Basta, a wood-fired concept in Boulder. BRUTØ, hearth cooking with a Mexican bent in Denver. Dry Storage, a bakery/café in Boulder. Hey Kiddo, a trendy spot with eclectic offerings in Denver. The Wolf’s Tailor, a multicourse tasting menu with a fermentation focus in Denver. Don’t see the connection? Well, then you haven’t met Kelly Whitaker, co-owner of id est, a hospitality company that owns all of the above.
Kelly Whitaker is a power player in the Boulder-Denver culinary scene, and not just because he’s running some of the hippest spots. A self-taught chef who studied hospitality and business instead of cooking, he learned on the front lines of kitchens in Italy and California. He studied with some of the best—Hatfield’s and Two MICHELIN Star and Green Star, Providence, to name a few—but Colorado called him back (he and wife, Erika, co-owner of id est, attended Colorado State University). He staged at Boulder’s well-regarded Frasca Food and Wine and Manresa before setting out on his own in 2010.
Basta was his first baby. “It wasn’t in a great location,” he laughs, sharing a story about how the legendary critic Jonathan Gold was dining with him one night and told him so. “This is a guy who is known for finding out-of-the-way places and he said it,” jokes Whitaker. Location aside, Basta took off. The concept was simple, with quality ingredients and a wood-fired oven, but the neighborhood embraced it. Others, including MICHELIN, have also taken notice. (Basta earned a Bib Gourmand distinction in the inaugural guide to Colorado.)
Discover now: 2023 Colorado MICHELIN Bib Gourmands
From there, Whitaker and team used their know-how to open a string of other places, each one with a distinct style, but before you think he’s just another entrepreneur looking to line his pockets, think again. Whitaker is committed to sustainability.
“I always go back to this: What is Colorado food?” While working in Los Angeles, plentiful local produce and sustainable fish was readily available, but Colorado’s landlocked location presents a challenge to locavores. “I realized that the biggest way to make an impact was through grains.” He started milling his own, now selling the product to other restaurants.
Whitaker isn’t opening restaurants to pad his resume. Instead, he thinks of each one as a way of telling stories and having conversations. While each of his restaurants has a different style, he sees the through-line as new American. “Through cooking, I’m telling the stories of my travels and influences and those of the people who work here. We’re having a conversation with the world.”
Recognizing his employees is something he cares deeply about too. “We’re redefining what a restaurant kitchen can look like.” To that end, Whitaker has hired a director of fermentation, Mara King. He’s also placed full trust in Chef Michael Diaz de Leon at BRUTØ. “I’ve given him a lot of freedom because I have a lot of trust in him.”
As for balancing a handful of booming businesses, Whitaker says his daily schedule varies - “I go where I’m needed – but he’s spending most of his time at the newest: Hey Kiddo. And while he could easily get bogged down in the day-to-day, he still loves standing in front of a stove. “I’m not done cooking.” Sounds like he has more to tell, and share, with the world.
Hero image: Jeff Fierberg/Brutø
