Denver Chefs Are All Over Food and Travel TV This Fall

Though the fever-dream days of “Top Chef: Colorado” may be behind us, Denver diners can still find their city and local chefs all over the Food Network and Travel Channel this season. First up, airing Thursday at 9 p.m. is a pilot for “Food Truck Fan Fight,” featuring five Denver-area mobile eateries as they compete for fan-favorite status.

The French Twist Food Truck, J Street Food Truck, Boar & Castle Mobile Eatery, Jessie’s Smokin’ NOLA, and BF Chew-Chew Gastrotruck all took part in the pilot, created by Denver-based Plebian Pictures and hosted by Eddie Jackson. Round one of the show was filmed at Stanley Marketplace in Aurora, and round two took the top trucks downtown to serve a new dish and see who could sell the most of it.

Airing Saturday morning, the Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern also stops in Denver and explores local famous foods like green chile and game meats with chefs Jennifer Jasinski of Rioja and Jim Pittenger of Biker Jim’s, among others. Jasinski will then share her lamb loco moco burger on the Cooking Channel’s “Late Nite Eats” next month. That episode was filmed at Euclid Hall, Humble Pie, and there..., and it airs November 15.

One Denver chef earlier this month competed on Food Network’s “Triple-G Flavortown Fright Night” and won.

Zuri Resendiz, executive sous chef of Cattivella, participated in the Halloween episode of “Guy’s Grocery Games.” Resendiz made two dishes that both took the judges’ top place: a version of his grandmother’s chicken liver stew with serrano, guajillo, and morita peppers; and a spaghetti carbonara with roasted black chicken and guanciale.

The best part about getting a national television spot? For winning, Resendiz received $16,000 that he’s putting towards a house down payment. And for anyone who can catch the episode again on TV or online, he did dress up as a ninja.

• Previous coverage of Top Chef: Colorado [EDEN]
• High-End Food Truck Now Hand-Rolling Pasta Around Denver [EDEN]
• Elise Wiggins Builds the Modern Family Restaurant [EDEN]