Sean Clark, Executive Chef for Peak Brewing LLC, the parent company that runs both Steamworks Brewing Co. and El Moro, has been a Durango staple since his college days. A native of the Western Slope, Clark began his career at Steamworks as a pizza-flipper. While his initial goal was to become an art teacher, he soon realized that life was going to lead him down a different path.
“I took my first job working in a restaurant when I was 16, and it’s one of those businesses where once you’re in, it’s hard to get out,” said Clark. “After school, I had to make a choice: live in a place I don’t like and teach art, or stay in a place I love and stay in the restaurant industry. I realized being in the restaurant business was a pretty good place to be. It’s hard to resist working in a place where people are going for a good time and it’s certainly not a bad environment to be in.”
After spending a couple years in school in Gunnison, Clark followed some friends to Durango to finish his fine art degree at Fort Lewis College. As what happens to many who visit, he found a home in the Southwest corner of the state.
“Durango is great because of its location, it’s kind of out of the way. We’re in a location at the base of the mountains and on the edge of the desert,” Clark said. “The culture and the food in the Southwest in general are so great and we have a river that flows right through town. We spend a lot of time outside, hiking, fishing, rafting, that keeps us (Clark, his wife and their two young daughters) here.”
Although his career has taken a different path, Clark hasn’t lost his artistic edge. “I used to be a pretty darn good potter, but food is my art now. I guess it’s an evolution of art,” he said.
Because of his experience and creativity, Clark played a key role in the opening of El Moro in 2013, and was crucial in the concept and menu design of the restaurant. While Steamworks focuses heavily on the brewing side of things, the creation of El Moro allowed its creators to focus more on the dining experience, to honor some of Durango’s history and to allow some creativity in the kitchen.
“With the opening of El Moro, we wanted to do something a little different. First, we found our location and then we wanted to find the identity for it. We went to the (Animas City) museum on the north end of town and we actually found out that the location we chose was formerly called El Moro, so we went off of that,” said Clark. “For the atmosphere, we wanted to go for something comfortable, something less fine dining, more of a place you could go on any given day for no particular reason. We wanted our food to reflect our roots and our past and allow our curiosity to drive the menu.”
In addition to his work in Durango, Clark has had the honor to cook at the James Beard House, a New York City-based nonprofit foundation that celebrates America’s food culture and promotes up-and-coming chefs. “We’re going back in April. It’ll be our third time going there,” said Clark. “We were there for their first-ever beer-tasting dinner, which was intimidating for a place that normally is known for its wine pairings. We went back a second time and got to host with Dogfish Head Brewery from Maryland, and this next time, they actually invited us, which is a big deal. It’s like winning an Oscar in the food world.”
And New York City is not the limit of Clark’s travels. “Traveling has influenced my cooking. Going to Italy and seeing the specialty stores: You have a guy for your pasta and another guy for your salami and another place for your vegetables and so on; all these Old-World techniques made an impression,” Clark said. “Going to Mexico and seeing how they utilize these flavors. No matter where you go, you’re going to walk away with something, not just a picture, but something you can take home to share with others.”
Sean Clark: Behind the chef
What is your favorite thing to cook?: Anything that can be cooked over a fire or a barbecue because when a fire or a barbecue are involved, it means it’s warm outside. You’re probably with family and friends, probably throwing a few back, so it’s just a good time. Otherwise, it’s cooking anything new. Reading about a new recipe or learning a new technique is always good.
What does your family ask you to cook the most?: My wife always asks me to make Green Chile. She loves it. And while I’ve made a lot of Green Chile over the years, I don’t think any two batches have come out the same.
Who is your favorite chef?: Two guys have made a huge impression on me and my cooking. The first one is Adam Dulye, who’s responsible for us going to the James Beard House. And the other is Kyle Mendenhall. He’s never had any formal training but he’s just got an incredible mind for cooking. So, those guys have just really inspired me and influenced how I do my job. (Mendenhall is the Executive Chef at Arcana and Dulye is the Executive Chef of the Brewers Association and CraftBeer.com. Both are located in Boulder.)
What is your favorite ingredient?: Probably pork. It’s just so versatile and there’s so much you can do with it. If I had to choose one meat to cook for the rest of my life it would be pork.
What is something you want to cook but haven’t tried yet?: Probably the next recipe I read about.
