Colorado chefs Kelly and Erika Whitaker, Matt Vawter of Rootstalk win James Beard Awards

The big picture: The Whitakers, co-founders of Id Est Hospitality Group (The Wolf's Tailor, BRUTØ, Basta and more), won the award for outstanding restaurateur.

• Vawter took home the title for best chef in the mountain region, which includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.

What they're saying: "We don't particularly chase these awards, but we definitely chase the platform that this brings — and for that, we know that this is a responsibility." Kelly said. "I feel more sense of a fight now than ever."

• "I started cooking when I was 14 years old to help my parents pay rent, and I've never looked back," said Vawter, a Summit County native and the former executive chef of Mercantile Dining & Provision in Denver.

Zoom in: The Whitakers operate seven restaurants in Colorado. The Wolf's Tailor and Brutø in Denver have each earned Michelin stars, as well as Michelin Green Stars for their sustainable practices, while Basta in Boulder has scored a Bib Gourmand nod.

• Kelly was also nominated for a James Beard Award for outstanding restaurateur in 2023 and named a 2020 finalist and 2019 semifinalist for best mountain chef for the Wolf's Tailor.

Vawter opened Rootstalk — a New American restaurant located in a historic home on the mountain town's North Main Street — in December 2020, with the goal of serving "elevated, everyday dining" to locals and tourists.

• He debuted his second Breckenridge-based concept, Radicato, in 2022.

Catch up quick: The James Beard Foundation named more than a dozen Colorado chefs and restaurants to its list of semifinalists in January before announcing the finalists in April.

• Penelope Wong of Yuan Wonton in Denver was named a finalist alongside Vawter for best chef in the mountain region.

What's next: It's likely to be harder than ever, at least in the short term, to score a table at these award-winning dining destinations.

Flashback: Colorado came up short at the 2023 James Beard Awards, but Caroline Glover of Annette won the medal for best mountain chef in 2022.

• Further building on Colorado's restaurant business buzz was the debut of the Michelin Guide here last September.