“We just ran out of food. That’s so awesome,” Chef Preston Phillips says to me following a brief tete-a-tete with one of managers. Now while this may strike the fear in the hearts of industry folk reading this, Chef Preston, executive chef and owner of GRIND kitchen + watering hole in Cherry Creek, has a different perspective. We are sitting at the bar of his restaurant. It’s a Sunday, late afternoon – and the very last day of the Cherry Creek Arts Fest. “This was a record breaking weekend for us, and last year was the same, and the year before that. That’s so awesome.”
Sitting amongst the glitz and glamour of Cherry Creek North, Chef Preston and his crew bring Southern charm, damn good fried chicken, and a great whiskey selection to the table. And in just his mid-twenties, it’s no wonder he’s been named a “Young Chef to Watch.”
Roots
There’s something to be said for how we are raised. Anecdotally, we tend to live our adult lives one of two ways: in the same manner we were raised in, or the opposite direction.
For Preston Phillips, his childhood set him on the path to owning and running a restaurant at the early age of just 23.
Preston was born and raised in Enterprise, Alabama. Preston’s parents owned and operated fast/casual cafe franchises, so from the ages of 6-16 years old Preston spent most of his time around food and in a restaurant.
Fast forward to post-high school, after relocating to Tampa, Florida. Preston shares, ”My parents sold their restaurants, and I was really disappointed when they did. I loved food. I would watch the Food Network all the time. My mom is the one who actually encouraged me to go to culinary school after high school.” Preston went to the Art Institute of Tampa (RIP many AI’s across the nation) and it was there that Preston found his culinary identity.
But Preston wasn’t exactly a culinary star right off of the bat. As you know, schools tend to teach conformity – not always creativity. That’s great for consistency, but suffocating for some non-linear souls. How did this present itself for Preston? “I failed my fundamentals class, which was the first class I had to pass. They gave me basically the highest failing grade, like a 59%. I could memorize and cook all of the recipes really well, they just didn’t like how I did it,” he says. Thankfully, Preston bonded with one of his teachers, a chef out of Texas who was 25 years old and didn’t mind Preston’s less-than-traditional approach and perspective.
Following the completion of his certification, Preston worked at Tampa’s Raymond James stadium for Aramark. He worked with a Michelin star chef in a high-production environment, which gave him both a mentor as well as intensive experience. Reflecting on those times, he shares, “I loved the pace and the intensity; you’re pushing out enough food for 50,000 people at a time. We were making food by the bucket.”
After some time at the stadium, Preston decided he was ready for a move. He’d never been west of Alabama, so naturally, bought a one-way ticket to Denver. “I had this idea in my head, I had seen all of the pictures of the city of Denver. I wanted a condo in downtown Denver, across from the stadium.” When Preston arrived in Denver, he got off the plane, rode a bus to Boulder, and pounded the pavement looking for a job. He started off managing a fast/casual spot on Pearl Street, eventually moving to an Alfalfa’s in Louisville. He then followed some of his connections to a brand new restaurant in Erie, 24 Carrot Bistro, as their sous chef. At this point, he was just 22 years old.
24 Carrot Bistro was a new experience for Preston, as he’d been in fast-casual and high production settings thus far. Another thing that was new? “The bar! 24 Carrot’s bar was awesome. Our bar manager at 24 Carat Bistro, DJ, came from Seattle. We were really lucky to get him. I learned a lot from him about how to set up a bar depending on the type of restaurant and audience you are catering to, and also about crafting cocktails and making things like bitters.”
GRIND
When Preston had the opportunity to open his own concept, he jumped at the chance to imbue his own sensibilities and interests in not only the food, but also the space itself. He loves history, and GRIND’s walls are lined with original photos of Denver and old painted advertisements from the walls of old Denver restaurants. Real barn wood and corrugated metal (both from the same barn, he informed me) line the walls behind the bar.
He wanted to build an eclectic but comfort-food based menu, focusing on fresh (not frozen) low-key and comfortable dining. GRIND is known for their incredible friend chicken, and their menu is packed with other southern-inspired eclectic dishes, from curried mussels to homemade corned beef Rueben’s. And yes – of course – a great bar program. Preston has taken the lessons he learned from BJ at 24 Carrot and expanded up them in his own restaurant. He shares, ”My bar is highly curated, I spend a lot of time on it. This is nothing like it was when we first opened. I keep improving it; it’s one of my favorite parts of owning a restaurant.”
I asked him where the name “GRIND” came from, and its meaning is two-fold. It’s a nod to the fact that he used to grind meat, and also a more idiomatic invitation to patrons. How so? As Preston says, ”We all have our daily grind – whether you’re a nurse, or a mom, or a lawyer, or anything – we all have our daily grind. I wanted our space to be somewhere people could come and get relief from their daily grind.”
Chef Preston and the Modern Eater’s Summer Dinner Series
Preston has long been a friend of The Modern Eater, and we can’t wait to have him and his crew for our third Summer Dinner Series event!
What is Chef Preston the most excited about with his meal? “I’m going to take full advantage of that Santa Maria grill at BBQ Supply Co, where the event is held. I can’t wait to cook the chicken on there.” Preston is a guy that knows his chicken, so I’d be sure to get a taste of what he cooks up on Tuesday night! I know we can’t wait to see what comes off of that grill, Preston!
Here are a few more teasers of Preston’s menu:
A basil-balsamic-peach toast
Watermelon and feta salad
CHICKEN…oh, the chicken
Baked Neapolitan Alaska
Come check out Chef Preston’s work at The Modern Eater’s Summer Dinner Series! It’s an intimate dining experience partnering small farms with local top chefs. Chef Preston will be using produce from Black Bear Orchards on his menu. Each course is paired with a beer from Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project and Bull and Bush Brewery, and kicked off with a cocktail hour from Rocker Spirits. All of this benefits the ACF Colorado Apprentice Program, and is sponsored by Grower’s Organic. You don’t want to miss it, get your tickets today!
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