to audition for the tenth season of Top Chef, which, if you believe the rumors, will take place in Seattle. But Denver is one of several major metropolitan cities that can get you there...if you show up to the casting call at Linger on Wednesday, February 22, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. "Bravo was looking for a big, visually impressive space to hold casting calls, and obviously, Linger is perfect," says Aubrey Cornelius, who does PR for the restaurant.

Colorado has already produced one Top Chef victor: Former Jax-Boulder exec chef Hosea Rosenberg took the prize on season five. Kelly Liken, whose eponymous restaurant resides in Vail, nearly made it all the way on season seven, and Melissa Harrison, who was once a sous chef at Boulder's Centro Latin Kitchen and Refreshment Palace, also appeared on Season Five with Rosenberg.

Cornelius insists that Justin Cucci, the executive chef of Linger (and Root Down) isn't auditioning for a cheftestant spot, but it got us thinking about whose knives we'd most like to see fly in the face of Tom Colicchio. Herewith our top picks:

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Lori Midson

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Tom Coohill
Coohills
1400 Wewatta Street
303-623-5700
coohills.com

This is part two of my interview with Tom Coohill, exec chef/owner of Coohills. Part one of my chat with Coohill appeared in this space yesterday.

Favorite restaurant in America: Hangawi in New York City has the most interesting vegetarian food I've seen. I still can't figure out how they work their tofu. Hangawi stands out the most in my mind for their creative side.

Favorite Denver/Boulder restaurant(s) other than your own: The Kitchen in Boulder, ChoLon and Euclid Hall are just a few. I really appreciate food that's done properly, and I like to go to places that do different things than I do here.

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Thirty Denver chefs convened at twelve last night to mingle and talk about the evolution of the city's culinary scene.

​Two years ago, when I did a Chef and Tell interview with Jeff Osaka, the owner/chef of twelve, I asked him what he'd like to see more of in Denver from a culinary standpoint. His answer was poignant, straightforward and inclusive:

I want more chefs working to build camaraderie. Sure, we want to be the best at what we do and outshine the next guy, but I always think it's easier to get to the top with help rather than trying to do it all on your own. Unfortunately, our work lives are so busy, and once we throw our personal lives into the mix, we're back to square one. I'm sort of an outsider. Chefs have big egos, but the passion needs to be shared. If we're all busy, then we're all making money. This is an open invitation for all chefs to give me a call -- 303-293-0287 -- and just say "hi."

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Lori Midson

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Tom Coohill
Coohills
1400 Wewatta Street
303-623-5700
coohills.com

This is part one of my interview with Tom Coohill, exec chef/owner of Coohills. Part two of my chat with Coohill will appear in this space tomorrow.

"This," confides Tom Coohill, "is too good to be on the menu. It's like buttah."

Coohill, whose eponymous French-influenced restaurant opened last November, is holding a plate propped with two house-baked slices of brioche smeared with his duck-liver pâté and Dijon and topped with cornichons and frisée. He takes a bite, moans and promises that if you want it -- and you do -- your server might convince the kitchen to oblige, but no amount of coaxing will convince him to add it to his menu. "I just can't," he reiterates. "We want it all for ourselves."

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Lori Midson

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Hunter Pritchett
Luca d'Italia
711 Grant Street
303-832-6600
www.lucadenver.com

This is part two of my interview with Hunter Pritchett, exec chef of Luca d'Italia. Part one of my chat with Pritchett ran in this space yesterday.

Favorite restaurant in America: I just had an amazing meal at Red Medicine in Los Angeles. It's heavily Asian, with a modern American slant and pure, clean flavors coupled with beautiful foraged produce elevated by great high-acid wines. The heirloom rice porridge with Santa Barbara uni, duck-fat-poached egg yolk and wild broccoli about knocked me out of my seat.

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Lori Midson

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Hunter Pritchett
Luca d'Italia
711 Grant Street
303-832-6600
www.lucadenver.com

This is part one of my interview with Hunter Pritchett, exec chef of Luca d'Italia. Part two of my chat with Pritchett will run in this space tomorrow.

Hunter Pritchett and his kitchen crew are thumbing through an Italian phrasebook, one that's devoted to naughty slogans, maxims and mottos, most of which are hilarious...and unprintable. There's a blank green chalkboard in the open kitchen of Luca d'Italia, where Pritchett oversees the burners, and by the time he gets to the last page of the phraseology guide, he's decided on an inoffensive one-liner to scrawl there: minne di Sant' Agata, which translates to "breasts of virgins."

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Lori Midson

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David Bumgardner
Williams & Graham
3160 Tejon Street
303-997-8886
www.williamsandgraham.com

This is part two of my interview with David Bumgardner, exec chef of Williams & Graham. Part one of my chat with Bumgardner ran yesterday.

Favorite restaurant in America: I don't get around much, but when I lived in Cleveland, I always had great experiences at Lola Bistro. Every time I hear chef Michael Symon cackling on TV, I think of those days.

Favorite Denver/Boulder restaurant(s) other than your own: I love Solera. Goose Sorensen always seems to be having so much fun with his dishes, and it's always been a warm and friendly place to hang out. Lao Wang Noodle House and Star Kitchen are right up there, too; I absolutely gorge myself on dumplings and dim sum. I'm always afraid those places will disappear into the ether.

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Lori Midson

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David Bumgardner
Williams & Graham
3160 Tejon Street
303-997-8886
www.williamsandgraham.com

This is part one of my interview with David Bumgardner, exec chef of Williams & Graham. Part two of my chat with Bumgradner will run in this space tomorrow.

The executive chef of Williams & Graham is leaning over the dish pit, aggressively scrubbing a sauté pan with a stump of steel wool. He squints every so often to inspect his progress, lest he leave behind any residue. Attention to detail is important to David Bumgardner, who freely admits that he's just as comfortable doing dish duty as he is preparing pâtés and terrines. "I'm a damn good dishwasher," he deadpans, giving the aluminum one more sideways glance before he finally puts it back where it belongs.

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