Chef
Ryan Rau
- Discipline
- Chef
Portrait of Ryan Rau
i. Biography
Ryan Rau is Executive Chef at Urban Farmer in Denver, a post built on formal training, clean technique, and working relationships with growers and purveyors. Originally from Oregon, he brings a seasonal approach to the kitchen and a discipline shaped by steady practice. Rau puts the point plainly: "The relationships we build with farmers and purveyors are what make our food truly special."
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Coming Up
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts gave Rau the structure and rigor that anchor his work now. That education established a precise, process-driven foundation, with an emphasis on how professional kitchens move from repetition to consistency. Today, Ryan Rau carries that background into Urban Farmer Denver, where seasonality and restraint continue to frame the work.
Where They Are Now
Urban Farmer in Denver, Colorado is where Rau leads as Executive Chef, with the menu shaped by what the season and the source will support. His cooking leans on ingredients with clear provenance and on the labor that brings them in, so the kitchen's output reflects the farms and purveyors behind it. The result is a program that gives each ingredient room to do its job without overworking it. Rau's kitchen rhythm is tied to the people who supply it: growers, producers, and purveyors whose work arrives with its own character intact.
That network is not an accessory to the menu; it is part of how the food is built. In that sense, Urban Farmer functions as a working link between sourcing and service, where the season sets the terms and the kitchen follows through.
In Their Words “The relationships we build with farmers and purveyors are what make our food truly special.”
FAQ
Asked of Ryan
What is Ryan Rau's current role?
As of 2026, Ryan Rau is Executive Chef.
Where did Ryan Rau train or study?
Ryan Rau trained at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
What is Ryan Rau known for?
Seasonal, hardworking ingredients from small farms and purveyors.
Explore
The Sunday email
Read about chefs like Ryan Rau in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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