Rioja

As one of the rare Colorado natives cooking in Colorado kitchens, Gabe Wyman is as scarce as the obscure ingredients he sources and prepares as chef of Rioja in Denver’s historic Larimer Square.

Born and raised in Colorado, Gabe graduated from Evergreen High School and had short stints at Fort Lewis College in Durango and Johnson and Wales University in Denver. Upon returning to the mountain community, he found his calling at the iconic El Rancho in Evergreen as a pantry cook and worked his way up to sous chef with on-the-job training at every station in the kitchen. Eventually, Gabe decided that a move down the mountain to Denver was the only path to continued culinary growth.

A family connection helped Gabe find his first job in Denver, opening Vita with Chef Max Mackissock. He followed Max to the original Squeaky Bean and spent some time in the kitchen at Denver non-profit Work Options for Women. Through Max, Gabe met Max’s wife, Chef Jennifer Jasinski and joined the Crafted Concepts team at her flagship Rioja in 2008 as a pantry cook.

By the end of 2009, Gabe was in sous chef training at Rioja and was promoted to sous chef in 2010. He moved to Stoic & Genuine as Chef de Cuisine in 2015 and returned to run the Rioja kitchen in 2018. A career highlight was cooking with Jasinski at the James Beard American Restaurant at Seven Stars Galleria during Expo Milano – the Milan World’s Fair in 2015. The course he created got a standing ovation from the guests.

His kitchen rules are simple: the guest comes first and foremost; have fun while you’re at work, if you don’t like your job quit and find one you do. Cook with love and passion because the guest can taste it. Be humble. Teach someone something every day and learn something every day. Don’t forget the golden rule “treat people the way you want to be treated.”

Gabe lives in a Denver with Becka, her hyper Jack Russell terrier, Chester and their two children.