Welcome to Come into the Kitchen.
Here, we’ll dig a little deeper with The Boulder Cork culinary team to explore what goes on in the kitchen—the place where the magic happens. Who are these food fanatics who perform under immense “heat” trying to get it right every time? We’ll share recipes, food demos, talk food fads, tricks and tips, and meet some of the personalities behind the line.
Let’s start the conversation with two of our Executive Chefs, Jim Smailer and Dean Hillberg.
Jim Smailer was the Executive Chef at The Boulder Cork for 41 years, until 2021. (So much happened in 2020, the year that changed all of our lives, but more about that later.) Dean Hilberg became The Cork’s Executive Chef in 2023. And while these two have held, or hold, lead roles in the kitchen, they are quick to point out that there are other key contributors to the success of The Boulder Cork’s culinary team.
In July we sat down with Jim and Dean to get the conversation started. Of course, we had to ask some of the basics, like, why did you want to be a chef?
Dean explained that his family was deeply engaged with food. His dad often did the cooking at home and he sometimes helped, but his mom operated a catering business. She would go to big fancy houses and cook, and Dean tagged along. The family usually ate together, but Sunday dinners were the BIG deal. They would invite people to join, sometimes with 15 -20 people at the table. Food was a central part of family life.
For Jim, it was a lot about growing up in Pennsylvania, an agriculture-heavy state, with Farmer’s Markets everywhere and great local ingredients. As a kid, he really appreciated the outdoors and all of nature’s gifts. He also took frequent trips to the coast where he developed a deep love of fish. To this day, being at the beach and eating fresh fish are two of his passions.
So, the groundwork was laid early in life for both of their forays into food. We’re glad it was. Now, Dean and Jim are collaborating at The Boulder Cork, grateful for their team looking forward to what’s ahead.
