Über-talented Kitchen magician Brian Laird grew up in Northern California, close to the wine country, farmers' markets, some of the country's best restaurants and numerous culinary schools, but he snubbed the textbook and polished kitchen route to work his way up and down the California coast, fine-tuning his craft in real-world galleys. He relocated to Denver in 1994, where he worked with renowned chef Kevin Taylor until 1996, when Barolo Grill, snatched him up. His next venture, Russo's Kitchen and Tavern, will open early in 2011. Throughout his career, Laird has garnered praise from numerous publications, including Zagat Survey, 5280 Magazine and Westword.