Video: An Interview with Frank Bonanno

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLFuRZGegGE[/youtube]

I recently caught up with chef Frank Bonanno, who owns and cooks in 11 Denver restaurants. The first of his restaurants, Mizuna, opened in 2001 and the success of the place has spun into a cookbook and launched his restaurant empire. Bonanno told me that the idea for Mizuna actually started when he was at the airport. He was getting ready to catch a flight home for the holidays when the general manager of Mel’s, the restaurant where he was working at in Cherry Creek, called and asked if he wanted to open a restaurant with him and be a chef. He said yes, and a few months later Mizuna opened.

While Bonanno is arguably one of the most successful restaurateurs in Denver, it wasn’t always so rosy. His second restaurant opened during a chaotic winter; the US had just gone to war with Afghanistan and people’s minds weren’t on dining out. Then a devastating snowstorm hit, and tragically Bonanno’s business partner was killed by a drunk driver. With his wife six months pregnant, things could have taken a turn for the worst but she ended up quitting her job to join him in the restaurant industry. She took over the concept and design of restaurants, and has become an integral member of the team.

Today, Bonanno has put his touch on 288 menu items between all his restaurants, and business is back to booming. I watched him at work in the kitchen, where he was making brioche, a deliciously fluffy bread that’s made with butter and eggs. Stay tuned, I’ll be back with an update on his new restaurant, Salt & Grinder, which is coming soon!

Watch part  two of the interview where we ask Frank some off the cusp questions and to learn more about what he does when he isn’t running restaurants.