Delicious food is the feel-good reset button our mind, body and soul craves.
The best comfort comes from food made with love and inspired by international influences, with just the right amount of traditional tastes. The people skilled to craft such culinary delicacies are those with a refined palette and a knack for timing; the ones who blend, measure and mix each ingredient perfectly, presenting extraordinary creations to the delight of diners everywhere.
An extraordinary chef cooks with humility, elevating the senses of friends and family, and keeping customers coming back from more.
Several years ago, Denver Urban Spectrum highlighted three chefs who were building culinary careers in kitchens around Colorado. Now, Daniel “Chef D” Young, Scott “Chef Scott” Durrah and Donald “Chef James” James are back with exciting updates about their burgeoning careers. Each culinary artist has been plating out distinctive dishes filled with heaping portions of soul-nourishing goodness and food that transcends class, race and language, connecting us in an all-inclusive way and reminding us that food is more than sustenance – it’s a universal language of love.
Chef D
Daniel “Chef D” Young started his culinary career in the early 1980s, and he’s yet to slow down. With retirement aspirations in the future, he’s still cooking up a storm and working on building a legacy in the food business.
When he first started working as a busboy at a country club, he only dreamed of one day becoming a restaurateur himself. Earlier this year he stood in the doorway of his newest restaurant in the Golden Triangle, cutting the ribbon in anticipation of an end-of-year opening.
HAMBA, located at The Parq on Speer, will showcase Young’s Escoffier cuisine, with fine food and beverages, wine-paired dinners, personalized cooking classes from the chef himself and four-star concierge service for on-site residents.
“I’m utilizing ingredients you may have seen a million times but I’m working with them in a way you may not have seen before,” he says.
Derived from the renowned “King of Chefs,” Auguste Escoffier, who pioneered a culinary curriculum rooted in classical French cooking technique, HAMBA’s plans boast an elite dining experience in a state-of-the-art kitchen that would make the French legend proud. For Young, this style laid the foundation for his famed career.
Reflecting on his early beginnings and the lack of access to classical training, he says “now I try to run my kitchen in that manner.”
His focused direction and cooking philosophy allows him to churn out consistent dishes to the delight of celebrity clients.
“If we are doing crudités, I want every one of those crudités to be the same size, because I want everyone to have the same experience,” says the chef, who plans to keep HAMBA’s kitchen from being overloaded with bulky machines, allowing his staff to do the detail-oriented work instead.
“I’m a human Hobart,” he admits with a wide smile. “Cooks and chefs will see that in HAMBA’s kitchen.”
Chef D’s top three must-haves are a crinkle cutter, a cast iron skillet and an18” knife he affectionately calls “Excalibur.” He has served notable people in kitchens around the world, and now, he has the opportunity to serve travelers as they prepare for travel at Denver International Airport.
In October, Young announced the long-awaited opening of a concept-eatery in one of the busiest airports in the world.
Located in the newly-renovated Concourse B, Sunset Loop Bar & Grill is the newest venture led by Young and OTG, which develops and operates over 350 food-related businesses in airports across the United States. Named after Sunset Loop trails in Golden, the grill features healthy, locally-sourced cuisine and “farm-to-gate” selections. It serves regionally-inspired cocktails and Colorado craft brews, and is the perfect place for travelers to unwind before or after a long flight.
Young has enjoyed a long career, and when it comes to relinquishing kitchen control, he still has a ways to go.
“I’m working on it,” he says with a sly smile. “I want to have control over my career so that it’s not a job anymore, and it’s all about the joy of cooking and the enjoyment of others eating my food.”
Chef D’s dishes challenge the palate, encouraging diners to embrace the unexpected. His approach often involves bold flavors, unusual textures and global influences, creating a lasting impact beyond the kitchen.
Planning to mentor young chefs in Denver, he feels purposed to nurture the next generation of culinary talent.
Chef Scott
Upon meeting “Chef Scott” Durrah, he introduces himself by asking the question many want to know. “What is this Italian brotha from Boston doing cookin’ Jamaican food in Denver?”
“People ask me all the time, especially the Jamaicans,” he says with a laugh. But don’t let the thick Boston accent fool you. Scott has been on his “pon di grind” for decades.
At 18 years old, his mind was blown when he realized that he wasn’t a minority, but part of the majority during a visit to Jamaica. He fell in love with cooking during a visit to Jerk Pit in Port Antonio, especially appreciating the heavily seasoned, smoked and grilled jerk meat.
Jerk refers to a cooking style; it’s a smoking process that involves putting meat or fish into an underground hole, barrel or drum, lighting pimento wood on top of it and cooking it over a smokeless fire for hours. Stemming from 17th century Maroons seeking refuge from the brutal institution of slavery on the minimal island terrain, the jerk cooking process allowed them to eat without smoke revealing their location.
After his first visit to Jamaica, Scott spent the next 10 years traveling back multiple times a year to hone his cooking craft and knowledge.
“That was my driving force – to know. Really getting to know the people and the culture of the food…understanding the history of the flavors,” he says, pointing out that knowing the history helps create authenticity.
“You may think you know wine but you don’t know wine until you go to France and find out what real wine is about,” he adds.
Chef Scott has opened six restaurants serving laid-back Caribbean/Jamaican food. His successes fueled his confidence and made way for his latest restaurant, The Jerk Pit Smokehouse, which he calls his ultimate collaboration.
The Jerk Pit Smokehouse opened in the busy Lo-Hi neighborhood in September, boasting smoked pork, brisket and chicken with standout jerk seasonings and specialty Italian red sauces.
“Learning jerk sauce was brutal,” he says. “It took me 15 painful years to learn.” Packed with up to 13 ingredients, he persevered through the process and learned how to build a foundation upon ingredients like Allspice (also known as pimento), Scotch Bonnet chillies, ginger and thyme.
He’s thankful for the help and guidance he received from his mother, his grandmother and the Jamaican mothers and aunties who took the time to help him grow and learn. Along his early culinary journey, he participated in apprenticeship programs offered to aspiring, under-represented chefs, and he has extended similar opportunities to numerous chefs throughout his career.
Scott’s restaurant offers a serene atmosphere and cross-promotes with Simply Pure dispensary, which he owns with his wife, University of Colorado Regent Wanda James. The couple is known for their pioneering success as the state’s first Black-owned cannabis dispensary owners. Restaurant guests who bring receipts of $25 or more to the dispensary receive a free gift. Additionally, the restaurant location is available for private and corporate events, with Scott’s co-founded Chef Table Catering providing food service.
Chef Scott brings authentic flavors to life, infusing every meal with the unmistakable zest and spirit of Jamaica. From the smoky aroma of jerk chicken to the comforting warmth of a hearty bowl of oxtail stew, it’s a culinary journey that inspires connection.
Chef James
Stepping into the culinary world as a new chef, Donald “Chef James” James recalls being met with raised eyebrows and skepticism when he first entered Colorado’s culinary scene at a young age. Though he lacked formal training, he was armed with passion and creativity, turning doubt into fuel for innovation.
James has contributed to the classic culinary selections at The Grubbery, 8-Rivers LoDo and the Peoria Bar and Grill in the Timbers Hotel. He learned from some of the greats – Chef Joseph Westley, Chef Meko Anty and Chef Keith Jones, along with both Chef D and Chef Scott.
“Molding is a part of learning,” he recalls. “My leadership style overall is laid back, collaborative and mentoring. My job is to support my team so we all can reach our goals of making the customers happy.”
He worked hard to learn and grow as a chef, implementing strict food safety and cleanliness standards, maintaining proper inventory, managing equipment and building a team environment among kitchen staff.
Over time, perceptions of the young chef shifted from doubt to admiration. “I confirmed that being new didn’t mean being incapable,” he says. “If you can dream it you can do it.”
His hard work and dedication paid off as he turned his focus to Pit Stop BBQ, a place where his favorite smoked meats could shine.
A well-known staple at seasonal events such as Juneteenth, and the Five Points Jazz and Colorado Black Arts festivals, he turned his love for food into a fan favorite around Denver after purchasing a smoker in the mid-1990s and churning out hickory, mesquite and peach-smoked pulled pork, BBQ ribs and brisket.
Now, with years of successful dinner and catering services under his belt, he is ready to expand beyond the festival scene with his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, the Colorado Creole Café.
“At the Colorado Creole Cafe, a partnership venture with local benefactors, Dedrick Sims and Richard Lewis, you will indulge in the heart of Creole heritage, with a taste of Colorado’s soul,” he says, proudly sharing a menu of unexpected ingredients such as Colorado-raised bison and lamb and traditional Creole-inspired Muffaletta sandwiches with a unique twist. His goal is to challenge traditional techniques while prioritizing fresh flavors and bold, new ideas.
For James, each dish is a canvas for storytelling.
“Soul food starts from a feeling within our soul. What we create out of the food presented, represents our message to the world and how we communicate with each other. Our soul understands how important it is to consume it while enjoying every bite.”
By constantly evolving and daring to be different, James has carved his own lane and defined his own culinary artistry, proving that the kitchen is a space where rules are constantly rewritten and expectations are exceeded.
The Future of Food in Denver
Defying expectations as a chef means breaking free from the norm to create food that surprises and delights. It’s about blending unexpected flavors, using innovative techniques and reimagining traditional dishes.
Chefs D, Scott and James have managed to transform humble ingredients into gourmet masterpieces, and bold beginnings into fresh, new restaurant options for Denver diners. They have developed a fraternal fellowship, bonded in flavor, and their culinary futures will continue to be on full display for all to enjoy..
Editor’s note: To reach Chef D, email chefdeey@aol.com; Chef Scott email scott@chefstablecolorado.com; and Chef James email dine@coloradocreolecafe.com.
