Experts & Enthusiasts

Eddie was raised in Murfreesboro Tennessee where he was a music major in college and working in restaurants in the area. After college Eddie moved to Jackson Wyoming where he advanced his culinary knowledge working at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National park for 5 seasons. His last season in the Tetons he was head chef at Colter Bay Village. After Wyoming he moved with his wife Tewee to Breckenridge Colorado in 2012, where he began working as a sous chef at Beaver Run Resort. Eddie has been cooking for 15 years. He specializes in French, Southern, and Southeast Asian cuisine.

Chef Phil grew up in Sedona, Arizona where he first got started in the restaurant business. He got started working in the front of the house with an American/French influence. He found his way to Boulder, CO where he worked at Juanitas Mexican food as a server, bartender, and eventually, cook. From there he made his way to beautiful Breckenridge, CO where he was able to combine his love of food with his love of the outdoors. He spent some time as the Head Chef at Mi Casa before moving to the Dredge and finally landing here at Beaver Run.

With his long history in the Culinary Arts he brought many talents to the Beaver Run kitchen helping us transform into what we are today. He specializes in local cuisine highlighting items like our Elk Tenderloin with forest mushroom and spinach risotto and a fig gastrigue; our Colorado Lamb Shank served in pan jus with garlic mashers and summer vegetables; and our classic Hand Cut Colorado Steaks made just the way you like it.

Chef Phil is an asset to our company and is truly paving the way towards a new food future for Beaver Run. He is our head chef for Spencer’s Restaurant, Coppertop Café and Bar, and our Banquet Operations. His passion for the craft is evident and we are blessed to have him on board.

Joshua Oakley is the Executive Chef of Avelina Denver. A fearless sense of adventure and true passion for cooking have guided Oakley through his culinary journey. His experience ranges from turn-and-burn to fine dining and farm-to-table, and includes training with two Michelin star chefs in the Gastronomicom Cooking School of Agde, France.

Oakley’s career began eight years ago in Scottsdale, Arizona at Christopher’s and Crush Lounge where he started as a pantry cook and worked his way up to the line and grill. “It was that classic scene of an 18-year-old in over his head with star-packed chefs. It was a butt kicking,” reminiscences Oakley. Hungry for more, Oakley embraced his sense of adventure and accepted a line cook position with The Pullman in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, working up to sous chef in just one year. While there he had his first taste of managing a kitchen, creating menus, and training a line team. Following his work in Arizona, Oakley accepted the position of sous chef with Town, (formerly Six 89), in Carbondale, Colorado. Town was one of the first farm-to-table restaurants in Colorado. Oakley developed new menus on a daily basis at Town. “It was crazy fun,” he says. “Ranchers would stop by with a whole pig and say, ‘want to buy this?’ and we’d create something for that evening’s dinner service.”

In 2015, Oakley moved to France to study with the Gastronomicom Cooking School of Agde, France. During his time in Southern France, Oakley studied cooking and pastry under two Michelin star restaurant chefs. “The experience was more than I could have ever expected,” says Oakley. “I was humbled by how kind they were and it’s incredible how much I learned.”

Oakley has also created pairing menus for private events with Wood Creek Distillery since 2014, providing him the experience of developing dishes for multi-course meals from start to finish. When asked why he chose this industry, Oakley says, “I really enjoy the working environment, where 10 hours pass and it doesn’t even feel like working. It’s a passion that has taken me to France and throughout Colorado. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the talented team at Avelina as Executive Chef.”

Bill Norris has been an executive wine sommelier almost 10 years with masters’ classes in French wines and food pairings.  While wine is not his full-time job, the passion for wine shows in his presentations, with an emphasis on fun. Mr. Norris conducts intimate and educational wine tastings for mainly charitable functions, including his own Mountain Top Ministry, helping middle school age boys through struggles they are dealt with in their young life.  In addition, Mr. Norris is a partner in a winery in Texas called Vinovium, a Negociant specializing in bottling and kegging wines from around the world. The wines are showcased in the Texas hill country tasting room and served by many restaurants in the Austin area.

Chef Bieloh didn’t start out as a chef from an early age. He graduated with an Anthropology degree and worked as a nomadic archaeologist for nearly ten years before making a radical decision to attend culinary school. Bieloh then graduated from the Art Institute of Dallas and chose Crested Butte to start his culinary career.

After working his way up to the Executive Chef there, Bieloh then held other Executive Chef positions in Estes Park, Tulsa, Dallas and the Ritz Carlton in Avon. He moved back to Oklahoma to start a family and then moved into education and taught in culinary school for almost ten years.

Bieloh said he moved back to Colorado for two reasons; he wanted his daughter to experience the mountain lifestyle and he missed the challenges and adventure of working and living in the high alpine environment of Summit County.

Chef Coleman discovered his culinary path while working toward a business degree at the University of Nevada Reno. Intrigued by the fast-paced restaurant industry, he headed to his hometown of Las Vegas for culinary training.

Summers and winters were split between Wyoming as Sous Chef at Jackson Lake Lodge and Las Vegas as the ARIA’s lead Banquet Department chef.

The mountains were calling and Coleman landed at Keystone where he served as Sous Chef of Der Fondue Chessel, Timber Ridge and Alpenglow Stube. He was promoted to Executive Chef of Alpenglow Stube before moving to Michigan to help open The Inn at Harbor Shores.

Chef Coleman returned to Summit County as Executive Chef of The Village at Breckenridge, Mountain Thunder Lodge and Park Avenue Pub. As the culinary team lead at Sevens, Coleman puts his bold spin on family-friendly modern alpine cuisine.

At the ambitious age of 14, Chef Arndt kicked off his culinary career at the Tea Room Alpenrose in Vail. Nearly four decades later, the talented chef comes packing a Culinary Arts degree and an impressive résumé of more than 25 restaurants—six of which he opened from the ground up.

Chef Arndt’s catering expertise has graced big-name events such as the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Wings over Denver, Make-a-Wish Foundation and El Tour de Tucson.

Breckenridge Ski Resort brought Arndt on as Sous Chef at TenMile Station in 2013. He was promoted to Chef of Vista Haus before moving into the Executive Chef position at TenMile Station, and now the Executive Chef position at One Ski Hill Place that includes Ski Hill Grill, Tbar and The Living Room.

When he’s not running the kitchen, Chef Arndt is snowboarding, skateboarding, camping, hiking, biking and enjoying time with his family.

Kent is proudly representing one of California’s most storied wine families, the Sebastiani’s, in 10 states throughout the Mountains and Plains of the US with Don Sebastiaini & Sons.

Kent brings with him over twenty years of experience in the Wine industry.  Before joining Don Sebastiani & Sons, he has worked as a retail buyer, wine import supplier, distributor manager and distributor owner during his twenty year career in the wine, beer & spirit business.

Kent grew up in Wisconsin where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  He caught the bicycle racing bug back in the 1980’s and raced on a National level throughout the 1990’s.  After “retiring” from full-time racing in 1996, he fell into a retail wine buying position and quickly fell in love with the industry and never looked back.

Kent lives in Golden, Colorado with his wife Sheri (who is also a wine supplier with Kysela Pere et Fils) and their 9 year old Goldendoodle, Strider.

Colorado sausage czar Jim Pittenger, aka Biker Jim, is a former repo man who confiscated upwards of 12,000 cars before ditching the life of thievery for a career slinging gourmet sausages from a tricked-out stainless steel cart on Denver’s 16th Street Mall. For Biker Jim, redefining the humble hot dog became his mission. Lines snaked down the block as the sexy scent of grilled sausages and sizzling caramelized onions swirled through the Rocky Mountain air.

It was 2005 when Jim Pittenger, aka Biker Jim, launched his first sidewalk food cart on a bustling street corner in Downtown Denver. One cart became two, and two became three. In March of 2011, after generating local, regional, national and international acclaim for the dogs he dispensed from the carts, Jim opened his first brick-and-mortar in the heart of Denver’s trendy Ballpark neighborhood. The opening was concurrent with the launch of a Biker Jim’s food truck that traversed across the country. In August of 2014, Jim opened a second brick-and-mortar in Highlands Ranch. Hello, suburbs!

Along with indulging your frankfurter fantasies at his restaurants, you can also find a Biker Jim’s hot dog cart hanging out at many of your favorite events in and around Denver. We’re plotting hot dog domination!

Chef Chris was recently the Executive Chef at The ART, a hotel in Denver, CO. He left The Art to focus on his own venture, now running Hutch Supper Club and formerly the Executive Chef at Plume at The Jefferson Hotel. It was this attention to detail that helped Plume receive Forbes’s elusive five star rating in 2013, presently the only five star restaurant in Washington, DC. With a refreshingly whimsical and relaxed approach in the context of the formal and beautifully appointed Plume, Chris’ seasonal menu showed flashes of fun that suggest he did not want guests to reserve meals at Plume for special occasions only. All of these experiences, especially the most recent, have led to an interest in organic agriculture, sustainability, and being responsible within the means of food consumption. Doing this all while still utilizing correct techniques, maintaining attention to detail, and promoting a culture of hospitality. He has dreams of bringing the farm-to-table concept one step further, to a garden-to-table concept, applying sustainability on a small scale.

Chef Duane Walker was born and raised in Knoxville Tennessee but spent most of his young adult life exploring The Smokey Mountains. His love for the wilderness and endless hours of hiking, fishing, camping, along with a passion for snowboarding led him to Summit County in 1995. While pursuing a professional career in snowboarding Duane worked in kitchens as his second job, which led him to Café Alpine. While working under Keith Mahoney and Matt Fackler he would find his passion for being in the kitchen. In 2002 he joined LOLA as the executive Sous Chef and worked under his friend and mentor Jamey Fader. Duane took over reins as the Executive Chef in 2009. In 2013 Duane moved up the Big Red F ranks, and joined the Jax Fish House family as the chef de cuisine for the brand new Jax Fish House Cherry Creek. His passion, dedication, self perseverance along with a little bit of southern flare which are paramount to him and his food. After a short stint a Heading the kitchen at Jax Glendale Duane once he moved up the Big Red F corporate ranks and joined Jax Executive Chef Sheila Lucero to help open the first out of state Jax in Kansas City MO. Since being back in Colorado chef headed up Jax Fish House in boulder for nine months and Centro Mexican Kitchen for the last four months.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, one of my first memories was going to the corner donut shop with my family. This grew into a tradition where my Grandfather would bring a dozen donuts for every Sunday Dinner. My love of food and passion for creativity lead me to Culinary School in Pasadena. After graduating I moved to Hawaii to start my career. While working at Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion my culinary skills really evolved and grew. This is where my ingenuity in coming up with new creations truly flourished. It only took one visit to Denver for me to realize that this is where I want to be. It’s been my dream to combine my passion for fresh, gourmet food and my love for donuts into a successful business… Glazed & Confuzed. I’m here to show you, Colorado, that there is more to donuts then just glaze and sprinkles!

This is why Glazed & Confuzed utilizes organic, sustainable and local ingredients in almost all of our donuts. They are handmade everyday using no preservatives or other nasty stuff, just natural wholesome goodness.

Mark was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived and worked in Manhattan for many years before moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Being a very self-motivated person he successfully opened and ran several businesses in South Florida. His passion for pizza was his inspiration to leave Florida, but his desire to raise his son near the mountains brought him to Denver in 2007.

Mark and his family arrived in Denver in May 0f 2007 and purchased an 1880’s historic building on Larimer Street. Opening in June of 2008 as Marco’s Coal Fired Pizza the business enjoyed much success as winner of 5280 Magazine and Westword top honors. He opened a second pizzeria in 2011 in Denver’s DTC with the same concept. In 2016 Mark opened two new locations in Lakewood, Colorado and Casper, Wyoming with the Racca’s brand. Marco’s Coal Fired enjoys top honors as Westword’s Best Pizza 2016, 5280 Magazines Editor’s Choice and top 5 in Denver on Trip Advisor. Mark’s passion for pizza continues as he works daily in one of his 4 locations.

Previously with Troy Guard’s TAG restaurant group for six years, executive chef Adam Vero evolved from line cook to sous chef and onward. Most recently the executive chef at Mister Tuna, he was instrumental in the creation of the highly-regarded restaurant’s menu, as well as that at Guard and Grace, before moving on to help Guard open several other restaurants in the past year. His craft and expertise has been greatly influential on the development of many restaurant concepts and menus.

Prior to working with Tag Restaurant Group, Adam spent time at the former Z Cuisine, where he had the opportunity to explore true farm-to-table food, and he learned how to best work with Denver’s fresh, local ingredients. Using a classic French technique, Adam developed an appreciation for showcasing the quality of produce at its peak.

Hailing from upstate New York, Adam moved across the country to Denver to attend Johnson and Wales University in pursuit of his passion for cooking. Food has always been a focal point of his life – much of his upbringing revolved around the kitchen table, and he consistently had access to local produce in his backyard. With the belief that the best meals are shared with friends and family, he strives to bring the social, communal experiences of his upbringing to the guests that dine at his restaurants.

Scott began his professional cooking career working part-time as a way to earn extra money to pay for college.  After graduating from West Virginia University with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources, Scott realized he enjoyed cooking animals much more than managing them.  After graduation, Scott worked his way up through the ranks of several restaurants in his native New Jersey.  After a job at the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, he followed his dream to live out west and landed in Denver in 1996.  Scott honed his high volume skills as a Sous Chef at the Wynkoop Brewing Company, before heading to the venerable Barolo Grill.  Here, Scott was given the opportunity to learn the art of pastry and desserts. During his tenure, Scott served as Pastry Chef as well as Chef de Cuisine.  During a trip to Italy’s Piemonte in 1998 Scott fell in love with the sincerity and simplicity of Northern Italian food.  On subsequent trips to Italy and other European countries he had the unique opportunity to meet with food and wine producers and was privileged to some of the best meals of his life.  Sourcing artesian products and working with the finest seasonal ingredients became the backbone of his cooking. Scott has also trained as a sushi chef and spent time behind the burners at both the California Café and Sushi Den. In 2013 he was tasked with rejuvenating the long standing Angelo’s Pizzeria in Denver. Preserving old house favorites and adding new touches proved to be a great success as Angelo’s Taverna was reborn.  A second Angelo’s and Carboy Winery followed, both showcasing Italian classics with modern sensibilities.

Hi, I’m Ashley! Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee and an official resident of Summit County, Colorado for a year. I’ve always been in love with the mountains, spending my formative years exploring the Great Smoky Mountains. After spending a fair amount of time in the Rockies I decided it was time to graduate to bigger mountains so here I am exploring all the beauty that Colorado has to offer.

I began guiding Fat Bike Tours with Ridden shortly after arriving in Summit County and love having the opportunity to get out and enjoy the scenery while making new friends on each tour.

I look forward to riding with you!

Courtney and her family moved to Breckenridge to open their cheese shop in 2015. She has great energy and a love for cheese and education. Her knowledge of cheese and pairings is constantly growing and she’s excited to share it with all. Making gourmet memories in the mountains is what she does best.

Todd Nelson started working in the restaurant industry in 1982 at 16 years of age as a prep cook and dishwasher with TGI Fridays in Dallas Texas. Restaurants and food became a passion for Todd and after several years working through the ranks of the industry and holding most every position in a restaurant Todd moved his focus to a more formal education and graduated from Culinary Institute of America in 1994.

Immediately after graduation Todd moved to Zurich Switzerland working at the Michelin Starred, Restaurant Sihlhalde. After 2 years of working in Europe Todd returned to Dallas in 1996 and headed the kitchen of Mi Piaci, a fine dining Italian concept.

When it was time for Todd to become an Owner/Operator in 2001 Todd felt the Town of Breckenridge, Colorado a place he and his family enjoyed vacationing would be an ideal venue for his skills. Eventually Todd along with his two business partners opened four independent restaurant concepts in Breckenridge, Colorado; Giampietro Pizza and Pasta in 2002, Empire Burger in 2006, Briar Rose Chop House and Saloon in 2008, and Park & Main Quality Foods in 2012.

In 2016 Todd and his partner at Giampietros Ken Nelson completed an extensive renovation of Giampietros tripling seating capacity and increased kitchen capacity dramatically.

Master Sommelier (MS) – February 2008
Wine & Spirits Education Trust Diploma (DipWSET) – July 2011

Sean Razee is one of 249 wine professionals worldwide, and one of the first 100 people in the United States, to achieve the title of Master Sommelier.

Sean’s curiosity in wine was set in motion while studying food science for his under-graduate degree and through weekend trips to California wine-country. He has developed award-winning wine and spirits programs for The Ritz-Carlton and Wolfgang Puck, as well as consulted on numerous esteemed beverage programs.

Then in a move away from the hotel and fine dining business, Sean assumed the role of Corporate Beverage Director for Vail Resorts, overseeing world-class beverage programs at all of the company’s domestic ski resorts.

Recently, he was tapped to work for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Colorado, where he served as sales and portfolio manager for their new Artisanal wine division. Now Sean holds the title Director of Fine Wine, working for Southern Glazer’s D&E Fine Wine Group.

Alex Wright, a local Coloradan, represents the Hahn Family Wines. Thriving on the interplay between people, palates and places, Alex is equally at home in the mountains as he is in the wine business. Outside of work you can find Alex on his bike or on the River with his wife Carrie and their two dogs.

Breckenridge Distilleries Liquid Chef Billie. ” if it’s edible I can make a cocktail out of it”

Creating cocktails is my enthusiastic obsession. Putting smiles on faces with every sip of tipple.

William Davis started his career in restaurants, managing high-profile accounts in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and in Denver, Colorado. He realized that wine and spirits was his passion, and when he sat for his Introductory Exam and Course with the Court of Master Sommeliers over a decade ago, his ‘wine bug’ was set in stone. In 2004, he decided that a full-time career with Charmer-Sunbelt in Colorado was necessary to pursue a greater understanding of the grape, and received the Certified Specialist of Wine, the Certified Specialist of Spirits, and the highest certification from the Society of Wine Educators, the Certified Wine Educator title (CWE). Restaurants were still ‘in his blood’, and the dedication that sommeliers give to their craft is a vital part of bringing wine to the consumer. So, he passed the Certified and Advanced Sommelier exams in 2007 and 2008 (on his first try, achieved by less than 3% of candidates), and is working to achieve the MS certification with the Court of Master Sommeliers. The academic approach to wine and spirits also interests him, and he is passed the Advanced Certification with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust in 2010, and is studying for the WSET Diploma. If that isn’t enough, he is a member of the Guild of Sommeliers, and was the 2 time Regional Champion (2012 and 2013) Central and Great Lakes Regional Winner of TopSOMM, a competition to find the best wine professional talent in the United States. As a co-host of WineGuyRadio and TV from 2008 to 2012 decided to focus on the consumer in late 2012 by introducing Terroir Radio, to teach, educate, mentor industry folk including retail buyers and sommeliers, and share the love of wine to all. Currently, he is the Trade Ambassador, Mountain Region, for Wilson Daniels, one of the leading importer and marketer of wines in the United States. Sitting with winemakers, and traveling the wine world is essential to continued growth…and, well, having a glass of vino with the most interesting people on earth doesn’t hurt!

1996-Present, The 28th member of the court of master sommelier

1997-2002, Rudd Winery and Vineyards- part of a team that created a new Oakville Estate with new vineyards, and winery led by David Ramey. Also responsible for national sales and marketing

Mike joined the Hearthstone culinary team in 2005, serving as our executive chef until the spring of 2012, at which time he followed his passion for music and spent a year in Steamboat Springs managing a live music venue. In the Spring of 2013 Mike and his wife Kristin returned to Breck, and Mike resumed his role as the Hearthstone’s executive chef. Originally from Chicago, Mike attended Culinary School at Kendall College, and later worked as chef de cuisine at Merriman’s, on the big island of Hawaii. Mike’s culinary passions center on great taste first and foremost, followed by freshness of ingredients, a belief that simple is often better, and a commitment to using locally sourced and sustainably raised foods whenever possible. Mike is a lifelong and always believing Chicago cubs fan, and would tele ski right through the summer, if there was only enough snow still left to do it.

Shelley Sale, Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits of Colorado, Portfolio Manager

Shelley Sale is a Colorado native who is celebrating over 23 years with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Colorado. Her credentials include 1 st level Sommelier with MS program, Certified Specialist of Wine, Certified Sake Professional, and Certified Spirits Specialist. Newest adventure and certification is Riedel Ambassador for the State of Colorado.

On the beverage scene, her passions are for Rye Whiskey, Sake, Bubbles and Roses. She loves to travel around the world to visit the land and dirt that grows the grapes, most recently exploring in Chile and France.

Her passion is to learn, share and grow the opportunities that are advancing for women in the wine and spirits industry, as it is changing everywhere in the work environment around the world.