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After fifteen years of owning and operating
Chefy’s Restaurant in Basalt, Colorado, chef Claude Van Horton and
wife Susan moved their operation a few miles down valley in the Fall
of 2003. Russets is
their newest venture, offering quality food with an international
flair and a moderate price range.
Claude and Susan and their staff provide professional and
friendly service in a beautiful and comfortable atmosphere. Growing up in
suburban Chicago, Claude gained an appreciation for good food
through his parents’ passion for fine dining.
Nature must also have been at work, however, because it was
Claude who insisted on real muffin tins and cake pans for his
sandbox. Claude was
encouraged into a cooking career after impressing his future mentor,
Klaus Christ, at a dinner party where he made his homemade lasagna
and Italian bread. After
graduating college in 1971, Claude went to work for Klaus in the
kitchen of Le Profil in Denver, Colorado.
His training continued in Aspen, Colorado, at the Golden Horn
and then at the Palace Hotel in Lucerne, Switzerland.
After arriving back in the Roaring Fork Valley, he happened
upon Basalt and helped launch DiMaggio’s at the Frying Pan, where
he was the executive chef for three years. Later, after seven years at restaurants in Sedona, Arizona,
Claude and his wife Susan opened Chefy’s in Basalt. Susan
is responsible for the fashionable décor and the engaging visual
images of Russets. The
attentive and courteous service and general management of Russets is
also under her direction. Susan’s
dedication to customer satisfaction was integral to Chefy’s
success and she brings that passion to Russets.
Her managerial skills and talents are being coupled with
Dennis Collins, a longtime friend of Susan and Claude. Dennis, like
Susan, has over 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry.
After years of floor service as a waiter, manager, and
captain, Dennis turned his attention to restaurant openings.
Specializing in training, implementing efficient procedures,
instilling positive attitudes, and balancing and controlling the
chaos of newly birthed restaurants, Dennis brings an aspect to the
restaurant theater that insures a positive first impression and
stability for the future. As
Russets manager, Dennis Collins will provide uncompromising
distinction in service from day one.
The restaurant design and development of Russets is by Jeff Katz of the Katz Company. Jeff provides design, development, and project management services to resorts, multi-unit restaurant operators, and independent restaurateurs. A graduate of Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Jeff has over thirty years of experience in restaurant and hotel development and has published a book," Restaurant Planning, Design, and Construction: A Survival Manual for Owners, Operators and Developers.” His expertise, energy and commitment have been invaluable throughout the inception and evolution of Russets. |
Dinner Everyday
Reservations Recommended
225 Main Street
Carbondale, CO 81623
970-963-3036
info@russets.net