Denver History Museum's Cafe Rendezvous Announces New Chef

DENVER, CO - From History Colorado: History Colorado and its catering partner, SSA, have announced a new executive chef and menu changes for the History Colorado Center's Café Rendezvous and catering services at 1200 Broadway in Denver.

Executive Chef Nick Estell was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up working in a kitchen at a local country club. After graduating high school, he moved to southern California to attend the California School of Culinary Arts.

While residing in California he worked at numerous establishments, including the celebrity hot-spot Crustacean in Beverly Hills. One of his other most notable experiences was his time at The American, a James Beard award-winning restaurant in Kansas City. He enjoys playing around with combinations of flavors and considers his style to be contemporary American cuisine.

Chef Nick has big plans for the culinary department at the History Colorado Center. He has revamped the Café Rendezvous and catering menus to be more Colorado-centric and to offer more gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly options.

The new menu launches today and includes baked macaroni and cheese, pork belly BLT, tater tot poutine, and a Southwest salad with fire roasted corn, black beans, mixed greens, candied jalapenos, avocado lime dressing and cornbread croutons. For vegetarian guests, a portobello mushroom sandwich containing roasted portobellos, pickled red onion, arugula, herbed aioli and cheddar cheese on a brioche bun has been added to the menu. Gluten-free diners can enjoy lettuce wraps with braised achiote chicken, roasted tomato, shaved red onion and honey mustard dijonaise.

“We're excited to have Nick join our team. It's a rare thing to find a chef who has the culinary chops to consistently prepare outstanding food along with a great collaborative approach,” said David Furst, SSA’s general manager. “His passion for food and guest satisfaction makes Nick a great fit for SSA and the History Colorado Center. We're looking forward to seeing the continued results of his creativity and style.”

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