Rolland Wesen

Rolland "Rollie" Wesen is a chef who appreciates the simple pleasure of good food, made from ingredients that are fresh, local and in season, and his work in leading restaurants around the country is evidence of this philosophy. In May 2006, Rollie accepted the position of Executive Chef for Momo Foods, becoming the guiding hand at Cucina Colore in Denver's Cherry Creek, and the inspiration and chef in residence at Via Italian Trattoria in Lodo.

Rollie and his family, wife Claudine Pepin and daughter Shorey, relocated from Portland, OR to Colorado in 2005 to open Summit Restaurant for the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, an Adam Tihany-designed restaurant positioned to be the most gourmet dining experience in the region. As Executive Chef of Summit, Rollie developed the concept of this exciting new Modern American Brasserie from blueprints to opening day.

While in Portland, Rollie was the Executive Chef at Rivers Restaurant at the boutique Avalon Hotel and Spa. In his two and a half years there, he received accolades from The Oregonian, The Portland Tribune, The Willamette Week, The Columbian, Northwest Palate Magazine and Food and Wine Magazine.

Rollie enjoys a good deal of travel as part of his career. He makes appearances as guest chef in notable venues such as Napa California's Copia Center for Food, Wine and the Arts, Saveur Magazine's Great Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival, the Sonoma Showcase of Food and Wine, the International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon, and has regularly taught cooking classes at In Good Taste and Sur La Table in Portland and most recently at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, FL

Prior to moving to Portland, Rollie spent eight years immersed in New York City's culinary scene, cooking in a variety of top restaurants, including:

• Gramercy Tavern

 * The Rainbow Room

• L'Absinthe

• The Pearl Oyster Bar

While in New York, Rollie was Executive Chef at Jacques Brasserie, a traditional French brasserie on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, which he left to lead the kitchens at Demarco, a fine dining, Northern Italian restaurant in Nantucket, MA. Rollie has also worked overseas at the Michelin Guide's three-star Restaurant Troisgros in the south of France, and Michelin one-star Soho Soho in London, England.

It was the lure of literally greener pastures that enticed Rollie and Claudine away from New York City four years ago. As a naturalist who truly loves the great outdoors, Rollie seeks out and appreciates the local producers, and he lives to explore whatever region is home. He uses as many local products as possible in his cooking, and enjoys forging relationships with farmers and producers where he lives and works.