Marc Murphy At Telluride Reserve Mountain Village Food & Wine Festival
Marc Murphy is a chef and restaurateur who has been cooking in some of the world’s most esteemed kitchens for almost 30 years. He is a regular judge on Food Network’s top-rated show, Chopped, as well as Chopped Junior and has appeared on other hit series such as Guy’s Grocery Games, Beat Bobby Flay, Worst Cooks in America and the Rachael Ray Show. He is also the author of Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking and recently launched his debut podcast, Food 360 with iHeartRadio.
Chef Murphy will team up with artistic winemaker BiBi Graetz for Telluride Reserve’s Taste & Terroir of Tuscany on August 16 and 17. Guests will get to enjoy a Tucson inspired menu created by the pair to celebrate Tuscany's terroir.
As a child you traveled the world. How did growing up on the road influence your outlook on food?
Growing up in France and Italy certainly exposed me to a way of living and eating that is different than most. I was able to see from a very young age how important mealtime is, and that how you cook your meal and what you cook with are equally important as whom you share your meal with.
What city is your cooking most influenced by?
That’s a hard choice but I’d probably say Rome. The way I like to cook is simple. Use the best, freshest ingredients you can find that are in season. Make sure they are seasoned well; I always say season with authority and when you’re done cooking, actually sit down and enjoy the meal. And don’t forget the vino! Italians and Romans in particular share this philosophy and do it very well.
Race car driving was your first passion. How did you find cooking?
Well race cars are expensive! In all seriousness my brother pushed me into going. He suggested I go because when I was living on his couch for free in NYC, I would always cook him and his girlfriend dinner because I couldn't pay any rent. He realized it looked like I really enjoyed doing that so I joined a 3-month program at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education), formally known as Peter Kump’s Cooking School. And as they say, the rest is history.
What makes a great meal?
It’s not one thing. I always say, especially with restaurants, you can have great food but if the lighting or music is off it can leave you with a less than amazing meal. So I think a great meal means the food, ambience and lighting all have to work together like the perfect symphony. Now the company, we can’t really do much about that!
What drew you to Telluride Reserve?
I’ve been to a few cities in Colorado but never Telluride, so getting to see this part of the state was exciting for me. I heard nothing but great things and it did not disappoint. Bringing together all the culinary talent and winemakers in an unbelievably beautiful setting certainly made for a memorable weekend.
What are you most excited about at Telluride Reserve?
Every event I do, the people always make the event! So being able to hang with old friends and meet some of the talented new colleagues is exciting. Also getting to hang with the guests who love food and wine as much as we do is always fun.
You recently closed your acclaimed restaurant Landmarc, what’s next?
We had an amazing run for over 12 years so it’s very bittersweet for me, but I’m excited for what’s next, whatever that may be. I recently launched a podcast that I’m hosting called Food 360 with Marc Murphy produced by iHeartRadio and that’s been incredibly fun and challenging in the best way. And I’m just looking forward to the future. It’s been a really long time that I haven’t had a restaurant, so while it will be a change, I think change can be good sometimes. And I might even have some fun projects up my sleeve! Stay tuned.