Wild Catch Chef Walks Out With His Crew

After turbulent financial negotiations between chef Justin Brunson and owner Daniel Kuhlman of Wild Catch, a raved Uptown sustainable seafood restaurant that opened in August, Brunson walked out on Friday night, and the restaurant's staff followed his lead after Friday night's service.

Brunson, previously of Masterpiece Deli, told Westword that he had no choice but to walk out.

"This is the deal: I'm not an accountant, I'm a fucking chef, and Daniel refused to let me or my accountant look at the books, which is just insanity. I have to look out for myself and my family, and it was important to me to make sure I was making a good investment." Brunson told Westword.

Burnson said he was ready to buy Kuhlman out, but the deal went awry. According to Westword, the deal went so far south, that Kuhlman, in fact, sent a locksmith over to the restaurant on Friday night during pre-shift to change the locks but was stopped by the restaurant manager (ex-manager, as of Friday). After a crazy weekend, Burnson said he's already ready to start his own concept with his crew. He's searching for a space to launch a restaurant that serves sustainable seafood and heritage pigs.

· Justin Brunson Sails Away From Wild Catch [Westword]
· Denver's Restaurant Scene Is On Fire [The Denver Post]

Justin Brunson at Wild Catch [Photo: Cyrus McCrimmon/The Denver Post]