Chef Josh Fryer originally thought he wanted to be a criminologist, and even went to school for it. But the West Virginia native quickly discovered criminology wasn’t his calling, and moved on to cooking school instead. Thank goodness, otherwise we wouldn’t have such a talent running the kitchen at Edge Restaurant and Bar inside the Four Seasons Denver, or a hot contestant in this year’s RARE Steak Championship on Thursday, September 18.
“People come to a steakhouse for steak, but come back for sides and dessert,” said Fryer, who knows how to cook a mean piece of beef. “But it’s important to have a good quality steak, and ours are seasoned with salt and pepper so we can focus on the piece of meat.”
Before steak became a focal point and after Fryer left his original studies, he ended up at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh (closed in 2012). From there the chef spread his culinary wings to Florida and a golf course, then Greensboro, Georgia. There he took a job with the Ritz-Carlton, his foray into hotel cooking. Eventually he moved to Atlanta and became a banquet chef for the hotel group.
After a few more jobs and hotels, Fryer took a gig in Maui with the Four Seasons. He was so surprised, he said, he had to double check it was Maui in Hawaii and not some other place he didn’t know existed. He stayed there for over two years before deciding to move on to another location.
“The biggest challenge is that while the island of Maui is great to visit, having to travel four or five hours to be back in a city, well, I like the rural lifestyle but it’s not for me,” said Fryer over the phone. “There was also the expense of living in Hawaii, something I heard about but once you experience full time, it’s taxing.”
The chef stayed with the Four Seasons and came to Denver to take over the 15-year-old downtown restaurant inside the hotel. That was over a year ago and Fryer has brought the menu and meat program to another level.
“I love being in Denver and I am proud to be working with the small farmers like Esoterra [Culinary Garden], it has been great to hear someone talk so passionately about produce,” said the chef. “This was something I expected more in Maui was local farms, and there were local farms we dealt with but the volume, they couldn’t keep up.”
Another aspect to Fryer’s menu comes in the meat he works with, and the chef sources quality proteins from many local ranches. He’s also taken advantage of a stunning meat locker in the restaurant where he dry ages all sorts of delectable cuts from lamb to fish to beef.
“I am really trying to expand what we can offer in the market as far as dry-aged products go,” he added. “A lot of the fish we get comes direct, and dry aging really intensifies the flavor.”
While the dry aging program won’t be highlighted at the RARE Steak Championship this year, he does have a plan to serve some delicious bites. In fact, Fryer gave a little sneak peek, adding he will do a sous vide ribeye cooked in beef tallow with a huacatay sauce, which is a Peruvian-style pesto.
“I used to over complicate a lot of my food, but the older I get, the less frills I enjoy,” said the chef. “This dish, it’s classic, bright and vibrant with a modern twist, and I am excited for everyone to taste it.”
Come try it for yourself this week on Thursday, September 18 at RARE Steak Championship, located at Sculpture Park in the Denver Center of Performing Arts. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m., and tickets are available here.
Not only that, but Edge Restaurant and Bar and chef Fryer have offered a $100 gift card to the restaurant for those who like the Instagram post, follow the restaurant and DiningOut Denver, and tag friends. The more people you tag, the better your chances. Head to RARE, and engage in the contest starting Wednesday, September 17 to 21.
