Head Chef, Rootstalk Restaurant and Radicato Restaurant | James Beard Foundation Awards Winner Best Chef: Mountain
James Beard Award-winning Chef Matt Vawter was raised in Summit County, Colorado, where his first exposure to the culinary arts occurred as an underclassman at Summit High School. Before his senior year, Vawter was invited to the Colorado Mountain College Culinary Apprenticeship Program in Keystone. After completing the program at CMC while fulfilling coursework for high school graduation, he was encouraged by mentors to explore beyond Summit County and gain experience in the burgeoning Denver restaurant scene. In 2007 Vawter joined the culinary team at Fruition restaurant under Chef Alex Seidel. Seidel and Vawter proved powerful collaborators, leading Fruition to nationwide prominence, and then, in 2014 opening Mercantile Dining & Provision at Union Station.
During Vawter’s time at Fruition and Mercantile, he developed his cooking style and honed his culinary ethos with a focus on intentional sourcing. Vawter has maintained a commitment to local purveyors, to utilize the best ingredients available, and to nurture relationships with Colorado’s farmers, ranchers, and artisans. The challenges of seasonality with the elevated mountain environment have expanded relationships nationwide with a network of small, independent partners. Rootstalk has dedicated its efforts to using techniques to highlight these ingredients in a sustainable manner.
Amidst the collective successes of Mercantile and Fruition, Vawter was drawn to return to his mountain roots and to raise his children at home in Summit County. In December of 2020 he opened Rootstalk in Breckenridge intending to provide an approachable, technique-focused, ingredient-driven dining experience to the local community. Rootstalk was designed to feel like coming home, evoking Vawter’s own nostalgic return to the place that he loves dearly. With a steadfast commitment to fostering an environment where hospitality professionals can feel empowered and flourish amidst the backdrop of mountain living, Vawter envisions Rootstalk as more than just a dining destination—it is a place where guests are welcomed, embraced, and invited to savor exceptional food, drink, and genuine hospitality.
Eighteen months after Rootstalk’s opening, Vawter and his partners opened Radicato in the heart of Breckenridge. Radicato celebrates the rich heritage of Italy and speaks to feeling deeply rooted in a place and the desire to embrace the energy there while also echoing Rootstalk’s commitment to intentionality and excellence on every level.
Both of Vawter’s restaurants are gathering places for the Summit County community and visitors alike, providing a welcome home to this special place and a memory in the making.
