Chef Rand Packer has grown roots in Colorado, and there’s no turning back now. From fine dining to casual local hangs, he’s redefining what dining out looks like in this charming mountain town.
For almost 10 years the chef has slowly grown his Evergreen brand, which now includes a new Italian restaurant in Morrison. He’s taken over beloved neighborhood spaces such as The Muddy Buck Cafe, Murphy’s Mountain Grill, and Bistro at Mashdale, which is now his high-end restaurant Evoke 1923. The chef, along with his wife Tiffani, also own Kiki’s Fresh Bowls and the newly opened La Rocca Rossa, their only property outside of Evergreen.
To demonstrate what he does in a day, Packer has agreed to take over the DiningOut Denver Instagram stories on Wednesday, August 27. Watch, comment, share, enjoy, and enter to win a $100 gift card to Evoke 1923.
The Chef
Like many great chefs, Rand Packer started young. Very young in fact. By the age of 8 he was making dinner and baking for his family in California. Later he moved on to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, where he honed the skills that would lead him to chef Roy Yamaguchi in Maui.
Yamaguchi ended up guiding the young chef, giving him opportunities in the restaurant. These skills helped Packer and his wife open their Tampa Mexican eatery Mekenita Cantina in 2007. In 2018 the Packers moved the concept to another neighborhood, but by that time they had already relocated to Colorado.
The shift from sun and sand to dry and snow came about due to Packer’s love for snowboarding and for the scene in Evergreen. Through that move he connected to the former owners of The Muddy Buck Cafe, Murphy’s Mountain Grill, and what was then Bistro at Mashdale. Each spot wanted someone to take over, but also someone who would keep the beloved establishments going.
“Every restaurant is totally different than the rest,” explained Packer. “Murphy’s is fast-paced with gourmet burgers and cocktails, Kiki’s is fresh and healthy, Muddy Buck is a viby coffee shop, and Evoke is this little princess that’s over 100 years old and looks off to Mount Evans [now called Mount Blue Sky].”
As of August, 2025, the Packers have added on to the line up with La Rocca Rossa, an Italian steakhouse located in Morrison. The chef describes it as being, “upscale and elegant with hip hop instrumental music and lighting that’s retro but fashionable.” And now, diners can go check it out for themselves.
La Rocca Rossa
Because we covered most of the chef’s restaurants in this 150 year anniversary of Evergreen special, we decided to give an overview of his latest project, La Rocca Rossa, which means red rock and pays homage to the famous amphitheater in town. Like Evoke 1923, La Rocca Rossa showcases Packer’s unique ability to twist classic flavors with international tidbits, creating something totally new.
The restaurant took over the 150-year-old historic building that housed the former Cafe Prague spot, which closed last fall. Packer realized the area didn’t have anything resembling fine dining, or Italian. So, he created a high-end Italian steakhouse.
“I was like, let’s do Italian, which is abnormal for me to say since it’s the furthest stretch from my cuisine liking,” said the chef. “I was like, if we are doing Italian, it’s how I am going to do it, using grains and different styles of flavor [mixed in].”
A good example of this meshing can be tasted in the Fennel Dusted Hokkaido Sea Scallops, which comes with potato gnocchi and features a creamy puttanesca sauce devoid of the usual tomato. You’ll also find a housemade sausage lasagna served with a little show. Harkening back to the dining days of yore, the dish comes with a ring of smoked fontina béchamel sauce, which the server removes table side so you can watch the flood of luscious sauce cascade over the pasta.
“La Rocca Rossa was a fun menu that I created, and I try to see [the food] in my mind and take what is normal and make it something different,” said Packer. “Like the puttensa cream sauce, you have the norm, but how do I funkify it? My kids call it Rand-ifying.”
Packer also boasts about the meat program at La Rocca Rossa. Beef comes from Fitch Ranch Meats and Market in Granby, a small and local operation that brings its cows to different areas throughout the winter in order to keep them warmer. This method preserves the fat, and makes for a better cut of meat as well as a happier cow.
A big part of the meat program comes in the form of a wood-fired grill. Take the bison short rib. It’s grilled and then braised till tender, with a Barolo-shallot demi-glace coated on top. The Herb Basted Wood Grilled Red Bird Half Chicken also meets the flame, and comes with heirloom carrots, crispy garlic potatoes, and calabrian chili lemon agliata aioli.
“The people in Morrison are loving it,” said the chef. “It’s so weird, I haven’t been asked to sit down at tables this much in my career.”
The Takeover
Aside from turning ingredients into taste-popping flavors, Packer also loves to get his hands on the pure foods. In fact, he has two gardens, one right by La Rocca Rossa, and another at home. Think basil, mint, hot peppers, zucchini, eggplant,and tomatoes, which we may see during the takeover. Often the fresh produce he picks makes an appearance on the menu at Evoke 1923 and/or La Rocca Rossa.
“We always save our produce scraps to compost at Evoke 1923, and will do so here at Rocca too,” said Packer. “We will utilize the area for a good garden, laying compost, and horse manure, which comes from the horse farm where my daughter keeps her horse.”
Packer often starts his day with Tiffani and a morning meeting over coffee. The Muddy Buck roasts its own beans, so that might be part of the course on Wednesday. If we’re really lucky, said the chef, he’ll find some Boulder raspberries growing wild and showcase those delightful treats.
Tune in for the takeover on Wednesday, August 27, and Packer is offering a $100 gift card to Evoke 1923. Now how to win. Make sure you’re following DiningOut Denver, Evoke 1923, and La Rocca Rossa on Instagram, and comment on the post. You get extra entries for every non-follower you tag.
