and packing facility in California. The experience improved his ability to communicate with restaurant clients. He’s able to answer a wider span of questions in a knowledgeable manner. Future Plans Surprisingly, Dobesh’s itchy foot may someday lead him back to Custer County. His love for Aspen includes a lot of outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing, but our chef describes the housing market as “wild,” confining him to an apartment when he’d rather have some grass to cut in a backyard. He’s full of ideas about what to do next, maybe in Broken Bow. Perhaps open a locker and process meats. Family life there revolves around an amicable relationship with parents and extended family. He and his dad, Greg, regularly bounce ideas off each other, Greg primarily being the recipient of another learning session in the kitchen. Cooking for family gatherings is considered great fun and an opportunity to try new and adventurous dishes. Appre ciation for Life’s Foundation Dobesh frequently speaks of his family, particularly his Great-Grand- mother Amsberry, appreciating the rural and “homesteady” foundation she gave him that has helped to keep him grounded. He loves to go to culturally authentic restaurants that “have a hark of old heart to it. You can see why things are the way they are, where things came from. Like walking into Granny’s root cellar, you can feel that vibe,” he says. Dobesh finds that simpler can be better, and older chefs cook more simply than younger ones. He finds it best, sometimes, to leave the measuring cups and spoons in the cupboard and cook like granny. It’s a lovely thought from a world-class chef of 22 years. Granny Amsberry would be mighty pleased.
He currently serves as corporate chef for
CP Restaurant Group, managing the Monarch Steakhouse in Aspen and two Steakhouse 316s, one in Aspen and one in Boulder. They are known for having the cleanest kitchens in the country, a discipline that harkens back to Moto. The older and more experienced Dobesh says he “fell into the steakhouse game” and likes the contact back to his roots. He “sells beef and knows beef.” His establishments all utilize a Prime Quality Grade beef program, 75 percent of which comes from Greater Omaha Packing. As much as possible, Dobesh relies on Certified Angus Beef as the most reliably consistent product on the market. He says that charging a premium price for a cut of meat demands premium quality.
Barry Dobesh successfully competes in steak competitions, to the delight of his bosses, Craig and Samantha Cordts- Pearce. Here’s a smile of success at the Rare Steak Event in Denver, 2019. Photo by Samantha Cordts-Pearce
He was complimentary of his
elite establishments into your search engine for a good read. Dobesh describes this experience as having put himself into something high-end and unique. Attention to detail and a spotless kitchen were trademarks for Moto, a “molecular gastronomist.” These were world-class establishments. A ‘Climate’ Change Dobesh grew tired of the bitter Chicago winters, and an itchy foot led him to see a bigger world. He spent seven months in Manhattan, N.Y., learning Latin and Asian cuisine, then moved to Santa Monica, Calif., for another seven months. Next he went to Snowmass, Colo., and finally to Aspen. He has been in Aspen for 11 years. Dobesh enjoys the mix of small town and big city in the mountain resort.
bosses, husband and wife owners Craig and Samantha Cordts-Pearce. My guess is they like Dobesh equally well. Perhaps the most important aspect of Dobesh’s job these days is to carry his ranching roots into the world-elite dining rooms he oversees. A chef who has calved cows is, quite honestly, a rarity who carries a down-to-earth message to those customers who discover his background. The curiosity of urbanites is unlimited; finding a bona fide chef who can fill their quest for knowledge about anything rural makes Dobesh a rare gem among the culinary elite. Intrigued with the history of the beef industry, the realistic restauranteur admits he’s never run a feedlot or worked in a packinghouse, but was grateful he’d been able to tour the Harris feedyard
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