Kelly Whitaker

Kelly Whitaker is a renowned chef and restaurateur known for his exceptional culinary skills and commitment to sustainability. As the owner and executive chef of Id Est Hospitality Group, he has earned recognition for his innovative approach to zero waste cooking and menu development. His acclaimed restaurants have been recognized twice by the James Beard Foundation, and in 2024, he and his wife Erika were honored with the award for Outstanding Restaurateur.

Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Whitaker spent his summers on his grandfather’s vegetable farm, fostering a deep connection with food from an early age. He holds a degree in hospitality management from Colorado State University and, driven by a mission to understand food's impact on people and the planet, he traveled abroad to refine his culinary skills in various mom-and-pop restaurants. He studied at Hotel Institute Montreux in Switzerland, which led him to his first culinary stint in Italy on the island of Procida. It was there that he fell in love with simple, wood-fired eateries, and the joy of taking care of guests.

Whitaker's culinary journey took him to Michelin-starred restaurants Hatfield’s and Providence in Los Angeles before he realized his dream of opening a restaurant of his own. In 2011, he co-founded Id Est in Colorado, which has since grown to include six Denver-area restaurants, including Michelin-star winners Brutø and The Wolf’s Tailor. The Whitakers own the restaurant Nonesuch in Oklahoma City as well.

Whitaker has been named Eater's “Chef of the Year” twice; received a 2017 StarChefs Denver Rising Star Award and a 2022 StarChefs Mentor Award; and founded the Noble Grain Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting domestic milled-to-order grains. In 2019, Whitaker launched Boulder’s first commercial milling operation, Dry Storage, which has added a bakery and R&D department to highlight the complexities and flavors of local grain. Later that year, his progressive, fermentation-forward restaurant, The Wolf’s Tailor, opened its doors and landed on Bon Appétit’s Hot 10 list. He followed that up with BRUTØ, the 16-seat chef’s counter located within Denver’s Free Market.

Whitaker is an active member of both the local and national hospitality community, participating in the Blue Ribbon Task Force, the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch, and the Chefs Collaborative.