Leadership Team
Our leadership team endeavors to create memorable dining experiences in the idyllic settling of Breckenridge, Colorado. This team of seasoned restaurant professionals is focused on ingredient & technique driven cuisine, a curated beverage program centered on craft cocktails, notable wines, and non-alcoholic offerings, and an attentive service style rooted in hospitality. We are intentional in creating a restaurant that values our employees, our community, and guests from around the world.
MATT VAWTER
James Beard Award-winning Chef Matt Vawter discovered his culinary passion at Summit High School before joining the Colorado Mountain College Culinary Apprenticeship Program in Keystone. Mentors encouraged him to explore Denver's restaurant scene, where he spent seven years at acclaimed Fruition and Mercantile Dining & Provision under Chef Alex Seidel.
During this time, Vawter developed his cooking philosophy centered on intentional sourcing and relationships with Colorado's farmers, ranchers, and artisans. The challenges of mountain seasonality expanded his network to include small, independent partners nationwide.
In 2020, drawn to raise his children in his hometown, Vawter opened Rootstalk in Breckenridge—an approachable, technique-focused restaurant designed to feel like coming home. Eighteen months later, he and his partners opened Radicato, celebrating Italian heritage while maintaining the same commitment to intentionality and excellence.
Both restaurants serve as gathering places for the Summit County community and visitors, creating memorable experiences rooted in exceptional food, drink, and genuine mountain hospitality.
2024 James Beard Award Winner: Best Chef Mountain
Founder and Executive Chef
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Partner + Director of Hospitality
Patrick Murphy was raised in Broomfield, Colorado. After graduating from Regis University in Denver he spent 10 years working in various restaurants in the metro area. He joined Matt Vawter’s team at Mercantile dining & provision in 2016. Acting as bar manager for four years Patrick refined his craft as a bartender, honed in his style of hospitality and grew as an effective leader. Patrick moved to Breckenridge in November of 2020 to help open Rootstalk as the general manager with Chef Vawter and Chef Cameron Baker. He is now the Director of Hospitality for both Rootstalk and Radicato and is a partner in both businesses. Under his leadership the service teams provide a genuine, caring, and team oriented style of service and hospitality. Patrick believes restaurants and hospitality can provide a peaceful reprieve from the stresses of daily life. Creating memorable dining experiences for his guests motivates him to continue to seek excellency for his service team and himself.
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General Manager
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Partner + Chef de Cuisine
Cameron Baker was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, where he spent the first twelve years of his life. In 2002 he moved to Summit County. In 2006 at the age of 15 his culinary Journey began working at Food Hedz World Café under chef David Welch. After spending 6 years in David Welch’s kitchen, he left to continue his culinary education and started attending Colorado Mountain College studying culinary arts, and hospitality management under Kevin Clarke. After graduating in 2014, Cameron moved to Denver. He joined Alex Seidel and Matt Vawter’s team at Mercantile dining & provision. During the 3 ½ years at Mercantile Cameron refined his craft and worked his way up to Sous Chef. After departing Mercantile, Cameron moved to Fruition Restaurant as Sous Chef where he continued to learn and develop as a chef under the guidance of Alex Seidel. In November of 2020, Cameron returned back home to Summit county to help Matt Vawter open Rootstalk as the Chef De Cuisine. Now Cameron is the Chef De Cuisine of both Rootstalk and Radicato as well as a partner in both businesses. Being a chef is challenging. It takes perseverance and determination. He believes it’s important to create an environment where everyone is passionate, excited, and constantly pushing forward to better their craft and provide a memorable dining experience for guests.
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Service & Beverage Director
Teddy Lamontagne moved up to Breckenridge in November 2020 to help open Rootstalk as the Bar Manager, became our General Manager in our second year of operation, and has moved into his current role as the Service & Beverage Director of both Rootstalk & Radicato Breckenridge. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but has spent most of his life in Denver, Colorado. He moved to the state of Colorado in 1997, where his family opened a small restaurant in Broomfield. Since then he has lived and breathed hospitality. He helped operate multiple bars in Denver during his tenure, curating thoughtful & seasonal menus and running successful programs. Day in day out, he puts his best foot forward acting as the leader for the team at Rootstalk. By creating a desirable, safe, exciting work environment, and through providing the team with endless amounts of opportunities for education and personal growth. Curating people’s memories has been something that he takes a lot of pride in. These moments are something that he describes as, “Being able to hang his hat up on.” Whether it’s when he recognizes someone walk through the door by name that he met last spring, recalling what they ate and drank, or asking about how their most recent vacation to Puerto Rico was. The restaurant is more than just a drink and a meal for him. “It’s a special place in time, surrounded by the people you choose to be, doing the things you love to do. We should be more present in these moments with our friends, and family. They are the most important.” He has worked with Matt over the last 10 years, and Patrick on and off for the last 18 years. “It was the best decision I’ve made in my life to move to Summit County and be a part of this hospitality family. More than the job, due to this magnetic effect that Matt and Paddy have, I’ve been surrounded by some of the best people and made some of the greatest friendships in my life.
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Sous Chef
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Chef de Cuisine
David Vizcaino is a Colorado native from Greeley whose journey into the culinary world began unexpectedly. While initially pursuing a career in the medical field, he took a job at a neighborhood restaurant to support himself—an experience that quickly sparked a passion for cooking and set him on a new path.
He went on to study at the Culinary Institute of Colorado Mountain College, graduating in 2019 and beginning a career that has taken him through notable kitchens and formative culinary experiences. During his time at Fruition Restaurant, David met chefs Matt Vawter and Cameron Baker, whose mentorship helped shape his approach to cooking, leadership, and hospitality.
Today, David serves as Chef de Cuisine at Rootstalk, where he works closely with the team to create thoughtful, ingredient-driven dishes that reflect both technique and seasonality.
Outside the kitchen, David enjoys Colorado’s mountain lifestyle, spending time outdoors and gathering with friends and family whenever he can.
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Sous Chef