Eating in has never been so delicious.
Chef Mark has been a professional chef for over 25 years and brings wonderful flavors and locally sourced products together to create culinary masterpieces here in Steamboat. As a private chef, he is a Porches favorite for our guests and owners. From start to finish, Mark delivers a memorable experience. He works closely with his clients to design a menu that fits their desires, does all the shopping and prep work and then comes into their home to prepare a delicious home cooked meal. He’ll even do the clean-up. There truly is not a better experience to celebrate at home with family and friends.
Tell us about yourself:
Growing up, my mom and dad always entertained. As the youngest child, I was thrown in the kitchen, which I always enjoyed. When my mom went back to teaching, my brother was off in college and my parents tried getting my sister to help with dinners… she failed miserably. Then it was my turn to try. I ended up being pretty good at it and I also enjoyed it. It was always easy for me.
I went off to college and after a year, realized it wasn’t for me. So, I started looking for classes at a community college. All the classes I was interested in involved cooking. From there I went to New England Culinary Institute in Vermont.
How did you end up in Steamboat?
When I was 23, I opened a restaurant in downtown Chicago. We did Oprah’s Christmas party one year and the Chicago Bulls would come in regularly after games, and it was a lot of fun. I went on to open a few more restaurants in downtown Chicago until one day I realized I had enough and wanted to move somewhere new and headed West. After living in Edwards for a while, I checked out all the different places in Colorado and kept thinking of Steamboat Springs.
What do you love about living here?
It’s the community, it’s laid back and still has it’s ranching heritage imbedded in it and isn’t just a ski town. A lot of other ski towns in Colorado don’t have the same sense of heritage, they’re just ski towns.
I have two kids with my wife and we love hiking and being outside. They’re six and half and nine years old now and they’re skiing double blacks. I also love to hunt. Growing up in the Midwest, we were limited in the things that we could do. It’s great that my kids can play in the woods and grow up in a small town.
This time of year what are your favorite local products and produce?
My favorite local product is elk and deer. It’s great to turn into roasts that go in stews or grind into breakfast sausage and chorizo. My kids love it. I am also a sucker for any kind of squash, whether it is butternut, acorn, or spaghetti squash.
What do you love about cooking at The Porches?
First of all, the kitchens are so amazing, there is so much room to spread out. There is no where else in Steamboat you’ll find a beautiful kitchen, wide open living room and then this incredible lower level. The guests and owners I’ve worked with at The Porches are phenomenal.
The staff is by far, hands down, the best people to work with. They always have their stuff together and I can’t rave about them enough. They’re always willing to bend over backwards for their guests without any hesitation. It truly is a world-class organization that has been created at The Porches. Even the clients I cook for at The Porches will rave about the staff.
Tips for holiday dinner prep:
Do as much in advance as possible, you can start making stock for gravy, sautéing vegetables for stuffing, chopping potatoes, or anything else. Just take it one day at a time. Also, make sure you have your ingredients ready to go… prep, prep, prep, that’s really the key to a stress-free holiday dinner. Also, I wash my dishes as I go. Once you’re done using it wash it that way dishes don’t start piling up and you don’t start to fall behind.
For more information or contact information for Chef Mark please contact The Porches concierge.