06/23/2026
It was the honor of a lifetime to return to Chicago for the annual James Beard Foundation 40th anniversary award ceremony last week.
I was a 2026 nominee in the “Outstanding Chef” category. This is my 2nd consecutive nomination for this category and forth as a semifinalist. I’ve also been honored as a semifinalist for best chef mountain but I and we have never won an award.
That said, it’s hard not to feel out of place for this award and category. Many of the previous winners are well known legendary chefs, several with three Michelin stars for their restaurants in major cities on both coasts. If you haven’t been to Bin 707 or Grand Junction, Colorado, I can assure you that there is little comparison of what we do to that of my fellow nominees and previous winners. If you do know Bin 707 or I, you know I’ve spent the last few years working in earnest to perfect pizza and cheeseburgers while trying to keep our other restaurant Tacoparty prospering and hosting service 101 and hospitality trainings rather than cultivating tasting menus of luxury ingredients and collaborative chef dinners. Jodi and I reopened our labor of love neighborhood restaurant for the 3rd time in 2024 and have essentially been trying to not blow it ever since. I don’t fully understand how or why we’ve found ourselves here (nor do some of the haters dropping into our dm’s), but I and we are forever grateful for the recognition and opportunity.
Between the ‘25 and ‘26 awards ceremony, I’ve had the opportunity to share this experience with close to 40 others in hopes of both cultivating and expanding the world of restaurants and hospitality to our small region of Western Colorado. To me, sharing this experience with so many that have dedicated themselves to the success of Bin 707 is the biggest win. To all of our team, past and present, who have given a piece of yourselves to what Bin 707 is today, this nomination is for you. Thank you to you all, to all of our guests and supporters, and to the JBF for 40 years of celebrating independent restaurants!
