Sitting with a beer in hand, chatting with the kitchen manager of a local pizza shop in Vermont, Chef Terence Rogers, owner of Sullivan Scrap Kitchen in Denver, Colorado, received his first cooking gig. Slinging pizzas as a newbie in the kitchen was quite the learning curve. Chef Rogers explained that for the first couple of months, he felt uncomfortable and struggled to find the groove in the kitchen. In fact, he stated that he “went in every weekend thinking I was going to get fired.” Not one to quit easily, he remained determined and eventually got the hang of the culinary labyrinth that was being a pizza cook, dishing out over three hundred pizzas a night. Rogers fell in love with the environment within the kitchen; the adrenaline, quick pace, and comradery; he loved it all.
From Vermont, he moved back to Boston, where he received another cooking job on a food truck. Here he met his culinary mentor, Chef David Harnick, a candy chemist for Mars Company and a provider of fine dining French Catering to a high-end restaurant in downtown Boston. Working on the truck, Rogers elaborated that “it would be me and him [Harnick] every day” and through their constant interaction they developed an excellent friendship. Rogers said that one of the most integral lessons he taught him was “how to cook things that are good, not just cook from your own ego,” a crucial realization throughout Roger’s entire culinary career. Even when Rogers left the food truck to pursue a job at a more fine-dining establishment, Harnick continued to play an integral role as both a friend and advisor in Roger’s life.
After gaining some experience working in the culinary industry, Rogers felt as if it was a good time to begin something of his own. Living in an apartment with two of his friends, he began to host pop-up dinner parties, where he served a constantly changing 3-course menu eaten around their pool table. It was a hit! Eight times a month, random people would pile into his apartment, excited to indulge in his impressive display of culinary skills.
“Do you cater?” “Can you cater for my party?” “Your food is amazing; you should really start catering!” The requests for Rogers to start catering flowed in with rapid pace, and soon after, he and his wife Holly Adinoff finally established the TBD Foods company, a catering and personal chef service. Setting them apart from many of their competitors were their various unique menu options available for catering. From VIP tasting menus to New England Clam bakes, TBD catering offered delicious fare for all types of events and atmospheres. It was with TBD Foods that Rogers began establishing the ideologies of sustainable cooking throughout the rest of his career. Purchasing ingredients from markets and local farmers, as well as using every part of an ingredient were integral values that he strongly believed in.
Prior to opening their official Sullivan Scrap location, Terence and Holly wanted to test out their ideas on a smaller scale with Lil Scrap Kitchen, a pop-up sandwich concept which they ran out of the commissary kitchen they operated from at the time. Their customers consisted of the other businesses in the building; tax companies, ski manufacturers, you name it. The ingredients used to make the sandwiches were the leftovers from their catering company. Turning the scraps from their other business into delicious dishes gave Rogers a better understanding of which ingredients could be utilized in interesting ways to maximize both sustainability and taste. Although they “never made any money,” they were able to test if their idea of a sustainable kitchen was even feasible. He described the concept as “a very good way to dip our toes into the process without having to spend a ton.”
With the acquired knowledge from their test concept, Terrence and Holly opened Sullivan Scrap Kitchen in July of 2021. Chef Rogers explained that with the culinary world evolving with a greater focus on sustainability and becoming more eco-conscious, opening a restaurant that emphasized these concepts “just made sense.” Having worked in fine-dining restaurants previously where “perfectly good pieces” of meat were thrown away mindlessly and ingredients were not used simply because they didn’t “look as good,” Rogers had his mind set on not following in such wasteful habits. For example, Sullivan Scrap Kitchen’s signature burgers are made from beef trim and other pieces that are not utilized to prepare other dishes on the menu.
But don’t you dare think for one second, that using trim makes their burgers any less delicious. In fact, Sullivan Scrap Kitchen won the award for the best hamburger in Denver by Westword in 2021. Fresh, local vegetables, house made pickles, and killer bacon all contributed to Rogers and his staff receiving this honor. On top of that, Sullivan Scrap Kitchen’s pursuit of sustainability also earned them a spot-on Bon Appétit’s “Heads of the Table” in 2021, a list of the trailblazing, community-building leaders changing the restaurant industry for good. Chef Rogers explained that receiving both awards was surreal, claiming that he and his wife believed that “both of them[awards] were not legit.” In addition to being a great honor, this sort of recognition was beneficial in terms of business as well, with the awards sparking an influx in popularity.
To many, cooking in a more sustainable manner may seem like an insurmountable burden. Yes, of course it is a challenge, but Sullivan Scrap Kitchen is a perfect example of how eco-friendly cuisine can help push the boundaries of food. With their menu changing constantly based on the seasonality of ingredients and what local vendors have in stock, dining at Sullivan Scrap guarantees that you are supporting an environmentally friendly initiative, while also receiving the freshest and highest quality of ingredients.
“So, Chef Rogers, what is your favorite thing to cook at home?”
Like many of the other chefs I have asked, this question seems to get a similar response along the lines of “not much cooking goes on outside of the restaurant.” Rightfully so, I wouldn’t want to cook much either after an exhausting day in the restaurant kitchen. “A cheese board with a peach, tomato, mozzarella caprese” was Chef Roger’s latest at-home culinary creation, however, besides grilling some meats or making a roasted chicken with some veggies when people are over, he does not prepare too many dishes in his free time. In terms of eating out, he enjoys Benzina, Blue Pan Pizza (a personal favorite of mine), and To the Wind Bistro, which unfortunately closed down in May 2022.
Although TBD Foods and Sullivan Scrap Kitchen do not have any major plans for the next few months, Chef Rogers wants to continue to highlight the wonderful ingredients and produce that Colorado has to offer in all his future culinary endeavors.
A big thank you to Chef Terence Rogers for taking the time to speak to me!
If you enjoyed this Culinary Interview article, check out my previous interview with Chef Natascha Hess, owner of the Ginger Pig in Denver, Colorado.
