Chris Royster

The Climb

Early in his career, Chris Royster worked as Executive Chef at The Huckleberry Café in Boulder County, Colorado and as Head Chef at Flagstaff House in Boulder, Colorado (2012–2018). Those years established the traits that still define his kitchen work: precise leadership, structure, and the ability to keep a room exact without making it rigid. Today, as Executive Chef, partner, and co-owner of Flagstaff House (since 2018), he helps set not only the cooking but the pace of the restaurant itself.

Today

In 2018, Royster became Executive Chef and partner at Flagstaff House Restaurant in Boulder, United States. His roles have also included co-owner at Flagstaff House. That progression points to a broader responsibility inside the restaurant: guiding the food, tightening the details, and keeping the menu aligned with the season. The kitchen runs on a daily, seasonal rhythm. Royster builds around local, seasonal, sustainable products and changes dishes almost every day, treating the menu as a working document rather than a fixed list. That approach keeps the restaurant in step with market and calendar: ingredients arrive with their own timing, dishes leave when their moment is done, and the cooking stays alert to what is available now. Venison is one of his specialties there. A springtime venison dish pairs a marinated loin with spring onions, mushrooms, and peas, then brings in braised venison shank made into a ragout, breaded, and quickly fried. The plate works across cut and whole animal: loin for precision, shank for depth, spring vegetables for lift. It is a dish built on restraint and substance, with each element doing a clear job. Copper River salmon is another named work from the Boulder kitchen. Royster’s handling of it follows the same logic: the ingredient is met in season, not repeated by formula, and the day’s menu changes shape how it appears on the table. Alongside that, he has spoken of making his own butter and working with charcuterie like pancetta and prosciutto, which points to a cook who keeps refining the familiar and values the small mechanics of craft.

Signature

Chris's signature dishes include Springtime venison dish and Copper River salmon dish.

In Their Words “I learned everything I knew from researching on my own and the people around me, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without the guidance of Mark as a strong mentor.”

Recognition

Chris's honors include Food Network Chopped Champion and Zagat 30 Under 30.