Owners/Operators: Ben Davis and Jenifer Suydam

History/Mission

The Passionate Palette opened its doors as south Denver’s premiere cooking school for the home chef in late 2003. With classes created for the home cook of all ages, experience and skill levels it is locally owed and operated by a partnership with over 30 years combined experience in the restaurant, hotel and retail food industry.

The mission of the school is to educate and inspire the student with a love and appreciation for fine food, wine and quality of life.The Passionate Palette is pleased to offer cooking classes for all levels and ages. Consider our kitchen a gathering place, so stop by for a cup of coffee, a nibble of something from the oven and browse our retail area, where we offer everything for the kitchen from tools to gadgets, as well as selected cookbooks.

Resident Chefs
Owners and Operators of The Passionate Palette

Ben Davis received his formal chef’s training at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. He was a chef at Mel’s Bar and Grill and Panzano Restaurant in Denver and has worked for several groundbreaking American chefs. Most recently, he was the Executive Chef at Tony’s Meats and Specialty Foods in Littleton. Ben loves to teach and share both his knowledge and passion for cooking.

Jenifer Suydam learned her trade through hands-on training. She has managed several restaurants and was a sales representative for a wine, beer and liquor distributor. Prior to co-founding The Passionate Palette, Jenifer was the Food Service Specialist at Tony’s Meats and Specialty Foods. She knows that food is much more than sustenance and her goal is to create an environment where people can learn the delightful art of preparing and presenting food to those they love.