Angus bullish on seed-to-table

Accomplished chef joins Brush Creek Ranch and embraces locally sourced, locally served philosophy

"We are making this new American cuisine and we are doing it at this gorgeous location and it checks all the boxes on what I want to be doing with my life," Angus McIntosh, Jr. chef at Brush Creek Ranch (Brush Creek), said. "To me it is a gift to be chosen the chef, because who else is going to be able to really understand Wyoming and put it on a plate."

McIntosh feels he has an amazing facility at his disposal to make some of the best food in the world at Brush Creek. He said the food will be "seed-to-table," meaning vegetables, herbs and certain fruits will be grown on site for the cuisine McIntosh will be putting forth for guests.

"Bruce White (owner) has brought in one of the best horticulturalists in the world who is teaching us his thought processes about growing these vegetables and this is a whole new level for me, just as we hired a creamery person to make these cheeses."

McIntosh said not only did Brush Creek hire a creamery person, they have hired a husbandry person to take care of the tribe of 30 or so goats.

"I never thought I would be talking about a milking parlor in the proximity to the restaurant," McIntosh said. "By the time I am done, I will have a minor in cheese making."

Brush Creek also raises its own beef.

"If you think about a really amazing meal, that has some the best breads, because we have a bakery, fresh made butter and cheeses, all made on site; what place goes through all these lengths?" McIntosh pointed out. "It is going to be a part of an exceptional ranch experience."

Often, the term world class can be overused when describing a person's culinary ability. This is not the case with Angus McIntosh. He has been placing in culinary competitions for several years.

In 2015 McIntosh was selected to compete in the Western Division Chef of the Year competition held in Las Vegas, NV, where he earned a silver medal. In 2016, he competed again in Las Vegas to earn the right to represent the USA in the 2017 Bocuse d'Or, a biennial world chef championship. Named for Chef Paul Bocuse, who created it in 1987, the event takes place during two days near the end of January in Lyon, France and is one of the world's most prestigious cooking competitions. Bocuse's brainchild brings together 24 young chefs from all over the globe and has them prepare exquisite dishes within 5 hours 35 minutes before a live audience. A jury is composed of the most acclaimed chefs in the world.

McIntosh placed third, but impressed the judges, especially Thomas Keller, owner of the French Laundry in Yountville, CA, one of the most celebrated restaurants in the United States. McIntosh went to work for him at this famous venue. Working with Keller's team at the French Laundry, he honed his ability to create high quality food prepared in a fast paced environment.

In 2017, he competed again and won the right to represent the Western Division in the finals of the Chef of the Year competition held at the American Culinary Federation annual meeting in Orlando, where he earned a silver metal. He has also had the honor of cooking for President Barack Obama, and his work has been showcased and presented to some of the most prestigious chefs in the United States.

When he started going in talks with Brush Creek, he was on the road.

"I was on tour with Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper for five months," McIntosh said."The entire time I was doing an interview process, doing a tasting on the ranch, and presented them my idea what the food would be like if they chose me and once we both got comfortable with each other, I understood immediately what could be done."

McIntosh said he has been in the restaurant business all his life. Both his parents were chefs, so the DNA is strong in McIntosh. His father was a restauranteur and consultant in the industry. McIntosh said he grew up mostly in Akron, Ohio. McIntosh and his father opened a restaurant together when McIntosh was fresh out of high school. His father encouraged him to study the culinary arts seriously if he was going to make his living in this industry.

He took his father's advice.

McIntosh is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. After graduating, he went to the elite Greenbrier Hotel apprenticeship program in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. for three-and-a-half years. While working at the Greenbrier under Chef Richard Rosendale, McIntosh developed his passion to use fresh ingredients. In 2013, McIntosh followed Rosendale to Lyon to assist his mentor as he represented the United States in the 2013 Bocuse d'Or.

He said the apprenticeship program at the Greenbrier, an 100-year-old institution, has only graduated 140. He said it is an extremely rigorous culinary program.

McIntosh said, although the foundational culinary passion he has is for classic French dishes, he has found a love for simplicity, seasonality and freshness throughout his professional development.

He embraces the farm-to-table concept to create cuisine with a modern flair, as well as a develop an array of Americana favorites. Prior to the French Laundry, McIntosh was the Sous Chef at Broadmoor's Ristorante del Lago in Colorado Springs. In addition, managing the food production for three restaurants, McIntosh continued to hone his culinary artistry at the Broadmoor by implementing and running the ice-carving program and the apprenticeship program.

McIntosh's experience with world class culinary programs and restaurants has led him to Brush Creek this year.

He is elated to be there.

"There is so much going on because it is such a long endeavor," McIntosh said. "Food transports you and it has these memories that are really, really special. And making memories is the ultimate goal of Brush Creek Ranch."

 

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