“There are three acceptable answers in my kitchen: ‘Yes chef,’ ‘no Chef,’ or ‘I don’t know Chef.’”
—Aaron Bennett
Aaron Bennett’s first move into cooking came at the age of fifteen when, after waiting tables and washing dishes in restaurants, a cook at the omelet station he worked at in his hometown of Lafayette, Colorado, called in sick. Aaron hadn’t really considered a long-term career in cooking until that first gig on the line. However, since that first job, he’s forged a solid background focusing mainly on French and contemporary American styles. He also appreciates locally sourced sustainable ingredients and incorporates them into his dishes whenever possible. From the omelet station, Aaron moved up through a variety of restaurants, mostly in the hotel and luxury resort arena, all the while realizing he possessed a natural aptitude for cooking.
Deterred by the cost of culinary school, Aaron looked for alternatives and found one through an American Culinary Federation apprenticeship. He wasn’t initially accepted into the program. Not taking no for an answer, he persuaded the powers that be at the ACF to invite him into a three-year apprenticeship at Denver’s four-star, four-diamond Brown Palace Hotel. After completing the apprenticeship, the ambitious chef had bigger things in mind. Aaron says, “I’m working at the best hotel in Denver. I thought, I want to work at the best hotel in the state.” That sentiment in mind, Aaron then took a job at the five-star, five-diamond Little Knell in Aspen, CO. After a few years at the Little Knell, Aaron wanted a new challenge and took a job at the Ritz-Carlton Club in Aspen, CO, eventually working his way up to executive chef. Returning to Denver in 2009, Aaron bounced around, working at a few different restaurants until 2012, when he found himself helping with the menu relaunch of Bácaro Venetian Taverna, a farm-to-table restaurant in Boulder, CO.
Aaron’s one tattoo came about a bit by chance. He has one large black-and-white tattoo of a skull across his left forearm. The tattoo is an original piece done by a good friend, Jason Lombardi, who works at Easy Choppers and Tattoos in Bellevue, Washington, and is a one-of-a-kind piece. “He’s one of those guys,” Aaron explains, “that if it’s original artwork, he’ll only put it on one person and it’s done. He won’t give it to anyone else.” While going through Jason’s sketchbook, Aaron found a design that he loved and that Jason had luckily never done before. As payment, Aaron offered to let Jason stay in his small apartment in Lafayette, Colorado, for a couple of weeks and feed him meals at the restaurant.
Aaron’s love for the Aspen area keeps drawing him back. He’s moved back up to the area and is working as sous-chef at Crêperie du Village, a French-style bistro. He says, “Aspen is my place. I love it here.” Aaron is planning on working with a new tattoo artist in Aspen to expand his forearm tattoo into a full sleeve piece.
Aaron says, “Hazel Dell Mushroom Bruschetta … is simply a recipe that shows my passion for using high-quality, local products, as well as being one of our bestselling menu items.”
NOTES FROM THE CHEF
Aaron says, “I always try to use as much local, small batch produced ingredients as humanly possible. That being said, of course, if Hazel Dell Farms mushrooms or Haystack Mountain goat cheese are not available to you, I recommend using the softest and creamiest goat chèvre possible. You can really use whatever type of fresh, exotic variety of mushroom that you desire—without using your standard white button mushrooms. Almost any grocery store should at the very least have shiitake, cremini, and oyster mushrooms available in bulk. The main point is, look, use your hands, and feel what you’re buying. Organic does make a difference, and roadside farm stands are our friends.”