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Meet An Award-Winning Grand Junction Chef
2019-05-02 07:19:01
Josh Niernberg is the executive chef behind three critically acclaimed Grand Junction eateries: Bin 707 Foodbar and fast-casual Taco Party — both named Good Food 100 Restaurants for their commitment to sustainability and supporting local food systems — and Dinner Party, a space that hosts events featuring chefs, purveyors and artisans. Here, the James Beard Best Chef Southwest nominee shares insight into the ethos behind his restaurants and what he loves most about the Grand Valley.
Why did you decide to live and open your restaurants in Grand Junction?
My wife and business partner Jodi and I looked throughout the state before deciding to open Bin 707 Foodbar in Downtown Grand Junction in 2010. We saw the opportunity to use the restaurant as an economic driver for the Grand Valley while both showcasing the valley’s incredible agricultural attributes and focusing on positive environmental impact by buying locally.
Why is sourcing food locally important to you?
Before the farm-to-table phrase was coined and during the economic recession, we saw the opportunity to create a chef-driven, locally sourced eatery designed to showcase the incredible breweries, distilleries, farmers, ranchers and cheesemakers of the Grand Valley and Colorado as a whole. In doing so, we were supporting our neighbors, creating jobs and shortening the distribution channel, which was the business model to launch our concept.
What sets the Grand Valley culinary scene apart from others you’ve encountered during your career?
The Grand Valley’s greatest attributes are also some of its weaknesses. We are fairly geographically isolated compared to the resources of a restaurant in a big city. What that creates, however, is resourcefulness in using products grown, made or available here. Embracing the regional traditions and expanding upon them allows us to really differentiate ourselves from expectations while creating an incredible sense of place as a whole.
What are your favorite Colorado ingredients to feature in dishes?
Indigenous multicolor Bow & Arrow corn from Towaoc to make anything from grits to nixtamal for homemade tortillas. Colorado lamb is some of the best available, with roots dating back at least as long as Colorado has been a state. Wagyu beef from 7X Ranch in Hotchkiss is some of the best beef available anywhere. Our incredible bounty of produce: Palisade peaches, of course; Elephant Heart plums; Mayacoba beans; juniper; sage; dried chilis — the list could go on and on.
Tell us about your go-to local eateries.
626 on Rood, Cafe Sol, The Hot Tomato, il Bistro Italiano, Pablo’s Pizza, The Palisade Café 11.0, Main Street Bagels, Palisade Brewing Co., Roasted Espresso — the list goes on, but all of these are totally unique and provide an incredible sense of place and authenticity by using products grown or made in the valley.
What are your favorite things to do in Grand Junction in your spare time?
Be outside. Biking, hiking, floating the river, snowboarding on the Grand Mesa, exploring the National Monument — our access to incredible scenery is unlike anywhere else.
Learn more about Josh at Bin707.com and discover the Grand Valley culinary scene at VisitGrandJunction.com/Dining.
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