Teri Rippeto was in the restaurant business since 1981, cooking professionally for 35 years.
Teri and her dad, Tom, opened Potager Restaurant in May of 1997.
Teri established the Potager belief and ideal that the meal is at the center of human experience. It is at the table where we are nourished, enjoy an essential source of life, come together with friends, family and connect to tradition.
In April of 2019, Teri sold the restaurant to Paul, Eileen, and Nik, and it is their dream to continue the culinary tradition of Potager.
Teri is a prolific artist who moved with her supportive husband Adam to coastal Maine where she now spends her days painting in her home studio. Check her out at: www.teririppeto.com
Paul Warthen grew up on a 500-acre dairy farm in western Maryland that raised beef cattle, pigs and chickens while milking 300 cows, twice a day. Days started around 2am and ended when the sun went down. Paul's family had giant gardens and corn fields, as far as the eye could see, where he spent many summer mornings and nights until he was old enough to work in the hay barn and eventually the milking parlor. Paul's Granny, an amazing woman, fed the family and all the farm hands, breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was around these tables that Paul began to understand kinship and community. Granny also ran a kitchen for the biggest restaurant in town. It was in her kitchen that Paul realized the value of food and how it brought people together.
Paul's culinary journey has taken him to every coast. As a young cook, he worked for the Patina Group in Los Angeles and was a tournant travelling from one Joaquim Splichal restaurant to another. Soon after, he was in Philadelphia working with James Beard award winning chefs like Roy Yamaguchi and Marc Vetri, before landing his first executive chef job. Paul spent 10 years in NYC where he met his future wife, Eileen, and 2 years in the Shenandoah Valley managing the culinary side of an 800-acre organic farm. Everywhere Paul has gone, he has worked with the farmer - that is what has brought him to Potager.
Teri Rippeto - Opening Chef,
Original Owner, Artist
Paul Warthen - Executive Chef, Owner
p o t a g e r
1109 ogden street denver, colorado 80218 p. 303.246.7073
t e a m
A good kitchen respects its sources and chooses ingredients that are sound, seasonal and locally grown. Good service at the table respects the kitchen - linking it to the diner, coordinating choices of food, wine and maintaining comfort and relaxation necessary for a enjoyable meal.
Potager is made up of a team of incredibly hardworking folks committed
to the beliefs and philosophies of the restaurant.
None of this would be possible without each and every one of them....past, present and future.
r e s t a u r a n t & w i n e b a r
Eileen Warthen - Wine Buyer, Director of Operations, Owner
As a native New Yorker, Eileen Warthen did her research before moving to Denver and kept finding Potager at the top of her list of restaurants to become a part of. After trying on many hats - fashion design production assistant, pre-school teacher, vineyard caretaker and race car driver to name just a few - it was Eileen's passion for wine that kept drawing her back to the hospitality industry. Eileen became a certified sommelier in 2017 and she still loves serving guests and being an active member of the restaurant floor staff. In her spare time, Eileen enjoys walking her boxer - Butcher, suffering through marathon training, adding to her vinyl collection and rooting for the Yankees. But most importantly, Eileen loves drinking wine and reaping the benefits of living with a talented chef, her partner-in-crime, Paul. She is thrilled to be a part of the Potager family. In November of 2019, Eileen and Paul welcomed a new member to their growing family, a baby pterodactyl whom they call Gardy.
potager restaurant is hiring! if you are an interested professional,
email eileen.warthen.wine@gmail.com for more information.
*serious restaurant people only*
Anthony Sorrentino - Chef de Cuisine
Anthony Sorrentino grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, starting to cook from a young age with his family. As an athlete he never thought cooking would be his path until middle school when he joined a home cooking class. This is where he made his first soup, igniting his passion for scratch cooking. He began helping more in the kitchen at home, and in high school, he started technical school in the culinary arts program. With the support of his chef instructors, he began to compete in cooking competitions as well as enrolling in a work study program allowing him to gain more knowledge. Wanting to build on this foundation, he went to The Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, New York where he would really grow as a cook, learning new techniques, trying new foods, and meeting great people. Over a summer break from CIA, Anthony spent time cooking in Boulder, Colorado where he quickly realized he loved the area and lifestyle. After graduating from CIA, Anthony headed back to Colorado where he met Nik Brand. Nik introduced Anthony to Chef Paul and Potager, and the rest –- as they say –-
is history!
