Executive Chef Dave Cuntz joins us from the historic Strater Hotel and The Mahogany Grille Restaurants, which are located in beautiful Durango, Colorado. Raised in Denver, he was encouraged by his Mother to enjoy cooking at an early age. Dave began working in his school cafeteria when he was just 13 years old. By following in both of his brothers’ footsteps, he attended Fort Lewis College in Durango, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.

From there, with his heart set on becoming a Professional Chef, he moved to Montpelier, Vermont, where he completed the Associates Degree Program at the New England Culinary Institute. The Program culminated with two lengthy Internships, one at the renowned Flagstaff House in Boulder, and the other at Equus Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky. It was here that Chef Dave joined his college sweetheart and wife of over 11 years, who had returned to her hometown.

Over the next twelve years, with lots of great teamwork and a passion for the Arts, Chef Dave rose through the ranks at Equus to become the Executive Chef. Throughout this time, he was recognized as one of Louisville’s top Chefs. He enjoyed branching out to create foods for other local food businesses, took pride in collaborating with top-notch Chefs in the city, and as a Chef Instructor, taught local cooking classes for several years. Upon spending a wedding anniversary trip at the Strater Hotel in September of 2005, Chef Dave learned in the very final hours of deliberations, that the hotel was looking for a new Executive Chef and Food Operations Manager. He and his family had literally stumbled upon a dream-come-true job opportunity at this Historic Hotels of America treasure. This past year has been a wonderful success as a result of determination and hard work, and there is much to look forward to. This is a very special time in his life and career, as he and his family will also be celebrating his 40th birthday during this trip. Needless to say, Chef Dave is both excited and honored to be a Cooks and Corks demonstrator, experiencing Scottsdale and this festival for the very first time.